To the ReaderJ 
Me^ before he would fee or hear any thing 
<?fthts Prodromus, did upon occafon can‘ 
didlj declare to the K^duthor of this Verfion, 
(whoho'aSL fide here puhlickly attejls it,) 
VirOijThat he doth,tipon federal induce¬ 
ments. Juppofcy the generality of Tranfp.1- 
rcnc piems or Precious Stones to hayie been 
once Liquid fubfances, and many of them, 
whilft they were etther f uid\or at leaf foft, 
to. have been imbraced. sm/;. Mineral TiU” 
6lureSj that con-coagulated with them % 
whence he conceiveth fhat divexs of the real 
qualities and vertues qf Gems (for he 
doubts, mojl aferihed to them are fabu/ous) 
may be probably derived, ^..yind as for 
Opacous Gems and other Medkal Stones, 
^as Bloud'Stones , jafpers, Magnets, E- 
mery, &c. He eUeems them to have, for 
the moJl part, been Earth (perhaps in jome 
Cafes very much diluted and foft,) impreg¬ 
nated with the more copious proportion of 
f ne Metallin or other ^Mineral juyees or 
Particlesy all which were afterwards redu- 
^ ced into tht forme of stone by the fuperve- 
nience (or the exalted a>cfion). of fome al- 
. ready in-exiflent petrefeent liquor or petri- 
fick Spirit, which he fuppofeth may fom.e% 
times 
