foundly diſcuſſed. I cannot deny but in this his work there is much ſuperſtition, and vanity. But remember that the beſt Gold muſt have the greateſt allowance; conſider the time of darkneſs, and of his youth, when, the place where, and the things which he hath diſcovered and wrote, and thou wilt rather admire his ſolidity, then condemn his vanity. Gold hath much blackneſs adhearing to it aſſoon as it is taken out of the earth. Myſterious truths do not preſently ſhine like rayes of the Sun aſſoon as they are recovered from a long darkneſs, but are clouded with ſome obſcurity. Nay I will ſay but this Agrippa might obſcure theſe myſteries like an Hermeticall Philoſopher, on purpoſe, that only the ſons of Art might underſtand them. He perhaps might mix chaffe with his wheat, that quick-ſighted birds only might find it out, and not ſwine trample it underfoot.
From ſaying much as touching the excuſing, or commending this Author, I am already prevented; For at the beginning and ending of this book there are ſeveral Epistles of his own to others, wherein he excuſeth what may be excepted againſt him; and of others to him ſufficiently commending what is praiſe worthy in him; to which may be added that honorable teſtimony given to him by the author of that moſt witty, & ſublime The-anthropoſophia Theo-magica, lately ſet forth. All that I ſhall ſay to perſwade thee to read this book, is but to deſire thee to caſt thine eye upon the Index of the Chapters contained therein, which is at the end thereof: and thou ſhalt therein ſee ſuch variety of wonderful ſubjects, that at the ſight thereof thou wilt be impatient till thou haſt read them. I ſhall crave leave now to ſpeak one word for my ſelf. If this my tranſlation ſhall neither anſwer the worth of the Author, or expectation of the reader; conſider that the unquothneſs of the Authors ſtile in many places, the manifold Errata’s, as well literall, as thoſe in respect of Grammatical conſtruction, may happily occaſion ſome miſtakes in this my tranſlation. Yet notwithtſtanding, I hope I have, though without much elegancy (which indeed the matter would not bear) put it into as intelligible an Engliſh phraſe as the original would afford. As for the terms of art, which are many, divers of them would not bear any Engliſh expreſſion, therefore I have expreſſed them in Latiniſms or Greciſms,
