Concerning Erichthonius they write, that heehe sprung from the seed of Vulcan -
cast upon the earth striving with Pallas the GoddesseGoddess of wisedomewisdom, with ser=
pentine and without humanehuman feet. Very like him are those, who, depending upon
the means of Vulcan alone, without the wisedomewisdom of Pallas, doedo begettbeget monstrous
children, namely, without feet and abortive, which can neither sustainesustain -
themselves, nor profit others: It is a miserable thing for a man to goego on all
fourefour, that is, hands and feet together, but much more miserable to be all=
togetheraltogether destitute of feet, and to use armesarms instead thereof: for they seem to
have degenerated to the nature of wormesworms, who goego after the manner of crea=
pingcreeping wormesworms: But the two leggslegs are the organickeorganic parts in man, without which
heehe cannot truelytruly walkewalk, as neither see without eyes, or touch things tangible
without hands: soeso likewise Medicine and every operative art is supposdsupposed to
have two leggslegs, whereon to stand, namely experience and reason, without -
either of which that art is lame, and imperfect in its traditions and præ=
ceptsprecepts, nor correspondent to the proposed end: Chymistry indeed cheifelychiefly de=
lights in two subjects (as leggslegs) whereof one is the key, the other the string of
the barrebar; by these the PhilosophicallPhilosophical Rosary lockdlocked on all sides is opened, -
and passage admitted into it to those that have right to enter: But if one
be wanting to him that is about to enter herein it will be the same thing, as
for a man whose feet are bound to endeavourendeavor to outrunneoutrun a hare: heehe that
enters into the garden, which is every way enclosed or fenced, without a Key, -
imitates a theifethief, who coming in a darkedark night can discernediscern nothing that -
growesgrows in the garden, nor enjoy the things stolen away: But the key is a thing
of very little esteemeesteem or value, which is properly called a stone knowneknown in the
chapters, and is the root of Rhodes, without which a twig is not put forth, nor -
dothdoes the bud swell, nor the Rose become green, or discover multitude of -
leaves: But a quæstionquestion might be askdasked, where must this key be sought for?
I answer with the oracle, that is must be there investigated, where the -
bones of Orestes are saydsaid to be found, namely, where winds, the Striker, that
which is beaten backeback, and the destruction of men are found together, that is,
as Lychas hathhas interpreted it, in the Brasiers Shop or workehouseworkhouse: For the oracle
would have bellowesbellows understood by winds; a hammer by the striker; an anvileanvil
by that which is beaten backeback; by the destruction of men iron: if a man knowesknows
how to number well and distinguish the signs, heehe will certainly find this key
in the northernenorthern hemisphere of the ZodiackeZodiac,

and the string of the barrebar in
the SoutherneSouthern: Which having obtaindobtained, it will be easy to open the dooredoor and enter:
and in the very entrance heehe will see Venus with her Paramour Adonis: for sheeshe
hathhas tinged the white roses of a purple colourcolor with her blood: In the same place
allsoalso a dragon is observed, as in the Hesperian gardens, which watchethwatches to præ=
servepreserve the roses: The scent of the roses is saydsaid to be increased by garlickegarlic -
planted near, and that by reason of an excedingexceeding degree of heat, which appears
in garlickegarlic, in which respect it is a remedy against cold poysonspoisons: for Roses -
require the heat of the SunneSun and earth, before they can attaineattain to colourcolor and
scent most gratefullgrateful to the eyes and nose: Moreover the fume of coḿoncommon Sulphur
makes red roses white, where it touchethtouches, on the contrary the spirit of VitriollVitriol
or Aqua fortis restores them to a deep red colourcolor, which endurethendures: For coḿoncommon -
Sulphur is an enemy to the PhilosophicallPhilosophical Sulphur, though it cannot destroy it,
but the Solutive water is freindlyfriendly, and præservespreserves its colourcolor: The rose is conse=
crated to Venus in regard of beauty, in which it surpassethsurpasses all other flowers: -
for it is a Virgin, which nature hathhas armed, that it might not be violated with=
out revenge and punnishmentpunishment: Violets are voydvoid of weapons, and trodden under
foot; Roses being comprised within prickles have yellow hairehair inwardly; and
outwardly a green garment: NoeNo man can pluckepluck, and separate them from -
the prickles but heehe that is wife[sic]wise, if otherwise, heehe will feelefeel a sting in his -
fingers: SoeSo none but a most wary Philosopher will pluckepluck the flowers, ex=
cept heehe would find bees and stings in the hives, and gall with honey. Many -
men have secretly and feloniously entredentered into the Rosary, but reaped nothing -
from thence but misery; that is, lost their labourlabor. Hereupon SaythSays Bacusser in -
Turba; Our bookesbooks seemeseem to be very injurious to those, who read our writings
onelyonly once, twice, or thrice, whereas being frustrated in their understanding and -
whose study, they allsoalso (which is worst) looselose their monymoney, painespains, and time, if
they have spent any in this art. And a little after, For when a man thinks heehe
hathhas done, hathhas the world, heehe will find nothing his hands . . . . .