The Triiimphal Chariot of Antimony. 27 



Hence I would thus advise men of 

 all ranks, who are anxious to obtain know- 

 ledge : Demand first of your masters true 

 teaching, which consists in preparation 

 and the proportion of ingredients ; then 

 you will hold your title with honour, and 

 give real help to your fellow-men ; you 

 will also have good reason to return 

 thanks to the Creator out of an unfeigned 

 heart. 



Let every one seriously consider in 

 his own mind what he should do, what 

 he should leave undone, and whether his 

 title belongs to him of right, or not. 

 Whoever assumes a title should know 

 its meaning, and whether he is justified 

 in claiming it. A rational man must be 

 able to assign a reason for everything, 

 and when he smells a dung-heap of a 

 very penetrating odour, he should be 

 able to say why he calls it good dung, 

 and also why a certain person who has 

 partaken of fragrant and sweet-smelling 

 food, gives it out in the shape of highly 

 malodorous excrement. The answer is 

 to be found in the conditions of natural 



