To the Reader.

WEll-fare the Dodechedron! I have examined the Nativitie of this Book by a Cast of Constellated Bones, and Deuz Ace tels me this Parable. Truth (sayd the witty Aleman) was cōmanded into Exile, and the Lady Lie was seated in her Throne. To performe the Tenor of this Sentence, Truth went from amongst Men, but she went all alone, poore and naked. She had not travail'd very far, when standing on a high mountain, she perceiv'd a great Train to passe by: In the middest of it was a Chariot attended with Kings,

Princes and Governors, and in that a stately Donna, who like some Queen regent, commanded the rest of the Company. Poor Truth, shee stood still whiles this pompous Squadron past by, but when the Chariot came over against her, the Lady Lie who was there seated, took notice of her, and causing her Pageants to stay, commanded her to come neerer. Here she was scornfully examined, whence she came? whither she would goe? and what about? To these Questions she answered as the Custome of Truth is, very simply and plainly: Whereupon the Lady Lie commands her to wait upon her, and that in the Reare, and Tayle of all her Troop, for that was the known place of Truth. Thanks then not to the stars, but to the Configurations of the Dice! they have acquainted mee with my future fortunes, and what praeferment my Book is like to attain to. I am for my part contented, though the Consideration

of this durty Reare be very nauseous, and able to spoile a stronger stomach than mine. It hath been said of old, Non est Planta veritatis super terram, Trueth is an herb, that grows not here below: and can I expect that these few seeds, which I scatter thus in the storm and tempest, should thrive to their full eares, and Harvest? But Reader, let it not trouble thee to see the Truth come thus behind, it may be there is more of a Chase in it, than of Attendance, and her Condition not altogether so bad, as her Station. If thou art one of those, who draw up to the Chariot, pause here a little in the Reare, and before thou dost addresse thy self to Aristotel and his Lady Lie, think not thy Courtship lost, if thou doest kisse the lips of poor Truth. It is not my Intention to jest with thee, in what I shall write, wherefore read thou with a good Faith, what I will tell thee with a good Conscience. God, when hee first made

Man, planted in him a spirit of that Capacitie, that he might know All, adding thereto a most fervent Desire to know, lest that Capacitie should be useless. This Truth is evident in the Posteritie of Man: For little Children before ever they can speak, will stare upon any thing, that is strange to them; they will crie, and are restless till they get it into their hands, that they may feele it, and look upon it, that is to say, that they may know what it is in some Degree, and according to their Capacitie. Now some ignorant Nurse will think they doe all this, out of a desire to play with what they see, but they themselves tell us the Contrarie; For when they are past Infants, and begin to make use of Language, if any New thing appeares, they will not desire to play with it, but they will ask you, what it is? for they desire to know; and this is plain out of their Actions; for if you put any Rattle into their hands,

they will view it, and studie it for some short Time, and when they can know no more, then they will play with it. It is well known, that if you hold a candle neer to a little Child, hee will (if you praevent him not) put his finger into the flame, for hee desires to know what it is, that shines so bright; but there is some thing more than all this, for even these Infants desire to improve their Knowledge. Thus when they look upon any thing, if the sight informes them not sufficiently, they will, if they can, get it into their hands, that they may feel it: but if the touch also doth not satisfie, they will put it into their Mouthes to taste it, as if they would examine Things by more senses than one. Now this Desire to know is born with them, and it is the Best, and most mysterious part of their Nature. It is to be observed, that when men come to their full Age, and are serious in their Disquisitions, they are ashamed to Erre,

because it is the proprietie of their Nature, to Know. Thus wee see that a Philosopher being taken at a fault in his Discourse, will blush, as if he had committed something unworthy of himself, and truly the very Sense of this Disgrace prevailes so farre with some, they had rather persist in their Error, and defend it against the Truth, than acknowledge their Infirmities; in which respect I make no Question but many Peripatetics are perversly ignorant. It may bee they will scarcely hear, what I speak, or if they hear, they will not understand: howsoever I advise them not wilfully to prevent, and hinder that glorious end and perfection, for which the very Author, and Father of Nature created them. It is a terrible thing to praefer Aristotel to AEelohim, and condemn the Truth of God, to justifie the Opinions of Man. Now for my part I dare not be so irreligious, as to think God so vain, and improvident in his

workes, that he should plant in Man a Desire to know, and yet deny him Knowledge it self. This in plain termes were to give me Eyes, and afterwards shutt mee up in Darkness, lest I should see with those eyes. This earnest Longing, and busie Inquisition wherein Men tyre themselves to attain to the Truth, made a certain Master of Truth speak in this fashion. Ergo liquidò apparet in hac Mundi structurâ, quam cernimus, aliquam triumphare Veritatem; quae toties rationem nostram commovet, agitat, implicat, explicat; toties inquietam, toties insomnem miris modis sollicitat, non fortuitis, aut aliunde adventitiis, sed suis & propriis, & originariis Naturae Illicibus; quae omnia cum non fiunt frustra, uti que contingit, ut Veritatem Eorum quae sunt, aliquo tandem opportuno tempore amplexemur. It is clear therefore (saith he) that in this Fabric of the world, which we behold, there is some Truth that rules; which Truth so

often stirrs up, puzzles, and helps our Reason; so often sollicites her when shee is restless, so often when shee is watchfull, and this by strange meanes, not casual and adventitious, but by genuine provocations and pleasures of nature; All which Motions being not to no purpose, it falls out at last that in some good time wee attain to the true Knowledge of those things that are. But because I would not have you build your Philosophie on Coralls and whistles, which are the Objects of little Children, of whom we have spoken formerly, I will speak som what of those Elements, in whose Contemplation a Man ought to employ himself, and this Discourse may serve as a Preface to our whole Philosophie. Man according to Trismegistus hath but two Elements in his power, namely Earth and Water: To which Doctrine I adde this, and I have it from a Greater than Hermes, That God hath made Man absolute

Lord of the first Matter, and from the first matter, and the Dispensation thereof, all the fortunes of man both good and bad doe proceed. According to the Rule, and Measure of this Substance all the world are rich or poore, and hee that knows it truly, and withall the true use thereof, he can make his fortunes constant, but hee that knowes it not, though his Estate be never so great, stands on a slipperie Foundation. Look about thee then, and consider how thou art compassed with infinite Treasures, and miracles, but thou art so blind, thou doest not see them: nay, thou art so mad, thou doest think there is no use to be made of them, for thou doest believe that Knowledge is a meere Peripateticall Chatt, and that the Fruits of it are not Works, but words. If this were true, I would never advise thee to spend one Minute of thy life upon Learning, I would first be one of those should ruine all Libraries and Vniversities in the world, which God forbid, any good

Christian should desire. Look up then to Heaven, and when thou seest the Coelestiall fires move in their swift and glorious Circles, think also there are here below some cold Natures, which they over-look, and about which they move incessantly to heat, and concoct them. Consider again, that the Middle spirit, I mean the Ayre, is interpos'd as a Refrigeratorie, to temper and qualifie that Heat, which otherwise might be too violent. If thou doest descend lower, and fix thy Thoughts where thy feet are, that thy wings may be like those of Mercurie, at thy Heeles; thou wilt find the Earth surrounded with the Water, and that Water heated, and stirr'd by the Sun and his starrs, abstracts from the Earth the pure, subtil, saltish parts, by which means the water is thickened, and coagulated as with a Rennet: out of these two Nature generates all things. Gold and Silver, Pearles and Diamonds are nothing els but water, and salt of

the Earth concocted. Behold! I have in a few words discovered unto thee the whole system of Nature, and her Royal High-way of Generation. It is thy Duty now to improve the Truth, and in my Booke thou mayst, if thou art wise, find thy Advantages. The foure Elements are the Objects, and implicitly the Subjects of Man, but the Earth is invisible. I know the common Man will stare at this, and judge me not very sober, when I affirme the Earth, which of all substances is most gross and palpable, to be invisible. But on my soule it is so, and which is more, the Eye of Man never saw the Earth, nor can it be seen without Art. To make this Element visible, is the greatest secret in Magic, for it is a miraculous Nature, and of all others the most holy, according to that Computation of Trismegistus, Coelum, AEther, Aer, & sacratissima Terra. As for this Faeculent, gross Body upon which we walk, it is a Compost, and no