Ripley reviv'd, or, An exposition upon Sir George Ripley's hermetico-poetical works containing the plainest and most excellent discoveries of the most hidden secrets of the ancient philosophers, that were ever yet published / written by Eirenæus Philalethes ...

But hard it is with thy bare foot to spurn Against a bar of Iron, or Steel new acuate; For many so do which be infatuate, When they such high things take in hand, Which they in no wise understand.

THus we have plainly and faithfully done our duty, and by a Line as it were have dissevered the Truth from Falshood; yet we know, that in the World our Writings shall prove as a cu∣rious edged Knife; to some they shall carve out Dainties, and to others it shall serve only to cut their Fingers: yet we are not to be blamed; for we do seriously profess to any that shall attempt this Work, that he attempts the highest piece of Philosophy that is in Nature; and though we write in English, yet our Matter will be as hard as Greek to some, who will think they understand us well,

when they misconstrue our meaning most perversly: For is it imaginable that they who are fools in Nature, should be wise in our Books, which are testimonies un∣to Nature?