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 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 EDWARD 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 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 consequence 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 : Gentlemen 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 shal be 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 , 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 Clearks than my selfe haue shot at , and yet missed ; J haue notwithstanding by the way light ( to my singuler contentment ) 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 strong 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 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 Bacon , 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 publication 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 .