sequently with other Eyes than the Generality of Learners; And should be more dispos’d to accommodate the Phænomena that occur’d to me to other Notions than to those of the Spagyrists. And having at first entertain’d a suspition That the Vulgar Principles were lesse General and comprehensive, or lesse considerately Deduc’d from Chymical Operations, than was believ'd; it was not uneasie for me both to Take notice of divers Phænomena, overlook'd by prepossest Persons, that seem’d not to suite so well with the Hermetical Doctrine; and to devise some Experiments likely to furnish me with Objections against it, not known to many, that having practis’d Chymistry longer perchance then I have yet liv’d, may have far more Experience, Than I, of particular processes.
To conclude, whether the Notions I have propos’d, and the Experiments I have communicated, be considerable, or not, I willingly leave others to Judge; and This only I shall say for my Self, That I have endeavour’d to deliver matters of Fact, so faithfully, that I may as well assist the lesse skilful Readers to examine the Chymical Hypothesis, as provoke the Spagyrical Philosophers to illustrate it: which if they do, and that either the Chymical opinion, or the Peripatetick, or any other Theory of the Elements
