Basilius Valentinus Redivivus or the Resurrected Basilius Valentinus or the Shining Star of Alchemy

such occurs, we have sufficiently proven in the preface, and to such people we call out the following dictum saying, which we have taken from the Radice Chymiæ Root of Chemistry: This art is dear and light, short and also rare, nothing but one vessel, one labor, one cooking. Although the most noble Chemistry is portrayed quite shortly and concisely in this saying, in my opinion, the best part has been forgotten, without which the work of art can neither be started nor completed, and that is materia una one matter.

Therefore, we wish to assert the truth of the most noble art of Alchemy against the naysayers through the above-cited saying with special reasoning and without any held prejudice, etc.

The first proposition of the brought-forth dictum saying is: Hæc ars est cara: This art is costly. It is thus titled an art, and indeed a costly art, against which most half-learned scholars would like to utter their thoughtless calumnies slanderous accusations. It is therefore incumbent upon us first to demonstrate that Alchemy is a true art, and not a deceptive one, as the adversaries claim.

Regarding the first point, it is denied by no one except those who have no, or at the very least very little, knowledge of this most noble art; to such people, ARNOLDUS calls out: Whoever wishes to attain this art and is not a philosopher, he is a fool or mad in the head, since this