EXcellent, most gracious, & sacred SOVERAIGNE: calling often to re­membraunce, how miraculously it ple­sed the Almightie manie waies to pre­serue & defind your MAIESTIE, in the time of late do­mesticall persecuti­on, from the merci­lesse hands of those butcherly murthe­rers, who not onely sought all occasions by spilling your HIGH­NESSE innocent blood, to bereaue this Kingdome, and vs all, (that since haue liued vnder your royall, prosperous, and happie Gouernment) of so rare and precious a Iewell, as Nature hath not at anie time to any Nation else where, affoorded the like; but also prosecuted with sword, fire, banishment, or (at the least) streight imprisonment, all such as were in any respect fauoured by [Page] your HIGHNESSE, or in anie sort cast their eyes once toward the Orient, where the bright splendent beames of your incompa­rable MAIESTIE, lightneth our Horizon, to the comfort and consolation of manie thousands afflicted, & the singular ioy of the whole Realme, verie fewe persons excepted, whose bleared eyes be­ing dazeled therewith, sought palbable darknesse, to auoide the cleare light then arising with the rare Comet or incomparable day starre of your most excellent MAIESTIE vnto vs: whose piercing rayes hath since like the Sunne beames both dispersed all grossemists and fogges of ignorance, error, & blinde superstition, and withall so comforted and nourished the plant of infallible truth of the Gospell, (first taking roote in this Land in the short Raigne of the peerelesse Prince EDVVARD the sixt your MA­IESTIES Brother, of most rare expectation and famous me­morie) as the same being now sprung vp to a perfect tree of such full groath, that the branches thereof haue spread themselues long and wide manie waies ouer other Empires, Kingdomes & States, mauger the Diuell, the Pope, & the King of Spaine, with all their fraternitie, consorts, leaguers, and adherents, or other their Mi­nisters, spreaders and maintainers of lies; vnder the shelter and couert of which flourishing Palme, all true Christians haue been, are, and (I hope) long shall be (by the continuance of your MA­IESTIES most bountifuull and gracious especiall fauor) pro­tected and shrowded, from the burning heate of the sharpe perse­cutions of all malicious Enemies thereof: the which GOD of his great mercie graunt. Pondering I say (most high and mightie PRINCESSE) the manifold imminent dangers, your sacred MAIESTIE by the omnipotent wonderfull prouidence, of Almightie GOD, with more than humane vertue, and feminine patience sustained; & in the end (contrarie to all ex­pectation) escaping the rage, furie, tyrannicall attempts, and se­cret diuelish practises of your HIGHNESSE mortall Enemies, (vtter professed vnreconcileable aduersaries) to the eternall truth: whereof my selfe was an eye witnesse, and so farre priuie of some of the most mischieuous intended conspiracies, as for my faithfull in­deuours by such rare secrete seruices as were by mee effected to [Page] preuent the same; I tasted (amongst the rest of such as then ho­noured, reuerenced, and of bounden duetie loued your MAIES­TIES rare vertues) so great extremitie of imprisonment, & o­ther hard vsage many wayes, as scaping with life, (by timely and happy alteration of the state) I felt long after the paines of those torments, whereby my health in xx. yeares after was extreamly empayred: But when J consider on the other side withall, the strange and miraculous Heroicall Actions both martiall & po­litick which haue been (since in the time past of your HIGH­NESSE most prosperous raigne) beyond all expectation perfor­med with singuler gouernment and incomparable magnanimitie, farre passing all humane wisedome and mans force (whereof po­steritie shall want no due recordes of worthy Registers) I can not but forget all sorrow, & exceedingly reioyce, assuring & per­swading my selfe GOD hath ordained your MAIESTIE to accomplish yet farre greater matters for his glory and your owne eternall memory, than time hath yet reuealed: for the better ac­complishment whereof, euery dutifull subiect and good Patriott ought in time of tranquillitie to prepare and furnish themselues according to their seuerall gifts, abilities, and different faculties: to further and set foorth a worke so great as is likely to fall out by all cōsequence of reason in this your MAIESTIES most hap­py raygne, vz. the Nobilitie with learning, iudgement, and ex­perience, for counsell and aduice, as well for warlike discipline as for ciuill gouernment; for that the one cannot long continue with­out the other: Gentlemē with ingenious deuises and stratagems of warre both for sea and land, and the whole Souldiorie of all sorts with actiuitie, and the practise of such sortes of weapons as they shall addict themselues vnto, or be found fit to serue withall, wher­by euery man of what degree or quality soeuer professing the wars, may in time of cessations of Armes, some in one sorte, some in an other, inable themselues for the defence of their Countrey, against they shalbe imployed; for without appoyntment & calling, no man ought to intrude or offer himselfe, in such sorte as is now too com­monly vsed; which is the cause that so many audatious insuffici­ent blinde bayardes are set a worke: whilest the modest, skilfull, [Page] and experienced liue retired, attending their vocation by the Magistrate: of which number I professe my selfe in my facultie to bee one, who hauing these fortie yeares amongst many o­ther most commendable exercises and inuentions of so warlike Engines, founde out diuers deuises of rare seruice, both for Sea and land, some whereof (whose charge exceeded not my small abilitie) I haue performed and made the vse thereof knowen vnto many my honourable, skilfull and experienced good friendes at home, and to some Princes beyonde the Seas, whereof ignoraunt persons hauing by chaunce light on some Modules or Patternes of small importance imperfect, haue vainely arrogated the inuention vnto themselues; not know­ing in any sorte the vse and force thereof in seruice, making therby great aduantage to themselues by abusing superiour Authoritie with these imperfect first Elements of my preparations to greater matters; supplying the lamenes and effects thereof, by their for­mality, and mellicious friuolous discourses, wherin there is no sub­stance to any purpose: seeking to reape thereby the fruites of my chargeable and painefull labours; & my name in the meane time neuer once brought in question: Such is and hath beene the in­solent, and shameles boldnes of ignorant persons in all times fit to be restrayned, least greater mischiefes and inconueniences ensue thereby, when occasion requireth due triall to be made of their sufficiencie, and the right vse of these rare Experiments. But to leaue (most gratious SOVERAIGNE) the consideration of these important causes vnto the deepe wisedome and discreete prouidence of your HIGHNES owne carefull foresight, and the ordering and reformation thereof to such as are in authoritie: And to returne to my purpose; among many studious inuenti­ons, whereunto I haue bent my minde as well for the seruice of my countrie, when time shall serue, as for mine owne satisfaction; Looking withall into some parte of the rare inscrutable secrets of naturall Phlosophie, and falling sometimes to the charge­able, paynefull, and fruiteles practise thereof▪ by distillation, and other transmutation of Plants, Hearbs, Stones and Mineralls of all sortes: ayming at that marke, which many learned and grea­ter [Page] Clearks than my selfe haue shot at, and yet missed; J haue not­withstanding by the way light (to my singuler cōtentment) on in­finite rare conclusions, both profitable, pleasant, and seruiceable; so that although my simple skill could not attaine to such perfecti­on, as J desired, yet haue I no cause to repent me any way of my trauells therein imployed but rather great occasion to lament me of my long discontinuance from the same, by losse of many yeares spent vnprofitably in a laborinth of law suites, and priuate con­tention with men of verie great abilitie, and better friended than my selfe, wherein now vtterly wearyed, and worne out of heart, through the greatnes of my aduersaries purse and friendes, J am now forced for want of abilitie, after ten yeares chargeable suite, to relinquish the same, and to returne to those my delecta­ble studies and seruiceable exercises againe, as well to digest melancholick conceipts, as to keepe olde age from such extream wants, as the iniquitie of times, the tedious greeuance by delayes, the striuing against strōg armes wil bring; the least able to weary afar welthier man than my selfe, hoping yet to recouer some parte of my lost time, and (if abilitie altogether faile me not before I die,) to make vnto your MAIESTIE some rare Present by experiments Chimicall or Martiall, such as hitherto hath not been performed by any other. Wherefore (most gracious SOVERAIGNE) desiring hencefoorth to employ the rest of my shorte course, in more serious sorte, to the seruice of GOD, your MAIESTIE, and my Countrey, & by all meanes I can possible to profit some wayes this Royall kingdome and State, (wherein I haue liued these threescore yeares and more) I am bolde to publish this rare worke of learned Ripley vnder your MAIESTIES protection for the instruction and direction of all studentes, and louers of the secreat Mysteryes of naturall Philosoophie; deliuering most compendiously the hidden Arte and high Mysterie of making the Philosophers Stone, (sought for by many thousandes in all ages, but founde of very fewe, and they such as rapte with the excellency thereof, haue in contempt of the worlde, retired themselues from com­mon [Page] societie, keeping the same most secret to themselues, esteeming the world not worthy of so precious a Iewell. For the certaintie and probabilitie whereof, if any shall bee doubtfull let them adui­sedly reade throughly this work, and afterwards peruse the doings of such other our worthy countrey men as haue written most lear­nedly therof, as Frier Bacō, Iohn Pauper, Sir Thomas Norton knight, Iohn Garland, & especially M. Doctor Dee in his Mo­nas Hyerogliphica, and many others most plainly teaching the same, whose depth of learning Theoricall if it were yet executed by any experienced practitioner, I doubt not but your MAIES­TIE should shortly see that which the world thinketh [...] to be [...]: and if I had bin so fortunate as to haue spent these seauen yeares past in one of your MAIESTIES manifold fruit­lesse still-houses: J durst before this time haue presumed to promise more of my selfe than J will speak of, which disability through my foresaid troubles, now suffer me not to performe in such sorte as I desire, & haue best leasure to doe in my old age, but I hope (the pre­mises considered, my dutifull good will, & affection to my country in giuing incouragement and meanes vnto others by publicatiō of this most learned Author) will be taken in good parte, the rather being patronized by your sacred MAIESTIE, against all ve­nymous darts of the enuious & malicious tungs, of such who be­ing ignorant themselues of all good sciences, would otherwise ma­ligne the perfections & vertuous indeuours of the well deseruing. Thus hoping your MAIESTIE will of your accustomed cle­mencie, accept of this my present as a pledge of my fidelity and du­tifull zeale to your MAIESTIE, humbly crauing pardon for my boldnes; I cease to be further troublesome, daylie praying to the Almighty long to continue your MAIESTIES most prosperous Raigne ouer vs, with great increase of honour, and felicitie, to hi [...] glory, vntill double Nestors yeares.

HAuing reserued the Copie hereof (Right Ho­norable, and gentle Readers) these fortie yeares for many secrete vses, corrected by the most learned of our time, and feeling my self, now through age declining, and otherwise hyndred with troublesome suites in law, which cōstrained me to discontinew these and such other cōmendable prac­tises, for the benefite and defence of my P [...]ince and Coun­trie: I haue thought good to publish the same, the rather for that there are but a few copies left, and those for the most parte corrupted by negligence, or mistaking of igno­rant writers thereof: Being partly encouraged hereunto by the learned Philosopher Seneca, who accompteth it an Act meritorious to preserue or reuiue Science from the Cinders, and to eternize vertuous acts with perpetual me­morie: Finding it strange, that so excellent a Monument as this most rare and learned worke of George Ripley, should so long lye hidden in obscuritie, & passe frō hand to hand a hundreth and fiftie yeares without vtter defacing; see­ing that many notable works published, haue in far shorter time perished. He liued in the time of king Edward the 4. & Richard the vsurper, in great fame & estimation, for his rare knowledge in these secrets: And to vtter his further cōmendatiō in a word; if this his worke be perused with the [Page] eye of iudgement, and practised by those that are experi­enced, I shall not neede to feare the losse of my labour, when some of my Countriemen which cannot attaine vn­to the highest hidden mysterie, shall yet finde many things both pleasant and profitable, diuers wayes seruiceable to Kingdomes, States, and Common weales: And if one amōg tenne thousand can hitt the marke, (whereat the whole worlde hath aymed) we shall not hereafter neede to seeke out the Sandes of Ganges, for that which lyeth hid in the secrets of Ripley: which I offer here to the view of the lear­ned, and haue presumed the publishing hereof, chiefly for the benefite of my Countrey men; and especially to satisfie the often & importunate request of many my learned good friēds, not doubting but that the skilfull wil yeelde me my due▪ howsoeuer the ignorant shal esteeme therof: which if I shall finde to be accepted according to my good meaning, I shall therby be further encouraged to imparte some other rare experiments of Distillations and Fire-workes of great seruice, not hitherto committed in writing or put in prac­tise by any of our nation; although of late some meere toies haue beene highly admired, and extraordinarily rewarded: The charge whereof will be found vtterly lost, when per­fect tryall shall be made of their slender vse and force. To conclude, If this my good intent shalbe answerable to your expectations, I haue obteined the fulnes of my desires.