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Blessing of God, Furnaces, Coals, Glasses, and indefatigable pains, be thyInterpreters, and let them serve for Commentaries upon our Writings. So Idid, so I advise thee; and the Blessing of God attend all studios virtuousSearchers in this way.But though it Mercury be.Yet is not the knot untied, nor difficulties overcome, when once a man hathlearned to sing this thredbare Song in Philosophy, Est in Mercurio quiequidquaerunt sapientes: for what Sophister who cannot make so great a clatterin these general terms as a son of Art? The greatest difficulty is to knowwhat this Mercury is, that is so desirable and effectual.Yet wisely understand wherein it is, and where thou shalt it seek.Therefore let me advise every studious Searcher of this hid Science, toconsider warily with himself what he seeks and would find; nor that only,but in what he would find it: for trust me it is not in this Science as some doimagine, that our Arcanum may be made out of anything, nor yet out of anybare thing: But in the knowing of the true Principle, consists the first truestep to Perfection, according to the Poet, Dimidium facti qui bene coepithabet.Else I counsel thee take not this work in hand.But he who knows not this our Ocean in which our Water hath its flux andreflux, and our Fountain out of which he may draw this Water for his use,let him forbear this, as a most dangerous Science, for he may only expectloss in it, but no profit.For Philosophers flatter Fools with Faire speech.Nor let any expect comfortable Direction in our Books, who know not thetrue Matter, nor the true Keys by which our matter is brought forth fromdarkness into the light; for verily though we write for the inlightning of ason of Art, yet also for the fatal blinding of all such Owls and Bats whocannot behold the light of the Sun, nor can induce the splendor of ourMoon. To such we propound rare tricks, suiting to their sordid fancy: to thecovetous, an easie way without expence, in an inconsiderable time; to thelazy Book-men, a play, without tedious toil; to the unstable, rash, hastymultiplicity of Distillations.34