Fleta minor the laws of art and nature, in knowing, judging, assaying, fining, refining and inlarging the bodies of confin'd metals : in two parts : the first contains assays of Lazarus Erckern, chief prover, or assay-master general of the empire of Germany, in V. books, orinally written by him in the Teutonick language and now translated into English ; the second contains essays on metallick words, as a dictionary to many pleasing discourses, by Sir John Pettus ... ; illustrated with 44 sculptures.

To the Noble and Honoured Subscribers and Contributers to this BOOK.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

I Did design to have publish't your Names in a way that should have more fully manifested your Favours, and my Acknowledgments; but this Book extending to above 50 sheets more than I design'd, or at first proposed, took up my limited time, so as I must respit that intention, for I have not done with this Subject; intending not to trouble you or my self with Subscriptions, but such as have Subscribed to this, shall have notice when the next is ready▪ and if they approve of this so well as to take the next from me, it will be an additional Obligation to me, for I am prepared to go through the Body of this ART, upon these Reasons▪ First, That it contains the Grounds and Maxims of most admirable Speculations; and next, That I may divulge their chifest and most curious Experiments and Practicks: Now, that which in∣cited me to this, was occasioned from hence, That having caused Erckern's Books to be Translated about Ten years since; some eminent persons did perswade me (like the Sto∣ry in Bocalino,) not to publish it, lest the Common sort of People should make an ill use of its impartments, alledging, That it was not well Translated: whereupon I betook my self to the German Language, and in a short time I was so much Master of it, That with the help of a German here, I did indeed find many Errors, and Corrected them, which an∣swers one Objection; and I have Printed such a conve∣nient Number as may answer the other; And yet I am not altogether satisfied therein; for, what hath made Arts and

Sciences flourish more in the time of King Charles the First, and now in His Majesties Reign, than their Majesties en∣couragements to the free communication of such things as had many Ages before lain secret? so that we hope that all Pan∣cerollus his lost things may in a short time be found again.

We punish our selves by fixing and disputing on the Theo∣rems of antient Writers, and thereby making things to be Di∣abolical, which are only Divine Favours shewn us by Natural Agents, so as for want of knowing the true Practicks & Ex∣periments, they are divulged either by umbraging Sophisticati∣ons, or concealed under the Name of Philosophical Secrets, which, no doubt, but GOD intends for a publick and common Good: and this ill Fortune befell the Ʋnguentum Armarium, as a piece of Witchcraft, 'till our Eyes were inlightned; and in many other things (which were they clearly communi∣cated) such Superstructures would be raised from them, as might arive us to a kind of Angelical Knowledg in this World, and make us more apprehensive of our Happiness in the next: and therefore it shall be my study to unfold the Metaphysical Notions of this SCIENCE: by Pra∣cticks especially about the Philosophers Stone, which Study I value only for its fine Pursuits and Products of Experiments, but more, because the Laborers for it are, by their own Af∣firmations, obliged to a strict and religious Life:

I shall trouble you no further at this time, but with my humble and hearty Thanks: and so subscribe my self

My Lords and Gentlemen

Your most humble Servant JOHN PETTUS.