The Secrets of Chemical Pallas

Revealed

Or

Natural and Artificial Mineralogy

A Fully Golden Work

In which is especially shown the method of making the Philosophers'
Stone and many other Profitable things are handed down.

Whether it befits me to laugh, or to weep, I greatly doubt;
I shall do both, lest I err in one or the other. For who would not
laugh at the vanity of men? Who would not weep for their insanity?
For all, not by the love of virtue, not by the study of investigating
the secrets of nature, not by the affection of helping the poor,
nor by the desire of bestowing alms on holy places; but led by a
certain voracious and insatiable greed, they run after gold, they
seek gold, and they follow riches like attendants and vile slaves.
O wretched condition of men! O dire cruelty of greed! It
renders men miserable, and so much more miserable, as they
know less that they are miserable. Pay attention. They are rich
and they seek riches; for the reason that they are rich by
believing, not by seeing. They are rich, and they seek riches;
because they do not use them as masters of riches, but as
slaves they guard them. They are rich: but what do I say?
they themselves are not rich, but their chest is rich. Finally
they are rich and they seek riches; because as much is lacking
to the greedy of what they have, as of what they have not.
Hence regarding them that elegant paradox is most certainly
verified: To many too much, to no one enough. Whence
recently a certain modern poet sang concerning the greedy man.