Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
An Hermetic Work.
but again and again ingeniously confess , that if it were possible to reneAV my youth , or call back but ten years , I would not neglect publickly to profess and teach the true Philosophy , Medicine , and Alchymy , and so make it to be known demonstratively . But the sand of my glass is almost run , and my day far spent , so that I cannot undertake these so laborious practices , but must leave and resign the fame to others more io their prime of youth and strength , whilst I am fading and A'anishing hence . But all the
good I can do whilst I live b y faithful writing , I shall not neglect for my neighbours profit and advantage , And ( God favouring my purpose ) I shall shortly publish unheard of Secrets ; here now it only rests to set to an end to this Tractate .
An Admonition to the Courteous Reader . WhatsoeA'er I have written in this little Book of extracting Gold out of Sand , Stones , and Flints , is so true and certain that there needs be no question thereof . Yet I may tell thee , as soon as this Treatise came under the Press , another way of extracting Gold out of Stones came into my mind far better than the former : By which gold may be drawn out and extracted much sooner and better : because to this my new Avaythere is
, no need at all of Kettles of Copper or Brass , etc . but great quantities may be extracted AA'ithout boyling in or with such vessels , but in others that are every where to be had ; so that one man in this new way in one day may easily extract the Gold out of a thousand ( CIQ ) pounds of sand or stones , etc . so that I cannot Chuse but communicate this also ( which is far beyond the former ) . If I shall understand , this may be generally profitableand gratefully accepted in these bad times and fear of worse . Wherebto
, y he publickly serviceable to my Country , and future generations . And so I commit all to the guidance and protection of the Almi ghty . Dated at Amsterdam 26 Anno Dom . 1666 . —July , . 15
Ceylon.
CEYLON .
TVHE ancient capital is still worth visiting on account of its magnificent ruins—the - - Thuparame Dagoba , more than 2 , 000 years old , being the largest and finest of the kind in the Avorld . Here , too , is the oldest tree in the Avorld , the original Bo tree , sent oi'er to Ceylon 2 , 000 years ago , tended by the lineal descendants of the original keeper , and , consequently , older than any family in the Avorld . The folloAving portion of a description of one of the Anuradapura Dagobas is from an unpublished work on the
ruined city , drawn up after recent excavations and examinations by Government officials : — " The most ancient of these Dagobas is the Thuparame , which must have been a magnificent structure in its perfect state . This building is supposed to enshrine the left collar bone of Buddah ( some say the left jaw-bone ); but these relics were ahvays deposited in golden casketsbeautified Avith profuse settings of of great value
, gems , before they were enshrined in the sacred edifices erected for then reception . The Thuparame stands on a circular platform , the brick walls supporting it are of great thickness , and on the outside embellished with fine morddings and pilasters of the same materials , though there can be no doubt that the whole of the outside , including the Parapet Avhich once encircled it , was originally covered with plaster , and possibly , too , decorated Avith paintings . This platform is paved Avith slabs of granite . On this plattorm
are four concentric roAvs of graceful octagonal columns . The first row is close to he base of the Dagoba , the second row about tAvo feet from the first , the third about a ve feet from the second , and the fourth row , the columns and capitals of which are
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
An Hermetic Work.
but again and again ingeniously confess , that if it were possible to reneAV my youth , or call back but ten years , I would not neglect publickly to profess and teach the true Philosophy , Medicine , and Alchymy , and so make it to be known demonstratively . But the sand of my glass is almost run , and my day far spent , so that I cannot undertake these so laborious practices , but must leave and resign the fame to others more io their prime of youth and strength , whilst I am fading and A'anishing hence . But all the
good I can do whilst I live b y faithful writing , I shall not neglect for my neighbours profit and advantage , And ( God favouring my purpose ) I shall shortly publish unheard of Secrets ; here now it only rests to set to an end to this Tractate .
An Admonition to the Courteous Reader . WhatsoeA'er I have written in this little Book of extracting Gold out of Sand , Stones , and Flints , is so true and certain that there needs be no question thereof . Yet I may tell thee , as soon as this Treatise came under the Press , another way of extracting Gold out of Stones came into my mind far better than the former : By which gold may be drawn out and extracted much sooner and better : because to this my new Avaythere is
, no need at all of Kettles of Copper or Brass , etc . but great quantities may be extracted AA'ithout boyling in or with such vessels , but in others that are every where to be had ; so that one man in this new way in one day may easily extract the Gold out of a thousand ( CIQ ) pounds of sand or stones , etc . so that I cannot Chuse but communicate this also ( which is far beyond the former ) . If I shall understand , this may be generally profitableand gratefully accepted in these bad times and fear of worse . Wherebto
, y he publickly serviceable to my Country , and future generations . And so I commit all to the guidance and protection of the Almi ghty . Dated at Amsterdam 26 Anno Dom . 1666 . —July , . 15
Ceylon.
CEYLON .
TVHE ancient capital is still worth visiting on account of its magnificent ruins—the - - Thuparame Dagoba , more than 2 , 000 years old , being the largest and finest of the kind in the Avorld . Here , too , is the oldest tree in the Avorld , the original Bo tree , sent oi'er to Ceylon 2 , 000 years ago , tended by the lineal descendants of the original keeper , and , consequently , older than any family in the Avorld . The folloAving portion of a description of one of the Anuradapura Dagobas is from an unpublished work on the
ruined city , drawn up after recent excavations and examinations by Government officials : — " The most ancient of these Dagobas is the Thuparame , which must have been a magnificent structure in its perfect state . This building is supposed to enshrine the left collar bone of Buddah ( some say the left jaw-bone ); but these relics were ahvays deposited in golden casketsbeautified Avith profuse settings of of great value
, gems , before they were enshrined in the sacred edifices erected for then reception . The Thuparame stands on a circular platform , the brick walls supporting it are of great thickness , and on the outside embellished with fine morddings and pilasters of the same materials , though there can be no doubt that the whole of the outside , including the Parapet Avhich once encircled it , was originally covered with plaster , and possibly , too , decorated Avith paintings . This platform is paved Avith slabs of granite . On this plattorm
are four concentric roAvs of graceful octagonal columns . The first row is close to he base of the Dagoba , the second row about tAvo feet from the first , the third about a ve feet from the second , and the fourth row , the columns and capitals of which are