PREFACE

...to shed light original: "lucem dare". The printer is continuing the metaphor of "bringing to light" (publishing) previously hidden or obscure knowledge.: so that men, eager for this most excellent and most useful art In the Renaissance, an "Art" (Ars) was a systematic body of knowledge or a craft—in this case, alchemy—used to perfect or imitate Nature., might be able to use and enjoy it. But someone will say that by these editions of mine, I bring more harm to the public good than benefit, since the art is vain and no science at all; they claim it deals not with entirely certain things, but with the uncertain and the rarely occurring—indeed, most rare, or perhaps never—and that it merely discusses the opinions of many men. For no one, they say, in our own or in the previous century, has actually achieved what the writers of this art so magnificently and in so many ways promise. Since, therefore, it lacks its intended goal, and yet all things are done for the sake of a goal, it follows that it is neither an art nor a science, and that those who engage in these matters, or who believe lazy impostors The "impostor" or "fraudulent alchemist" was a common character in 16th-century literature; the printer is acknowledging the bad reputation alchemy often had due to con artists., are ridiculous and foolish. To these critics, enough and more than enough response has been given by excellent and most learned philosophers The "philosophers" mentioned here are the "Adepts" or historical alchemical authorities like Geber or Hermes Trismegistus. with certain demonstrations, and the truth of this art has been proven (especially...