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I ~I

JOHANNIS ISAPCI HOLLAND!

CHYMIC~L TP.PCTATE

CALLED BY HIM

THE HAND OF THE ~HI LOSOPHERS

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With its Secret Sis

PREFACE OF THE TRANSLATOR

A"ter I h#$ recet%& '()%ishe$ the *#%(#)%e thir$ '#rt +" O'er# Mier#%is

H+%%#$i, -h+se "i$i '%e#se$ e re#t%& #$ e*e +re s+ #s it is +-

i 'rit #$ c# + %+er )e -ith$r#- "r+ the %+*ers /+" the Art0, #$

)ec#(se, i & +'ii+, the 'reset tr#ct#te $eser*es + %ess c+si$er1#ti+, I c+(%$ +t 2 )ec#(se I recei*e$ th+se -ritis #%% t+ether 2

rest ti%% I h#$ tr#s%#te$ the "r+ D(tch it+ +(r Hih 3er# %#(#e,

s+ #s t+ et the #%s+ it+ the h#$s +" & c+2%+*ers, the (se"(%ess +"

-hich -i%% )ec+e #''#ret +" itse%" #"ter $i%iet re#$i. D+ +t

$+()t, there"+re. We sh#%% +- h#*e +st +" the -ritis +" this *er&

$e#r # i 'rit i L#ti #$ i 3er#, th#t is, th+se -hich #re the

+st i'+rt#t. Yet it -+(%$ )e ++$ i" the "irst t-+ '#rts +" O'er#

Mier# %ie -ere %i4e-ise #cc(r#te%& tr#s%#te$ it+ Hih 3er# "r+ #

tr(e D(tch c+'& #$ +t "r+ the L#ti te5t /)ec#(se I h#*e + tie t+ $+

it0. F+r it is '+ssi)%e th#t the L#ti *ersi+ c#+t )e -h+%%& tr(ste$,

seei th#t the s#e tr#s%#t+r +" the O'(6 7ii h#s +t $+e his 8+) t++

-e%%. E*e i" the L#ti te5t -ere c+rrect, -e h#*e s+ #& Hih 3er#c+'#tri+ts -h+ $+ +t 4+- L#ti )(t -h+ #%s+ $eser*e t+ 4+- it /The

H#$ +" the Phi%+s+'hers0.

I" s+e+e -ere t+ +)8ect th#t, #%th+(h it re9(ires # re#t $e#% +"

e""+rt #$ 4+-%e$e, there is +t s+ (ch t+ the -ritis +" H+%%#$(s,

# # -h+ -+(%$ 8($e i th#t -#& -+(%$ re*e#% his cr($e %#c4 +"

ite%%iece, sice +e c# %e#r +re "r+ H+%%#$(s th# #& # # c#

i#ie. I # +" the +'ii+ th#t i" #%% +ther cheic#% )++4s -ere $+e

#-#& -ith, e5ce't B#si%i(s 7#%eti(s #$ P#r#ce%s(s, there -+(%$ re#i

e+(h t+ %e#r "r+ the #%+e. Yes, #& # # -h+ h#$ )+tche$ #$

)(%e$ + -r+ -#&s "+r #& &e#rs, -he he "i#%%& c+es #cr+ss the

)++4s +" H+%%#$(s, "i$s the ist#4es he #$e i the '#st *i*i$%&$e'icte$, &es, 'erh#'s e*e his "(t(re ist#4es -hich he -+(%$ h#*e

c+ti(e$ t+ #4e i" he h#$ +t "+($ )etter istr(cti+ i H+i%#$(s.

Re#$i his 'rite$ )++4s h#s s+ "#r +t )ee #s "r(it"(% #s it -i%%

hece"+rth h+'e"(%%& )e, )ec#(se #t th#t tie #%cheists $i$ +t

($erst#$ his "(r#ces #$ istr(ets t+ -hich he re"ers e*er&-here.

H+-e*er, these h#*e +- )ee s(""iciet%& $escri)e$ #$ i%%(str#te$ i

the thir$ '#rt +" O'er# Mier#%is, s+ th#t I h+'e th#t +-, $(e t+ &

$i%iece #$ 'r++ti+, +re 'r+ress c# )e #$e i H+%%#$(e th#

)e"+re.

Yet, I # #-#re +" +e +)st#c%e i this #(th+r:s -ritis -hich #& $eter

#& # re#$er. It c+sists i the "#ct th#t the #(th+r h#s the "#(%t +"

re'e#ti hise%" s+ +"te th#t #& h#*e "+($ it +re +" # (is#ce

re#$i th+se re'etiti+s th# the #(th+r $i$ i -riti the. I" s(ch

t#(t+%+ies -ere c(t +(t "r+ the #(th+r:s -ritis, #& -+(%$ h#*e +re

'%e#s(re re#$i the, #s I &se%" (st #$it th#t I "+($ it # re#t

(is#ce tr#s%#ti th#t t&'e +" thi. B(t the re#$er (st 4+- th#t

there #re #%% 4i$s +" 'e+'%e; c+se9(et%&, #%s+ th+se t+ -h+ +e

c#+t te%% # thi +"te e+(h. Wh#t is s#i$ t++ (ch t+ %+*ers +"

)re*it&, there"+re, is sti%% t++ %itt%e "+r the.

F+r their s#4e -e h#*e t+ %et the s#i$ t#(t+%+& '#ss. E*e -ith+(t th#t,

h+-e*er, it is +t (' t+ (s t+ ch#e #&thi i the -ritis +" "#+(s

'e+'%e. The 'r#ise th#t I riht%& #cc+r$ t+ the -ritis +" +(r #(th+r

#$ -h+se re#$i I rec+e$ sh+(%$ +t )e iter'rete$ t+ e# th#t I #

see4i t+ 'ers(#$e e*er& c+#rse re*e%%er t+ '%(' -ith (-#she$ h#$s

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it+ these *er& i'+rt#t -ritis #$ t+ c+'& the Art -ith+(t

$isceret. This is +t & iteti+ #t #%%. I r#ther 're$ict # t+t#%%&

"r(it%ess e""+rt t+ th+se -h+ -+(%$ $+ th#t, sice i #& this

H+%%#$(s -#ts t+ )e ($erst++$ 9(ite %iter#%%&. T+ $+ this, there"+re,

# tr#ie$ re#s+i i$ is re9(ire$ i" +e is t+ )ee"it, i *ie- +" the

"#ct th#t "+r te#chi h#$& #sters #$ si(%t#e+(s%& (h#$& +es,

8(st this H+%%#$(s is #s #cc+'%ishe$ # #ster #s c# )e "+($ i the

-h+%e T(r)# Phi%#s+'h+r(.

C+se9(et%&, it is # 'it& th#t #%% his O'er# #s he -r+te the +e #"ter

#+ther, #re +t '(t t+ether it+ +e C+r'(s, #s Ar#%$(s Dc 7i%%#+*#

#$ +ther O'er# #re #*#i%#)%e. F+r, it #& )e #ss(e$ th#t -h#t he -r+te

-#s +t +%& #%% Ch&ic# )(t #%s+ (ch Me$ici#, )ec#(se he h#$ )ee #

e5ce%%et Me$ic(e. 3+$ +%& 4+-s -here #%% his -ritis h#*e )ee

$is'erse$, )ec#(se e*e #t this tie + +e c# )e "+($ -h+ c+(%$ i*e

the s%ihtest i"+r#ti+ + the '%#ce -here he resi$e$ #$ #t -h#t tie

he #ct(#%%& %i*e$. /E$it+r:s N+te< See A''e$i5 A0

Yes, -e c#+t e*e $isti(ish the -+r4s i 'rit #s t+ -hich -ere

-ritte )& H+%%#$(s P#ter #$ -hich )& H#%%#$(s Fi%i(s, #%th+(h th#t)+th -r+te the #& )e see i $i""eret '%#ces; #%s+ th#t H+%%#$(e

P#ter, &es, #%s+ his r#$'#rets, e5ce%%e$ i Arte Cheic#, 8(st #s it

is eti+e$ i O'ere S#t(ri th#t H+%%#$(e: r#$"#ther -#s the

i*et+r +" O%ei P%()i Phi%+s+'h+r( /N+te< O%ei is the 3eeti*e c#se +"

the +i%; +i#ti*e is< +%e(0, -hich h#$ +t )ee 4+- t+ the +%$

'e+'%e. This %e#$s (s t+ )e%ie*e th#t his r#$"#ther %i*e$ #t the tie

+" R#ir($(s L(i%i(s, -h+ -r+te #t %e#st # h($re$ &e#rs )e"+re

H+%%#$(s Fi%i(s; )ec#(se L(%%i(s, i his %etter t+ =i R('ert(s, #%s+

eti+s th#t O%e(r P%(r)i Phi%+s+'h+r( -#s # e- $isc+*er& #$ s(ch #

hih%& i'+rt#t secret th#t it seee$ ()e%ie*#)%e t+ #%% +%$

#%cheists, )ec#(se -ith it the L#'is Phi%+s+'h+r( c+(%$ )e -h+%%&

'er"ecte$ -ithi thirt& $#&s #"ter its "irst "i5#ti+.

Fr+ this -e c+c%($e th#t H+%%#$(s Fi%i(s h#$ +t )ec+e s(ch # re#t

#ster -ith+(t re#s+, "+r he h#$ #s it -ere, iherite$ Arc## "r+ his

-h+%e F#i%i#. N+e +" th+se -h+ 9(+te "r+ his -ritis t#4e +te +"

this, )(t e#ch -rites J+h#ee Is##c(e H+%%#$(s, -hich, h+-e*er, is ere

c+"(si+ i & +'ii+. It sh+(%$ )e -ritte J+h#es I###ci H+%%#$(s,

)ec#(se the D(tch i*e +%& +e #e t+ their chi%$re. Neither $+ their

chi%$re h#*e # sec+$ #e, )(t the "#ther:s "irst +r Christi# #e

-ith the #$$iti+ +" the -+r$ >se? +r >s+?. C+se9(et%&, #cc+r$i t+

Nether%#$s c(st+, the Y+(er H+%%#$(s -#s c#%%e$ J# Ie##c#e, th#t

is, J+h#es s+ +" Is##c. T+ eti+ this here $+es +t see t+ e t+ )e

i#''r+'ri#te. 11

S+e +ther tr#ct#tes #re #scri)e$ t+ +(r #(th+r -hich #re s(''+se$ t+ )e

sti%% e5t#t, s(ch #s, Dc O%e+ Sti))i. It is + $+()t the tr#ct#te -hich

is i B#si%:s Tri('h#t Ch#ri+t ($er the #e +" B#c+is /N+te