[Sidenote: _De Arte Lullian. Præf._] [Sidenote: _Vide Relat. Paris. impres. Gallicè, 1631._] 4. It hath fared no better with divers persons that have written of abstruse and mysterious Subjects, such as were _Arnoldus de Villa Nova_ and _Raimundus Lullius_, who, because they handled that secret and sublime Art of the Transmutation of Metals, were by the ignorance and malice of _Francis Pegna_ and the _John Tredeschen_ of _Rome_, _Athanasius Kircherus_, with some others, branded with the name of Magicians, taken in the worst sense. _Facile est reprehendere & maledicere_, so apt are men through over-weening pride and self-conceitedness, as though they were ignorant of nothing, to take upon them to censure all things, when Artists only are fit to judge of those proper Arts, in which they are verst and bred in, and not others: For it is not sufficient for a man to be verst in many parts of Learning, but also in that very Science or Art, in which the Question is propounded: as for Example; Suppose a man to be well read in School Theology, Metaphysicks, Logick, Grammar, Rhetorick, Ethicks, and Physicks, yet for all this how unable were he to resolve one of the difficultest Propositions in _Euclid_? no more can any person, though never so generally learned, if he perfectly do not understand the method, terms, ground, matter, and end of the Writers in mystical Chymistry, be any competent Judge of their Art, nor of the nature of Transmutation. And this might justly have bridled _Kircher_, and many other rash and vain Censurers to hold back their judgment, until they perfectly understand the matter, about which they are to give judgment, and to have considered that Maxime of the wisest of men: _Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him._ But notwithstanding these groundless slanders against _Arnoldus_, that he was guilty of Diabolical Magick, from which the Pen of learned _Nandæus_ hath totally discharged him, though he otherwise (according to his petulant humor and prejudiced opinion against the Art of Transmutation, of which he was no competent Judge, for the reason foregoing) cast some unworthy reflections both upon him, and _Lully_, yet he confesseth (which is but the bare truth, as every learned Physician doth sufficiently know, that have heedfully read his Writings of the Art of Medicine) in these words, “That it is certain, he was the learnedest Physician of his time, equally acquainted with the Latine, Greek, and Arabian Tongues, and one whose Writings sufficiently witness his abilities in the Mathematicks, Medicine, and Philosophy, the practice whereof gained him favour and imployment about Pope _Clement_, and _Frederick_ King of _Sicily_, who certainly would never have made use of him, if he had thought him a Conjurer or Magician, such as many judged he was.” As for _Lully_ (notwithstanding the malevolent froth of some rash, malicious, and ignorant Writers) he was guilty of no other