At the top of the left page, there is a decorative woodcut headpiece consisting of symmetrical floral and scrollwork patterns.

Preface

by the late AUTHOR of this little treatise.

Dear Reader. original: B. Leser, short for Benevole Lector or 'Benevolent Reader.'

After I—by God's grace—have written various small Latin and German treatises and have thereby faithfully shown my neighbor the way to the innermost foundation of the knowledge of creation original: Geschöpf-Kunde, I have also wished to add this one, as my Testament, to the previous ones. Should God grant me a longer life (of which I am very doubtful), more shall follow, and among others the promised True and Unheard-of Physics original: Physica vera & inaudita and Reformed Medicine original: Medicina Reformata. There are two witnesses which must be worked out with a quiet mind, a peaceful body, great diligence, and steady manual labor for the actual demonstration of the new knowledge of creation.

Now I have spent ten years traveling, and in such time have rested for barely four months.

For although I have meanwhile enjoyed the honor of being in the service of two great princes, I have nowhere felt less bodily rest, pleasure, and peace of mind than at court. But to GOD, to whom I commit my ways, and who has guided me wonderfully thus far (to Him be praise and thanks for all the high grace and mercy shown to me, unworthy as I am), I hope He will soon grant me a safe harbor after so many endured storms and persecutions.

My writings contain various words which do not agree with common modes of speech; and I would have gladly kept the old and customary ones if they could be used in their proper sense for the matter described. I do not seek fame from new words; those who know me know that in temporal, though useless honor, my thoughts go higher than being a good so-called NaturalistA student of natural history or a philosopher of the laws of nature.. And I have no other reason for changing words than the Truth itself. Nature I call Self-Motion; Nature-salt, Self-motion-salt; the doctrine of nature, knowledge of creation; the so greatly desired Spirit of the World original: Spiritum mundi, a hypothetical substance believed by alchemists to permeate the universe, spirit-salt (sometimes air-salt, not—as in the Concentrated Center through a printing error—to be read as salt-spirit); the Central salt of the earth original: Sal terræ centrale or Vitriol, body-salt; Quicksil-