Page:The Art of Distillation, 1651.djvu/13

 To the Reader. ter in the Philoophers ea. And as he in this cae, o I in another know divers that will not beleeve that common quickilver can of it elfe be turned wholly into a tranparent water, or that glae can be reduced into and and alt of which  it was made, aying that fuio vitrificatoria et ultima fuio, or that an hearb may be made to grow in two hours, and the Idea of a plant to appear in a glae, as if the very plant it elfe were there, and this from the eence thereof, and uch like preparations as thee: the two former whereof may be done in half an hour, but the latter requires a longer time, but yet poible. And for the poibility of the Elixir, you hal a oon perwade them to beleeve they know nothing (which is very hard, nay an impoible thing to doe) then to beleeve the poibility thereof. If there be any uch thing (ay they) why are not the poeors thereof infinately rich, famous, doe many miracles and cures, and live long? Thee Objections, epecially ome of them, carce deerve an anwer; yet I hal to hew the vanity of them make ome reply thereunto. Did not Ar-
 * 3tefius