What alchemy is.

My son, you should know that the word alchemy in the Arabic language means as much as fire. Now, alchemy is a very secret and hidden piece of natural philosophy, indeed the most necessary piece of physics or study of nature, from which an art has been made to which all others cannot be compared, since it teaches how one should bring all precious imperfect stones into a perfection, all human bodies afflicted with disease to perfect health, and all bodily metals into true gold and silver, which happens through a universal medicinal body, to which all other particular medicines are attributed. This medicinal body is made and finished by hand-work through a secret ingenious art that is only revealed to the children of truth.

My son, learn here that this knowledge is called a flower of wisdom, since through it the human understanding is illuminated and sharpened, and for the sake of truth finally conquered through experience, of which there are today still living witnesses who can give sufficient testimony. This