Introduction to the Divine Art of Chemistry

natural things, except from their natural principles; nor other science, except from its scientific principles; nor artificial things, except from their artificial principles do they proceed or are they generated. I say, however, that principles, causes, parts, and proximate elements of their composites are those from which they are, or become, or flow. Whence the philosopher said in the eighth book of the Politics: Of those things that consist, those are the constituent parts without which the whole will not be. And just as principles are different among themselves, so too are the principled things. From the diversity, therefore, of the principles of nature, the diversity of natural things happens. The same is also in sciences and in arts. Where, therefore, principles are lacking, the process and generation of those things that seem as if they ought to be able to arise from principles necessarily fails. Wherefore from them there cannot be nature, nor science, nor art. Therefore where the principles of nature, and science, and art are found, there it seems there can be nature, and science, and art. Therefore also natural, scientific, and artificial things, which can arise from them. Because, therefore, the mineral principles of nature are found in the generation of metallic bodies among the wise, and can be subjected to the government and ministration of the art of Alchemy, therefore it is possible that metallic natural things may proceed or be generated from them. But natural metallic things are either their matter, or form, or a composite of them. Therefore it seems possible that some of these might be generated by the art of Alchemy from them. But not matter, nor composite, whether it be perfect or imperfect, since they are subjected to the operation of nature alone, as we have shown elsewhere. Therefore the natural form from these mineral principles of nature seems able to be generated by the art of Alchemy, namely by ministering to nature, because such generation of form was in no way seen to be able to pertain to nature alone, since it has never been seen generated in any of the mines. Therefore it seems to pertain properly to the art of Alchemy. And although the mineral principles of metallic bodies are the same, or entirely similar in art and in nature, nevertheless those things which proceed and are generated from