ABSTRACT
Amongst all the other Philosophers (loving Reader) only our Artephius is not envious, as himself affirmeth of himselfe in many places, and therefore he layeth downe the whole Art in most open words in this Treatise, interpreting as farre as he may, the doubtfull speeches and Sophismes of others; Neverthelesse least he should give unto the wicked, ignorant, and evill men, occasion and meanes to doe hurt, hee hath a little vailed the truth in the Principalis of the Science under an Arteficiall Methode, sometimes affirming sometimes denying, and making as though hee often repeated one and the same thing, whereas in those repetitions hee alwayes changeth some words, seeming often to say the contrary of what hee had said before, willing to leave unto the judgement of the Reader, the way of Trueth, Vertue, and true Working, which if any man finde, let him give immortali thankes to God alone; but if hee see that hee walketh not in the right way, let him reade over this Author againe and againe, untill hee understand his meaning. So did the learned John Pontanus, 1 which saith in his epistle Printed in Theatrum Chimicum: They err (saith hee, speaking of them that labour in this Arte) they have erred, and they will alwayes erre, because the Philosophers in their books have never set downe the proper Agent, except onely one, which is called 57 Artephius, but hee speakes for himselfe; and if I had not read ArtephiuSy and understood whereof hee spake, I had never come to the Complement of the worke: Therefore reade this Booke, and reade it againe, untill thou understand his speech, and so obtaine thy desired end. It shall bee needlesse to speake any more concerning our Authour; It sufficeth that by the grace of God, and the use of this wonderfull Quintessence, 2 hee lived a thousand yeeres, as witnesseth Roger Bacon, 3 in his Booke of the wonderfull workes of nature, and also the most learned Theophrastus Paracelsus, 4 in his Booke of long life: Which terme of a thousand yeeres, none of the other Philosophers, no nor the Father of them, Hermes himselfe, was able to attaine unto. Looke therefore, whether peradventure this man have not understood the vertues of our Stone, and the manner how to use it, better than the rest. Howsoever it bee, use thou it and our labours, to the glory of God, and the profit of this Kingdome. 5 Farewell.
