The Prologue.

IT is without doubt, that many will be much ra∣vished with admirati∣on, when they see these my Writings brought into the light, because of the admirable ef∣fects & vertues which are found in Metals, being first rightly and Page  92 duly prepared with the hand and art: which among many people, are held and accounted to be superstitious and wicked operations, and against nature; that they are idolatrous operations, and that the help of the Devil is used to bring them to perfection. They say, How can it be pos∣sible, that Metals being engraven upon only with Characters, Letters and Words, should have any such power, unless they were prepared through the Craft and As∣sistance of the Devil? To these we An∣swer, I hear you give Credit to them, and do believe that they have power and vir∣tue, being prepared by the help of the De∣vil, and do operate through him; And are you not able also to believe that God, who is the Creator of the whole Work of Nature, hath as much power in Heaven, and also that he giveth power and virtue to those operations in Metals, Herbs, Roots, Stones, and such like things? But in your judgment you seem to make the Devil more wise and powerful, than the only Omnipotent Lord God, who of his great Mercy, hath Created all Metals, Herbs, Roots, Stones, and all things whatsoever, that live, or move, in, or upon the Earth, Water and Air; and hath Page  93 endued them with their several degrees of virtue, for the benefit and use of mankind: It is also most certain, and approved by ex∣perience evidently, That the Changes and Mutations of time, have great and power∣ful strength and operation; and that chiefly in Metals, which are made in a cer∣tain determinate time, as it is manifest to many, and very well known to us by sun∣dry experiences. No man likewise can teach that Metals are dead substances, or do want life; seeing their oyls, salt, sul∣phur, and quintessence are the greatest Pre∣servatives, and have the greatest strength and virtue to restore and preserve the life of man, before all other Simples, as we shall teach in all our Remedies assigned thereunto: Certainly if they had not life, how could they help Diseases, and restore the decayed Members of the Body, by put∣ting life, and stirring up corporal vegeta∣tion in them? as in Contractures, the Stone, Small-pox, Dropsie, Falling-sick∣ness, Phrenzy, Gout, and several other Diseases, which for brevities sake I omit to mention. Therefore I say, That Metals, Stones, Roots, Herbs, and all other Fruits have life in them, though of divers kinds, according to their Creation and growth, Page  94 and the due observation of the time con∣tingent thereunto. For the times have in them singular power and virtue; which manifestly appeareth, and may be proved by sundry Arguments, which we shall not here produce, since they are so commonly known. For it is not our intent here to treat of things that are so cleerly known; but of more weighty and undiscerned se∣crets, which to sence seem contrary.

Characters, Letters, and Signes, &c. have several virtues and operations; wherewith also the nature of Metals, the condition of Heaven, and the influence of the Planets, with their operations, and the significations and proprieties of Cha∣racters, Signes, and Letters, and the ob∣servation of the times, do concur and agree together. Who can object that these Signs and Seals have not their virtue and opera∣tions, one for infirmities in the head, being prepared in his time; another for the sight; another for gravel in the Reins and Stone, &c. but every one is to be prepa∣red in his own proper time, and helpeth such and such infirmities, and no other; as drink is to be taken within the body, and not otherwise? but all this is to be done by means, by the help and assistance of the Page  95 Father of all Medicines, our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior.

But if any one shall object, that Words and Characters have no virtue; and say as well as others, That they are of no more power than a bare Mark, or naked Cross or Signe; Also, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, hath no more power in the Greek tongue, than in the German, but only signifies the death of a Serpent, or some such thing: Let him tell me, who believeth such things, from whence it comes to pass, That Serpents in Helvetia, or Suevia, do understand these Greek words, Osii, osija, osii; since the Greek tongue is not so vulgar in those Countries, that venemous worms should understand it, or in time learn it? How should they come to understand them, or in what Universitie have they learned them, that as soon as ever they hear these words, they will immediately stop their eares with their tayles, that they may not hear them again? For no sooner do they hear these words, but immediately they lie still, contrary to their natures, not hur∣ting, or offering to bite or cast any venome at any man; and afterwards if they hear any man to approach towards them, they suddenly fly into their holes. If thou dost Page  96 say that nature doth effect this, it is the same which I did expect thou shouldest answer: but if Nature worketh this upon a Serpent, why doth she not the same among all other Creatures? But if you should say, That the noise of the mans voice ef∣fecteth it, and that thereby the Serpents are terrified and stupified; or that it is done by any power in the man; why then do they not in the same manner lie still when a man maketh a far greater noise, ei∣ther crying out, or dischargeth a Gun, or the like?

Characters and Seals have likewise in them wonderful virtue, which is not at all contrary to nature, nor superstitious: Al∣so, if you say that words are of no effect, but as the bare voice of men; I say on the contrary, if you write the same words in Parchment, or Paper, in a selected time, and put it upon a Serpent that is taken, in what manner you will, he will remain and lie still, as if you had spoken the same words.

Neither is it any wonder, that Medicines can help men not taken into the body, but only hanged about the neck as Seals: For it is common to the Bladder with Cantharides, That it turneth his Urine Page  97 into Blood, that holdeth Cantharides close in his hand, the Bladder holding the Urine, and containing it that it cannot pass out of the Body, the hand being held far from the Body.

Some Creatures do retain the same vir∣tue after they are dead, as I prove by the Bird called the Kings Fisher, whose skin being taken off from his carcase, and being dried, and hanged up upon a nail, will cast his feathers many years, and new ones will grow again; and that not only for one or two yeers, but many yeers one after ano∣ther.

But if you further enquire, out of what Author or Writer I read of these virtues, or where I learned such experience; I an∣swer you Sophisters and Contemners of the Gifts of God, that very Nature her self demonstrated before your eyes, doth far excel all the Authors and Writers of the world. I pray tell me which of your Authors or Writers taught the Bear, when his sight is dimmed by reason of the abun∣dance and superfluity of his blood, to go to a stall of Bees, which by their stinging him, pierce his skin, and cause an effusion of the superfluous blood? What Physi∣tian prescribed the herb Dittany to be me∣dicine Page  98 for the Hart? or who taught the Ser∣pent the virtue of Briony and Dragon∣wort? who taught the Dog to take Grass for his Cordial and Purge? And who prescribed the salt Sea-water to the Stork for a Clyster? Did you teach this know∣ledge to them? or do not they teach you? The same might I speak of infinite other Animals, that know naturally the Cure of their own Diseases. What! Have the Bruit-beasts taught the Medicinal Art? If you say, It's a Natural instinct, and that Nature teacheth them, so say I too. If Nature hath infused so much reason into Bruit-beasts, how much more should men learn thereby, who are made accor∣ding to the Image of God, the Creator of all things; and are indued with reason from God, to consider and contemplate such things?

Also to say that things outwardly ap∣plied, and not substantially entring into the body, cannot Cure any Diseases, is false: For the Sun, which giveth us light, warmth, splendor, and infuseth life into all things, penetrateth into the most oc∣cult and close Mansions of the Earth; and doth vivifie and quicken all things that lie under the earth, even to the centre thereof.

Page  99For who can deny that in Spring-time, especially, the Sun penetrateth into the most secret places of the earth, giving heat and warmth thereunto, when it shines only upon the upper part thereof? From whence the roots of all things therein re∣ceive juyce, strength, and life? and why therefore may not the splendor of Nature, and the influences of the Heavens, Stars, Planets, and other means which we use to extract out of Metals, Herbs, Stones, and such like things, give their virtue into the bodies of men, and penetrate into the in∣ner and private members thereof? as into the Nervs, Veins, and other internal De∣fects lurking in the flesh and blood of men, and have been there a long time growing. Diseases, Infirmities, and Ac∣cidents, are divers; so likewise are the several Cures thereof to be opposed to them according to their qualities, in their peculiar dayes and times: Against which also, Metals do best of all help; being prepared and used in due time and means: As if I should undertake to Cure the Le∣prosie with Gold; what should hinder but that an Oyl made thereof may Cure it by Unction? Also, if I should anoint the Small Pox with Oyl of Mercury, do you Page  100 think I am able to Cure them with this Mercury? without doubt; especially if I observe a fitting time for this purpose, without which last means, all anointings are in vain, although the sick were bathed in Oyl of Mercury: But in such Diseases where the Mercurial medicines are not suf∣ficient, we ought then to use other reme∣dies: which unless I should do, having a due respect to the observation of time, not only the Unctions, and all labor besides, will be vain and fruitless, but they will bring the Patient into a worse condition: for it is most certain, that Diseases come to men for the most part from the power and influences of the Stars upon the bodies of men, yet not so suddenly that the same can presently be perceived, like a stripe, or the Falling-sickness. But they do encrease in process of time by little and little as it were a distillation, as oyl causeth water to wax fat by drops falling into it. A man may al∣so perceive his own defects, by the shrink∣ing or decaying of his Members, loss of Appetite to meat and drink, pain, &c. ac∣cording to the condition and property of every Disease, the operations of the Stars, and the accidents by the Air, prepared and attracted upon us.