On the Secret Works of Art and Nature and the Nullity of Magic

and that they might eagerly grasp the wisdom for which you give them hope.

Farewell, most beloved brothers, I commend myself to your precious favor.

To the God-fearing Reader.

This letter of Bacon was first brought to light by Orontius Fineus in the year 1542 with the writings of Simon Colinäi. It seems the copy belonging to Orontius must have been very faulty, for the words often had no connection. Yet he published it so that lovers of science would not have to go without this great treasure; he did not presume to change or add anything, so as not to mangle the author's writing if he might perhaps not have correctly understood the author's meaning. Thereafter, it was also printed with the second part of the Turbae Crowd/Gathering of Philosophers and the other Chymischen Schriften alchemical writings, while retaining the errors. Finally, in the year 1594, this letter was printed in Orfurt Erfurt by Joseph Barnes. This edition was so eagerly sought after and highly regarded that I could not obtain a copy, no matter how much effort I expended. Therefore, when I obtained from the library of a good friend that edition which had been improved from several sources by Johann Dee,