The Hermetic Museum, Vol. I — trans. A. E. Waite (1893)

sulphur, &c. lt is not dug out with pick-axes from ordinary mountains, seeing that our Stone is found in our mountains and springs; our Salt is found in our salt-spring, our metal in our earth, and from the same place we dig up our mercury and sulphur. But what we mean by our mines and springs these charlatans cannot understand. For God has blinded their minds and made gross their senses, and left them to carry on their experiments with all manner of false substances. Nor do they seem able to perceive their error, or to be roused from their idle imaginations by persistent failure. Where they sbould have distilled with gentle heat they sublime over a fierce fire, and reduce their substance to ashes, instead of devcloping its inherent principles by vitalizing warmth. Again, when they should have dissolved, they coagulated instead, and so on. By these false methods they could, of course, obtain no good result ; but instead of blaming their own ignorance they lay the fault on their teacher, and even deny the genuineness of our Art. Asa matter of fact, all their mistakes arise from their misinterpreting the meaning of words which should have put them on the right scent. For instance, when the Sages speak of calcining, these persons understand that word to mean *" burning," and consequently render their substance useless by burning it to ashes. When the Sages "dissolve," or transmute into * water," these shallow persons corrode with aqua fortis. They do not understand that the dissolution must be effected with something that is contained within our substance, and not by means of any foreign appliance. These foolish devices bear the same relation to our Art that a dark hole bears to a transparent crystal. [t is their own ignorance that prevents them from attaining to a true knowledge; but ZZey put the blame on our writings, and call us charlatans and impostors. "They argue that if the Stone could be found at all, they must have discovered it long ago, their eyes being as keen and their minds as acute as they are. **DBehold," say they, ^how we have toiled day and night, how many books we have read, how. many years we have spent in our laboratories : surely if there were anything in this Art, it could not have escaped us" By speaking thus, they only exhibit their own presumption and folly. "They themselves have no eyes, and they make that an argument for blaspheming our high and holy

Art. Therefore, you should first strive to make yourselt acquainted with the secrets of Nature's working, and with the elementary principles of the world, before you set your hand to this task. After acquiring this knowledge, carefully peruse this book from beginning to end ; you will then be in a position to judge whether our Art is true or false. You will also know what substance you must take, how you must prepare it, and how your eager search may be brought to a successful issue. Let me enjoin you, therefore, to preserve strict silence, to let nobody know what you are doing, and to keep a good heart: then God will grant you the fulfilment of all your wishes.

Here follows my own Opinion and Philosophical
Dactum.

I now propose to put down a brief statement of the view which I take of this matter. He who understands my meaning, may at once pass on to the opinions of the various Sages, which I have placed at the end of my book. He who does not apprehend my meaning, will find it explained in the following treatise.

Since I know the blessed and true Art, with the nature and the matter of the Stone, I have thought it my duty freely to communicate it to you —not in a lawyer's style, nor in pompous language, but in few and simple words. Whoever peruses this book carefully, and with an elementary knowledge of natural relations, cannot miss the secret which I intend to convey. I am afraid that I shall be overwhelmed with reproaches for speaking out with so much plainness, seeing that this Art has never, from the beginning ofthe world, been so clearly explained as [ mean to explain it in this Book. Nevertheless, I am well aware that I am now declaring a secret which must for ever remain hidden from the wise of this world, and from those who are established in their own conceits. But [ must now proceed to give you the result of my experience.

My beloved sons and disciples, and all ye that are students of this Art ; I herewith, in the fulness of Christian faith and charity. do make known to you that the Philosopher's Stone grows not oz/y on " ou" tree, but is found, as far as its effect and operation are concerned, in the fruit of all other trees, in all