The Fifth Part of the Prosperity of Germany

without them no fruit can be acquired; indeed, that the Transmutation of metals was not rashly or unadvisedly called by the Ancients Halchymia Salt-fusion, or the fusion and liquation of Salt; undoubtedly for this reason, that it might be signified to the ignorant that the improvement and conversion of metals into better ones proceeds from nothing other than Salt and Fire; Behold, a famous booklet is brought to me from Germany, lacking the name of the author, printer, and city, exhibited to me by a certain good friend, in which that bastard son of Sendivogius, whose true name is Johann Hartprecht Starch, vomits forth new horrendous calumnies into my Writings, and accuses them in an impious manner of Sophistical fallacies and mere lies. And although I did not have so much leisure and time to read and examine such insults, yet soon, after I had glanced at it only cursorily, I discovered that he asserts that all Sales are most inept for transmutation, most hostile enemies to the Metallic Kind, and most pernicious. I shall refute the said booklet as soon as possible, and I shall make plain to the whole World how iniquitously, how impiously, and how diabolically the most impudent man has attacked my innocent person and all my Writings. One thing, however, I must indicate here, which must by no means be passed over in silence in the present instance. Either my writings or those of that false Hartprecht must be false and full of lies.