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A compilation of alchemical treatises sets out definitions of the art, explains its two basic principles—mercurial and sulfurous substances—and presents a theory of how metals arise and aspire toward gold. It offers procedural guidance for selecting and preparing the matter for a philosopher’s stone or elixir, includes commentary on the Smaragdine Table and allied aphorisms, and contains a discursive essay on the relation between art and nature alongside practical chapters on laboratory operations such as decoction, fixation, purification, and methods for transmutation.
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. All other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.
The typesetting has used VV for W, with variable spacing. This has been replaced with W throughout.
The sidenote in Chapter XVI of The Booke of the Secrets of Alchimie begins “The quantitie is called by the Logitians Passion,” it seems likely from the context that this should read The quality etc.
The table of principal sections was added by the transcriber.