Chapter I.

The Introdtiction.
Because many have written of the Philoso- pher’s Stone without any knowledge of the art, and the few books extant, written by our learned predecessors and true masters hereupon, are either lost or concealed in the collections of such (however despised) as are lovers and seekers of natural secrets, we have taken a resolution to communicate our knowledge in this matter, to the intent that those who are convinced the Philoso- phical Work is no fiction, but grounded in the possibility of Nature, may be faithfully directed in their studies, and have an un- doubted criterion to distinguish between such authors as are genuine sons of science and those who are spurious, as writing by hearsay only.
We shall not on this occasion give a summary of their names who are undoubted
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masters in the art, but shall take occasion to introduce them, as it may be necessary, in the following chapters ; and as their sense is often concealed under a studied ambiguity of expression, we shall, out of the gift which the Almighty hath dis- pensed to us, declare plainly, and without any reserve, the first matter of the Philoso- pher’s Stone, the manner of proceeding through the whole process, both in the Vegetable and Metallic Tinctures, begin- ning with the Vegetable process first, as the most easy and simple, yet well worthy the attention of all ingenious persons, particularly the practical chemists and preparers of medicines.