A Chymicall Treatise: of the Ancient and Highly Illuminated Philosopher, Devine and Physitian, Arnoldus De Nova Villa

He speakes to his Scholars thus, Know my deare Sonne that this is a Booke of the Secrets of nature, and I shall devide it into six parts. In the first discourse what the stone is, secondly why the Stone is naturall, thirdly why the Stone is animal like our blood, fourthly why it is called herball or Radicall, fifthly I'll relate its true and constant preparation, and sixtly I shall truly and without lies give you an account of the augmentaion of our growing stone, to the end that fooles may bee derided, and wise and understanding men taught. This art is nothing else but a knowing of the secret and hid things of naturall masterrs and Lovers of the naturall art and wisdome, therefore no body should approach to this art, unlesse he has heard before some Logick, which teaches to distinguish truth from falsehood, and withall the naturall art which teaches the things of nature, and the property of the elements, otherwise he troubles his minde and body and life in vaine, it is a Stone and 4 no Stone, and is found by every body in plane fields, on Mountaines, and in the water, and is called Albida, heerein all physitians agree, for they say that Albida is called Rebio, they name it in hid and secret words, because they perfectly understand the materiam, some say it is blood, others say it is mans hair, others say it is eggs, which has made many fooles and unwise men, that understand no more then the letter, and the meere sound of words, seeke this art in blood, in eggs, in hair, in the Gaull, in Allum , in salt, but they have found nothing for they did not rightly understand the sayings of naturalists, who spake their words in hid language, should they have spoken out plainly, they would have done very ill for divers reason, for all men would have used this art and the whole world would have been spoiled, and all agriculture perisht; seeing it is so that a man must give an account of his workes, I desire god, that he would give me reason, and wisdome, and direct me how I may estrange or conceale this noble art from fooles.