observe, that all sorts of light are but Creatures, and not Creators; for he judges of several Parts of Matter, as if they were several kinds of Matter, which causes him often to err, although he conceits himself without any Error. In which conceit I leave him, and rest, Madam, _Your faithful Friend_ _and humble Servant._ [1] _Ch._ Nature is ignorant of Contraries. [2] In the Hist. of _Tartar_. [3] _Ch._ Disease is an unknown guest. [4] Nature is ignorant of Contraries. [5] _Ch._ The Image of the Ferment begets the Mass with Child. XIII. _MADAM,_ The Art of Fire, as I perceive, is in greater esteem and respect with your _Author_, then Nature her self: For he says,[1] That _some things can be done by Art, which Nature cannot do_; nay he calls[2] _Art_ The _Mistress of Nature, and subjects whole Nature unto Chymical speculation_; For, _nothing_, says he,[3] _doth more fully bring a Man, that is greedy of knowing, to the knowledg of all things knowable, then the Fire; for the root or radical knowledg of natural things consists in the Fire:_[4] _It pierces the secrets of Nature, and causes a further searching out in Nature, then all other Sciences, being put together; and pierces even into the utmost depths of real truth:_[5] _It creates things which never were before._ These, and many more the like expressions, he has in the praise of Chymistry. And truly, _Madam_, I cannot blame your _Author_, for commending this Art, because it was his own profession, and no man will be so unwise as to dispraise his own Art which he professes; but whether those praises and commendations do not exceed truth, and express more then the Art of Fire can perform, I will let those judg, that have more knowledg therein then I: But this I may say, That what Art or Science soever is in Nature, let it be the chief of all, yet it can never be call'd the Mistress of Nature, nor be said to perform more then Nature doth, except it be by a divine and supernatural Power; much less to create things which never were before, for this is an action which onely belongs to God: The truth is, Art is but a Particular effect of Nature, and as it were, Nature's Mimick or Fool, in whose playing actions she sometimes takes delight; nay, your _Author_ confesses it himself, when he calls[6] the _Art_ of _Chymistry, Nature's emulating Ape_, and _her Chamber-maid_, and yet he says, _she is now and then the Mistress of Nature_; which in my opinion doth not agree: for I cannot conceive how it is possible to be a Chambermaid, and yet to be the Mistress too; I suppose your _Author_ believes, they justle sometimes each other out, or take by turns one anothers place. But whatever his opinion be, I am sure, that the Art of Fire cannot create and produce so, as Nature doth, nor dissolve substances so, as she doth, nor transform and transchange, as she doth, nor do any effect like Nature: And therefore I cannot so much admire this Art as others do, for it appears to me,