Natural Magic

filled the leaves of his book. What shall I say of such renowned men and people of authority, who, as one can see at present if they wanted to say something about it, not only failed to know what belongs to the work but, with an importunate desire to add to it, have taught the very thing that their predecessors had left in writing? And from this it has come about that errors have been spread everywhere, and finally taken such growth that with great difficulty can one know and discern them from the first, such that not only is the experience of it difficult, but also they cannot be read without laughter and mockery. I do not speak of many, of whom, in my opinion, there is no need to make mention for the present, who amused themselves with I know not what parables, such as speaking of salt, of the bean, and of other enigmas, and by words invented on purpose have rendered things more obscure to us, wanting to leave marvelous things to posterity, and promising mountains of gold. But who can know if they perfectly knew such things, or if they do not write most often one thing for another, and quite otherwise than they believed and estimated? And from there it comes that the most excellent spirits, and those most covetous of learning, are detained and amused for a long space of time, and in the end, knowing well the difficulty, and not being able to reach