Pretiosa margarita novella de thesauro, ac pretiosissimo philosophorum lapide : artis huius divinae typus, et methodus: collectanea ex Arnaldo, Rhaymundo, Rhasi, Alberto, et Michaele Scoto

turn away from your good purpose for the sake of the lightest breath of common rumor.

Lacinius. Who knows if we will receive from them the reward for our labors, and if they will be a comfort for us to live out our lives?

Bonus. * Apophthegm regarding Leo X, Supreme Pontiff Thus thought Aurelius Augurellus when he dedicated his chrysopoeia gold-making to Pope Leo X, expecting some huge gift from him (who was indeed munificent and liberal). But the Pope gave Augurellus a purse of green silk as a gift; a color that commonly indicates future hope implying he gave him hope rather than wealth.

Lacinius. The Pope acted beautifully and wisely. For if Augurellus had made the philosophorum lapidem philosophers' stone, he would not have been in need of others' wealth, since he would have been the richest of all. But my Bonus, he who is rich must still need friends. Therefore, I would like you to comply with me, so that I may bestow this gift upon at least those to whose kindness I am bound. For there are many to whom I acknowledge that I owe not only all that I have, but myself as well; by this most excellent gift, I shall be very dear to them.

Bonus. You are mistaken, by Hercules. For if you presume to publicly summon anyone in this matter, you will turn a friend into an enemy. Do you not know that all who practice this art today are careful not to be known in any way?

Lacinius. Alas, do you therefore make the art profane?

Bonus. While these ignoramuses have the opinion of ignoramuses, the art itself is holy, and it is an art that only pure and holy men are allowed to possess. For, to use the sentiment of divine Thomas Thomas Aquinas, this art either finds a holy man, or its discovery renders him holy.

Lacinius. Our moderns do not say so; they say that it is not fitting for all religious men, nor even for good men, to pursue it.

Bonus. And you, too, follow the voice and opinion of these commoners?

Lacinius. Commoners? I would prefer not to, but as I see, it is the common sentiment of almost everyone.

Bonus. You are insane, by Hercules, and this contention of yours stirs my bile (unless this conversation is happening among sophists), who are not to be considered alchemical philosophers, but thieves and robbers. For this reason, the lazy and ignorant mob confuses the name of alchemist with these lost souls and self-styled philosophers; just as light differs from darkness, true from false, God Himself from Mammon, and good from evil, so do these two groups have nothing in common, much like a demon keeping the name of an angel while possessing nothing in reality with those blessed spirits save the name. Just so, these empirical sophists usurp the name for themselves, and by their thefts, they have turned this most holy art into a fable for the masses. For the true and never-sufficiently-praised operation of alchemical transmutation cannot in any way be suitable for these wicked men, but only for those who have always been considered good men and devoted to God.