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           Anewlightseemedtodawnuponmymind,andboundingwithjoy,Icommunicatedmydiscoverytomyfather.Myfatherlookedcarelesslyatthetitlepageofmybookandsaid,"Ah!CorneliusAgrippa!MydearVictor,donotwasteyourtimeuponthis;itissadtrash."

           If,insteadofthisremark,myfatherhadtakenthepainstoexplaintomethattheprinciplesofAgrippahadbeenentirelyexplodedandthatamodernsystemofsciencehadbeenintroducedwhichpossessedmuchgreaterpowersthantheancient,becausethepowersofthelatterwerechimerical,whilethoseoftheformerwererealandpractical,undersuchcircumstancesIshouldcertaintyhavethrownAgrippaasideandhavecontentedmyimagination,warmedasitwas,byreturningwithgreaterardourtomyformerstudies.Itisevenpossiblethatthetrainofmyideaswouldneverhavereceivedthefatalimpulsethatledtomyruin.Butthecursoryglancemyfatherhadtakenofmyvolumebynomeansassuredmethathewasacquaintedwithitscontents,andIcontinuedtoreadwiththegreatestavidity.WhenIreturnedhomemyfirstcarewastoprocurethewholeworksofthisauthor,andafterwardsofParacelsusandAlbertusMagnus.Ireadandstudiedthewildfanciesofthesewriterswithdelight;theyappearedtometreasuresknowntofewbesidesmyself.Ihavedescribedmyselfasalwayshavingbeenimbuedwithaferventlongingtopenetratethesecretsofnature.Inspiteoftheintenselabourandwonderfuldiscoveriesofmodernphilosophers,Ialwayscamefrommystudiesdiscontentedandunsatisfied.SirIsaacNewtonissaidtohaveavowedthathefeltlikeachildpickingupshellsbesidethegreatandunexploredoceanoftruth.ThoseofhissuccessorsineachbranchofnaturalphilosophywithwhomIwasacquaintedappearedeventomyboy’sapprehensionsastyrosengagedinthesamepursuit.