SoeSo great is the diversity of Authors in writing, that the explorators of -
truth doedo allmostalmost despairedespair of finding the end of art: for AllegoricallAllegorical speeches
being of themselves difficult to be understood, and the causes of many errors,
especially then, if the same words be applydapplied to different things, and diffe=
rent words to the same things: out of which if a man would extricate him=
selfehimself, heehe must either be of a divine genius, to perceive the truth invol=
ved in soeso great darkenessedarkness, or of endlesseendless pains and charge in proving what
is true, what not: But the Philosophers say one is not sufficient without the -
other, an acute genius without hand=-labourhand-labor, or this without that, as neither
the theory without the practice, and contrarywise: for noeno man is of soeso -
discreet an understanding as to avoydavoid a hundred thousand circumvagations,
errors, falsityesfalsities as to the word, digressions, and ambiguityesambiguities, and persist in the
true path of nature: wherefore say the Philosophers, heehe that hathhas not as
yet erred, hathhas not yet begun, and that errors are the informers of those -
things which ought to be done or not. SoeSo the same doedo inculcate, that a -
man may spend his whole life, though heehe Should live a thousand years, in
distilling and redistilling, before heehe can attaineattain to truth by experimentation
alone: That little benefit can be had without study and reading of au=
thors, the Corrector of fools signifyessignifies, saying: Study removethremoves ignorance, -
and reducethreduces a mans genius to true understanding, and the knowledge of
every thing: It is therefore principally necessary to acquire the knowledge of
this delectable workework by study, and to sharpen the wittwit by PhilosophicallPhilosophical -
sayings, the knowledge of truth being centredcentered in them: If therefore opera=
tors despise not study, they will sweetly relish the fruit from thence pro=
cedingproceeding: but they that abhorreabhor study, and yet are willing to operate, let them
see whether that art be the imitation of nature herselfeherself, which the art of
her desires to amend: because it is impossible for it to præpareprepare the Philoso=
phers secrets to a perfect end: Of these men say the Sophi, that they runnerun to
practice as an asseass to hay, not knowing what to lay his nose to, onelyonly soeso far
as the outward senses doedo without understanding lead him to food by sight
and tasttaste: these are his words. But lest a man should macerate himselfehimself with
overmuch study, which is an inexhaustible sea and of immense profundity
and endeavourendeavor

(though in vainevain) to bring every letter, agreeing allsoalso with ma=
ny other things, into act, in the meanemean time consuming or diminishing his
strength, time, reputation, wealth and riches, the Philosophers doedo use this
EmblematicallEmblematical speech, that Latona must be whitened, and those books
tornetorn, lest their hearts be broken, for there are many books soeso obscurely -
written, as to be understood by their owneown Authors onelyonly: not a few left out*
of envy to seduce others, or rather to retard them, that they may not attaineattain
to their end without difficulty, or to obscure those things written before by -
themselves: But what is the meaning of whitening Latona? this is the -
workework this the labourlabor to inquire: Clangor buccinæ affirms Latona to be an
imperfect body compounded of Sol and Luna. The most ancient Poets and
writers affirmeaffirm Latona to be the mother of Sol and Luna, or Apollo and -
Diana, others the NurceNurse; and that Diana was first borneborn (for Luna and -
whitenessewhiteness first appears) and did then performeperform the office of a midwife -
the same day in bringing forth her brother Apollo. Latona was indeed one *
of the twelve divine HieroglyphicksHieroglyphics of the ÆgyptiansEgyptians, by whomewhom these -
and other AllegoryesAllegories were propagated amongst other nations, very few of -
the ÆgyptiansEgyptians PreistsPriests, and those onelyonly understanding the true meaning -
and sense of them, all the rest referring them to other subjects, which were -
not in the nature of things, namely various Gods, Goddesses, and the like: -
Hereupon Latona had there the most sumptuous temple next to Vulcan, cove=
red and adorned with gold, as SheeShe that was the Mother of the PhilosophicallPhilosophical
Apollo and Diana: but this Latona is brownebrown and blackish, and hathhas many
moles and blemishes in her face, which must be taken away by art, namely
by dealbation: Some doedo make dealbations of Ceruse, Mercury Sublimate,
TalkeTalc, reduced into oyleoil, and the like, with which they incrust, cover, and
soeso whiten the outside of the SkinneSkin; but these whitening incrustations
fall ofoff with every wind or liquor, because they doedo not penetrate to the more
inward parts: But the Philosophers care not for such colorations, which are -
usdused more to deceive the eyes, than to tinge the internallinternal substance of the
body: For they would have the face of Latona whitened thoroughly, and
the SkinneSkin itselfeitself altered, that is, truelytruly, and not superficially: a QuæstionQuestion
might be asked how it can be? I answer, Latona must be first sought out
and knowneknown, which though SheeShe be taken out of a vile place, must not=
withstanding be sublimed to a more worthy, but if SheeShe be taken out
of a more worthy place, SheeShe must be thrownethrown into a place more vile, -
namely into dung: for there will SheeShe become truely white, and be -
made white lead, which being had, there is noeno need to doubt of suc=
cessesuccess, or red lead, which is the beginingbeginning and end of the workework . . .