Paracelsvs Of the supreme mysteries of nature.: Of [brace] the spirits of the planets. Occult philosophy. The magical, sympathetical, and antipathetical cure of wounds and diseases. The mysteries of the twelve signs of the zodiack. / Englished by R. Turner, philomathēs.

The Prologue.

HAving first invocated the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ our Savi∣our, we will enterprize this Work; wherein we shall not only teach how to change any in∣feriour Metal into bet∣ter, as Iron into Copper, this into Silver, and that into Gold, &c. but also to help all infirmities, whose cure to the opinionated and presumptuous Physitians, doth seem impossible: But that which is greater, to preserve, and keep mortal men to a long, sound, and perfect Age. This ART was by our Lord God the Supream Crea∣tor, ingraven as it were in a book in the body of Metals, from the beginning of the Creation, that we might diligently learn from them. Therefore when any

man desireth throughly and perfectly to learn this Art from its true foundation, it will be necessary that he learn the same from the Master thereof, to wit, from God, who hath created all things, and onely knoweth what Nature and Proprie∣ty he himself hath placed in every Crea∣ture. Wherefore he is able to teach e∣very one certainly and perfectly: and from him we may learn absolutely, as he hath spoken, saying, Of me ye shall learn all things: for there is nothing found in Heaven nor in Earth so secret, whose pro∣perties he perceiveth not, and most exact∣ly knoweth and seeth, who hath created all things. We will therefore take him to be our Master, Operator, and Leader into this most true Art. We will therefore imi∣tate him alone, and through him learn and attain to the knowledge of that Nature, which he himself with his own finger hath engraven and inscribed in the bodies of these Metals. Hereby it will come to pass, that the most high Lord God shall bless all the Creatures unto us, and shall sanctifie all our Wayes; so that in this Work we may be able to bring our Beginning to its desired End, and the Consequence thereof

to produce exceeding great Joy and Love in our Hearts.

But if any one shall follow his own onely Opinion, he will not onely greatly deceive himself; but also all others who cleave and adhere thereunto; and shall bring them unto loss. For mankinde is certainly born in ignorance, so that he can neither know nor understand any thing of himself; but onely that which he receiv∣eth from God, and understandeth from Nature. He which learneth nothing from these, is like the Heathen Masters and Phi∣losophers, who follow the Subtilties and Crafts of their own Inventions and Opi∣nions, such as are Aristotle, Hippocrates, Avicenna, Gallen, &c. who grounded all their ARTS upon their own Opinions onely. And if at any time they learned any thing from Nature, they destroyed it a∣gain with their own Phantasies, Dreams, or Inventions, before they came to the end thereof; so that by them and their Followers there is nothing perfect at all to be found.

This therefore hath moved and induced us hereunto, to write a peculiar book of Alchymy, founded not upon men, but

upon Nature it self, and upon those Ver∣tues and Powers, which GOD with his own Finger hath impressed in Metals. Of this impression Mercurius Trismegistus was an Imitator, who is not undeservedly called the Father of all Wise-men, and of all those that followed this ART with love, and with earnest desire; and that man demonstrateth and teacheth, that God alone is the onely author, cause and Original of all creatures in this ART. But he doth not attribute the power and virtue of God, to the creatures or visible things, as the said heathen, and such-like did. Now seeing all ART ought to be learned from the Trinity; that is, from God the Father, from God the Son of God, our Saviour Jesus Christ, and from God the holy Ghost, three distinct persons, but one God: We will therefore divide this our Alchymistical worke into three parts, or Treatises: in the first whereof, we will lay down what the ART containeth in it self; And what is the propriety and na∣ture of every Metal: Secondly, by what means a man may worke and bring the like powers and strength of Metals to effect. And thirdly, what Tinctures are to be pro∣duced from the Sun and Moone.