| dc.description | To the reader. hermes, the father of philosophers, (most plain∣ly of any that ever writ) discovered the matter of the philosophers stone, but not the manner of compleatment thereof; and as he saith, he came to the knowledge thereof by the mercy and favour of the great creator of heaven and earth, without the direction, instruction, or in∣formation of any mortall man, and writ thereof to posterity, fearing damnation if he should not have done the same; since which time many hundred philosophers have written of the same science, (which is the highest and greatest secret that e∣ver almighty god revealed to mortall man;) but so obscurely, that it is impossible for any man to attain to this high and mysterious art, except he be piously and religiously inclined, and resolved to live a serious and private life, free from all o∣ther employment or businesse in the world: and such a man without doubt, by the mercy and favour of almighty god, and with the help of these following authours, with some others of the best of these latter times, and the hieroglyphicks now cut∣ting and comming forth in print by the printer hereof, living in little-brittaine, london, never heretofore published; which make a full and clear demonstration to the sons of wise∣dome of the whole worke of the philosophers stone, from the be∣ginning to the ending, and giveth a clearer light to the un∣derstanding of the reader, than all the books in the world; so that by the help of these, and such like books, with the hiero∣glyphicks, this art doubtlesse may be attained unto with ten times more ease, and lesse difficulty than otherwise. | pt_BR |
| dc.description.abstract | Five treatises of the philosophers stone. two of alphonso king of portugall, as it was written with his own hand, and taken out of his closset: translated out of the portugez into english. one of john sawtre a monke, translated into english. another written by florianus raudorff, a german philosopher, and translated out of the same language, into english. also a treatise of the names of the philosophers stone, by william gratacolle, translated into english. to which is added the smaragdine table. / by the paines and care of h.p. | pt_BR |
