The Chemical Basilica or Alchemical Royal Jewel

which they have learned not in a lawful manner, but in a thieving one, to sell very dearly, in that they cover their wolfish nature and malicious minds with the Pharisaical sheepskin, so that they might sneak behind many simple, pious hearts, stun them with their sweet and well-sounding prattle, infect and poison them as if with their shadow, and make their good and honest names hated and put them in danger before they rightly perceive and notice what these executioner-like knaves and land-swindlers are after.

These are not deficiencies and faults of the art, but of those persons who misuse the art.

And these evil types, for whom nothing is more pleasant and sweet than to deceive, would rather have a great name than a good one; and because they cannot attain the same through virtue, they make themselves known through their vices. And thus, for these swindlers (who have wished to banish themselves from the fellowship of all true philosophers for eternity—since they are not only ignorant of, but also unworthy of the mysteries of God and the secrets of nature, and on whose account the honest and world-renowned name of Alchymey alchemy is hated and despised both by the common rabble and then also by the scholars who are accustomed to judge other knowledge from their own lack of understanding), nothing is more displeasing than being praised with the basis of truth. For what can happen to an honest and hearty person that is more honorable than being despised by these most worthless of vagabonds, whose praise is worthy of the rope many times over, and who are hated by no one except the most learned and excellent people?

3. Where envy and enmity or hatred are in the council, a blind judgment follows.

I do not strive to please everyone, since not everyone, nor the actions of everyone, pleases me. 4.

But the most sincere and subtle among the Galenisten followers of Galen—whom I compare to the Pharisee Nicodemo Nicodemus, since they do not dare to openly confess the truth before some Athenian rabbis out of fear of excommunication—have hitherto not yet dared to take up this long-desired light with outstretched arms. God prevent my foresight and thoughts so that, after they have obtained a perfect report of the same, the resulting envy does not drive them—since it has been published for the common good—to subsequently criticize and scold it even more zealously with a feigned contempt. Or, so that they may be held to be all the more learned and understanding, they praise it all the more cold-heartedly—yet, for their own benefit, keep it secret without the blessing of God. But since virtue is ever and always injured and wounded by the pointed stings of envy, and those who desire to stand for the common good have such envy as a constant companion: indeed, even the great God Himself, whether He gives rain or bright sunshine, does not do right by everyone and please everyone: and it is very difficult, indeed almost impossible, to render pleasant services to the ungrateful world at all times, so these are much more worthy of pity than one should be angered by them, until they one day free themselves from the painful Purgatorio purgatory or Fegfewer purgatory/fire of purging of their envy.