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THE THIRD PART OF THIS Worke: wherein is contained a small Trea∣tise, concerning the Seales and Impressions of things, by Hermeticall Philosophers, with much care, and singular diligence, gathered and brought to light. (Book 3)
ALl men follow not one way to attaine to a generall knowledge of all things. The way of the Empericks is vncertaine, for that it is traced in the darkenesse of igno∣rance. These haue respect to the external impressions, and to some inset qualitites, especially to those which may be séen, tasted, and smelt. Furthermore, they haue great regard to the first qua∣lities, hote, cold, moyst and drie: which they haue made the beginnings and first foundations of these faculties or vertues.
But the Hermeticall Phylosophers and Chymists, leauing those bare qualities of the bodyes, sought the foundations of their actions, tastes, odours, and colours, else where. At the last by wittie inquisition they knew that there were thrée distinct sub∣stances in euery natural elemented body: that is to say, Salt, Sulphur, and Mercurie. And these internal beginnings of things, they called hypostatical vertual, and ordinatiue begin∣nings. For in these thrée hyposta••tical beginnings, th••se fore∣said vertual and sensible qualities, are to be found, not by ima∣gination, analogie, or coniecture, but in very déede and in effect. That is to say, tastes in Salt, most chiefly: odours, in Sulphur: colours out of both, but most chiefely out of Mercurie: because