III. and the Senate of Venice, in 1546.

The Preiiosa Margarita Novella is supposed to be a
“ faithful abridgment ” of a work entitled Margarita
Pretiosa, which appears to have circulated in manuscript
in Italy during the first half of the fourteenth century,
but does not seem to have been printed. It was written
by Pietro Bono, who enjoys high repute as an adept in
the art of Alchemy ; and the present version, which has
been subjected to a searching revision, is edited with an
introductory analysis of the various Hermetic books
which are attributed to this author. The Pretiosa
Margarita Novella has special interest as one of the
earliest books which appeared in print on Alchemy.