ing like seed, which, however scattered at random, when they light upon a fruitful ground, will multiply far beyond either the hopes or imagination of the sower.
And therefore in order to promote so useful a work, I will here take leave to glance a few innuendoes, that may be of great assistance to those sublime spirits, who shall be appointed to labour in a universal comment, upon this wonderful discourse. And first[1], I have couched a very profound mystery in the number of Os multiplied by seven, and divided by nine. Also, if a devout brother of the rosy cross, will pray fervently for sixty-three mornings, with a lively faith, and then transpose certain letters and syllables, according to prescription in the second and fifth section; they will certainly reveal into a full receipt of the opus magnum. Lastly, whoever will be at the pains to calculate the whole number of each letter in this treatise, and sum up the difference exactly between the several numbers, assigning the true natural cause for every such difference; the discoveries in the product, will plentifully reward his labour. But then he must beware of Bythus and Sigé[2], and be sure not to forget the
- ↑ This is what the cabbalists among the Jews have done with the Bible, and pretend to find wonderful mysteries by it.
- ↑ I was told by an eminent divine, whom I consulted on this point that these two barbarous words, with that of Achamoth, and its qualities, as here set down, are quoted from Irenæus. This he discovered by searching that ancient writer for another quotation of our author, which he has placed in the title-page, and refers to the book and chapter; the curious were very inquisitive, whether those barbarous words, basyma cacabasa, &c. are really in Irenæus, and upon inquiry, it was found they were a sort of cant or jargon of certain hereticks, and therefore very properly prefixed to such a book as this of our author.
