Preface.

to destroy [it] is in vain; instead, I direct you, reader, back to the Phoenix. For you will find that the Phoenix, according to the poems of the ancient pagans (who were, without doubt, philosophers In this context, "philosophers" refers to alchemists or "natural philosophers" who sought the hidden laws of nature.), after having gathered a multitude of various spices, settles upon them, is ignited by the sun, and thus burns itself to ashes. For my part, I believed the philosophers had told us enough here: that we should abstain from all foreign things. They impressed this upon us sufficiently in an old rhyme original: "Rythmo" with these words:

In what then? In itself; borrow it from itself or its own kind, and seek it in that which is nearest to it. It is in vain to trouble oneself with all sorts of menstrua: Alchemical solvents used to dissolve solid bodies; the name derives from the Latin for "monthly," reflecting the belief that these solutions required specific cycles of time to work.. I believe the secret is invisible, already hidden everywhere, so that we simply cannot see it. For that reason, we seek it where it is not to be found, which is why we only receive as much benefit as we put in [manual] labor.

However, I do not wish by this to have directed anyone [away]...

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