well in Metalls as in other things, but her operation is various; also there is one universall matter according to _Hermes_. _So from this one thing all things proceed._ Yet there bee many Artificers, who follow every one his own fancy. They seek a new Nature, and new matter; and in conclusion they find a new nothing, because they interpret the Writings of Philosophers not according to the possibility of Nature, but the letter. But all these are of that Assembly, of which mention hath been made in the Dialogue of Mercury with the Alchymist, who return home without any Conclusion; they looke after the end, without any medium, or indeed beginning; and the reason of this is, because they endeavour not to attain to the Art out of the Principles, and grounds of Philosophers, and reading of the books of Philosophers, but from reports, and receipts of Mountebankes: (although now indeed the books of Philosophers are perhaps destroyed by the envious, by adding in some places, and detracting in others) afterwards when things doe not succeed, they betake themselves to Sophistications, and assay divers vaine operations, by making whites, by making reds, by fixing Silver, and extracting out the soul of Gold; which in the Preface of the booke of the Twelve Treatises hath been sufficiently denyed. We doe not deny, yea, we doe say that it is altogether necessary, that the Metallick soule bee extracted, but not for any Sophisticall operation, but for the Philosophicall work, which being extracted, and purged, must againe bee restored to its owne body, that there may bee a true resurrection of a glorified body. This was never our purpose, to be able to multiply Wheat without the seed of Wheate, but that that extracted soul bee able in a Sophisticall way to tinge another Metall, know that it is a thing most false, and that all those that boast of doing of it, are Cheaters: but of that more fully in the third Principle of Salt, since here is not place for any further Discourse. [Illustration: *decorative divider*] OF SVLPHVR: