Preface.

of herbs, fruit, ore, stone, and the like. It is also often cited in Scripture, in that it uses analogies of animals, stones, trees, and herbs, etc. The Persians, Arabs, and those same Orientals have made great use of this same art; they studied in it, and it has been an honest art; it has also made wise people, etc.

Raymund Lullius says: original: "Omnes divitias hujus mundi pro nihilo, imo, pro stercore reputabis, respectu hujus divini & excellentissimi Magisterii." You shall regard all the riches of this world as nothing, indeed as dung, in respect to this divine and most excellent Magistery. That is: All the wealth of the world is to be considered as nothing, indeed as dung, against this high, Divine mystery.

Geber) Blessed is the person to whom GOD gives the time and the life to come to this high essence, notwithstanding that he may be old. For, although the philosophi philosophers who possessed it were old, they still amused themselves with it in their old days.