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The Preface to the R e a d e r.

Courteous Reader,

IF this Work made by me in my Youth , when I was hardly fifteenyears old) was f i generally received and with f i great applauf ?,that it was forthwith trans at ed into many Languages, as Ita-lian, French, Spanish, Arabickj and passed through thehands of incomparable men; I hope that now coming forthfrom me that am fifty years old , it shall be more dearly enter-tained . F or when I saw the first fruits of my Labours recei-ved with so great A loci ity of mi nd-, I was moved by these goodOmens j And therefore have adventured to fend it once m ore forth) but with anEquipage more Rich and Noble.

From thefirfi time it appeared, it if now thirty five years. And (without any de-rogation from my Modes) be it spoken) if ever any man laboured earneflly to dis-close the secrets of Nature, it was I: For with all my Minde and Power, I haveturned over the Monuments of our Ancestors , and if they writ anything that wasfscr et and concealed , that I enrolled in my Catalogue of Rarities . Moreover , as Itravelled through France, Italy, andS pain, I consulted with all Libraries , Learn*ed men , and Artificers , that if they knew any thing that was curious, I might un-derstand such Truths as they had proved by there long experience. Thof ? places andmen, I bad not the happiness to fee, I writ Letters too, frequently, earnestly de-firing them tofurnijlj me with those Secrets, which they esteemed Rare ; not failingwith my Entreaties, Gifts, Commutations, Art , and Induftry. So that whatsoeverwas Notable , and to be de fired through the whole World , for Curiosities and Excel-lent Things , I have abundantly found out, and therewith Beautified and Aug-mented thef ?, my Endeavours, ^NATURAL MAGIC K, wherefore bymofi earnest Study, and constant Experience, I did both night and day endeavour toknow whether what I heard or read, was true or false , that I might leave nothingunaffayed: for I oft thought of that Sentence of Cicero, It is fit that they whodesire for the good of mankinde , to commit to memory things most profi-table , well weighed a nd approved, should make tryal of all things. Todo this I have spared no Pain nor Cost, but have expended my narrow Fortunes in alarge magnificence.

Nor were the Labours , Diligence, and Wealth, of most famous Nobles,PotentateSsGreat and Learned Men, wanting to a fist me ; Especially ( whom I name for hisHonour) the Illustrious and mofi Reverend Cardinal of Esttngs : All which didafford there Voluntary and Bountiful Help to this Work, I never wanted also at

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