Library of the Sages — Valentine, Khunrath, Hollandus, Bernard

others, insofar as their impressions are
invisible and impalpable. The Elements have
nourished, born, and placed it perfectly in the world by
the nutriment. Therefore, do not concern yourself
with them, insofar as man cannot make
Elements. Thus, the Creator alone does so. Keep to
your spirit, which is already formed and not in a
palpable form, and which nonetheless is present, visible.
You will have enough of the first matter from which all
metals and minerals are created. It is
one single thing and such a matter which joins
with the sulfur of the following Chapter and
enters into coagulation with the salt of the Fifth Chapter.
From these, it becomes a body and a perfect
medicine of all metals, not only
to generate at the beginning within the
earth as in the grand monde great world; the macrocosm, but also
by the help of the vaporous body to transmute
and increase in the petit monde little world; the microcosm. Do not find
this strange, since the Almighty permits it
so and nature itself has undertaken it.
There are many persons in the world who do
not believe such things and hold it for
impossible, they despise and revile the mystery
that they understand in no way. These can
well remain asses, fools, and ignorant.

So much and so long until the
Enlightenment follows, which does not happen without the will of
God. Thus it remains until its time. But
learned and understanding people who have faithfully
poured out the sweat of their brow will give me
enough testimony and will so confirm
the truth. They believe and hold for true
that all I write of this is as true
as Heaven is for the reward of the
blessed and hell for the damned in
reward for their evil lives. I do not write
only with hands, but the blood, the heart,
courage push me and invite me because
many worldly-wise and high-minded men in
presumption, hate, despise, insult,
revile, and persecute these decrees until the
last end or to the center of the heart.
But I am assured that the time will come, when
my bones are dried and my marrow
consumed, that many people would want to
pull me out of the pit and withdraw me from death
if God would permit it. But it
cannot be done. That is why I leave this
writing behind me, by which their faith and
refuge might have a sure seal of
truth to witness of me what my