of ostentation, say it may be put to another body; not without losse and detriment of time, pains, and costs: yet let the sonnes of _Hermes_ know for certaine, that such a kind of extraction of souls (as they call them) whether out of Gold, or out of Silver (by what vulgar way of _Alchymie_ soever) is but a meer fancy: which thing indeed is not beleeved by many, but at length by experience, the onely, and true Mistris of truth is verified, and that with losse. On the contrary, hee which (in a Philosophicall way) can without any fraud and colourable deceit make it, that it shall really tinge the basest metall, whether with gain, or without gain, with the colour of Gold, or Silver (abiding all requisite tryalls whatsoever) I can justly averre hath the gates of Nature opened to him, for the enquiring into further, and higher secrets, and with the blessing of God to obtain them. Moreover, I present these present Treatises, composed out of mine own experience, to the Sonnes of Art, that whilst they are busied with all their thoughts and intentivenesse of mind in searching into the secret operations of Nature, they may thence know, and cleerly understand the truth of all things, and Nature it selfe: in which thing alone the perfection of the whole sacred Philosophicall Art consists, so that they go on in the common high-way of Nature, which shee prescribes in all her operations. Therefore _I_ would have the Courteous Reader be here admonished, that he understand my Writings not so much from the outside of my words, as from the possibility of Nature; lest afterward he bewaile his time, pains, and costs, all spent in vain. Let him consider that this Art is for the wise, not for the ignorant; and that the sense, or meaning of Philosophers is of another nature then to bee understood by vapouring _Thrasoes_ or Letter-learned scoffers, or vicious against their owne consciences, (who whilst they cannot rise by their vertues, attempt it by their villanies, and malicious detractings from honest men) or ignorant Mountebanks, who most unworthily defaming the most commendable Art of _Alchymie_, have with their Whites, and Reds deceived almost the whole world. For it is the gift of God, and truly it is not to be attained to, but by the alone favor of God, enlightning the understanding together w^{th} a patient and devout humility (or by an ocular demonstration from some experienced Master:) wherefore God justly thrusts them far from his secrets that are strangers to him. Finally, My only request to the Sonnes of Art is this, that they would take in good part my endeavouring to deserve well of them, and when they shall have made that which is occult manifest, and through the good pleasure of God in a constant way of diligence shall arrive to the longed for haven of the Philosophers, that they would, according to the custome of Philosophers, debarre all unworthy men from this Art; and not forgetting to love their poor neighbor in