Revelation and Declaration of Basilius Valentinus

disciples of our Lord who went to Emmaus, and who recognized our Savior by the breaking of the bread, the eyes may be opened for some days to the children of SCIENCE, so that they see the wonder of all wonders that the powerful Creator of all things has placed and locked within a wretched creature or MATTER, whose name is Hermes, referring to the Hermetic seal or vessel who has on his arms a flying serpent, and whose wife is called Hermaphrodite, which knows all the hearts of humans, and is nonetheless a single MATTER, a single being common everywhere, and known to all, and which everyone handles; which same thing many use for base things and those of little importance. One makes a great deal of a high and elevated thing, and one neglects a base thing, even though it holds enclosed one of very high consideration, and which is nothing other than WATER and FIRE, from which the EARTH, by means of the AIR, is engendered, maintained, and perfected.

Thanks be to the Eternal for His gifts: and this suffices for the declaration that I have proposed to manifest in this chapter.