Aula lucis,: or, The house of light : a discourse written in the year 1651. / By S.N. a modern speculator.

To the present Readers.

IT will be questioned perhaps by the envious, to what purpose these sheets are prostituted; and especially that Drug wrapt in them, the Philosophers Stone. To these it is answered by Solomon, There a is time to cast away Stones: And truly I must confesse I cast away this Stone, for I misplace it: I contribute that to the Fabrick, which the Builders in all ages have refused. But lest I seeme to act Sine pro∣posito, I must tell you I doe it not for this Generation, for they are as farre from Fire, as the Author is from Smoke. Ʋn∣derstand me if you c••n, for I have told you an honest Truth. I write Bookes, as the old Roman planted Trees, Posteris & Diis immortalibus: for the glorie of God, and the benefit of Posteritie. It is my de∣signe to make over my Reputation to a bet∣ter Age, for in this I would not injoy it,

because I know not any from whom I would receive it: And here you see how ambitious am growne, but if you judge the humor amiss, tell me not of it, lest I should laugh at you: I look indeed a step further then your lives, and if you think I may dye be∣fore you, I would have you know, it is the way to goe beyond you: To be short, if you attempt this discourse, you doe it without my advise, for it is not fitted to your for∣tunes. There is a white Magic this book is inchanted withal: it is an adventure for Knights of the Sun, and the Errants of this time may not finish it. I speake this to the Universitie Quixots, and to those only who are ill-dispos'd, as well as ill-disci∣pli'nd; there is amongst them a generati∣on of Wasps, things that will fight though never provok'd: These buckle on their Logick as proof, but it fares with them, as with the famous Don, they mistakea, Ba∣son for a Helmet; for mine owne part I am no Reformer, I can well enough tolerate their positions, so they doe not trouble mine. What I write is no rule for them, it is a Legacie defer'd to posteritie, for the

future times, wearied with the vanities of the present, will perhaps seek after the Truth, and gladly entertaine it. Thus you see what Readers I have predestin'd for my self, but if any present Mastix fastens on this discourse, I wish him not to traduce it, lest I should whip him for it: This is my advise, which if it be well observ'd, 'tis pos∣sible I may communicate more of this na∣ture: I may stand up like the Pharus in a dark night, and hold out that Lamp, which Philalethes hath overcast with that envi∣ous phrase of the Rabbins, Saepes sapien∣tiae silentium.