The Preface.
Sun-ſhine, in the Eye of worldly Tranſactions, where they kept up their own Repute with a clamorous Defamation of theſe innocent and contented Eremits. The ſecond Obſtacle to their Fame, was partly the ſimplicity of their ſtyle, which is Scripture-like, and commonly begins like Solomon’s Text, with Mi Fili. But that which ſpoil’d all, and made them Contemptible even to ſome degree of miſerie, was a corrupt Delivery of the Notions and Vocabula of the Art: for Magic like the Sun, moving from the Eaſt, carried along with it the Orient all Termes, which our Weſtern Philoſophers who skil’d not the Arabic or Chaldce, &c. did moſt unhappily and corruptly tranſcribe, and verily at this day they are ſo ſtrangely abus’d, it is more then a Task togueſs at their Original. But this is not all, for ſome were ſo ſingular, as to invent certain Barbarous Termes of their own, and theſe conceited Riddles, together with their Magiſterial way of Writing (for they did not ſo far condeſcend as to Reaſon their Poſitions) made the world conclude them a Fabulous Generation.
Indeed
