for the seven metals were naturally those of the planets 

 associated with them; the universal primordial elements, 

 earth, water, air and fire, are designated by signs so well 

 known that secrecy is no longer a feature of their use. Their 

 antiquity is very great for they are found sculptured with 

 slight modifications on Hindoo monuments in China of un- 

 known age." 



AIR. 



TIRE., 

 WATER. 



EARTH. 



" Secrecy is sometimes secured by using entirely dissimilar 

 characters for one article, or one operation, as a crucible for 

 example ; still more perplexing is the use of a single character 

 for several unrelated objects. The arbitrary nature of these 

 symbols has necessitated keys explaining them; of those in 

 print one of the clearest is appended to Heinrich Eschen- 

 reuter's Treatises. These were discovered on the 6th of May 

 1403 in the walls of the cloister connected with the Church 

 at Schwartzbach by an adept in alchemy who again hid them 

 in the Cloister Marienzell, Thuringia. There they were re- 

 discovered 10th October 1489. The best modern editions 

 contain a key to the numerous characters found therein; the 

 key is doubtless in the possession of the imperial Librarian, 

 nevertheless, I, Heinrich Maier, transmit a copy, by means 

 of which all inscrutable mysteries may be revealed and 

 problems solved." 



A portion of this key is here reproduced ; in the original 

 the defining words were in Latin and spelled backwards the 

 greater to mystify the uninitiated. 



140 



