,,lives ,,of ,,alchemystical ,,philosophers4 ,,lives ,,of ,,alchemystical ,,philosophers ,,based ,,on ,,materials ,,collected ,,in #ahae ,,and ,,supplemented ,,by ,,recent ,,researches ,,with ,a ,,philosophical ,,demonstration ,,of ,,the ,,true ,,principles ,,of ,,the ,,magnum ,,opus1 ,,or ,,great ,,work ,,of ,,alchemical ,,re-,,construction1 ,,and ,,some ,,account ,,of ,,the ,,spiritual ,,chemistry ,,by ,,arthur ,,edward ,,waite ,,author ,,of 8,,the ,,real ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,rosicrucians20 8,,the ,,mysteries ,,of ,,magic3 ,a ,,digest ,,of ,,the ,,writings ,,of ,,liphas ,l,,vi10 ,,etc4 ,,to ,,which ,,is ,,added ,a ,,bibliography ,,of ,,alchemy ,,and ,,hermetic ,,philosophy ,,london ,,george ,,redway1 ,,york ,,street1 ,,covent ,,garden #ahhh ,,preface4 ,the foundation of this work will be found in 8,the ,lives of ,alchemystical ,philosophers2 with a ,critical ,catalogue of ,books in ,occult ,chemistry1 and a ,selection of the most celebrated ,treatises on the ,theory and ,practice of the ,hermetic ,art10 which was published in the year #ahae by ,lackington1 ,allen1 ,company1 of ,finsbury ,square1 ,london4 ,this anonymous book has been attributed by certain collectors to ,francis ,barrett1 author of the notorious treatise entitled 8,the ,magus1 or ,celestial ,intelligencer20 but it may be safely affirmed that1 alike in matter and treatment1 it far transcends the extremely meagre capacities of that credulous amateur in occultism4 ,it is indeed a work of much sense and unpretentious discrimination1 and is now a bibliographical rarity which is highly prized by its possessors4 ,the independent researches which have supplemented the biographical materials of the original compilation have produced in the present volume what is practically a new work under an old title2 those lives which have been left substantially untouched as to facts have been more or less rewritten with a view to the compression of prolixities and the elimination of archaic forms1 which would be incongruous in a work so extensively modified by the addition of new details4 ,the 8,alphabetical ,catalogue of ,works on ,hermetic ,philosophy0 has been considerably enlarged from such sources as ,langlet du ,fresnoy's ,histoire de la ,philosophie ,hermtique4 ,the preliminary account of the 8,physical ,theory and ,practice of the ,magnum ,opus0 is a slight original sketch which1 to readers unacquainted with alchemy1 will afford some notion of the processes of accredited adepts4 ,the introductory essay on the object of alchemical philosophy advocates new and important views concerning the great question of psychal chemistry1 and appreciates at their true worth the conflicting theories advanced by the various schools of ,hermetic interpretation4 ,,important ,,note4 ,i am forced to append to this ,preface a correction of one or two errors of absolutely vital importance1 which were unfortunately overlooked in the text4 ,on page #ahh1 line #ah1 the date was intended to read #afdc2 on page #ahi1 line #e1 read anno trigesimo tertio for trigesimo anno2 and on line #f1 anno vigesimo tertio instead of vigesimo anno4 ,but if these emendations restore the passage to its original integrity1 a discovery which ,i have made while this work was passing through the press has entirely cancelled its value4 ,i have been gratified with a sight of the original edition of ,philalethes' ,introitus ,apertus--a small octavo pamphlet in the original paper cover as it was published at ,amsterdam in the year #affg4 ,it definitely establishes that its mysterious author was born in or about the year #afbc1 or two years later than the ,welsh adept1 ,thomas ,vaughan1 with whom he has so long been identified4 ,this original edition is excessively scarce2 ,i believe ,i am the only ,english mystic who has seen it during the present generation4 ,the reader must please understand that the calculation in the pages referred to was based on the date #afdc2 this date1 in the light of the original edition1 has proved erroneous1 and by a curious chance1 that which was accidentally printed1 turns out to be correct at the expense of the calculation4 ,,analysis ,,of ,,contents4 ,,page ,,preface #e ,,introductory ,,essay ,,on ,,the ,,true ,,principles ,,and ,,nature ,,of ,,the ,,magnum ,,opus1 ,,and ,,on ,,its ,,relation ,,to ,,spiritual ,,chemistry #i ,,on ,,the ,,physical ,,theory ,,and ,,practice ,,of ,,the ,,magnum ,,opus #ch ,,lives ,,of ,,the ,,alchemists4 ,,geber #dd ,,rhasis #df ,,alfarabi #dh ,,avicenna #ea ,,morien #ec ,,albertus ,,magnus #eg ,,thomas ,,aquinas #fa ,,roger ,,bacon #fc ,,alain ,,of ,,lisle #fg ,,raymond ,,lully #fh ,,arnold ,,de ,,villanova #hh ,,jean ,,de ,,meung #ij ,,the ,,monk ,,ferarius #ib ,,pope ,,john ,,xxii4 #ic ,,nicholas ,,flamel #ie ,,peter ,,bono #aah ,,johannes ,,de ,,rupecissa #aai ,,basil ,,valentine #abj ,,isaac ,,of ,,holland #abc ,,bernard ,,tr,,visan #abd ,,john ,,fontaine #abi ,,thomas ,,norton #acj ,,thomas ,,dalton #acc ,,sir ,,george ,,ripley #acd ,,picus ,,de ,,mirandola #acf ,,paracelsus #acg ,,denis ,,zachaire #adj ,,berigard ,,of ,,pisa #adh ,,thomas ,,charnock #adh ,,giovanni ,,braccesco #aea ,,leonardi ,,fioravanti #aec ,,john ,,dee #aec ,,henry ,,khunrath #aei ,,michael ,,maier #afj ,,jacob ,b,,hme #afa ,j4 ,b4 ,,van ,,helmont #aff ,,butler #afh ,,jean ,d',,espagnet #agj ,,alexander ,,sethon #aga ,,michael ,,sendivogius #age ,,gustenhover #aha ,,busardier #ahb ,,anonymous ,,adept #ahd ,,albert ,,belin #ahf ,,eiren,,us ,,philalethes #ahg ,,pierre ,,jean ,,fabre #bjj ,,john ,,frederick ,,helvetius #bja ,,guiseppe ,,francesco ,,borri #bjh ,,john ,,heydon #baj ,,lascaris #baa ,,delisle #baf ,,john ,,hermann ,,obereit #bai ,,travels1 ,,adventures1 ,,and ,,imprisonments ,,of ,,joseph ,,balsamo #bbj ,,an ,,alphabetical ,,catalogue ,,of ,,works ,,on ,,hermetic ,,philosophy ,,and ,,alchemy #bgd ,,appendix #cjg ,,index #cac ,,introductory ,,essay ,,on ,,the ,,true ,,principles ,,and ,,nature ,,of ,,the ,,magnum ,,opus1 ,,and ,,on ,,its ,,relation ,,to ,,spiritual ,,chemistry4 ,those unfamiliar with modern alchemical criticism1 even if they have some acquaintance with the mystical labyrinth of the turba philosophorum1 will probably learn with astonishment that the opinions of competent judges are divided not only upon the methods of the mysterious ,hermetic science1 but upon the object of alchemy itself4 ,that it is concerned with transmutation is granted1 but with the transmutation of metals1 or of any physical substance1 into material gold1 is strenuously denied by a select section of reputable students of occultism4 ,the transcendental theory of alchemy which they expound is steadily gaining favour1 though the two text-books which at present represent it are both out of print and both exceedingly scarce4 ,in the year #ahej 8,a ,suggestive ,inquiry concerning the ,hermetic ,mystery and ,alchemy1 being an attempt to recover the ,ancient ,experiment of ,nature10 was published anonymously in ,london by a lady of high intellectual gifts1 but was almost immediately withdrawn for reasons unknown1 and which have given occasion1 in consequence1 to several idle speculations4 ,this curious and meritorious volume1 quaintly written in the manner of the last century1 originated the views which are in question and opened the controversy4 ,fifteen years after the appearance of the 8,suggestive ,inquiry10 an ,american writer1 named ,hitchcock1 after apparently independent researches arriving at parallel conclusions1 made public1 also anonymously1 in the year #ahfe1 some 8,remarks on ,alchemy and the ,alchemists10 in a small octavo volume of very considerable interest4 ,a psychic interpretation was placed by the previous author on the arcana of ,hermetic typology1 and ,mr ,hitchcock1 by adopting a moral one1 brought the general subject within the reach of the most ordinary readers1 and attracted considerable attention in consequence4 ,the views thus enunciated have filtered slowly through1 and1 combined with the ,paracelsian theory of the psychic manufacture of material gold by the instrumentality of the interior magnes1 have considerably influenced the revived occultism of the present day4 ,the question in itself1 taken at its lowest standpoint1 is one of the most curious to be found within the whole circle of esoteric archology2 and for students whose interest in the great alchemical mystery is of another than antiquarian kind1 it is truly of palmary interest1 and of supreme importance4 ,in an account of the lives and labours of the ,hermetic adepts1 it calls for adequate consideration2 and1 after careful researches1 ,i believe myself to have discovered a true alchemical theory which will be equally acceptable to all schools of interpretation4 ,the supreme and avowed object of every hierophant1 as well as of every postulant and pretender1 in the ars magna discovered by ,hermes ,trismegistus1 has been commonly supposed to be the chemical manufacture of material gold from commercially inferior substances4 ,on the other hand1 ,hitchcock1 marshalling an impressive series of verbatim citations from writers of all ages and all nationalities1 undertakes to demonstrate that the concealed subject of every veritable adept is one only--namely1 ,,man1 the triune1 and that 8the object also is one1 to wit1 his improvement1 while the method itself is no less one1 to wit1 nature directed by art in the school of nature1 and acting in conformity therewith2 for the art is nothing but #8nature acting through man4'0 ,again1 8the genuine alchemists were not in pursuit of worldly wealth or honours4 ,their real object was the perfection1 or1 at least1 the improvement of man4 ,according to this theory1 such perfection lies in a certain unity1 a living sense of the unity of the human with the divine nature1 the attainment of which ,i can liken to nothing so well as to the experience known in religion as the ,,new ,,birth4 ,the desired perfection1 or unity1 is a state of the soul1 a condition of ,being1 and not a mere condition of ,,knowing4 ,this condition of ,being is a development of the nature of man from within1 the result of a process by which whatever is evil in our nature is cast out or suppressed1 under the name of superfluities1 and the good thereby allowed opportunities for free activity4 ,as this result is scarcely accessible to the unassisted natural man1 and requires the concurrence of divine power1 it is called ,donum ,dei40 ,when the individual man1 by a natural and appropriate process1 devoid of haste or violence1 is brought into unity with himself by the harmonious action of intelligence and will1 he is on the threshold of comprehending that transcendent ,unity which is the perfection of the totality of ,nature1 8for what is called the #8absolute1' the #8absolute perfection1' and the perfection of ,nature1 are one and the same40 ,in the symbolism of the alchemists this writer tells us that sulphur signifies ,nature1 and mercury the supernatural4 ,the inseparable connection of the two in man is called ,sol1 but 8as these three are seen to be indissolubly one1 the terms may be used interchangeably40 ,according to ,hitchcock1 the mystical and mysterious instrument of preparation in the work of alchemy is the conscience1 which is called by a thousand misleading and confessedly incongruous names4 ,by means of this instrument1 quickened into vital activity under a sense of the presence of ,god1 the matter of the stone1 namely1 ,man1 is1 in the first place1 purged and purified1 to make possible the internal realisation of ,truth4 8,by a metonymy1 the conscience itself is said to be purified1 though1 in fact1 the conscience needs no purification1 but only the man1 to the end that the conscience may operate freely40,a ,one of the names given by the alchemists to the conscience1 on this theory1 is that of a middle substance which partakes of an azurine sulphur--that is1 of a celestial spirit--the ,spirit of ,god4 8,the still small voice is in alchemy1 as in ,scripture1 compared to a fire1 which prepares the way for what many of the writers speak of as a ,light40 ,hitchcock elsewhere more emphatically asserts that there is but one subject within the wide circle of human interests that can furnish an interpretation of the citations which he gives1 and it is that which is known under the theological name of spiritual ,regeneration4 ,this gift of ,god the alchemists investigated as a work of ,nature within ,nature4 8,the repentance which in religion is said to begin conversion1 is the #8philosophical contrition' of ,hermetic allegory4 ,it is the first step of man towards the discovery of his whole being4 ,they also called it the black state of the matter1 in which was carried on the work of dissolution1 calcination1 separation1 c41 after which results purification1 the white state1 which contains the red1 as the black contained the white40 ,the evolution of the glorious and radiant red state resulted in the fixation or perfection of the matter1 and then the soul was supposed to have entered into its true rest in ,god4 ,as this interpretation is concerned chiefly with the conscience1 ,i have called it the moral theory of alchemy2 but ,hitchcock1 as a man of spiritual insight1 could not fail to perceive that his explanatory method treated of the way only1 and the formless light of an 8,end10 which he could not or would not treat of1 is1 upon his own admission1 continually glimmering before him4 ,for the rest1 when the alchemists speak of a long life as one of the endowments of the ,stone1 he considers that they mean immortality2 when they attribute to it the miraculous properties of a universal medicine1 it is their intention to deny any positive qualities to evil1 and1 by inference1 any perpetuity4 ,when they assert that the possession of the ,stone is the annihilation of covetousness and of every illicit desire1 they mean that all evil affections disappear before the light of the unveiled ,truth4 ,by the transmutation of metals they signified the conversion of man from a lower to a higher order of existence1 from life natural to life spiritual1 albeit these expressions are inadequate to convey the real meaning of the adepts4 ,the powers of an ever active nature must be understood by such expressions as 8fires10 8menstruums10 c41 which work in unison because they work in ,nature1 the alchemists unanimously denying the existence of any disorder in the creation of ,god4 ,in conclusion1 ,hitchcock states once more that his object is to point out the subject of alchemy4 ,he does not attempt to make its practical treatment plain to the end of the sublime operation4 ,it is1 therefore1 evident that he1 at any rate1 suspected the existence of more transcendent secrets which he distrusted his ability to discuss1 and declined to speak of inadequately4 ,the author of the 8,suggestive ,inquiry0 had already taken the higher standpoint of psychic interpretation1 and developed her remarkable principles1 which ,i must endeavour to reproduce as briefly as possible4 ,according to this work1 the modern art of chemistry has no connection with alchemy except in its terminology1 which was made use of by the adepts to veil their divine mysteries4 ,the process of the whole ,hermetic work is described with at least comparative plainness in the writings of the philosophers1 with the exception of the vessel which is a holy arcanum1 but without the knowledge of it no one can attain to the magistery4 ,now1 the publication of the writings of ,jacob ,bhme caused the alchemists who were his contemporaries to fear that their art could not much longer remain a secret1 and that the mystic vase in particular would be shortly revealed to all4 ,this vase is the vas insigne electionis1 namely1 ,,man1 who is the only all-containing subject1 and who alone has need to be investigated for the eventual discovery of all4 ,the modern adepts describe the life of man as a pure1 naked1 and unmingled fire of illimitable capability4 ,man1 therefore1 is the true laboratory of the ,hermetic art2 his life is the subject1 the grand distillery1 the thing distilling1 and the thing distilled2 and self-knowledge is at the root of all alchemical tradition4 8,modern discoveries are now tending to the identification of light1 the common vital sustenant1 as in motive accord throughout the human circulatory system with the planetary spheres1 and harmonious dispositions of the occult medium in space2 and as human physiology advances with the other sciences1 the notion of our natural correspondency enlarges1 till at length the conscious relationship would seem to be only wanting to confirm the ancient tradition40 ,in addition to the faculties which he commonly exerts to communicate with the material universe1 man possesses within him the germ of a higher faculty1 the revelation and evolution of which give intuitive knowledge of the hidden springs of nature4 ,this ,wisdom-faculty operates in a magical manner1 and constitutes an alliance with the ,omniscient ,nature1 so that the illuminated understanding of its possessor perceives the structure of the universe1 and enjoys free perspicacity of thought in universal consciousness4 ,in support of this statement it is argued that the evidence of natural reason1 even in the affairs of common life1 is intuition1 that intuitive faith has a certainty above and independent of reason1 that the subsistence of universals in the human mind includes a promise far beyond itself1 and is stable proof of another subsistence1 however consciously unknown4 ,the true methods and conditions of self-knowledge are to be learned from the ancient writers4 ,the discovery of the veritable ,light of alchemy is the reward of an adequate scrutiny of true psychical experience4 ,alchemy proposes 8such a reducation of nature as shall discover this latex without destroying her vehicle1 but only the modal life2 and professes that this has not alone been proved possible1 but that man by rationally conditionating has succeeded in developing into action the ,recreative ,force40 ,the ,one ,thing needful1 the sole act which must be perfectly accomplished that man may know himself1 is the exaltation1 by the adequately purified spirit1 of the cognising faculty into intellectual reminiscence4 ,the transcendental philosophy of the mysteries entirely hinges on the purification of the whole understanding1 without which they promise nothing4 ,the end in view is identical with ,hermetists1 ,theurgists1 and with the ancient ,greek mysteries alike4 ,it is the conscious and hypostatic union of the intellectual soul with ,deity1 and its participation in the life of ,god2 but the conception included in this divine name is one infinitely transcendental1 and in ,hermetic operations1 above all1 it must ever be remembered that ,god is within us4 8,the initiated person sees the ,divine ,light itself1 without any form or figure--that light which is the true astrum solis1 the mineral spiritual sun1 which is the ,perpetual ,motion of the ,wise1 and that ,saturnian ,salt1 which developed to intellect and made erect1 subdues all nature to ,his will4 ,it is the ,midnight ,sun of ,apuleius1 the ,ignited ,stone of ,anaxagoras1 the ,triumphal ,chariot of ,antimony1 the ,armed ,magnet of ,helvetius1 the ,fiery ,chariot of ,mercaba1 and the ,stone with the new name written on it which is promised to him that overcometh1 by the initiating ,saviour of mankind40 ,this method of interpreting the ,hermetic allegories is calculated to exalt the alchemists indefinitely in the estimation of all thinking minds4 ,from possibly avaricious investigators of a by-way of physical science1 they are transfigured into dreamers of the sublimest imaginable dream1 while if that which they conceived was accomplished1 they are divine and illuminated monarchs who are throned on the pinnacles of eternity1 having dominion over their infinite souls4 ,a theory so attractive1 devised in the interests of men whom romance has already magnified in the auriferous cloud of mystery which envelopes both their claims and their persons1 is eminently liable to be accepted on insufficient grounds1 because of its poetical splendour1 so it will be well to ascertain the facts and arguments on which it is actually based4 ,both ,hitchcock and the unparalleled woman to whom we are indebted for the 8,suggestive ,inquiry0 appeal to alchemical writings in support of their statements4 ,a few of their quotations and commentaries must therefore be submitted to the reader4 ,the first point which strikes the alchemical student is the unanimous conviction of all the philosophers that certain initiatory exercises of a moral and spiritual kind are an indispensable preliminary to operations which are commonly supposed to be physical4 ,here the incongruity is evident1 and it is therefore urged that the process itself is spiritual1 and that it was materialised in the writings of the adepts to confuse and mislead the profane1 as well as for the protection of esoteric psychologists in the days of the ,inquisition and the stake4 ,the following preparation for the study of ,antimony is recommended by ,basil ,valentin4 8,first1 ,invocation to ,god1 with a certain heavenly intention1 drawn from the bottom of a sincere heart and conscience1 pure from all ambition1 hypocrisy1 and all other vices which have any affinity with these2 as arrogance1 boldness1 pride1 luxury1 petulancy1 oppression of the poor1 and other similar evils1 all of which are to be eradicated from the heart2 that when a man desires to prostrate himself before the throne of grace1 for obtaining health1 he may do so with a conscience free from unprofitable weeds1 that his body may be transmuted into a holy temple of ,god1 and be purged from all uncleanness4 ,for ,god will not be mocked 7of which ,i would earnestly admonish all71 as worldly men1 pleasing and flattering themselves with their own wisdom1 think4 ,god1 ,i say1 will not be mocked1 but the ,creator of all things will be invoked with reverential fear1 and acknowledged with due obedience4444 ,which is so very true that ,i am certainly assured no impious man shall ever be partaker of the true medicine1 much less of the eternal1 heavenly bread4 ,therefore place your whole intention and trust in ,god2 call upon him1 and pray that he may impart his blessing to you4 ,let this be the beginning of your work1 that by the same you may obtain your desired end1 and at length effect what you intended4 ,for the fear of the ,lord is the beginning of wisdom40 ,the second qualification is contemplation1 by which1 says ,basil1 8,i understand an accurate attention to the business itself1 under which will fall these considerations first to be noted4 ,as1 what are the circumstances of anything2 what the matter2 what the form2 whence its operations proceed2 whence it is infused and implanted2 how generated 444 also how the body of everything may be 444 resolved into its first matter or essence4 ,this contemplation is celestial1 and to be understood with spiritual reason2 for the circumstances and depths of things cannot be conceived in any other way than by the spiritual cogitation of man3 and this contemplation is two-fold4 ,one is called possible1 the other impossible4 ,the latter consists in copious cogitations which never proceed to effects1 nor exhibit any form of matter which falls under the touch1 as if any should endeavour to comprehend the ,eternity of the ,most ,high1 which is vain and impossible2 yea1 it is a sin against the ,holy ,ghost1 so arrogantly to pry into the ,divinity itself1 which is immense1 infinite1 and eternal2 and to subject the incomprehensible counsel of the secrets of ,god to human inquisition4 ,the other part of contemplation which is possible is called theory4 ,this contemplates that which is perceived by touch and sight1 and hath a nature formed in time2 this considers how that nature may be helped and perfected by resolution of itself2 how every body may give forth from itself the good or evil1 venom or medicine1 latent in it2 how destruction and confection are to be handled1 whereby1 under a right proceeding1 without sophistical deceits1 the pure may be severed and separated from the impure4 ,this separation is made and instituted by divers manual operations 444 some of which are vulgarly known by experience1 others remote from vulgar experience4 ,these are calcination1 sublimation1 reverberation1 circulation1 putrefaction1 digestion1 distillation1 cohobation1 fixation1 and the like of these2 all the degrees of which are found in operating1 learned1 and perceived1 and manifested by the same4 ,whence will clearly appear what is movable1 what is fixed1 what is white1 what red1 black1 blue1 green1 namely1 when the operation is rightly instituted by the artificer2 for possibly the operation may err1 and turn aside from the right way2 but that ,nature should err1 when rightly handled1 is not possible4 ,therefore if you shall err1 so that nature cannot be altogether free1 and released from the body in which it is held captive1 return again unto your way2 learn the theory more perfectly1 and inquire more practically into the method of your operating1 that you may discover the foundation and certainty in the separation of all things2 which is a matter of great concern4 ,and this is the second foundation of philosophy which follows prayer2 for in that the sum of the matter lies1 and is contained in these words3--,seek first the kingdom of ,god and his righteousness by prayer1 and all other things shall be added unto you40 ,perhaps it will be thought1 even at this preliminary stage of citation1 that there is much to be said for the physical theory of alchemy4 ,a particular appeal is1 however1 made to the celebrated 8,canons of ,espagnet10 and to the following passage3--8,the light of this knowledge is the gift of ,god1 which by his freeness he bestoweth upon whom he pleaseth4 ,let none1 therefore1 set himself to the study hereof1 until1 having cleared and purified his heart1 he devote himself wholly unto ,god1 and be emptied of all affection to things impure4 ,those that are in public honours and offices1 or be always busied with private and necessary occupations1 let them not strive to attain to the top of this philosophy2 for it requireth the whole man2 and being found1 possesseth him1 and being possessed1 challengeth him from all long and serious employments1 esteeming all other things as strange unto him1 and of no value4 ,let him that is desirous of this knowledge clear his mind from all evil motions1 especially pride1 which is abomination to heaven1 and the gate of hell4 ,let him be frequent at prayers and charitable2 have little to do with the world2 abstain from too much company-keeping1 and enjoy constant tranquillity1 that the mind may be able to reason more freely in private1 and be more highly lifted up2 for unless it be kindled with a beam of divine light1 it will hardly be able to penetrate the hidden mysteries of truth4444 ,a studious ,tyro of a quick wit1 constant mind1 inflamed with the love of philosophy1 very quick in natural philosophy1 of a pure heart1 perfect in manner1 mightily devoted to ,god1 even though ignorant of chemistry1 may enter with confidence the highway of ,nature1 and peruse the books of the best philosophers4 ,let him seek out an ingenious companion for himself1 and not despair of accomplishing his desire40 ,here ,hitchcock points out that the operation is obviously not chemical1 for the chief instrument is determined and concentrated thinking on the loftiest intellectual planes4 ,the inference that skill in natural philosophy is indispensable1 is contradicted by the counter-statement that ignorance of chemistry is not necessarily a source of failure4 ,in this connection1 it must be remembered that the distinction between alchemy and chemistry can scarcely be said to have existed at the period of ,espagnet1 and the statement would at first sight seem almost equivalent to asserting that it was unnecessary to be versed in the properties of metals to accomplish the magnum opus4 8,let a lover of truth10 continues the author of the ,canons1 8make use of but a few philosophers1 but of best note and experienced truth2 let him suspect things that are quickly understood1 especially in mystical names and secret operations1 for truth lies hid in obscurity2 nor do philosophers ever write more deceitfully than when plainly1 nor ever more truly than when obscurely40 ,in the same manner1 8,the ,new ,light of ,alchemy10 falsely ascribed to ,sendivogius1 and which is in high appreciation among ,hermetic students1 declares that 8the most commendable art of alchemy is the gift of ,god1 and truly it is not to be attained but by the alone favour of ,god enlightening the understanding1 together with a patient and devout humility1 or by an ocular demonstration from some experienced master40 ,in ,anima ,magica ,abscondita1 ,eugenius ,philalethes gives the following advice to the student1 whether of magic or alchemy3--8,attempt not anything rashly4 ,prepare thyself till thou art conformable to ,him whom thou wouldst entertain4 ,thou hast ,three that are to receive1 and there are three that give4 ,fit thy house to thy ,god in what thou canst1 and in what thou canst not1 ,he will help thee4 ,when thou hast set thy house in order1 do not think thy guest will come without invitation4 ,thou must tyre ,him out with pious importunities4 ,this is the way in which thou must walk1 in which thou shalt perceive a sudden illustration1 eritque in te cum ,lumine ,ignis1 cum ,igne ,ventus1 cum ,vento ,potestas1 cum ,potestate ,scientia1 cum ,scienti san mentis integritas4 ,this is the chain that qualifies a magician4 ,this is the place 7viz41 the abode of the ,archetype7 where if thou canst but once ascend1 and then descend-- 8,tunc ire ad ,mundum ,archetypum spe atque redire1 ,cunctarumque ,patrem rerum spectare licebit'-- thou hast got that spirit ,qui quicquid portentosi ,mathematici1 quicquid prodigiosi ,magi1 quicquid invidentes ,natur persecutores ,alchymist1 quicquid ,dmonibus deteriores malefici ,necromantes promittere audent4 ,ipse novit discernere et efficere idque sine omni crimine1 sine ,dei offens1 sine ,religionis injuria4 ,such is the power he shall receive1 who from the clamorous tumults of this world ascends to the supernaturall still voice1 from this base earth and mind whereto his body is allyed1 to the spirituall1 invisible elements of his ,soul40 ,after the same fashion1 the still greater ,eirenus ,philalethes declares that ,god alone communicates the whole secret of the aqua philosophorum1 that all untaught by ,him must wander in mists and error1 but that it is revealed to those who labour in study and prayer4 ,quotation might be continued indefinitely4 ,the ,centrum ,natur ,concentratum1 ascribed to ,alipili1 and a treatise of some reputation1 declares that 8,the highest wisdom consists in this1 for man to know himself1 because in him ,god has placed his eternal word1 by which all things were made and upheld1 to be his ,light and ,life1 by which he is capable of knowing all things in time and eternity4444 ,therefore let the high inquirers and searchers into the deep mysteries of nature1 learn first what they have in themselves1 before they seek in foreign matters without them2 and by the divine power within them1 let them first heal themselves and transmute their own souls2 then they may go on prosperously and seek with good success the mysteries and wonders of ,god in all natural things40 99 99 99 99 99 ,these quotations1 some of which are unknown to1 or1 at any rate1 uncited by ,hitchcock1 do not by any means establish the points which are debated in his book4 ,if the philosophers from whom they are selected were in possession of the whole secret of wealth1 they saw fit to conceal it from the profane1 and their works1 full of practically insoluble enigmas1 are proclamations of the fact of their success1 rather than lights for those who sought to follow in their steps4 ,under these circumstances1 they saw that in the blind guess-work which their symbols created of necessity1 no student would ever attain to the true light of alchemy except by pure chance--in other words1 by the favour of ,heaven1 which1 accordingly1 they counselled him to supplicate4 ,none of the passages in question are inconsistent with the physical object of alchemy1 and in the citation from ,alipili1 it is evident that the mysteries and wonders referred to include metallic transmutation in the mind of the writer4 ,the investigator of natural secrets was advised to take counsel with the ,author of natural secrets after the only possible manner4 8,whoever attempteth the search of our glorious stone1 he ought1 in the first place1 to implore the assistance of the all-powerful ,jehova1 at the throne of his mercy1 who is the true and sole author of all mysteries of nature2 the monarch of heaven and earth1 the ,king of kings1 omnipotent1 most true and most wise2 who not only maketh manifest in the microcosm1 the truth of every science to worthy philosophers1 and liberally bestoweth both natural and divine knowledge on the deserving and faithful2 but also layeth open his treasures of wealth and riches which are locked up in the abyss of nature to those who devoutly worship him4 ,and forasmuch as none are permitted to touch the mysteries of nature with foul fingers1 therefore it behoveth all who attempt such matters1 to lay aside their natural blindness from which1 by the light of the holy ,scripture and a stedfast faith1 they may be freed1 that being the means by which the ,holy ,spirit doth clearly make manifest the most profoundly hidden light of nature1 which light alone lays open the way to the wisdom of nature1 and to unlock the most abstruse mysteries thereof40 ,even the subdued imagination which is claimed by the author of 8,remarks on ,alchemy and the ,alchemists10 is likely to go astray in the labyrinth of alchemical symbolism1 and some of the interpretations of ,hitchcock are exceedingly forced and unnatural4 ,his citations are indiscriminately gathered from the most transcendental writers1 and from those who1 like ,george ,starkey1 have exhausted language in emphatic declarations that their subject and their object are actual metallic gold4 8,zoroaster's ,cave1 or the philosopher's intellectual echo to one another from their caves10 is the title of a small work quoted by ,hitchcock4 ,it opens thus3--8,dry water from the ,philosophers' ,clouds6 ,look for it and be sure to have it1 for it is the key to inaccessibles and to those locks that would otherwise keep thee out4 ,it is a middle nature between fixed and not fixed1 and partakes of a sulphureous azurine4 ,it is a raw1 cool1 feminine fire1 and expects its impregnation from a masculine solar sulphur40 ,hitchcock's interpretation is this3--a pure conscience6 ,look for it and be sure that you have it1 c4 ,it is of a middle nature between soul and body1 and partakes of a heavenly spirit4 ,it expects its life from ,god4 ,it is needless to say that with this method any meaning could be extracted from any allegorical writings4 ,the author of the 8,suggestive ,inquiry0 is far more profound and evinces a far keener insight4 ,it is evident1 however1 that the truth 7or the fallacy7 of both methods of interpretation depends on the connection of the alchemists with practical chemistry4 ,on this vital question1 the uniocular condition of both writers is utterly astounding4 8,no modern art or chemistry has anything to do with alchemy1 beyond the borrowed terms which were made use of in continuance chiefly to veil the latter40 ,that is to say1 the alchemists did not lay the foundations of the science1 the beginnings of which are attributed to them1 and in this matter we are not by any means indebted to them4 ,this extreme statement is qualified by the later commentator1 who gives a more detailed expression to his views4 8,that chemistry is indebted for its introduction among the sciences indirectly to the alchemists is certainly true2 at least ,i have no disposition to question it2 but not to the immediate labours of the alchemists themselves1 whose peculiar work was one of contemplation and not of the hands4 ,their alembic1 furnace1 cucurbit1 retort1 philosophical egg1 c41 in which the work of fermentation1 distillation1 extraction of essence and spirits1 and the preparation of salts is said to have taken place1 was man--yourself1 friendly reader2 and if you will take yourself into your own study1 and be candid and honest1 acknowledging no other guide or authority but ,truth1 you may easily discover something of ,hermetic philosophy2 and if at the beginning there should be #8fear and trembling1' the end may be a more than compensating peace4 8,it is a plain case1 that1 for the most part1 the experiments which led the way to chemistry were made by men who were misled by the alchemists1 and sought gold instead of truth2 but this class of men wrote no books upon alchemy4 ,many of them no doubt died over their furnaces1 #8uttering no voice1' and none of them wrote books upon the philosopher's stone1 for the simple reason that they never discovered anything to write about4 ,i know that some impostors purposely wrote of mysteries to play upon the credulity of the ignorant1 but their works have nothing alchemical about them4 ,it is true also that many books were written by men who really imagined that they had discovered the secret1 and were nevertheless mistaken4 ,but this imaginary success could never have had place when gold was the object1 because in the bald fact no man was ever deceived3 no man ever believed that he had discovered a method of making gold out of inferior metals4 ,the thing speaks for itself4 ,it is impossible that any man can ever be deluded upon this bare fact2 but it is quite otherwise with the real object of alchemy1 in which men have been deceived in all ages 444 for the subject is always in the world1 and hence the antiquity claimed for the art by the alchemists40 99 99 99 99 99 ,this passage is a long series of simply incredible misstatements4 ,the history of chemistry and the lives of the adepts alike bear witness against it4 ,my object in publishing this book is to establish the true nature of the ,hermetic experiment by an account of those men who have undertaken it1 and who are shewn by the plain facts of their histories to have been in search of the transmutation of metals4 ,there is no need for argument2 the facts speak sufficiently4 ,it is not to the blind followers of the alchemists that we owe the foundation of chemistry2 it is to the adepts themselves1 to the illustrious ,geber1 to that grand master ,basilius ,valentinus1 to ,raymond ,lully1 the supreme hierophant4 ,what they discovered will be found in the following pages2 here it will be sufficient for my purpose to quote the views of a ,french scientist who has made a speciality of alchemy1 and who is also a high authority on the subject of modern chemistry4 8,it is impossible to disown that alchemy has most directly contributed to the creation and the progress of modern physical sciences4 ,the alchemists were the first to put the experimental method in practice1 that is1 the faculty of observation and induction in its application to scientific researches2 moreover1 by uniting a considerable number of facts and discoveries in the order of the molecular actions of bodies1 they have introduced the creation of chemistry4 ,this fact 444 is beyond every doubt4 ,before the eighth century1 ,geber put in practice the rules of that experimental school1 the practical code and general principles of which were merely developed later on by ,galileo and ,francis ,bacon4 ,the works of ,geber1 the #8,sum of all ,perfection1' and the #8,treatise on ,furnaces1' contain an account of processes and operations wholly conformed to the methods made use of to-day in chemical investigations2 while ,roger ,bacon1 in the thirteenth century1 applying the same order of ideas to the study of physics1 was led to discoveries which1 for his time1 were astounding4 ,it is impossible1 therefore1 to contest that the alchemists were the first to inaugurate the art of experience4 ,they prepared the arrival of the positive sciences by basing the interpretation of phenomena on the observation of facts1 and openly breaking with the barren metaphysical traditions which had so long checked the progress of the human mind40,b ,with all their mystery1 their subterfuges1 and their symbolism1 the testimony of the alchemists themselves to the physical nature of their object is quite unequivocal and conclusive4 ,one of the most celebrated experimental treatises in the ,english language is that entitled 8,the ,marrow of ,alchemy40 ,it professes to discover the secrets and most hidden mystery of the philosopher's elixir1 both in theory and practice4 ,it was published by ,eirenus ,philoponos ,philalethes1 that is ,george ,starkey1 and is generally supposed to be the work of the true ,philalethes2 at any rate it develops his principles1 and derives its inspiration from the author of the ,introitus ,apertus4 ,now1 this little book testifies over and over again1 and that in the most emphatic manner1 to the physical object of the alchemists1 and to the fact that they operated on common gold4 8,the first matter which we take for our work is gold1 and with it mercury1 which we decoct till neither will forsake the other1 in which work both die1 rot by putrefaction1 and after that are regenerate in glory4 ,it is actual gold and nothing else4 ,what does not equal a metal in weight will never enter it in flux4 ,nothing but the metalline will dwell with metals40 ,a severe criticism is passed on the blind folly of those who endeavour to reap the secret stone from strange material subjects4 8,gold is the subject of our art alone1 since by it we seek gold40 ,those who1 like the noble son of art1 ,morien1 advise students to descend into themselves to find the true matter1 only intended to point out how kind begets kind3-- 8,as then himself his likeness did beget1 ,so gold must gold1 this law's to ,nature set40 ,morien adds that the secret stone must be sought in the dunghill1 which signifies1 says the 8,marrow of ,alchemy10 that the metal must be brought to putrefaction4 8,those who assert that common gold is not the matter are in error4 ,gold is one4 ,no other substance under ,heaven can compare with it4 ,gold is the noble seed of our art4 ,yet it is dead4 ,it needs to be unloosed1 and must go to water4 ,it must be tempered with its own humidity2 it must be blent with our true water1 disposed in a due vessel1 closed with all caution1 settled in a due nest1 and with due fire inclined to motion40 ,it becomes the true gold of the philosophers when by a retrograde motion it tends to resolution4 8,then it is our ,sun1 our ,marchasite1 and1 joined with our ,moon1 it becomes our bright crystal ,fountain40 99 99 99 99 99 ,but if the lives and the writings of the alchemists so clearly establish the physical nature of the ,hermetic aim and opus1 it may well be demanded how a psychical or moral interpretation could be reasonably set upon the symbols and the ambition of all the adepts4 ,such interpretations can never be wholly exonerated from the charge of extravagance1 and of a purblind indifference to the most plain and notorious facts1 but they may be to some extent justified by a consideration of the allegorical methods of the alchemists and by the nature of the ,hermetic theory4 ,the profound subtleties of thought seldom find adequate expression even when the whole strength of a truly intellectual nature is brought to bear upon the resources of language1 and where the force of direct appeal is unwillingly acknowledged to be insufficient1 the vague generalities of allegory can scarcely be expected to succeed4 ,it is the province of symbolism to suggest thought1 and the interpretation of any sequence of typology inevitably varies in direct proportion with the various types of mind4 ,each individual symbol embodies a definite conception existing in the mind of its inventor1 and in that symbol more or less perfectly expressed1 but every student of allegory out of every individual symbol extracts his own meaning1 so that the significance of typology is as infinite as the varieties of interpreting intelligence4 ,for this reason1 the best and truest adepts have always insisted on the necessity of an initiated teacher1 or of a special intellectual illumination which they term the grace of ,god1 for the discovery of the actual secret of the ,hermetic art4 ,without this light or guidance the unelected student is likely to be adrift for ever on a chaotic sea of symbols1 and the prima materia1 concealed by innumerable names and contradictory or illusory descriptions1 will for ever escape him4 ,it is in this way that a thousand unassisted investigators have operated upon ten thousand material substances1 and have never remotely approached the manufacture of the ,grand ,magisterium1 and1 after the same manner1 outwearied by perpetual failures in the physical process1 that others have rejected the common opinion concerning the object of alchemy1 and with imaginations at work upon the loftier aspirations expressed by ,hermetic adepts1 have accredited them with an exclusively spiritual aim1 and with the possession of exclusively spiritual secrets4 ,if the authors of the 8,suggestive ,inquiry0 and of 8,remarks on ,alchemy and the ,alchemists0 had considered the lives of the symbolists1 as well as the nature of the symbols1 their views would have been very much modified2 they would have found that the true method of ,hermetic interpretation lies in a middle course2 but the errors which originated with merely typological investigations were intensified by a consideration of the great alchemical theorem1 which1 par excellence1 is one of universal development1 which acknowledges that every substance contains undeveloped resources and potentialities1 and can be brought outward and forward into perfection4 ,they applied their theory only to the development of metallic substances from a lower to a higher order1 but we see by their writings that the grand hierophants of ,oriental and ,western alchemy alike were continually haunted by brief and imperfect glimpses of glorious possibilities for man1 if the evolution of his nature were accomplished along the lines of their theory4 ,eugenius ,philalethes enlarges on the infinite capacity of our spiritual nature and on the power of our soul's imagination4 8,she has an absolute power in miraculous and more than natural transmutations10 and he clothes his doctrine of human evolution in the terminology of alchemical adepts4 ,in one of the twelve treatises attributed to ,sendivogius1 there are the following remarkable passages3--8,we know the composition of man in all respects1 yet we cannot infuse the soul1 which is out of the course of nature4 ,nature does not work before there be material given unto her44440 ,the problem that all composites are subject to dissolution1 and that man is composed of the four elements1 and how1 therefore1 he could have been immortal in ,paradise1 is considered thus4 8,paradise was and is a place created of the most pure elements1 and of these man also was formed1 and thus was consecrated to perpetuity of life4 ,after his fall1 he was driven into the corruptible elementated world1 and nourished by corruptible elementated elements1 which infected his past nature and generated disease and death4 ,to the original creation of man in state immortal the ancient philosophers have likened their stone1 and this immortality caused them to seek the stone1 desiring to find the incorruptible elements which entered into the ,adamic constitution4 ,to them the ,most ,high ,god revealed that a composition of such elements was in gold1 for in animals it could not be had1 seeing they must preserve their lives by corrupt elements2 in vegetables also it is not1 because in them is an inequality of the elements4 ,and seeing all created things are inclined to multiplication1 the philosophers propounded to themselves that they would make tryal of the possibility of nature in this mineral kingdom1 which being discovered1 they saw that ,,there ,,were ,,innumerable ,,other ,,secrets ,,in ,,nature1 ,,of ,,which1 ,,as ,,of ,,divine ,,secrets1 ,,they ,,wrote ,,sparingly40 ,here the reference probably intended is to the possibilities which their theory revealed for other than the mineral kingdoms1 a theory the truth of which they believed themselves to have demonstrated by accomplishing metallic transmutation4 ,in this connection1 it should be noticed that the philosophical stone was generally considered a universal medicine--a medicine for metals and man1 the latter1 of course1 by inference4 ,the occasional presence of these possibilities in the minds of adepts1 and the comprehensive nature of the ,hermetic theory1 fully explain the aberrations of mystical commentators1 who have mistaken the side issues for the end in view1 not altogether inexcusably1 because the end in view sinks into complete unimportance when compared with the side issues1 and all that is of value in alchemy for the modern student of occultism is comprised in these same possibilities1 in the application of the ,hermetic theory to the supreme subject1 ,man4 ,it is impossible within the limits of a brief introduction to do justice to an illimitable subject1 to the art of psychic transmutation1 to the spiritual alchemistry1 the principles of which are contained in the arcane theory of the adepts1 and which principles are by no means dependent for their truth on the actuality of metallic transmutation1 so ,i must confine myself to a few general observations4 ,the admirable lesson which we may learn of the alchemists is the exaltation of things in virtue beyond the unassisted ability of ,nature4 ,such exaltation is possible1 according to the adepts1 both within and without the metallic kingdom4 ,man and the animals are alike included by this comprehensive theory of development1 and it is therefore conceivable that a few of the ,hermetic symbolists taught in their secret and allegorical fashion the method of alchemical procedure when man was the subject1 and revealed the miraculous results of this labour in the typewritten books which they bequeathed to posterity4 ,that ,henry ,khunrath was in search of the transmutation of metals up to a certain point and period is1 ,i think1 very clearly indicated by his visit to ,dr ,dee4 ,that the ,amphitheatrum ,sapienti tern1 which was published in #afji1 treats of a spiritual alchemy1 is1 however1 evidenced by the nature of its symbols and by the general tenor of the strange esoteric commentary on some of the ,hebrew psalms4 ,those who worked in metals may1 or may not1 have failed2 it is by no means a point of importance to the discriminating student of occultism2 but they have left behind them a theory which is wholly true in its application to that one substance in ,nature which we know to be capable of indefinite perfectibility1 and the splendour and glory of the accomplished ,magnum ,opus1 when the young ,king issues from the ,everlasting ,east1 from the land of the ,morning and of ,paradise1 8,bearing the crescent moon upon his crest10 though it be a dream--say even1 which no one can actually affirm--though it be an impossibility for the metal1 is true for the man2 and all that is beautiful and sublime in alchemical symbolism may be rigorously applied to the divine flower of the future1 the young ,king of ,humanity1 the perfect youth to come1 when he issues from the ,spiritual ,east1 in the dawn of the genuine truth1 bearing the ,crescent ,moon1 the woman of the future1 upon his bright and imperial crest4 ,i am of opinion1 from the evidence in hand1 that metallic transmutations did occur in the past4 ,they were phenomena as rare as a genuine 8materialisation0 of so-called spirits is generally considered at the present day among those believers in physical mediumship who have not been besotted by credulity and the glamour of a world of wonders4 ,like modern spiritualism1 the isolated facts of veritable alchemy are enveloped in a crowd of discreditable trickery1 and the trade of an adept in the past was as profitable1 and as patronised by princes1 as that of modern dealers with familiar spirits4 ,but the fact of an occasional transmutation gives little reason to suppose that the praxis alchemi in metallic subjects is ever likely to succeed with modern students of the turba philosophorum4 ,the enigmas of the alchemists admit1 as ,i have said1 of manifold interpretations4 ,their recipes are too vague and confused to be followed4 ,they insist themselves that their art can only be learned by a direct revelation from ,god1 or by the tuition of a master4 ,their fundamental secrets have not only been never revealed in their multitudinous treatises1 but they scarcely pretend to reveal them1 despite the magnificent assurances which are sometimes contained in their titles4 ,the practical side of alchemy must be surrendered to specialists in chemistry1 working quite independently of the books or the methods of the philosophers4 ,only the theory is of value to neophytes1 or initiates1 or to any student of the higher occultism2 and it is of value1 as ,i have said1 because it can be applied outside the kingdom of metals1 as the alchemists themselves acknowledge1 and as some of them seem to have attempted4 ,the psychic method of interpretation as propounded in the 8,suggestive ,inquiry0 exalted the seekers for the philosophical stone into hierophants of the mystery of ,god2 it endowed them with the altitudo divitiarum sapienti et scienti ,dei4 ,they had crossed the threshold of eternity2 they had solved the absolute2 they had seen ,diana unveiled2 they had raised the cincture of ,isis1 and had devoured her supernatural beauties--that is1 they had accomplished the manifestation of the incarnate spirit of man1 and had invested it with deific glory4 ,they did not grope after physical secrets2 they did not investigate1 with ,paracelsus1 the properties of ordure and other matter in putrefaction2 they did not work with mercury and sulphur2 they did not distil wine2 they did not decoct egg-shells4 ,they were soul seekers1 and they had found the soul2 they were artificers1 and they had adorned the soul2 they were alchemists1 and had transmuted it4 ,sublime and romantic hypothesis6 ,but we know that they worked in metals2 we know that they manipulated minerals2 we know that they ransacked every kingdom of nature for substances which1 by a bare possibility1 through some happy guess1 might really transform the baser metals into gold4 ,they were often extravagant in their views1 they were generally absurd in their methods2 they seldom found their end1 but1 judged as they actually were1 stripped of all glamour and romance1 self-educated seekers into ,nature at the dawn of a physical science1 they are eminently entitled to our respect1 because1 in the first place1 unenlightened and unequipped1 with their bare hands1 they laid the foundations of a providential and life-saving knowledge1 and in the second1 because their furnaces were erected1 intellectually1 8on a peak in ,darien0--that is1 they worked in accordance with a theory which had an unknown field of application1 and through the smoke of their coals and their chemicals they beheld illimitable vistas where the groaning totality of ,nature developed its internal resources1 and advanced by degrees to perfection1 upon lines which were quite in accordance with their vision of mineral culture4 8,a depth beyond the depth1 and a height beyond the height10 were thus revealed to them1 and their glimpses of these glorious possibilities transfigured their strange terminology1 and illuminated their barbarous symbolism4 ,eliminating obviously worthless works1 the speculations of needy impostors and disreputable publishers1 it is from those who have least contributed to the advancement of chemical science that we must seek information concerning the spiritual chemistry--those who have elaborated the theory rather than those who exclusively expound the practice4 ,in all cases1 we shall do well to reflect that the object in view was metals1 except in such rare instances as are presented by ,henry ,khunrath and the anonymous author of the treatise concerning ,mary of ,alexandria1 with a few ,rosicrucian philosophers4 ,we must read them for what they suggest1 and not for what they had in view4 ,the dream of the psycho-chemistry is a grand and sublime scheme of absolute reconstruction by means of the ,paracelsian ,orizon ternitatis1 or supercelestial virtue of things1 the divinisation1 or deification1 in the narrower sense1 of man the triune by an influx from above4 ,it supposes that the transmutation or transfiguration of man can be accomplished while he is on this earth and in this body1 which then would be magically draped in splendoribus sanctorum4 ,the ,morning ,star is the inheritance of every man1 and the woman of the future will be clothed with the sun1 and ,luna shall be set beneath her feet4 ,the blue mantle typifies the mystical sea1 her heritage of illimitable vastness4 ,these marvels may be really accomplished by the cleansing of the two-fold human tabernacle1 the holy house of life1 and by the progressive evolution into outward and visible manifestation of the infinite potencies within it4 ,in the facts and possibilities of mesmerism and in the phenomena of ecstatic clairvoyance1 in ancient magic and modern spiritualism1 in the doctrines and experiences of religious regeneration1 we must seek the raison d'tre of the sublime dream of psycho-chemistry--that1 namely1 there is a change1 a transmutation1 or a new birth1 possible to embodied man which shall manifestly develop the esotoric potencies of his spiritual being1 so that the flesh itself shall be purged1 clarified1 glorified1 and clothed upon by the essential light of the divine pneuma4 ,those of my readers who are interested in this absorbing subject ,i must refer to a work entitled1 8,,azoth1 ,,or ,,the ,,star ,,in ,,the ,,east10 which1 ,i trust1 will be ready for publication early in #ahhi1 and which will treat of the ,first ,matter of the ,magnum ,opus1 of the evolution of ,aphrodite ,urania1 of the supernatural generation of the ,son of the ,sun1 and of the alchemical transfiguration of humanity4 ,,footnotes3 ,a ,there is no need to suppose a metonymy4 ,the conscience is a guide which education easily perverts4 ,therefore1 supposing it to be really the instrument of the alchemists1 it may eminently stand in need of purification1 and1 except in the most general matters1 is at best an uncertain guide4 ,b 8,l',alchimie et les ,alchimistes10 p4 #ic4 ,,on ,,the ,,physical ,,theory ,,and ,,practice ,,of ,,the ,,magnum ,,opus4 ,the physical theory of transmutation is based on the composite character of metals1 on their generation in the bowels of the earth1 and on the existence in nature of a pure and penetrating matter which applied to any substance exalts and perfects it after its own kind4 ,this matter is called ,,the ,,light by ,eugenius ,philalethes and by numerous other writers4 ,in its application to animals1 it exalts animals2 in its application to vegetables1 it exalts vegetables1 while metals and minerals1 after the same manner1 are refined and translated from the worst to the best condition4 ,all the elements which enter into the composition of metals are identical1 but they differ in proportion and in purity4 ,in the metallic kingdom1 the object of nature is invariably to create gold4 ,the production of the baser metals is an accident of the process1 or the result of an unfavourable environment4 ,the generation of metals in the earth is a point of great importance1 and must be well studied by the amateur1 for without this1 and the faithful imitation of ,nature1 he will never achieve anything successful4 ,it is by means of the seed of metals that their generation takes place4 ,their composite character indicates their transmutable quality4 ,such transmutation is accomplished by means of the philosophical stone1 and this stone is1 in fact1 the combination of the male and female seeds which beget gold and silver4 ,now the matters or elements of this stone1 and the prima materia above all1 are concealed by a multitude of symbols1 false and allegorical descriptions1 and evasive or deceptive names4 ,according to ,baron ,tschoudy1 all who have written on the art have concealed the true name of the prima materia because it is the chief key of chemistry4 ,its discovery is generally declared to be impossible without a special illumination from ,god1 but the sages who receive this divine favour and distinction have occasionally perpetuated its knowledge by the instruction of suitable pupils under the pledge of inviolable secresy4 ,the author of ,l'toile ,flamboyante supplies an immense list of the names which have been applied to this mysterious substance under one or other of its phases4 8,as those that sail between ,scylla and ,charybdis are in danger on both sides10 says ,d',espagnet1 8unto no less hazard are they subject1 who1 pursuing the prey of the golden fleece1 are carried between the uncertain rocks of the philosophers' sulphur and mercury4 ,the more acute1 by their constant reading of grave and credible authors1 and by the irradiant sun1 have attained unto the knowledge of sulphur1 but are at a stand in the entrance of the philosophers' mercury1 for writers have twisted it with so many windings and meanders1 and involved it with so many equivocal names1 that it may be sooner met with by the force of the seeker's intellect than be found by reason or toil40 ,the prima materia has been defined as a fifth element1 or quintessence1 the material alpha and omega1 the soul of the elements1 living mercury1 regenerated mercury1 a metallic soul1 c4 ,it is designated by such allegorical names as the ,bird of ,hermes1 the ,virgin's ,son1 the ,son of the ,sun and ,moon1 the ,virgin's ,head1 ,azoth1 c4 ,where it appears to be seriously described the adepts are in continual contradiction1 but it is generally allowed to be a substance found everywhere and continually seen and possessed by those who are ignorant of its virtues4 8,although some persons10 says ,urbiger1 8possessed with foolish notions1 dream that the first matter is to be found only in some particular places1 at such and such times of the year1 and by the virtue of a magical magnet1 yet we are most certain1 according to our divine master1 ,hermes1 that all these suppositions being false1 it is to be found everywhere1 at all times1 and only by our science40,c ,in similar terms1 we are told by the 8,commentary on the ,ancient ,war of the ,knights10 that the matter of the art1 so precious by the excellent gifts wherewith ,nature has enriched it1 is truly mean with regard to the substances from which it derives its original4 8,its price is not above the ability of the poor4 ,tenpence is more than sufficient to purchase the ,matter of the ,stone4444 ,the matter is mean1 considering the foundation of the art1 because it costs very little2 it is no less mean if one considers exteriorly that which gives it perfection1 since in that regard it costs nothing at all1 in as much as all the world has it in its power1 says ,cosmopolite1 so that it is a constant truth that the stone is a thing mean in one sense but most precious in another1 and that there are none but fools that despise it1 by a just judgment of ,god40 ,the same authority assures us1 with regard to the actual nature of the prima materia1 that it is one only and self-same thing1 although it is a natural compound of certain substances from one root and of one kind1 forming together one whole complete homogeneity4 ,the substances that make up the philosophical compound differ less among themselves than sorrel water differs from lettuce water4 ,urbiger asserts that the true and real matter is only 8a vapour impregnated with the metallic seed1 yet undetermined1 created by ,god ,almighty1 generated by the concurrence and influence of the astrums1 contained in the bowels of the earth1 as the matrix of all created things40 ,in conformity with this1 one earlier writer1 ,sir ,george ,ripley1 describes the stone as the potential vapour of metals4 ,it is normally invisible1 but may be made to manifest as a clear water4 ,so also ,philalethes cries in his inspired way3--8,hear me1 and ,i shall disclose the secret1 which like a rose has been guarded by thorns1 so that few in past times could pull the flower4 ,there is a substance of a metalline species1 which looks so cloudy that the universe will have nothing to do with it4 ,its visible form is vile2 it defiles metalline bodies1 and no one can readily imagine that the pearly drink of bright ,phbus should spring from thence4 ,its components are a most pure and tender mercury1 a dry incarcerate sulphur1 which binds it and restrains fluxation4444 ,know this subject1 it is the sure basis of all our secrets4444 ,to deal plainly1 it is the child of ,saturn1 of mean price and great venom4444 ,it is not malleable1 though metalline4 ,its colour is sable with1 with intermixed argent1 which mark the sable field with veins of glittering argent40,d ,the poisonous nature of the stone is much insisted on by numerous philosophers4 8,its substance and its vapour are indeed a poison which the philosophers should know how to change into an antidote by preparation and direction40,e ,no descriptions1 supplied ad infinitum by the numberless adepts who were moved by unselfish generosity to expound the arcana of alchemy1 for the spiritual1 intellectual1 and physical enrichment of those who deserved initiation1 expose the true nature of the prima materia1 while the vas philosophorum in which it is contained and digested is described in contradictory terms1 and is by some writers declared a divine secret4 ,given the matter of the stone and also the necessary vessel1 the processes which must be then undertaken to accomplish the magnum opus are described with moderate perspicuity4 ,there is the ,calcination or purgation of the stone1 in which kind is worked with kind for the space of a philosophical year4 ,there is ,dissolution which prepares the way for congelation1 and which is performed during the black state of the mysterious matter4 ,it is accomplished by water which does not wet the hand4 ,there is the ,separation of the subtle and the gross1 which is to be performed by means of heat4 ,in the ,conjunction which follows1 the elements are duly and scrupulously combined4 ,putrefaction afterwards takes place1 8,without which pole no seed may multiply40 ,then in the subsequent ,congelation the white colour appears1 which is one of the signs of success4 ,it becomes more pronounced in ,cibation4 ,in ,sublimation the body is spiritualised1 the spirit made corporeal1 and again a more glittering whiteness is apparent4 ,fermentation afterwards fixes together the alchemical earth and water1 and causes the mystic medicine to flow like wax4 ,the matter is then augmented with the alchemical spirit of life1 and the ,exaltation of the philosophic earth is accomplished by the natural rectification of its elements4 ,when these processes have been successfully completed1 the mystic stone will have passed through three chief stages characterised by different colours1 black1 white1 and red1 after which it is capable of infinite multiplication1 and when projected on mercury1 it will absolutely transmute it1 the resulting gold bearing every test4 ,the base metals made use of must be purified to insure the success of the operation4 ,the process for the manufacture of silver is essentially similar1 but the resources of the matter are not carried to so high a degree4 ,according to the 8,commentary on the ,ancient ,war of the ,knights10 the transmutations performed by the perfect stone are so absolute that no trace remains of the original metal4 ,it cannot1 however1 destroy gold1 nor exalt it into a more perfect metallic substance2 it1 therefore1 transmutes it into a medicine a thousand times superior to any virtues which can be extracted from it in its vulgar state4 ,this medicine becomes a most potent agent in the exaltation of base metals4 ,among the incidental properties of the perfect mineral agent is the conversion of flints into precious stones1 but the manufacture of gold and of jewels is generally declared to be the least of the philosophical secrets1 for the spirit which informs the mysterious prima materia of the great and sublime work can be variously used and adapted to the attainment of absolute perfection in all the 8liberal sciences10 the possession of the 8whole wisdom of nature1 and of things more secret and extraordinary than is the gift of prophecy which ,rhasis and ,bono assert to be contained in the red stone40 ,,footnotes3 ,c ,baro ,urbigerus--8,one ,hundred ,aphorisms demonstrating the preparation of the ,grand ,elixir40 ,d ,aphorismi ,urbigerani4 ,e ,commentary on the 8,ancient ,war of the ,knights40 ,,lives ,,of ,,the ,,alchemists4 ,,geber4 ,the first1 and1 according to the general concensus of ,hermetic authorities1 the prince of those alchemical adepts who have appeared during the ,christian era1 was the famous ,geber1 ,giaber1 or ,yeber1 whose true name was ,abou ,moussah ,djafar al ,sofi1 and who was a native of ,haman1 in ,mesopotamia1 according to the more probable opinion4 ,he is also said to have been a ,greek1 a ,spanish ,arabian born at ,seville1 and a ,persian of ,thus4 ,romance represents him as an illuminated monarch of ,india4 ,according to ,aboulfeda1 he flourished during the eighth century1 but later and earlier periods have been also suggested4 ,his life is involved in hopeless obscurity2 but his experiments upon metals1 undertaken with a view to the discovery of their constituent elements and the degrees of their fusibility1 led him to numerous discoveries both in chemistry and in medicine1 including suroxydised muriate of mercury1 red oxyde of mercury1 and nitric acid4 8,it is thus that ,hermetic philosophy gave rise to chemistry10 says a writer in the ,biographie ,universelle1 8and that the reputation of ,geber is permanently established1 not upon his search for an impossible chimera1 but for his discovery of truths founded on actual experience40 ,with the characteristic prodigality of the ,middle ,ages1 no less than five hundred treatises have been attributed to the ,arabian adept4 ,they are supposed to have embraced the whole circle of the physical sciences1 including astronomy and medicine4 ,a few fragments1 comparatively1 alone remain of all these colossal achievements4 ,cardan included their author among the twelve most penetrating minds of the whole world1 and ,boerhave spoke of him with consideration and respect in his celebrated ,institutiones ,chemic4 ,according to ,m4 ,hoefer1 he deserves to be ranked first among the chemists and alchemists who flourished prior to ,van ,helmont4 8,he is the oracle of medival chemists1 who frequently did nothing in their writings but literally reproduce their master4 ,geber for the history of chemistry is what ,hippocrates is for the history of medicine40 ,the name of ,geber has been borne or assumed by several writers subsequent to the ,hermetic adept2 in this way the few extant facts concerning his life have been variously distorted1 and books of later date and less value falsely ascribed to him4 ,an astronomical commentary on the ,syntaxis ,magna of ,ptolemy1 in nine books1 must be included in this number4 ,it is a work of the twelfth century1 as may be proved by internal evidence4 ,the extant works of ,geber are1 for the most part1 in ,latin1 and are all open to more or less legitimate suspicion4 ,in the library at ,leyden there are said to be several ,arabic manuscripts which have never been translated1 and there is one in the ,imperial ,library at ,paris1 together with a ,fragmentum de ,triangulis ,sphricis which is still unprinted4 ,the most complete edition of ,geber is that of ,dantzich1 published in #afhb1 and reproduced in the ,collection of ,mangetus4,f ,first in importance among the works of the ,arabian adept must be ranked his 8,sum of ,perfection0--,summ ,perfectionis magisterii in su natur ,libri ,,iv4 ,the next in value is the treatise entitled ,de ,investigatione perfectionis ,metallorum1 with his ,testament1 and a tract on the construction of furnaces4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the 8,sum of ,perfection1 or the ,perfect ,magistery10 claims to be a compilation from the works of the ancients1 but with the doubtful exception of pseudo-,hermes1 we are acquainted with no alchemical authors previous to the supposed period of ,geber4 ,a knowledge of natural principles is declared to be necessary to success in the art4 ,the natural principles in the work of nature are a potent spirit1 and a living or dry water4 ,the disposition of the philosophical furnace and of the vas philosophorum is clearly described2 the latter is a round glass vessel with a flat round bottom1 and has several elaborate arrangements4 ,a marginal note1 however1 declares that the account of it is hard to be understood4 ,among all the obscurities of the treatise1 it is absolutely plain that it is concerned with metals and minerals4 ,the properties of sulphur1 mercury1 arsenick1 gold1 silver1 lead1 tin1 copper1 iron1 magnesia1 lut1 marchasite1 are discussed in such a manner that it is impossible to establish an allegory1 or to interpret the words of the writer in other than a physical sense4 ,,footnotes3 ,f ,j4 ,j4 ,mangeti1 8,bib4 ,chem4 ,curiosa10 #b v4 fol4 #agjb4 ,,rhasis4 ,rhazes1 or ,rasi1 whose true name was ,mohammed-,ebn-,secharjah ,aboubekr ,arrasi1 was a celebrated ,arabian physician and chemist1 who was born about the year #hej at ,ray in ,irk1 upon the frontiers of ,khorassan4 ,in his youth he was passionately devoted to music and to frivolous amusements2 he did not begin the study of medicine till he was thirty years of age1 but he soon surpassed1 both in skill and in knowledge1 all the physicians of his time4 ,he devoted himself with equal zeal to philosophy1 is said to have journeyed into ,syria1 ,egypt1 and even into ,spain1 and successively took charge of the famous hospital at ,bagdad1 and of another in his native town4 ,he was naturally good and generous1 and he devoted himself to the service of the poor4 ,his oriental panegyrists call him the ,imam among the scholars of his time1 and western writers describe him as the ,galen of the ,arabians4 ,by his assiduous attention to the multitudinous varieties of disease he obtained the appellation of the experimenter1 or the experienced4 ,no less than two hundred and twenty-six treatises are said to have been composed by him4 ,to some of these ,avicenna was largely indebted1 and even in ,europe he exercised considerable influence1 for his writings on medicine were the basis of university teaching up to the seventeenth century4 ,of the twelve books of chemistry which have been attributed to ,rhasis several are probably spurious1 and few have been printed4 ,he was an avowed believer in the transmutation of metals1 and1 having composed a treatise on the subject1 he presented it in person to ,emir ,almansour1 ,prince of ,khorassan1 who was highly delighted1 and ordered one thousand pieces of gold to be paid to the author as a recompense4 ,however1 he desired to witness the marvellous experiments and the prolific auriferous results with which the work abounded4 ,rhasis replied that he might certainly be gratified in his sublime curiosity if he provided the necessary instruments and materials for the accomplishment of the magnum opus4 ,the ,emir consented2 neither pains nor expenses were spared over the preliminary preparations1 but when the time came the adept failed miserably in his performance1 and was severely belaboured about the head by the enraged potentate with the unprofitable alchemical treatise4 ,rhasis was old at the time1 and this violence is by some declared to have been the cause of his subsequent blindness4 ,he died in poverty and obscurity1 a point which is not supposed to disprove his possession of the powerful metallic medicine4 ,the date of his death is uncertain1 but it was probably in the year #icb4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the writings of ,rhasis1 like those of ,geber1 enlarge on the planetary correspondences1 or on the influence exerted by the stars in the formation of metallic substances beneath the surface of the earth4 ,the explicit nature of the recipes which he gives may be judged by such directions as ,recipe aliquid ignotum1 quantum volueris4 ,it is to him1 nevertheless1 that we owe the preparation of brandy and several pharmaceutic applications of alcohol4 ,he was the first to mention orpiment1 realgar1 borax1 certain combinations of sulphur1 iron1 and copper1 certain salts of mercury indirectly obtained1 and some compounds of arsenic4,g ,he was also a zealous promoter of experimental methods4 ,,footnotes3 ,g ,figuier1 ,l',alchimie et les ,alchimistes1 pp4 #ie1 #if4 ,,alfarabi4 ,the middle of the tenth century was made illustrious by one of those celebrated men who do honour to the sciences in which they engage4 ,this was ,abou-,nasr-,mohammed-,ibn-,tarkan1 commonly called ,farabi and ,alfarabi--a man of universal genius1 who penetrated all subjects with equal facility1 fathoming the most useful and interesting sciences1 and passing for the greatest philosopher of his time4 ,he was born at ,farab1 now known as ,othrar1 in ,asia ,minor4 ,he was of ,turkish origin1 but repaired to ,bagdad to acquire a more perfect knowledge of ,arabic2 there he devoted himself with zeal and enthusiasm to the study of the ,greek philosophers under ,abou ,bachar ,maltey1 an expounder of ,aristotle4 ,from ,bagdad he proceeded to ,harran1 where ,john1 a ,christian physician1 was teaching logic4 ,in a short time ,alfarabi surpassed all his other scholars1 but he left ,harran and visited ,damas1 thence penetrating into ,egypt4 ,early attracted towards the secrets of nature1 he spent a great portion of his life in incessant wanderings1 collecting the opinions of all the philosophers he could meet with on these and on kindred subjects4 ,he despised the world1 and took no pains to acquire wealth1 though he wrote upon alchemy1 that is1 if the ,hermetic works which are attributed to him be genuine4 ,his erudition and indefatigable activity are attested by his other writings1 which variously treat of philosophy1 logic1 physics1 astronomy1 and mathematics4 ,his chief reputation is based on a sort of encyclopdia1 where he gives a description1 with an exact definition1 of all the arts and sciences2 and on a celebrated musical treatise1 wherein he ridicules the pythagorean speculations upon the music of the spheres1 and proves the connection of sound with atmospheric vibrations4 ,according to several authorities1 he was protected and supported in his later years by the cultured and enlightened ,sef ,eddoula1 who is represented as ,prince of ,damas1 but who seems to have been ,sultan of ,syria1 and to have made the acquaintance of the scholar in the following curious manner4 ,alfarabi was returning from a pilgrimage to ,mecca1 when1 passing through ,syria1 he stopped at the ,court of the ,sultan1 and entered his presence while he was surrounded by numerous sage persons1 who were discoursing with the monarch on the sciences4 ,alfarabi1 ignorant of1 or else wholly ignoring1 the usages of society1 presented himself in his travelling attire2 and when the ,sultan desired that he should be seated1 with astonishing philosophical freedom1 he planted himself at the end of the royal sofa4 ,the prince1 aghast at his boldness1 called one of his officers1 and in a tongue generally unknown commanded him to eject the intruder4 ,the philosopher1 however1 promptly made answer in the same tongue3 8,oh1 ,lord1 he who acts hastily is liable to hasty repentance60 ,the prince was equally astounded to find himself understood by the stranger as by the manner in which the reply was given4 ,anxious to know more of his guest1 he began to question him1 and soon discovered that he was acquainted with seventy languages4 ,problems for discussion were then propounded to the philosophers who had witnessed the discourteous intrusion with considerable indignation and disgust1 but ,alfarabi disputed with so much eloquence and vivacity that he reduced all the doctors to silence1 and they began writing down his discourse4 ,the ,sultan then ordered his musicians to perform for the diversion of the company4 ,when they struck up1 the philosopher accompanied them on a lute with such infinite grace and tenderness1 that he elicited the unmeasured admiration of the whole distinguished assembly4 ,at the request of the ,sultan he produced a piece of his own composing1 sung it1 and accompanied it with great force and spirit to the delight of all his hearers4 ,the air was so sprightly that even the gravest philosopher could not resist dancing1 but by another tune he as easily melted them to tears1 and then by a soft unobtrusive melody he lulled the whole company to sleep4 ,great was the anxiety of the ,sultan to retain so accomplished a person about him1 and some say that he succeeded1 others that the philosopher declined the most brilliant offers1 declaring that he should never rest till he had discovered the whole secret of the philosopher's stone of which he had been in search for years1 and to which1 from his discourse1 he appeared to be on the point of attaining4 ,according to these biographers1 he set out1 but it was to perish miserably4 ,he was attacked by robbers in the woods of ,syria1 and1 in spite of his courage1 was overpowered by numbers and killed4 ,this occurred in the year #ied4 ,others say that he died at ,damas1 enjoying the munificence of the ,sultan to the last4 ,,avicenna4 ,khorassan produced another celebrated adept at the end of the tenth1 or1 according to an alternative opinion1 about the middle of the eleventh century4 ,this was the illustrious ,ebn ,sina1 commonly called ,avicenna1 who was born at ,bacara1 the principal city of that province of ,persia4 ,the exact date of his birth has been fixed1 but in the absence of sufficient authority1 at the year #ihj4 ,he is equally celebrated for the multiplicity of his literary works and for his adventurous life4 ,at an early age he had made unusual progress in mathematics1 and his gifted mind soon penetrated the mysteries of transcendental philosophy4 ,he was only sixteen when he passed from the preparatory sciences to that of medicine1 in which he succeeded with the same celerity2 and great is the sagacity attributed to him in the knowledge of diseases4 ,he is praised in particular for having discovered that the illness of the ,king of ,gordia's nephew was occasioned by an amorous passion which he had carefully concealed1 and for the stratagem by which he discovered the object of the young man's affections4 ,his credit as a physician and philosopher became so great that the ,sultan ,magdal ,doulet determined to place him at the head of his affairs1 and appointed him to the distinguished position of ,grand ,vizier2 but1 notwithstanding the religion of ,mohammed1 which ,avicenna professed1 he drank so freely1 and his intemperance led to so much immorality and disorder1 that he was deprived of his dignities in the ,state1 and died in comparative obscurity at the age of fifty-six4 ,he was buried at ,hamadan1 a city of ,persia1 which was the ancient ,ecbatana4 ,though his history gave rise to the saying that he was a philosopher devoid of wisdom1 and a physician without health1 the ,arabs long believed that he commanded spirits1 and was served by the ,jinn4 ,as he sought the philosophic stone1 several oriental peoples affirm him to be still alive1 dwelling in splendid state1 invested with spiritual powers1 and enjoying in an unknown retreat the sublime nectar of perpetual life and the rejuvenating qualities of the aurum potabile4 ,six or seven treatises on ,hermetic philosophy are ascribed to ,avicenna2 some of them are undoubtedly spurious4 ,there is a treatise on the 8,congelation of the ,stone0 and a ,tractatulus de ,alchimia1 which may be found in the first volumes of the ,ars ,aurifera1 ,basle1 #afaj4 ,in #aegb the ,ars ,chimica was printed at ,berne4 ,two ,hermetic tracts are also attributed to ,avicenna by the compilers of the ,theatrum ,chimicum1 and an octavo volume ,porta ,elementorum1 appeared under his name at ,basle during the third quarter of the sixteenth century4 ,the grimoires and magical rituals frequently appeal to ,avicenna as the authority for their supernatural secrets4 ,the ,tractatulus ,alchimi treats of the nature of the sophic mercury1 which contains the sophic sulphur1 and wherefrom every mineral substance was originally created by ,god4 ,this mercury is the universal vivific spirit2 there is nothing in the world to compare with it2 it penetrates1 exalts1 and develops everything2 it is a ferment to every body with which it is united chemically2 it is the grand metallic elixir1 both to the white1 or silver1 and red1 or gold producing1 degrees4 ,its potencies develop under the action of fire4 ,though found in all minerals1 it is a thing of the earth4 ,it possesses lucidity1 fluidity1 and a silverine colour4 ,the perfection and the praise of gold are elaborately celebrated in succeeding pages4 ,the prima materia is declared to be of a duplex nature1 and the duplex elixir1 which is the result of successful operation1 has powers that are beyond nature1 because it is eminently spiritual4 ,the strength of the perfect magisterium is one upon a thousand4 ,the chemical knowledge of ,avicenna is derived from ,geber1 as his medical erudition was borrowed from ,galen1 ,aristotle1 and other anterior writers4 ,he describes several varieties of saltpetre1 and treats of the properties of common salt1 vitriol1 sulphur1 orpiment1 sal ammoniac1 c4 ,,morien1 or ,morienus1 was a recluse born at ,rome in the twelfth century1 and who took up his habitation in ,egypt1 where he became profoundly versed in the chemistry and physics of the period4 ,while his education was still progressing in his native city1 and under the eyes of a father and mother who tenderly cherished him1 he heard of the reputation of ,adfar1 the ,arabian philosopher of ,alexandria1 and contrived to get a sight of his writings1 when he was immediately seized with a desperate desire to understand their meaning4 ,the first impressions of youth carried him away2 he abandoned his home1 and set out for ,alexandria1 where1 after some difficulty1 he discovered the abode of the philosopher4 ,he made known to him his name1 his country1 and his religion1 and both appeared well contented with each other--,adfar at having found a young man whose docility he could depend on1 and ,morien that he was under the discipline of a master who promised to unveil to him the source of all treasures4 ,they studied together2 the amiability of the pupil encouraged his instructor to make known to him all his secrets1 after which1 according to one account1 ,morien went on a pilgrimage to ,jerusalem1 and then turned hermit4 ,it seems more probable that he tarried with ,adfar till his death1 which in spite of his immense treasures1 his illumination1 and his acquirements in arcane philosophy1 eventually occurred1 and that then ,morien1 having paid the last duties to his deceased initiator1 quitted ,alexandria1 and proceeded on his pilgrimage4 ,he purchased a retreat near the city of ,jerusalem1 where he settled in the company of a pupil1 whom he doubtless intended to form for science4 ,in the meantime1 the papers of the adept ,adfar appear to have fallen into the hands of ,kalid1 the ,soldan of ,egypt1 a wise and curious prince4 ,on the title-page of these manuscripts it was stated that they contained the priceless secret of the philosophical stone4 ,the ,soldan studied them with avidity1 but made no progress towards their comprehension1 and not being able to accomplish the magnum opus in his own person1 he instituted a careful search for some one who was qualified to interpret the unintelligible mysteries of the manuscripts4 ,he convened all the philosophers to ,cairo1 promised to maintain them1 and to provide them with all the materials and machinery required for the success of alchemical processes1 and guaranteed a magnificent reward to any person who succeeded4 ,as it might happen even at this day1 many persons presented themselves who had their minds fixed upon the profits to be derived from such transactions4 ,morien1 hearing with pain how much ,kalid was deceived by worthless pretenders1 quitted his retreat and repaired in all haste to ,egypt1 with the ultimate conversion of the ,soldan quite as much at heart as the communication of the mysteries of ,adfar4 ,the labours of the pretended alchemists had produced nothing1 as the initiated hermit had expected1 but something in the manner of ,morien impressed the prince1 who appointed him a house in which he might remain until he had finished the process4 ,the work in due course was brought to its absolute perfection2 the philosopher inscribed these words on the vase in which he placed the elixir3--8,he who possesses all has no need of others10 and1 immediately quitting ,alexandria1 he returned to his hermitage4 ,possessed though he now was of the great and supreme elixir1 ,kalid had no notion how to make use of it for the transmutations he desired to accomplish4 ,he was equally penetrated with regret at the loss of a veritable artist1 and filled with indignation at the false alchemists who had promised him all things1 but had accomplished nothing1 he ordained by an edict the capital punishment of every exposed pretender4 ,some years passed away1 during which the ,soldan vainly sought the possessor of the potent secret4 ,at length one day1 being at the chase1 and accompanied by a favourite slave1 an incident occurred which led to the eventual fulfilment of his ambition4 ,the slave1 whose name was ,galip1 riding a little apart1 discovered an aged man at prayer in a solitary place4 ,he questioned him1 and learned that he came from ,jerusalem1 where he had been abiding in the hermitage of a holy man4 ,he had heard of the anxiety of ,kalid to accomplish the mystery of ,hermes1 and knowing that the hermit in question was a man of unparalleled skill in the sacred1 supernal science1 he had quitted ,palestine to inform the prince thereof4 8,oh6 my brother1 what do you say80 exclaimed ,galip4 8,no more6 ,i do not wish you to die like those impostors who have vaunted themselves to my master40 8,i fear nothing10 returned the hermit4 8,if you be able to present me to the prince1 ,i will at once go before him with confidence40 ,galip accordingly presented him1 and the old man informed ,kalid that he could enable him to accomplish the ,hermetic work1 that he was acquainted with an adept hermit of the solitudes of ,jerusalem1 who1 by illumination from the ,deity1 had received supernatural wisdom1 and by his own admission was in possession of the precious gift4 ,the quantity of gold and silver which he brought each year to ,jerusalem was a conclusive proof of the fact4 ,the ,soldan represented the danger of false promises to the venerable man1 and warned him how many deceptive and boasting adventurers had already met their death4 ,the hermit1 however1 persisted in his confident assertions1 and ,kalid1 hearing the description of ,morien1 commanded ,galip1 his slave1 to accompany the old man with a sufficient escort to ,jerusalem1 where they eventually arrived after many labours1 and were rejoiced by the discovery of ,morien1 who beneath his hair-cloth shirt is declared to have preserved a perpetually youthful frame4 ,galip recognised him at once1 saluted him on the part of his master1 and persuaded him to return to the prince1 who received him with unbounded satisfaction1 and would have engaged him in a worldly situation at his court4 ,morien1 however1 was intent only on the conversion of ,kalid2 he made known to him the mysteries of ,christianity1 but in spite of his wisdom was unable to effect the desired end4 ,he appears1 notwithstanding1 to have discovered to him the secret of the transcendent science1 and the conversation of ,morien and ,kalid has been written in ,arabic1 and translated into ,latin and ,french4 ,the subsequent history of ,morien is not recorded4 ,in the collections of ,hermetic philosophy there are some small tracts attributed to ,kalid1 and also to ,galip1 who appears to have participated in the secret4 ,morien himself is cited as the author of three works1 said to have been translated from the ,arabic1 but their authenticity is1 of course1 very doubtful4 ,the first is entitled ,liber de ,distinctione ,mecurii ,aquarum1 of which a manuscript copy existed in the library of ,robert ,boyle4 ,the second is the ,liber de ,compositione ,alchemi1 printed in the first volume of the ,bibliotheca ,chemica ,curiosa4 ,finally1 several editions have appeared of a treatise entitled ,de ,re ,metallica1 metallorum ,transmutatione1 et occulta summaque antiquorum medicina libellus4 ,it was first printed at ,paris in the year #aeei4 ,bacon and ,arnold1 who appeared one at the beginning1 and the other at the end of the thirteenth century1 have cited ,morien as an authority among the ,hermetic philosophers1 and ,robertus ,castrensis assures us that he translated ,morien's book from the ,arabic language in the year #aahb4 ,the ,liber de ,compositione ,alchemi contains a ,hermetic conversation between ,morien1 ,kalid1 and ,galip4 ,it appeals to the authority of ,hermes1 whom it states to have been the first who discovered the grand magisterium1 the secret of which he transmitted to his disciples4 ,it declares the prima materia to be one1 quoting the testimony of the wise king and philosopher ,hercules and the adept ,arsicanus1 with other pseudo authorities1 which discredit the date of the dialogue far more than they support the alchemical theory in question4 ,,albertus ,,magnus4 ,the universal genius of ,albert1 joined to a laudable curiosity in so great a philosopher1 say the original 8,lives of ,alchemysticall ,philosophers10 did not allow him to pass by the ,hermetic science without giving it due attention4 ,counter authorities1 while admitting that in things scientific he must be counted the most curious and investigating of the children of men1 emphatically assert that he has been erroneously included by demonographers among the number of magicians1 and that in the twenty-one goodly folio volumes which comprise his opera omnia1 there is no trace of sorcery4 ,in one place he declares formally that 8all those stories of demons prowling in the regions of the air1 and from whom the secrets of futurity may be ascertained1 are absurdities which can never be admitted by sober reason40 ,the works on incredible secrets1 so numerously attributed to him1 are1 therefore1 condemned as spurious1 ,albertus ,magnus having no more hand in their production than in the invention of the cannon and the pistol1 which has been attributed to him by ,matthias de ,luna4 ,so early1 however1 as the year #adhj the ,great ,chronicle of ,belgium records him magnus in magia1 major in philosophia1 maximus in theologia4 ,it is futile for the historians of his order to argue that ,albert never applied himself to the ,hermetic art1 says an anonymous writer4 ,his books alone--those which are his incontestably--bear witness to his alchemical erudition1 and as a physician he carefully examined what regards ,natural ,history1 and above all the minerals and metals4 ,his singular experiments are recorded in the ,secretum ,secretorum1 which first appeared at ,venice in #aejh4 ,michael ,maier declares that he received from the disciples of ,st ,dominic the secret of the philosophical stone1 and that he communicated it in turn to ,st ,thomas ,aquinas2 that he was in possession of a stone naturally marked with a serpent1 and endowed with so admirable a virtue that on being set down in a place infested with such reptiles1 it would attract them from their hiding places2 that for the space of thirty years he employed all his knowledge as a magician and astrologer to construct1 out of metals carefully chosen under appropriate planetary influences1 an automaton endowed with the power of speech1 and which served him as an infallible oracle1 replying plainly to every kind of question which could possibly be proposed to it4 ,this was the celebrated ,androd1 which was destroyed by ,st ,thomas under the impression that it was a diabolical contrivance4 ,the most marvellous story of his magical abilities is extant in the history of the ,university of ,paris4 ,he invited ,william ,,ii41 ,count of ,holland and ,king of the ,romans1 to a supper in his monastic house at ,cologne4 ,although it was midwinter ,albertus had tables prepared in the garden of the convent2 the earth was covered with snow1 and the courtiers who accompanied ,william murmured at the imprudence and folly of the philosopher in exposing the prince to the severity of such weather4 ,as they sat down1 however1 the snow suddenly disappeared1 and they felt not only the softness of spring1 but the garden was filled with odoriferous flowers2 the birds flew about as in summer1 singing their most delightful notes1 and the trees appeared in blossom4 ,their surprise at this metamorphosis of nature was considerably heightened when1 at the end of the repast1 these wonders disappeared in a moment1 and the cold wind began to blow with its accustomed rigour4 ,the life of ,albertus belongs to the history of theology4 ,he was born in ,suabia1 at ,larvigen1 on the ,danube1 in #abje4 ,he is accredited with excessive stupidity in his youth1 but his devotion to the ,virgin was rewarded by a vision1 which was accompanied by an intellectual illumination1 and he became one of the greatest doctors of his time4 ,he was made provincial of the ,dominicans1 and was appointed to the bishopric of ,ratisbon1 which he subsequently resigned to pursue his scientific and philosophic studies in a delightful conventual retreat at ,cologne4 ,in his old age he relapsed into the mediocrity of his earlier years1 which gave rise to the saying that from an ass he was transformed into a philosopher1 and from a philosopher he returned into an ass4 ,the term ,magnus1 which has been applied to him1 is not the consequence of his reputation4 ,it is the ,latin equivalent of his family name1 ,albert de ,groot4 ,among the spurious works attributed to him is that entitled ,les ,admirables ,secrets d',albert le ,grand1 which is concerned with the virtues of herbs1 precious stones1 and animals1 with an abridgment of physiognomy1 methods for preservation against the plague1 malignant fevers1 poisons1 c4 ,the first book treats of the planetary influences in their relation to nativities1 of the magical properties possessed by the hair of women1 of the infallible means of ascertaining whether a child still in the womb is male or female1 c4 ,in the others there is a curious chaos of remarkable superstitions concerning urine1 vermin1 old shoes1 putrefaction1 the manipulation of metals1 c4 ,a magical grimoire entitled ,alberti ,parvi ,lucii ,liber de ,mirabilibus ,natur ,arcanis1 adorned with figures and talismans1 appeared at ,lyons1 bearing the ,kabbalistic date #feaf4 ,the composition of philtres1 the interpretation of dreams1 the discovery of treasures1 the composition of the hand of glory1 the ring of invisibility1 the sympathetic powder1 the sophistication of gold1 and other marvels1 are familiarly explained2 but this work is another forgery1 and an insult to the memory of a really illustrious man4 ,in the treatise which he wrote upon minerals1 ,albert informs us that he personally tested some gold and silver which had been manufactured by an alchemist1 and which resisted six or seven exceptionally searching fusions1 but the pretended metal was reduced into actual scori by an eighth4 ,he recognises1 however1 the possibility of transmutation when performed upon the principles of ,nature4 ,he considers that all metals are composed of an unctuous and subtle humidity1 intimately incorporated with a subtle and perfect matter4 ,if the purely alchemical works which are ascribed to ,albertus have any claim to authenticity1 he must be ranked as a skilful practical chemist for the period in which he flourished4 ,he employed alembics for distillation1 and aludels for sublimation2 he also made use of various lutes1 the composition of which he describes4 ,he mentions alum and caustic alkali1 and seems to have been aware of the alkaline basis of cream of tartar4 ,he knew the method of purifying the precious metals by means of lead and of gold1 by cementation1 likewise the method of testing the purity of gold4 ,he mentions red lead1 metallic arsenic1 and liver of sulphur4 ,he was acquainted with green vitriol and iron pyrites4 ,he knew that arsenic renders copper white1 and that sulphur attacks all the metals except gold4,h ,,footnotes3 ,h ,thomson1 8,hist4 of ,chemistry10 vol4 i41 pp4 #cb1 #cc4 ,,thomas ,,aquinas4 ,if ,albertus ,magnus must be considered an adept in possession of the philosophic stone1 there is little doubt that he discovered it to his favourite pupil1 ,st ,thomas1 the most illustrious of the kings of intelligence who glorified the scholastic period of ,christian philosophy4 ,there are some alchemical treatises ascribed to the angel of the schools which he certainly did not write4 8,that of the #8,nature of ,minerals' is unworthy of so great a philosopher10 says a certain anonymous authority1 8and so is the #8,comment on the ,turba4' ,but his ,thesaurus ,alchemi1 addressed to ,brother ,regnauld1 his companion and friend1 is genuine4 ,he cites ,albert in this as his master in all things1 especially in ,hermetic philosophy4 ,he addressed other books to ,regnauld on the curious sciences1 amongst which is a treatise on ,judicial ,astrology40 ,this opinion deserves due consideration1 yet in all his theological works ,st ,thomas carefully avoided every suspicion of alchemy1 persuaded1 says the same writer1 that it would bring dishonour to his name as the height of human folly4 ,moreover1 in one of his treatises he distinctly states that 8it is not lawful to sell as good gold that which is made by ,alchemy10 proof positive that he considered the transmutatory art to be simply the sophistication of the precious metal4 ,on the other hand1 the ,thesaurus ,alchemi1 generally attributed to him by adepts1 testifies that 8the aim of the alchemist is to change imperfect metal into that which is perfect10 and asserts the possibility of the thing4 ,these contradictions scarcely afford convincing proof of a common authorship2 but spurious or otherwise1 the works on the ,hermetic science which are attributed to the angelic doctor are of importance in the history of alchemy4 ,their leading character is secrecy1 and they insist on the preservation of the sublime operation from unworthy men1 only the children of light1 who live as in the presence of ,god1 being fit for the knowledge or custody of so supernal a mystery4 ,the ,thesaurus ,alchemi has the brevity which characterised ,st ,thomas1 for it is comprised in a very few leaves4 ,the other works attributed to him are ,secreta ,alchymi ,magnalia and ,de ,esse et ,essentia ,mineralium1 together with the comment on the ,turba4 ,some of the terms still employed by modern chemists occur for the first time in these supposititious writings of ,thomas ,aquinas--e4g41 the word amalgam1 which is used to denote a compound of mercury and some other metal4 ,in the tractates addressed to ,brother ,regnauld1 we learn that the students of alchemy are in search of a single substance which absolutely resists the fierce action of fire1 which itself penetrates everything1 and tinges mercury4 ,the work is a work of the hands1 and great patience is required in it4 ,instruments are necessary1 but in the true ,hermetic operation there is but one vase1 one substance1 one way1 and one only operation4 ,,roger ,,bacon4 ,roger ,bacon was the first ,englishman who is known to have cultivated alchemical philosophy4 ,this learned man was born in #abad1 near ,ilcester1 in ,somerset4 ,he made extraordinary progress in the preliminary studies of boyhood2 when his age permitted he entered the order of ,st ,francis1 and passed from ,oxford to ,paris1 where he learned mathematics and medicine4 ,on his return he applied himself to languages and philosophy1 and made such progress that he wrote grammars of the ,latin1 ,greek1 and ,hebrew tongues4 ,pronouncing the panegyric of ,bacon1 ,figuier calls him the greatest intellect which has arisen in ,england1 a student of nature who was more physician than chemist1 and a scientist to whom the world owes many extraordinary discoveries4 ,he was almost the only astronomer of his time1 and to him we are indebted for the rectification of the ,julian ,calendar1 in regard to the solar year1 which in #abfg he submitted to ,clement ,,iv41 but which was not put in practice till the pontificate of ,gregory4 ,the physical analysis of the properties of lenses and convex glasses1 the invention of spectacles and achromatic lenses1 the theory1 and possibly the first construction1 of the telescope1 are all due to the superior and penetrating genius of ,bacon4 ,an adequate notion of his schemes in mechanical science may be gathered from one of his own letters--,epistola ,fratris ,rogerii ,baconis de ,secretis ,operibus ,artis et ,natur et de nullitate ,magi1 ,hambourg1 #afah4 ,having undertaken to demonstrate that by the help of natural science it is possible to actually perform the pretended prodigies of magic1 he further assures us that machines may be constructed for navigation without the aid of rowers1 in such a manner that vessels will be borne through the water with extraordinary velocity1 under the direction of a single man4 8,it is equally possible to construct cars which may be set in motion with marvellous rapidity1 independently of horses or other animals4 ,flying machines may also be made1 the man seated in the centre1 and by means of certain contrivances beating the air with artificial wings40 ,in the same way ,bacon anticipated the invention of the crane1 diving apparatus1 suspension bridges1 c4 ,these things1 he declares1 were known to the ancients1 and may still be recovered4 8,should we be surprised10 demands one of his biographers1 8if all these prodigies obtained for him the name of magician in an age of superstition and ignorance8 the friars of his own order refused to let his works into their library1 as if he were a man who ought to be proscribed by society4 ,his persecution increased till1 in #abgh1 he was imprisoned and forced to confess his repentance of his pains in the arts and sciences4 ,he was constrained to abandon the house of his order1 and to form a retreat where he might work in quiet40 ,the reputation of ,bacon as a magician spread over ,western ,europe4 ,he was supposed to be indebted for his wisdom to incessant communication with demons4 ,wierus accuses him of gotic magic1 and erudite persons affirm that ,antichrist will make use of his enchanted mirrors for the performance of lying miracles4 ,he really believed in judicial astrology and in the philosophical stone4 8,by neglecting the lights of experience10 he says1 8alchemy can seldom produce gold of twenty-four carats4 ,few persons have carried the science to so high a point4 ,but with the help of ,aristotle's #8,secret of ,secrets1' experimental science has manufactured not only gold of twenty-four degrees1 but of thirty1 forty1 and onward according to pleasure40 ,the application of alchemy to the extension of life was another subject of study with ,roger ,bacon4 ,the grand secret1 he assures us1 does not only ensure the welfare of the commonwealth and of the individual1 but it may be used to prolong life1 for that operation by which the most inferior metals is purged from the corrupt elements which they contain till they are exalted into the purest gold and silver1 is considered by every adept to be eminently calculated to eliminate so completely the corrupt particles of the human body1 that the life of mortality may be extended to several centuries4 ,a citation by ,franciscus ,picus from ,bacon's 8,book of the ,six ,sciences0 recounts how a man may become a prophet and predict the future by means of a mirror which ,bacon calls ,almuchefi1 composed in accordance with the laws of perspective under the influence of a benign constellation1 and after the body of the individual has been modified by alchemy4 ,on the word of a man who enjoyed his full confidence1 he tells us how a celebrated ,parisian savant1 after cutting a serpent into fragments1 taking care to preserve intact the skin of its belly1 subsequently let loose the animal1 which began immediately to roll upon certain herbs1 and their virtues speedily healed him4 ,the experimenter examined these herbs1 and found them of a remarkably green colour4 ,on the authority of ,artephius1 he relates how a certain magician1 named ,tantalus1 and who was attached to the person of the ,king of ,india1 had discovered by his proficiency in planetary lore1 a method of preserving life over several centuries4 ,he enlarges on the potency of theriac in the excessive prolongation of life4 ,he lauds the flesh of winged serpents as a specific against senility in mankind4 ,by the hygiene of ,artephius he informs us that that adept lived over a thousand years4 ,if ,plato and ,aristotle failed to prolong their existence it is not surprising1 for they were ignorant even of the quadrature of the circle1 which ,bacon declares to have been well known at his time1 and which is indefinitely inferior to the grand medical doctrine of ,artephius4,i ,the chemical investigations of the great ,english ,franciscan have proved valuable to the science which he loved4 ,he studied carefully the properties of saltpetre1 and if he did not discover gunpowder1 he contributed to its perfection by teaching the purification of saltpetre by its dissolution in water and by crystallisation4 ,he also called attention to the chemical rle played by the air in combustion4,j ,many of ,bacon's works still remain in manuscript1 but his ,speculum ,alchimi was done into ,french by ,girard de ,tourmes1 and published at ,lyons in duodecimo and octavo in #aeeg4 ,de ,potestate ,mirabili ,artis et ,natur1 which is merely a chapter of the ,epistle already cited1 was translated by the same hand4 ,in another work1 entitled ,radix ,mundi1 the supreme secret of ,hermetic philosophy is said to be hidden in the four elements4 ,this treatise1 which quotes ,paracelsus1 is1 however1 an impudent forgery4 ,the 8,mirror of ,alchemy10 like other works of the philosophers1 appeals to ,hermes as to a master-initiate1 whose authority is not only sufficient but final4 ,the natural principles of all metals are argent vive1 that is1 sophic mercury1 and sulphur4 ,the various proportions in which these principles are combined1 together with their degrees of purity1 constitute the sole difference between the best and the basest metal4 ,,footnotes3 ,i ,nam quadraturam circuli se ignorasse confitetur1 quod his diebus scitur veraciter4 ,j ,figuier1 ,l',alchimie et les ,alchimistes1 p4 #ig4 ,,alain ,,of ,,lisle4 ,an alchemical treatise1 entitled ,dicta de ,lapide ,philosophico1 appeared in octavo at ,leyden during the year #afjj4 ,it was attributed to ,alanus ,insulensis1 and was reprinted in the ,theatrum ,chimicum1 ,argentorati1 #affb4 ,it is denied that this work is the production of that ,alain de ,lisle who was called the universal doctor1 and who1 after a brilliant period passed in the ,university of ,paris1 retired to a cloister as a lay brother1 in order to be master of his time1 and to devote himself entirely to philosophy4 ,migne's ,dictionnaire des ,sciences ,occultes asserts that another ,alanus flourished at the same period1 but the existence of the alchemical volume is the sole ground for this statement4 ,it cannot be shown1 on the other hand1 that ,alain practised the ,hermetic ,science1 but he was the author of a 8,commentary on the ,prophecies of ,merlin40 ,he was made bishop of ,auxerre1 and died in #abgh4 ,the publishers of alchemical treatises were accustomed to trade upon brilliant reputations of the past by attributing worthless works to great authorities4 ,the name of ,alanus ,insulensis appearing on the title-page of the ,dicta de ,lapide ,philosophico may perhaps be accounted for in this manner4 ,the treatise itself is short and not of abnormal value4 ,it represents the ,hermetic art as the gift of ,god1 and counsels the neophyte to love ,him with all his heart and soul4 ,it describes the mysteries of sublimation1 and follows preceding authorities on the problem of the prima materia4 ,its generally indefinite and unprofitable character from any practical standpoint should make it an exceptional field for every species of fanciful interpretation4 ,,raymond ,,lully4 ,the comparison of a brilliant but ephemeral reputation to 8the comet of a season0 has been transferred from the region of poetry into that of proverb1 and is certainly applicable to no figure in the history of literature or science more completely than to the subject of this memoir4 ,the name of ,raymond ,lully has indeed passed so completely into oblivion that it awakes no recollections whatever except in the minds of certain specialists in history and philosophy4 ,yet he exercised no small influence on his generation1 while for a century after his death all intellectual ,europe was acquainted with his method for the acquisition of the sciences and his voluminous literary and evangelistic labours4 ,raymond ,lully united the saint and the man of science1 the philosopher and the preacher1 the apostle and the itinerant lecturer1 the dialectician and the martyr2 in his youth he was a courtier and a man of pleasure2 in mature age he was an ascetic who had discovered the universal science through a special revelation from ,god2 after his death he was denounced as a heretic1 and then narrowly escaped beatification as a saint4 ,while his relics worked miracles in ,majorca1 colleges were founded in various parts of ,europe for teaching the ,ars ,lulliana1 which was to replace the scholastic method2 but the miracles ceased1 the universal science fell into neglect1 and1 as the last scene in this eventful history1 ,raymond ,lully appears in popular legends as an adept in alchemy1 whose age was prolonged through centuries by the discovery of the elixir of life4 ,having succeeded in rescuing from oblivion and misrepresentation this singular man1 whose sanctity was as eminent as his attainments were unique1 ,i shall here present the first true history of his life and works to the reading public of ,england2 the romantic narrative will be as interesting to the general student as to the occultist and the man of letters4 ,the father of ,raymond ,lully was a gentleman of ,barcelona1 who1 having served under the banner of ,john ,i41 ,king of ,arragon1 at the conquest of the ,balearic ,isles from the ,mohammedans1 was gifted with lands in ,majorca1 and there settled4 ,he was of an old and noble ,catalonian family1 and was wedded to a lady whose name is not known4 ,though possessed of considerable wealth1 his happiness was marred by the sterility of his wife2 but1 addressing themselves to the goodness of ,god1 the lady was eventually delivered of a son1 who was named1 like his father1 ,raymond ,lully4 ,he was born1 according to ,sgui1 in #abbi1 but according to ,jean ,marie de ,vernon1 and other authorities1 in #abce1 which1 on the whole1 is the more probable date4 ,when the young ,raymond had attained the use of reason1 his parents endeavoured to imbue him with love for the liberal arts1 but his mercurial and impetuous disposition was unsuited to serious study1 and he was permitted to follow his father's profession of arms4 ,he was made page to the ,king1 with whom he acquired such high favour that he was installed as ,grand ,prevt1 or ,master of the ,palace1 and subsequently as ,seneschal of the ,isles2 but he employed the advantages of these distinguished positions in the dissipations of a youth without curb or restraint4 ,the flower of his manhood was wasted in the gaieties of court life1 in winning the favours of ladies1 and in composing amorous verses in their honour4 ,he spared no pains to make himself pleasing to those who were beautiful1 and his excesses were so glaring that his parents1 and ,king ,james ,,ii4 himself1 were forced to make great complaints to him4 ,as a remedy for the irregularities of his life1 it was proposed that he should marry1 and a wife at once beautiful1 virtuous1 and wealthy was selected by his advisers and friends4 ,she was named ,catherine de ,sabots4 ,though he became much attached to this lady1 the bond of marriage did not prove strong enough to confine his errant inclinations1 and there was one person in particular for whom he conceived a great passion1 though he was already the father of two male children and of one girl4 ,this was the ,signora ,ambrosia ,eleonora de ,castello de ,gnes1 whose virtue was superior to her personal attractions1 though she eclipsed in loveliness all the beauties of the ,court4 ,she was married to a man whom she loved1 but such was the infatuation of ,raymond ,lully that he paid her the most marked attentions1 and on one occasion1 lost to all around him except the object of his admiration1 he is said to have followed her on horseback into the church of ,palma1 a town in ,majorca1 where she had gone one morning to mass4 ,so outrageous an act could not fail to cause great scandal1 more particularly on account of the high rank of both parties concerned4 ,the lady1 thus suddenly raised to such undesirable notoriety1 took counsel with her husband as to the course which she should pursue to put an end to the persecutions of her admirer4 ,in the meantime1 ,raymond ,lully1 conscious no doubt that he had exceeded all bounds of moderation1 wrote an incoherent apology1 accompanied with a sonnet1 in which he particularly described the beauty of her neck4 ,to this the lady replied by a letter1 written in the presence of her husband1 and which is here copied verbatim from the old ,french writer who relates this portion of the story4 ,,letter from the ,,signora ,,di ,,castello ,,de ,g,,nes to ,,raymond ,,lully1 which is a civil reply to a lover to dissuade him from profaning love4 8,,sir1--,the sonnet which you have sent me is evidence of the superiority of your genius and the imperfection1 or1 rather1 the perversity of your judgment4 ,with what vivacity would you depict true beauty since by your verses you even embellish ugliness6 ,but how can you employ such exalted talents in the laudation of a little clay briefly tinged with vermilion8 ,your industry should be employed in eradicating and not in publishing your passion4 8',tis not that you are unworthy of the affection of the noblest woman in the world1 but you become unworthy of it by devoting yourself to the service of one who is the least of all4 ,is it possible that an intelligence created for ,god alone1 and illuminated as it is1 can be so blind on this point8 8,abandon then a passion which deprives you of your native nobility4 ,do not tarnish your reputation by the pursuit of an object which you can never possess4 ,i could terribly disillusion you by showing you that what you so much admire should rather be held in aversion4 ,yet rest well assured that ,i love you all the more truly because ,i appear to have no regard for you40 ,this letter served only to feed the flame in the breast of ,raymond ,lully1 till1 other means having failed1 the lady1 still acting under the advice of her husband1 called her lover into her presence1 and exposed to him her breast which was almost eaten away by a cancer1 whence an offensive odour issued4 8,look on what thou lovest1 ,raymond ,lully10 she cried1 with tears in her eyes1 8,consider the condition of this wretched body in which thy spirit centres all its hopes and pleasures1 and then repent of thy useless attempts2 mourn for the time which thou hast wasted in persecuting a being whom thou didst fondly deem perfect1 but who has so dreadful a blemish6 ,change this useless and criminal passion into holy love1 direct thine affections to the ,creator1 not to the creature1 and in the acquisition of eternal bliss take now the same pains which thou hast hitherto vainly spent to engage me in thy foolish passion60 ,the sight had already melted the heart of ,raymond ,lully and restored him to reason4 ,after expressing to the noble-hearted lady how deeply he felt for her misfortune1 he withdrew from the house1 ashamed of the passion he had conceived1 and reaching home1 overwhelmed with confusion1 he cast himself at the feet of a crucifix1 and vowed to consecrate himself henceforth to the service of ,god alone4 ,he passed a more than usually tranquil night1 being filled with this zealous resolution1 and the vision of ,christ is said to have appeared to him1 saying1 8,raymond ,lully1 from henceforth do thou follow me60 ,this vision was repeated several times1 and he judged it to be an indication of the ,divine ,will4 ,raymond was at this period about thirty years old2 he filled one of the most noble situations at court1 and might have aspired to any honour for himself or his family4 ,he resolved1 nevertheless1 to renounce the world1 and soon arranged his affairs1 dividing so much of his estate among his family as would enable them to live honourably1 retaining a small portion for his personal necessities1 and distributing the rest among the poor4 ,his plans in the matter were so punctually fulfilled1 that he was accused of plunging from one folly to another4 ,at this period he is said to have made a pilgrimage to ,st ,john in ,galicia1 and a retreat thereat4 ,he returned in due course to ,majorca1 and took the habit of religion1 but did not1 however1 embrace the religious life4 ,he retired to a small dwelling on the mountain of ,randa1 a possession which had not been included in the general sale of his estate4 ,here he fell ill1 and was consoled by two visions of the ,saviour4 ,after his change of life1 the first boon which he asked of ,god was so to illuminate his mind that he might compose a book capable of completely annihilating the errors of ,mahomet1 and of forcing the infidels1 by good and solid reasoning1 to embrace the faith of ,jesus ,christ4 ,in answer to this prayer1 he was conscious1 it is asserted1 of a perfect spiritual illumination1 and became instantaneously capable of reasoning powerfully on all subjects1 so that he passed henceforth for a great and subtle doctor both in human and divine sciences4 ,a more sober account informs us that 8he prepared himself to labour for the conversion of the ,mahometans1 by studying their books in the ,arabic language10 and that his preparation continued for the space of six years4 ,according to another authority1 this missionary zeal did not date from an earlier period than #abfh--three years after his reformation--when in another of his visions he beheld upon the leaves of a myrtle or a mastic tree1 certain marks which resembled ,turkish or ,arabic characters4 ,on awaking1 he regarded himself as called to a mission among the heathen4 ,convinced1 says one of his biographers1 that the ,spirit of ,god had not inspired him with the ,celestial ,science to let it rest idle1 and that he would be betraying his vocation if his light were hidden under a bushel1 he resolved to journey to ,paris and there publish the eternal truths which had been revealed to him4 ,others have supposed that in undertaking this journey he was simply seeking instruction in the ,latin tongue at one of the centres of learning4 ,several of his treatises on ,philosophy1 ,theology1 ,medicine1 and ,astronomy are1 however1 referred to this period1 as well as some works on alchemy1 but this point will receive adequate consideration hereafter4 ,still imbued with his evangelistic and missionary zeal1 he engaged a young ,arab as his valet1 that he might perfect himself in colloquial ,arabic2 but he1 discovering that his master intended to demolish the divine principles of the ,koran1 and preach against the holy law of ,mahomet1 piously resolved to assassinate him1 and one day plunged a dagger into his breast4 ,he sought to repeat the blow1 but ,raymond ,lully1 wounded and bleeding as he was1 contrived to disarm him1 perhaps with the assistance of a holy and opportune anchorite1 who is advanced at this critical moment by one of the biographers4 ,the young ,arab was imprisoned with the reluctant consent of his over magnanimous master1 who does not appear to have proceeded further against him2 but the unhappy ,mohammedan enthusiast was so overwhelmed with vexation at the failure of his heroic design to destroy1 at all costs1 the implacable foe of the prophet1 that he strangled himself in his dungeon in a paroxysm of impotent fury4 ,it was after this episode1 and after the recovery of ,raymond ,lully from the violence of his valet1 that1 according to another historian1 he retired to ,mount ,randa1 and that then1 and then only1 he received from the ,father of ,lights that new illumination with which others have accredited him at a much earlier period4 ,this was probably a second visit paid to his ,balearic solitude2 he tarried there seven months1 8always absorbed in prayer1 and conversing1 as it seemed to him1 continually with angels1 whose consolations he received--consolations10 says the pious writer1 8which the soul can indeed realise1 but which the lips cannot worthily describe40 ,having left his retreat1 he determined to travel to ,rome1 to exhort his ,holiness to establish in ,europe several monasteries1 where monks should be occupied in acquiring and teaching languages1 in order to spread everywhere the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 and to labour for the conversion of the infidels4 ,but ,honorius ,,iv41 from whose piety he had everything to hope1 died as soon as ,lully reached ,rome1 and he therefore returned to ,paris1 where he explained publicly his ,general or ,universal ,art for the acquisition of all sciences4 ,from ,paris he went to ,mont ,pelin1 where he also taught and wrote2 thence to ,genoa1 where he translated his ,art ,inventif into ,arabic4 ,from ,genoa he again proceeded to ,rome1 but seeing that it was impossible to attain his ends on account of the obstacles which presented themselves in the ,sacred ,court1 he returned to ,genoa1 intending to start for ,africa1 and personally labour in the conversion of the infidels4 ,he made terms with the owner of a vessel1 shipped his books on board1 with the other necessities of his journey1 but1 when he was himself on the point of embarking1 a vision of all the dangers he was about to encounter so worked upon his mind1 that he was deprived even of the power of walking1 and was obliged to renounce his intention4 ,his effects were consequently returned to him1 and with these he re-entered ,genoa in the midst of a crowd of vagabonds1 who derided his weakness4 ,whether consequent on this raillery1 or through shame at his cowardice1 he became dangerously ill4,k ,on the ,vigil of ,pentecost1 #abia1 he was carried to the ,convent of ,friars ,preachers1 and received the care which his condition required4 ,he received the last sacraments1 and dictated his last will and testament2 nevertheless1 he was destined to recover1 and had scarcely regained his strength when1 to repair his previous fault1 he embarked upon the first vessel bound for ,tunis4 ,during the voyage he composed his 8,general ,tabulation of the ,sciences40 ,immediately on his arrival at ,tunis1 he held conferences with those who were most erudite in the law of ,mahomet4 ,he proved1 at least to his own satisfaction1 that they were in error and darkness1 and that truth was on the side of ,jesus ,christ4 ,he was accused before the ,king of ,tunis of seducing the people1 was arrested1 cast into prison1 and ultimately condemned to death4 ,but a learned ,arabian priest1 overcome by his arguments1 obtained his pardon on condition of his instant departure4 ,he left the town amidst the insults and opprobrium of the populace1 prohibited to return1 on pain of certain death4 ,in #abic he arrived at ,genoa from this disastrous mission1 and he appears to have proceeded immediately to ,naples1 where he remained till the pontificate of ,celestin ,v41 teaching publicly his ,ars ,magna and ,arbor ,scientiarum4 ,in ,december #abid1 he repaired to ,rome to persuade the ,pope to send missionaries to the infidels1 and he appears to have obtained the establishment of several colleges for the study of oriental languages4 ,moreover1 the ,university of ,paris1 by an authentic act1 adopted and recommended the use of his short method of acquiring knowledge1 and some of his more important philosophical doctrines4 ,still1 his missionary efforts were not generally successful1 and he again wandered from place to place1 confuting heretics4 ,he travelled to ,montpellier1 where he was received with distinction by ,raymond ,gauffredy1 ,general of the ,order of ,st ,francis4 ,he obtained letters of association1 as a benefactor to the order1 the superiors of which were put under his direction1 and he taught his method in their houses4 ,he preached in ,cyprus against the ,nestorians and ,georgians1 striving to bring them back to the bosom of the ,church4 ,he addressed himself for assistance in his manifold enterprises to the ,kings of ,france1 ,sicily1 ,majorca1 and ,cyprus1 but generally in vain4 ,in #acjh he returned to ,paris1 where he conversed with the celebrated ,johannes ,scotus1 who is known as the subtle doctor4 ,he had the satisfaction to find that ,king ,philip le ,bel had directed the oriental languages to be taught in the ,university of ,paris4 ,this induced ,raymond to proceed in the following year to ,ferdinand ,,iv41 ,king of ,castile1 to engage him to unite with the ,king of ,france for the recovery of the ,holy ,land1 but this oft-repeated and invariably disastrous and futile enterprise was fortunately not undertaken4 ,he ventured again to ,africa1 landed at ,bona1 that ancient ,hippo which was the diocese of ,st ,augustine1 and despite the opposition of its ,mohammedan inhabitants he succeeded in converting seventy followers of the philosopher ,averros4 ,thence he travelled to ,algiers and converted many1 which brought down on him the persecution of the authorities4 ,a bridle was put into his mouth1 as if he were a horse1 and he was deprived by this means of the free use of speech for the space of forty days2 he was then publicly beaten1 and expelled from the kingdom4 ,he had no other road open to him but to return to ,tunis1 where sentence of death awaited him1 but he remained concealed1 and shortly after proceeded to ,bugia4 ,there he confounded the doctrines of the ,mohammedan priests1 successfully avoiding innumerable deadly snares prepared by the people against him at the suggestion of their religious teachers4 ,he was at length cast into a miserable dungeon1 where he might well have perished1 but the solicitations of certain ,genoese merchants obtained him a better prison1 in which he was confined for six months4 ,here the ,mohammedan doctors came to him in troops1 to persuade him to embrace their law1 promising him the most alluring recompences--slaves1 palaces1 wealth1 beautiful women1 and the ,king's friendship4 8,the result10 says one of ,lully's biographers1 8was that they were almost persuaded to embrace ,his law1 ,who alone could promise them eternal beatitude40 ,the gates of ,raymond's prison were at length thrown open1 and1 as a disturber of the public peace1 he was enjoined to quit those parts at once4 ,the illustrious wanderer embarked in a ,genoese vessel with his books and papers1 but he was wrecked ten miles from the town of ,pisa1 escaping hardly with the loss of all his effects4 ,at ,pisa he fell sick1 and was carefully attended by the ,dominicans4 ,on his recovery he resumed his public teaching4 ,the conversion of the ,mohammedans and the conquest of the ,holy ,land were still his chief ends1 and he so eloquently solicited the inhabitants of ,pisa to institute an order of ,christian ,knights for the deliverance of ,judea1 that they sent him with letters to the ,holy ,father2 he was entrusted by the inhabitants of ,genoa with similar documents1 and bore also the voluntary offer of the ladies in that town to contribute towards such a pious and praiseworthy purpose a considerable sum of money4 ,with these assurances he sought the ,pope at ,avignon1 presented his letters1 and added the most powerful reasons of his own to persuade him to proclaim another crusade4 ,naturally1 he obtained nothing from the ,papal ,court1 and he retired to ,paris1 sorrowful at his failure and at the coldness of the prelates of the ,church4 ,he continued writing and teaching1 and in ,october #acaa1 hearing that a general council would be held at ,vienna1 he considered this a favourable opportunity and presented himself before it to demand three things3--#a4 ,the establishment of several monasteries composed of learned and courageous men1 who1 willing to expose their lives in the quarrel of ,christ1 would take pleasure in acquiring languages in order to publish the ,gospel more effectually4 #b4 ,the reduction of all the ,military ,orders in the ,christian world into a single order1 so that living under one religious rule1 and inspired with the same desires1 they might all do battle with the ,saracens1 and1 suppressing all seeds of jealousy1 all selfish interests1 by a laudable emulation1 with true ,christian piety1 seek to deliver the ,holy ,place from the hands of the miscreants4 #c4 ,the condemnation1 by authority of the ,pope and the ,council1 of all the works of ,averros used in ,christian colleges and schools1 because they were distinctly and directly opposed to the doctrines of true religion4 ,in order to throw more light on this last point he composed a treatise entitled ,de ,natale ,pueri4 ,he was again unsuccessful1 and returned to ,paris without having accomplished anything4 ,with unconquerable perseverance he again set himself more diligently than ever to the composition of books in ,latin1 ,spanish1 and ,arabic1 for the edification of the ,faithful and the instruction of the ,saracens4 ,he became indeed one of the most voluminous authors in the world1 and when weary of the repose of letters he returned to ,majorca1 far advanced in years1 he embarked1 despite the peril1 for ,tunis1 hoping to work secretly in the conversion of its inhabitants4 ,according to another account1 he publicly proclaimed his return1 crying1 8,do you not remember that ,i am the man whom your princes formerly hunted from this country and from ,tunis in dread that ,i should illuminate your souls with the truths of our holy religion1 towards which you already had some disposition8 ,the single hope of your salvation1 and the resolution ,i have taken to suffer all the torments of the world for the love of my ,god1 lead me back among you1 to do with me as you please40 ,in either case his return was discovered2 as one man the people rose in tumult against him1 and having covered him with opprobrium and atrocious injuries1 they chased him with stones from the town to the port1 where he fell miserably overwhelmed4 ,according to numerous biographers1 certain merchants1 either of ,majorca or ,genoa1 passing ,tunis1 saw a great light1 in the shape of a pyramid1 near to the port1 on the night of this catastrophe4 ,this light seemed to issue from a heap of stones1 and1 curious to discover its cause1 they put ashore in a boat1 and thus came upon the precious body of ,raymond ,lully1 whom1 in spite of his disfigured condition1 they immediately recognised4 ,but ,m4 ,e4 ,j4 ,delcleuze1 writing in the ,revue des ,deux ,mondes1 gives us the same narrative unadorned by the veneer of the miraculous4 8,the night fell1 and the body of ,raymond ,lully remained on the sea-shore4 ,during the whole of this terrible scene none of the converts1 and still less the ,european ,christians then sojourning in the town1 had dared to defend the missionary1 or even to intercede in his favour4 ,certain ,genoese merchants1 however1 desiring to pay the last honours to his corpse1 came in a boat1 under cover of the darkness1 to bear it away4 ,in the accomplishment of this pious duty they perceived that ,raymond ,lully was still breathing4 ,they carried him in haste to their ship1 and immediately set sail for ,majorca1 in sight of which island that holy and learned man expired on the #bith of ,june #acae1 at the age of eighty years40,l ,it has already been stated that ,raymond ,lully was one of the most prolific writers of his own or of any age4 ,the following list of his works is given by ,alfonso de ,proaza in #aeae1 and is reproduced by ,a4 ,perroquet3-- ,names of ,subjects4 ,no4 of ,treatises4 ,on the ,ars ,veritatis ,demonstrativus1 #fj ,grammar and ,rhetoric1 #g ,logic1 #bb ,on the ,understanding1 #g ,on ,memory1 #d ,on ,will1 #h ,on ,moral and ,political ,philosophy1 #ab ,on ,law1 #h ,philosophy and ,physics1 #cb ,metaphysics1 #bf ,mathematics1 #ai ,medicine and ,anatomy1 #bj ,chemistry1 #di ,theology1 #bab --- ,total number of treatises1 #dhf ,this list is accepted without suspicion or criticism by ,m4 ,delcleuze1 but as ,raymond ,lully did not begin writing till #abgj1 and as he died in #acah at latest1 this calculation requires us to suppose that he produced ten treatise every year without intermission for the space of eight and forty years1 which would have been perfectly impossible for the most cloistered1 book-devoted student1 and ,raymond ,lully was a man of indefatigable activity1 as the facts of his itinerant existence abundantly reveal4 ,a writer in the ,biographie ,universelle1 ,paris1 #ahbj1 has the following pertinent remarks on this subject3--8,some of his biographers have extended the number of his treatises to several thousand4,m ,the more moderate have reduced them from five hundred to three hundred1 which lie scattered among the libraries of ,majorca1 ,rome1 ,barcelona1 the ,sorbonne1 ,st ,victor1 and the ,chatreux at ,paris2 but scarcely two hundred can be found distinguished by their titles and the first words of the work2 and this number must be still further diminished as the difference between some of them is very slight1 as chapters have been given for the titles of separate works1 and as the explanations of professors or disciples have often been mistaken by uncritical writers for the lessons of the master40 99 99 99 99 99 ,now1 the great problem in the chequered life of the illuminated theosophist and possessor of the universal science who died thus violently at ,tunis1 or ,bugia1 in the cause of his ,master1 is this--whether or not he is to be identified with that ,raymond ,lully whom liphas ,lvi terms 8a grand and sublime adept of ,hermetic science10 who is said to have made gold and ,rose nobles for one ,edward1 ,king of ,england1 and who left behind him1 as monuments of his unparalleled alchemical proficiency1 those world-famous treatises1 testaments1 and codicils which1 rightly or wrongly1 are attributed1 under the title 8chemistry1 #di treatises10 to the heroic martyr of ,majorca4 ,on this important point1 the writer1 already quoted1 in the ,bibliothque ,universelle1 testifies that 8the works on alchemy must be referred to another ,raymond1 of ,ferrago1 a ,jewish neophyte1 who lived after #acae1 and with whom ,abraham ,bzovius confounded the first in attributing to him some propositions condemned by ,gregory ,,xi40 ,and again3--8,the works on alchemy attributed to him are too opposed to the evangelical poverty of a man who had renounced everything in his zeal for the religion of ,jesus ,christ1 and who protests in many places against the chimera of the philosopher's stone1 sought in his time by ,arnaud de ,villeneuve1 whose disciple he was supposed to be4 ,the circumstances and the dates even in several of these books--of which that on natural wisdom is addressed to ,edward ,,iii4--prove1 moreover1 that they must be referred to a later epoch40 ,the problem is eminently difficult of solution1 and must be considered at some length4 ,raymond ,lully repaired to ,vienna to be present at a general council of the ,church in the year #acaa4 ,while in this city it is alleged that he received letters from ,edward1 ,king of ,england1 who had ascended the throne in #acjg1 and from ,robert1 ,king of ,scotland1 who both invited him with much persuasion to visit their realms4 ,hoping to encourage these princes to assist him in his plans against the infidels1 he soon arrived in ,london in the company of ,john ,cremer1 ,abbot of ,westminster4 ,this ecclesiastic is said to have been one of the most celebrated ,hermetic artists of his age4 ,he worked thirty years to attain the end of alchemy1 but the obscurities of the ,hermetic writers1 which he could not clear up1 cast him into a labyrinth of errors4 ,the more he read1 the more he wondered2 at last1 tired of the loss of his money1 and much more of his precious time1 he set out to travel1 and had the good fortune to meet with ,raymond ,lully in ,italy4 ,with him he formed a strict friendship1 remaining some time in his company1 edified by his penitent life1 and illuminated by his philosophical conversations4 ,the adept1 though he spoke upon alchemy1 would not1 however1 entirely discover the essential points of the operation4 ,cremer was insinuating and affectionate2 he perceived that ,lully's zeal for the conversion of the infidels extended to the false enthusiasm of exciting open war against the ,mohammedans1 and easily persuaded him to visit ,england1 in the hope of ,king ,edward's assistance4 ,the adept lodged with his friend in the ,abbey of ,westminster1 where he worked1 and perfected the stone which ,cremer had so long unsuccessfully sought4 ,he was duly presented to the ,king1 who1 previously informed of the talents of the illustrious stranger1 received him with regard and attention4 ,when he 8communicated his treasures10 the single condition which he made was that they should not be expended in the luxuries of a court or in war with a ,christian prince1 but that the ,king should go in person with an army against the infidels4 ,edward1 under pretence of doing honour to ,raymond1 gave him an apartment in the ,tower of ,london1 where the adept repeated his process4 ,he transmuted base metal into gold1 which was coined at the mint into six millions of nobles1 each worth three pounds sterling at the present day4 ,these coins are well known to antiquarians by the name of ,rose ,nobles4 ,they prove in the assay of the test to be a purer gold than the ,jacobus1 or any other gold coin made in those times4 ,lully in his last testament declares that in a short time1 while in ,london1 he converted twenty-two tons weight of quicksilver1 lead1 and tin into the precious metal4 ,his lodging in the ,tower proved only an honourable prison1 and when ,raymond had satisfied the desires of the ,king1 the latter disregarded the object which the adept was so eager to see executed1 and to regain his own liberty ,lully was obliged to escape surreptitiously1 when he quickly departed from ,england4 ,cremer1 whose intentions were sincere1 was not less grieved than ,raymond at this issue of the event1 but he was subject to his sovereign1 and could only groan in silence4 ,he declares his extreme affliction in his testament1 and his monastery daily offered up prayers to ,god for the success of ,raymond's cause4 ,the ,abbot lived long after this1 and saw part of the reign of ,king ,edward ,,iii4 ,the course of operations which he proposes in his testament1 with apparent sincerity1 is not less veiled than are those in the most obscure authors4,n ,now1 in the first place1 this story is not in harmony with itself4 ,if ,raymond ,lully were at ,vienna in #acaa1 how did ,john ,cremer contrive to meet him in ,italy at or about the same time8 ,in the second place1 the whole story concerning the manufacture of ,rose ,nobles is a series of blunders4 ,the ,king who ascended the throne of ,england in #acjg was ,edward ,,ii41 and the ,rose ,nobles first appear in the history of numismatics during the reign of ,edward ,,iv41 and in the year #adfe4 8,in the ,king's fifth year1 by another indenture with ,lord ,hastings1 the gold coins were again altered1 and it was ordered that forty-five nobles only1 instead of fifty1 as in the last two reigns1 should be made of a pound of gold4 ,this brought back the weight of the noble to one hundred and fifty grains1 as it had been from #acea to #adab1 but its value was raised to #ajs4 ,at the same time1 new coins impressed with angels were ordered to be made1 sixty-seven and a half to be struck from one pound of gold1 and each to be of the value of #fs4 #h;d4--that is to say1 the new angel which weighed eighty grains was to be of the same value as the noble had been which weighed one hundred and eight grains4 ,the new nobles to distinguish them from the old ones were called ,rose ,nobles1 from the rose which is stamped on both sides of them1 or ryals1 or royals1 a name borrowed from the ,french1 who had given it to a coin which bore the figure of the ,king in his royal robes1 which the ,english ryals did not4 ,notwithstanding its inappropriateness1 however1 the name of royal was given to these #ajs4 pieces1 not only by the people1 but also in several statutes of the realm40,o ,in the third place1 the testament ascribed to ,john ,cremer1 ,abbot of ,westminster1 and to which we are indebted for the chief account of ,lully's visit to ,england1 is altogether spurious4 ,no person bearing that name ever filled the position of ,abbot at any period of the history of the ,abbey4 ,the only coinage of nobles which has been attributed to alchemy was that made by ,edward ,,iii4 in #acdd4 ,the gold used in this coinage is supposed to have been manufactured in the ,tower2 the adept in question was not ,raymond ,lully1 but the ,english ,ripley4 ,whether the saint of ,majorca was proficient in the ,hermetic art or not1 it is quite certain that he did not visit the ,british ,isles4 ,it is also certain that in the ,ars ,magna ,sciendi1 part #i1 chapter on ,elements1 he states that one species of metal cannot be changed into another1 and that the gold of alchemy has only the semblance of that metal2 that is1 it is simply a sophistication4 ,as all the treatises ascribed to ,raymond ,lully cannot possibly be his1 and as his errant and turbulent life could have afforded him few opportunities for the long course of experiments which are generally involved in the search for the magnum opus1 it is reasonable to suppose that his alchemical writings are spurious1 or that two authors1 bearing the same name1 have been ignorantly confused4 ,with regard to 8the ,jewish neophyte10 referred to by the ,biographie ,universelle1 no particulars of his life are forthcoming4 ,the whole question is necessarily involved in uncertainty1 but it is a point of no small importance to have established for the first time the fabulous nature of the ,cremer ,testament4 ,this production was first published by ,michael ,maier1 in his ,tripus ,aureus1 about the year #afad4 ,the two treatises which accompany it appear to be genuine relics of ,hermetic antiquity4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the 8,clavicula1 or ,little ,key0 of ,raymond ,lully is generally considered to contain the arch secrets of alchemical adeptship2 it elucidates the other treatises of its author1 and undertakes to declare the whole art without any fiction4 ,the transmutation of metals depends upon their previous reduction into volatile sophic argent vive1 and the only metals worth reducing1 for the attainment of this prima materia1 are silver and gold4 ,this argent vive is said to be dryer1 hotter1 and more digested than the common substance1 but its extraction is enveloped in mystery and symbolism1 and the recipes are impossible to follow for want of the materials so evasively and deceptively described4 ,at the same time1 it is clear that the operations are physical1 and that the materials and objects are also physical1 which points are sufficient for our purpose1 and may be easily verified by research4 ,moreover1 the alchemist who calls himself ,raymond ,lully was acquainted with nitric acid and with its uses as a dissolvent of metals4 ,he could form aqua regia by adding sal ammoniac1 or common salt1 to nitric acid1 and he was aware of its property of dissolving gold4 ,spirit of wine was well known to him1 says ,gruelin2 he strengthened it with dry carbonate of potash1 and prepared vegetable tinctures by its means4 ,he mentions alum from ,rocca1 marcasite1 white and red mercurial precipitate4 ,he knew the volatile alkali and its coagulations by means of alcohol4 ,he was acquainted with cupellated silver1 and first obtained rosemary oil by distilling the plant with water4,p ,,footnotes3 ,k ,this illness is referred to by another writer1 with details of a miraculous kind4 8,about #abge 7the chronology of all the biographers is a chaos of confusion7 he fell ill a second time1 and was reduced to such an extremity that he could take neither rest nor nourishment4 ,on the feast of the ,conversion of ,st ,paul1 the crucified ,saviour again appeared to him1 glorified1 and surrounded by a most exquisite odour1 which surpassed musk1 amber1 and all other scents4 ,in remembrance of this miracle1 on the same day1 in the same bed and place where he lived and slept1 the same supernal odour is diffused40 ,l ,the following variation is also related3--8,finding him still alive when they bore him to the ship1 the merchants put back towards ,genoa to get help1 but they were carried miraculously to ,majorca1 where the martyr expired in sight of his native island4 ,the merchants resolved to say nothing of their precious burden1 which they embalmed and preserved religiously1 being determined to transport it to ,genoa4 ,three times they put to sea with a wind that seemed favourable1 but as often they were forced to return into port1 which proved plainly the will of ,god1 and obliged them to make known the martyrdom of the man whom they revered1 who was stoned for the glory of ,god in the town of ,bugia 787 in the year of grace #acah40 ,from this account it will be seen that the place of ,lully's violent death1 as well as the date on which it occurred1 are both involved in doubt4 ,he was born under the pontificate of ,honorius ,,iv41 and died1 according to ,genebrand1 about #acjd2 but the author of the preface to the meditations of the ,hermit ,blaquerne positively fixes his decease on the feast of the martyrdom of ,,ss4 ,peter and ,paul1 ,june #bi1 #acae1 and declares that he was eighty-six years old4 ,m ,e4g41 ,jean-,marie de ,vernon1 who extends the lists to about three thousand1 and1 following the ,pre ,pacifique de ,provence1 prolongs his life by the discovery of the universal medicine4 ,n 8,lives of ,alchemystical ,philosophers10 ed4 #ahae4 ,o ,kenyon1 8,gold ,coins of ,england10 pp4 #eg1 #eh4 ,p ,gruelin1 ,geschichte der ,chemie1 i4 #gd4 ,,arnold ,,de ,,villanova4 ,the date and the birthplace of this celebrated adept are alike uncertain4 ,catalonia1 ,milan1 and ,montpellier have been severally named for the locality1 and #abde is1 on the whole1 the probable period4 ,arnold studied medicine at ,paris for twenty years1 after which for ten more he perambulated ,italy1 visiting the different universities4 ,he subsequently penetrated into ,spain1 but hearing that ,peter d',apono1 his friend1 was in the hands of the ,inquisition1 he prudently withdrew1 and abode under the patronage of ,frederick1 ,king of ,naples and ,sicily1 writing his tracts on medicine and his 8,comment on the ,school of ,salerno40 ,he is said to have perished in a storm during the year #acad1 but a circular letter written by ,pope ,clement ,v4 in #acaa conjures those living under his authority to discover1 if possible1 and send to him1 the 8,treatise on ,medicine10 written by ,arnold1 his physician1 who promised it to the ,holy ,father1 but died before he could present it4 ,in this case the date of his decease may be more accurately fixed at #acaj4 ,arnold was1 according to the custom of the period1 charged with magical practices4 ,franois ,pegna declares that all his erudition in alchemy was derived from the demon4 ,mariana accuses him of attempting to create a man by means of certain drugs deposited in a pumpkin4 ,but he is justified by ,delrio from these imputations1 and the orthodox ,dictionnaire des ,sciences ,occultes considers that ,clement ,v4 would not have chosen an initiate of magical arts as his physician4 ,in #acag the ,inquisition of ,tarragona condemned his books to be burned1 but this was for the heretical sentiments which they contained4 ,he wrote strictures on the monastic state and the service of religion1 and maintained that works of divine faith and charity were more agreeable to ,god than the ,sacrifice of the ,mass4 ,his skill in ,hermetic philosophy has been generally recognised4 ,his contemporary1 the celebrated ,jurisconsult1 ,john ,andre1 says of him3--8,in this time appeared ,arnold de ,villeneuve1 a great theologian1 a skilful physician1 and wise alchymist1 who made gold1 which he submitted to all proofs40 ,arnold has also the character of writing with more light and clearness than the other philosophers4 ,his alchemical works were published in #aeji1 in one folio volume4 ,his ,libellus de ,somniorum ,interpretatione et ,somnia ,danielis is excessively rare in its original quarto edition4 ,several alchemical and magical works are gratuitously ascribed to him4 ,among these must be classed the book called ,de ,physicis ,ligaturis1 supposed to be translated from the ,arabic--,de ,sigillis duodecim ,signorum1 which is concerned with the zodiacal signs--and the book of the 8,three ,impostors10 which the ,dictionnaire des ,sciences ,occultes denominates 8stupid and infamous40 ,the ,thesaurus ,thesaurorum and the ,rosarium ,philosophorum1 the ,speculum ,alchemi and the ,perfectum ,magisterium1 are the most notable of all his alchemical treatises4 ,to these the student should add his ,scientia ,scienti and brief ,testamentum4 ,the editions are various1 but the tracts will be found in collected form in the ,bibliotheca ,chemic ,curiosa of ,j4 ,j4 ,mangetus4 ,arnold asserts that argent vive is the medicine of all the metals1 that vulgar sulphur is the cause of all their imperfections1 that the stone of the philosophers is one1 and that it is to be extracted from that in which it exists4 ,it exists in all bodies1 including common argent vive4 ,the first physical work is the dissolution of the stone in its own mercury to reduce it to its prima materia4 ,all the operations of the magnum opus are successively described1 including the composition of the white and the red elixirs1 and the multiplication of the metallic medicine4 ,the marcasite frequently mentioned by ,arnold is thought to be identical with bismuth4 ,he was acquainted with the preparation of oil of turpentine1 oil of rosemary1 and performed distillations in a glazed earthen vessel with a glass top and helm4 ,,jean ,,de ,,meung4 ,poet1 alchemist1 and astrologer1 a man of some fortune1 and issued from an ancient family1 ,jean de ,meung was one of the chief figures at the ,court of ,king ,philippe le ,bel4 ,he was born1 according to the latest authorities1 about the middle of the thirteenth century1 and his continuation of the ,roman de la ,rose1 which ,guillaume de ,lorris had begun some time before the year #abfj1 was undertaken not in his nineteenth year1 as generally stated1 but about or a little before the age of thirty1 and at the instance of the ,french ,king4 ,the ,romance of the ,rose1 8that epic of ancient ,france10 as liphas ,lvi calls it1 has been generally considered by alchemists a poetic and allegorical presentation of the secrets of the magnum opus4 ,it professes1 at any rate1 the principles of ,hermetic ,philosophy1 and ,jean de ,meung was also the author of 8,nature's ,remonstrances to the ,alchemist0 and 8,the ,alchemist's ,answer to ,nature40 ,hermetic commentaries have been written upon the romance-poem1 and tradition has ascribed to the author the accomplishment of great transmutations4 ,the sermon of ,genius1 chaplain and confessor to ,dame ,nature1 in the ,romance1 is an exhibition of the principles of chemistry1 as well as a satire on the bombastic and unintelligible preaching which was in vogue at that period4 ,from verse #af1iad to verse #af1iig there is much chemical information4 ,the year #abaf is the probable period of the poet's death4 ,the story told of his testament has only a foundation in legend1 but it is worth repeating as evidence of the general belief in his skill as an alchemist4 ,he chose by his will1 says the story1 to be buried in the ,church of the ,jacobins1 and1 as an acknowledgment1 left them a coffer that appeared1 at least by its weight1 to be filled with things precious1 probably with the best gold which could be manufactured by the skill of the ,hermetists4 ,he ordered1 however1 that this coffer should not be opened till after his funeral1 when1 touched with the piety of the deceased1 the monks assembled in great numbers to be present at its opening1 and to offer up thanks to ,god4 ,they found to their great disappointment that the coffer was filled with large pieces of slates beautifully engraved with figures of geometry and arithmetic4 ,the indignation of the fathers was excited by the posthumous imposture1 and they proposed to eject the body of ,jean de ,meung from their consecrated precincts2 but the ,parliament being informed of this inhumanity1 obliged the ,jacobins1 by a decree1 to leave the deceased undisturbed in the honourable sepulchre of their conventual cloisters4 ,in 8,nature's ,remonstrance to the ,alchemist10 who is described as a foolish and sophistical souffleur1 making use of nothing but mechanical arts1 the complainant bitterly abuses the fanatical student who diffuses over her beautiful domain the rank odours of sulphur1 which he tortures in vain over his furnaces1 for by such a method he will assuredly attain nothing4 ,the alchemist in his 8,reply0 figures as a repentant being1 convinced of his errors1 which he ascribes to the barbarous allegories1 parabolic sentences1 and delusive precepts contained in the writings of the adepts4 ,,the ,,monk ,,ferarius4 ,about the beginning of the fourteenth century1 this ,italian artist gave to the world two treatises--,de ,lapide ,philosophorum and ,thesaurus ,philosophi1 which are printed in the ,theatrum ,chimicum4 ,the 8admirable spectacle0 of the palingenesis of plants is described by this ,jesuit4 8,immediately consequent on exposing to the rays of the sun the phial1 filled with quintessence of the rose1 there is discovered within the narrow compass of the vase a perfect world of miracles4 ,the plant which lay buried in its ashes awakes1 uprises1 and unfolds4 ,in the space of half-an-hour the vegetable phnix is resuscitated from its own dust4 ,the rose issues from its sepulchre and assumes a new life4 ,it is the floral symbol of that resurrection by which mortals lying in darkness and in the shadow of death will pass into beautiful immortality40 ,the treatise on the philosophical stone very pertinently remarks that in alchemy the first thing to be ascertained is what is really signified by the myrionimous argentum vivum sapientum1 a point on which the author gracefully declines information4 ,both works are exceedingly obscure and vexatious4 ,the ,thesaurus ,philosophi testifies that the plain speaking of the philosophers is completely illusory1 and that it is only in their incomprehensible profundities that we must seek the light of ,hermes4 ,alchemy is the science of the four elements1 which are to be found in all created substances1 but are not of the vulgar kind4 ,the whole practice of the art is simply the conversion of these elements into one another4 ,the seed and matter of every metal is mercury1 as it is decocted and otherwise prepared in the bowels of the earth1 and each of them can be reduced into this prima materia1 by the help of which they are also1 one and all1 susceptible of augmentation and multiplication1 even to infinity4 ,,pope ,,john ,,xxii4 ,this pontiff is claimed as an adept by the alchemists1 a fact which is denied1 but not disproved1 by his orthodox biographers4 ,that he believed in the power of magic is shown by the accusation which he directed against ,graud1 ,bishop of ,cahors1 whom he accredited with the design of poisoning him1 together with the entire college of cardinals1 and with having in particular contrived sorceries and diabolical enchantments against all of them4 ,he was the contemporary of ,raymond ,lully and ,arnold de ,villanova1 and is said to have been the pupil and friend of the latter4 ,nevertheless1 the mischief occasioned at that period by the impostures of pretended alchemists led him to issue a bull condemning the traders in this science as charlatans who promised what they were unable to perform4 ,hermetic writers assert that this bull was not directed against veritable adepts1 and his devotion to his laboratory at ,avignon seems a fairly established fact4 ,franciscus ,pagi1 in his ,breviarum de ,gestis ,romanorum ,pontificum1 has the following passage3--,joannes scripsit quoque latino sermone artem metallorum transmutorium2 quod opus prodiit ,gallici incerto translatore ,lugduni1 anno #aeeg in #hvo4 ,it is allowed that he was a writer on medicine4 ,his ,thesaurus ,pauperum1 a collection of recipes1 was printed at ,lyons in #aebe1 and he was the author of a treatise on diseases of the eye1 and of another on the formation of the ftus4 ,he was born at ,cahors1 according to the general opinion1 of poor but reputable parents2 he showed at an early period his skill in law and in the sciences4 ,the circumstances of his life are exceedingly obscure until his consecration as ,bishop of ,frjus in #acjj4 ,subsequently he was promoted to the see of ,avignon1 and ,clement ,v4 created him cardinal-bishop of ,porto4 ,he was raised to the pontificate at ,lyons1 and reigned at ,avignon till his death in #accd4 ,he left behind him in his coffers the sum of eighteen million florins in gold and seven millions in jewels1 besides valuable consecrated vessels4 ,alchemists attribute these vast treasures to his skill in their science1 and assert in addition that he manufactured two hundred ingots1 apparently on a single occasion4 ,by a calculation of one of his biographers1 this quantity of the precious metal was equivalent to #ffj1jjj1 ,british sterling4 ,a treatise entitled 8,the ,elixir of the ,philosophers1 or the ,transmutatory ,art of ,metals10 is attributed to him4 ,it was translated from the ,latin into ,french1 and published in duodecimo at ,lyons in #aeeg4 ,it is written ad clerum1 and for this reason is probably the more misleading4 ,it represents the constituents of the perfect medicine to be vinegar1 salt1 urine1 and sal ammoniac1 with the addition of an undescribed substance called sulphur vive4 ,,nicholas ,,flamel4 ,the name of this alchemical adept has been profoundly venerated not only in the memory of the ,hermetists but in the hearts of the ,french people1 among whom he is the central figure of many marvellous legends and traditions4 8,whilst in all ages and nations the majority of hierophants have derived little but deception1 ruination1 and despair as the result of their devotion to alchemy1 ,nicholas ,flamel enjoyed permanent good fortune and serenity4 ,far from expending his resources in the practice of the magnum opus1 he added with singular suddenness a vast treasure to a moderate fortune4 ,these he employed in charitable endowments and in pious foundations that long survived him and long sanctified his memory4 ,he built churches and chapels which were adorned with statues of himself1 accompanied by symbolical characters and mysterious crosses1 which subsequent adepts long strove to decipher1 that they might discover his secret history1 and the kabbalistic description of the process by which he was conducted to the realisation of the ,grand ,magisterium40 ,whether ,flamel was born at ,paris or ,pontoise is not more uncertain than the precise date of his nativity4 ,this occurred some time during the reign of ,philippe le ,bel1 the spoliator of the grand order of the ,temple1 and1 on the whole1 the most probable year is #accj4 ,his parents were poor1 and left him little more than the humble house in ,paris which he continued to possess till his death1 and which he eventually bequeathed to the ,church4 ,it stood in ,notary ,street1 at the corner of ,marivaux ,street1 opposite the ,marivaux door of the ,church of ,saint-,jacques-la-,boucherie4 ,authorities disagree as to the amount of education that ,flamel obtained in his youth1 but it was sufficient to qualify him for the business of a scrivener1 which1 in spite of his wealth and his accredited wisdom1 he continued to follow through life4 ,he was proficient in painting and poetry1 and had a taste for architecture and the mathematical sciences2 yet he applied himself steadily to business1 and contracted a prudent marriage1 his choice falling on a widow1 named ,pernelle1 who1 though handsome1 was over forty years1 but who brought a considerable dowry to her second husband4 ,in his capacity as a copyist before the age of printing1 books of all classes fell into the hands of ,flamel1 and among them were many of those illuminated alchemical treatises which are reckoned among the rarest treasures of medival manuscripts4 ,acquainted with the ,latin language1 he insensibly accumulated an exoteric knowledge of the aims and theories of the adepts4 ,his interest and curiosity were awakened1 and he began studying them in his leisure moments4 ,now tradition informs us that1 whether his application was great1 his desire intense1 or whether he was super-eminently fitted to be included by divine election among the illuminated ,sons of the ,doctrine1 or for whatever other reason1 the mystical ,bath-,kl appeared to him under the figure of an angel1 bearing a remarkable book bound in well-wrought copper1 the leaves of thin bark1 graven right carefully with a pen of iron4 ,an inscription in characters of gold contained a dedication addressed to the ,jewish nation by ,abraham the ,jew1 prince1 priest1 astrologer1 and philosopher4 8,flamel10 cried the radiant apparition1 8behold this book of which thou understandest nothing2 to many others but thyself it would remain for ever unintelligible1 but one day thou shalt discern in its pages what none but thyself will see60 ,at these words ,flamel eagerly stretched out his hands to take possession of the priceless gift1 but book and angel disappeared in an auriferous tide of light4 ,the scrivener awoke to be ravished henceforth by the divine dream of alchemy2 but so long a time passed without any fulfilment of the angelic promise1 that the ardour of his imagination cooled1 the great hope dwindled gradually away1 and he was settling once more into the commonplace existence of a plodding scribe1 when1 on a certain day of election in the year #aceg1 an event occurred which bore evidence of the veracity of his visionary promise-maker1 and exalted his ambition and aspirations to a furnace heat4 ,this event1 with the consequences it entailed1 are narrated in the last testament of ,nicholas ,flamel1 which begins in the following impressive manner1 but omits all reference to the legendary vision3-- 8,the ,lord ,god of my life1 who exalts the humble in spirit out of the most abject dust1 and makes the hearts of such as hope in ,him to rejoice1 be eternally praised4 8,who1 of ,his own grace1 reveals to the believing souls the springs of ,his bounty1 and subjugates beneath their feet the crowns of all earthly felicities and glories4 8,in ,him let us always put our confidence1 in ,his fear let us place our happiness1 and in ,his mercy the hope and glory of restoration from our fallen state4 8,and in our supplications to ,him let us demonstrate or show forth a faith unfeigned and stable1 an assurance that shall not for ever be shaken4 8,and ,thou1 ,o ,lord ,god ,almighty1 as ,thou1 out of ,thy infinite and most desirable goodness1 hast condescended to open the earth and unlock ,thy treasures unto me1 ,thy poor and unworthy servant1 and hast given into my possession the fountains and well-springs of all the treasures and riches of this world4 8,so1 ,o ,lord ,god1 out of ,thine abundant kindness1 extend ,thy mercies unto me1 that when ,i shall cease to be any longer in the land of the living1 ,thou mayst open unto me the celestial riches1 the divine treasures1 and give me a part or portion in the heavenly inheritance for ever4 8,where ,i may behold ,thy divine glory and the fulness of ,thy ,heavenly ,majesty1 a pleasure1 so ineffable1 and a joy1 so ravishing1 which no mortal can express or conceive4 8,this ,i entreat of ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 for our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,thy well-beloved ,son's sake1 who in the unity of the ,holy ,spirit liveth with ,thee1 world without end4 ,amen4 8,i1 ,nicholas ,flamel1 ,scrivener1 living at ,paris1 anno #acii1 in the ,notary ,street1 near ,st ,james1 of the ,bouchery1 though ,i learned not much ,latin1 because of the poorness and meanness of my parents1 who were notwithstanding 7by them that envy me most7 accounted honest and good people4 8,yet1 by the blessing of ,god1 ,i have not wanted an understanding of the books of the philosophers1 but learned them and attained to a certain kind of knowledge1 even of their hidden secrets4 8,for which cause sake there shall not any moment of my life pass1 wherein remembering this so vast a good1 ,i will not on my bare knees1 if the place will permit of it1 or otherwise in my heart1 with all the entireness of my affections1 render thanks to this my most good and precious ,god4 8,who never forsakes the righteous generation1 or suffers the children of the just to beg their bread1 nor deceives their expectations1 but supports them with blessings who put their trust in ,him4 8,after the death of my parents1 ,i1 ,nicholas ,flamel1 got my living by the art of writing1 engrossing inventories1 making up accounts1 keeping of books1 and the like4 8,in this course of living there fell by chance into my hands a gilded book1 very old and large1 which cost me only two florins4 8,it was not made of paper or parchment1 as other books are1 but of admirable rinds 7as it seemed to me7 of young trees4 ,the cover of it was of brass2 it was well bound1 and graven all over with a strange kind of letters1 which ,i take to be ,greek characters1 or some such like4 8,this ,i know that ,i could not read them1 nor were they either ,latin or ,french letters1 of which ,i understand something4 8,but as to the matter which was written within1 it was engraven 7as ,i suppose7 with an iron pencil or graver upon the said bark leaves1 done admirably well1 and in fair and neat ,latin letters1 and curiously coloured4 8,it contained thrice seven leaves1 for so they were numbered in the top of each folio1 and every seventh leaf was without any writing1 but in place thereof there were several images or figures painted4 8,upon the first seventh leaf was depicted--#a4 ,a ,virgin4 #b4 ,serpents swallowing her up4 ,on the second seventh1 a serpent crucified2 and on the last seventh1 a desert or wilderness1 in midst whereof were seen many fair fountains1 whence issued out a number of serpents here and there4 8,upon the first of the leaves was written in capital letters of gold1 ,abraham the ,jew1 ,priest1 ,prince1 ,levite1 ,astrologer1 and ,philosopher1 to the nation of the ,jews dispersed by the wrath of ,god in ,france1 wisheth health4 8,after which words1 it was filled with many execrations and curses1 with this word ,,maranatha1 which was oft repeated against any one that should look in to unfold it1 except he were either ,priest or ,scribe4 8,the person that sold me this book was ignorant of its worth as well as ,i who bought it4 ,i judge it might have been stolen from some of the ,jewish nation1 or else found in some place where they anciently abode4 8,in the second leaf of the book he consoled his nation1 and gave them pious counsel to turn from their wickedness and evil ways1 but above all to flee from idolatry1 and to wait in patience for the coming of the ,messiah1 who1 conquering all the kings and potentates of the earth1 should reign in glory with his people to eternity4 ,without doubt1 this was a very pious1 wise1 and understanding man4 8,in the third leaf1 and in all the writings that followed1 he taught them1 in plain words1 the transmutation of metals1 to the end that he might help and assist his dispersed people to pay their tribute to the ,roman ,emperors1 and some other things not needful here to be repeated4 8,he painted the vessels by the side or margin of the leaves1 and discovered all the colours as they should arise or appear1 with all the rest of the work4 8,but of the prima materia or first matter1 or agent1 he spake not so much as one word2 but only he told them that in the fourth and fifth leaves he had entirely painted or decyphered it1 and depicted or figured it1 with a desirable dexterity and workmanship4 8,now though it was singularly well and materially or intelligibly figured and painted1 yet by that could no man ever have been able to understand it without having been well skilled in their ,cabala1 which is a series of old traditions1 and also to have been well studied in their books4 8,the fourth and fifth leaf thereof was without any writing1 but full of fair figures1 bright and shining1 or1 as it were1 enlightened1 and very exquisitely depicted4 8,first1 there was a young man painted1 with wings at his ankles1 having in his hand a caducean rod1 writhen about with two serpents1 wherewith he stroke upon an helmet covering his head4 8,this seemed in my mean apprehension to be one of the heathen gods1 namely1 ,mercury4 ,against him there came running and flying with open wings1 a great old man with an hour-glass fixed upon his head1 and a scythe in his hands1 like ,death1 with which he would 7as it were in indignation7 have cut off the feet of ,mercury4 8,on the other side of the fourth leaf he painted a fair flower1 on the top of a very high mountain1 which was very much shaken by the north wind4 ,its footstalk was blue1 its flowers white and red1 and its leaves shining like fine gold1 and round about it the dragons and griffins of the north made their nests and habitations4 8,on the fifth leaf was a fair rose-tree1 flowered1 in the midst of a garden1 growing up against a hollow oak1 at the foot whereof bubbled forth a fountain of pure white water1 which ran headlong down into the depths below4 8,yet it passed through the hands of a great number of people who digged in the earth1 seeking after it1 but1 by reason of their blindness1 none of them knew it1 except a very few1 who considered its weight4 8,on the last side of the leaf was depicted a king1 with a faulchion1 who caused his soldiers to slay before him many infants1 the mothers standing by1 and weeping at the feet of their murderers4 8,these infants' blood being gathered up by other soldiers1 was put into a great vessel wherein ,sol and ,luna came to bathe themselves4 8,and because this history seemed to represent the destruction of the ,innocents by ,herod1 and that ,i learned the chiefest part of the art in this book1 therefore ,i placed in their churchyard these hieroglyphic figures of this learning4 ,thus have you that which was contained in the first five leaves4 8,as for what was in all the rest of the written leaves1 which was wrote in good and intelligible ,latin1 ,i must conceal1 lest ,god being offended with me should send ,his plague and judgments upon me4 ,it would be a wickedness much greater than he who wished that all men in the world had but one head1 that he might cut it off at a blow4 8,having thus obtained this delicate and precious book1 ,i did nothing else day and night but study it2 conceiving very well all the operations it pointed forth1 but wholly ignorant of the prima materia with which ,i should begin1 which made me very sad and discontented4 8,my wife1 whose name was ,perrenelle1 whom ,i loved equally with myself1 and whom ,i had but lately married1 was mightily concerned for me1 and1 with many comforting words1 earnestly desired to know how she might deliver me from this trouble4 8,i could no longer keep counsel1 but told her all1 shewing her the very book1 which1 when she saw1 she became as well pleased with it as myself1 and with great delight beheld the admirable cover1 the engraving1 the images1 and exquisite figures thereof1 but understood them as little as ,i4 8,yet it was matter of consolation to me to discourse and entertain myself with her1 and to think what we should do to find out the interpretation and meaning thereof4 8,at length ,i caused to be painted within my chamber1 as much to the life or original as ,i could1 all the images and figures of the said fourth and fifth leaves4 8,these ,i showed to the greatest scholars and most learned men in ,paris1 who understood thereof no more than myself3 ,i told them they were found in a book which taught the philosophers' stone4 8,but the greatest part of them made a mock both of me and that most excellent secret1 except one whose name was ,anselm1 a practiser of physic and a deep student in this art4 8,he much desired to see my book1 which he valued more than anything else in the world1 but ,i always refused him1 only making him a large demonstration of the method4 8,he told me that the first figure represented ,time1 which devours all things1 and that1 according to the number of the six written leaves1 there was required a space of six years to perfect the stone2 and then1 said he1 we must turn the glass and see it no more4 8,i told him this was not painted1 but only to show the teacher the prima materia1 or first agent1 as was written in the book4 ,he answered me that this digestion for six years was1 as it were1 a second agent1 and that certainly the first agent was there painted1 which was a white and heavy water4 8,this1 without doubt1 was argent vive1 which they could not fix2 that is1 cut off his feet1 or take away his volubility1 save by that long digestion in the pure blood of young infants4 8,for in that this argent vive being joined with ,sol and ,luna was first turned with them into a plant1 like that there painted1 and afterwards by corruption into serpents1 which serpents1 being perfectly dried and digested1 were made a fine powder of gold1 which is the stone4 8,this strange or foreign discourse to the matter was the cause of my erring1 and that made me wander for the space of one and twenty years in a perfect meander from the verity2 in which space of time ,i went through a thousand labyrinths or processes1 but all in vain2 yet never with the blood of infants1 for that ,i accounted wicked and villainous4 8,for ,i found in my book that the philosophers called blood the mineral spirit which is in the metals1 chiefly in ,sol1 ,luna1 and ,mercury1 to which sense ,i always1 in my own judgment1 assented4 ,yet these interpretations were1 for the most part1 not more subtle than true4 8,not finding1 therefore1 in my operation or course of the process1 the signs1 at the time written in my book1 ,i was ever to begin again4 8,in the end1 having lost all hope of ever understanding those symbols or figures1 ,i made a vow to ,god to demand their interpretation of some ,jewish priest belonging to some synagogue in ,spain4 8,whereupon1 with the consent of my wife ,perrenelle1 carrying with me the extract or copy of the figures or pictures1 ,i took up a pilgrim's habit and staff1 in the same manner as you see me figured without the said arch1 in the said churchyard in which ,i put these ,hieroglyphic ,figures4 8,whereupon also ,i have set on the wall1 on both hands1 the process1 representing in order all the colours of the stone1 as they rise and go away again4 8,this is1 as it were1 the very beginning of ,hercules his book1 entitled #8,iris1 or the ,rainbow1' which treats of the stone in these words3--,the process of the work is very pleasing unto nature4 8,and these words ,i also put there expressly1 for the sake of great scholars and learned men1 who may understand to what they allude4 8,in this same manner1 ,i say1 ,i put myself upon my journey to ,spain1 and so much ,i did that ,i1 in a short time1 arrived at ,mountjoy1 and1 a while after1 at ,st ,james1 where1 with much devotion1 ,i accomplished my vow4 8,this done1 in ,leon1 ,i1 at my return1 met with a merchant of ,boulogne1 who brought me acquainted with a physician1 ,m4 ,canches1 a ,jew by nation1 but now a ,christian1 dwelling at ,leon aforesaid4 8,i showed him the extract or copy of my figures1 by which he was1 as it were1 ravished with great astonishment and joy4 ,he desired immediately if ,i could tell him any news of the book whence they were drawn4 8,i answered him in ,latin 7in which language he asked me the question7 that ,i doubted not of obtaining the sight of the book1 if ,i could meet with any one who could unfold the enigmas4 ,hearing this1 and being transported with great earnestness and joy1 he began to decypher unto me the beginning4 ,to be short1 he was much pleased that he was in hopes to hear tidings of the book1 and ,i as much pleased to hear him speak and interpret it4 ,and1 doubtless1 he had heard much talk of the book1 but it was1 as he said1 of a thing which was believed to be utterly lost4 ,upon this1 we resolved for our voyage1 and from ,leon we passed to ,oviedo1 and thence to ,sareson1 where we took shipping1 and went to sea in order to go into ,france4 8,our voyage was prosperous and happy1 and1 being arrived in the kingdom of ,france1 he most truly interpreted unto me the greatest part of my figures1 in which1 even to the points and pricks1 he could decypher great mysteries1 which were admirable to me4 ,having attained ,orleans1 this learned man fell sick1 even to death1 being afflicted with extreme vomitings1 which still continued with him1 as being first caused by sea-sickness4 ,notwithstanding which1 he was in continual fear lest ,i should leave or forsake him1 which was a great trouble to him4 ,and although ,i was continually by his side1 yet he would be almost always calling for me4 ,at the end of the seventh day of his sickness he died1 which was no small grief to me1 and ,i buried him1 as well as my condition would permit me1 in a church at ,orleans4 8,he that would see the manner of my arrival and the joy of ,perrenelle1 let him look upon us two in the city of ,paris1 upon the door of the chapel of ,james of the ,boucherie1 close by the one side of my house1 where we are both painted1 kneeling and giving thanks to ,god4 ,for through the grace of ,god it was that ,i attained the perfect knowledge of all ,i desired4 8,well1 ,i had now the prima materia1 the first principles1 yet not their first preparation1 which is a thing most difficult above all other things in the world2 but in the end ,i had that also1 after a long aberration1 and wandering in a labyrinth of errors for the space of three years1 or thereabouts1 during which time ,i did nothing but study and search and labour1 so as you see me depicted without this arch where ,i have placed my process2 praying also continually unto ,god1 and reading attentively in my book1 pondering the words of the philosophers1 and then trying and proving the various operations1 which ,i thought to myself they might mean by their words4 ,at length ,i found that which ,i desired1 which ,i also soon knew by the scent and odour thereof4 ,having this1 ,i easily accomplished the magistery4 ,for knowing the preparations of the prime agents1 and then literally following the directions in my book1 ,i could not then miss the work if ,i would4 8,having attained this1 ,i come now to projection2 the first time ,i made projection was upon mercury1 a pound and a half whereof1 or thereabouts1 ,i turned into pure silver1 better than that of the mine1 as ,i proved by assaying of it myself1 and also causing others to assay it for me several times4 ,this was done in the year of our ,lord #achb1 ,january #ag1 about noon1 being ,monday1 in my own house1 ,perrenelle only present4 8,again1 following exactly the directions in my book1 literally and word by word1 ,i made projection of the red stone1 on the like quantity1 ,perrenelle only being present1 and in the same house1 which was done in the same year of our ,lord1 namely1 #achb1 ,april #be1 at five in the afternoon4 ,this mercury ,i truly transmuted into almost as much gold1 much better1 indeed1 than common gold1 more soft also1 and more pliable4 8,i speak it in all truth3 ,i have made it three times1 with the help of ,perrenelle1 who understood it as well as myself1 because she assisted me in my operations4 ,and without doubt1 if she would have done it alone1 she would have brought it to the same1 or full as great1 perfection as ,i had done4 ,i had truly enough when ,i had once done it2 but ,i found exceeding great pleasure and delight in seeing and contemplating the admirable works of ,nature within the vessels1 and to show to you that ,i had thus done it three times1 ,i caused to be depicted under the same arch1 three furnaces1 like to those which serve for the operations of this work4 8,i was much concerned for a long time lest ,perrenelle1 by reason of extreme joy1 should not hide her felicity1 which ,i measured by my own1 and lest she should let fall some words among her relations concerning the great treasure we possessed4 ,for an extremity of joy takes away the understanding as well as an extremity of grief and sorrow4 ,but the goodness of the most great ,god had not only given and filled me with this blessing1 to give me a chaste and sober wife1 but she was also a wise and prudent woman1 not only capable of reason but also to do what was reasonable1 and was more discreet and secret than ordinarily other women are4 ,above all1 she was exceedingly religious and devout3 and therefore seeing herself without hope of children1 and now well stricken in years1 she made it her business1 as ,i did1 to think of ,god1 and to give ourselves to the works of charity and mercy4 8,before the time wherein ,i wrote this discourse1 which was at the latter end of the year of our ,lord #adac1 after the death of my faithful companion1 whose loss ,i cannot but lament all the days of my life1 she and ,i had already founded1 and endowed with revenues1 fourteen hospitals1 three chapels1 and seven churches1 in the city of ,paris1 all which we had new built from the ground1 and enriched with great gifts and revenues1 with many reparations in their churchyards4 ,we also have done at ,boulogne about as much as we have done at ,paris1 not to speak of the charitable acts which we both did to particular poor people1 principally to widows and orphans1 whose names should ,i divulge1 with the largeness of the charity1 and the way and manner of doing it1 as my reward would then be only in this world1 so neither could it be pleasing to the persons to whom we did it4 8,building1 therefore1 these hospitals1 chapels1 churches1 and churchyards in the city1 ,i caused to be depicted under the said fourth arch the most true and essential marks or signs of this art1 yet under veils1 types1 and hieroglyphic covertures1 in imitation of those things which are contained in the gilded book of ,abraham the ,jew2 demonstrating to the wise1 and men of understanding1 the direct and perfect way of operation1 and lineary work of the philosophers' stone4 ,which being perfected by any one1 takes away from him the root of all sin and evil1 which is covetousness1 changing his evil into good1 and making him liberal1 courteous1 religious1 devout1 and fearing ,god1 however wicked he was before4 ,for from thenceforward he is continually ravished with the goodness of ,god1 and with ,his grace and mercy1 which he has obtained from the fountain of ,eternal ,goodness1 with the profoundness of ,his divine and adorable power1 and with the consideration of ,his admirable works40 ,according to ,langlet du ,fresnoy1 the evidence of these things remained in the year #agdb4 ,in the cemetery of the ,holy ,innocents stood the arch built by ,flamel with the hieroglpyhic figures upon it4 ,in two niches1 without the arch and on the cemetery side1 were statues of ,st ,james and ,st ,john4 ,below that of ,st ,john was the figure of ,flamel himself1 reading in a book1 with a ,gothic ,n4 ,f4 to mark his name4 ,the progression of the colours in the order of the process1 originally represented on the wall1 was1 however1 effaced4 ,in the same cemetery was a charnel house1 or receptacle for the skulls and bones disinterred in the digging of new graves4 ,upon one of the pillars of this charnel there was a ,gothic ,n4 ,f41 with this inscription3-- ,ce charnier fut fait donn l',eglise1 ,pour l'amour de ,dieu1 l'an #acii4 ,the second of these evidences was upon the ,marivaux door of the ,church of ,saint ,jacques-la-,boucherie1 where on the left side at entering was the figure of ,flamel1 kneeling at the feet of ,st ,james1 with a ,gothic ,n4 upon the pedestal4 ,the figure of ,perrenelle was represented on the opposite side1 kneeling at the feet of ,st ,john1 the pedestal bearing a ,gothic ,p4 ,the third evidence was in the street of ,notre ,dame1 at the portal of ,genevieve of ,arden4 ,there ,flamel's statue was to be seen in a niche1 kneeling with a desk at his side1 looking towards ,st ,james4 ,there was a ,gothic ,n4 ,f4 below and the inscription1 8,this portal was built in #adjb1 by the alms of many40 ,flamel is supposed to have concealed in this manner that he was the principal donor1 but the figure may have been erected to his memory4 ,the fourth and final evidence was in the street of the cemetery of ,st ,nicholas of the ,fields1 where there was the wall of an unfinished hospital with figures engraven on the stone and the initials of ,flamel4 ,after the death of ,perrenelle the bereaved adept is supposed to have prepared for posterity several works on the supreme science which had enriched him3--,le ,livre des ,figures ,hieroglyphiques2 ,le ,sommaire ,philosophique1 written in verse after the manner of the ,roman de la ,rose2 ,trois ,traits de la ,transformation ,metallique1 also in rhymed verse2 ,le ,desir ,dsir1 ou ,trsor de ,philosophie2 ,le ,grand ,eclaircissement de la ,pierre ,philosophale pour la ,transmutation de tous ,mtaux2 ,la ,musique ,chimique2 ,annotationes in ,d4 ,zacharmin1 c4 ,approaching near the end of his life1 and having no children1 he chose his burial place in the parish church of ,st ,jacques-la-,boucherie1 before the crucifix4 ,to this end he made a contract with the wardens of the church1 which is mentioned in his testament4 ,he then disposed of his property and goods to the church and to the poor1 as may be seen in his will1 which is lodged in the archives of ,st ,jacques4 ,it is dated the #bbnd ,november #adaf1 and begins thus3--8,to all those to whom these present letters shall come1 ,i1 ,annegny du ,castel1 chevalier1 counsellor chambellan of the ,king1 our ,sire1 ,keeper of the ,prevot of ,paris1 greeting3 ,know ye1 that before ,hugues de la ,barre and ,jean de la ,noe1 notary clerks of the ,king1 at the ,chatelet1 was established personally1 ,nicholas ,flamel1 scrivener1 sound in body and mind1 speaking clearly1 with good and true understanding10 c4 ,it fills four sheets of parchment1 which are sewed one to the end of the other1 like the rolls of ancient writing4 ,it contains thirty-four articles2 in the twentieth he bequeaths to his relations the sum of forty livres4 ,he lived three years after making this will1 dying about #adai4 99 99 99 99 99 ,hostile criticism has endeavoured to destroy the testimony which the history of ,flamel affords to the reality of transmutation1 and has adopted various means4 ,it has attempted to disprove his wealth by reducing his munificence1 representing him simply as an honest bourgeois1 who1 thanks to his economy and his assiduity1 acquired a comfortable competence1 which a childless condition enabled him to devote to works of benevolence1 and to the erection of public buildings on a moderate scale4 ,the alchemical testaments and treatises attributed to him are condemned one and all as absolutely spurious4 ,the chief expositor of this view is the ,abb ,l4 ,vilain in his ,essai sur une ,histoire de ,saint-,jacques-la-,boucherie1 published in duodecimo at ,paris1 in #ageh1 and again in a ,histoire ,critique de ,nicolas ,flamel et de ,pernel sa ,femme1 ,paris1 #aghb1 c4 ,it must be granted out of hand that all the alchemical compositions which have passed under the name of ,flamel are open to more or less suspicion1 and some are undoubtedly forgeries4 ,the work on metallic transmutation1 which is the earliest traceable treatise1 was unheard of till a hundred and forty-three years after the death of its accredited author4 ,it was published in the year #aefa by ,jacques ,goharry4 ,le ,grand ,eclaircissement first saw the light in #afbh1 when the editor1 who apparently abounded in ,flamel manuscripts1 promised the publication in addition of ,la ,joie ,parfaite de ,moi1 ,nicolas ,flamel1 et de ,pernelle1 ma ,femme1 which has not1 however1 appeared4 ,on the other hand1 there are strong arguments for the genuineness of the ,trsor de ,philosophie4 8,there exists in the ,bibliothque du ,roi0 says ,m4 ,auguste ,vallet1 8a small manuscript book1 grossement reli1 according to all appearance belonging to the end of the fourteenth century1 and which treats of alchemical operations4 ,it commences with these words3-- 8#8,excipit the ,true ,practice of the ,noble ,science of ,alchemy1 the desired desire1 and the prize unappraisable1 compiled from all the philosophers1 and drawn out of ancient works4' 8,it teaches the manner of accomplishing the ,magnum ,opus by the aid of successive operations1 which are termed ,lavures in this treatise4 ,on the last leaf of the manuscript is the following inscription written by the same hand as the rest of the text3--#8,the present book is of and belonging to ,nicolas ,flamel1 of the ,parish ,saint-,jacques-de-la-,boucherie1 who has written and illuminated it with his own hand4'0 ,with regard to the extent of the scrivener's resources1 the genuine testament of ,pernelle1 dated #acii1 and the endowments of hospitals and churches which undoubtedly took place on a scale of great munificence1 are a sufficient evidence that he was an exceedingly wealthy man4 ,other critics1 including ,louis ,figuier1 admit the fact of his riches1 but enlarge upon the remunerative nature of a scrivener's occupation previous to the invention of printing1 and upon the careful frugality of the supposed alchemist2 but in the teeth of their own theory they are obliged to admit that ,flamel did become a student of alchemy1 that the hieroglyphics1 figures1 and emblems in the ,cemetery of the ,holy ,innocents are evidence of this fact2 that1 unlike most followers of ,hermes1 he was not impoverished by his experiments2 and that he fostered the report that his wealth was in the main a result of his possession of the mysterious book of ,abraham1 by which he had been able to compose the philosophical stone4 ,gabriel ,naud1 who detested magic1 and seems to have despised alchemy1 vilifying the possessors of both of these sciences alike1 accounts for the riches of ,flamel by asserting that he managed affairs for the ,jews1 and upon their banishment from the kingdom of ,france1 and the confiscation of their property for the king1 8he1 knowing the sums due by several individuals1 compromised1 by receiving a part1 which they paid him to prevent his giving information which would oblige them to surrender it entirely40 ,this explanation of the source of ,flamel's riches is a purely unfounded assertion4 ,if we carefully examine history1 there were three expulsions of the ,jews from ,france between #acjj and #adbj4 ,they were banished in #acjh1 were soon after allowed to return1 and were again banished in #acbj4 ,these persecutions occurred before the birth of ,flamel4 ,the ,jews were re-established by ,charles ,v4 in #acfd1 and they remained in quiet until the riots which occurred in ,paris in #achj1 at the beginning of the reign of ,charles ,,vi41 when the people rose up against the ,jews1 committing great outrages and demanding their expulsion4 ,the sedition1 however1 was quelled1 and the ,jews protected until #acic1 when1 upon several charges preferred against them1 they were enjoined to quit ,france1 or else become ,christians4 ,the historian ,mezeray says that some of them chose rather to quit their religion than the kingdom1 but others sold their goods and retired4 ,thus it appears that the only expulsion of the ,jews which could agree with ,naud's surmise was without the confiscation of their property1 and1 therefore1 could not give ,flamel the opportunity alleged1 if1 indeed1 it were reasonable to suppose that all the ,parisian ,israelites entrusted their affairs to a single person1 when it does not appear that necessity required such an agency4 ,there is1 therefore1 no reason to suppose that ,flamel was enriched by the property of the ,jews1 or that those who owed them money compounded with ,flamel1 lest he should denounce them to the king4,q ,thus the theories of hostile criticism break down before impartial examination1 and to whatever source we may choose to ascribe the wealth of ,nicholas ,flamel1 we have no reason to question his integrity1 nor to deny the explanation of the alchemists1 except upon the priori ground of the impossibility of transmutation4 ,the divine gift which was so fortunate a possession to ,flamel is supposed to have been a curse to his descendants4 ,he is reported to have given some of the transmuting powder to ,m4 ,perrier1 a nephew of ,perrenelle4 ,from him it descended to ,dr ,perrier1 and was found among his effects at his death by his grandson1 ,dubois4 ,the prudence and moderation that accompanied the gift to the ,perriers was not found in ,dubois4 ,he exhibited the sacred miracle to improper persons1 says an anonymous writer on alchemy1 and was brought before ,louis ,,xiii41 in whose presence he made gold of base metal1 and this gold augmented its weight in the cupel4 ,the consequence of this generosity was an infamous death4 ,the vanity of ,dubois was in proportion to his imprudence4 ,he fancied that he could make or augment the powder1 and promised to do so1 but without success4 ,it seems that he was1 consequently1 suspected of withholding the art from the king1 a circumstance sufficient in politics to justify strong measures1 lest the possessor of the sinews of war should go over to the enemy4 ,whatever were the charges against ,dubois1 he was hanged1 and his fate should be a proof1 says the writer already quoted1 that a science producing unbounded riches is the greatest misfortune to those who are unfitted and unprepared to manage the dangerous trust with discretion4 ,after the death of ,flamel1 many persons supposed that there must be doubtless some buried treasures in the house which he had inhabited during so many years1 and in which all his ,hermetical triumphs had been performed4 ,this opinion existed in all its strength1 at least in the mind of one individual1 so late as the year #aegf1 when a stranger applied to the ,prvt of ,paris1 and stated that he had been entrusted by a deceased friend with certain sums for the restoration of ,flamel's house4 ,as the building was exceedingly dilapidated1 the magistrates availed themselves of the opportunity1 and repairs were begun under the direction of delegates of the works of ,saint-,jacques-de-la-,boucherie4 ,the true object of the stranger soon became evident by the determination with which he sought to lay bare the whole foundations of the house1 which was ransacked from top to bottom in search of the treasures it was supposed to conceal4 ,no discoveries rewarded the zeal of the investigation1 which ended in the sudden disappearance of the stranger1 without paying for the operations which he had caused to be set on foot4 ,as a completion to the history of ,flamel1 it may be entertaining to quote an extraordinary account which is seriously narrated by ,paul ,lucas in his 8,journey through ,asia ,minor40 8,i was at ,bronosa1 in ,natolia1 and going to take the air with a person of distinction1 came to a little mosque1 which was adorned with gardens and fountains for a public walk2 we were quickly introduced into a cloister1 where we found four dervishes1 who received us with all imaginable civility1 and desired us to partake of what they were eating4 ,we were told1 what we soon found to be true1 that they were all persons of the greatest worth and learning2 one of them1 who said he was of ,usbec ,tartary1 appeared to be more accomplished than the rest1 and ,i believe verily he spoke all the principal languages of the world4 ,after we had conversed in ,turkish1 he asked me if ,i could speak ,latin1 ,spanish1 or ,italian4 ,i told him1 if he pleased1 to speak to me in ,italian2 but he soon discovered by my accent that it was not my mother-tongue1 and asked me frankly what country ,i came from8 ,as soon as he knew that ,i was a native of ,france1 he spoke to me in as good ,french as if he had been brought up at ,paris4 #8,how long1 sir1' said ,i1 #8did you stay in ,france8' ,he replied he had never been there1 but that he had a great inclination to undertake the journey4 8,i did all in my power to strengthen that resolution1 and to convince him that ,france was the nursery of the learned1 and its king a patron of the sciences1 who defrayed the expense of my travels for collecting notices of antiquities1 drawings of monuments1 correcting maps1 and making a collection of ancient coins1 manuscripts1 c41 all of which he seemed to approve civilly4 ,our conversation being ended1 the dervishes brought us to their house1 at the foot of the mountain1 where1 having drank coffee1 ,i took my leave1 but with a promise1 however1 that ,i would shortly come and see them again4 8,on the #ajth1 the dervish whom ,i took for an ,usbec came to pay me a visit4 ,i shewed him all the manuscripts ,i had bought1 and he assured me they were very valuable1 and written by great authors4 ,he was a man every way extraordinary in learning2 and in external appearance he seemed to be about thirty years old1 but from his discourse ,i was persuaded he had lived a century4 8,he told me he was one of seven friends1 who travelled to perfect their studies1 and1 every twenty years1 met in a place previously appointed4 ,i perceived that ,bronosa was the place of their present meeting1 and that four of them had arrived4 ,religion and natural philosophy took up our thoughts by turns2 and at last we fell upon chemistry1 alchemy1 and the ,cabala4 ,i told him all these1 and especially the philosophers' stone1 were regarded by most men of sense as mere fictions4 8#8,that1' replied he1 #8should not surprise you2 the sage hears the ignorant without being shocked1 but does not for that reason sink his understanding to the same level4 ,when ,i speak of a sage1 ,i mean one who sees all things die and revive without concern3 he has more riches in his power than the greatest king1 but lives temperately1 above the power of events4' 8,here ,i stopped him3--#8,with all these fine maxims1 the sage dies as well as other people4' #8,alas6' said he1 #8,i perceive you are unacquainted with sublime science4 ,such a one as ,i describe dies indeed1 for death is inevitable1 but he does not die before the utmost limits of his mortal existence4 ,hereditary disease and weakness reduce the life of man1 but the sage1 by the use of the true medicine1 can ward off whatever may hinder or impair the animal functions for a thousand years4' 8,surprised at all ,i heard1 #8,and would you persuade me1' said ,i1 #8that all who possessed the philosophers' stone have lived a thousand years8' ,he replied gravely3--#8,without doubt every one might2 it depends entirely on themselves4' ,at last ,i took the liberty of naming the celebrated ,flamel1 who1 it was said1 possessed the philosophers' stone1 yet was certainly dead4 ,he smiled at my simplicity1 and asked with an air of mirth3--#8,do you really believe this8 ,no1 no1 my friend1 ,flamel is still living2 neither he nor his wife are dead4 ,it is not above three years since ,i left both the one and the other in the ,indies2 he is one of my best friends4' ,whereupon he told me the history of ,flamel1 as he heard it from himself1 the same as ,i had read in his book1 until at last when ,charles ,,vi41 who was then upon the throne1 sent ,m4 ,cramoisi1 a magistrate1 and his master of requests1 to enquire from ,flamel the origin of his riches1 when the latter at once saw the danger he was in4 ,having sent her into ,switzerland to await his coming1 he spread a report of his wife's death1 had her funeral celebrated1 and in a few years ordered his own coffin to be interred4 ,since that time they have both lived a philosophic life1 sometimes in one country1 sometimes in another4 ,this is the true history1 and not that which is believed at ,paris1 where there are very few who ever had the least glimpse of true wisdom4'0 99 99 99 99 99 ,according to the 8,treasure of ,philosophy10 alchemy as a science consists in the knowledge of the four elements of philosophers1 which are not to be identified with the vulgar so-called elements1 and which are convertible one into another4 ,the true prima materia is mercury1 prepared and congealed in the bowels of the earth by the mediation of the heat of sulphur4 ,this is the sperm and semen of all metals1 which1 like other created things1 are capable of a growth and multiplication that may be continued even to infinity4 ,the first step in transmutation is the reduction of the metals worked upon into their first mercurial matter1 and this reduction is the subject of the whole treatise4 ,it does not appear that the alchemical works attributed to ,nicholas ,flamel have added anything to our knowledge of chemistry4 ,on the other hand1 it is perfectly clear from his history that the physical object of ,alchemy was the end which he kept in view1 and that also which he is supposed to have attained4 ,,footnotes3 ,q ,according to ,louis ,figuier1 there were two minor persecutions of the ,jews1 one in #acdf1 when ,flamel was merely a boy1 and the other in #aced1 when he was scarcely established in business4 ,,peter ,,bono4 ,this adept1 born in ,lombardy1 was an inhabitant of ,pola1 a seaport of ,istria1 where he affirms that he made the much desired transmuting metal of the sages1 in the year #accj4 ,he wrote and published a complete treatise on the art under the title ,margarita ,pretiosa4 ,lacinius1 a monk of ,calabria1 has printed a faithful abridgment of it1 which appeared at ,venice in #aedf4 ,an ,introductio in ,artem ,divinam ,alchimi1 #afjb1 and ,de ,secreto ,omnium ,secretorum1 ,venet4 #aedf1 are ascribed to this adept4 ,the first of these works is an exceedingly comprehensive1 conscientious treatise on the history1 the theory1 and the practice of alchemy1 written after the manner of the scholastics1 and naturally containing much irrelevant matter1 but for all this very useful and even interesting4 ,the difficulties of the art are manfully faced1 the sophistications1 deceptions1 and contradictions of its professors are reproved1 and the author attempts to show that alchemy is in reality a short art and a slight practice1 though full of truth and nobility4 ,his other opinions are also of a revolutionary character4 ,,johannes ,,de ,,rupecissa4 ,this writer is considered one of the most remarkable of the ,hermetic philosophers4 ,he abounds with prophetic passages1 and denounces the fate of nations1 but in his alchemical explanation of things physical is obscure even for an adept4 ,nothing is known of his life1,r beyond the nobility of his origin and his imprisonment in #aceg1 by ,pope ,innocent ,,vi41 whom he had reprehended4 ,the illustrious ,montfauon was one of his descendants1 and he poses as an initiate of the secret chemistry in the following works3--8,the ,book of ,light10 8,the ,five ,essences10 ,clum ,philosophorum1 and his most celebrated treatise ,de ,confectione ,lapidis4 ,there he declares that the matter of the philosophical stone is a viscous water which is to be found everywhere1 but if the stone itself should be openly named1 the whole world would be revolutionised4 ,the divine science possessed by the wise is somewhat poetically celebrated as an incomparable treasure4 ,its initiates are enriched with an infinite wealth beyond all the kings of the earth2 they are just before ,god and men1 and in enjoyment of the special favour of ,heaven4 ,,footnotes3 ,r ,he is said to have been a ,french monk of the order of ,st ,francis4 ,,basil ,,valentine4 ,one of the most illustrious of the adept philosophers is unquestionably ,basilius ,valentinus1 born at ,mayence1 and made prior of ,st ,peter's at ,erfurt in #adad4 ,his name was supposed to be fictitious and adopted for the purpose of concealing some accomplished artist1 but the history of the city of ,erfurt1 published by ,j4 ,m4 ,gudemus assures us of the existence and name of the philosopher1 on the authority of the public records1 and shows us that in #adac he was an inmate of the monastic house already mentioned1 and that he distinguished himself by a profound knowledge of nature4,s ,as the work of ,gudemus was printed in #afge1 the veracity of the ,dictionnaire des ,sciences ,occultes1 written in the interests of religion and for the blackening of the secret sciences1 may be judged by the following passage3--8,his life is so mixed up with fables that some have disbelieved in his existence4 ,he is represented flourishing in the twelfth1 thirteenth1 fourteenth1 and fifteenth centuries2 it is even added1 without the smallest proof1 that he was a benedictine at ,erfurt40 ,according to ,olaus ,borrichius1 he enclosed his writings in one of the pillars of the abbey church2 they remained for many years in this hiding-place1 but were at length discovered by the fortunate violence of a thunderbolt4 ,he was the first who introduced antimony into medicine1 and it is said that he originally tried the effects of antimonial medicines upon the monks of his convent1 upon whom they acted with such undue violence 8that he was induced to distinguish the mineral from which these medicines had been extracted by the name of antimoine--hostile to monks40 ,but ,thomson1 who relates this anecdote in his 8,history of ,chemistry10 shows the improbability of it1 for the works of ,basil ,valentine1 and in particular his ,currus ,triumphalis ,antimonii1 were written in the ,german language4 ,now the ,german name for antimony is speissglas and not antimoine1 which is ,french4 ,basil ,valentine denounces the physicians of his time with the fury of ,paracelsus4 ,the most ancient systems of chemical philosophy are preserved in his experiments4 ,he exalts antimony as an excellent medicine for those who are acquainted with alchemical secrets4 ,to others it is a poison of the most powerful nature4 ,no further particulars of the life of ,basil ,valentine have descended to posterity4 ,numerous works have been printed in his name1 and the authenticity of several is questionable4 ,he wrote in high ,dutch1 and comparatively few of his treatises have been translated into other languages4 ,the best are as follows3--#a4 ,de ,microcosmo deque ,magno ,mundi ,mysterio et ,medecina ,hominis1 ,marpurg1 #afji1 #hvo2 #b4 ,azoth1 sive ,aurelia ,philosophorum1 ,francfurt1 #afac1 #dto2 #c4 ,practica1 un cum duodecim ,clavibus et ,appendice1 ,francfurt1 #afaa1 #dto2 #d4 ,apocalypsis ,chymica1 ,erfurt1 #afbd1 #hvo2 #e4 ,manifestatio ,artificiorum1 ,erfurt1 #afbd1 #hvo2 #f4 ,currus ,triumphalis ,antimonii1 ,lipsi1 #afbd1 #hvo2 #g4 ,tractatus ,chimico-,philosophicus de ,rebus ,naturalibus et ,prternaturalibus metallorum et mineralium1 ,francfurt1 #afgf1 #hvo2 #h4 ,haliographia1 de prparatione1 usu1 ac virtutibus omnium ,salium ,mineralium1 ,animalium1 ac ,vegetabilium1 ex manuscriptis ,basilii ,valentini collecta ab ,ant4 ,salmincio1 ,bologna1 #afdd1 #hvo4 ,every letter and syllable of the 8,triumphal ,chariot of ,antimony0 is declared to have its special significance4 8,even to the pointes and prickes0 it bristles with divine meanings and mysteries4 ,the metrical treatise on the first matter of the philosophers declares that this stone is composed of white and red1 that it is a stone1 and yet scarcely a stone2 one nature operates therein4 ,those who desire to attain it1 ,basil elsewhere informs us1 must labour in much prayer1 confess their sins1 and do good4 ,many are called1 but few chosen to this supreme knowledge4 ,the study of the works of the philosophers and practical experiment are both recommended4 ,there is much in the writings of ,basil1 in his suggestive if impenetrable allegories1 in his curious ,kabbalistical symbols1 and in his earnest spirituality1 to suggest a psychic interpretation of his aims and his principles4 ,this is particularly noticeable in the 8,triumphal ,chariot of ,antimony10 and yet it is clear from this remarkable work1 which is the masterpiece of its author1 that ,basil ,valentine was one of the most illustrious physical chemists of his age4 ,he was the first to describe the extraction of antimony from the sulphuret1 though it does not appear that he was the inventor of this process4 ,previous to his investigations the properties of antimony were almost unknown4 ,he was also acquainted with the method of obtaining chlorohydric acid from sea-salt and sulphuric acid1 with the method of obtaining brandy by the distillation of beer and wine1 and the rectification of the result by means of carbonate of potassium1 and with many other operations which eminently assisted the progress of chemistry4 ,,footnotes3 ,s ,eadem tate 7scilicet anno #adac7 ,basilius ,valentinus in divi ,patri monasteris vixit arte medica et naturale indagatione admirabilis4 ,,isaac ,,of ,,holland4 ,contemporary with ,basilius ,valentinus were ,isaac the ,hollander and his son1 who are supposed to have worked with success4 ,they were the first alchemists of ,holland1 and their operations were highly esteemed by ,paracelsus1 ,boyle1 and ,kunckel4 ,in practical chemistry they followed the traditions of ,geber1 and their alchemical experiments are the most plain and explicit in the whole range of ,hermetic literature4 ,they worked principally in metals1 describing minutely the particulars of every process4 ,their lives are almost unknown4 8,buried in the obscurity necessary to adepts1 they were occupied in the practice of the ,hermetic science1 and their study or laboratory was the daily scene of their industrious existence40,t ,they are placed in the fifteenth century by conjecture1 from the fact that they do not cite any philosophers subsequent to that period4 ,they speak of ,geber1 ,dastin1 ,morien1 and ,arnold1 but not of more modern authorities1 while1 on the other hand1 their references to aquafortis and aqua-regi1 which were discovered in the fourteenth century1 prevent us from assigning their labours to an anterior epoch4 ,the two ,isaacs were particularly skilful in the manufacture of enamels and of artificial gem-stones4 ,they taught that the ,grand ,magisterium could convert a million times its own weight into gold1 and declared that any person taking weekly a small portion of the philosophical stone will be ever preserved in perfect health1 and his life will be prolonged to the very last hour which ,god has assigned to him4 ,the ,opera ,mineralia ,joannis ,isaaci ,hollandi1 sive de ,lapide ,philosophico is a long and elaborate treatise on the one method of exalting the dead and impure metals into true ,sol and ,luna4 ,the first matter is said to be ,saturn1 or lead1 and the vessels in which it is to be calcined and otherwise adapted to the purposes of aurific art1 are plainly figured in illustrations introduced into the text4 ,,footnotes3 ,t 8,lives of ,alchemysticall ,philosophers40 ,ed4 of #ahae4 ,,bernard ,,tr,,visan4 ,bernard ,compte de la ,marche ,trvisane is accredited by the popular legends of ,france with the powers of a sorcerer in possession of a devil's bird or familiar spirit2 nevertheless1 he is called 8the good10 and enjoyed a particular reputation for benevolence4 ,descendant of a distinguished ,paduan family1 ,bernard ,trvisan began to study the time-honoured science of alchemy about the time that ,basil in ,germany1 and the two ,isaacs in ,holland were prosecuting their labours with supposed success4 ,his father was a physician of ,padua1 where he himself was born in the year #adjf4 ,the account of his alchemical errors must rank among the most curious anecdotes in the annals of occult chemistry4 ,at the age of fourteen years1 under the auspices of a grandfather1 and with the full consent of his family1 he devoted his attention to alchemy1 which henceforth was the absorbing occupation of his life4 ,seeking initiation into the first principles of the art1 he began by the study of ,geber and ,rhasis1 believing they would supply him with a method of multiplying his patrimony a hundred fold4 ,the experiments which he undertook during his costly tuition by these oracular masters resulted in the futile dissipation of eight hundred1 or1 according to another account1 of three thousand crowns4 ,he was surrounded by pretended philosophers1 who1 finding him wealthy and eager in the penetration of tantalising mysteries1 proffered the secrets which they neither possessed nor understood1 obtaining a fraudulent subsistence at the expense of the boy alchemist4 ,disappointed1 but not discouraged1 he dismissed these impostors at length1 and devoted his concentrated attention to the works of ,rupecissa and ,archelaus ,sacrobosco1 whom he literally followed for a time in all his practical operations4 ,hoping to profit by the help of a prudent companion1 he associated himself with a good monk with whom he experimented in concert for the space of three years4 ,they rectified spirits of wine more than thirty times 8till they could not find glasses strong enough to hold it40 ,these operations cost nearly three hundred crowns4 ,for fifteen years he continued his preliminary experiences1 and at the end of that time he had purchased a perfect knowledge of all the highways and byways of alchemical rogueries1 and was intimately acquainted with an enormous variety of substances1 mineral1 metallic1 and otherwise1 which did not apparently enter into the composition of the stone philosophical4 ,he calculates the cost of these experiences to have been roughly six thousand crowns4 ,he had laboured in vain to congeal1 dissolve1 and sublime common salt1 sal ammoniac1 every variety of alum1 and copperas4 ,he even proceeded upon ordure1 both of man and beasts1 by distillation1 circulation1 and sublimation4 ,these experiments1 based on the literal interpretation of the allegories of the turba philosophorum1 again resulted in failure1 and at last discouraged beyond words at the loss of his time and his fortune1 he betook himself to prayer1 hoping to discover the aim of the alchemists by the grace and favour of ,god4 ,in conjunction with a magistrate of his country1 he subsequently endeavoured to compose the philosophical stone with sea salt as the chief ingredient4 ,he rectified it fifteen times during the space of a year and a half without finding any alteration in its nature1 whereupon he abandoned the process for another proposed by the magistrate1 namely1 the dissolution of silver and mercury by means of aquafortis4 ,these dissolutions1 undertaken separately1 were left to themselves for a year1 and then combined and concentrated over hot ashes to reduce their original volume to two-thirds4 ,the residuum of this operation1 placed in a narrow crucible1 was exposed to the action of the solar rays1 and afterwards to the air1 in the hopes that it would crystallize4 ,twenty-two phials were filled with the mixture1 and five years were devoted to the whole operation1 but at the end of that period no crystallization had taken place1 and thus was this operation abandoned1 like the rest1 as a failure4 ,bernard ,trvisan was now forty-six years old1 and at the end of his experimental resources he determined to travel in search of true alchemists4 ,in this manner he met with a monk of ,citeaux1 ,matre ,geofroi de ,lemorier1 who was in possession of a hitherto unheard of process4 ,they purchased two thousand hens' eggs1 hardened them in boiling water1 and removed the shells1 which they calcined in a fire4 ,they separated the whites from the yolks1 which they putrified in horse manure4 ,the result was distilled thirty several times for the extraction of a white and red water4 ,these operations were continually repeated with many variations1 and vainly occupied eight years more of the toil-worn seeker's life4 ,disappointed1 disheartened1 but still pertinaciously adhering to his search after the ,grand ,secret1 ,trvisan now set to work with a protonotary of ,bruges1 whom he describes as a great theologian1 and who pretended to extract the stone from sulphate of iron 7copperas7 by distillation with vinegar4 ,they began by calcining the sulphate for three months1 when it was soaked in the vinegar1 which had been eight times distilled4 ,the mixture was placed in an alembic1 and distilled fifteen times daily for a year1 at the end of which the seeker was rewarded by a quartan fever which consumed him for fourteen months1 and which almost cost him his life4 ,he was scarcely restored to health when he heard from a clerk that ,matre ,henry1 the confessor of the ,german ,emperor1 ,frederick ,,iii41 was in possession of the philosophical stone4 ,he immediately set out for ,germany1 accompanied by some baffled sons of ,hermes like himself4 ,they contrived1 par grands moyens et grands amis1 to be introduced to the confessor1 and began to work in conjunction with him4 ,bernard contributed ten marks of silver1 and the others thirty-two1 for the indispensable expenses of the process1 which consisted in the combination of mercury1 silver1 oil of olives1 and sulphur4 ,the whole was dissolved over a moderate fire1 and continually stirred4 ,in two months it was placed in a glass phial1 which they covered with clay1 and afterwards with hot ashes4 ,lead1 dissolved in a crucible1 was added after three weeks1 and the product of this fusion was subjected to refinement4 ,at the end of these operations the imperial confessor expected that the silver which had entered into the combination would be augmented at least by a third1 but1 on the contrary1 it was reduced to a fourth4 ,bernard ,trvisan in utter despair determined to abandon all further experiments4 ,the resolution was applauded by his family1 but in two months the ,circean power of the secret chemistry had asserted its former dominion over the whole being of its martyr1 who1 in a fever of eagerness1 recommenced his travels1 and visited ,spain1 ,italy1 ,england1 ,scotland1 ,holland1 ,germany1 and ,france4 ,then1 anxious to drink at the oriental fountains of alchemy1 he spent several years in ,egypt1 ,persia1 and ,palestine1 after which he passed into southern ,greece1 visiting remote convents and experimenting in conjunction with monks of reputation in the science4 ,in every country he found there were alchemists at work1 but of those who were successful he could hear no account4 ,the true philosophers declined to make themselves known1 while impostors1 in search of the credulous1 presented themselves on all sides4 ,bernard expended in these travels1 and in false operations connected with them1 about thirteen thousand crowns1 and was forced to sell an estate which yielded eight thousand ,german florins per annum4 ,he was now sixty-two years of age1 and as he had been deaf to the remonstrances of his family1 he saw himself despised and on the threshold of want and misery4 ,he endeavoured to conceal his poverty1 and fixed on the ,isle of ,rhodes1 wherein to live entirely unknown4 ,now1 at ,rhodes he became acquainted with un grand clerc et religieux1 who was addicted to philosophy1 and commonly reported to be enjoying the philosophical stone4 ,he managed to borrow eight thousand florins1 and laboured with this monk in the dissolution of gold1 silver1 and corrosive sublimate2 he accomplished so much in the space of three years that he expended the funds he had raised1 and was again at the end of his resources4 ,thus1 effectually prevented from continuing the practice1 he returned to the study of the philosophers1 and after eight years1 at the age of seventy-three1 he professes to have discovered their secret4 ,by comparing the adepts and examining in what things they agree1 and in what they differ1 he judged that the truth must lie in those maxims wherein they were practically unanimous4 ,he informs us that it was two years before he put his discovery to the test2 it was crowned with success1 and notwithstanding the infirmities of old age1 he lived for some time in the enjoyment of his tardy reward4 ,the chief work of ,trvisan is ,la ,philosophie ,naturelle des ,mtaux4 ,he insists on the necessity of strong and discreet meditation in all students of ,hermetic philosophy4 ,their operations must wait on nature1 and not nature on their arbitrary processes4 ,mercury is said to be the water of metals1 8in which1 by a mutual alteration1 it assumes in a convertible manner their mutations40 ,gold is simply quicksilver coagulated by the power of sulphur4 ,the secret of dissolution is the whole mystery of the art1 and it is to be accomplished not by means of fire1 as some have supposed1 but1 with the help of mercury1 in an abstruse manner1 which is not really indicated by the adept4 ,the work of nature is assisted by alchemy1 which mingles ripe gold with quicksilver1 the gold comprising in itself a well-digested sulphur1 by which it matures the mercury to the 8anatide proportion0 of gold1 subtilising the elements and wonderfully abbreviating the natural process for producing the precious metal of the mines4 ,,john ,,fontaine4 ,the life of this artist is buried in the obscurity of his closet or laboratory1 where he divided his time between attention to his furnaces and the composition of curious verses4 ,he was alive at ,valenciennes in the year #adac4 ,his ,hermetic poem1 ,aux ,amoureux de ,science1 has been printed several times4 ,the author announces that he is an adept1 and describes in an allegorical manner1 after the fashion of the 8,romance of the ,rose10 and in the same quaint and beautiful tongue1 the different processes which enter into the art of transmutation4 ,his little work may be profitably studied by the neophytes of practical alchemy1 though its benefits are of a negative kind1 but its paradise of dainty devices and its old world nature pictures are better suited to the poet and the poetic interpretation of symbols4 ,,thomas ,,norton4 ,the scientific methods of ,ripley were followed by this alchemist1 who was born in the city of ,bristol4 ,he wrote anonymously1 but the initial syllables in the six first lines1 and the first line in the seventh chapter of his 8,ordinall of ,alchemy10 compose the following couplet3-- 8,thomas ,norton of ,briseto1 ,a parfet master you may him trow40 ,at the age of twenty-eight1 and in the brief space of forty days1 he is recorded to have mastered 8the perfection of chymistry10 obtaining his knowledge from a contemporary adept1 who appears to have been ,ripley himself4 ,he describes his initiator as a person of noble mind1 worthy of all praise1 loving justice1 detesting fraud1 reserved when surrounded by a talkative company1 quite unassuming1 and if ever the conversation turned upon the ,great ,art1 preserving complete silence4 ,for a long time ,norton sought him in vain2 the adept proved him by various trials1 but when he was satisfied of his disposition1 manners1 and habits1 as well as of his strength of mind1 his love yielded to the fidelity and perseverance of his postulant1 and in answer to one of his letters he addressed him as follows3-- 8,,my ,,trusty ,,and ,,well-,,beloved ,,brother1--,i shall not any longer delay2 the time is come2 you shall receive this grace4 ,your honest desire and approved virtue1 your love of truth1 wisdom1 and long perseverance1 shall accomplish your sorrowful desires4 8,it is necessary that1 as soon as convenient1 we speak together face to face1 lest ,i should by writing betray my trust4 ,i will make you my heir and brother in this art1 as ,i am setting out to travel in foreign countries4 ,give thanks to ,god1 ,who1 next to ,his spiritual servants1 honours the sons of this sacred science40 ,norton lost no time in undertaking a journey to his instructor1 and rode upwards of a hundred miles on horseback to reach the abode of the adept4 ,during the forty days already mentioned he received the advice and directions of his friend4 ,he was already to a great extent prepared for initiation by a long course of natural philosophy1 as well as by the study of the occult and curious sciences4 ,the 8disclosure of the bonds of nature0 took place1 and he became convinced of the truth and certainty of the art by the rationality of its theorems4 ,he felt confident of success in the practice1 but the adept1 on account of his youth1 refused to instruct him in the process from the white to the red powder1 lest the divine gift should be misused in a moment of passion4 ,in due time1 and after further proofs of his capacity and integrity1 he would communicate the work of the medicinal stone4 ,this1 the supreme desire of the neophyte1 was afterwards accomplished4 ,the chemical operations of ,norton were destined1 however1 to meet with two signal disappointments4 ,he had almost perfected the tincture1 when his own servant1 who was employed in the care of the furnace1 believing that the prize was complete1 carried it away4 ,he again undertook the process and succeeded in making the elixir1 but he complains that it was stolen by the wife of a merchant1 said to be ,william ,canning1 ,mayor of ,bristol1 who suddenly started into great wealth1 and who built the splendid and lofty steeple of ,st ,mary's1 ,radcliffe1 besides enlarging ,westbury ,college4 ,it is doubtful whether ,thomas ,norton ever enjoyed the fruits of his supposed knowledge4 ,he does not speak of his own transmutations1 and if he is called by one of his contemporaries alchemista suo tempore peritissimus1 by others he is termed ,nugarum opifex in frivola scientia4 ,the latter declare that he undid himself by his labours1 and that all his friends who trusted him with their money were as much ruined as himself4 ,according to ,fuller1 he lived and died very poor2 nevertheless his family appears to have been held in high repute under ,king ,henry ,,viii4 ,there were nine brothers of the name of ,norton4 ,one anonymous writer asserts that they were all of them knights4 ,the tomb of ,sampson ,norton1 master of the king's ordnance1 and buried in ,fulham ,church1 was adorned with ,hermetic paintings1 according to one account1 but ,faulkner1 in his historical account of ,fulham1 describes it as a rich ,gothic monument1 ornamented with foliage and oak-leaves1 and bearing an obliterated inscription4 ,thomas ,norton died in #adgg4 ,his grandson ,samuel followed in his steps as an alchemist1 and was the author of several ,hermetic treatises1 which are not very highly esteemed4 99 99 99 99 99 8,the ,ordinal of ,alchemy0 testifies that the stone is one4 ,in appearance it is a subtle earth1 brown1 and opaque2 it stands the fire1 and is considered to be of no value4 ,there is also another and glorious stone1 which is termed the philosophical magnesia4 ,alchemy is a wonderful science1 a secret philosophy1 a singular grace and free gift of the ,almighty1 which was never discovered by independent human labour1 but only by revelation or the instruction of one of the adepts4 8,it helpeth a man when he hath neede1 ,it voideth vaine ,glory1 ,hope1 and also ,dreade3 ,it voideth ,ambitiousnesse1 ,extorcion1 and ,excesse1 ,it fenceth ,adversity that shee doe not oppresse4 ,he that thereof hath his full intent1 ,forsaketh ,extremities1 with ,measure is content40 ,a certain mineral virtue is said to be the efficient cause in the production of metals in the bowels of the earth2 it is in correspondence with the virtues of the celestial spheres4 ,the red stone lengthens life1 but it is vain to seek it till after the confection of the white4 ,,thomas ,,dalton4 ,the only account of this ,english adept is preserved by ,thomas ,norton4 ,he was alive in the year #adej1 and is described as a religious man1 who enjoyed a good reputation till1 upon suspicion that he had a large mass of transmuting powder1 he was taken from his abbey in ,gloucestershire by ,thomas ,herbert1 one of the squires of ,king ,edward1 and being brought into the royal presence he was confronted by ,debois1 another of the king's squires1 to whom ,dalton was formerly a chaplain4 ,debois alleged that ,dalton1 in less than twelve hours1 made him a thousand pounds of good gold1 and he attested the fact upon oath4 ,then ,dalton1 looking at ,debois1 said1 8,sir1 you are forsworn40 ,debois acknowledged that he had vowed never to reveal the benefit which he had received1 but for the king's sake and the good of the commonwealth he ought not to keep his oath4 ,dalton now addressed the king1 and informed him that he had received the powder of projection from a canon of ,lichfield1 on condition that he forbore to make use of it till after the death of the donor4 ,since that event he had been in so much danger and disquietude on account of its possession that he had destroyed it in secret4 ,the king dismissed ,dalton1 giving him four marks for his travelling expenses2 but ,herbert lay in wait for him brought him from ,stepney1 and thence conveyed him to the castle of ,gloucester1 where every means were vainly tried to induce him to make the philosophers' tincture4 ,after four years' imprisonment1 ,dalton was brought out to be beheaded in the presence of ,herbert4 ,he obeyed with resignation and joy1 saying3 8,blessed art thou1 ,lord ,jesus6 ,i have been too long from you2 the science you gave me ,i have kept without abusing it2 ,i have found no one apt to be my heir1 wherefore1 sweet ,lord1 ,i will render ,thy gift to ,thee again40 ,then1 after some devout prayer1 with a smiling countenance he desired the executioner to proceed4 ,tears gushed from the eyes of ,herbert when he beheld him so willing to die1 and saw that no ingenuity could wrest his secret from him4 ,he gave orders for his release4 ,his imprisonment and threatened execution were contrived without the king's knowledge to intimidate him into compliance4 ,the iniquitous devices having failed1 ,herbert did not dare to take away his life4 ,dalton rose from the block with a heavy countenance and returned to his abbey1 much grieved at the further prolongation of his earthly sojourn4 ,herbert died shortly after this atrocious act of tyranny1 and ,debois also came to an untimely end4 ,his father1 ,sir ,john ,debois1 was slain at the battle of ,tewksbury1 ,may #d1 #adga1 and two days after1 as recorded in ,stow's ,annales1 he himself1 ,james ,debois1 was taken1 with several others of the ,lancastrian party1 from a church where they had fled for sanctuary1 and was beheaded on the spot4,u ,,footnotes3 ,u ,stow1 8,annales of ,england10 p4 #dbd1 ed4 #afae4 ,,sir ,,george ,,ripley4 ,this illustrious alchemical philosopher1 whose works paved the royal road to the initiation1 in after times1 of his still more illustrious pupil1 the sublime and mysterious ,philalethes1 entered1 at an early age1 among the regular canons of ,bridlington1 in the diocese of ,york4 ,the tranquillity of monastic life afforded him a favourable opportunity for the study of the great masters in transcendental chemistry1 but he found himself notwithstanding incompetent for their full comprehension1 and in considerable consequent disappointment he determined to travel1 persuading himself that he should discover in the conversations of philosophers what he could not glean from books4 ,in ,italy1 ,germany1 and ,france he became acquainted with various men of learning1 and was present at a transmutation which was performed in ,rome4 ,he proceeded afterwards to the island of ,rhodes1 where a document is supposed to exist testifying that he gave #ajj1jjj to the ,knights of ,st ,john of ,jerusalem4 ,he was dignified by the ,pope1 which fact1 on his return to ,bridlington1 excited the jealousy of his brethren1 and in consequence of their hostility he entered the ,carmelite order at ,butolph1 in ,lincolnshire1 and1 by an indulgence from ,innocent ,,viii41 had permission to live in solitude1 exempt from cloistral observances1 and in his now uninterrupted leisure he wrote twenty-four books1 some scientific1 and others on devout subjects4 ,the 8,twelve ,gates of ,alchemy0 he composed in #adga1 and he declares that any of his experiments recorded from #adej to #adgj should be entirely discredited1 as he wrote them from theory1 and found afterwards by practice that they were untrue4 ,hence it may be concluded that he employed twenty years in mastering the secrets of the science4 ,he died at ,butolph in #adij4 99 99 99 99 99 8,the ,twelve ,gates of ,alchemy0 describe the stone as a triune microcosm1 whence ,ripley has been cited as an adept of the spiritual chemistry4 ,he insists upon the necessity of proportion in its composition1 and declares that the principle1 or prima materia1 may be found everywhere4 ,it flies with fowls in the air1 swims with fishes in the sea1 it may be discerned by the reason of angels1 and it governs man and woman4 ,an astronomical year is required for the manufacture of the stone4 ,,picus ,,de ,,mirandola4 ,john ,picus1 ,earl of ,mirandola1 was born on the #bdth ,february #adfc4 ,he is equally celebrated for his precocity1 the extent of his learning1 his prodigious memory1 and his penetrating intellect4 ,as the pupil of ,jochanum1 a ,jew1 he became early initiated in the ,kabbalistic interpretation of ,scripture1 and at the age of twenty-four years he published nine hundred propositions in logic1 mathematics1 physics1 divinity1 and ,kabbalism1 collected from ,greek1 ,latin1 ,jewish1 and ,arabian writers4 ,in his treatise ,de ,auro1 he records his conviction of the success of ,hermetic operations1 and gives us the following narrations3-- 8,i come now to declare that which ,i have beheld of this prodigy1 without veil or obscurity4 ,one of my friends1 who is still living1 has made gold and silver over sixty times in my presence4 ,i have seen it performed in divers manners1 but the expense of making the silver with a metallic water exceeded the produce40 ,in another place he tells us that 8a good man who had not a sufficiency to support his family1 was reduced to the last extremity of distress2 with an agitated mind he went one night to sleep1 and in a dream he beheld a blessed angel1 who1 by means of enigmas1 instructed him in the method of making gold1 and indicated to him1 at the same time1 the water he should use to ensure success4 ,at his awaking he proceeded to work with this water1 and made gold1 truly in small quantity1 yet sufficient to support his family4 ,twice he made gold of iron and four times of orpiment4 ,he convinced me by the evidence of my own eyes that the art of transmutation is no fiction40 ,,paracelsus4 ,philippus ,aureolus ,theophrastus ,bombast von ,hohenheim was born in the year #adic1 at ,maria ,einsiedeln1 in the canton of ,zurich1 in ,switzerland4 ,he was descended from the ancient and honourable family of ,bombast1 which had abode during many generations at the castle of ,hohenheim near ,stuttgart1 ,wrtemberg4 ,his father was a physician of repute1 and in possession of a large collection of curious books4 ,his mother had been the matron of a hospital1 and ,theophrastus1 their only child1 was born one year after their marriage4 ,he is said to have been emasculated in his infancy1 a tradition which may have been invented to account for his beardless and feminine appearance1 and for his hatred of women4 ,paracelsus received the first rudiments of education from his father1 and1 as he advanced in his studies and capacity1 he was instructed in alchemy1 surgery1 and medicine4 ,one of the works of ,isaac ,holland fell into his hands1 and from that moment he was inflamed with the ambition of curing diseases by medicine superior to the materia at that time in use4 ,he performed several chemical operations1 according to the books of the celebrated ,hollander1 and adopted from his writings the ancient principles that a salt1 mercury1 and sulphur form a trinity in every substance4 ,this system he enlarged and explained by his own intellectual illumination4 ,he imbibed much of his father's extensive learning1 and then continued his studies under the guidance of monks in the convent of ,st ,andrew of ,savon1 afterwards at the ,university of ,basel1 and finally devoted himself to the occult sciences with the illustrious ,johann ,trithemius1 ,abbot of ,spanheim1 for his teacher and director4 ,in this way he acquired 8the ,kabbalah of the spiritual1 astral1 and material worlds40 ,he was afterwards placed under the care of ,sigismond ,hagger or ,fagger1 to be improved in medicine1 surgery1 and chemistry4 ,at twenty years of age he started on his travels through ,germany1 ,hungary1 ,italy1 ,france1 the ,netherlands1 ,denmark1 ,sweden1 and ,russia4 ,in ,muscovy he is said to have been taken prisoner by the ,tartars1 who brought him before 8the great ,cham40 ,his knowledge of medicine and chemistry made him a favourite at the court of this potentate1 who sent him in company with his son on an embassy to ,constantinople4 ,it was here1 according to ,helmont1 that he was taught the supreme secret of alchemistry by a generous ,arabian1 who gave him the universal dissolvent1 the ,azoth of western adepts1 the alcahest or sophic fire4 ,thus initiated1 he is said to have proceeded to ,india4 ,on his return to ,europe he passed along the ,danube into ,italy1 where he served as an army surgeon1 performing many wonderful cures4 ,at the age of thirty-two he re-entered ,germany1 and was soon after invited to take a professorship of physic1 medicine1 and surgery at the ,university of ,basel1 then illuminated by the presence of ,erasmus and ,oporinus4 ,there1 in his lectures1 he professed 8internal medicine10 denounced the antiquated systems of ,galen and other authorities1 and began his instruction by burning the works of these masters in a brass pan with sulphur and nitre4 ,he created innumerable enemies by his arrogance and his innovations1 but the value of his mineral medicines was proved by the cures which he performed4 ,these cures only increased the hatred of his persecutors1 and ,paracelsus with characteristic defiance invited the faculty to a lecture1 in which he promised to teach the greatest secret in medicine4 ,he began by uncovering a dish which contained excrement4 ,the doctors1 indignant at the insult1 departed precipitately1 ,paracelsus shouting after them3--8,if you will not hear the mysteries of putrefactive fermentation1 you are unworthy of the name of physicians40 ,subsequently1 he came into conflict with the municipal authorities1 and was forced to flee from ,basel4 ,he resumed his strolling life1 lodging at public inns1 drinking to excess1 but still performing admirable cures4 ,oporinus testifies that even during the period of his professorship he never seemed sober4 ,in #aebh1 ,paracelsus proceeded to ,colmar4 ,in #aecj he was staying at ,nuremberg1 where the faculty denounced him as an impostor1 but he transfixed his opponents by curing in a few days some desperate cases of elephantiasis4 8,testimonials to this effect10 says ,hartmann1 his latest biographer1 8may still be found in the archives of the city of ,nuremberg40 ,he continued his wanderings and his intemperate manner of life1 dying on the #bdth of ,september #aeda4 ,the actual manner of his death has been variously recounted4 ,the original 8,lives of ,alchemysticall ,philosophers0 says that it occurred on a bench of the kitchen fire of the inn at ,strasburg4 ,dr ,hartmann1 on the other hand1 tells us that he 8went to ,maehren1 ,kaernthen1 ,krain1 and ,hongary1 and finally landed in ,salzburg1 to which place he was invited by the ,prince ,palatine1 ,duke ,ernst of ,bavaria1 who was a great lover of the secret arts4 ,in that place1 ,paracelsus obtained at last the fruits of his long labours and of a wide-spread fame4 ,but he was not destined to enjoy a long time the rest he so richly deserved4444 ,he died1 after a short sickness 7at the age of forty-eight years and three days71 in a small room of the #8,white ,horse' ,inn1 near the quay1 and his body was buried in the graveyard of ,st ,sebastian40 ,his death is supposed to have been hastened by a scuffle with assassins in the pay of the orthodox medical faculty4 ,the last commentator on ,paracelsus1 ,dr ,franz ,hartmann1 has devoted a chapter to the alchemical and astrological teachings of the seer of ,hohenheim4 ,the first art1 according to ,paracelsus1 separates the pure from the impure1 and develops species out of primordial matter4 ,it perfects what ,nature has left imperfect1 and1 therefore1 its principles are of universal application1 and are not restricted to the metallic and mineral kingdoms4 ,gold can be made by physical chemistry1 but the process is poor and unproductive in comparison with the gold which can be produced by an exercise of the occult powers which exist in the soul of man4 ,actual and material gold can be psycho-chemically manufactured4 ,by this amazing theory1 ,paracelsus created a new school of alchemy1 which abandoned experimental research1 and sought within themselves the secret1 subject1 and end of alchemystical philosophy4 ,,denis ,,zachaire4 ,it appears that the true name of this persevering and indefatigable seeker after the end and truth of alchemy has not in reality come down to us1 that which is placed at the head of his ,opusculum ,chimicum being simply pseudonymous4 ,it is to this little work that we are indebted for one of the most singular histories in the annals of the ,hermetic art4 ,denis ,zachaire was born of a noble family1 in an unmentioned part of ,guienne1 during the year #aeaj4 ,he was sent1 as a youth1 to ,bordeaux1 under the care of a tutor1 to prosecute the study of philosophy and belles lettres4 ,his preceptor1 however1 had a passion for alchemy1 and inoculated his pupil with the fatal fever of the sages4 ,they speedily abandoned the common academical courses for the thorny pathways of the magnum opus1 and ,denis1 in particular1 devoted himself to the assiduous compilation of a vast volume of ,hermetic receipts1 indicating a thousand processes1 with a thousand various materials1 for the successful manufacture of gold4 ,from ,bordeaux he proceeded to ,toulouse1 still in the society of his tutor1 and for the ostensible study of law1 but in reality for the experimental practice of alchemy4 ,two hundred crowns with which they were supplied for their maintenance during the next two years were speedily expended in the purchase of furnaces1 instruments1 and drugs1 for the literal execution of the processes contained in the books of the adepts4 8,before the end of the year10 as he himself informs us1 8my two hundred crowns were gone in smoke1 and my tutor died of a fever he took in summer from his close attention to the furnace1 which he erected in his chamber1 and stayed there continually in extreme heat4 ,his death afflicted me much1 and still more as my parents refused to supply me with money1 except what was just necessary for my support4 ,i was therefore unable to proceed in my grand work4 8,to overcome these difficulties ,i went home in #aece1 being of age1 to put myself out of guardianship2 and ,i disposed of some of my property for four hundred crowns4 ,this sum was necessary to execute a process which was given me in ,toulouse1 by an ,italian1 who said he saw it proved4 ,i kept him living with me1 to see the end of his process4 8,we dissolved gold and silver in various sorts of strong waters1 but it was all in vain2 we did not recover from the solution one half of the gold and silver which we had put into it4 ,my four hundred crowns were reduced to two hundred and thirty1 of which ,i gave twenty to the ,italian1 to proceed to ,milan1 where1 he said1 the author of the process lived1 and whence he would return with his explanations4 ,i remained at ,toulouse all the winter1 awaiting him1 and ,i might have tarried there still1 as ,i never have heard of him since4 8,in the ensuing summer the city being visited by the plague1 ,i went to ,cahors1 and there continued for six months4 ,i did not lose sight of my work1 and became acquainted with an old man who was called the philosopher1 a name given in the country to any one of superior information4 ,i communicated to him my practices and asked his advice4 ,he mentioned ten or twelve processes which he thought better than others4 ,i returned to ,toulouse when the plague ceased1 and renewed my labours accordingly4 ,the only consequence was that my money was all spent1 except one hundred and seventy crowns4 ,to continue my operations with more certainty1 ,i made acquaintance with an abb1 who dwelt in the neighbourhood of this city4 ,he was taken with a passion for the same pursuit as myself1 and he informed me that one of his friends1 who lived with ,cardinal ,armanac1 had sent him a process from ,rome which he believed genuine1 but it would cost two hundred crowns4 ,i agreed to furnish one half of this sum1 and he gave the rest1 so we began to work together4 ,our process required a large supply of spirits of wine4 ,i purchased a cask of excellent wine1 from which ,i drew the spirit and rectified it many times4 ,we took two pounds weight of it and half a pound weight of gold1 which we had calcined for a month4 ,these were included in a pelican and placed in a furnace4 ,this work lasted a year1 but1 not to remain idle1 we made some other experiments to amuse ourselves1 and from which we expected to draw sufficient profit to pay the cost of our great work4 8,the year #aecg passed over without any change appearing in the subject of our labours4 ,we might have remained through our whole lives in the same state1 for we should have known that the perfect metals are unaltered by vegetable or animal substances4 ,we took out our powder and made projection upon hot quicksilver1 but it was in vain6 ,judge then of our grief1 especially as the abb had notified to all his monks that they would have to melt the lead cistern of their house in order that he might convert it into gold as soon as our operations were finished4 8,my bad success could not make me desist4 ,i again raised four hundred crowns on my property2 the abb did the same1 and ,i set out for ,paris1 a city containing more alchemists than any other in the world4 ,i resolved to remain there as long as the eight hundred crowns lasted1 or until ,i succeeded in my object4 ,this journey drew on me the displeasure of my relations1 and the censure of my friends1 who imagined ,i was a studious lawyer4 ,however1 ,i made them believe that the design of my sojourn in ,paris was the purchase of a situation in the law courts4 8,after travelling for fifteen days ,i arrived at ,paris in ,january #aeci4 ,i remained a month almost unknown1 but no sooner had ,i visited the furnace makers and conversed with some amateurs than ,i became acquainted with more than a hundred artists1 who were all at work in different ways4 ,some laboured to extract the mercury of metals and afterwards to fix it4 ,a variety of systems were held by others1 and scarcely a day passed in which some of them did not visit me1 even on ,sundays and the most sacred festivals of the ,church1 to hear what ,i had done4 8,in these conversations one said3--#8,if ,i had the means to begin again1 ,i should produce something good4' ,another--#8,would that my vessel had been strong enough to resist the force of what it contained4' ,another--#8,if ,i had possessed a round copper vessel well closed1 ,i would have fixed mercury with silver4' ,there was not one without a reasonable excuse for his failure1 but ,i was deaf to all their discourses1 recollecting my experience as the dupe of similar expectations4 8,i was tempted1 nevertheless1 by a ,greek who had a process with cinnabar1 which failed4 ,at the same time ,i became acquainted with a strange gentleman1 newly arrived1 who often1 in my presence1 sold the fruit of his operations to the goldsmiths4 ,i was a long time frequenting his company1 but he did not consent to inform me of his secret4 ,at last ,i prevailed over him1 but it was only a refinement of metals more ingenious than the rest4 ,i failed not to write to the abb1 at ,toulouse1 enclosing a copy of the process of the stranger1 and imagining that ,i had attained some useful knowledge1 he advised me to remain another year at ,paris1 since ,i had made so good a beginning4 8,after all1 as to the philosophers' stone1 ,i succeeded no better than before4 ,i had been three years at ,paris1 and my money was nearly expended1 when ,i had a letter from the abb1 informing me that he had something to communicate1 and that ,i should join him as soon as possible4 8,on my arrival at ,toulouse1 ,i found that he had a letter from ,king ,henry of ,navarre1 who was a lover of philosophy1 and who requested that ,i should proceed to ,pau1 in ,berne1 to teach him the secret ,i had received from the stranger at ,paris4 ,he would recompense me with three or four thousand crowns4 ,the mention of this sum exhilarated the abb1 and he never let me rest till ,i set out to wait on the prince4 ,i arrived at ,pau in ,may #aedb4 ,i found the prince a very curious personage4 ,by his command ,i went to work1 and succeeded according to the process ,i knew4 ,when it was finished ,i obtained the expected recompense1 but although the king wished to serve me further1 he was dissuaded by the lords of his court1 even by those who had engaged me to come to him4 ,he dismissed me with great acknowledgments1 desiring me to see if there was anything in his estates which would gratify me1 such as confiscations or the like1 and that he would give them to me with pleasure4 ,these promises1 which meant nothing1 did not lead me to entertain the hopes of a courtier1 and ,i returned to the abb at ,toulouse4 8,on my road ,i heard of a religious man1 who was very skilful in natural philosophy4 ,i went to visit him2 he lamented my misfortunes1 and said1 with a friendly zeal1 that he advised me to amuse myself no longer with these various particular operations1 which were all false and sophistical1 but that ,i should rather peruse the best books of the ancient philosophers1 as well to know the true matter as the right order that should be pursued in the practice of this science4 8,i felt the truth of this safe counsel1 but before ,i put it in execution1 ,i went to see my friend at ,toulouse1 to give him an account of the eight hundred crowns that we had put in common1 and to divide with him the recompense ,i had received from the ,king of ,navarre4 ,if he proved not content with all ,i told him1 he was still less so at the resolution ,i had taken to discontinue my operations4 ,of our eight hundred crowns1 we had but eighty-six left4 ,i departed from him1 and returned home1 intending to go to ,paris1 and there remain until ,i was fixed in my theory of reading the works of the adepts4 ,i reached ,paris in #aedf1 and remained there a year1 assiduously studying the ,turba ,philosophorum1 the good ,trvisan1 the 8,remonstrance of ,nature10 and some other of the best books4 ,but as ,i had no first principles1 ,i knew not on what to determine4 8,at length ,i went out of my solitude1 not to see my old acquaintances1 the searchers after particular tinctures and minor works1 but to frequent those who proceeded in the great process by the books of the genuine adepts4 ,i was1 nevertheless1 disappointed herein1 by the confusion and disagreement of their theories1 by the variety of their works1 and of their different operations4 ,excited by a sort of inspiration1 ,i gave myself up to the study of ,raymond ,lully and ,arnold de ,villa ,nova4 ,my reading and meditation continued another year4 ,i then formed my plan1 and only waited to sell the remainder of my land to enable me to go home1 and put my resolution into practice4 ,i commenced at ,christmas1 #aedi1 and after some preparations1 having procured everything that was necessary1 ,i began my process1 not without inquietude and difficulty4 ,a friend said to me3--8,what are you going to do8 have you not lost enough by this delusion80 ,another assured me that if ,i continued to purchase so much coal1 ,i should be suspected of counterfeiting coin1 of which he had already heard a rumour4 ,another said ,i ought to follow my business of a lawyer4 ,but ,i was chiefly tormented by my relations1 who reproached me bitterly with my conduct1 and threatened to bring the officers of justice into my house to break my furnaces in pieces4 8,i leave you to judge my trouble and grief at this opposition4 ,i found no consolation but in my work1 which prospered from day to day1 and to which ,i was very attentive4 ,the interruption of all commerce1 which was occasioned by the plague1 gave me the opportunity of great solitude1 in which ,i could examine with undisturbed satisfaction the success of the three colours which mark the true work4 ,i thus arrived at the perfection of the tincture1 and made an essay of its virtue on common quicksilver1 on ,easter ,monday1 #aeej4 ,in less than an hour it was converted into pure gold4 ,you may guess how joyful ,i was1 but ,i took care not to boast4 ,i thanked ,god for the favour he shewed me1 and prayed that ,i should be permitted to use it but for ,his glory4 8,the next day ,i set out to find the abb1 according to the promise we gave each other1 to communicate our discoveries4 ,on my way1 ,i called at the house of the religious man who had assisted me by his good advice4 ,i had the grief to find that both he and the abb had been dead about six months4 ,i did not go back to my house1 but sought another place1 to await the arrival of one of my relations whom ,i had left at my dwelling4 ,i sent him a procuration to sell all that ,i possessed1 both house and furniture1 to pay my debts1 and to distribute the remainder among those of my relations who were in want4 ,he soon after rejoined me1 and we set out for ,lausanne1 in ,switzerland1 resolved to pass our days without ostentation in some of the celebrated cities of ,germany40 ,in his unknown retreat,v the adept recorded his adventures and experiences when in search of the philosophical stone1 ut divertarem bonos piosque vivos1 sophisticationibus1 ad viam rectam perfectionis in hoc opere divino4 ,his little work is entitled simply ,opusculum ,chemicum2 it opens with the romantic narrative which ,i have cited almost in extenso4 ,it calls ,hermes magnus propheta noster1 insists that the art is the gift of ,god alone on the authority of all the initiates1 and quotes so largely from previous writers that it can scarcely be considered an original work on the ,hermetic philosophy4 ,the life of ,bernard ,trvisan has abundantly testified to the physical nature of his object1 which is amply confirmed by this treatise4 ,the methods of projection upon metals1 the composition of precious stones1 and the application of the tincture as a medicine for the human body1 are successively considered4 ,one grain of the divinum opus1 dissolved in white wine1 transmutes that liquor into a rich citron colour1 and has innumerable hygienic uses4 ,,footnotes3 ,v ,see ,appendix ,i4 ,,berigard ,,of ,,pisa4 ,the following account of a transmutation performed by himself1 is recorded by the celebrated ,italian philosopher1 ,claude ,berigard1 and will be found on the twenty-fifth page of his ,circulus ,pisanus1 published at ,florence in #afda4 8,i did not think that it was possible to convert quicksilver into gold1 but an acquaintance thought proper to remove my doubt4 ,he gave me about a drachm of a powder nearly of the colour of the wild poppy1 and having a smell like calcined sea-salt4 ,to avoid all imposition1 ,i purchased a crucible1 charcoal1 and quicksilver1 in which ,i was certain that there was no gold mixed4 ,ten drachms of quicksilver which ,i heated on the fire were on projection transmuted into nearly the same weight of good gold1 which stood all tests4 ,had ,i not performed this operation in the most careful manner1 taking every precaution against the possibility of doubt1 ,i should not have believed it1 but ,i am satisfied of the fact40 ,,charnock4 ,thomas ,charnock was born in the ,isle of ,thanet1 in the year #aebd4 ,he calls himself an unlettered scholar1 and student in astronomy and philosophy4 ,he practised surgery1 and1 though he knew only the rudiments of ,latin1 it appears that he was famous in the neighbourhood of ,salisbury1 where he had established himself1 for his accomplishments in the liberal sciences4 ,he had two masters in alchemy1 the first being ,sir ,james ,s----1 a priest1 dwelling in the cloisters1 near ,salisbury1 who informed ,charnock that he did not derive his knowledge from any living adept1 but that by meditation upon the words of the philosophers1 he had mastered the principal secrets of alchemy as he lay in his bed1 and had accordingly succeeded in making the silver powder4 ,the other master who instructed ,charnock was a blind man1 led by a boy1 whom the neophyte accidentally discovered at an inn among other travellers1 by a few words of the occult chemistry1 which he perceived in his conversation4 ,as soon as the company had retired1 ,charnock questioned the speaker1 and requested instruction in natural philosophy4 ,to this the adept objected that he was unacquainted with his interrogator1 saying he would render up his knowledge to ,god who gave it1 if he did not meet with a certain ,master ,charnock1 the fame of whose learning and charity had reached him4 ,at these words ,charnock made himself known1 and the old man discoursed with him for an hour1 during which time he found him expert in many mysteries of the sacred science4 ,he promised ,charnock that if he made a vow not to reveal the secret for gold1 preferment1 or through affection for great men1 but only at death to one who was truly devoted to the search into nature1 he would make him the heir of his knowledge4 ,accordingly1 on the following ,sunday they received the ,eucharist together1 and then1 withdrawing into the middle of a large field1 the boy was sent away out of hearing1 and1 in a few words1 the blind man uttered 8the mystery of mineral prudence40 ,their conversations were continued for nine days4 ,the secrets of alchemy were disclosed1 and the adept also related his own private history1 acquainting ,charnock that his name was ,william ,bird1 that he had been a prior of ,bath1 and had defrayed the expense of repairing the abbey church from treasure which he had acquired by means of the red and white elixirs4 ,at the suppression of the abbey1 he concealed the inestimable powder in the wall1 and returning in ten days it was gone4 ,he found a few rags in the place where he had left it4 ,this misfortune almost deprived him of his senses2 he wandered about1 and lost his sight4 ,he was therefore unable to repeat his process1 and continued to travel over the country1 led by a boy4 ,he had received his ,hermetic knowledge from a servant of ,ripley4 ,at the time of this communication1 ,charnock was twenty-eight years old1 and two years after his first master fell sick while attending his furnace for the completion of the red stone4 ,he sent for ,charnock1 made him the heir of his work1 and died after giving him instructions how to proceed4 ,charnock began his operations on the materials left by his leader1 and was much perplexed by the difficulty of keeping the fire equal4 ,he often started out of his sleep to examine the fuel2 but after all his care1 which continued during the space of several months1 the frame of wood that covered the furnace took fire during a short period of his absence1 and when1 smelling the burning1 he ran up to his laboratory1 he discovered that his work was completely destroyed4 ,this occurred on ,january #a1 #aeee4 ,to repair the mischief he was obliged to recommence at the first part of the process1 and he hired a servant to assist in taking care of the fire4 ,in the course of two months certain signs filled him with hopes of success1 when his dependence on his servant proved the ruin of his work4 ,he discovered that this unfaithful assistant would let the fire nearly out1 and then1 to conceal his neglect1 would rekindle it with grease till it was so hot as to scorch the matter beyond recovery4 ,in the third attempt1 ,charnock resolved to proceed without help4 ,his fire cost him three pounds a week1 and he was obliged to sell some rings and jewels to maintain it4 ,he made good progress in the course of eight months1 and expected to be rewarded in a little time for all his labours2 but at this critical period he was impressed to serve as a soldier at the siege of ,calais4 ,furious with disappointment1 he took a hatchet1 smashed his glasses1 furnace1 and apparatus1 and threw them out of the house4 ,he wrote his 8,breviary of ,philosophy0 in #aeeg1 and the 8,enigma of ,alchemy0 in #aegb1 with a memorandum1 dated #aegd1 when he was fifty years old4 ,therein he declares his attainment of the gold-producing powder when his hairs were white4 ,the 8,breviary0 claims to describe all the vessels and instruments which are required in the science2 a potter1 a joiner1 and a glassmaker must lend their several services4 ,the address of one of these artificers1 specially recommended by the author1 is said to be ,chiddinfold in ,sussex2 he could manufacture egg-shaped glasses which opened and shut 8as close as a hair40 ,the regulation of the philosophical fire is described in this curious poem1 but the rest of its information is of a purely autobiographical kind4 ,,giovanni ,,braccesco4 ,this alchemist of ,brescia flourished in the sixteenth century4 ,he was the author of a commentary on ,geber1 which is not supposed to cast much light on the obscurities of the ,arabian philosopher4 ,the most curious of his original treatises is ,legno della ,vita1 vel quale si dichiara la medecina per la quale i nostri primi padri vivevano nove cento anni1 ,rome1 #aedb1 #hvo4--8,the ,wood of ,life1 wherein is revealed the medicine by means of which our ,primeval ,ancestors lived for ,nine ,hundred ,years40 ,this work1 together with ,la ,esposizione di ,geber ,filosophe1 ,venice1 #aedd1 #hvo1 was translated into ,latin1 and may be found in the collections of ,gratarole and ,mangetus4 ,they were also published separately under the title ,de ,alchimia dialogi duo1 ,lugd41 #aedh1 #dto4 ,the ,wood of ,life is one of the innumerable names given by the alchemists to the matured and perfected stone1 the composition whereof is the accomplishment of the magnum opus4 ,it is more generally denominated the ,universal ,balsam or ,panacea1 which cures all diseases and insures to its most blessed possessor an unalterable youth4 ,the name ,wood of ,life is bestowed by the ,jews on the two sticks which confine the scroll of the ,law4 ,they are convinced that a simple contact with these sacred rods strengthens the eyesight and restores health4 ,they also hold that there is no better means of facilitating the accouchement of females than to cause them to behold these vitalising sticks1 which1 however1 they are in no wise permitted to touch4,w ,the work of ,braccesco is written in the form of a dialogue1 and is explanatory of the ,hermetic principles of ,raymond ,lully1 one of the interlocutors1 who instructs an enthusiastic disciple in the arcane principles of the divine art1 the disciple in question being in search of a safeguard against the numerous infirmities and weaknesses of the 8humid radical40 ,such a medicine is declared by the master to be extracted from a single substance1 which is the sophic aqua metallorum4 ,the dialogue is of interest1 as it shows the connection in the mind of the writer between the development of metallic perfection and the physical regeneration of humanity4 ,,footnotes3 ,w ,dictionnaire des ,sciences ,occultes1 i4 p4 #bcb4 ,,leonardi ,,fioravanti4 ,doctor1 surgeon1 and alchemist of the sixteenth century1 this ,italian was a voluminous author1 who is best known by his 8,summary of the ,arcana of ,medicine1 ,surgery1 and ,alchemy10 published in octavo at ,venice in #aega1 and which has been reprinted several times4 ,it contains an application of ,hermetic methods and principles to the science of medicine1 but the author's account of the petra philosophorum shows the designation to be of a purely arbitrary kind1 for it is a mixture of mercury1 nitre1 and other substances1 intended to act on the stomach1 and has no connection with the transmuting lapis of the alchemical sages4 ,,john ,,dee4 ,the life of this pseudo-adept1 and of ,edward ,kelly1 his companion in alchemy1 is involved in a cloud of necromancy and magico-,hermetical marvels1 so that the fabulous and historical elements are not to be easily separated4 ,the true name of ,edward ,kelly is supposed to have been ,talbot4 ,he is said to have been born at ,worcester in #aeee1 and to have followed the profession of a lawyer in ,london4 ,his talents in penmanship appear to have been utilised in the falsification of deeds4 ,he was prosecuted at ,lancaster1 according to a narrative of his enemies1 for an offence of this nature1 and was condemned to lose his ears4 ,by some he is said to have suffered this punishment1,x by others to have evaded it1 seeking safety in ,wales1 where he lodged at an obscure inn1 and concealed his identity by adopting a new name4 ,during this sojourn an old manuscript was shown him by the innkeeper1 which was indecipherable by himself or his neighbours4 ,the so-called ,edward ,kelly1 being initiated into the mysteries of ancient writing1 discovered it to be a treatise on transmutation1 and his curiosity was highly excited4 ,he inquired as to its history1 and was told that it had been discovered in the tomb of a bishop who had been buried in a neighbouring church1 and whose tomb had been sacrilegiously uptorn by some wretched heretical fanatics at that epoch of furious religiomania and rampant ,elizabethan persecution4 ,the object of this desecration was the discovery of concealed treasures in the resting-place of the prelate1 to whom immense riches were attributed by popular tradition4 ,the impiety was1 however1 rewarded by nothing but the manuscript in question1 and two small ivory bottles1 respectively containing a ponderous red and white powder4 ,these pearls beyond price were rejected by the pigs of apostasy2 one of them was shattered on the spot1 and its ruddy1 celestine contents for the most part lost4 ,the remnant1 together with the remaining bottle and the unintelligible manuscript1 were speedily disposed of to the innkeeper in exchange for a skinful of wine4 ,the unbroken bottle was transferred by the new owner as a plaything to his children1 but the providence which in the main overwatches the accomplishment of the sublime act preserved its contents intact4 ,when ,edward ,kelly1 with an assumed antiquarian indifference about objects which were more curious than valuable1 offered a pound sterling for all the articles1 a bargain was promptly effected4 ,the lawyer was by no means an alchemist1 but he believed himself possessed of a ,hermetic treasure2 he determined1 at all risks1 to return to ,london1 and consult with his friend ,dr ,dee1 who abode in a cottage at ,mortlake1 and who1 in matters of magical devilment1 and in the tortuosities of the occult1 was considered a man of men4 ,whether he had been accused of forgery1 whether he had lost his ears1 or not1 the discovery of ,edward ,kelly caused the necromantic doctor to be blind to his faults or his crimes2 he at once set to work in his company1 in the year #aegi1 and in the month of ,december a stupendous success was the crown of their labour in common4 ,the richness of ,kelly's tincture proved to be one upon two hundred and seventy-two thousand two hundred and thirty2 but they lost much gold in experiments before they knew the extent of its power4 ,in ,dr ,dee's 8,diary in ,germany0 he mentions the book of ,st ,dunstan1 which is probably the manuscript of ,kelly1 and also the powder 8found at the digging in ,england10 which indicates some foundation for the narrative just given4 ,the place where the treasure was obtained is reported to have been the ruins of ,glastonbury ,abbey1 founded by ,st ,dunstan4 ,the last abbot was hanged by ,henry ,,viii4 for his adherence to the ,papal cause4 ,kelly appears to have taken up his quarters at ,islington4 ,in ,june #aehc an attachment was issued against him for coining1 of which his companion declares him guiltless4 ,in the following ,september1 ,dr ,dee1 his wife and children1 and ,edward ,kelly1 with his wife1 accompanied by a certain ,lord ,albert ,alasco1 of ,siradia1 in ,poland1 departed from ,london for ,cracow4 ,as soon as they had arrived in the north of ,germany1 ,dr ,dee received a letter from one of his friends in ,england1 informing him that his library at ,mortlake had been seized and partially destroyed1 on the vulgar report of his unlawful studies1 and that his rents and property were sequestered4 ,despite the possession of the ,donum ,dei1 all parties appear to have been in considerable penury in consequence4 ,in #aehe we find them at ,prague1 then the metropolis of alchemy1 and the headquarters of adepts and adeptship4 ,edward ,kelly and his companions presently abounded in money1 and the owner of the ,hermaic ,benediction made no secret of his prize or his powers1 indulged in all kinds of extravagance1 performed continual projections for himself and his friends1 as well as for many persons of distinction who sought his acquaintance4 ,much of the result was distributed4 ,the transmutations of ,kelly at this period are attested by several writers1 including ,gassendus4 ,the most authenticated and remarkable1 according to ,figuier1 is that which took place in the house of the imperial physician1 ,thaddeus de ,hazek1 when1 by the mediation of a single drop of a red oil1 ,kelly transmuted a pound of mercury into excellent gold1 the superabundant virtue of the agent leaving in addition at the bottom of the crucible a small ruby4 ,dr ,nicholas ,barnaud1 the assistant of ,hazek1 and an alchemical writer1 whose works are as rare as they are reputable1 was a witness of this wonder1 and subsequently himself manufactured the precious metal1 the dsir dsir1 with the assistance of ,edward ,kelly4 ,the report spread1 and the adept was invited by the ,emperor ,maximilian ,,ii4 to the ,court of ,germany1 where his transmutations raised him into highest favour2 he was knighted1 and created ,marshal of ,bohemia4 ,now perfectly intoxicated1 he posed as a veritable adept1 who was able to compose the inestimable projecting powder4 ,this gave a handle to the enemies whom his exaltation had made him2 they persuaded the ,emperor to practically imprison this living philosophical treasure1 and to extract his alchemical secret4 ,his misfortunes now began4 ,absolute inability to obey the imperial mandate and compose a considerable quantity of the stone philosophical1 was interpreted as a contumacious refusal2 he was cast into a dungeon1 but on engaging to comply with the demand if he had the liberty to seek assistance1 he was speedily set free1 whereupon he rejoined ,dr ,dee1 and they again set to work in concert4 ,the ,book of ,st ,dunstan indicated the use but not the preparation of the powder1 and their experiments1 vigilantly overwatched to prevent the escape of ,kelly1 proved entirely futile4 ,in the desperation which succeeded their failure1 the outrageous disposition of ,kelly broke out1 and he murdered one of his guards4 ,he was again imprisoned1 his companion1 for the most part1 remaining unmolested1 and employing his opportunities1 it is said1 to interest ,queen ,elizabeth in the fate of the ,emperor's prisoner4 ,she claimed the alchemist as her subject1 but his recent crime had rendered him obnoxious to the laws of the empire1 and he was still detained in his dungeon4 ,in #aehi1 ,dr ,dee set out himself for ,england4 ,he halted at ,bremen1 and was there visited by ,henry ,khunrath1 one of the greatest adepts of the age4 ,the ,landgrave of ,hesse sent him a complimentary letter1 and was presented in return with twelve ,hungarian horses4 ,dr ,dee arrived in ,england after an absence of six years2 he was received by the ,queen1 who subsequently visited him at his house1 presented him with two hundred angels to keep his ,christmas1 and gave him a license in alchemy4 ,sir ,thomas ,jones offered him his ,castle of ,emlin1 in ,wales1 for a dwelling2 he was made ,chancellor of ,st ,paul's1 and in #aeie1 ,warden of ,manchester ,college4 ,he repaired thither with his wife and children1 and was installed in ,february #aeif4 ,he does not appear to have accomplished any transmutation after his return to ,england4 ,in #afjg we again find him at ,mortlake1 living on the revenue which he derived from ,manchester1 but subject to much persecution by the ,fellows of that ,college4 ,he died in #afjh1 at the age of eighty years4 ,the ,hermetic abilities of ,kelly were always believed in by the ,emperor2 he continued to detain him1 hoping to extract his secret4 ,some friends of the unfortunate alchemist endeavoured1 in the year #aeig1 to effect his escape by means of a rope1 but he fell from the window of his prison1 and died of the injuries which he received4 ,during his confinement he composed a treatise on the philosophical stone1 and the ,diary of ,dr ,dee was published from a genuine ,ashmolean manuscript in #afjd4 ,the son of ,john ,dee became physician to the ,czar at ,moscow1 and in his ,fasciculus ,chemicus1 he states that1 in early youth1 he witnessed transmutation repeatedly for the space of seven years4 ,the metrical account of ,sir ,edward ,kelly's work in the ,theatrum ,chemicum ,britannicum informs all who are broiling in the kitchen of ,geber to burn their books 8and come and learn of me10 for they can no more compound the ,elixir ,vit and the precious stone than they can manufacture apples4 ,the progenitor of magnesia1 wife to the gold of the philosophers1 is not a costly thing4 ,the philosophical gold is not common but ,hermetic sulphur1 and magnesia is essential mercury4 ,the ,testamentum ,johannis ,dee ,philosophi ,summi ad ,johannem ,gwynn1 transmissum #aefh1 is lucidly worded as follows in its reference to the magnum opus3-- 8,cut that in ,three which ,nature hath made one1 ,then strengthen yt1 even by it self alone2 ,wherewith then cutte the powdered sonne in twayne1 ,by length of tyme1 and heale the wounde againe4 ,the self same sonne troys yet more1 ye must wounde1 ,still with new knives1 of the same kinde1 and grounde2 ,our monas trewe thus use by ,nature's ,law1 ,both binde and lewse1 only with rype and rawe1 ,and aye thank ,god who only is our ,guyde1 ,all is ynough1 no more then at this tyde40 ,,footnotes3 ,x ,morhof1 ,epistola ad ,langlelotum de ,metallorun ,transmutatione4 ,,henry ,,khunrath4 ,this ,german alchemist1 who is claimed as a hierophant of the psychic side of the magnum opus1 and who was undoubtedly aware of the larger issues of ,hermetic theorems1 must be classed as a follower of ,paracelsus4 ,he was a native of ,saxony1 born about the year #aefj4 ,he perambulated a large portion of ,germany1 and at the age of twenty-eight received the degree of medical doctor at the ,university of ,basle4 ,he practised medicine at ,hamburg and afterwards at ,dresden1 where he died in obscurity and poverty1 on the #ith of ,september #afja1 aged about forty-five years4 ,the ,amphitheatrum ,sapienti tern solius ver1 ,christiano ,kabbalisticum divino magicum1 c41 published in folio in #afji1 is the most curious and remarkable of his works1 some of which still remain in manuscript4,y ,it was left unfinished by its author1 appearing four years after his decease1 with a preface and conclusion by his friend ,erasmus ,wohlfahrt4 ,the prologue directs the aspirant to the supreme temple of everlasting wisdom to know ,god and ,jesus ,christ whom ,he hath sent1 to know also himself1 and the mysteries of the macrocosmos4 ,the whole treatise is purely mystical and magical4 ,the seven steps leading to the portals of universal knowledge are described in an esoteric commentary on some portions of the ,wisdom of ,solomon4 ,the lapis philosophorum is declared to be identical with the ,ruach ,elohim who brooded over the face of the waters during the first period of creation4 ,the ,ruach ,elohim is called vapor virtutis ,dei1 and the internal form of all things4 ,the perfect stone is attained through ,christ1 and1 conversely1 the possession of that treasure gives the knowledge of ,christ4 ,the ,amphitheatrum ,sapienti tern seems to be the voice of the ancient chaos1 but its curious folding plates are exceedingly suggestive4 ,,footnotes3 ,y ,chausepi1 ,dictionnaire4 ,,michael ,,maier4 ,this celebrated ,german alchemist1 one of the central figures of the ,rosicrucian controversy in ,germany1 and the greatest adept of his age1 was born at ,ruidsburg1 in ,holstein1 towards the year #aefh4 ,in his youth he applied himself closely to the study of medicine1 and establishing himself at ,rostock1 he practised that art with so much success that he became physician to the ,emperor ,rudolph ,,ii41 by whom he was ennobled for his services4 ,some adepts1 notwithstanding1 succeeded in enticing him from the practical path which he had followed so long into the thorny tortuosities of alchemical labyrinths4 ,il se passionna pour le grand uvre and scoured all ,germany to hold conferences with those whom he imagined to be in possession of transcendent secrets4 ,the ,biographie ,universelle declares that he sacrificed his health1 his fortune1 and his time to these 8ruinous absurdities40 ,according to ,buhle1,z he travelled extensively2 and on one occasion paid a visit to ,england1 where he made the acquaintance of the ,kentish mystic1 ,robert ,fludd4 ,he appears as an alchemical writer a little before the publication of the ,rosicrucian manifestoes4 ,in the controversy which followed their appearance1 and which convulsed mystic ,germany1 he took an early and enthusiastic share1 defending the mysterious society in several books and pamphlets4 ,he is supposed to have travelled in search of genuine members of the 8,college of ,teutonic ,philosophers ,r4,c410 and1 failing to meet with them1 is said to have established a brotherhood of his own on the plan of the ,fama ,fraternitatis4 ,these statements rest on inadequate authority1 and there is better ground for believing that he was initiated1 towards the close of his life1 into the genuine order4 ,a posthumous tract of ,michael ,maier1 entitled 8,ulysses10 was published in #afbd by one of his personal friends1 who added to the same volume the substance of two pamphlets which had already appeared in ,german1 but which1 by reason of their importance1 were now translated into ,latin for the benefit of the literati of ,europe4 ,the first was entitled ,colloquium ,rhodostauroticum trium personarum1 per ,famam et ,confessionem quodamodo revelatam de ,fraternitate ,rose ,crucis4 ,the second was an ,echo ,colloquii1 by ,benedict ,hilarion1 writing in the name of the ,rosicrucian ,fraternity4 ,it appears from these pamphlets that ,maier was admitted into the mystical order1 but when or where is uncertain4 ,he became the most voluminous alchemical writer of his period1 publishing continually till his death in the year #afbb4 ,many of his works are ,hermetic elaborations of classical mythology1 and are adorned with most curious plates4 ,they are all hopelessly obscure1 if his ,rosicrucian apologies be excepted2 the latter are not deficient in ingenuity1 but they are exceedingly laboured1 and1 of course1 completely unsatisfactory4 ,he does not appear to have been included among the adepts1 and he is now almost forgotten4 ,his chemical knowledge is buried in a multitude of symbols and insoluble enigmas1 and believers in spiritual chemistry will not derive much comfort or profit from his writings4 ,,footnotes3 ,z ,see ,de ,quincey's 8,rosicrucians and ,freemasons40 ,,jacob ,b,,hme4 ,after the publication of the psycho-chemical philosophy of the illuminated shoemaker of ,grlitz1 the adepts are believed to have despaired of any longer retaining their secrets1 and in their own writings they began to speak more freely4 ,in this way the mystery of the vas philosophorum is said to have become less impenetrable than previously1 when it was considered a divine secret in the keeping of ,god and his elect4 ,jacob ,bhme1 who may perhaps be considered as the central figure of ,christian mysticism1 was born in the year #aege1 at ,old ,seidenberg1 a village near ,grlitz1 in what was then called ,german ,prussia4 ,his parents were poor but honest and sober peasants1 and were unable to procure him more than the usual religious schooling and the most simple elements of common education4 ,in his spare time he tended cattle with other boys of the village4 8,he was a quiet1 introspective lad10 says one of his latest biographers1 8whose face bore somewhat of the dreamy expression which is frequent in poetic natures40 ,even at this early age he was rich in inward visions4 ,on one occasion he retired into a cave1 in the rock called ,land's ,crown1 and discovered a large wooden vessel full of money1 from which he precipitately retired without touching it1 as though it were something diabolical4 ,he told his companions1 but there was no such cavern to be found at the place in question1 though they often visited the spot in search of the concealed treasure4 ,on leaving school1 ,jacob was apprenticed to a shoemaker1 and while he was one day serving in the shop during the absence of his master1 an old man1 of remarkable and benevolent mien1 entered and asked for some shoes1 for which the lad1 fearing to conclude a bargain without his employer1 demanded an extravagant price to deter the stranger from buying4 ,the latter1 however1 paid the sum asked1 and then calling him by his name1 beckoned him into the street1 when taking him by the hand1 with sparkling eyes and earnest1 angelical countenance1 he said3-- 8,jacob1 thou art as yet but little2 nevertheless1 the time will come when thou shalt be great1 and the world shall marvel at thee4 ,therefore1 be pious1 fear ,god1 and reverence the ,word4 ,read the ,holy ,scriptures diligently2 in these thou shalt have comfort and instruction through the misery1 poverty1 and persecution which are in store for thee4 ,be courageous and persevere2 ,god loves thee1 and is gracious unto thee40 ,the stranger then disappeared1 or departed1 leaving ,jacob more serious and devotional than ever4 ,the words of instruction and inspired admonition which he was frequently prompted to give to his fellow apprentices brought him into disputes with his master1 and eventually led to his dismissal4 ,he became a journeyman shoemaker1 but returned to ,grlitz in #aeid1 where he married the daughter of a tradesman1 by whom he had four children4 ,in #aeih he imagined himself to be surrounded with the divine light for several consecutive days2 he beheld the virtue and nature of the vegetable world1 gazing into the very heart of creation1 and learning the secrets of the physical cosmos by means of the self-interpreting 8signatures0 which seemed to be impressed on all around him4 ,a similar experience recurred in #afjj1 when he passed into the hypnotic state by accidentally fixing his eye on a burnished pewter dish4 ,these visions did not interfere with his capacity for work1 or with his attention to his domestic affairs4 ,ten years passed away1 and his psychic perceptions became suddenly clearer4 8,what he had previously seen only chaotically1 fragmentarily1 and in isolated glimpses1 he now beheld as a coherent whole and in more definite outlines40 ,he wrote what he experienced under a fervour of inspiration1 and in this way his first book was produced--8,aurora1 the ,day ,spring1 or ,dawning of the ,day in the ,east1 or ,morning ,redness in the ,rising of the ,sun40 ,it was not originally intended for publication1 but manuscript copies were circulated by one of his friends1 and he suffered much consequent persecution from the ecclesiastical authorities of ,grlitz4 ,he was forbidden to write any more books1 and was commanded to stick to his trade4 ,for five years he meekly obeyed the tyrannous mandate1 and afterwards contented himself with writing simply for his intimate friends4 ,from #afai to #afbd he produced a number of voluminous treatises1 of which the book of the 8,true ,principles10 the 8,mysterium ,magnum10 and the 8,signatura ,rerum0 are perhaps the most characteristic and important4 ,the publication1 apparently surreptitious1 of his 8,way to ,christ0 again brought him into conflict with the orthodoxy of ,grlitz1 and led to his temporary exile4 ,he was invited to the electoral court at ,dresden1 where a conference of eminent theologians examined him1 and was so greatly impressed by the man that they declared themselves incompetent to judge him4 ,in #afbd he was attacked by a fever at the house of a friend in ,silesia1 was carried at his own request to his native town1 and there on the #bbnd ,november he expired in a semi-ecstatic condition4 ,while serving his apprenticeship at ,grlitz1 ,jacob ,bhme acquired some knowledge of chemistry1 and he subsequently made use of ,hermetic terminology in a transfigured and spiritual sense4 ,his example was followed by his disciples1 including the illustrious ,saint ,martin1 ,dionysius ,andreas ,freher1 and ,william ,law4 ,the second-named writer has treated of the analogy in the process of the philosophic work to the ,redemption of man through ,christ ,jesus1 as unfolded by ,jacob ,bhme4 ,a treatise on metallurgy is ascribed to the theosophist himself1 and there are several alchemical references in his numerous private epistles4 ,the ,holy ,ghost is stated to be the key to alchemy2 there is no need of hard labour and seeking 7presumably among physical substances74 8,seek only ,christ1 and you will find all things40 ,he describes the philosophers' stone as dark1 disesteemed1 and grey in colour4 ,it contains the highest tincture4 ,like ,henry ,khunrath before him1 he deprecates any expenditure beyond that of the time and cost of the operator's maintenance4 8,it doth not cost any money1 but what is spent upon the time and the maintenance1 else it might be prepared with four shillings4 ,the work is easy1 the act simple4 ,a boy of sixteen years might make it1 but the wisdom therein is great1 and it is greatest mystery40 ,the seal of ,god is elsewhere declared to be set on the secret of alchemy1 8to conceal the true ground of the same upon pain of eternal punishments1 unless a man know for certain that it shall not be misused4 ,there is also no power to attain it1 no skill or art availeth2 unless one give the tincture into the hands of another1 he cannot prepare it1 except he be certainly in the new birth40 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following lines1 copied from a manuscript inserted in a volume of his works1 are included in the original edition of the 8,lives of ,alchemysticall ,philosophers03-- 8,whate'er the ,eastern ,magi sought1 ,or ,orpheus sung1 or ,hermes taught1 ,whate'er ,confucius could inspire1 ,or ,zoroaster's mystic fire2 ,the symbols that ,pythagoras drew1 ,the wisdom ,god-like ,plato knew2 ,what ,socrates debating proved1 ,or ,epictetus lived and loved2 ,the sacred fire of saint and sage ,through every clime1 in every age1 ,in ,bohmen's wondrous page we view ,discovered and revealed anew4 #8,aurora' dawned the coming day3 ,succeeding books meridian light display4 ,ten thousand depths his works explore1 ,ten thousand truths unknown before4 ,through all his books profound we trace ,the abyss of nature1 ,,god1 and grace2 ,the seals are broke1 the mystery's past1 ,and all is now revealed at last4 ,the trumpet sounds1 the ,spirit's given1 ,and ,bohmen is the voice from ,heaven40 ,j4 ,b4 ,,van ,,helmont4 ,in the year #aeeg1 at ,bois le ,duc1 in ,brabant1 ,john ,baptist van ,helmont was born of a noble family4 ,he studied at ,louvain1 and became eminent in mathematics1 algebra1 the doctrines of ,aristotle and ,galen1 and the medicine of ,vopiscus and ,plempius4 ,at seventeen he lectured on physics as prlector1 and took his degree of medical doctor in #aeii4 ,he read ,hippocrates and the ,greek and ,arabian authors before he was twenty-two years old4 ,he then passed ten years in the unsuccessful practice of physic1 until he met a ,paracelsian chemist1 who discovered various chemical medicines to him4 ,he retired thereupon to the castle of ,vilvord1 near ,brussels1 and laboured with unremitting diligence in the chemico-experimental analysis of bodies of every class4 ,he passed his life in retirement1 and was almost unknown to his neighbours1 whom he1 nevertheless1 attended in illness1 without accepting a fee4 ,he declined an invitation and flattering offers from the ,emperor and the ,elector ,palatine1 and after writing several tracts1 which even at this day are held in considerable estimation1 he died in the sixty-seventh year of his age4 ,this author1 so illustrious throughout ,europe for his scientific knowledge1 and no less celebrated for his noble rank than by the probity of his character1 testifies in three different places that he has beheld1 and himself performed1 transmutation4 ,in his treatise1 ,de ,vita ,eterna1 he declares himself as follows3--8,i have seen and ,i have touched the philosophers' stone more than once2 the colour of it was like saffron in powder1 but heavy and shining like pounded glass4 ,i had once given me the fourth part of a grain--,i call a grain that which takes six hundred to make an ounce4 ,i made projection therewith1 wrapped in paper1 upon eight ounces of quicksilver1 heated in a crucible1 and immediately all the quicksilver1 having made a little noise1 stopped and congealed into a yellow mass4 ,having melted it in a strong fire1 ,i found within eleven grains of eight ounces of most pure gold1 so that a grain of this powder would have transmuted into very good gold1 nineteen thousand one hundred and fifty-six grains of quicksilver40 ,had ,helmont possessed the art of making the transmuting powder1 his testimony might be open to suspicion4 ,he says1 on another occasion1 that an adept1 after a few days of acquaintance1 presented him with half a grain of the powder of projection1 with which he transmuted nine ounces of quicksilver into pure gold4 ,he tells us further1 that he many times performed a similar operation in the presence of a large company1 and always with success4 ,on these grounds he believed in the certainty and in the prodigious resources of the art1 citing his acquaintance with an artist who had so much of the red stone as would make gold to the weight of two hundred thousand pounds4 ,though ignorant of the nature of this powder of projection1 ,helmont professed the knowledge of the alcahest1 and the methods of preparing medicines of transcendent efficacy by its means4 ,,butler4 ,in the reign of ,james the ,first the attention of the curious was attracted by a report of several transmutations performed in ,london by an artist of the above name4 ,he was an ,irish gentleman1 who had recently returned from his travels4 ,it was said that he was not himself acquainted with the secret of the stone1 so far as regards its manufacture4 ,to account for possessing it1 the following story was related3--,the ship in which he took passage during one of his voyages was captured by an ,african pirate1 and on arriving in port he was sold as a slave to an ,arabian1 who was an alchemical philosopher4 ,butler1 appearing to his master skilful and ingenious1 was employed in most difficult operations in the laboratory4 ,having a perfect knowledge of the importance of the process1 as soon as it was finished he bargained with an ,irish merchant for his ransom1 and made his escape1 taking with him a large portion of the red powder4 ,the performers of public transmutations generally found it necessary to conceal their real knowledge by similar inventions4 ,a physician1 who was a countryman of ,butler1 however formed a plan for discovering his secret4 ,he presented himself as a servant in search of a place1 and was hired in that capacity by ,butler4 ,he found the philosopher so circumspect that he sought in vain for some circumstance to justify the public report of his treasures1 until at last ,butler sent him into the city to purchase a large quantity of lead and quicksilver4 ,the disguised doctor now hoped to make a discovery4 ,he executed his commission with dispatch1 and prepared a little hole in the wall of his master's room1 through which1 from the adjoining apartment he could see what was going on4 ,he soon perceived ,butler taking something out of a box1 which he put on the melted lead1 and deposited the box in a concealed place under the floor of his room4 ,at this moment the table and chair on which the doctor was elevated to the spy-hole1 gave way1 and he fell with a loud noise to the ground4 ,butler rushed out of his room to learn the cause of this disturbance1 and perceiving the spy-hole1 he with difficulty refrained from running his servant through the body with his sword4 ,finding there was no hope of obtaining anything from ,butler1 the doctor expected to surprise his treasures by reporting to the officers of justice that he was a coiner of false money4 ,a vigilant search was made according to his directions1 but nothing was found1 for ,butler had already removed whatever could betray him--his furnace1 crucibles1 and eighty marks of gold were all he appeared to possess4 ,he was therefore liberated from the prison in which he had been confined during the investigation4 ,butler was afterwards entombed in the ,castle of ,vilvord1 in ,flanders1 where he is said to have performed wonderful cures by means of ,hermetic medicine4 ,a monk of ,brittany1 who was one of his fellow-prisoners1 having a desperate erysipelas in his arm1 was restored to health in an hour by drinking almond milk in which ,butler had merely dipped the stone4 ,the next day at the rumour of this circumstance1 the celebrated ,helmont1 who abode in the neighbourhood1 went with several noblemen to the prison1 where ,butler cured1 in their presence1 an aged woman of a megrim by dipping the stone into oil of olives and then anointing her head4 ,an abbess1 whose arm was swelled1 and whose fingers had been stiff for eighteen years1 was also cured by a few applications of the same stone to her tongue4 ,these cases are attested by the illustrious van ,helmont in his works4 ,,jean ,d',,espagnet4 ,this ,hermetic philosopher is known to us by two treatises--,enchiridion ,physic ,restitut and ,arcanum ,philosophi ,hermetic1 which1 however1 has also been claimed as the production of an unknown individual who called himself the ,chevalier ,imprial4,,aa 8,the ,secret of ,hermetical ,philosophy0 comprises the practical part of the magnum opus and the ,enchiridion1 the physical theory on which the possibility of transmutation is founded4 ,d',espagnet is also the author of the preface to the ,tableau de l',inconstance des ,dmons1 by ,pierre ,delancre4 8,the ,arcanum of ,hermetic ,philosophy0 is better known under the title of the 8,canons of ,espagnet10 and1 as ,i have shown in the ,introduction1 it is claimed as a treatise on mystical alchemy4 ,the author1 however1 very plainly states that 8the science of producing ,nature's grand ,secret is a perfect knowledge of ,nature universally and of art1 concerning the realm of metals2 the practice whereof is conversant in finding the principles of metals by analysis40 ,moreover1 the authors whom ,espagnet recommends as a guide to the student include those who1 like ,trvisan1 are known to have spent their existence in practical alchemy4 ,the ,sethon-,sendivogius treatises are also respectfully cited4 ,at the same time1 it may be freely granted that much of the matter in the canons1 though treating of a physical object1 may be extended to the psychic side of the ,hermetic art4 ,,footnotes3 ,,aa ,ce chevalier1 trs-rvre des alchimistes1 est mentionne souvent dans la ,trompette ,franaise1 petit volume1 contenant une ,prophtic de ,bombast sur la ,naissance de ,louis ,,xiv4 ,on a1 du ,chevalier ,imprial1 le ,miroir des ,alchimistes1 avec instructions aux dames pour dornavant tre belles sans plus user de leurs dards venimeux1 #afji1 #afmo4 ,dictionnaire des ,sciences ,occultes4 ,,alexander ,,sethon4 ,none of the adepts suffered from imprudent exposure of their power more than the subject of this article4 ,he was a native of ,scotland1 and is supposed to have inhabited a mansion at a village in the vicinity of ,edinburgh1 and close to the sea-shore4,,ab ,in the summer of #afja a ,dutch vessel was wrecked upon the coast1 and some of the crew were saved through the instrumentality of ,sethon1 who received them into his house1 treated them with great humanity1 and provided them with the means to return to ,holland4 ,one year later he visited ,james ,haussen1 the pilot of the ship1 one of the rescued persons1 at ,erkusen1 in that country4 ,the sailor received him with joy1 and detained him for several weeks in his house1 during which period he beheld with astonishment several transmutations performed by his guest1 who confessed that he was an alchemical adept4 ,he was bound in gratitude and friendship to the most inviolable secrecy1 but he could not refrain from confiding the wonder which he had witnessed to ,venderlinden1 the physician of ,enkhuysen1 who was a man of integrity and prudence1 and to whom he presented a piece of gold1 which had been transmuted in his presence from lead on the #acth ,march #afjb4 ,this curiosity came into the hands of the doctor's grandson1 who showed it to the celebrated ,george ,morhoff1 by whom it was mentioned1 with its history1 to ,langlet du ,fresnoy1 in an epistle on the transmutation of metals4 ,from ,enkhuysen1 ,sethon proceeded to ,amsterdam and ,rotterdam1 subsequently embarking for ,italy1 where1 after a short stay1 he passed into ,switzerland1 and so entered ,germany1 accompanied by ,wolfgang ,dienheim1 an adversary of ,hermetic philosophy1 whom by ocular demonstration he convinced of his error1 in presence of several distinguished persons of ,basle4 ,to this adversary we are indebted for a description of ,sethon1 whom he declared eminently spiritual in appearance1 short in stature1 but very stout1 having a high colour1 and a beard of the ,french style4 ,he calls him ,alexander ,sethonius1 and states that he was a native of ,molier1 8in an island of the ocean40 ,the lead required for the transmutation was brought by ,jacob ,zwinger from his own house1 a crucible was borrowed from a goldsmith1 and common sulphur was purchased on the road to the house where the operation was to be performed4 ,during the whole course of the experiment1 ,sethon touched nothing1 simply supplying the small packet which contained the powder of projection1 and which transformed the base metal into gold of the purest quality1 equivalent in weight to the original lead4 ,the experiment was repeated on another occasion with the same brilliant success1 and1 in addition to the testimony of ,dienheim1 we have also that of ,zwinger1 a name highly respected by the ,germans in the history of medicine4,,ac ,alexander ,sethon departed from ,basle1 and went under an assumed name to ,strasbourg1 whence he proceeded to ,cologne1 and abode with an amateur alchemist named ,anton ,bordemann1 by whom he was brought into acquaintance with the other souffleurs of that city4 ,he began a kind of alchemical crusade among them1 imprudently exposing his knowledge to credulous and sceptical alike1 and producing on one occasion six ounces of the precious metal by means of a single grain of his great philosophical tincture4,,ad ,leaving ,cologne altogether petrified by his marvellous operations1 the illustrious hierophant of the art ,hermetic betook himself to ,hamburg1 where his further amazing projections are described by ,george ,morhoff4 ,at ,munich1 the next stage in his alchemical pilgrimage1 he performed no transmutations1 suddenly disappearing with the daughter of one of its citizens1 whom he appears to have legally married1 and to whom he was henceforth most devotedly attached4 ,the renown of ,sethon about this time attracted the attention of ,christian ,,ii41 the young ,elector of ,saxony4 ,he sent for the alchemist1 but the latter1 absorbed by his passion1 had merged the ,hermetic propagandist in the lover1 and sent ,william ,hamilton1 his apparent domestic1 but in reality a confidant and friend1 to convince the ,elector of the verity of alchemical operations by ocular evidence4 ,a projection was performed by ,hamilton with perfect success in the presence of the whole court1 and the gold then manufactured resisted every test4,,ae ,the ,elector1 previously a sceptic1 was now more desirous than ever to behold the adept4 ,sethon reluctantly consented1 and at this juncture seems to have been deserted by ,hamilton4 ,he was received with distinction and favour1 and presented a small quantity of the powder to ,christian ,,ii41 who soon endeavoured to possess himself of the whole secret of the philosopher4 ,sethon refused to gratify him1 and was deaf to persuasions and menaces2 but the ,elector1 convinced that he was in possession of a living treasure1 determined to overcome his reluctance1 whatever the means employed4 ,he imprisoned him in a tower1 which was guarded by forty soldiers1 who had strict orders to keep a constant watch on him4 ,the unfortunate adept was subjected to every torment which covetousness and cruelty could suggest4 ,he was pierced with pointed iron1 scorched with molten lead1 burnt by fire1 beaten with rods1 racked from head to foot1 yet his constancy never forsook him4 ,at length he outwearied his torturers1 and was left in solitary confinement4 ,at this time ,michael ,sendivogius1 a ,moravian gentleman1 generally resident at ,cracovia1 in ,poland1 chanced to be tarrying at ,dresden4 ,he was a skilful chemist1 who1 like others of his period1 was in search of the philosophical stone1 and who naturally took interest in the case of ,alexander ,sethon4 ,having some influence at the court of the ,elector1 he obtained permission to see him2 and after several interviews1 at which the adept was exceedingly reserved on all subjects connected with the divine science1 he proposed to contrive his escape4 ,the tortured alchemist gladly consented to his plans1 and promised to assist him in his ,hermetic pursuits4 ,as soon as the resolution was formed1 ,sendivogius departed to ,cracovia1 sold his house in order to raise money1 and returning to ,dresden1 established himself in the vicinity of the prison1 gaining the favour of its warders by his prodigality and indirect bribes4 ,at length the day came for the execution of his plan2 he regaled the guards better than usual1 and when they were all drunk1 he carried ,sethon1 who was unable to walk1 on his back to a post-chaise1 in which they proceeded without discovery4 ,they called at the house of ,sethon for his wife1 who was in possession of a quantity of the transmuting powder1 and then made all haste to reach ,cracovia4 ,there ,sendivogius required from the alchemist the fulfilment of his promise1 but was blankly refused by the adept1 who referred him to ,god1 saying that the revelation of so awful a mystery would be a heinous iniquity4 8,you see what ,i have endured10 he continued1 8my nerves are shrunk1 my limbs dislocated2 ,i am emaciated to the last extremity1 and my body is almost corrupted2 even to avoid all this ,i did not disclose the secrets of philosophy40 ,sendivogius was not1 however1 destined to be deprived of all recompense for his pains and self-sacrifice4 ,alexander ,sethon did not long enjoy the liberty which his friend had obtained for him1 and on his death1 which occurred two years after his escape1 he presented his preserver with the remains of his transmuting powder4 ,,footnotes3 ,,ab ,the names ,seton or ,seatoun have been given as that of the village in question1 but in ,camden's 8,britannia0 it appears as the name of the house itself4 ,the alchemist himself is sufficiently myrionimous1 being variously denominated ,sethon1 ,sidon1 ,sethonius1 ,scotus1 ,sitonius1 ,sidonius1 ,suthoneus1 ,suethonius1 and even ,seehthonius4 ,,ac ,epistola ad doctorem ,schobinger1 printed by ,emmanuel ,konig in his ,ephemerides4 ,,ad ,thobald de ,hoghelande1 ,histori aliquot ,transmutationis ,mettalic pro defensione ,alchemi contra ,hostium ,rabrein4 ,cologne1 #afjd4 ,,ae ,galdenfalk1 8,alchemical ,anecdotes40 ,,michael ,,sendivogius4 ,sendivogius1 whose true name was ,sensophax1 was born at ,moravia in #aeff1 and was therefore about thirty-eight years of age on the death of his taciturn master4 ,he is said by some of his biographers to have been the natural son of a ,polish nobleman1 named ,jacob ,sendimir4 ,his life has been written at some length by his advocate1 an anonymous ,german1 who1 however1 produced a romance rather than a history1 among other fictions representing his hero to have been sent by the ,emperor ,rodolph ,,ii4 to the east1 where he received from a ,greek patriarch the revelation of the grand mystery4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,sendivogius had made no progress in alchemy before his acquaintance with ,sethon4 ,having almost exhausted his fortune to obtain the liberation of that adept1 and having a taste for extravagant living1 he was dissatisfied with the mere possession of a portion of the transmuting powder1 and was more eager than ever to penetrate the mysteries of the ,hermetic art4 ,he married the widow of ,sethon1 but she was wholly unacquainted with the process1 and her only possession was the manuscript of that celebrated treatise1 8,the ,new ,light of ,alchemy10 with the dialogue of ,mercury and the alchemist1 which ,sendivogius appropriated and eventually published as his own composition4 ,from this work the uninitiated inquirer believed himself to have discovered a method of augmenting the powder1 but he only succeeded in diminishing it4 ,foiled in this attempt1 he was still anxious at any rate to appear as an adept1 and acquired an immense reputation by incessant projections1 which1 assisted by his sumptuous living1 made him pass for a great hierophant4 ,at ,prague he presented himself to the ,emperor ,rodolph ,,ii41 and1 in presence of several nobles1 the king himself made gold by projection1 and overjoyed at the success of the operation he appointed ,sendivogius as one of his counsellors of state4 ,a marble tablet with the inscription-- ,faciat hoc quispiam alius ,quod fecit ,sendivogius ,polonus1 was set up in the chamber where the transmutation had been performed1 and the occasion was celebrated in verse by the court poet1 ,mardochie de ,delle4 ,this achievement ,sendivogius followed by printing at ,prague the treatise written by ,sethon under the name of ,cosmopolita4 ,it passes for the work of its editor1 as he included his name anagrammatically on the title-page1 in the motto--,divi ,leschi genus amo1 and gave no information concerning the real author4 ,some time after he issued a tract on sulphur1 which was probably his own composition4 ,the motto on the title-page--,angelus doce mihi jus--is another anagram of his name4 ,there are discrepancies between this tract and the twelve treatises which comprise the work of ,sethon4 ,this ,sendivogius perceived1 and in the second edition of the latter work he made alterations in its text4 ,from the ,court of ,rodolph ,,ii4 the alchemist proceeded to that of ,poland4 ,as he passed on his way through ,moravia1 a lord of the country1 who had heard of his transmutations at ,prague1 and suspected that he had abundance of the transmuting powder1 laid an ambush for him on the road1 seized him1 and secretly imprisoned him1 with the threat that he should never be liberated until he communicated the secret of his treasure4 ,sendivogius1 dreading the fate of ,sethon1 cut through the iron bar that crossed the window of his dungeon1 and making a rope of his clothes1 he escaped almost naked from the power of the little tyrant1 whom he summoned to the emperor's court1 where he was condemned to be fined1 a village on his estate was confiscated and transferred to ,sendivogius1 who afterwards gave it as dower with his daughter at her marriage4 ,sendivogius made several transmutations at ,varsovia1 but his powder was visibly diminishing4 ,duke ,frederick of ,wrtemberg invited him to visit him1 and two projections took place in the presence of this noble1 who1 to place him on the footing of a prince of the blood1 gave him the territory of ,nedlingen4 ,he was destined1 however1 to meet with a severe reverse at ,wrtemberg through the machinations of an envious alchemist already attached to the ,court1 and who persuaded him that the ,duke ,frederic had formed plans which menaced the freedom of his guest and the safety of his transmuting treasure4 ,sendivogius1 once more vividly reminded of the fate of his master1 precipitately fled1 only to be pursued by his treacherous brother in science1 who overtook him with twelve armed men1 well mounted1 arrested him in the name of the prince1 robbed him of the philosophical treasure1 and caused him to be cast into prison4 ,then this infamous souffleur1 whose star had been overwhelmed by the sun of ,sendivogius1 proceeded to perform transmutations1 more than regaining his lost reputation2 but the report of this discreditable transaction spread1 public opinion decided that the duke was a party to it1 and the wife of the victim applying to the ,king of ,poland1 soon obtained the liberty of alchemist4 ,once more ,sendivogius appealed for redress to the ,emperor ,rodolph1 who demanded the person of the souffleur from the ,duke of ,wrtemberg4 ,the possessions of ,sendivogius were at once restored1 with the exception of the powder1 all knowledge of which was denied4 ,the souffleur was hanged by the duke1 but from this time the pupil of ,sethon perceived his sign descending4 ,he had but an infinitesimal quantity of the powder in his possession1 which1 ever in search of notoriety1 he dissolved in spirits of wine1 carefully rectified1 and began to astonish the physicians of ,cracovia1 whither he had again repaired1 by the marvellous cures which he performed with this for a medicine4 ,desnoyers1 secretary to the ,queen of ,poland1 and one of the alchemist's biographers1 was in possession of a crown piece which ,sendivogius dipped red-hot into the same spirit1 in the presence of ,sigismund ,,iii41 ,king of ,poland1 and which was partially transformed into gold4,,af ,the elixir relieved the same king from the effects of a serious accident4 ,when every particle of his powder was expended1 ,sendivogius appears to have degenerated into a mere charlatan1 obtaining large sums on the pretence of manufacturing the powder of projection4 ,on one occasion he so far descended as to silver a piece of gold1 and pretending that he possessed the elixir1 he caused the silver to disappear by a chemical process1 which he imposed on the ignorant as a projection of the tincture and a conversion of silver into gold4 ,his confidential servant1 ,bodowski1 explains this deception as a finesse to conceal his real character1 having learned from experience the necessity of defending himself from the violence of covetous men4 ,he sometimes feigned poverty1 or lay in bed as one attacked with the gout or other sickness4 ,by these means he diverted the general suspicion that he possessed the philosophers' stone1 preferring to pass for an impostor than for one in the enjoyment of illimitable wealth4 ,he frequently travelled in a servant's livery1 concealing most of his red powder in the footstep of his chariot1 and causing one of his servants to sit inside4 ,he kept some of the powder in a small gold box1 and with a single grain of it would convert so much mercury into gold as would sell for five hundred ducats4,,ag ,he was at his castle of ,groverna1 on the frontiers of ,poland and ,silesia1 when he was visited by two strangers1 one of whom was old while the other was young4 ,they presented him with a letter bearing twelve seals1 and addressed to ,sendivogius4 ,he declared that he was not the person whom they sought1 but was at length persuaded to open the document1 and learned that they were a deputation from the ,rosicrucian ,society1 who wished to initiate him4 ,he pretended not to understand them when they spoke of the stone of the philosophers1 but they drew him into conversation on several abstruse subjects1 he1 however1 declining to the last the initiation which was offered him4 ,michael ,sendivogius died at ,parma in #afdf1 aged eighty-four years1 having been counsellor of state to four emperors successively4 ,his only daughter had married an army captain against her father's wish4 ,he left her nothing but a 8,treatise on the ,salt of the ,philosophers10 which has never been printed1 and1 therefore1 must not be confused with a spurious work which has been ascribed to him under a similar title4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,sethon-,sendivogius treatises are generally known under the collective title1 8,a ,new ,light of ,alchemy40 ,they were written to counteract the many adulterated and false receipts composed through the fraud and covetousness of impostors4 ,the procedure they indicate is declared to be the result of manual experience4 8,many men1 both of high and low condition1 in these last years past1 have to my knowledge seen ,diana unveiled4 ,the extraction of the soul out of gold or silver1 by what vulgar way of alchymy soever1 is but a mere fancy4 ,on the contrary1 he which1 in a philosophical way1 can1 without any fraud and colourable deceit1 make it that it shall really tinge the basest metal1 whether with gain or without gain1 with the colour of gold or silver 7abiding all requisite tryals whatever71 hath the gates of ,nature opened to him for the enquiring into further and higher secrets1 and with the blessing of ,god to obtain them40 ,it is thus in the writings of the alchemists that we are continually glimpsing or hearing of altitudes beyond transmutation1 of regions of achievement which nothing in the pages of the adepts prove them to have actually explored1 but which in possession of a comprehensive theory of organic and inorganic development they beheld as a ,promised ,land4 ,the 8,new ,light of ,alchemy0 insists on the existence of a sperm in everything1 and that all ,nature originated at the beginning from one only seed4 ,it treats of the generation of metals and the manner of their differentiation1 of the extraction of their seed1 and of the manufacture of the stone or tincture4 ,,footnotes3 ,,af ,see ,desnoyer's ,letter in ,langlet du ,fresnoy's ,histoire de la ,philosophie ,hermtique4 ,borel1 in his ,gallic ,antiquities1 recounts that he1 with many others at ,paris1 saw this crown-piece4 ,he describes it as partly gold1 so far only as it was steeped in the elixir4 ,the gold part was porous1 being specifically more compact than in its silver state4 ,there was no appearance of soldering1 or of the possibility of deception4 ,,ag ,see ,vie de ,sendivogius1 tire de la ,rlation de ,jean ,bodowski4 ,,gustenhover4 ,a respectable goldsmith1 named ,gustenhover1 resided at ,strasburg in #afjc4 ,in a time of great peril he gave shelter to a certain ,m4 ,hirschborgen1 who is described as good and religious4 ,on leaving his house after a considerable stay1 this person presented his humane host with some powder of projection1 and then1 departing on his journey1 was heard of no more4 ,gustenhover imprudently made transmutations before numerous people1 and the fact was reported to the ,emperor ,rodolph ,,ii41 himself an amateur in alchemy4 ,he wrote to the magistrates of ,strasburg1 directing that the goldsmith should be forthwith sent to him4 ,the order was zealously obeyed1 the man arrested1 and guarded with vigilance from all possibility of escape4 ,when he discovered that the intention of his imprisonment was to send him to the ,emperor at ,prague1 he divined the whole of the business1 and invited the magistrates to meet together1 desiring them to bring a crucet and charcoal1 and without his approaching to melt some lead4 ,musket balls were used for the purpose1 and when the metal was molten1 he handed them a small portion of red powder1 which they cast into the crucet1 and the result of their calcination was a considerable quantity of pure gold4 ,when he was brought into the presence of the gold-seeking ,emperor1 ,gustenhover was forced to admit that he had not himself prepared the miraculous powder1 and that he was in total ignorance about its nature and composition4 ,the monarch regarded this merely as one of the subterfuges which were common in his experience of jealous adepts4 ,the goldsmith reiterated his protestations in vain2 the whole of his powder was speedily exhausted1 yet he found himself still set to the now impossible task of making gold4 ,he sought a refuge from the fury of the avaricious wretch1 who has been denominated the ,german ,hermes by an alchemical blasphemy accursed by all sons of the doctrine2 but he was pursued1 dragged back1 and immured in the ,white ,tower1 where the imperial dragon1 blindly and obstinately convinced that the alchemist was concealing his secret1 detained him for the rest of his life4 ,the adept who presented the goldsmith with the auriferous gift of misery1 the so-called ,hirschborgen1 is supposed to be identical with ,alexander ,sethon1 at that period errant1 under various disguises1 in ,germany4 ,,busardier4 ,few particulars are recorded of this adept4 ,he dwelt at ,prague with a lord of the ,court1 and1 falling sick1 he perceived that his immediate death was inevitable4 ,in this extremity he wrote a letter to his chosen friend ,richtausen1 at ,vienna1 begging him to come and abide with him during his last moments4 ,on the receipt of this letter1 ,richtausen set out1 travelling with all expedition1 but1 on arriving at ,prague1 he had the mortification to find that the adept was no more4 ,he inquired diligently if he had left anything behind him1 and he was informed by the steward of the nobleman with whom he had lodged that a powder alone had been left1 which the nobleman seemed anxious to preserve1 but which the steward did not know how to use4 ,upon this information1 ,richtausen adroitly got possession of the powder1 and then departed4 ,the nobleman1 hearing of the transaction1 threatened to hang his steward if he did not recover the powder1 and the latter1 judging that no one but ,richtausen could have taken it1 pursued him1 well-armed4 ,he overtook him on the road and presented a pistol to his head1 saying he would shoot him if he did not return the powder4 ,richtausen1 seeing there was no other way to preserve his life1 acknowledged his possession of the treasure1 and pretended to surrender it1 but1 by an ingenious contrivance1 he abstracted a considerable quantity4 ,he was now the owner of a substance the value of which was fully known to him4 ,he presented himself to the ,emperor ,ferdinand ,,iii41 who was an alchemist1 and who1 aided by his mine-master1 ,count ,russe1 took every precaution in making projection with some of the powder given him by ,richtausen4 ,he converted three pounds of mercury into gold with one grain4 ,the force of this tincture was one upon #ai1dgj4 ,the emperor is said to have caused a medal to be struck1 bearing the effigy of ,apollo with the caduceus of ,mercury1 and the motto--,divina metamorphosis exhibita ,pragu1 ,jan4 #ae1 anno #afdh1 in prsentia ,sac4 ,cs4 ,majest4 ,ferdinandi ,tertii4 ,the reverse bore another inscription--,raris hc ut hominibus est ars2 ita raro in lucem prodit1 laudetur ,deus in ternum1 qui partem su infinit potenti novis suis abjectissimis creaturis communicat4 ,richtausen was ennobled by the title of ,baron ,chaos4 ,among many transformations performed by the same powder was one by the ,elector of ,mayence in #afea4 ,he made projection with all the precautions possible to a learned and skilful philosopher4 ,the powder1 enclosed in gum tragacanth to retain it effectually1 was put into the wax of a taper1 which was lighted1 the wax being then placed at the bottom of a crucet4 ,these preparations were undertaken by the ,elector himself4 ,he poured four ounces of quicksilver on the wax1 and put the whole into a fire covered with charcoal1 above1 below1 and around4 ,then they began blowing to the utmost1 and in about half an hour1 on removing the coals1 they saw that the melted gold was over red1 the proper colour being green4 ,the baron said that the matter was yet too high1 and it was necessary to put some silver into it4 ,the ,elector took some coins out of his pocket1 put them into the melting-pot1 combined the liquefied silver with the matter in the crucet1 and having poured out the whole when in perfect fusion into a lingot1 he found1 after cooling1 that it was very fine gold1 but rather hard1 which was attributed to the lingot4 ,on again melting1 it became exceedingly soft1 and the master of the mint declared to his highness that it was more than twenty-four carats1 and that he had never seen so fine a quality of the precious metal4 ,,anonymous ,,adept4 ,athanasius ,kircher1 the illustrious ,german ,jesuit1 records1 in his ,mundus ,subterraneus1 that one of his friends1 whose veracity he could not doubt1 made him the following relation3-- 8,from my youth ,i made a peculiar study of alchemy1 without ever attaining the object of that science4 ,in my course of experiments ,i received a visit from a man who was entirely unknown to me4 ,he asked very politely what was the object of my labours1 and said1 without giving me time to reply1 #8,i see very well by these glasses and this furnace that you are engaged in a search after something very great in chemistry1 but1 believe me1 you never will in that way attain to the object of your desire4' 8,i said to him--#8,sir1 if you have better instructions1 ,i flatter myself that you will give them4' 8#8,willingly1' replied this generous unknown4 8,immediately ,i took a pen and wrote down the process he dictated4 8#8,to show you the result1' said the stranger1 #8let us both work together according to what you have written4' 8,we proceeded1 and our operation being finished1 ,i drew from the chemical vessel a brilliant oil2 it congealed into a mass1 which ,i broke into a powder4 ,i took part of this powder and projected it on three hundred pounds of quicksilver2 it was in a little time converted into pure gold1 much more perfect than that of the mines2 it endured all the proofs of the goldsmiths4 8,a prodigy so extraordinary struck me with surprise and astonishment4 ,i became almost stupid1 and1 as another ,crsus1 fancied ,i possessed all the riches in the universe4 ,my gratitude to my benefactor was more than ,i could express4 ,he told me that he was on his travels and wanted nothing whatever2 #8but it gratifies me1' said he1 #8to counsel those who are unable to complete the ,hermetic work4' ,i pressed him to remain with me1 but he retired to his inn4 ,next day ,i called there1 but what was my surprise at not finding him in it1 or at any place in the town6 ,i had many questions to ask him which left me in doubt4 ,i returned to work according to the receipt1 but failed in the result4 ,i repeated the process with more care2 it was all in vain6 ,yet ,i persevered until ,i had expended all the transmuted gold and the greater part of my own property40 8,we see10 remarks ,kircher1 very gravely1 8by this true history1 how the devil seeks to deceive men who are led by a lust of riches4 ,this alchemist was convinced he had an infernal visitor1 and he destroyed his books1 furnace1 and apparatus1 by the timely advice of his confessor40 ,,albert ,,belin4 ,of this ,benedictine1 who was born at ,besanon in #afaj1 the amateurs of alchemy and the occult sciences have much prized the following opuscula3--8,a ,treatise on ,talismans or ,astral figures1 demonstrating the exclusively natural origin of their no less admirable virtues1 with the manner of their composition and their practical utility20 8,justification of the ,sympathetic ,powder10 published together at ,paris1 #afga1 #abmo2 and1 in particular1 8,the ,adventures of an ,unknown ,philosopher in the search after and on the discovery of the ,philosophical ,stone40 ,this is divided into four books1 and the manner of accomplishing the magnum opus is indicated with perspicacity in the fourth4 ,it was published in duodecimo at ,paris in #affd1 and has since been reprinted4 ,in the dedicatory epistle the authorship is disclaimed by ,belin1 who remarks that1 in accordance with his profession1 he should be occupied with the great work of divine grace rather than with the natural magnum opus4 ,the adventures are the production of a young man with whom he was once well acquainted1 and who was then lately deceased4 ,in the fourth book1 the narrator of the story relates how1 with a copy of ,raymond ,lully in his hand1 he went by himself into a wood1 and there he was interrupted in his studies by a wonderful lady1 in a wonderful silverine dress1 embroidered with flowers of gold4 ,she proves to be ,wisdom1 and is greeted by the student as his adorable mistress4 ,in her infinite grace and condescension1 the divine incarnation of philosophy instructs her ravished listener1 during three several discourses1 in the nature1 effects1 and excellences of the rich and fruitful stone1 of the matter whereof it is composed1 and of its development into absolute perfection4 ,the story is suggestive and curious1 but in literary and romantic merit it will bear no comparison with the 8,chemical ,nuptials of ,christian ,rosencreutz40 ,,eiren,,us ,,philalethes4 ,in 8,the ,real ,history of the ,rosicrucians10 having no space for an adequate discussion of the question1 ,i followed the more general opinion of ,hermetic writers by identifying the author of the ,introitas ,apertus with the author of the ,lumen de ,lumine1 ,thomas ,vaughan1 and concluded that he wrote indifferently under the pseudonyms of ,eugenius ,philalethes and ,eirenus ,philalethes4 ,certain misleading references in great but fallible bibliographies1 and one piece of inextricable confusion in the text of the ,introitus ,apertus1 made this view appear to be fairly reasonable4 ,however1 in the course of a somewhat detailed notice1 a writer in the ,saturday ,review has taken me to task1 by no means discourteously1 be it said1 for inaccuracy in my account of ,vaughan4 ,on the authority of ,ashmole and ,wood1 he states that this personage was the brother of the ,silurist poet1 ,henry ,vaughan1 that he was born at ,llansaintfraid1 in ,brecknockshire1 during the year #afba1 that he graduated at ,jesus ,college1 ,oxford1 took orders1 and returned to hold the living of his native parish4 ,under the ,commonwealth he was ejected as a ,royalist1 and then betook himself to chemical experiments1 one of which cost him his life on the #bgth of ,february #affe4 ,now1 it is clear that these facts do not correspond with the life1 such as we know it1 of the author of the ,introitus ,apertus1 and the identification of the two ,philalethes1 a habit which is apparently unknown to the ,saturday ,reviewer1 must be therefore abandoned4 ,why this identification has hitherto taken place1 and why1 with some misgivings1 it was continued in my work on the ,rosicrucians1 may be very easily explained4 ,the grounds of the confusion are these3--,first1 the similarity of the assumed name1 half of which was common to them both1 while the other half appears to have been interchangeable in the minds of historians and bibliographers alike1 including the compilers of the ,catalogue in the ,library of the ,british ,museum1 which attributes the ,introitus ,apertus indiscriminately to both ,philalethes4 ,second1 the fact that almost every edition and translation of this treatise contains the following passage in the initial paragraph of the preface3-- 8,i being an adept1 anonymous1 and lover of learning1 decreed to write this little ,treatise of physical secrets in the year #afde1 in the twenty-third year of my age1 to pay my duty to the sons of art1 and lend my hand to bring them out of the labyrinth of error1 to show the adepts that ,i am a brother equal to them4 ,i presage that many will be enlightened by these my labours4 ,they are no fables1 but real experiments1 which ,i have seen1 made1 and know1 as any adept will understand4 ,i have often in writing laid aside my pen1 because ,i was willing to have concealed the truth under the mask of envy2 but ,god compelled me to write1 ,whom ,i could not resist3 ,he alone knows the heart--to ,him only be glory for ever4 ,i undoubtedly believe that many will become blessed in this last age of the world with this arcanum4 ,may the will of ,god be done6 ,i confess myself unworthy of effecting such things--,i adore the holy will of ,god1 to ,whom all things are subjected6 ,he created and preserves them to this end40 ,a simple arithmetical operation will show that the author was consequently born in the year #afba1 when also ,eugenius ,philalethes1 otherwise ,thomas ,vaughan1 first saw the light4 ,this would remain unchallenged1 but for the fact that the original edition,,ah of the ,introitus is asserted to read trigesimo anno1 in the thirty-third year1 instead of vigesimo anno4 ,there is no copy of this original edition in the ,british ,museum1 and my knowledge of it is derived from the reprint in ,langlet du ,fresnoy's ,histoire de la ,philosophie ,hermtique4 ,eirenus1 in accordance with the later impressions1 is venerated by the faithful of ,hermes as the adept who accomplished the grand and sublime act at the age of twenty-two4 ,these grounds1 which in themselves are considerable1 may be supplemented by the fact that there is much similarity in the style and methods of the two writers4 ,eugenius ,philalethes wrote ,anthroposophia ,theomagica2 ,anima ,magica ,abscondita1 published together in #afej2 ,magia ,adamica1 #afej2 8,the ,man-,mouse0 7a satire on ,henry ,more1 the ,platonist72 8,the ,second ,wash1 or ,the ,moore 7i4e41 ,henry ,more7 ,scoured once more10 #afea2 ,lumen de ,lumine1 #afea2 8,the ,fame and ,confession of the ,fraternity ,r4,c410 #afeb2 ,aula ,lucis1 #afeb2 8,euphrates1 or ,the ,waters of the ,east10 #afee4 8,a ,brief ,natural ,history10 published in #affi1 also bears his name1 and in #afgi his poetical remains were published by ,henry1 his brother1 along with some effusions of his own1 entitled ,thalia ,rediviva4 ,some idea of the confusion which exists in the minds of biographers and bibliographers alike on this point may be gathered from the fact that some authorities represent ,thomas ,vaughan as dying in #afef1 while ,chalmers' ,biographical ,dictionary attributes all the works of ,eugenius ,philalethes to ,henry the ,silurist1 whom he terms a ,rosicrucian fanatic4 ,if much be confusion which concerns ,thomas ,vaughan1 all is chaos in respect of ,eirenus ,philalethes4 ,he would appear to have emigrated to ,america at a comparatively early period4 ,the ,amsterdam original edition of his ,experimenta de ,prparatione ,mercurii ,sophici1 which was issued by ,daniel ,elzevir in #affh1 describes that work as ex manuscripto philosophi ,americani1 alias yreni ,philalethes1 natu ,angli1 habitatione ,cosmopolit4 ,in this way1 those who have refrained from identifying him with ,thomas ,vaughan1 carefully confuse him with ,george ,starkey1 also an ,anglo-,american1 who claimed a familiar acquaintance with ,philalethes1 and who1 owing his initiation to him1 may be considered his philosophical son1 but not his alter ego4 ,starkey returned to ,london1 and wrote several chemical books1 some of which detail the transmutations performed by ,philalethes in the apothecary's trans-atlantic laboratory4 ,he died of the plague in ,london in #affe1 while ,eirenus continued publishing for many years after that date1 and lived for some time on intimate terms with the illustrious ,robert ,boyle1 who1 however1 has given us no biographical particulars concerning him4 ,not the least curious fact in the history of this mysterious adept is the apparently complete disappearance of numbers of his printed works1 which an authentic list extends to some forty volumes1 some of which seem perfectly unknown and unheard of by bibliographers and collectors alike4 ,langlet du ,fresnoy enumerates several manuscript treatises1 but gives no clue to their whereabouts4 ,it is from the books of ,philalethes himself that we must be contented to glean the scanty facts of his life4 ,the thirteenth chapter of the ,introitus ,apertus ad ,occlusum ,regis ,palatium contains the following remarkable account of its author3-- 8,all alchemical books abound with obscure enigmas and sophistical operations4 ,i have not written in this style1 having resigned my will to the ,divine pleasure4 ,i do not fear that the art will be disesteemed because ,i write plainly1 for true wisdom will defend its own honour4 ,i wish gold and silver were as mean in esteem as earth1 that we need not so strictly conceal ourselves4 ,for we are like ,cain1 driven from the pleasant society we formerly had without fear2 now we are tossed up and down as if beset with furies2 nor can we suppose ourselves safe in any one place long4 ,we weep and sigh1 complaining to the ,lord1 #8,behold1 whosoever shall find me will slay me6' ,we travel through many nations like vagabonds1 and dare not take upon us the care of a family1 neither do we possess any certain habitation4 ,although we possess all things we can use but a few2 what1 therefore1 do we enjoy except the speculations of our minds8 ,many strangers to this art imagine that if they enjoyed it they would do great good2 so ,i believed formerly1 but the danger ,i have experienced has taught me otherwise4 ,whoever encounters the eminent peril of his life will act with more caution thenceforward4 ,i found the world in a most wicked state1 scarce a man but is guided by some selfish and unworthy motive1 however honest or upright he is judged in public4 ,an adept cannot effect the works of mercy to an uncommon extent without in some degree confiding to the secrecy of others1 and this is at the hazard of imprisonment and death4 ,i lately had a proof of it2 for1 being in a foreign place1 ,i administered the medicine to some distressed poor persons who were dying1 and they having miraculously recovered1 there was immediately a rumour spread abroad of the elixir of life1 insomuch that ,i was forced to fly by night with exceeding great trouble1 having changed my clothes1 shaved my head1 put on other hair1 and altered my name1 else ,i would have fallen into the hands of wicked men that lay in wait for me1 merely on suspicion1 excited by the thirst of gold4 ,i could mention other dangers which would seem ridiculous to those who did not stand in a similar situation4 ,they think they would manage their affairs better1 but they do not consider that all those intelligent people1 whose society is chiefly desirable1 are extremely discerning1 and a slight conjecture is enough to produce a conspiracy2 for the iniquity of men is so great that ,i have known a person to have been strangled with a halter on suspicion2 although he did not possess the art1 it was sufficient that a desperate man had report of it4 ,this age abounds with ignorant alchemists2 however ignorant of science1 they know sufficient to discover an adept1 or to suspect him4 ,an appearance of secresy will cause them to search and examine every circumstance of your life4 ,if you cure the sick1 or sell a large quantity of gold1 the news is circulated all through the neighbourhood4 ,the goldsmith knows that the metal is too fine1 and it is contrary to law for any one to alloy it who is not a regular metallurgist4 ,i once sold pure silver worth #fjj in a foreign country4 ,the goldsmith1 notwithstanding ,i was dressed as a merchant1 told me #8this silver was made by art4' ,i asked the reason he said so4 ,he replied1 #8,i know the silver that comes from ,spain1 ,england1 c4 ,this is purer than any of them4' ,hearing this ,i withdrew4 ,there is no better silver in trade than the ,spanish1 but if ,i had attempted to reduce my silver from its superior purity1 and was discovered1 ,i would be hanged for felony4 ,i never called again for either the silver or the price of it4 ,the transmission of gold and silver from one country to another is regulated by strict laws1 and this is enough to condemn the adept who appears to have a quantity of it4 ,thus1 being taught by these difficulties1 ,i have determined to lie hid1 and will communicate the art to thee who dreamest of performing public good1 that we may see what you will undertake when you obtain it4 8,the searcher of all hearts knows that ,i write the truth2 nor is there any cause to accuse me of envy4 ,i write with an unterrified quill in an unheard of style1 to the honour of ,god1 to the profit of my neighbours1 with contempt of the world and its riches2 because ,,elias the artist is already born1 and now glorious things are declared of the city of ,god4 ,i dare affirm that ,i do possess more riches than the whole known world is worth1 but ,i cannot make use of it because of the snares of knaves4 ,i disdain1 loathe1 and detest the idolizing of silver and gold1 by which the pomps and vanities of the world are celebrated4 ,ah1 filthy evil6 ,ah1 vain nothingness8 ,believe ye that ,i conceal the art out of envy8 ,no1 verily ,i protest to you1 ,i grieve from the very bottom of my soul that we are driven like vagabonds from the face of the ,lord throughout the earth4 ,but what need many words8 ,the thing we have seen1 taught1 and made1 which we have1 possess1 and know1 that we do declare2 being moved with compassion for the studious1 and with indignation of gold1 silver1 and precious stones1 not as they are creatures of ,god1 far be it from us1 for in that respect we honour them1 and think them worthy of esteem1 but the people of ,god adore them as well as the world4 ,therefore let them be ground to powder like the golden calf6 ,i do hope and expect that within a few years money will be as dross2 and that prop of the anti-,christian beast will be dashed to pieces4 ,the people are mad1 the nations rave1 an unprofitable wight is set up in the place of ,god4 ,at our long expected and approaching redemption1 the ,new ,jerusalem shall abound with gold in the streets1 the gates thereof shall be made with entire stones1 most precious ones1 and the tree of life in the midst of ,paradise shall give leaves for the healing of the nations4 ,i know these my writings will be to men as pure gold2 and through them gold and silver will become vile as dirt4 ,believe me1 the time is at the door1 ,i see it in spirit1 when we1 adeptists1 shall return from the four corners of the earth1 nor shall we fear any snares that are laid against our lives1 but we shall give thanks to the ,lord our ,god4 ,i would to ,god that every ingenious man in the whole earth understood this science2 then it would only be valued for its wisdom1 and virtue only would be had in honour4 ,i know many adepts who have vowed a most secret silence4 ,i am of another judgment because of the hope ,i have in my ,god2 therefore ,i consulted not with my brethren1 or with flesh and blood1 in these my writings3 ,god grant that it be to the glory of ,his name60 ,we are told in the preface to 8,ripley ,revived0 the authors to whom he was at any rate chiefly indebted4 8,for my own part1 ,i have cause to honour ,bernard ,trvisan1 who is very ingenious1 especially in the letter to ,thomas of ,boulogne1 where ,i seriously confess ,i received the main light in the hidden secret4 ,i do not remember that ever ,i learned anything from ,raymond ,lully4 ,some who are not adepts give more instruction to a beginner than one whom perfect knowledge makes cautious4 ,i learned the secret of the magnet from one1 the chalybs from another1 the use of ,diana's ,doves from a third1 the air or cameleon from another1 the gross preparation of the dissolvent in another1 the number of eagles in another2 but for operations on the true matter and signs of the true mercury1 ,i know of none like ,ripley1 though ,flamel be eminent4 ,i know what ,i say1 having learned by experience what is truth and what is error4 8,i have read misleading1 sophistical writers1 and made many toilsome1 laborious experiments1 though but young2 and having at length1 through the undeserved mercy of ,god1 arrived at my haven of rest1 ,i shall stretch out my hand to such as are behind4 ,i have wrote several treatises1 one in ,english1 very plain but not perfected--unfortunately1 it slipped out of my hand4 ,i shall be sorry if it comes abroad into the world--two in ,latin1 ,brevis ,manuductio ad ,rubinem ,clestem1 and ,fons ,chymic ,philosophi--these1 for special reasons1 ,i resolve to suppress4 ,two others ,i lately wrote1 which1 perhaps1 you may enjoy1 namely1 ,ars ,metallorum ,metamorphoses1 and ,introitus ,apertus ad ,occlusum ,regis ,palatium4 ,i wrote two poems in ,english1 which are lost2 also1 in ,english1 an ,enchiridion of experiments1 a diurnal of meditations1 with many receipts declaring the whole secret1 and an ,enigma annexed4 ,these also fell into the hands of one who1 ,i conceive1 will never restore them40 ,the delinquent in question was undoubtedly ,george ,starkey1 who published the 8,marrow of ,alchemy0 under the name of ,eirenus ,philoponos ,philalethes2 this metrical account of the ,hermetic theory and practice is apparently the vanished verse of the adept1 but it contains in addition an account of the editor's own initiation1 which is certainly worth transcribing4 8,i have now to assert1 from my own experience1 facts of transmutation of which ,i was an eye-witness4 ,i was well acquainted with an artist with whom ,i have often conversed on the subject1 and ,i saw in his possession the white and the red elixir in very large quantity4 ,he gave me upwards of two ounces of the white medicine1 of sufficient virtue to convert #abj1jjj times its weight into the purest virgin silver4 ,with this treasure ,i went to work ignorantly upon multiplication1 and was caught in the trap of my own covetousness1 for ,i expended or wasted all this tincture4 ,however1 ,i made projection of part of it1 which is sufficient for my present purpose1 enabling me to assert the possibility of the art from ocular demonstration4 ,i have tinged many times hundreds of ounces into the best silver4 ,of a pound of mercury ,i have made within less than a scruple of a pound of silver2 of lead1 little more waste2 but 'tis wondrous to see tin--although a dross was burnt from it1 yet its weight increased in the fire4 ,i essayed the medicine on copper1 iron1 even on brass and pewter1 on spelter1 solder1 tinglass1 mercury1 and on regulus of antimony2 and ,i can say with truth it conquers all metallic things1 and brings them all to perfection4 ,i found there was nothing akin to it but it would tinge into pure silver4 ,even perfect gold was penetrated and changed into a white glass1 that would transmute1 but in small quantity1 inferior metals into silver2 but when this silver was assayed it was found to abide aquafortis1 cupel of antimony1 and weighed as gold1 so that it was white gold4 ,this was because the white tincture had fermented with red earth1 and both virtues coming into projection1 produced silver-coloured gold1 or silver equalling gold in perfection1 but wanting its hue4 ,i did not know the value of this silver till my medicine was nearly gone1 and sold eighty ounces of it at the common price1 though it was as valuable as gold4 ,i projected the medicine on pure silver1 and had a chrystalline metal1 like burnished steel or mirror1 but there was no increase of virtue in this2 it tinged only so much as it would if it had not been projected on silver4 8,the artist who gave me this is still living2 ,i prize him as my own life2 ,i wish his happiness1 for he has been a sure friend4 ,he is at present on his travels1 visiting artists and collecting antiquities as a citizen of the world4 ,he is an ,englishman of an ancient1 honourable family1 who now live in the place wherein he was born4 ,he is scarcely thirty-three years of age1 and is rarely learned4 ,you cannot know more of him from me1 nor can you be acquainted with him2 his acquaintance with me is as unexpected as his love was cordial4 ,i had often seen by experiment that he was master of the white and red before he would vouchsafe to trust me with a small bit of the stone1 nor would ,i press him1 trusting for his courtesy soon or late1 which ,i shortly received1 by what ,i have said of the white medicine1 and also a portion of his mercury4 8,he told me this mercury was a matchless treasure1 if ,god would open my eyes to the use of it1 else ,i might grope in blindness4 ,with this dissolvent1 which is the hidden secret of all masters1 he exceedingly multiplied his red stone4 ,i saw him put a piece of the red1 by weight1 into that same mercury1 which then digested1 dissolved it1 and made it change colour1 and in three days it passed through the process of black1 white1 and red4 8,i thought that if the red and white could be multiplied that one lineal progress led to either1 and on this false ground ,i destroyed ten parts in twelve of my medicine4 ,this loss did not suffice me1 for ,i mixed the remaining two parts with ten times their weight of ,luna1 and fell to work again1 hoping to make up for my first error4 ,i then began to think upon the maxims of the old books1 revolved in my mind the agreement of my work with the laws of ,nature1 and at length ,i concluded that each thing is to be disposed according to its condition4 8,when ,i found that my vain attempts only threw away the tincture1 ,i stopped my hand1 resolving to keep the few grains left for some urgent necessity1 which for its preservation ,i mixed with ten parts of ,luna4 8,i tried some of the mercury before mentioned on gold1 my desire being to see the work carried forward and brought to ,luna1 if not to ,sol4 ,this1 then1 ,i projected on mercury4 ,after having alloyed it with silver it tinged fifty parts1 and ,i strove to imbibe it1 but in vain1 because ,i had let it cool4 ,i foolishly supposed to obtain the oil by imbibition4 ,however1 ,nature carried on the work into blackness1 the colours1 and whiteness1 which yet was far short of what ,i looked for4 8,in these trials ,i wasted nearly all my mercury likewise2 but ,i had for my consolation the witnessing of transmutations1 and those extraordinary processes which ,i beheld with mine own eyes1 and blessed ,god for seeing4 8,in some time ,i met my good friend and told all my mishaps1 hoping that he would supply me as before2 but he1 considering that my failures had made me wise1 would not trust me with more1 lest ,i should pluck the ,hesperian tree as ,i chose for my own and other men's hurt4 ,he said to me1 #8,friend1 if ,god elects you to this art1 ,he will in due time bestow the knowledge of it2 but if in ,his wisdom ,he judge you unfit1 or that you would do mischief with it1 accursed be that man who would arm a maniac to the harm of his fellow-creatures4 ,while you were ignorant1 ,i gave you a great gift1 so that1 if ,heaven ordained1 the gift should destroy itself4 ,i see it is not right you should enjoy it at present2 what providence denies ,i cannot give you1 or ,i should be guilty of your misconduct4' 8,i confess this lesson of divinity did not please me2 as ,i hoped so much from him1 his answer was a disappointment4 ,he further said that ,god had granted me knowledge1 but withheld the fruit of it for the present4 8,then ,i gave him to understand how ,i had discovered the skill of the water1 #8by which1 in time1 ,i may obtain what you deny1 and which ,i am resolved to attempt4' 8#8,if so1 then1' he replied1 #8attend to what ,i say1 and you may bless ,god for it4 ,know that we are severely bound by strong vows never to supply any man by our art who might confound the world1 if he held it at will2 and all the evil he does is left at the door of that adept who is so imprudent4 ,consider what a prize you had both of the stone and of the mercury4 ,would not any one say that he must be mad that would throw it all away without profit8 8#8,had you been guided by reason you might have enough of what ,i gave you4 ,your method was to add to the purest gold but a grain of the stone2 in fusion it would unite to it1 and then you might go about the work with your mercury1 which would speedily mix with that gold and greatly shorten the work1 which you might easily govern to the red2 and as you saw how ,i wedded new gold to such sulphur and mercury1 you saw the weight1 time1 and heat1 what more could you have wished8 ,and seeing you know the art of preparing the fiery mercury1 you might have as much store as any one4 8#8,but you do not perceive by this that ,god is averse to you1 and caused you to waste the treasure ,i gave you4 ,he sees perhaps that you would break ,his holy laws and do wrong with it2 and though ,he has imparted so much knowledge1 ,i plainly see that ,he will keep you some years without the enjoyment of that which no doubt you would misuse4 ,know1 that if you seek this art without a ferment1 you must beware of frequent error2 you will err and stray from the right path1 notwithstanding all your care1 and perhaps may not in the course of your life attain this treasure1 which is the alone gift of ,god4 ,if you pursue the straightest course it will take a year to arrive at perfection2 but if you take wrong ways1 you shall be often left behind1 sometimes a year1 and must renew your charge and pains1 repenting of your loss and error1 in much distraction1 care1 and perils1 with an expense you can hardly spare4 ,attend therefore to my counsel1 and ,i shall disclose the secret conditionally4 ,swear before the mighty ,god that you will1 for such a time1 abstain from the attempt or practice2 nor shall you at that time1 even if you are at the point of death1 disclose some few points that ,i will reveal to you in secrecy4' 8,i swore1 and he unlocked his mind to me1 and proved that he did not deceive by showing me those lights which ,i shall honestly recount1 as far as my oath will admit40 99 99 99 99 99 ,eirenus ,philalethes has the credit of unexampled perspicuity1 and his ,introitus ,apertus1 in particular1 is an abridgement or digest of the whole turba philosophorum4 ,those who are in search of the physical secret should begin by the careful study of his works2 thence they should proceed to a consideration of the authors whom he himself recommends1 after which the best ,hermetic writers1 from the days of ,geber downward1 should be taken in their chronological order1 carefully analysed1 and their points of difference and agreement duly noted4 ,the physical nature of the alchemical arcana in the custody of the true ,philalethes are best seen by the narratives and commentaries of his pupil1 ,george ,starkey4 ,the mystery which surrounds the adept stimulates unbalanced imaginations1 and dilates into ,titanic stature the projects which he cherished and the wonders he is supposed to have accomplished4 ,the ,introitus ,apertus1 amid much that is mystical and much that suggests an exceedingly romantic interpretation1 is a treatise of practical alchemy1 and further elaborates the principles1 evidently physical1 that are expounded in the metrical essays which were preserved and made public by ,starkey4 ,,footnotes3 ,,ah ,it was published at ,amsterdam in #affg1 and is supposed to have been free from the numerous typographical errors of the later editions4 ,,pierre ,,jean ,,fabre4 ,this physician of ,montpellier1 to whom chemistry is indebted for some steps in its progress1 flourished at the beginning of the seventeenth century4 ,he believed in the transmutation of metals1 but is not considered as an adept1 though he wrote seventeen treatises on this subject1 and on the ,spagiric ,medicine4 ,his most curious work is ,alchimista ,christianus4 ,toulouse1 #afcb1 #hvo4 ,in ,hercules ,piochymicus1 published at the same place two years later1 he maintains that the labours of ,hercules are allegories1 which contain the arcana of ,hermetic philosophy4 ,he defines the philosophical stone as the seed out of which gold and silver are generated4 ,it is three and yet one2 it may be found in all compounded substances1 and is formed of salt1 mercury1 and sulphur1 which1 however1 are not to be confounded with the vulgar substances so denominated4 ,,helvetius4 ,the following singularly impressive and even convincing testimony to the alleged fact of metallic transmutation was published by the eminent ,dutch physician1 ,john ,frederick ,helvetius1 at the ,hague in #affg1 and was dedicated to his friends1 ,dr ,retius of ,amsterdam1 ,dr ,hansius of ,heidelberg1 and ,dr ,menzelin of ,brandeburg4 8,on the #bgth ,december #afff1 in the afternoon1 a stranger1 in a plain1 rustic dress1 came to my house at the ,hague4 ,his manner of address was honest1 grave1 and authoritative2 his stature was low1 with a long face and hair black1 his chin smooth4 ,he seemed like a native of the north of ,scotland1 and ,i guessed he was about forty-four years old4 ,after saluting me1 he requested me most respectfully to pardon his rude intrusion1 but that his love of the pyrotechnic art made him visit me4 ,having read some of my small treatises1 particularly that against the sympathetic powder of ,sir ,kenelm ,digby1 and observed therein my doubt of the ,hermetic mystery1 it caused him to request this interview4 ,he asked me if ,i still thought there was no medicine in ,nature which could cure all diseases1 unless the principal parts1 as the lungs1 liver1 c41 were perished1 or the time of death were come4 ,to which ,i replied1 ,i never met with an adept1 or saw such a medicine1 though ,i read much of it1 and often wished for it4 ,then ,i asked if he was a physician4 ,he said he was a founder of brass1 yet from his youth learned many rare things in chemistry1 particularly of a friend--the manner to extract out of metals many medicinal arcana by the use of fire4 ,after discoursing of experiments in metals1 he asked me1 ,would ,i know the philosophers' stone if ,i saw it8 ,i answered1 ,i would not2 though ,i read much of it in ,paracelsus1 ,helmont1 ,basil1 and others1 yet ,i dare not say ,i could know the philosophers' matter4 ,in the interim he drew from his breast pocket a neat ivory box1 and out of it took three ponderous lumps of the stone1 each about the size of a small walnut4 ,they were transparent and of a pale brimstone colour1 whereto some scales of the crucible adhered when this most noble substance was melted4 ,the value of it ,i since calculated was twenty tons weight of gold4 ,when ,i had greedily examined and handled the stone almost a quarter of an hour1 and heard from the owner many rare secrets of its admirable effects in human and metallic bodies1 also its other wonderful properties1 ,i returned him this treasure of treasures1 truly with a most sorrowful mind1 like those who conquer themselves1 yet1 as was just1 very thankfully and humbly4 ,i further desired to know why the colour was yellow1 and not red1 ruby colour1 or purple1 as the philosophers write4 ,he answered1 that was nothing1 for the matter was mature and ripe enough4 ,then ,i humbly requested him to bestow a little piece of the medicine on me1 in perpetual memory of him1 though but of the size of a coriander or hemp seed4 ,he presently answered1 #8,oh no1 this is not lawful1 though thou wouldst give me as many ducats in gold as would fill this room1 not for the value of the metal1 but for some particular consequences4 ,nay1 if it were possible1' said he1 #8that fire could be burnt by fire1 ,i would rather at this instant cast all this substance into the fiercest flames4' ,he then demanded if ,i had a more private chamber1 as this was seen from the public street4 ,i presently conducted him into the best furnished room backward1 not doubting but he would bestow part thereof or some great treasure on me4 ,he entered without wiping his shoes1 although they were full of snow and dirt4 ,he asked me for a little piece of gold1 and1 pulling off his cloak1 opened his vest1 under which he had five pieces of gold4 ,they were hanging to a green silk ribbon1 and were of the size of breakfast plates4 ,this gold so far excelled mine that there was no comparison for flexibility and colour4 ,the inscriptions engraven upon them he granted me to write out2 they were pious thanksgivings to ,god1 dated #bjth ,august #afff1 with the characters of the ,sun1 ,mercury1 the ,moon1 and the signs of ,leo and ,libra4 8,i was in great admiration1 and desired to know where and how he obtained them4 ,he answered1 #8,a foreigner1 who dwelt some days in my house1 said he was a lover of this science1 and came to reveal it to me4 ,he taught me various arts--first1 of ordinary stones and chrystals1 to make rubies1 chrysolites1 sapphires1 c41 much more valuable than those of the mine2 and how in a quarter of an hour to make an oxide of iron1 one dose of which would infallibly cure the pestilential dysentery1 or bloody flux2 also how to make a metallic liquor to cure all kinds of dropsies most certainly and in four days2 as also a limpid1 clear water1 sweeter than honey1 by which in two hours of itself1 in hot sand1 it would extract the tincture of garnets1 corals1 glasses1 and such like4' ,he said more1 which ,i1 ,helvetius1 did not observe1 my mind being occupied to understand how a noble juice could be drawn out of minerals to transmute metals4 ,he told me his said master caused him to bring a glass of rain-water1 and to put some silver leaf into it1 which was dissolved therein within a quarter of an hour1 like ice when heated4 #8,presently he drank to me the half1 and ,i pledged him the other half1 which had not so much taste as sweet milk1 but whereby1 methought1 ,i became very light-headed4 ,i thereupon asked if this were a philosophical drink1 and wherefore we drank this potion2 but he replied1 ,i ought not to be so curious4' ,by the said master's directions1 a piece of a leaden pipe being melted1 he took a little sulphureous powder out of his pocket1 put a little of it on the point of a knife into the melted lead1 and after a great blast of the bellows1 in a short time he poured it on the red stones of the kitchen chimney4 ,it proved most excellent pure gold1 which the stranger said brought him into such trembling amazement that he could hardly speak2 but his master encouraged him saying1 #8,cut for thyself the sixteenth part of this as a memorial1 and give the rest away among the poor1' which the stranger did1 distributing this alms1 as he affirmed1 if my memory fail not1 at the ,church of ,sparenda4 #8,at last1' said he1 #8the generous foreigner taught me thoroughly this divine art4' 8,as soon as his relation was finished1 ,i asked my visitor to show me the effect of transmutation and so confirm my faith2 but he declined it for that time in such a discreet manner that ,i was satisfied1 he promising to come again in three weeks1 to show me some curious arts in the fire1 provided it were then lawful without prohibition4 ,at the three weeks end he came1 and invited me abroad for an hour or two4 ,in our walk we discoursed of ,nature's secrets1 but he was very silent on the subject of the great elixir gravely asserting that it was only to magnify the sweet fame and mercy of the most glorious ,god2 that few men endeavoured to serve ,him1 and this he expressed as a pastor or minister of a church2 but ,i recalled his attention1 entreating him to show me the metallic mystery1 desiring also that he would eat1 drink1 and lodge at my house1 which ,i pressed1 but he was of so fixed a determination that all my endeavours were frustrated4 ,i could not forbear to tell him that ,i had a laboratory ready for an experiment1 and that a promised favour was a kind of debt4 #8,yes1 true1' said he1 #8but ,i promised to teach thee at my return1 with this proviso1 if it were not forbidden4' 8,when ,i perceived that all this was in vain1 ,i earnestly requested a small crumb of his powder1 sufficient to transmute a few grains of lead to gold2 and at last1 out of his philosophical commiseration1 he gave me as much as a turnip seed in size1 saying1 #8,receive this small parcel of the greatest treasure of the world1 which truly few kings or princes have ever seen or known4' #8,but1' ,i said1 #8this perhaps will not transmute four grains of lead1' whereupon he bid me deliver it back to him1 which1 in hopes of a greater parcel1 ,i did2 but he1 cutting half off with his nail1 flung it into the fire1 and gave me the rest wrapped neatly up in blue paper1 saying1 #8,it is yet sufficient for thee4' ,i answered him1 indeed with a most dejected countenance1 #8,sir1 what means this8 ,the other being too little1 you give me now less4' ,he told me to put into the crucible half an ounce of lead1 for there ought to be no more lead put in than the medicine can transmute4 ,i gave him great thanks for my diminished treasure1 concentrated truly in the superlative degree1 and put it charily up into my little box1 saying ,i meant to try it the next day1 nor would ,i reveal it to any4 #8,not so1 not so1' said he1 #8for we ought to divulge all things to the children of art which may tend alone to the honour of ,god1 that so they may live in the theosophical truth4' ,i now made a confession to him1 that while the mass of his medicine was in my hands1 ,i endeavoured to scrape away a little of it with my nail1 and could not forbear2 but scratched off so very little1 that1 it being picked from my nail1 wrapped in a paper1 and projected on melted lead1 ,i found no transmutation1 but almost the whole mass of lead sublimed1 while the remainder was a glassy earth4 ,at this unexpected account he immediately said1 #8,you are more dexterous to commit theft than to apply the medicine1 for if you had only wrapped up the stolen prey in yellow wax1 to preserve it from the fumes of the lead1 it would have sunk to the bottom1 and transmuted it to gold2 but having cast it into the fumes1 the violence of the vapour1 partly by its sympathetic alliance1 carried the medicine quite away4' ,i brought him the crucible1 and he perceived a most beautiful saffron-like tincture sticking to the sides4 ,he promised to come next morning at nine o'clock1 to show me that this tincture would transmute the lead into gold4 ,having taken his leave1 ,i impatiently awaited his return1 but the next day he came not1 nor ever since4 ,he sent an excuse at half-past nine that morning1 and promised to come at three in the afternoon1 but ,i never heard of him since4 ,i soon began to doubt the whole matter4 ,late that night my wife1 who was a most curious student and inquirer after the art1 came soliciting me to make an experiment of that little grain of the stone1 to be assured of the truth4 #8,unless this be done1' said she1 #8,i shall have no rest or sleep this night4' ,she being so earnest1 ,i commanded a fire to be made1 saying to myself1 #8,i fear1 ,i fear indeed1 this man hath deluded me4' ,my wife wrapped the said matter in wax1 and ,i cut half an ounce of lead1 and put it into a crucible in the fire4 ,being melted1 my wife put in the medicine1 made into a small pill with the wax1 which presently made a hissing noise1 and in a quarter of an hour the mass of lead was totally transmuted into the best and finest gold1 which amazed us exceedingly4 ,we could not sufficiently gaze upon this admirable and miraculous work of nature1 for the melted lead1 after projection1 showed on the fire the rarest and most beautiful colours imaginable1 settling in green1 and when poured forth into an ingot1 it had the lively fresh colour of blood4 ,when cold it shined as the purest and most splendid gold4 ,truly all those who were standing about me were exceedingly startled1 and ,i ran with this aurified lead1 being yet hot1 to the goldsmith1 who wondered at the fineness1 and after a short trial by the test1 said it was the most excellent gold in the world4 8,the next day a rumour of this prodigy went about the ,hague and spread abroad1 so that many illustrious and learned persons gave me their friendly visits for its sake4 ,amongst the rest1 the general ,assay-master1 examiner of coins of this province of ,holland1 ,mr ,porelius1 who with others earnestly besought me to pass some part of the gold through all their customary trials1 which ,i did1 to gratify my own curiosity4 ,we went to ,mr ,brectel1 a silversmith1 who first mixed four parts of silver with one part of the gold1 then he filed it1 put aquafortis to it1 dissolved the silver1 and let the gold precipitate to the bottom2 the solution being poured off and the calx of gold washed with water1 then reduced and melted1 it appeared excellent gold1 and instead of a loss in weight1 we found the gold was increased1 and had transmuted a scruple of the silver into gold by its abounding tincture4 8,doubting whether the silver was now sufficiently separated from the gold1 we mingled it with seven parts of antimony1 which we melted and poured out into a cone1 and blew off the regulus on a test1 where we missed eight grains of our gold2 but after we blew away the red of the antimony1 or superfluous scoria1 we found nine grains of gold for our eight grains missing1 yet it was pale and silver-like1 but recovered its full colour afterwards1 so that in the best proof of fire we lost nothing at all of this gold1 but gained1 as aforesaid4 ,these tests ,i repeated four times and found it still alike1 and the silver remaining out of the aquafortis was of the very best flexible silver that could be1 so that in the total the said medicine or elixir had transmuted six drams and two scruples of the lead and silver into most pure gold40 ,,guiseppe ,,francesco ,,borri4 8,the ,rape of the ,lock0 and the graceful romance of 8,undine0 have familiarised every one with the doctrine of elementary spirits2 but the chief philosophical1 or pseudo-philosophical1 account of these unseen but not extra-mundane intelligences has been the little book of the ,comte de ,gabalis1 a series of conversations on the secret sciences4 ,it is generally unknown that this work is little more than an unacknowledged translation of 8,the ,key to the ,cabinet of the ,chevalier ,borri1 wherein may be found various epistles--curious1 scientific1 and chemical--with politic instructions1 matters which deserve well of the curious1 and a variety of magnificent secrets40,,ai ,borri1 who appears to have been a microcosmic precursor of ,cagliostro1 was born at ,milan in #afbg4 ,some proceedings of an equivocal nature caused him1 in his earlier years1 to seek sanctuary in a church1 but subsequently1 like ,joseph ,balsamo1 he underwent a complete transformation1 announced that he was inspired of ,heaven1 that he was elected by the omnipotent ,god to accomplish the reformation of mankind1 and to establish the ,regnum ,dei4 ,there should be henceforth but a single religion1 with the ,pope as its head1 and a vast army1 with ,borri as general1 for the extermination of all anti-catholics4 ,he exhibited a miraculous sword which ,st ,michael had deigned to present him1 declared that he had beheld in the empyrean a luminous palm-branch reserved for his own celestial triumph1 announced that the ,holy ,virgin was divine by nature1 that she conceived by inspiration1 that she was equal with her ,son1 and was present in the ,eucharist with him1 that the ,holy ,spirit had taken flesh in her person1 that the second and third persons of the ,trinity are inferior to the ,divine ,father1 that the fall of ,lucifer involved that of a vast number of angels1 who now inhabit the regions of the air1 that it was by the intervention of these rebellious spirits that ,god created the world and gave life to all beasts1 but that men were in possession of a ,divine soul which ,god made in spite of himself4 ,finally1 with a contradiction more ,french than ,italian1 he gave out that he was himself the ,holy ,spirit incarnate4 ,needless to say1 this novel gospel1 according to mystical imposture1 brought him into conflict with hierarchic authority4 ,he was arrested1 and1 on the #c;d of ,january #affa1 he was condemned as a heretic1 and as guilty of various misdeeds4 ,he managed to escape1 took flight northward1 and by the expectation of the stone philosophical contrived to cheat ,christina1 ,queen of ,sweden1 out of a large sum of money4 ,he perambulated various parts of ,germany1 making many supposed projections1 visited the ,low ,countries1 and in #affe entered as a professional alchemist into the service of the ,king of ,denmark4 ,he announced that he was the master of a demon1 who responded to his magical evocations1 and dictated the operations required for the successful transmutation of metals4 ,the name of this spook was ,homunculus1 which1 according to ,paracelsus1 signifies a minute human being generated unnaturally without the assistance of the female organism1 from the sperm of a man or a boy4 ,the monarch1 determined to monopolise the talents of his adept1 decided that the laboratory of ,borri should be transferred to his own palace4 ,the alchemist1 with an eye to his freedom1 objected that the power of his imp would be destroyed on the first attempt to divide him from a certain vast iron furnace1 which was the sulphureous abode of ,homunculus2 but his royal patron was a man of resources1 and the furnace was also transported4 ,five years passed away1 and ,frederick ,,iii4 having died1 his successor determined on a closer investigation of the transmutatory secrets of ,borri1 who took flight at the rumour1 but was arrested on the frontiers of ,hungary1 and imprisoned at ,vienna1 where he was claimed by the ,papal ,nuncio as a fugitive condemned for his heresies4 ,he was sent to ,rome1 and entombed in the ,castle of ,st ,angelo4 ,there he was permitted to continue his alchemical processes1 which were pursued unsuccessfully till his death in the year #afie4 8,the ,key to the ,cabinet of the ,chevalier ,borri0 has never been actually translated2 the adaptation by the ,abb de ,villars is1 of course1 of ,european celebrity4 ,as to the chemical secrets contained in the original letters1 it may be safely concluded that they are few and unimportant4 ,,footnotes3 ,,ai ,la ,chiave del ,gabinetto del ,cavagliere ,g4 ,f4 ,borri1 col favor della quella si vedono varie lettere scientifiche1 chimice1 e curiosissime1 con varie istruzioni politiche1 ed altre cose degne da curiosita e molti segreti bellissimi4 ,cologne 7,genve71 #afha1 #abmo4 ,,john ,,heydon4 ,this mountebank royalist mystic has no claim to be included among alchemical philosophers1 and is only noticed here to advise students that everything relating to alchemy in the whole of his so-called works was impudently stolen from ,philalethes4 ,he practised wholesale piracy on his contemporaries and on ancient authors with equal effrontery4 ,the account of his voyage to the land of the ,rosicrucians is a mangled version of ,bacon's 8,atlantis20 his apologues1 epilogues1 enigmas1 c41 are also stolen goods2 in short1 whatever is of value in his books is matter borrowed from the highways and byways of occultism1 and heaped indiscriminately together4 ,everything emanating from his own weakly intelligence is utterly contemptible2 he was grossly superstitious and pitiably credulous1 as may be seen by his medical recipes4 ,he claimed a familiar acquaintance with the most arcane ,rosicrucian mysteries1 and pretended that he had visited the temples1 holy houses1 castles1 and invisible mountains of the ,fraternity4 ,of all the alchemical liars and of all mystical charlatans who have flourished in ,england since the first days of ,anglo-occultism1 ,john ,heydon is chief4 ,,lascaris4 ,german writers have principally occupied themselves with the transmutations of this singular personage1 who so successfully shrouded himself in mystery1 that his name1 his age1 his birthplace1 and everything which concerns his private life are completely unknown4 ,he called himself ,lascaris1 but also adopted other appellations4 ,he claimed an ,oriental origin1 and as he spoke ,greek fluently1 he has passed for a descendant of the royal house of ,lascaris4 ,he represented himself as the archimandrite of a convent in the ,island of ,mytilena1 and bore letters from the ,greek patriarch of ,constantinople4 ,his mission in the ,west was the solicitation of alms for the ransom of ,christian prisoners in the ,east4 ,he appeared for the first time in ,germany at the beginning of the eighteenth century1 a man seemingly some forty or fifty years old1 of attractive mien1 agreeable in manner1 and fluent in his conversation4 ,finding himself indisposed at ,berlin1 he sent for a certain apothecary1 who for some reason was unable to attend1 and on several occasions was represented by a pupil at the bedside of the stranger4 ,with this youth ,lascaris fell into conversation1 and a sort of friendship sprung up between them4 ,the apothecary's pupil had studied ,basil ,valentine1 and had attempted experiments on the principles of this adept4 ,lascaris recovered1 and at the moment of departing from ,berlin he took the youth aside1 and presented him with a quantity of the transmuting powder1 commanding him to be silent as to whence he had derived it1 and while forbidding him to make use of it till some time after his departure1 assured him that when ,berlin unbelievers beheld its amazing effects1 no one would be able to tax the alchemists with madness4 ,the name of this young man was ,john ,frederick ,btticher4 ,intoxicated at the possession of such an unexpected treasure1 he determined to devote himself entirely to alchemy4 ,the apothecary1 his master1 vainly endeavoured to dissuade him from a pursuit which he considered chimerical1 for he astonished both him and his friends by changing silver into gold in their presence4 ,the experiment was repeated with mercury for the benefit of a friend of ,btticher1 the tale spread1 and the apothecary's pupil became the lion of ,berlin1 more especially as he spread the report that he was able to compose himself the philosophical tincture4 ,he was summoned before the ,king1 ,frederick ,william ,i41 who wished to witness his performances1 but he fled to an uncle at ,wittenburg4 ,he was claimed from the authorities of that town as a ,prussian subject1 but he was now a prize of value1 and the ,elector of ,saxony opposed a counter claim for the possession of his person1 and to him ,btticher decided to proceed4 ,he was warmly welcomed1 and when his transmutations had been witnessed1 the title of baron was conferred on him4 ,he took up his residence at ,dresden1 living in a style of great magnificence and prodigality1 till every particle of his powder was expended1 when his extravagance involved him in debt4 ,his servants1 whom he was unable to repay1 spread the report that it was his intention to take flight1 and the purblind ,elector1 refusing to perceive in this sudden failure of resources a proof that ,btticher was unable to compose or increase the philosophers' stone1 surrounded his house with guards1 and detained him practically as a prisoner4 ,at this juncture1 ,lascaris1 who was still wandering in ,germany1 took pity on the misfortunes of his young neophyte1 and endeavoured to extricate him from his embarrassing position by means of a young doctor named ,pasch1 who was a personal friend of the ennobled apothecary's boy4 ,their manuvres resulted in the imprisonment of ,pasch at the fortress of ,sonneinstein1 while ,btticher was closely confined in another castle at ,knigstein4 ,two years and a half passed away4 ,at the end of that time ,pasch succeeded in escaping at the expense of his limbs1 and died after a few months1 bitterly complaining of the treachery of the adept ,lascaris1 who had deserted him completely in his danger4 ,btticher remained in confinement with every opportunity to manufacture the philosophical stone1 which1 however he failed to accomplish2 but what with his apothecary's training and his prison experiments1 he had become skilled in several departments of chemistry4 ,he discovered the process for the production of red porcelain1 and afterwards that of white1 very superior in quality to the substances already known by that name4 ,these inventions proved as valuable to the tyrannical ,elector as the accomplishment of the magnum opus4 ,btticher was restored to his favour1 and again enjoyed his baronial title1 but in his liberty he surrendered himself to an immoderately luxurious life1 and died in #agai at the age of thirty-seven years4 ,btticher was by no means the only apothecary's boy who was enriched with the powder of ,lascaris1 and despatched to preach the gospel of alchemy with practical demonstrations4 ,godwin1 ,hermann1 ,braun1 and ,martin of ,fitzlar are mentioned among these half-initiated labourers1 who shone till their stock-in-trade was exhausted1 and then disappeared in succession4 ,in the meantime1 ,lascaris himself was not idle4 ,on the #afth ,february #afji he is believed to have changed mercury into gold and gold into silver1 a double transmutation1 considered by alchemical connoisseurs to be the evidence of an unparalleled adeptship4 ,liebkneck1 counsellor of ,wertherbourg1 was a witness of this transmutation4 ,in the same year a goldsmith of ,leipsic was visited by a mysterious stranger1 who is unanimously identified with ,lascaris1 and who showed him a lingot1 which he declared was manufactured by art1 and which proved in assaying to be gold of twenty-two carats4 ,it was purified by the goldsmith with antimony1 and part of it was presented to him by the unknown as a memorial of the alleged transmutation4 ,shortly after1 a lieutenant-colonel in the ,polish army1 whose name was ,schmolz de ,dierbach1 and who had inherited from his father a belief in alchemical science1 was conversing on the subject at a caf1 when he was accosted by a stranger1 who presented him with some powder of projection4 ,it was of a red colour1 and a microscopic examination revealed its crystalline nature4 ,it increased the weight of the metals which it was supposed to transmute to an extent which chemical authorities declare to be physically impossible4 ,the recipient made use of it generously1 distributing to his friends and acquaintance the gold it produced in projection4 ,the unknown donor is identified in the imagination of ,german historians with the mysterious ,lascaris1 who is supposed1 in the same anonymous and unaccountable manner1 to have enriched the ,baron de ,creux with a box of the precious powder1 and to have gratified the amateur ,hermetic ambition of the ,landgrave of ,hesse ,darmstadt through the commonplace medium of the post4 ,in a word1 every anonymous adept who appeared at this period in or about ,germany is supposed to be ,lascaris4 ,the last of his debtors or victims was the son of a ,neapolitan mason1 ,domenico ,manuel1 who claims to have been mysteriously initiated into the transmutatory art in the year #afie4 ,he was put in possession of a small quantity both of the white and red tinctures4 ,being insufficient to really enrich himself1 he determined to trade upon the wonders they produced1 and obtained large sums from wealthy amateurs for the privilege of beholding the consummation of the great work4 ,he perambulated ,spain1 ,belgium1 and ,austria1 obtaining large sums1 under the pretence of preparing the tincture1 not only from private individuals1 but from the ,emperor ,leopold and the ,palatine ,elector4 ,in different places he assumed names that were different4 ,now he was ,count ,gatano1 now ,count de ,ruggiero2 at other times he called himself ,field ,marshal to the ,duke of ,bavaria1 ,commandant of ,munich1 a ,prussian major-general1 and by other titles4 ,in #agje he appeared at ,berlin1 where he imposed on the ,king himself for a brief period1 after which1 unable to ratify his transmutatory engagements1 he was convicted of treason and hanged4 ,this occurred on the #bith of ,august #agji4 ,,delisle4 ,this artist1 whose ,christian name is unmentioned by his biographers1 is included by ,figuier among the emissaries or disciples of ,lascaris1 and much information concerning him will be found in the ,histoire de la ,philosophic ,hermtique by his contemporary1 ,langlet du ,fresnoy4 ,he was a rustic of low birth in ,provence1 and he became acquainted with alchemical experiments by entering the service of a gentleman who was believed to be in possession of the stone4 ,this gentleman is supposed to have received the prize from ,lascaris4 ,his operations1 however1 fell under suspicion1 and he was forced to quit ,france4 ,he retired into ,switzerland1 accompanied by ,delisle1 who is said to have assassinated him in the mountains1 and to have thus got possession of a considerable quantity of the transmuting powder4 ,however this may be1 the servant1 re-entered ,france in disguise1 and about the year #agjh attracted general attention by changing lead and iron into silver and gold4 ,he perambulated ,languedoc1 the ,dauphin1 and ,provence4 ,at ,sisteron he connected himself with the wife of a certain ,alnys1 who eventually shared his fortunes for the space of three years4 ,his renown was increased by the apparent simplicity of his operations4 ,he spread powder and oil over iron1 thrust it into the fire1 and brought it out a bar of gold4 ,he distributed nails1 knives1 and rings partially transmuted1 and was particularly successful in his experiments with common steel4 ,cerisy1 prior of ,new ,castel1 was employed by the ,bishop of ,senez to collect evidence concerning the truth of these marvels4 ,an old gentleman offered ,delisle a retreat at his castle of ,la ,palud1 where the alchemist1 surrounded by admirers1 received the daily visits of the curious4 ,in ,lenglet's 8,history of ,hermetic ,philosophy10 there is a letter from the ,bishop of ,senez to the ,minister of ,state and ,comptroller-,general of the ,treasury at ,paris1 in which the prelate1 who at first was incredulous1 professes his inability to resist the evidence of actual transformation performed before himself and several vigilant witnesses1 who took every precaution against deception4 ,there is also the ,report of ,m4 de ,saint-,maurice1 ,president of the ,mint at ,lyons1 who testifies to the following facts4 ,that he was accompanied by ,delisle into the grounds of the ,chateau de ,saint ,auban in ,may #agaj1 where he uncovered a basket that was sunk in the ground4 ,in the middle of this basket there was an iron wire1 at the end of which he perceived a piece of linen with some object tied up in it4 ,he took possession of this parcel1 carried it into the dining-room of the ,chateau1 and by the direction of ,delisle he exposed its contents--a blackish earth about half a pound in weight--to the rays of the sun4 ,after a quarter of an hour the earth was distilled in a retort of a portable furnace1 and when a yellow liquor was perceived to flow into the receiver1 ,delisle recommended that the recipient should be removed before a viscous oil then rising should flow into it4 ,two drops of this yellow liquor1 projected on hot quicksilver1 produced in fusion three ounces of gold1 which were presented to the ,master of the ,mint4 ,afterwards three ounces of pistol bullets were melted and purified with alum and saltpetre4 ,delisle handed ,saint-,maurice a small paper1 desiring him to throw in a pinch of the powder and two drops of the oil used in the first experiment4 ,this done1 the matter was covered with saltpetre1 kept fifteen minutes in fusion1 and then poured out on a piece of iron armour1 which reappeared pure gold1 bearing all assays4 ,the conversion to silver was made in the same manner with white powder1 and the certificate which testifies to these occurrences was officially signed on the #adth ,december #agfj4 ,a part of the gold manufactured in this manner by ,delisle was subjected to refinement at ,paris1 where three medals were struck from it2 one of them was deposited in the king's cabinet4 ,it bore the inscription ,aurum ,arte ,factum4 ,with all his alchemical skill1 ,delisle was unable to read or write1 and in disposition he was untractable1 rude1 and fanatical4 ,he was invited to ,court1 but he pretended that the climate he lived in was necessary to the success of his experiments1 inasmuch as his preparations were vegetable4 ,the ,bishop of ,senez1 suspecting him of unwillingness rather than inability1 obtained a lettre de cachet1 after two years of continual subterfuge on the part of the alchemist1 who was thereupon arrested and taken on the road to ,paris4 ,during the journey1 his guards1 after endeavouring to extort his supposed riches1 wounded him severely on the head1 in which state1 on his arrival at the ,bastille1 he was forced to begin his alchemical operations1 but after a short time he persistently refused to proceed1 tore continually the bandages from his wound in the frenzy of his desperation1 and in the year following his imprisonment he poisoned himself4 ,his illegitimate son1 ,alnys1 by some means inherited a portion of the powder from his mother4 ,he wandered through ,italy and ,germany performing transmutations4 ,on one occasion he made projection before the ,duke of ,richlieu1 then ,french ambassador at ,vienna1 and who assured the ,abb ,langlet that he not only saw the operation performed1 but performed it himself1 twice on gold and forty times on silver4 ,alnys made a considerable collection of gold coins1 ancient and modern1 while on a journey through ,austria and ,bohemia4 ,on his return to ,aix he presented himself to the ,president of ,provence1 who desired him to call the next day4 ,alnys1 suspecting an intention to arrest him1 fled in the interim4 ,he was afterwards imprisoned at ,marseilles1 whence he contrived to escape to ,brussels4 ,it was here1 in #agca1 that he gave some philosophic mercury to ,m4 ,percell1 the brother of ,langlet de ,fresnoy1 which mercury the recipient fermented imperfectly1 but succeeded so far as to convert an ounce of silver into gold4 ,the death of a certain ,m4 ,grefier shortly after some operations on corrosive sublimate1 by which ,alnys proposed to instruct him in alchemy1 made it necessary for him to depart1 and he was heard of no more4 ,,john ,,hermann ,,obereit4 ,this writer1 as much mystic as alchemist1 was born at ,arbon at ,switzerland in #agbe1 and died in #agih4 ,he inherited from his father a taste for transcendental chemistry1 and the opinion that metals could be developed to their full perfection1 but that the chief instrument was the grace of ,god1 working in the soul of the alchemist4 ,he laboured unceasingly at the physical processes1 hoping thereby to restore the fallen fortunes of his family1 but his laboratory was closed by the authorities as endangering the public safety4 ,he contrived to make evident the harmless nature of his employment1 and was received into the house of a brother of the physiognomist ,lavater4 ,he celebrated1 he informs us1 a mystical marriage with a seraphic and illuminated shepherdess named ,theantis1 the ceremony taking place in a castle on the extreme summit of a cloud-encompassed mountain4 ,his bride after thirty-six days of transcendental union1 which was neither platonic nor epicurean1 but of a perfectly indescribable character1 departed this life1 and the bereaved husband1 during the whole night of her decease1 bewailed her in a mystical canticle4 ,la ,connexion ,originaire des ,esprits et des ,corps1 d'apres les principes de ,newton1 ,augsbourg1 #aggf1 and ,les ,promenades de ,gamaliel1 juif ,philosophe1 were bequeathed by ,obereit to a neglectful posterity4 ,,travels1 ,,adventures1 ,,and ,,imprisonments ,,of ,,joseph ,,balsamo4 ,the notorious ,count ,cagliostro appears from an impartial review of his history and phenomenal exploits1 to have been one of those characters not uncommonly met with in the chequered annals of occultism4 ,even as the modern 8mediums10 who outrage the confidence of their believers by leavening the supernatural bread1 whereof the ghastly patent is their prerogative and birthright1 with the unrighteous mammon of material conjuring1 and even as those conjurors who are sometimes supposed to still further perplex their audience by supplementary compacts with 8spooks10 this high priest of transcendental trickery would seem to have possessed1 perhaps unconsciously1 a certain share of occult gifts1 which assisted no little his unparalleled rogueries4 ,mystical knowledge beyond that of the age in which he lived was undoubtedly his1 and though it was still superficial1 he had a genius for making the most of it4 ,joseph ,balsamo1 whatever has been advanced to the contrary by himself,,aj or his admirers1 was the son of ,peter ,balsamo and ,felicia ,bracconieri1 both of humble extraction4 ,he was born at ,palermo1 in ,sicily1 on the #hth of ,june #agdc4 ,his parents are authentically described as honest tradespeople and good ,catholics1 who were careful in the education of their offspring1 and solicitous for their spiritual welfare4 ,their shop drew much custom in the populous neighbourhood which divided the handsome ,rue del ,csaro4 ,while his children were still young1 ,peter ,balsamo died1 and1 left under the inadequate control of a widowed mother1 ,joseph betrayed1 even in his earliest years1 a selfish and indolent disposition1 greatly neglecting the scanty educational advantages which were afforded him4 ,according to other accounts1 he was taken under the protection of his maternal uncle1 who endeavoured to instruct him in the principles of religion1 and to give him an education suitable to his age and prospects2 but1 even from his infancy1 he showed himself uniformly averse to a virtuous course of life4 ,his uncle was a worthy bourgeois of ,palermo1 who foresaw1 by the vivacity and penetration of his nephew1 that he might easily become proficient in letters and the sciences4,,ak ,by him he was desired to embrace an ecclesiastical career1 as the royal road to distinction in those days4 ,accordingly1 at the age of thirteen he was placed in the ,seminary of ,st ,roch di ,palermo1 where he proved his independence and aversion to discipline by continually running away4 ,recaptured in vagabond company1 he was committed1 with no very favourable character1 to a certain father-general of the ,bon ,fratelli1 who was passing through ,palermo4 ,the father-general took charge of him and straightway carried him to a ,benedictine convent on the outskirts of ,cartagirone4 ,there the walls were high1 and the caged dove was in the keeping of an inflexible frre tourier4 ,he assumed perforce the habit of a novice1 and the father-general discovering his aptitude for natural history and1 more especially1 his herbalistic tastes1 placed him under the tuition of the conventual apothecary1 from whom1 as he afterwards acknowledged1 he learned the first principles of chemistry and medicine4 ,figuier states that in a short time he was able to manipulate the drugs with astonishing sagacity2 but even then it was remarked that he seemed eager to discover those secrets which would further the interests of charlatanry4,,al ,in strict accordance with his natural perversity1 he did not fail to give various instances of his innate viciousness1 and drew down upon himself the continual chastisements of his superiors4 ,one day the involuntary novice1 whose irregularities were to some extent excusable on the ground of the constraint that was put on him1 but who often outstripped all bounds1 was set to read during dinner in the refectory a certain portion of an exceedingly edifying martyrology1 and yielding1 says one writer with pious indignation1 to an inspiration of ,belial1 he substituted for the sacred text a blasphemous version suggested by his own dissolute imagination1 perverting the sense and the incidents1 and pushed his audacity so far as to substitute for the saintly names those of the most notorious courtesans of the period4 ,a severe penance was imposed on the insolent offender2 but one night he found means to evade the vigilance of his guardians1 escaped from the convent1 crossed the intervening country1 and after some days of joyous gipsying and vagabond wanderings1 he arrived at ,palermo4 ,some knowledge of the principles of chemistry and medicine was about the total of the advantages he had derived from the discipline of conventual life4 ,his uncle began to despair of him1 but advice and remonstrances were alike lost upon the young reprobate1 who derided them all1 and employing a certain portion of his time in the cultivation of a natural taste for drawing1 he otherwise abandoned himself to unbridled excesses4 ,he associated with rascals and ne'er-do-wells2 his drunkenness1 gambling1 and general libertinage1 led him into perpetual brawling2 and he was frequently in the hands of the police1 whom he is said to have taken special pleasure in resisting1 frequently delivering by force the prisoners whom they had arrested4 ,he has been also accused of forging tickets of admission to the theatres1 and selling them with characteristic effrontery4 ,one of his uncles coaxed him back for a time into his house1 and was rewarded by the robbery of a considerable quantity of money and some valuable effects4 ,he became an intermediary in the amorous intercourse of a female cousin with one of his friends4 ,he carried billets-doux to and fro between them1 and made the entire transaction personally profitable by extorting money from his friend1 persuading him that the fair cousin had a partiality for presents1 including both money and jewellery1 and1 of course1 appropriating the funds which were entrusted to him4 ,graver crimes were soon laid to his charge4 ,there was a certain dissolute ,marquis ,maurigi in ,palermo who coveted an inheritance which had been willed to a pious establishment1 and knowing ,balsamo1 to him were his projects confided1 and an expedient was presently forthcoming4 ,joseph had a relative who was a notary1 and by frequenting his office he found means to forge a will1 bearing every mark of authenticity1 in favour of the ,marquis1 who made good his claim to the estate1 and no doubt liberally recompensed the skill and pains of his confederate4 ,the falsification was discovered many years after1 but the guilty parties were both of them far away4 ,it was also rumoured that ,balsamo was a party to the assassination of a wealthy canon1 but the matter is exceedingly doubtful4 ,he was many times arrested on various charges1 but eluded justice1 either by the absence of direct proof against him1 or by the credit of his relations1 and the exertions of reputable persons of ,palermo1 who took interest in his family4 ,it will scarcely be credited that at this period ,balsamo was only fourteen years of age4 ,naturally endowed with artistic aptitudes1 he soon began to give lessons in drawing1 and seems to have been many times on a fair way to reformation4 ,his skill in arms is also acknowledged1 but1 conscious of his superiority1 his street brawls frequently ended in duels2 his impetuosity even prompted him to take up the gauntlet for his companions1 and he scorned danger4 ,the most notorious of his youthful exploits1 and that which caused him to commence his life-long wanderings1 was the adventure of the concealed treasure1 which has been variously related4 ,an avaricious goldsmith1 named ,marano1 resided at ,palermo4 ,he was a weak1 superstitious man--a believer in magic1 says ,m4 ,louis ,figuier--and he was much attracted by the mystery which1 even at this period1 is declared by ,figuier to have surrounded the life and escapades of ,balsamo1 who already posed as an initiate of the occult sciences4 ,joseph was now seventeen years of age1 of handsome mien and haughty carriage1 speaking little1 but holding his hearers spell-bound by the magnetic fascination of his glance4 ,he had been seen evoking spirits2 he was believed to converse with angels1 and to obtain by their agency an insight into the most interesting secrets4 ,he had1 in fact1 radically changed2 the common rogue was developing into the transcendental impostor4 ,marano lent an attentive ear to the stories concerning him1 and burned with anxiety to behold 8the friend of the celestial spirits40 ,the first interview took place in the lodging of ,balsamo2 the goldsmith fell on his knees before him1 and ,balsamo1 after receiving his homage1 raised him condescendingly from the ground1 and demanded in a solemn manner why he had come to him4 8,thanks to your daily communion with spirits1 you will easily know10 answered ,marano1 8and you should have no difficulty in assisting me to recover the money which ,i have wasted among false alchemists1 or even to procure me more40 8,i can perform this service for you1 provided you believe10 said ,balsamo1 with composure4 8,provided ,i believe60 cried the goldsmith2 8,i believe1 indeed40 ,an appointment was made for the next day in a meadow beyond the town1 and the interview ended without another word4 ,this version of the story is more romantic than probable1 and we owe it to the vivacity of a ,frenchman's imagination1 which is never more brilliant than when employed in the perversion or embellishment of history4 ,according to the more sober ,aventures de ,cagliostro1 ,marano had for some time been acquainted with the youthful charlatan1 who sought him one day at his own residence1 and said to him3 8,you are aware of my communications with the supernal spirits2 you are aware of the illimitable potency of the incantations to which ,i devote myself4 ,listen6 ,in an olive field1 at no great distance from ,palermo1 there is a buried treasure according to my certain knowledge1 and by the help of a ceremonial evocation ,i can discover the precise spot where the spade of the seeker should be driven in4 ,the operation1 however1 requires some expensive preliminaries2 sixty ounces of gold are absolutely needed4 ,will you place them at my disposal80 ,marano declaimed against the preposterous extravagance of the demand1 maintaining that the herbs and drugs utilised in alchemical experiments were exceedingly moderate in their price4 8',tis well10 said ,balsamo1 coldly4 8,the matter is soon settled2 ,i shall enjoy the vast treasure alone4 ,a blessing when shared is but half a blessing for those who participate in it40 ,on the morrow1 however1 ,marano sought out the enchanter1 having been agonised by the gold fever the whole night4 8,i am furnished with the sum you require10 he said4 8,but ,i pray you to bargain a little with the spirits1 and endeavour to beat them down40 8,do you take them for sordid speculators80 cried the magician1 indignant4 8,the devil is no ,jew1 though he abode full long in ,judea4 ,he is a magnificent seigneur1 living generously in every country of the world4 ,treat him with respect1 he returns a hundredfold4 ,i shall find elsewhere the sixty ounces of gold1 and can afford to dispense with your assistance40 8,it is here10 said ,marano1 drawing quickly a leather bag from his pocket1 and the arrangements were soon made4 ,at moonlight they repaired to the olive field1 where ,balsamo had secretly made preparations for the approaching evocation4 ,the incantatory preliminaries were sufficiently protracted1 and ,marano panted with terror under the influence of the magical charms1 till it seemed to him that the very earth shivered beneath his feet and phantoms issued from the ground4 ,marano fell prostrate on his face1 an action apparently foreseen1 for there and then the wretched goldsmith was belaboured unmercifully with sticks by the infernal spirits1 who left him at length for dead1 taking flight in the company of the enchanter1 and fortified by the possession of the sixty ounces of gold4 ,on the morrow1 the goldsmith1 fortunately discovered by muleteers1 was carried disconsolately home1 and forthwith denounced ,balsamo to the law4 ,the adventure spread everywhere1 but the magician had sailed for ,messina4 ,these are the facts of the case1 but the mendacious chronicle of ,louis ,figuier1 alchemical critic and universal manufacturer of light scientific literature1 offers us a far more ornate and attractive version4 ,there the adept and his miserable dupe repair to a place appointed at six o'clock in the morning1 ,balsamo in dignified silence motioning the goldsmith to follow him1 and proceeding with a pre-occupied aspect along the road to the chapel of ,saint ,rosalia for the space of a whole hour4 ,they stopped at length in the middle of a wild meadow1 and in front of a grotto1 before which ,balsamo extended his hand1 and solemnly declared that a treasure was buried within it which he himself was forbidden to touch1 which was guarded by devils of hell1 which devils might1 however1 be bound for a brief period by the angels who commonly responded to his potent magical call4 8,it only remains to be ascertained10 he remarked in conclusion1 8whether you will scrupulously fulfil the conditions which must be imposed on you4 ,at that price1 the treasure may be yours40 ,the credulous goldsmith impetuously implored him to name them4 8,they cannot be learned from my lips10 said ,balsamo loftily4 8,on your knees1 in the first place60 ,he himself had already assumed the posture of adoration4 ,marano hastened to imitate him1 and immediately a clear1 harmonious voice in the celestial altitude pronounced the following words--words1 says the ,frenchman1 more delicious in the ears of the covetous miser than all the symphonies of arial choirs4 8,sixty ounces of pearls1 sixty ounces of rubies1 sixty ounces of diamonds1 in a coffer of enchased gold1 weighing one hundred and twenty ounces4 ,the infernal genii who protect this treasure will place it in the hands of the worthy man whom our friend has brought1 if he be fifty years of age1 if he be no ,christian--if--if--if--0 and a series of conditions followed which ,marano perfectly united in his own penurious person1 even to the last1 which was thus formulated3--8,and if he deposit at the entrance of the grotto1 before setting foot therein1 sixty ounces of gold to propitiate the guardians40 8,you have heard10 said ,balsamo1 who1 already on his feet1 began to retrace his steps1 completely ignoring the utter stupefaction of his companion4 8,sixty ounces of gold60 ejaculated the miser with a dismal groan1 and torn by the internal conflict of avarice and cupidity2 but ,balsamo heeded the exclamation as little as the groan1 and regained the town in silence4 ,when they were on the point of separating1 ,marano appeared to have resolved4 8,grant me one instant60 he cried in a piteous voice4 8,sixty ounces of gold8 ,is that the irrevocable condition80 8,undoubtedly10 said ,balsamo1 carelessly4 8,alas6 alas6 ,and at what hour to-morrow80 8,at six o'clock in the morning and1 mark1 at the same spot40 8,i will be there40 ,this was the parting speech of the goldsmith1 and1 as it were1 the last gasp of his conquered avarice4 ,on the morrow1 punctual to the appointed time1 they met as before1 ,balsamo with his habitual coolness1 ,marano with his gold4 ,they arrived in due course at the grotto1 where the angels1 consulted as on the previous day1 returned the same oracles4 ,balsamo assumed ignorance of what would take place4 ,with a terrific struggle1 ,marano deposited his gold and prepared to cross the threshold4 ,he took one step forward1 then started back1 inquired if there were no danger in penetrating into the depths of the cavern1 was assured of safety if the gold had been faithfully weighed1 entered with more confidence1 and again returned1 these manuvres being repeated several times1 under the eyes of the adept1 whose expression indicated the most uninterested indifference4 ,at length1 ,marano took courage and proceeded so far that a return was impossible1 for three black1 muscular devils started out from the shadows and barred his path1 giving vent to the most alarming growls4 ,they seized him1 forced him to whirl round and round for a long time1 and then while the unhappy creature vainly invoked the assistance of ,balsamo1 they proceeded to cudgel him lustily till he dropped overwhelmed to the ground1 when a clear voice bade him remain absolutely silent and motionless1 for he would be instantaneously despatched if he stirred either hand or foot4 ,the wretched man did not dare to disobey1 but after a long swoon the complete stillness encouraged him to raise his head2 he dragged himself as best he could to the mouth of the terrible grotto1 looked round him1 and found that the adept1 the demons1 and the gold had alike vanished4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when ,balsamo arrived at ,messina he was furnished with a very handsome sum to support the expenses of his sojourn therein1 for the lion's share of the booty obtained from the goldsmith had1 of course1 fallen to himself4 ,he lodged in one of the chief inns near the port1 and had prepared himself for further adventures1 when he suddenly remembered that he had an old and affluent aunt in the town whom he took occasion to visit1 but only to discover that she had recently died1 leaving the bulk of her fortune to different churches of ,messina1 and distributing the rest to the poor4 ,doubtless the dutiful nephew paid to the memory of this ultra-,christian relation a just tribute of regrets1 and anxious to inherit at least something from a person so eminent in sanctity1 he determined to assume her family name1 joined to a title of nobility1 and from that time forward he commonly called himself the ,count ,alessandro ,cagliostro4 ,his penetrating and calculating mind1 says one of his biographers1 understood the prestige which attached to a title at a period when the privileges of birth still exercised an almost undisputed influence4 ,it was in the town of ,messina that ,balsamo first met with the mysterious alchemist ,altotas1 whom in his fabulous autobiography he represented as the oriental tutor of his infancy4 ,as he was promenading one day near the jetty at the extremity of the port1 he encountered an individual singularly habited1 and possessed of a most remarkable countenance4 ,this person1 aged apparently about fifty years1 seemed to be an ,armenian1 though1 according to other accounts1 he was a ,spaniard or ,greek4 ,he wore a species of caftan1 a silk bonnet1 and the extremities of his breeches were concealed in a pair of wide boots4 ,in his left hand he held a parasol1 and in his right the end of a cord1 to which was attached a graceful ,albanian greyhound4 ,whether from curiosity or by presentiment1 ,cagliostro saluted this grotesque being1 who bowed slightly1 but with satisfied dignity4 8,you do not reside in ,messina1 signor80 he said in ,sicilian1 but with a marked foreign accent4 ,cagliostro replied that he was tarrying for a few days1 and they began to converse on the beauty of the town and on its advantageous situation1 a kind of oriental imagery individualising the eloquence of the stranger1 whose remarks were1 moreover1 adroitly adorned with a few appropriate compliments4 ,he eluded inquiries as to his own identity1 but offered to unveil the past of the ,count ,cagliostro1 and to reveal what was actually passing in his mind at that moment4 ,when ,cagliostro hinted at sorcery1 the ,armenian smiled somewhat scornfully1 and dilated on the ignorance of a nation which confused science with witchcraft1 and prepared faggots for discoverers4 ,his hearer1 much interested1 ventured to ask the address of the illustrious stranger1 who graciously invited him to call4 ,they walked past the cathedral and halted in a small quadrilateral street shaded by sycamores1 and having a charming fountain in the centre4 8,signor10 said the stranger1 8there is the house ,i inhabit4 ,i receive no one2 but as you are a traveller1 as you are young and courteous1 as1 moreover1 you are animated by a noble passion for the sciences1 ,i permit you to visit me4 ,i shall be visible to you to-morrow a little before midnight4 ,you will rap twice on the hammer0--he pointed as he spoke to the door of a low-storied house--8then three times more slowly1 and you will be admitted4 ,adieu6 ,hasten at once to your inn4 ,a ,piedmontese is trying to possess himself of the seven and thirty ounces of gold that are secured in your valise1 and which is itself shut up in a press1 the key of which is in your pocket at this moment4 ,your servant1 signor60 and he departed rapidly4 ,cagliostro1 returning in all haste1 discovered the thief in the act1 and1 as a lawful and righteously indignant proprietor1 he forthwith delivered him to justice4 ,on the morrow1 at the time appointed1 he knocked at the door of the little house inhabited by the ,armenian4 ,it was opened at the fifth blow without any visible agency1 and closed as soon as the visitor had entered4 ,cagliostro cautiously advanced along a narrow passage1 illuminated by a small iron lamp in a niche of the wall4 ,at the extremity of the passage a spacious door sprang open1 giving admittance into a ground-floor parlour which was illuminated by a four-branched candelabra1 holding tapers of wax1 and was1 in fact1 a laboratory furnished with all the apparatus in use among practical alchemists4 ,the ,armenian1 issuing from a neighbouring cabinet1 greeted the visitor1 inquired after the safety of the gold1 had intelligence of the truth of his clairvoyance1 and of the deserved fate of the malefactor1 but cut short the expressed astonishment and admiration of ,cagliostro by declaring that the art of divination was simply the result of scientific combinations and close observations4 ,he ended by asking his hearer if he denied the infallible certitude of judicial astrology1 but the self-constituted count denied nothing except the superior power of virtue over self-interest1 whereat the ,armenian inquired to whom he was indebted for his training4 8,i was about to say to the solicitude of my uncles and to the apothecary in the ,convent of the ,bon ,fratelli10 said ,cagliostro2 8but to what purpose8 ,you undoubtedly know40 8,i know10 replied the strange individual1 8that you have trained yourself2 that the apothecary1 equally with your uncles1 has but opened for you the door to knowledge4 ,what are your plans80 8,i intend to enrich myself40 8,that is10 said the other1 grandiloquently1 8you would make yourself superior to the imbecile mob--a laudable project1 my son6 ,do you propose to travel80 8,certainly1 so far as my thirty-seven ounces of gold will take me40 8,you are very young10 said the ,armenian4 8,how is bread manufactured80 8,with flour40 8,and wine80 8,by means of the grape40 8,but gold80 8,i come to inquire of yourself40 8,we will solve that problem hereafter4 ,listen to me1 young man4 ,i propose to depart for ,grand ,cairo1 in ,egypt4 ,will you accompany me80 8,with all my heart60 exclaimed ,cagliostro1 overjoyed1 and they sat down in large oak chairs1 each at one end of the table where the candelabra was placed4 8,egypt10 said the ,armenian1 8is the birthplace of all human science4 ,astronomy alone had ,chaldea for its fatherland2 there the shepherds first studied the courses of the stars4 ,egypt availed itself of the astro-,chaldean initiations1 and soon surpassed the methods and increased the discoveries of the shepherds4 ,since the reign of the ,pharaoh ,manes1 and of his successors1 ,busiris1 ,osymandyas1 ,uchoreas1 and ,moeris1 ,egyptian knowledge has advanced with giant strides4 ,joseph1 the dream-reader1 established the basis of chiromancy2 the priests of ,osiris and ,isis invented the ,zodiac2 the ,cosmogonies of ,phre and ,horus revealed agriculture and other physical sciences2 the priestesses of ,ansaki unveiled the secrets of philtres2 the priests of ,serapis taught medicine4 ,i might proceed with the sublime enumeration1 but to what end8 ,will you faithfully follow me to ,egypt8 ,i hope to embark to-morrow1 and we shall touch at ,malta on the way--possibly also at ,candia--reaching the port of ,phare in eight days40 8',tis settled60 cried the delighted ,cagliostro4 8,i have my thirty-seven ounces of gold for the journey40 8,and ,i not a single crown40 8,the devil60 ejaculated ,cagliostro4 8,what matters it8 ,what need to have gold when one knows how to make gold8 ,what need to possess diamonds when one can extract them from carbon more beautifully than from the mines of ,golconda8 ,go to6 you are excessively simple40 8,therefore1 by your leave1 ,i intend to become your disciple40 ,the ,armenian extended his hand1 and their departure was fixed for the morrow4 ,this ,altotas1 or ,althotes1 we are assured by ,figuier1 was no imaginary character4 ,the ,roman ,inquisition collected many proofs of his existence1 without1 however1 ascertaining where it began or ended1 for the mysterious personage vanished like a meteor4 ,according to the ,italian biography of ,joseph ,balsamo1 ,altotas was in possession of several ,arabic manuscripts1 and assumed great skill in chemistry4 ,according to ,figuier1 he was a magician and doctor as well1 though others represent him despising and rejecting the abused name of physician4 ,as to his divinatory abilities1 he had already given a signal proof of their extent to his pupil1 but he showed him that he was acquainted with all his ,palermese antecedents4 ,they embarked on board a ,genoese vessel1 sailed along the ,archipelago1 landed at ,alexandria1 where they tarried for forty days1 performing several operations in chemistry1 by which they are said to have produced a considerable sum of money1 but whether by transmutation or by imposture is not apparently clear4 ,cagliostro's respect for his master did not prevent him1 with true ,sicilian subtlety1 inquiring as to his own antecedents1 till ,altotas1 weary of resorting to the same stratagems of evasion1 declared to him once for all that he was himself in complete ignorance as to his birth and parentage4 8,this may surprise you10 he said1 8but science1 which can enlighten us on the part of another1 is almost invariably impotent to instruct us concerning ourselves40 ,he declared himself to be much older than would appear1 but that he was in possession of certain secrets for the conservation of strength and health4 ,he had discovered the scientific methods of producing gold and precious stones1 spoke ten or twelve languages fluently1 and was acquainted with almost the entire circle of human sciences4 8,nothing astonishes me10 he said1 8nothing grieves me1 save the evils which ,i am powerless to prevent1 and ,i trust to reach in peace the term of my protracted existence40 ,he confessed that his name of ,altotas was self-chosen1 yet was it truly his4 ,his early years had been passed on the coast of ,barbary1 near ,tunis1 where he belonged to a ,mussulman privateer1 who was a rich and humane man1 and who had purchased him from pirates1 by whom he had been stolen from his family4 ,at twelve years of age he spoke ,arabic like a native1 read the ,koran to his master1 who was a true believer1 studied botany under his direction1 and learned the best methods for making sherbet and coffee4 ,a post of honour was in store for him in the household of his master2 but destiny decreed that when ,altotas was sixteen1 the worthy ,mussulman should be gathered to his fathers4 ,in his will he gave the young slave his liberty1 and bequeathed him a sum which was equivalent to six thousand livres1 wherewith ,altotas quitted ,tunis to indulge his passion for travelling4 ,cagliostro represented that he had followed his instructor into ,africa and the heart of ,egypt1 that he visited the pyramids1 making the acquaintance of the priests of different temples1 and penetrating into the arcana of their mysterious sanctuaries4 ,moreover1 he declares himself to have visited1 during the space of three years1 all the principal kingdoms of ,africa and ,asia4 ,these statements are identical in their value with the romantic story of his education in the palace of the muphti at ,medina4 ,it is altogether doubtful whether he ever visited ,arabia1 which was in any case the extreme limit of his wanderings1 and he is subsequently discovered at ,rhodes still in the society of ,altotas1 and pursuing1 in common with that mysterious being1 his doubtful chemical operations4 ,at ,malta they had letters of introduction to the ,grand ,master1 ,pinto1 and tarried for some time to work in his laboratory1 for the 8supreme chief of ,maltese chivalry0 was infatuated with alchemical experiments1 and1 after the fashion of that extravagant period1 had a strong bias towards the marvellous4 ,the history of the failure or success of the errant adepts remains in the laboratory of the ,grand ,master2 but from this moment ,altotas1 the chemist and alchemist--,altotas1 the phenomenal1 the wise man1 the scientist--disappears completely4 8,malta was his sepulchre1 or haply the place of his apotheosis40 8,there10 says the ,count1 in his ,memoir1 8it was my misery to lose my best friend1 the most wise1 the most illuminated of mortals1 the venerable ,altotas4 ,he clasped my hands shortly before his death4 #8,my son1' he said1 in a failing voice1 #8keep ever before thine eyes the fear of the ,eternal and the love of thy neighbour4 ,thou wilt soon learn the truth of all which ,i have taught thee4'0 ,with every mark of respect on the part of the ,grand ,master1 and accompanied by the ,chevalier d',aquino1 of the illustrious house of ,caramania1 and himself a ,knight of ,malta1 ,cagliostro repaired to ,naples1 where he supported himself for some time with money which had been presented to him by ,pinto1 and perhaps by loans from his possibly opulent companion1 who1 however1 eventually quitted him to proceed into ,france4 ,in ,naples ,cagliostro met with a ,sicilian prince who was infected by the prevalent gold fever1 and was so enraptured with the high-sounding theories of ,cagliostro that he invited him to his chateau in the neighbourhood of ,palermo1 where they might pursue their operations in common4 ,it was imprudent1 but the pupil of the great ,altotas could not resist the desire to revisit his native land4 ,he tarried a certain period with his companion1 but going one day into ,messina1 he encountered an old acquaintance1 a certain dissolute priest1 his confederate in the affair of ,marano1 and who had1 in fact1 acted as one of the sable fiends whose stout clubs had agonised the unfortunate goldsmith4 ,the adventurer warned ,cagliostro not to enter ,palermo1 where justice was highly offended at his youthful indiscretions4 ,he persuaded him to join fortunes with himself1 return to ,naples1 and there open a gaming-house for the benefit1 or rather for the bleeding1 of the wealthy foreigners who visited ,italy4 ,this method of gold-making was quite after the heart of his hearer1 who soon took his leave of the ,sicilian prince1 but they were regarded with so much suspicion by the ,neapolitan ,government that they retired into the ,papal states4 ,cagliostro's companion had1 however1 received the tonsure1 and he trembled for his safety on the consecrated ground which was the stronghold of the ,holy ,inquisition1 so he hastened his departure to less orthodox places1 and does not figure further in the chequered history of his brother in chicanery4 ,cagliostro remained1 and is said to have assumed several different characters1 occasionally including the sacerdotal habit4 ,according to some accounts1 he made himself remarkable for his extreme piety1 visiting all the churches1 fulfilling the duties of religion1 and frequenting the palaces of cardinals4 ,by means of some letters of recommendation which he had brought with him from ,naples1 he obtained access to several persons of distinction1 among others to the ,seneschal de ,breteuil1 at that time ,ambassador from ,malta to ,rome1 and who1 hearing of his former connection with the ,grand ,master1 received him with much warmth1 and procured him other honourable connections4 ,one illustrious dupe ensured others1 and we find him in a short time established in the ,holy ,city1 retailing wonderful recipes and specifics for all the diseases which afflict fallen humanity in ,rome and the universe4 ,crowns and ducats flowed in upon him2 he lived in some state and luxury1 refraining1 however1 from scandalous enjoyments4 ,the ,italian biography which represents the opinions1 embodies the researches1 and champions the cause of the ,inquisition1 draws1 however1 a different picture to those of ,saint-,felix and ,louis ,figuier4 8,he employed himself at this period10 says this doubtful1 because indisputably biassed1 authority1 8in making drawings on paper1 the outlines of which were produced by means of a copperplate engraving1 and afterwards were filled up with ,indian ink4 ,these he sold as designs made by means of the pen alone4 ,having taken up his abode at the ,sign of the ,sun1 in the neighbourhood of the ,rotunda1 he quarrelled with one of the waiters and suffered imprisonment for three days40 ,whatever these statements are worth1 there is no doubt hanging over the most important incident of his ,roman career4 ,it was in that place and at this period that he first beheld the young and beautiful ,lorenza ,feliciani1 and having in two days fallen violently in love with her1 he demanded her in marriage from her father1 who1 fascinated by his birth1 his aristocratic name1 and opulent appearance1 consented1 together with the lady4 ,the marriage took place1 not without clat1 says one section of the witnesses1 and the pair resided in the house of the father-in-law4 ,the ,italian life1 minimising to the uttermost the success of ,cagliostro1 says that he received as a dower a trifling fortune proportionate to their condition4 ,according to the testimony of all the biographers1 inquisitorial or otherwise1 ,lorenza was not only young and beautiful1 but 8rich in every quality of the heart1 being tender1 devoted1 honest1 and modest20 but her husband conceived the diabolical design of advancing his fortunes at the expense of her honour1 and in private conversation took occasion to rally her notions of virtue1 which he sought to undermine4 ,the first lesson which the young bride received from her husband1 according to her own confession1 was intended to instruct her in the means of attracting and gratifying the passions of the opposite sex4 ,the most wanton coquetry and the most lascivious arts were the principles with which he endeavoured to inspire her4 ,the mother of ,lorenza1 scandalised at his conduct1 had such frequent altercations with her son-in-law1 that he resolved to remove from her house1 and in other quarters found it a simpler task to corrupt the mind and morals of his wife4 ,then1 according to the ,italian author1 he presented her to two persons well qualified for the exercise of her talents1 having instructed her to entangle them both by her allurements4 ,with one of these she did not succeed1 but over the other she acquired a complete victory4 ,cagliostro himself conducted her to the house destined for the pleasure of the lover1 left her alone in his company1 and retired to another chamber4 ,the interview and the offers made to her were such as entirely corresponded to the wishes of the husband1 but the wife on this occasion did not exhibit a proper instance of conjugal obedience1 and upon imparting the whole affair confidentially to her husband1 received the most bitter reproach and the most violent and dreadful menaces4 ,he also repeatedly assured her that adultery was no crime when it was committed by a woman to advance her interests1 and not through affection for other men4 ,he even added example to precept1 by showing how little he himself respected the ties of conjugal fidelity--that is1 apparently1 he sold himself to lascivious females of advanced age1 and on these occasions aroused his dormant passions by drinking a certain ,egyptian wine1 composed of aromatics which possessed the necessary qualities for the completion of his intention4 ,his wife1 hearkening at length to his instructions1 was conducted several times to the place where she had formerly proved so disobedient to his orders4 ,she sometimes received1 says the same witness1 either clothes or trinkets1 and sometimes a little money1 as the reward of her condescension4 ,one day her husband wrote a letter1 in the name of his wife1 in which he begged the loan of a few crowns2 these were immediately sent4 ,in return for them an interview was promised during the course of the next day1 and the lady was faithful to the appointment4 ,such is the version of this disgraceful business given by the enemies of ,cagliostro1 but all biographers agree that he corrupted the morals of his wife4 ,indeed1 the only question is whether the transaction took place on the sordid scale described by the ,italian writer4 ,other authorities tell us that his success tempted 8a beautiful ,roman--,lorenza ,feliciani--to share his rising fortunes4 ,unscrupulous1 witty1 and fascinating1 ,lorenza was an admirable partner for ,cagliostro1 who speedily made her an adept in all his pretended mysteries40 ,whatever were her natural virtues or failings1 it is highly improbable that she sold her uncommon attractions for such paltry and miserable advantages4 ,the house which was taken by ,cagliostro became the resort of sharpers1 two of whom1 ,ottavio ,nicestro1 who was eventually hanged1 and a so-called ,marquis d',agriata1 both ,sicilians1 became intimate associates of their host4 ,with the latter he was frequently closeted for hours together4 ,their occupation is uncertain2 but as ,cagliostro's wealth increased at no ordinary rate1 and as the ,marquis was an unparalleled proficient in the production of counterfeit writing1 they are supposed to have succeeded in forging numerous bills of exchange2 and it is1 at any rate1 certain that the letters patent by which the great charlatan was authorised to assume the uniform of a ,prussian colonel1 which he subsequently did to his definite advantage1 were the production of this skilful miscreant4 ,but a quarrel arose between the three confederates2 ,nicastro betrayed his accomplices1 the ,marquis fled from ,rome1 ,cagliostro and the unhappy ,lorenza incontinently following his example4 ,our three fugitives took the road to ,venice1 reached ,bergamo1 and there practised several unparticularised rogueries1 till their identity was discovered by the ,government4 ,the marquis again managed to escape1 the others after a short imprisonment were expelled from the town1 and being stripped of all their resources1 undertook a pilgrimage into ,galicia1 hoping to cross ,spain1 through the charity of the clergy and conventual communities4 ,they travelled through the territories of the ,king of ,sardinia1 through ,genoa1 and so arrived at ,antibes4 ,from this moment the life of the ,count ,cagliostro was for several years one of incessant wandering4 ,according to the ,italian biographer1 as beggary proved unprofitable1 ,lorenza was again forced by her husband to augment their resources through the sale of her charms4 ,in this way they arrived at ,barcelona1 where they tarried for six months1 the same course of infamous prostitution1 followed by ,lorenza with the most manifest reluctance1 contributing in the main to their support4 ,from ,barcelona they proceeded to ,madrid1 where also certain noble ,spaniards proved sensible to the charms of ,lorenza4 ,from ,madrid they journeyed to ,lisbon1 and thence sailed to ,england1 where ,cagliostro is said to have adopted the profession of a common quack1 to have fallen into prison1 to have been bought out by his wife1 in whose person he still continued to traffic1 bartering her charms to every opulent man who wished to become a purchaser2 but the frequency of her prostitutions has probably been grossly exaggerated4 ,an ,english ,life of the ,count ,cagliostro1 dedicated1 in #aghg1 to ,madame la ,comtesse1 and written in the interests of the charlatan1 gives a singular account of his misfortunes in ,london1 showing that when he arrived there he was in possession of plate1 jewels1 and specie to the amount of three thousand pounds1 that he hired apartments in ,whitcomb ,street1 where he dedicated a large portion of his time to his favourite studies of chemistry and physics1 and that all he suffered must be entirely attributed to the profuse generosity and charity of himself and his lady4 ,in #aggb1 ,cagliostro and his wife crossed over to ,france1 accompanied by one ,m4 ,duplaisir1 who lodged with them at ,paris1 and seems to have been intimate with ,lorenza4 ,but ,cagliostro was insatiable1 says ,st ,felix4 ,he sold his honour at a high price1 and the fortune of ,duplaisir melted in the crucible of another's follies and extravagances4 ,at length1 in alarm1 the victim took leave of his rapacious guests1 not without strongly warning ,lorenza to return to her parents1 for he had learned to esteem the natural good qualities which she possessed4 ,according to one account1 she attempted to follow this advice1 but others say that she sought refuge from incessant prostitution with ,duplaisir himself4 ,in either case1 ,cagliostro had recourse to the authority of the king1 and obtaining an order for her arrest1 she was imprisoned in the penitentiary of ,sainte ,plagie1 and was detained there several months1 during which ,cagliostro abandoned himself to a life of congenial dissipation4 ,the sale of a certain wash for beautifying the complexion appears to have procured him a considerable revenue about this period4 ,the imprisonment of ,lorenza did not prevent a reconciliation with her husband immediately after her release1 which occurred on ,december #ba1 #aggb1 on which date1 having obtained under false pretences some magnificent dresses from the costumiers1 ,cagliostro appeared at the ball of a dancing-master in a peculiarly brilliant costume4 ,it is from this period that our adventurer's success as an alchemist must be dated4 ,here he found means to form an acquaintance with two persons of distinction1 who carried their love of chemistry to a ridiculous excess4 ,he pretended to have discovered some miraculous secrets in the transcendent science1 proclaimed himself publicly a depository of the ,hermetic ,mystery1 and posing as a supernatural personage in possession of the great arcanum of the philosophers' stone and of the glorious life-elixir4 ,this also was the epoch of mesmerism1 of which novel science ,cagliostro decided to avail himself4 ,after a time1 according to the ,italian biography1 his two dupes entertained suspicions of his veracity1 and being in fear of arrest1 he obtained a passport under a fictitious name1 fled with great precipitation to ,brussels1 traversed ,germany and ,italy1 and once more arrived at his native city ,palermo4,,am ,at ,palermo he was speedily arrested by the implacable ,marano1 but the protection of a noble1 to whom he had obtained a powerful recommendation while at ,naples1 ensured his speedy release1 and he embarked with his wife for ,malta1 where1 according to the ,italian biographer1 he ostensibly supported himself by the sale of his pomade for the improvement of the complexion1 but his more certain income appears to have been his wife4 ,monsieur ,saint-,flix1 however1 declares1 and this1 on the whole1 is most probable1 that they were received with the most marked distinction by the ,grand ,master4 ,in either case1 they soon retired to ,naples1 when ,cagliostro professed in public for three months both chemistry and the ,kabbalah4 ,at ,naples they were joined by a younger brother of ,feliciani1 a lad named ,paolo1 who was remarkable for his extraordinary loveliness4 ,cagliostro1 seeing that he might prove useful1 persuaded him to share their fortunes4 ,they embarked with a great train for ,marseilles1 and thence proceeded to ,barcelona4 ,the star of the great adventurer was now fairly in the ascendant1 and from this time he seems always to have travelled in considerable state4 ,he met1 however1 with no dupes of importance in the peninsula till he reached its extremity1 where he cheated a fanatical alchemist of a hundred thousand crowns1 under the pretence of a colossal accomplishment of the magnum opus4 ,after this signal success he incontinently departed for ,england1 while ,paolo1 with whom he had quarrelled1 returned to ,rome1 much to the grief of his sister4 ,the commencement of the grandeur of ,cagliostro is to be dated from his second visit to ,london4 ,it was then that he was initiated into masonry1 and conceived his titanic project of the mysterious ,egyptian rite4 ,saint ,flix accredits him even from the moment of his admission into the order with an unavowed object4 ,cagliostro1 he informs us1 was resolved one day to seat himself on the throne of the grand master of a rival and more potent institution1 and he appears to have lived henceforth in the light of his high aspiration1 and to have eschewed--theoretically at least--all petty rogueries4 ,he incessantly visited the various ,london lodges1 and a correspondence printed in ,english at ,strasburg during the year #aghh1 relates that by a pure chance he picked up a curious manuscript at an obscure ,london bookstall4 ,this manuscript appears to have belonged to a certain ,george ,gaston1 who is absolutely unknown4 ,it treated of ,egyptian masonry1 and abounded in magical and mystical notions which excited the curiosity of its purchaser1 nourished both his ambition and his imagination1 and in a short time he developed his own system from its suggestive hints4 ,the source of his inspiration1 of course1 remained concealed4 ,he pretended to have received his masonic tradition by succession from ,enoch and ,elias4 ,privately1 however1 he pursued his former rogueries1 and his sojourn in ,london was not infrequently disturbed by his squabbles with the police4 ,those who are interested in this part of the ,cagliostro controversy will do well to refer to the ,english biography1 dedicated to the countess1 and which contains much curious information4 ,when all his plans were matured he departed for the ,hague1 and thence proceeded to ,venice1 where some of his ,english creditors seem to have disturbed his serenity1 and prompted him in consequence to retire through ,germany into ,holstein1 where he is supposed to have visited the renowned ,count de ,st ,germain4 ,according to the ,mmoires ,authentiques pour servir l',histoire du ,comte de ,cagliostro1 published in #aghe1 he demanded an audience with this man of inscrutable mystery1 in order that he might prostrate himself before the dieu des croyants4 ,with characteristic eccentricity the ,count de ,st ,germain appointed two in the morning as the hour for the interview1 which moment being arrived1 say the 8,memoirs10 ,cagliostro and his wife1 clothed in white garments1 clasped about the waist with girdles of rose-colour1 presented themselves at the castellated temple of mystery1 which was the abode of the dubious divinity whom they desired to adore4 ,the drawbridge was lowered1 a man six feet in height1 clothed in a long grey robe1 led them into a dimly-lighted chamber4 ,therein some folding doors sprang suddenly open1 and they beheld a temple illuminated by a thousand wax lights1 with the ,count de ,saint-,germain enthroned upon the altar2 at his feet two acolytes swung golden thuribles1 which diffused sweet and unobtrusive perfumes4 ,the divinity bore upon his breast a diamond pentagram of almost intolerable radiance4 ,a majestic statue1 white and diaphanous1 upheld on the steps of the altar a vase inscribed1 8,elixir of ,immortality10 while a vast mirror was on the wall1 and before it a living being1 majestic as the statue1 walked to and fro4 ,above the mirror were these singular words--8,store ,house of ,wandering ,souls40 ,the most solemn silence prevailed in this sacred retreat1 but at length a voice1 which seemed hardly a voice1 pronounced these words--8,who are you8 ,whence come you8 ,what would you80 ,then the ,count and ,countess ,cagliostro prostrated themselves1 and the former answered after a long pause1 8,i come to invoke the ,god of the faithful1 the ,son of ,nature1 the sire of truth4 ,i come to demand of him one of the fourteen thousand seven hundred secrets which are treasured in his breast1 ,i come to proclaim myself his slave1 his apostle1 his martyr40 ,the divinity did not respond1 but after a long silence1 the same voice asked3--8,what does the partner of thy long wanderings intend80 8,to obey and to serve10 answered ,lorenza4 ,simultaneously with her words1 profound darkness succeeded the glare of light1 uproar followed on tranquillity1 terror on trust1 and a sharp and menacing voice cried loudly3--8,woe to those who cannot stand the tests60 ,husband and wife were immediately separated to undergo their respective trials1 which they endured with exemplary fortitude1 and which are detailed in the text of the memoirs4 ,when the romantic mummery was over1 the two postulants were led back into the temple1 with the promise of admission to the divine mysteries4 ,there a man mysteriously draped in a long mantle cried out to them3--8,know ye that the arcanum of our great art is the government of mankind1 and that the one means to rule them is never to tell them the truth4 ,do not foolishly regulate your actions according to the rules of common sense2 rather outrage reason and courageously maintain every unbelievable absurdity4 ,remember that reproduction is the palmary active power in nature1 politics1 and society alike2 that it is a mania with mortals to be immortal1 to know the future without understanding the present1 and to be spiritual while all that surrounds them is material40 ,after this harangue the orator genuflected devoutly before the divinity of the temple and retired4 ,at the same moment a man of gigantic stature led the countess to the feet of the immortal ,count de ,saint-,german1 who thus spoke3-- 8,elected from my tenderest youth to the things of greatness1 ,i employed myself in ascertaining the nature of veritable glory4 ,politics appeared to me nothing but the science of deception1 tactics the art of assassination1 philosophy the ambitious imbecility of complete irrationality2 physics fine fancies about ,nature and the continual mistakes of persons suddenly transplanted into a country which is utterly unknown to them2 theology the science of the misery which results from human pride2 history the melancholy spectacle of perpetual perfidy and blundering4 ,thence ,i concluded that the statesman was a skilful liar1 the hero an illustrious idiot1 the philosopher an eccentric creature1 the physician a pitiable and blind man1 the theologian a fanatical pedagogue1 and the historian a word-monger4 ,then did ,i hear of the divinity of this temple4 ,i cast my cares upon him1 with my incertitudes and aspirations4 ,when he took possession of my soul he caused me to perceive all objects in a new light2 ,i began to read futurity4 ,this universe so limited1 so narrow1 so desert1 was now enlarged4 ,i abode not only with those who are1 but with those who were4 ,he united me to the loveliest women of antiquity4 ,i found it eminently delectable to know all without studying anything1 to dispose of the treasures of the earth without the solicitation of monarchs1 to rule the elements rather than men4 ,heaven made me liberal2 ,i have sufficient to satisfy my taste2 all that surrounds me is rich1 loving1 predestinated40 ,when the service was finished the costume of ordinary life was resumed4 ,a superb repast terminated the ceremony4 ,during the course of the banquet the two guests were informed that the ,elixir of ,immortality was merely ,tokay coloured green or red according to the necessities of the case4 ,several essential precepts were enjoined upon them1 among others that they must detest1 avoid1 and calumniate men of understanding1 but flatter1 foster1 and blind fools1 that they must spread abroad with much mystery the intelligence that the ,count de ,saint-,germain was five hundred years old1 that they must make gold1 but dupes before all4 ,the truth of this singular episode is not attested by any sober biographer4 ,if it occurred as narrated1 it doubtless served to confirm ,cagliostro in his ambitious projects4 ,the change which had taken place in the adventurer since his second visit to ,england is well described by ,figuier4 8,his language1 his mien1 his manners1 all are transformed4 ,his conversation turns only on his travels in ,egypt1 to ,mecca1 and in other remote places1 on the sciences into which he was initiated at the foot of the ,pyramids1 on the arcana of ,nature which his ingenuity has discovered4 ,at the same time1 he talks little1 more often enveloping himself in mysterious silence4 ,when interrogated with reiterated entreaties1 he deigns at the most to draw his symbol--a serpent with an apple in its mouth and pierced by a dart1 meaning that human wisdom should be silent on the mysteries which it has unravelled4444 ,lorenza was transfigured at the same time with her husband4 ,her ambitions and deportment became worthy of the new projects of ,cagliostro4 ,she aimed1 like himself1 at the glory of colossal successes40 ,the initiates of the ,count de ,saint-,germain passed into ,courland1 where they established ,masonic lodges1 according to the sublime rite of ,egyptian ,freemasonry4 ,the countess was an excellent preacher to captivate hearts and enchant imaginations1 her beauty fascinated a large number of ,courlandaise nobility4 ,at ,mittau1 ,cagliostro attracted the attention of persons of high rank1 who were led by his reputation to regard him as an extraordinary person4 ,by means of his ,freemasonry he began to obtain an ascendency over the minds of the nobles1 some of whom1 discontented with the reigning duke1 are actually said to have offered him the sovereignty of the country1 as to a divine man and messenger from above4 ,the ,italian biography represents him plotting with this end in view4 8,he pretends10 say the documents of the ,holy ,inquisition1 8that he had virtue enough to resist the temptation1 and that he refused the proffered boon from the respect due to sovereigns4 ,his wife has assured us that his refusal was produced by the reflection that his impostures would soon be discovered40 ,he collected1 however1 a prodigious number of presents in gold1 silver1 and money1 and repaired to ,st ,petersburg1 provided with regular passports4 ,but the prophet soon found that a sufficiently brilliant reputation had not preceded him1 and he1 therefore1 simply announced himself as a physician and chemist1 by his retired life and air of mystery soon attracting attention4 ,his assumption of the rle of physician leads to a brief consideration of the miraculous cures which have been attributed to him4 ,they are generally referred to a broad application of the principles and methods of ,mesmer1 his contemporary4 ,they were performed without passes1 iron rods1 or any of the cumbrous paraphernalia of his rival in the healing art2 he trusted simply to the laying on of hands4 ,moreover1 he did not despoil his patients1 but rather dispensed his wealth1 which now appeared unlimited1 among the poor1 who flocked to him in great numbers as his reputation increased4 ,the source of this wealth is not accurately known1 but it is supposed to have been derived from the ,masonic initiates1 whose apostle and propagandist he was4 ,many of the miraculous cures which ,cagliostro performed in ,germany spread widely1 and in ,russia he was soon surrounded by the curious4 ,lorenza played her own part admirably2 she answered discreetly and naturally1 making the most outrageous statements with apparently complete unconsciousness4 ,the physician-chemist1 besides his healing powers1 had his reputation as an alchemist and adept of the arcane sciences4 ,the supposed restoration in a miraculous manner of the infant child of an illustrious nobleman to health exalted him to the pinnacle of celebrity1 and his extravagant pretensions1 assisted1 as they powerfully were1 by the nave beauty of his wife1 were beginning to be taken seriously1 but the combined result of an amour between ,lorenza and ,prince ,poternki1 ,prime ,minister and favourite of the ,czarina1 ,catherine1 and the discovery that the nobleman's child had been apparently changed1 caused them to depart hastily with immense spoils towards the ,german frontier4 ,they tarried at ,warsaw for a time1 and there the ,italian biographer tells us that ,cagliostro made use of all his artifices to deceive a prince to whom he was introduced1 and who was exceedingly anxious to obtain1 with the help of the pretended magician1 the permanent command of a devil4 ,cagliostro puffed him up for a long time with the expectation of gratifying this preposterous ambition1 and actually procured presents from him to the amount of several thousand crowns4 ,the prince at length perceiving that there was no hope of retaining one of the infernal spirits in his service1 wished to make himself master of the earthly affections of the countess1 but in this too he was disappointed1 the lady positively refusing to comply with his desires4 ,finding himself thus balked in both his attempts1 he abandoned every sentiment but revenge1 and intimidated our adventurer and his wife so much by his menaces that they were obliged to restore his presents4 ,the veracity of this account is not1 however1 beyond suspicion1 and other of his biographers represent ,cagliostro proceeding directly to ,francfurt and thence to ,strasbourg1 into which1 more wealthy and successful than ever1 he made a triumphal entry4 ,the distinguished visitor1 the ,rosicrucian1 the alchemist1 the physician1 the sublime count1 had been expected since early morning by the bourgeois of the old town1 and the following extraordinary account in the ,dictionnaire des ,sciences ,occultes has been given by an anonymous biographer4 8,on the #aith of ,september #aghj1 in a public-house just outside ,strasburg1 surrounded by a group of humble tipplers1 who stared from the little window at the vast crowd collected below them1 there might have been remarked the countenance of a bald and wrinkled man1 some eighty years of age1 and evidently of southern origin2 this was the goldsmith ,marano4 ,successive failures1 and debts which he did not see fit to liquidate1 had forced him to leave ,palermo1 and he had established himself in his former trade at ,strasbourg4 ,like the rest of the townsfolk he had come out to behold the phenomenal personage whose arrival was expected1 and who made a greater sensation than many a powerful monarch4 ,he had come by way of ,germany from ,varsovia1 where he had amassed immense riches1 said popular rumour1 by the transmutation of base metals into gold1 for he was possessed of the secret of the philosophic stone1 and had all the incalculable talents of an alchemist40 8,by my faith10 said a hatter1 8,i am indeed happy since ,i am destined to behold this illustrious mortal1 if indeed he be a mortal40 8',tis asserted10 added a druggist1 8that he is a son of the ,princess of ,trebizond1 and that he has withal the fine eyes of his mother40 8,also that he is a lineal descendant of ,charles ,martel10 said a town clerk4 8,he dates still further back10 put in a rope-maker1 8for he took part in the marriage feast of ,cana40 8,beyond doubt then1 he is the wandering ,jew60 exclaimed ,marano4 8,still better1 some credible persons assert that he was born before the deluge40 8,what hardihood6 ,yet suppose he is the devil40 ,these notions here reproduced with fidelity1 and which were adorned by the most extravagant commentaries1 were actually at that period in general circulation among the crowd4 ,some regarded the mysterious ,count ,cagliostro as an inspired saint1 a performer of miracles1 a phenomenal personage outside the order of ,nature4 ,the cures attributed to him were equally innumerable and unexplainable4 ,others regarded him merely as an adroit charlatan4 ,cagliostro himself boldly asserted that all his prodigies were performed under the special favour and help of heaven4 ,he added that the ,supreme ,being had deigned to accord him the beatific vision1 that it was his mission to convert unbelievers and reinstate catholicism1 but in spite of this exalted vocation he told fortunes1 taught the art of winning at lotteries1 interpreted dreams1 and held sances of transcendental phantasmagoria4 8,but10 contended the rope-maker with much animation1 8a man who converses with angels is never the devil40 8,is he in communication with angels80 cried ,marano1 struck by the circumstances4 8,in that case ,i must see him at all costs4 ,how old is he80 8,bah60 said the druggist1 8as if such a being could have an age6 ,he looks about thirty-six40 8,oh60 muttered the goldsmith4 8,what if he were my rascal8 ,my rascal should now be thirty-seven40 ,as the hoary ,sicilian ruminated over his lamentable past1 he was roused by a tumult of voices4 ,the supernal being had arrived1 and he passed presently in the road1 surrounded by a numerous cortege of couriers1 lacqueys1 valets1 c41 all in magnificent liveries4 ,by his side1 in the open carriage1 sat ,lorenza or ,seraphina ,feliciani1 his wife1 who seconded with all her ability the intrigues of her husband1 whom reasonable people regarded as a wandering member and emissary of the masonic templars1 his opulence insured by contributions from the different lodges of the order4 ,a great shout rose up when ,count ,cagliostro passed before the inn4 ,marano had recognised his man1 and flying out had contrived to stop the carriage1 shouting as he did so--8,joseph ,balsamo6 ,it is ,joseph6 ,coquin1 where are my sixty ounces of gold80 ,cagliostro scarcely deigned to glance at the furious goldsmith2 but in the middle of the profound silence which the incident occasioned among the crowd1 a voice1 apparently in the clouds1 uttered with great distinctness the following words3 8,remove this lunatic1 who is possessed by infernal spirits60 ,some of the spectators fell on their knees1 others seized the unfortunate goldsmith1 and the brilliant cortege passed on4 ,entering ,strasburg in triumph1 ,cagliostro paused in front of a large hall1 where the equerries who had preceded him had already collected a considerable concourse of the sick4 ,the famous empiric entered and cured them all1 some simply by touch1 others apparently by words or by a gratuity in money1 the rest by his universal panacea2 but the historian who records these things asserts that the sick persons thus variously treated had been carefully selected1 the physician preferring to treat the more serious cases at the homes of the patients4 ,cagliostro issued from the hall amidst universal acclamations1 and was accompanied by the immense crowd to the doors of the magificent lodging which had been prepared against his arrival4 ,the lite of ,strasburg society was invited to a sumptuous repast1 which was followed by a sance of transcendental magnetism1 when he produced some extraordinary manifestations by the mediation of clairvoyant children of either sex1 and whom he denominated his doves or pupils4 ,the unspotted virginity and innocence of these children were an indispensable condition of success4 ,they were chosen by himself1 and received a mystical consecration at his hands4 ,then he pronounced over a crystal vessel1 filled with water1 the magical formul for the evocation of angelic intelligences as they are written in the celestial rituals4 ,supernal spirits became visible in the depths of the water1 and responded to questions occasionally in an intelligible voice1 but more often in characters which appeared on the surface of the water1 and were visible to the pupils alone1 who interpreted them to the public4 ,contemporary testimony establishes that these manifestations1 as a whole1 were genuine1 and there is little doubt of the mesmeric abilities of ,cagliostro1 who had probably become acquainted in the ,east with the phenomena of virginal lucidity1 especially in boys1 and had supplemented the oriental methods by the discoveries of ,pusygur1 which were at that time sufficiently notorious4 ,for three years ,cagliostro remained at ,strasburg and was fted continually4 ,here he obtained a complete ascendency over the mind of the famous cardinal-archbishop1 the ,prince de ,rohan4 ,his first care1 on taking up his abode in the town1 was to prove his respect for the clergy by his generosity and zeal4 ,he visited the sick in the hospitals1 deferentially participated in the duties of the regular doctors1 proposed his new remedies with prudence1 did not condemn the old methods1 but sought to unite new science with the science which was based on experience4 ,he obtained the reputation of a bold experimenter in chemistry1 of a sagacious physician1 and a really enlightened innovator4 ,the inhabitants of the crowded quarters regarded him as a man sent from ,god1 operating miraculous cures1 and dispensing riches from an inexhaustible source with which he was alone acquainted4 ,unheard-of cures were cited1 and alchemical operations which surpassed even the supposed possibilities of the transmutatory art4 ,anything which savoured of the marvellous was an attraction for the cardinal-archbishop1 and he longed to see ,cagliostro4 ,an anonymous writer states that he sought an interview with him again and again unsuccessfully2 for the cardinal-prince of trickery divined even at a distance the character of the prince-cardinal1 and enveloped himself in a reserve which1 to the imagination of his dupe1 was like the loadstone to the magnet4 ,others represent him1 however1 courting the favour of the great ecclesiastic's secretary1 and so obtaining an introduction4 ,at the first interview he showed some reserve1 but permitted certain dazzling ideas to be glimpsed through the more ordinary tenour of his discourse4 ,after a judicious period he admitted that he possessed a receipt for the manufacture of gold and diamonds4 ,a supposed transmutation completed his conquest of the cardinal1 and the ,italian historian confesses that he accordingly lavished immense sums upon the virtuous pair1 and to complete his folly1 agreed to erect a small edifice1 in which he was to experience a physical regeneration by means of the supernal and auriferous elixir of ,cagliostro4 ,the sum of twenty thousand francs was actually paid the adept to accomplish this operation4 ,doubtless during his sojourn at ,strasburg he propagated with zeal the mysteries of his ,egyptian ,freemasonry1 and at length1 laden with spoils1 he repaired to ,bordeaux1 where he continued his healing in public1 and then proceeded to ,lyons1 where for the space of three months he occupied himself with the foundation of a mother-lodge1 and1 according to the ,italian biographer1 here as elsewhere1 in less creditable pursuits4 ,at length he arrived at ,paris1 where1 says the same authority1 he soon became the object of general conversation1 regard1 and esteem4 ,his curative powers were now but little exercised1 for ,paris abounded with mesmerists and healers1 and the prodigies of simple magnetism were stale and unprofitable in consequence4 ,he assumed now the rle of a practical magician1 and astonished the city by the evocation of phantoms1 which he caused to appear1 at the wish of the inquirer1 either in a mirror or in a vase of clear water4 ,these phantoms equally represented dead and living beings1 and as occasionally collusion appears to have been well-nigh impossible1 and as the theory of coincidence is preposterous1 there is reason to suppose that he produced results which must sometimes have astonished himself4 ,all ,paris at any rate was set wondering at his enchantments and prodigies1 and it is seriously stated that ,louis ,,xvi4 was so infatuated with le divin ,cagliostro1 that he declared anyone who injured him should be considered guilty of treason4 ,at ,versailles1 and in the presence of several distinguished nobles1 he is said to have caused the apparition in mirrors1 vases1 c41 not merely of the spectra of absent or deceased persons1 but animated and moving beings of a phantasmal description1 including many dead men and women selected by the astonished spectators4 ,the mystery which surrounded him abroad was deepened even when he received visitors at home4 ,he had lived in the ,rue ,saint ,claude1 an isolated house surrounded by gardens and sheltered from the inconvenient curiosity of neighbours4 ,there he established his laboratory1 which no one might enter4 ,he received in a vast and sumptuous apartment on the first floor4 ,lorenza lived a retired life1 only being visible at certain hours before a select company1 and in a diaphanous and glamourous costume4 ,the report of her beauty spread through the city2 she passed for a paragon of perfection1 and duels took place on her account4 ,cagliostro was now no longer young1 and ,lorenza was in the flower of her charms4 ,he is said for the first time to have experienced the pangs of jealousy on account of a certain ,chevalier d',oisemont1 with whom she had several assignations4 ,private vexations did not1 however1 interfere with professional thaumaturgy1 and the evocation of the illustrious dead was a common occurrence at certain magical suppers which became celebrated through all ,paris4 ,these were undoubtedly exaggerated by report1 but as they all occurred within the doubtful precincts of his own house of mystery1 they were in all probability fraudulent1 for it must be distinctly remembered that in his normal character he was an unparalleled trickster1 that the genuine phenomena which he occasionally produced were simply supplements to charlatanry1 and not that his deceptions were aids to normally genuine phenomena4 ,on one occasion1 according to the ,mmoires authentiques pour servir l'histoire du ,comte de ,cagliostro1 the distinguished thaumaturgist announced that at a private supper1 given to six guests1 he would evoke the spirits of any dead persons whom they named to him1 and that the phantoms1 apparently substantial1 should seat themselves at the banquet4 ,the repast took place with the knowledge and1 it may be supposed1 with the connivance of ,lorenza4 ,at midnight the guests were assembled2 a round table1 laid for twelve1 was spread1 with unheard-of luxury1 in a dining-room1 where all was in harmony with the approaching ,kabbalistic operation4 ,the six guests1 with ,cagliostro1 took their seats1 and thus the ominous number thirteen were designed to be present at table4 ,the supper was served1 the servants were dismissed with threats of immediate death if they dared to open the doors before they were summoned4 ,each guest demanded the deceased person whom he desired to see4 ,cagliostro took the names1 placed them in the pocket of his gold-embroidered vest1 and announced that with no further preparation than a simple invocation on his part the evoked spirits would appear in flesh and blood1 for1 according to the ,egyptian dogma1 there were in reality no dead4 ,these guests of the other world1 asked for and expected with trembling anxiety1 were the ,duc de ,choiseul1 ,voltaire1 d',alembert1 ,diderot1 the ,abb de ,voisenon1 and ,montesquieu4 ,their names were pronounced slowly in a loud voice1 and with all the concentrated determination of the adept's will2 and after a moment of intolerable doubt1 the evoked guests appeared very unobtrusively1 and took their seats with the quiet courtesy which had characterised them in life4 ,the first question put to them when the awe of their presence had somewhat worn off was as to their situation in the world beyond4 8,there is no world beyond10 replied d',alembert4 8,death is simply the cessation of the evils which have tortured us4 ,no pleasure is experienced1 but1 on the other hand1 there is no suffering4 ,i have not met with ,mademoiselle ,lespinasse1 but ,i have not seen ,lorignet4 ,there is marked sincerity1 moreover4 ,some deceased persons who have recently joined us inform me that ,i am almost forgotten4 ,i am1 however1 consoled4 ,men are unworthy of the trouble we take about them4 ,i never loved them1 now ,i despise them40 8,what has become of your learning80 said ,m4 de ---- to ,diderot4 8,i was not learned1 as people commonly supposed4 ,my ready wit adapted all that ,i read1 and in writing ,i borrowed on every side4 ,thence comes the desultory character of my books1 which will be unheard of in half a century4 ,the ,encyclopdia1 with the merit of which ,i am honoured1 does not belong to me4 ,the duty of an editor is simply to set in order the choice of subjects4 ,the man who showed most talent in the whole of the work was the compiler of its index1 yet no one has dreamed of recognising his merits40 8,i praised the enterprise10 said ,voltaire1 8for it seemed well fitted to further my philosophical opinions4 ,talking of philosophy1 ,i am none too certain that ,i was in the right4 ,i have learned strange things since my death1 and have conversed with half a dozen ,popes4 ,clement ,,xiv4 and ,benedict1 above all1 are men of infinite intelligence and good sense40 8,what most vexes me10 said the ,duc de ,choiseul1 8is the absence of sex where we dwell4 ,whatever may be said of this fleshly envelope1 'twas by no means so bad an invention40 8,what is truly a pleasure to me10 said the ,abb ,voisenon1 8is that amongst us one is perfectly cured of the folly of intelligence4 ,you cannot conceive how ,i have been bantered about my ridiculous little romances4 ,i had almost confessed that ,i appreciated these puerilities at their true value1 but whether the modesty of an academician is disbelieved in1 or whether such frivolity is out of character with my age and profession1 ,i expiate almost daily the mistakes of my mortal existence40 99 99 99 99 99 ,amid these marvels1 ,cagliostro proceeded with the dearest of all his projects1 namely1 the spread of his ,egypto-masonic rite1,,an into which ladies were subsequently admitted1 a course of magic being opened for the purpose by ,madame ,cagliostro4 ,the postulants admitted to this course were thirty-six in number1 and all males were excluded4 ,thus ,lorenza figured as the ,grand ,mistress of ,egyptian ,masonry1 as her husband was himself the grand and sublime ,copt4 ,the fair neophytes were required to contribute each of them the sum of one hundred louis to abstain from all carnal connection with mankind1 and to submit to everything which might be imposed on them4 ,a vast mansion was hired in the ,rue ,verte1 ,faubourg ,saint ,honor1 at that period a lonely part of the city4 ,the building was surrounded with gardens and magnificent trees4 ,the sance for initiation took place shortly before midnight on the #gth of ,august #aghe4 ,on entering the first apartment1 says ,figuier1 the ladies were obliged to disrobe and assume a white garment1 with a girdle of various colours4 ,they were divided into six groups1 distinguished by the tint of their cinctures4 ,a large veil was also provided1 and they were caused to enter a temple lighted from the roof1 and furnished with thirty-six arm-chairs covered with black satin4 ,lorenza1 clothed in white1 was seated on a species of throne1 supported by two tall figures1 so habited that their sex could not be determined4 ,the light was lowered by degrees till surrounding objects could scarcely be distinguished1 when the ,grand ,mistress commanded the ladies to uncover their left legs as far as the thigh1 and raising the right arm to rest it on a neighbouring pillar4 ,two young women then entered sword in hand1 and with silk ropes bound all the ladies together by the arms and legs4 ,then after a period of impressive silence1 ,lorenza pronounced an oration1 which is given at length1 but on doubtful authority1 by several biographers1 and which preached fervidly the emancipation of womankind from the shameful bonds imposed on them by the lords of creation4 ,these bonds were symbolised by the silken ropes from which the fair initiates were released at the end of the harangue1 when they were conducted into separate apartments1 each opening on the ,garden1 where they made the most unheard-of experiences4 ,some were pursued by men who unmercifully persecuted them with barbarous solicitations2 others encountered less dreadful admirers1 who sighed in the most languishing postures at their feet4 ,more than one discovered the counterpart of her own lover1 but the oath they had all taken necessitated the most inexorable inhumanity1 and all faithfully fulfilled what was required of them4 ,the new spirit infused into regenerated woman triumphed along the whole line of the six and thirty initiates1 who with intact and immaculate symbols re-entered triumphant and palpitating the twilight of the vaulted temple to receive the congratulations of the sovereign priestess4 ,when they had breathed a little after their trials1 the vaulted roof opened suddenly1 and1 on a vast sphere of gold1 there descended a man1 naked as the unfallen ,adam1 holding a serpent in his hand1 and having a burning star upon his head4 ,the ,grand ,mistress announced that this was the genius of ,truth1 the immortal1 the divine ,cagliostro1 issued without procreation from the bosom of our father ,abraham1 and the depositary of all that hath been1 is1 or shall be known on the universal earth4 ,he was there to initiate them into the secrets of which they had been fraudulently deprived4 ,the ,grand ,copt thereupon commanded them to dispense with the profanity of clothing1 for if they would receive truth they must be as naked as itself4 ,the sovereign priestess setting the example unbound her girdle and permitted her drapery to fall to the ground1 and the fair initiates following her example exposed themselves in all the nudity of their charms to the magnetic glances of the celestial genius1 who then commenced his revelations4 ,he informed his daughters that the much abused magical art was the secret of doing good to humanity4 ,it was initiation into the mysteries of ,nature1 and the power to make use of her occult forces4 ,the visions which they had beheld in the ,garden where so many had seen and recognised those who were dearest to their hearts1 proved the reality of hermetic operations4 ,they had shewn themselves worthy to know the truth2 he undertook to instruct them by gradations therein4 ,it was enough at the outset to inform them that the sublime end of that ,egyptian ,freemasonry which he had brought from the very heart of the ,orient was the happiness of mankind4 ,this happiness was illimitable in its nature1 including material enjoyments as much as spiritual peace1 and the pleasures of the understanding4 ,the ,marquis de ,luchet1 to whom we are indebted for this account1 concludes the nebulous harangue of ,cagliostro by the adept bidding his hearers abjure a deceiving sex1 and to let the kiss of friendship symbolise what was passing in their hearts4 ,the sovereign priestess instructed them in the nature of this friendly embrace4 ,thereupon the ,genius of ,truth seated himself again upon the sphere of gold1 and was borne away through the roof4 ,at the same time the floor opened1 the light blazed up1 and a table splendidly adorned and luxuriously spread rose up from the ground4 ,the ladies were joined by their lovers in propria persona2 the supper was followed by dancing and various diversions till three o'clock in the morning4 ,about this time the ,count ,cagliostro was unwillingly compelled to concede to the continual solicitations of the poor and to resume his medical rle4 ,in a short time he was raised to the height of celebrity by a miraculous cure of the ,prince de ,soubise1 the brother of the ,cardinal de ,rohan1 who was suffering from a virulent attack of scarlet fever4 ,from this moment the portrait of the adept was to be seen everywhere in ,paris4 ,in the meantime1 the cloud in his domestic felicity1 to which a brief reference has been made already1 began to spread4 ,a certain adventuress1 by name ,madame de la ,motte1 surprised ,lorenza one day in a tte--tte with the ,chevalier d',oisemont4 ,the count at the time was far away from ,paris1 and the adventuress promised to keep the secret on condition that ,lorenza should in turn do all in her power to establish her as an intimate friend in the house1 having free entrance therein1 and should persuade ,cagliostro to place his knowledge and skill at her disposal1 if ever she required it4 ,the result of this arrangement was the complicity of ,cagliostro in the extraordinary and scandalous affair of the ,diamond ,necklace4 ,when the plot was exposed1 ,cagliostro was arrested with the other alleged conspirators1 including the principal victim1 the ,cardinal de ,rohan4 ,he was exonerated1 not indeed without honour1 from the charge of which he was undoubtedly guilty1 but his wife had fled to ,rome at his arrest1 and had rejoined her family4 ,he himself began to tremble at his own notoriety1 and grew anxious to leave ,france4 ,he postponed till a more favourable period his grand project concerning the metropolitan lodge of the ,egyptian rite4,,ao ,a personage1 calling himself ,thomas ,ximenes1 and claiming descent from the cardinal of that name1 sought to reanimate his former masonic enthusiasm2 but the vision of the ,bastile seemed to be ever before his eyes1 and neither this person1 nor the great dignitaries of the ,parisian lodges1 could prevail with him4 ,in spite of his acquittal he nourished vengeance against the ,court of ,france1 and more than once he confided to his private friends that he should make his voice heard when he had passed the frontier4 ,he prepared to depart1 and one day his disconsolate adepts learned that he was on the road to ,england4 ,once in ,london he recovered his energy4 ,he was received with great honour2 many of his disciples from ,lyons and ,paris followed him4 ,the ,english masons invited him to the metropolitan lodge1 and gave him the first place1 that of grand orient4 ,he was entreated to convene a masonic lodge of the ,egyptian rite1 and consented with some sadness1 for the memory of the brilliant ,paris lodge which he had been on the point of founding was incessantly before him4 ,he could not console himself for the fall of that beautiful and long-cherished plan1 which had cost him so much study1 pains1 and preaching4 ,it was from this discreet distance that ,cagliostro addressed his famous ,letter to the ,people of ,france1 which was translated into a number of languages1 and circulated widely through ,europe4 ,it predicted the ,french ,revolution1 the demolishment of the ,bastile1 and the rise of a great prince who would abolish the infamous lettres de cachet1 convoke the ,states-,general1 and re-establish the true religion4 ,the publication was intemperate in its language and revolutionary in its sentiments1 and close upon its heels followed his well-known quarrel with the ,courrier de l',europe1 which resulted in the exposure of the real life of ,cagliostro from beginning to end4 ,dreading the rage of his innumerable dupes1 and extreme measures on the part of his creditors1 he hastened to quit ,london1 disembarked in ,holland1 crossed ,germany1 took refuge in ,basle1 where the patriarchal hospitality of the ,swiss cantons to some extent reassured the unmasked adept4 ,from the moment1 however1 of this exposure1 the descent of ,cagliostro was simply headlong in its rapidity4 ,nevertheless1 he was followed by some of his initiates1 who pressed him to return to ,france1 assuring him of the powerful protection of exalted masonic dignitaries4 ,in his hesitation he wrote to the ,baron de ,breteuil1 the king's minister of the house1 but1 as it chanced1 a personal enemy of the ,cardinal de ,rohan4 ,considering ,cagliostro as a protg of the prince1 he replied that if he had sufficient effrontery to set foot within the limits of the kingdom1 he should be arrested and transferred to a prison in ,paris1 there to await prosecution as a common swindler1 who should answer to the royal justice for his criminal life4 ,from this moment ,cagliostro saw that he was a perpetual exile from ,france1 and feeling in no sense assured of his safety even in ,switzerland1 he left ,basle for ,aix1 in ,savoy4 ,he was ordered to quit that town in eight and forty hours4 ,at ,roveredo1 a dependency of ,austria1 the same treatment awaited him4 ,he migrated to ,trent1 and announced himself as a practitioner of lawful medicine1 but the prince-bishop who was sovereign of the country discerned the cloven hoof of the sorcerer beneath the doctor's sober dress1 and showed him in no long space of time his hostility to magical practices4 ,the wandering hierophant of ,egyptian masonry1 somewhat sorely pressed1 took post to ,rome1 and reached the ,eternal ,city after many vicissitudes4 ,here1 according to ,saint-,flix and ,figuier1 he was rejoined by his wife2 according to the ,italian biographer1 ,lorenza had accompanied him in his wanderings1 and persuaded him to seek refuge in ,rome1 being sick unto death of her miserable course of life4 ,the former statement is1 on the whole1 the most probable1 as it is difficult to suppose that she left ,italy to rejoin ,cagliostro at ,passy1 and she appears to have returned to him with marked repugnance4 ,she endeavoured to lead him back to religion1 which had never been eradicated from her heart4 ,he lived for some time with extraordinary circumspection1 and consented at last to see a ,benedictine monk1 to whom he made his confession4 ,the ,holy ,inquisition1 which doubtless had scrutinised all his movements1 is said to have been deceived for a time1 and he was favourably received by several cardinals4 ,he lived for a year in perfect liberty1 occupied with the private study of medicine4 ,during this time he endeavoured to obtain loans from the initiates of his ,egyptian rite who were scattered over ,france and ,germany1 but they did not arrive1 and the sublime ,copt1 the illuminated proprietor of the stone philosophical and the medicine yclept metallic1 came once more1 to the eternal disgrace of ,osiris1 ,isis1 and ,anubis1 on the very verge of want4 ,his extremity prompted him to renew his relations with the masonic societies within the area of the ,papal ,states4 ,a penalty of death hung over the initiates of the superior grades1 and their lodges were in consequence surrounded with great mystery1 and were convened in subterranean places4 ,he was persuaded to found a lodge of ,egyptian ,freemasonry in ,rome itself1 from which moment ,lorenza reasonably regarded him as lost4 ,one of his own adepts betrayed him2 he was arrested on the #bgth of ,september #aghi1 by order of the ,holy ,office1 and imprisoned in the ,castle of ,st ,angelo4 ,an inventory of his papers was taken1 and all his effects were sealed up4 ,the process against him was drawn up with the nicest inquisitorial care during the long period of eighteen months4 ,when the trial came on he was defended by the ,count ,gtano ,bernardini1 advocate of the accused before the sacred and august tribunal1 and to this pleader in ordinary the impartial and benign office1 of its free grace and pleasure1 did add generously1 as counsel1 one ,monsignor ,louis ,constantini1 8whose knowledge and probity10 saith an unbought and unbuyable witness 7inquisitorially inspired71 8were generally recognised40 ,they did not conceal from him the gravity of his position1 advised him to refrain from basing his defence on a series of denials1 promising to save him from the capital forfeit1 and so he was persuaded to confess everything1 was again reconciled to the church2 and being almost odoriferous with genuine sanctity1 on the #bast of ,march #agia he was carried before the general assembly of the purgers of souls by fire1 before the ,pope on the #gth of the following ,april1 when the advocates pleaded with so much eloquence that they retired in the agonies of incipient strangulation1 ,cagliostro repeated his avowal1 and as a natural consequence of the unbought eloquence and the purchased confession1 the penalty of death was pronounced4 ,when1 however1 the shattered energies of the advocates were a little recruited1 a recommendation of mercy was addressed to the ,pope1 the sentence was commuted to perpetual imprisonment1 and the condemned man was consigned to the ,castle of ,st ,angelo4 ,after an imprisonment of two years1 he died1 ,god knows how1 still in the prime of life1 at the age of fifty4 ,lorenza1 whose admissions had contributed largely towards the condemnation of her husband1 was doomed to perpetual seclusion in a penitentiary4 ,the papers of ,cagliostro were burned by the ,holy ,office1 and the phantom of that institution keeps to the present day the secret of the exact date of its victim's death4 ,it carefully circulated the report that on one occasion he attempted to strangle a priest whom he had sent for on the pretence of confessing1 hoping to escape in his clothes2 and then it made public the statement that he had subsequently strangled himself4 ,when the battalions of the ,french ,revolution entered ,rome1 the commanding officers1 hammering at the doors of ,saint-,angelo1 determined to release the entombed adept1 but they were informed that ,cagliostro was dead1 8at which intelligence10 says ,figuier1 8they perceived plainly that the former ,parlement de ,france was not to be compared with the ,roman ,inquisition1 and without regretting the demolished ,bastile1 they could not but acknowledge that it disgorged its prey more easily than the ,castle of ,saint ,angelo40 99 99 99 99 99 ,the personal attractions of ,cagliostro appear to have been exaggerated by some of his biographers4 8,his splendid stature and high bearing1 increased by a dress of the most bizarre magnificence1 the extensive suite which invariably accompanied him in his wanderings1 turned all eyes upon him1 and disposed the minds of the vulgar towards an almost idolatrous admiration40 ,with this opinion of ,figuier may be compared the counter-statement of the ,italian biographer3--8,he was of a brown complexion1 a bloated countenance1 and a severe aspect2 he was destitute of any of those graces so common in the world of gallantry1 without knowledge and without abilities40 ,but the ,italian biographer was a false witness1 for ,cagliostro was beyond all question and controversy a man of consummate ability1 tact1 and talent4 ,the truth would appear to lie between these opposite extremes4 8,the ,count de ,cagliostro10 says the ,english life1 published in #aghg1 8is below the middle stature1 inclined to corpulency2 his face is a round oval1 his complexion and eyes dark1 the latter uncommonly penetrating4 ,in his address we are not sensible of that indescribable grace which engages the affections before we consult the understanding4 ,on the contrary1 there is in his manner a self-importance which at first sight rather disgusts than allures1 and obliges us to withhold our regards1 till1 on a more intimate acquaintance1 we yield it the tribute to our reason4 ,though naturally studious and contemplative1 his conversation is sprightly1 abounding with judicious remarks and pleasant anecdotes1 yet with an understanding in the highest degree perspicuous and enlarged1 he is ever rendered the dupe of the sycophant and the flatterer40 ,the persuasive and occasionally overpowering eloquence of ,cagliostro is also dwelt upon by the majority of his biographers1 but1 according to the testimony of his wife1 as extracted under the terror of the ,inquisition and adduced in the ,italian life3--8,his discourse1 instead of being eloquent1 was composed in a style of the most wearisome perplexity1 and abounded with the most incoherent ideas4 ,previous to his ascending the rostrum he was always careful to prepare himself for his labours by means of some bottles of wine1 and he was so ignorant as to the subject on which he was about to hold forth1 that he generally applied to his wife for the text on which he was to preach to his disciples4 ,if to these circumstances are added a ,sicilian dialect1 mingled with a jargon of ,french and ,italian1 we cannot hesitate a single moment as to the degree of credibility which we are to give to the assertions that have been made concerning the wonder-working effects of his eloquence40 ,but the ,inquisition was in possession of documents which bore irrefutable testimony to the extraordinary hold which ,cagliostro exercised over the minds of his numerous followers1 and it is preposterous to suppose it could have been possessed by a man who was ignorant1 unpresentable1 and ill-spoken4 ,moreover1 the testimony of ,lorenza1 given under circumstances of1 at any rate1 the strongest moral intimidation is completely worthless on all points whatsoever1 and the biassed views of our inquisitorial apologists are of no appreciable value4 ,i have given an almost disproportionate space to the history of ,joseph ,balsamo1 because it is thoroughly representative of the charlatanic side of alchemy1 which during two centuries of curiosity and credulity had developed to a deplorable extent4 ,there is no reason to suppose1 despite the veil of mystery which surrounded ,altotas1 that he was an adept in anything but the sophistication of metals1 and his skill in alchemical trickery descended to his pupil4 ,that ,balsamo was a powerful mesmerist1 that he could induce clairvoyance with facility in suitable subjects1 that he had dabbled in ,arabic occultism1 that he had the faculty of healing magnetically1 are points which the evidence enables us to admit1 and these genuine phenomena supported his titanic impostures1 being themselves supplemented wherever they were weak or defective by direct and prepared fraud4 ,thus his miraculous prophecies1 delineations of absent persons1 revelations of private matters1 c41 may to some extent be accounted for by the insatiable curiosity and diligence which he made use of to procure knowledge of the secrets of any families with which he came into communication4 ,lorenzo declared upon oath during her examination that many of the pupils had been prepared beforehand by her husband1 but that some had been brought to him unawares1 and that in regard to them she could only suppose he had been assisted by the marvels of magical art4 ,his powers1 whatever they were1 were imparted to some at least of his ,masonic initiates1 as may be seen in a genuine letter addressed to him from ,lyons1 and which describes in enthusiastic language the consecration in that town of the ,egyptian lodge called ,wisdom ,triumphant4 ,this letter fell into the hands of the ,inquisition4 ,it relates that at the moment when the assembly had entreated of the ,eternal some explicit sign of his approval of their temple and their offerings1 8and whilst our master was in mid air10 the first philosopher of the ,new ,testament appeared uninvoked1 blessed them after prostration before the cloud1 by means of which they had obtained the apparition1 and was carried upwards upon it1 the splendour being so great that the young pupil or dove was unable to sustain it4 ,the same letter affirms that the two great prophets and the legislator of ,israel had given them palpable signs of their goodwill and of their obedience to the commands of the august founder1 the sieur ,cagliostro4 ,a similar communication testifies that the great ,copt1 though absent1 had appeared in their lodge between ,enoch and ,elias4,,ap ,,conclusion4 ,it has now been made plain beyond all reasonable doubt by the certain and abundant evidence of the lives and labours of the alchemists1 that they were in search of a physical process for the transmutation of the so-called baser metals into silver and gold4 ,the methods and processes by which they endeavoured to attain this dsir dsir1 and the secrets which they are supposed to have discovered1 are embodied in allegorical writings1 and their curious symbolism in the hands of ingenious interpreters is capable of several explanations1 but the facts in their arduous and generally chequered careers are not allegorical1 and are not capable of any mystical interpretations2 consequently1 the attempt to enthrone them upon the loftiest pinnacles of achievement in the psychic world1 however attractive and dazzling to a romantic imagination1 and however spiritually suggestive1 must be regretfully abandoned4 ,their less splendid but substantial and permanent reputation is based on their physical discoveries and on their persistent enunciation of a theory of ,universal ,development1 which true and far-sighted adepts well perceived1 had an equal application to the triune man as to those metals which in their conception had also a triune nature4 ,as stated in the ,introduction to this work1 ,i have little personal doubt1 after a careful and unbiassed appreciation of all the evidence1 that the ,magnum ,opus has been performed1 at least occasionally1 in the past1 and that1 therefore1 the alchemists1 while laying the foundations of modern chemistry1 had already transcended its highest results in the metallic kingdom4 ,now1 the ,hermetic doctrine of correspondences which is1 at any rate1 entitled to the sincere respect of all esoteric thinkers1 will teach us that the fact of their success in the physical subject is analogically a substantial guarantee of the successful issue of parallel methods when applied in the psychic world with the subject man4 ,but the revelations of mesmerism1 and the phenomena called spiritualism1 have discovered thaumaturgic possibilities for humanity1 which in a wholly independent manner contribute to the verification of the alchemical hypothesis of development in its extension to the plane of intelligence4 ,these possibilities ,i believe to be realizable exclusively along the lines indicated in ,hermetic parables4 ,i am not prepared to explain how the alchemical theory of ,universal ,development came to be evolved in the scientific and psychological twilight of the middle ages1 but the fact remains4 ,nor am ,i prepared to explain how and why the method of a discredited science which is not commonly supposed to have attained its end1 should not only be consistent within its own sphere1 but should have a vast field of application without it2 yet1 again1 the fact remains4 ,i have brought a wide acquaintance with the history of modern supernaturalism to bear on the serious study of alchemy1 and have found the old theories illustrated by the novel facts1 while novel facts coincided with old theories4 ,as all this has occurred1 in the words of the alchemists1 8by a natural process1 devoid of haste or violence10 ,i may trust that it is no illusory discovery1 and that its future enunciation may give a new impulse to the study of the ,hermetic writings among the occultists of ,england and ,america4 ,,footnotes3 ,,aj ,in the ,memoir written by ,joseph ,balsamo during his imprisonment in the ,bastille1 he surrounds his origin and infancy with romantic and glamorous mystery4 8,i am ignorant10 he asserts1 8not only of my birthplace1 but even of the parents who bore me4 ,all my researches on these points have afforded me nothing but vague and uncertain1 though1 in truth1 exalted1 notions4 ,my earliest infancy was passed in the town of ,medina1 in ,arabia1 where ,i was brought up under the name of ,acharat--a name which ,i afterwards used during my ,asiatic and ,african travels--and was lodged in the palace of the muphti4 ,i distinctly recollect having four persons continually about me--a tutor1 between fifty-five and sixty years of age1 named ,altotas1 and three slaves1 one of whom was white1 while the others were black4 ,my tutor invariably told me that ,i had been left an orphan at the age of three months1 and that my parents were noble1 and ,christians as well1 but he preserved the most absolute silence as to their name and as to the place where ,i was born1 though certain chance words led me to suspect that ,i first saw the light at ,malta4 ,altotas took pleasure in cultivating my natural taste for the sciences2 he himself was proficient in all1 from the most profound even to the most trivial4 ,it was in botany and physics that ,i made most progress4 ,like my instructor ,i wore the dress of a ,mussulman1 and outwardly we professed the ,mohammedan law4 ,the principles of the true religion were1 however1 engraven in our hearts4 ,i was frequently visited by the muphti1 who treated me with much kindness and had great respect for my instructor1 through whom ,i became early proficient in most oriental languages40 ,,ak 8,life of the ,count ,cagliostro1 compiled from the original ,proceedings published at ,rome by order of the ,apostolic ,chamber4 ,with an engraved ,portrait40 ,london1 #agia4 ,,al ,l',histoire du ,merveilleux dans les ,temps ,modernes1 tom4 iv4 ,,am 8,at a later period1 when ,cagliostro1 uplifted by notoriety and fortune1 returned in state to ,paris with a sumptuous equipage1 he strenuously denied his first sojourn in our capital1 and the disgraceful episode of ,sainte-,plagie4 ,he maintained that his wife1 to whom he now gave the name of ,seraphina1 had no connection with the imprisoned ,lorenza ,feliciani1 nor he1 the ,count ,cagliostro1 with the quack who at this epoch was prohibited from continuing his rogueries4 ,but certain legal documents of irrefutable authenticity substantiate the contrary assertion of his enemies4 ,it is interesting to know that1 as a fact1 during the incarceration of ,lorenza1 depositions were made before the tribunal of police by ,m4 ,duplaisir1 who stated that1 in addition to supporting ,balsamo and his wife for the space of three months1 they had contracted debts to the amount of two hundred crowns1 chiefly for clothes1 for the perruquier1 and the dancing-master40 ,these depositions1 with others1 will be found in a pamphlet entitled1 ,ma ,correspondence avec le ,comte de ,cagliostro4 ,figuier4 ,histoire du ,merveilleux dans les ,temps ,modernes1 t4 iv4 pp4 #hc1 #hd4 ,,an 8,it was his ambition to inaugurate a mother-lodge at ,paris1 to which the rest should be entirely subordinate4 ,he proclaimed himself as the bearer of the mysteries of ,isis and ,anubis from the far ,east4 ,though he threatened common masonry with a radical reform1 his innovations triumphed over all obstacles4 ,he obtained numerous and distinguished followers1 who on one occasion assembled in great force to hear ,joseph ,balsamo expound to them the doctrines of ,egyptian freemasonry4 ,at this solemn convention he is said to have spoken with overpowering eloquence1 and such was his signal success that his auditors departed in amazement and completely converted to his regenerated and purified masonry4 ,none of them doubted that he was an initiate of the arcana of ,nature1 as preserved in the temple of ,apis at the epoch when ,cambyses belaboured that capricious divinity4 ,from this moment the initiations into the new masonry were numerous1 albeit they were limited to the aristocracy of society4 ,there are reasons to believe that the grandees who were deemed worthy of admission paid exceedingly extravagantly for the honour40--,figuier1 ,hist4 du ,merveilleux1 t4 iv4 pp4 #bc1 #bd4 ,,ao ,these projects included a determination to force the royal government to recognise the new order1 and to obtain its recognition in ,rome as an institution constituted on the same basis1 and therefore to be endowed with the same great privileges which had belonged to the order of ,st ,john of ,jerusalem4 ,,ap ,see ,appendix ,,ii4 ,,an ,,alphabetical ,,catalogue ,,of ,,works ,,on ,,hermetic ,,philosophy ,,and ,,alchemy4 ,antonius de ,abbatia--,epistol du4 7,german47 ,hamburg1 #afgb4 ,abrahamus ,porta ,leonis--,de ,auro1 dialogi tres4 ,venice1 #aead-aehd-aehf4 7,disesteemed47 ,d',acqueville 7,le ,sieur7--,les effets de la ,pierre ,divine4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afha4 gidius de ,vadis--,dialogus inter ,naturam et ,filium ,artis4 ,francfurt1 #aeie4 ---- ,tabula ,diversorum ,metallorum4 7,printed in the ,theatrum ,chymicum47 ,f4 ,aggravio--,sourano ,medicina4 #hvo4 ,venice1 #afhb4 ,georgius ,agricola--,de ,re ,metallica1 libri xii4 ,fol4 ,basili1 #aedf-afba4 7,curious1 and embellished with figures and diagrams47 ---- ,de ,ortu et ,causis ,subterraneorum1 libri v4 ,de ,natura eorum qu effluunt ,terra1 libri v4 ,de ,natura ,fossilium1 libri x4 ,de ,veteribus et ,novis ,metallis1 libri ii4 ,bermannus1 sive ,de ,re ,metallici4 ,fol4 ,basil1 #aedf4 ---- ,lapis ,philosophorum4 7,rare47 #afmo4 ,coloni1 #aeca4 ,johannes ,agricola--,of ,antimony4 7,german47 #dto4 ,leipsic1 #afci4 ,luigi ,alamanni--,girone il ,cortese1 ,poema4 #dto4 ,in ,parigi1 #aedh4 7,rare chymical romance47 ,alani ,philosophi ,germani1 ,dicta de ,lapide ,philosophorum4 ,lugduni ,batavorum4 #hvo4 #aeii4 ,albertus ,magnus--,opera ,omnia1 #ba v4 ,folio4 ,lugduni1 #afec4 ---- ,libellus de ,alchymia4 7,theatrum ,chemicum1 v4 #b47 ---- ,de ,rebus ,metallicis et ,mineralibus1 libri v4 #dto4 ,august ,vindelicor1 #aeai4 ,alchimia ,denudata1 adept ,naxagoras 7pseud74 7,in ,german47 #hvo4 ,breslaw1 #agjh4 ,alchemia ,opuscula1 nine scarce tracts4 #dto4 ,franco1 #aeej4 ,alchymia vera lapidis philos4 7,german47 #hvo4 ,magd41 #afai4 ,a ,revelation of the ,secret ,spirit of ,alchemy4 ,anon4 #hvo4 ,london1 #aebc4 ,alchemia--,volumen ,tractatum1 #aj4 7,esteemed47 #dto4 ,norim41 #aeda4 ,oder ,alchymischer particular ,zeiger3 id est4 ,unterricht von ,gold1 und ,silbermachen4 #hvo4 ,rostoch1 #agjg4 ,alkahest 7,bedencken von74 #hvo4 ,frank41 #agjh4 ,alcaest--,merveilles de l',art et de la ,nature4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afgh4 ,alstedii 7,joh4 ,henric47--,philosophia dign restituta4 #hvo4 ,herborn1 #afab4 ---- ,panaca ,philosophica cum critico de infinito ,harmonico ,philosophi ,lullian4 #hvo4 ,herb41 #afaj4 ,la ,ruine des ,alchimistes4 #afmo4 ,paris1 #afab4 ,alvetanno 7,cornelius7--,de ,conficiendo ,divino ,elixire sive ,lapide ,philosophico4 ,theatri ,chimici1 t4 #e4 ,amelungii 7,d4 ,petri7--,tractatus ,nobilis1 in quo de ,alchimi ,inventione1 necessitate et utilitate agitur4 #hvo4 ,lipsi1 #afjg4 ---- ,apologia1 seu ,tractatus ,nobilis ,secundus pro defensione ,alchimi4 #hvo4 ,lipsi1 #afja4 ,amelungs 7,j4 ,c47--,stein ,tinctur4 #dto4 #affd4 ,anthoris 7,caspar7--,chrysoscopion1 sive ,aurilogium4 7,a treatise on the extension of life by auriferous preparations47 #dto4 ,jenal1 #afcb4 ,andaloro 7,andrea7--,la ,miniera dell' ,argento ,vivo4 ,messina1 #afgb4 ,angelique 7,le ,sieur d'7--,la ,vraye ,pierre ,philosophale de ,mdecine4 #ab mo4 ,paris1 #afbb4 ,altus ,mutus ,liber1 in quo tota ,philosophia ,hermetica figuris ,hieroglyphicis depingitur4 ,fol4 ,rupell1 #afgg4 ,apocalypses ,hermeticorum4 #dto4 ,gedani1 #afhc4 ,apologie du ,grand uvre1 ou ,elixir des ,philosophes4 #ab mo4 ,paris1 #afeg4 ,avantures du ,philosophe ,inconnu en la recherche et ,invention du ,pierre ,philosophale1 divises en quatre livres1 au dernier desquels il est parl si clairement de la faon de la faire1 que jamais on n'en a parl avec tant de canduer4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afdf4 7,attributed to the celebrated ,abb ,bebris47 ,aurifontana ,chimi incomparabilis4 #dto4 ,lugd4 ,batav41 #afif4 ,vier ,ausserlesene ,chymische ,buchlein4 #hvo4 ,ham41 #afig4 ,aureum ,seculum ,patefactum1 oder ,entdeckung dess ,menstrivi ,universal4 #hvo4 ,nurnberg1 #agjf4 ,l',ayman ,mystique4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afei4 ,arludes--,mystres de la ,grace et de la ,nature4 #afdf4 ,arca--,artificiosissimi ,arcani ,arca4 7,german47 #ahmo4 ,franc41 #afag4 ,arcana--,antiquorum ,philosophorum ,arcana1 #hvo4 ,leip41 #afaj4 ---- ,magni ,philosophi ,arcani ,revelator4 #abmo4 ,hamb41 #afgb4 7,rare47 ,a ,strange ,letter of the ,treasure of an ,adept4 #bdmo4 ,london1 #afhj4 ,ars ,transmutationis ,metallic4 #hvo4 #aeej4 ,aristoteles--,de ,perfecto ,magisterio4 ,in ,theatrum ,chymicum4 t4 #c4 ,arnaud1 see ,villeneuve4 ,ancient ,war of the ,knights1 by an adept4 #abmo4 ,london1 #agbc4 ,aphorisms4 #aec ,chemical ,,aphorisms4 7,esteemed47 ,london1 #afhj4 ,artephius 7adept1 #abth cent47--,secret ,book of the ,occult ,art and ,metallic ,transmutation4 #bdmo4 ,london1 #afeg4 ---- ,la ,clef majeure de ,sapience et ,science des ,secrets de la ,nature4 #hvo4 7,without date or place of printing47 ---- ,de ,vita ,proroganda1 aitque se anno #ajbe tatis suae scripsisse libum suum4 ,alphonso 7,king7--,of the ,philos4 ,stone4 #dto4 ,lond41 #afeg4 ,pseudo ,,athenagoras--,du ,vrai et ,parfait ,amour4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #aeii4 ,very curious4 ,artis ,,aurifer1 #dg treatises4 #c vols4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #afaj4 ,alciata1 ,andre1 ,emblemata4 ,patav41 #afah4 ,aurifontina1 chym41 #ad tracts on the ,philosophical ,mercury4 ,arrais 7,g4 ,m47--,tree of ,life4 #hvo4 ,london1 #afhc4 ,ashmole 7,elias7--,theatrum ,chemicum ,britanicum4 7,esteemed47 #be tracts4 ,english adepts4 ,avicenna--,de ,tinctura ,metallorum4 #dto4 ,franc41 #aecj4 ---- ,porta ,elementorum4 #hvo4 ,basili1 #aegb4 ---- ,epistola ad ,regem ,hasen4 ,theatrum ,chymicum1 t4 #d4 ---- ,de ,mineralibus4 ,dantzick1 #afhg4 ,printed with ,geber4 7,all these treatises of ,avicenna are doubtful47 ,bacon 7,roger7--,art of ,chemistry1 #afmo4 ,london4 ---- ,mirror of ,alchemy4 #dto4 #aeig4 ---- ,admirable power of ,art and ,nature4 7,alchemical47 ---- ,opus ,majus1 ad ,clementum ,,iv4 ,fol4 ,dublin1 #agcc4 ---- ,care of ,old ,age and ,preservation of ,youth4 #hvo4 ,london1 #afhc4 ---- ,radix ,mundi 7alchemical1 ,english74 #abmo4 #afib4 ---- ,opus ,minus4 ,m4,s4 ,lambeth ,library4 ---- ,thesaurus ,chimicus4 ,de ,utilitate ,scientiarum4 ,alchimia ,major4 ,breviarum de ,dono ,dei4 ,verbum abbreviarum de ,leone ,viridi4 ,secretum ,secretorum4 ,trium ,verborum4 ,speculum ,secretorum4 ,seven ,treatises4 #hvo4 ,francof41 #afjc4 ---- ,de ,secretis ,operibus ,artis et ,natur4 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #aeih4 ---- 7,fr4 ,lord ,verulam7--,history of ,metals4 ,fol4 ,lond41 #afgj4 ,baker 7,geo47--,new ,jewel of ,health4 #dto4 ,london1 #aegf4 ,balbian 7,j47--,tractatus ,septem de ,lapide ,philosophico4 7,rare47 #hvo4 ,lug41 #aeii4 ---- ,specchio ,chimico4 #hvo4 ,roma41 #afbd4 ,balduini 7,c4 ,a47--,aurum ,superius et ,inferius4 #abmo4 ,lipsi1 #afgd4 ---- ,phosphorus ,hermeticus1 sive magnes luminaris4 ,lipsi1 #afgd4 ---- ,hermes ,curiosus4 #abmo4 ,lips41 #afhj4 ---- ,de ,auro ,aur et ipsum hoc ,aurum ,aur4 #abmo4 #afgd4 ---- ,venus ,aur--,see ,miscellanea ,curiosa4 #dto4 ,lips41 #afgh4 ,barchusen 7,j4 ,c47--,elementa ,chemi4 7,contains seventy-eight alchemical emblems47 ,lug4 ,bat41 #agah4 ,barlet 7,a47--,l',ouvrage de l',univers4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afec4 ,barnaudi 7,n47--,triga ,chimica4 #hvo4 ,lug4 ,bat41 #afjj4 ---- ,brevis ,elucidatio ,arcani ,philosophorum4 #hvo4 ,lugd4 ,batav41 #aeii4 ,bartoleti 7,fabr47--,encyclopedia ,hermetico-,medica4 #dto4 ,bononi1 #afai4 ,batfdorff 7,henric 7--,filum ,ariadnes4 #hvo4 #afcf4 ,bazio 7,antonia7--,florida ,corona4 ,lug41 #aecd4 ,beato 7,g47--,azoth1 seu ,aureli ,occult ,philosophorum1 materiam primam et decantatum illum ,lapidem ,philosophorum1 filiis ,hermetis solide explicantes4 #dto4 ,franc41 #afac4 ,beausoleil 7,baron7--,de ,materia ,lapidis4 7,esteemed47 #hvo4 #afbg4 ---- ,de ,sulphure ,philosophorum ,libellus4 ,becher 7,j4 ,j47--,transmutations at ,vienna4 ,london1 #afha4 ---- ,physica ,subterranea4 7,esteemed47 #hvo4 ,franc41 #affi4 ---- ,institutiones ,chimic4 #dto4 ,mogunti1 #affb4 ---- ,oedipus ,chimicus4 ,franc41 #affd4 ---- ,laboratium ,chimicum4 #hvo4 ,francfurt1 #afhj4 ---- ,opera ,omnia4 #b v4 fol4 7,in ,german47 ,beguinus--,tyrocinium ,chimicum4 7,in ,english47 ,london1 #affi4 ,benedictus--,liber ,benedictus1 ,nucleus ,sophicus4 7,allegorical47 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afbc4 ,benzius 7,a4 ,c47--,philosopische ,schanbuhne nebst einen1 ,anhaug der ,weisen4 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #afij4 ---- ,tractatlein von ,menstruo ,universali4 #hvo4 ,nurem41 #agji4 ---- ,lapis ,philosophorum1 seu ,medicina ,universalis4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #agad4 ---- ,thesaurus ,processuum ,chemicorum4 #dto4 ,nurem41 #agae4 ,bergeri--,catalogus ,medicamentorum ,spagirice prparatorum4 #dto4 #afjg4 ,bericht--,von ,universal ,arts ,neyen4 #hvo4 #agji4 ,berle 7,john de7--,opuscule de ,philosophie4 ,berlichius--,de ,medicina ,universali4 #dto4 ,jena1 #afgi4 ,bernardi 7,comitis1 an adept7--,libr de ,chimia4 #abmo4 ,geismari1 #afdg4 ---- ,de ,chimico ,miraculo4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #afjj4 ---- ,la ,turbe des ,philosophes4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afah4 ---- ,opus de ,chimia4 7,curious47 #hvo4 ,argent1 #aefg4 ---- ,trait de l'uf des ,philosophes4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afei4 ---- ,la ,parole ,delaisse4 #abmo4 #afgb4 ---- ,epistle to ,thomas of ,bononia4 #bdmo4 ,london1 #afhj4 ---- ,trevisan's ,fountain4 ,lond4 ,bernard--,le ,bernard d',alemagne1 cum ,bernardo ,trevero4 #hvo4 #afdc4 ,beroalde 7,p47--,histoire des ,trois ,princes4 #b v4 #hvo4 #afaj4 7,disesteemed47 ,beroalde 7,p47--,le ,palais des ,curieux4 7,poem47 #abmo4 ,paris1 #aehd4 ---- ,le ,cabinet de ,minerva4 ,rouen1 #afja4 ,berteman 7,m47--,dame de ,beau ,soliel--,restitution de ,pluton4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afdj4 ,besardi 7,j4 ,b47--,antrum ,philosophicum1 ,de ,lapide ,physico1 c4 #dto4 ,aug41 #afag4 ,beuther 7,d47--,universale et ,particularia4 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #agah4 ,bickeri 7,o47--,hermes ,redivivus4 #hvo4 ,hanov41 #afbj4 ,billikius 7,a4 ,g47--,de ,tribus ,principiis4 #hvo4 ,bremen1 #afba4 ---- ,deliria ,chimica ,laurenbergii4 #hvo4 ,brem1 #afbe4 ---- ,assertionem ,chymicarum ,sylloge ,opposita ,laurenbergio4 #hvo4 ,helmestadii1 #afbd4 ,birelli 7,g4 ,b47--,de ,alchimia4 #dto4 ,firenze1 #afjb4 ,birrius 7,martinus7--,tres ,tractatus de ,metallorum ,transmutatione4 #hvo4 ,amsterdam1 #affh4 ,blarvenstein 7,sol47--,contra ,kircherum4 #dto4 ,vienna1 #affg4 ,boerhave 7,h47--,de ,chimia ,expurgante suos errores4 #dto4 ,lugduni ,batavorum1 #agah4 ,bhme 7,jacob7--8,teutonicus ,theosophus40 ,works4 ,containing ,the ,aurora1 ,three ,principles1 ,threefold ,life of ,man1 ,answers to ,forty ,questions concerning the ,soul1 ,treatise of the ,incarnation1 ,clavis ,mysterium ,magnum1 ,four ,tables of ,divine ,revelation1 ,signatura ,rerum1 ,predestination1 ,way to ,christ1 ,discourse between ,souls1 ,the ,four ,complexions1 ,christ's ,testaments1 c4 ,fol4 ,london1 #agfd-ha4 ---- ,works1 by ,elliston and ,sparrow4 #aj vols4 #dto4 ,lond41 #afei4 ---- ,miroir ,temporel de l'ternit4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #affi4 ---- ,ida ,chimi ,adept ,bohmian4 #abmo4 ,amst41 #afij4 ,bolnesti 7,edw47--,aurora ,chimica4 ,lond41 #afgb4 ,bolton 7,samuel7--,magical but ,natural ,physic4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afef4 ,bonardo 7,g4 ,m47--,minera del ,mondo4 #hvo4 ,mantua1 #aeia4 ,bono 7,p41 an adept7--,margarita ,novella4 #dto4 ,basil1 #aegb4 ---- ,introductio in ,divinam ,artem ,alchemi4 #hvo4 #afib4 ---- ,de ,secreto ,omnium ,secretorum4 #hvo4 ,venet41 #aedf4 ,bonveau 7,j4 ,d47--,de l',astronomie ,infrieure4 #dto4 ,paris1 #afcf4 ,bade 7---- de la7--,de l'nigme trouv ,pillier4 #dto4 ,paris1 #afcf4 ,borelli 7,petri7--,hermetic ,catalogue4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afed4 ,bornetti 7,d47--,jatrochimicus4 ,franc41 #afba4 ,borri 7,g4 ,f47--,la ,chiave del ,cabinetto4 #abmo4 ,colon41 #afha4 ,borrichius 7,o47--,de ,ortu et ,progressu ,chemi4 #dto4 ,hafnia1 #affh4 ,borro 7,tomaso7--,ze ,fieriele ,tomaso ,borro ,opere4 ,venez41 #afbd4 ,boyle 7,hon4 ,robert7--,works1 useful1 many editions4 ,braceschi 7,j47--,gebri ,explicatio4 #dto4 ,lugd41 #aedh4 ,bradley 7,richard7--,work of ,nature4 7,rare47 #hvo4 ,dub41 #agba4 ,brachel 7,p47--,on ,spurious ,potable ,gold4 7,german47 #hvo4 ,col41 #afjg4 ,brandaw 7,m4 ,erbineus7--#ab ,column ,natur et ,artis4 #hvo4 ,lip41 #afhi4 ,brebil 7,j4 ,f47--,concursus ,philosophorum4 #hvo4 ,jena1 #agbf4 ,brendelius 7,zac47--,de ,chimia in ,artis ,formam ,redacta1 ubi de ,auro ,potabile ,agit4 #hvo4 ,jen1 #afcj4 ,brentzius 7,andrew7--,farrago ,philos4 #hvo4 ,amberg1 #afaa4 ,breton 7,l47--,clefs de la ,philosophie ,spagirique4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #agbf4 ,broault 7,t4 ,d47--,abrg de l',astronomie ,inferieure 444 ,des ,planetes ,hermtiques4 #dto4 ,paris1 #afdd4 ,brown 7,thomas7--,nature's ,cabinet4 #abmo4 ,lond41 #afeg4 ,buchlein 7----7--,von ,farben1 und ,knsten1 auch der ,alchimisten4 #hvo4 #aedi4 ,burchelati 7,b47--,dialogicum ,septem ,philosophorum4 #dto4 ,trevisis1 #afjc4 ,burgavii 7,j4 ,ernest7--,balneum ,dian4 ,lud41 #afjj-afab4 ---- ,introductio in ,philosophiam ,vitalem4 #dto4 ,franc41 #afbc4 ,csar 7,t47--,alchemi ,speculum4 7,german47 #hvo4 ,franco1 #afac4 ,csii 7,b47--,mineralogia4 7,rare47 ,fol4 ,lug41 #afcf4 ,calid--,regis ,calid ,liber ,secretorum4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afae4 ,campegii 7,m47--,de ,transmutatione ,metallorum4 #dto4 ,lud41 #aejc4 ,carellis 7,j4 de7--,de ,auri ,essentia ejusque ,facultate in ,medendis ,morbis4 #hvo4 ,venet41 #afdf4 ,carerius 7,a47--,qustio an ,metalla ,artis ,beneficio permutari possint4 #dto4 ,patavii1 #aegi4 ,casi 7,jo47--,lapis ,philosophicus4 #dto4 ,oxonii1 #aeii4 ,castagne 7,gabriel de7--uvres ,medicinales et ,chimiques--#a4 ,le ,paradis ,terrestre4 #b4 ,le ,miracle de la ,nature ,mtallique4 #c4 ,l',or ,potable4 #d4 ,la ,mdecine ,mtallique4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #affa4 ,cato--,chemicus4 #abmo4 ,lypsi1 #afij4 ,cephali 7,ar47--,mercurius ,triumphans4 #dto4 ,magdeburgi1 #afjj4 ,charles ,,vi4--,trsor de ,philosophie4 #hvo4 ,paris4 ,chartier 7,j47--,antimoine1 ,plomb ,sacr4 #dto4 ,paris1 #afea4 ,chesne 7,j47--,de ,plus ,curieuses ,etrares4 ,paris1 #afdh4 ,chevalier ,imprial--,miroir des ,alchimistes4 #afmo4 #afji4 ,chiaramonte 7,g47--,elixir ,vit4 #dto4 ,genoa1 #aeij4 ,christop--,paris4 7,adept1 #acth age47 ,chimica4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afdi4 ,chymia ,philosophica4 #hvo4 ,norimberg1 #afhi4 ,cicollini 7,barab47--,via ,brevis4 ,rom1 #afif4 ,claf 7,e4 ,lucii7--,de ,lapide ,christo ,sophico4 #dto4 ,ingol41 #aehb4 ,claves 7,e4 de7--,des ,principes de la ,nature4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afcc4 ,clavei 7,gas41 adept47--,apologia ,argyropi4 #hvo4 ,niverius1 #aeij4 ---- ,de ,ratione ,proginendi ,lap4 ,philosophorum4 #hvo4 ,nivers1 #aeib4 ---- ,philosophia ,chimica1 ,prep4 ,auri4 #hvo4 ,frank41 #afjb-afab4 ,clinge 7,f47--,philosophia ,hermetica4 7,german47 #dto4 #agab4 ,cogitationes ,circa ,alchst4 7,german47 #hvo4 ,fran41 #agjh4 ,collectanea ,chimica4 ,ten tracts4 #afmo4 ,lond41 #afhd4 ,collesson 7,j47--,de la ,philosophie ,hermtique4 7,disesteemed47 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afcj4 ,colletel 7,g47--,clavicule et ,vie de ,raymond ,lulle4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afdb4 ,colson 7,l47--,philosophia ,maturata4 7,german47 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #afif4 ,combachius 7,l47--,salt and ,secret of ,philosophy4 #afmo4 ,lond41 #afeg4 ,comenius 7,j4 ,a47--,natural ,philosophy ,reformed4 #afmo4 ,london1 #afea4 ,commentatio--,de ,lapide ,philosoph4 #hvo4 ,cologne1 #aeie4 ,couringii 7,herm47--,de ,hermetica gyptiorum vetere et ,paracelsicorum nova ,medecina4 #dto4 ,helmstadii1 #afdh4 ,cooper 7,n47--,catalogue of ,alchemical ,books4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afge4 ,cosmopolita--,novum ,lumen4 7,adept47 ,twelve ,treatises1 ,enigma1 ,dialogue1 c4 ,by ,alexander ,sethon4 #hvo4 ,prague1 #afjd4 ---- ,ses ,lettres4 7,spurious47 #b v4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afia4 ,cozzandi 7,l47--,de ,magisterio ,antiq4 ,colon41 #afhd4 ,crameri 7,j4 ,a47--,fossilium4 #b v4 #hvo4 ,lug4 ,bat41 #agcj4 ,creilingius 7,j4 ,c47--,de ,transmutatione ,metallorum4 #dto4 ,tubing4 ,cremeri 7,gaspar7--,de ,transmutatione ,metallorum4 #hvo4 ,crollii 7,osw47--,philosophy ,reformed4 #abmo4 ,lond41 #afeg4 ---- ,basilica ,chimica4 7,english47 ,fol4 ,lond41 #afgj4 ,crollius ,redivivus4 ,stein ,tinchtur4 #dto4 ,fran41 #afce4 ,culpeper 7,nic47--,three-,fold ,world4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afef4 ,curiosities of ,chemistry4 ,lond41 #afia4 ,dammy 7,mathieu7--,observations sur ,la ,chimie4 #hvo4 ,amst41 #agci4 ,dastinii 7,johan47--,visio1 seu de ,lapide ,philosophico4 7,english adept47 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afbe4 ---- ,rosarium ,correctius4 #hvo4 ,geismar1 #afdg4 ,deani 7,e47--,tractatus ,varii de ,alchimia4 7,rare47 #dto4 ,fran41 #afcj4 ,dee 7,dr ,arthur7--,fasciculus ,chimicus4 #abmo4 ,lond41 #afej4 ---- 7,dr ,joannes7--,monas ,hieroglyphica4 #aefd4 ---- ,propdemnata ,aphoristica de ,natur ,virtutibus4 #dto4 ,lond41 #aefh4 ,democritus--,de ,arte ,sacra4 7,adept47 #hvo4 ,patav41 #aegc4 ,deodato 7,c47--,pantheum ,hygiasticum4 ,brunstruti1 #afbh4 ,dichiaratione1 di ,enimoni de gl' ,antichi ,filosifi ,alchimisti4 #dto4 ,rome1 #aehg4 ,dickinson 7,e47--,de ,chrysopia4 #hvo4 ,oxon41 #afhf4 ,disputatio ,solis et ,mercurii cum ,lapide ,philos4 7,the ,ancient ,war of the ,knights47 #hvo4 ,tolos41 #afdf4 ,donato 7,fra41 ,eremita74 7,adept47 ,elixir ,vit4 ,napoli1 #afbd4 ,dorneus 7,gerard7--,clavis ,philosophi4 #abmo4 ,lugd41 #aefg4 ,doux 7,gaston le7--,dictionnaire ,hermtique4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afie4 ,drebellius 7,c47--,quinta ,essentia4 7,not an adept47 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #afba4 ,dubourg 7,jacques7--,saint ,saturne de la ,chimie4 ,duchesne--,les uvres diverses de ,m4 ,duchesne sieur de la ,violette4 #f v4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afce4 ,dumbelei 7,j47--,hortus ,amoris ,arboris ,philosophic4 #hvo4 ,fran41 #afbe4 ,dunstan 7,saint7--,on the ,philosopher's ,stone4 ,lond4 ,eclaircissement de la ,pierre ,philosophale4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afbh4 ,efferarius 7an adept47--,de ,lapide ,philos4 #hvo4 ,argent41 #afei4 ---- ,thesaurus ,philosophicus4 7,esteemed and scarce47 #hvo4 ,argent41 #afei4 ,elmulleri 7,m47--,opera ,omnia4 ,venet41 #agbg4 ,emblemata de ,secretis ,natur ,chimic4 #dto4 ,oppen41 #afah4 ,epistola1 cujusdam ,patris ad ,filium4 #hvo4 ,lugd4 ,lyons1 #afja4 ,epistolarum philos4 ,chemicarum4 ,fol4 ,francofurti1 #aeih4 ,erasti 7,thom47--,de ,auro ,potabili4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aegh-aehd4 ,erkern 7,laz47--,de ,re ,metallica4 7,english and excellent47 ,fol4 ,francof41 #afbi4 ,l',escalier des ,sages1 avec figures4 7,curious and scarce47 ,fol4 ,gronigen1 #afhi4 ,espagnet 7,john7--,enchyridion ,physic ,restitut4 ,paris1 #afja4 ---- ,enchyridion ,philosophi ,hermetic4 7,the anonymous works of this esteemed adept in ,english47 #afmo4 ,lond41 #afea4 ,euchiontis 7,a47--,de ,aquis1 ,oleis1 et ,salibus ,philos4 #hvo4 ,francof41 #aefg4 ,examen des ,principes des ,alchimistes4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #agaa4 ,l',expositione de ,geber ,filosofo4 7,disesteemed47 #abmo4 ,venet41 #aedd4 ,eygeum 7,m47--,le ,pilote de l',onde vive1 ou le ,secret du ,flux et ,reflux de la ,mer et du ,point ,fixe4 7,scarce47 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afgh4 ,fabri 7,p4 ,j41 not an adept7--,alchimista ,christianus4 #hvo4 ,tolv41 #afcb4 ,fabricius 7,g47--,de ,rebus ,metallicis4 #hvo4 ,tiguri1 #aefe4 ,fallopius 7,g47--,secreti ,diversi ,raccolti del ,g4 ,f4 #hvo4 ,venet41 #aegh4 ,faniani 7,j4 ,c47--,de ,arte ,alchimi4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aegf4 ,faniani 7,j4 ,c47--,metamorphosis ,metallica4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #affj4 ,faustia 7,j4 ,m47--,philaleth ,illustratus4 #hvo4 ,francofruts1 #agjf4 ---- ,pandora ,chemica4 7,hermetic ,extracts47 #agjf4 ,fenton 7,ed47--,secrets and ,wonders of ,nature4 ,lond41 #afei4 ,fernelius 7,j47--,de ,abditis ,rerum ,causis4 7,doubtful47 #hvo4 ,paris1 #aefj4 ,fernel 7,phil47--,soliloquium ,salium4 ,neapoli1 #afdi4 ,ferarius--,fratris ,ferarii--,tractatus ,integer4 #abmo4 #afdg4 ,ferro 7,josua7--,trattato de ,meravigliosi ,secreti4 #hvo4 ,venet41 #afjf4 ,figuli 7,b47--,paradisus ,aureolus ,hermeticus4 #dto4 ,fran41 #afjj4 ---- ,auriga ,benedictus ,spagiricus4 #abmo4 ,norimberg1 #afji4 ---- 7,g47--,medicina ,universalis4 #abmo4 ,brux41 #affj4 ,filareto ,racolto di ,secreti4 #hvo4 ,fioren41 #aegc4 ,le ,filet d',ariadne4 7,hermetic47 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afic4 ,fincki 7,t4 ,v47--,enchiridion ,hermetico4 #afmo4 ,lip41 #afbf4 ,flamel 7,nicholas1 an adept7--,explanation of his ,hieroglyphics4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afbd4 ---- ,le ,grand ,eclaircissement4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afbh4 ---- ,summary4 #bdmo4 ,lond41 #afhj4 ---- ,le ,dsir ,dsir1 ou ,trsor de ,philosophie4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afbi4 ---- ,la ,musique ,chimique4 ---- ,annotationes in ,d4 ,zacharia4 7,spurious47 ,see ,theatrum ,chemicum4 ,fludd 7,robert7--,clavis ,philosophi et ,alchimi4 #b v4 ,fol4 ,francof4 ,la ,fontaine des ,amoureux de ,science4 #afmo4 ,paris1 #aefa4 ,la ,fontaine ,perilleuse4 7,reputed47 #hvo4 ,paris1 #aegb4 ,fradin 7,p47--,histoire ,fabuleuse4 7,scarce47 #hvo4 ,lyons1 #aefj4 ,frankenberg 7,von7--,gemma ,magica4 #hvo4 ,amstelodami4 ,freind 7,j47--,prelectiones ,chemic4 #hvo4 ,amst41 #agaj4 ,frickius 7,j47--,de ,auro ,potabile ,sophorum et ,sophistarum4 #dto4 ,ham41 #agjb4 ,frischi 7,d4 ,g47--,anatomi ,alchimi4 #hvo4 ,parma1 #afif4 ,frundeck 7,l47--,de ,elixire ,arboris ,vit4 #hvo4 ,hague1 #affj4 ,furichius 7,j4 ,n47--,de ,lapide ,philosophico4 #dto4 ,argentorati1 #afca4 ,gabella 7,phil4 7--,de ,lapide ,philos4 #dto4 ,cassel41 #afae4 ---- ,secretioris ,philosophi ,consideratio4 #dto4 ,cassel41 #afaf4 ,gamon 7,c47--,trsor des ,trsors4 #b v4 #abmo4 ,lyons1 #afaj4 ,garlandii 7,j47--,dictionarium ,alchimi4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aega4 ,gault--,les ,erreurs de l',art ,refutes4 #dto4 ,paris1 #aehh4 ,geber1 ,works 7,adept of ,chorasan in the ,eighth ,age74 #a4 ,sum of ,perfection4 #b4 ,investigation of ,perfection4 #c4 ,invention of ,verity4 #d4 ,furnaces4 #hvo4 ,gedani1 #afhb4 ,gerhardi 7,j4 ,c47--,panacea ,hermetica4 #hvo4 ,ulm41 #afdj4 ---- ,in ,apertorium ,lullii4 #hvo4 ,tabing41 #afda4 ,germanni 7,d47--,judicium ,philosophicum4 #hvo4 #afhb4 ,gerzan 7,franois de ,soucy sieur de ,gerzan7--,le ,vrai ,trsor de la ,vie ,humaine4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afec4 ---- ,l',histoire ,africaine4 7,chemical47 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afcd4 ---- ,historie ,asiatique ,mystique4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afcd4 ,giangi 7,rinaldo7--,istruzione ,speziele4 ,roma41 #agae4 ,girolani 7,flavio7--,la ,pietro ,philosophica4 #dto4 ,venet41 #aeij4 ,givry 7,p47--,arcanum ,acidularum4 #abmo4 ,amst41 #afhb4 ,glauber 7,j4 ,r47--,works4 7,chemistry47 ,fol4 ,lond41 #afhi4 ,glissenti 7,fabio7--,della ,pietra de ,filosofi4 #dto4 ,venet41 #aeif4 ,gloria ,mundi4 ,hamb41 #afib4 ,glutten--,minerale de ,mercurio ,philos4 #hvo4 ,lips41 #agje4 ,godfrey 7,b47--,miscellaneous ,experiments4 #hvo4 ,lond4 ,gonelli 7,jos47--,thesaurus ,philos4 ,neapoli1 #agjb4 ,gohory 7,j47--,ancien ,poeme1 science minerale4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #aegb4 ,grand uvre--,apologie pour le ,g4 ,o4 par ,d4 ,b4 #abmo4 ,par41 #afei4 ,granger 7,g47--,paradox que les ,metaux out ,vie4 #hvo4 ,par41 #afdj4 ,gratarole 7,william7--,vera ,alchimia4 ,twenty-three tracts4 #b v4 #hvo4 ,bas41 #aegb4 ---- ,on the ,philosopher's ,stone4 #dto4 ,lond41 #afeb4 ,greveri 7,jod47--,secretum ,magnum4 #hvo4 ,lugd41 #aehh4 ,grevin 7,jac47--,de ,l',antimoine ,contre ,launay4 #dto4 ,par41 #aefg4 ,groschedeli 7,j4 ,b47--,proteus ,mercurialis4 #dto4 ,francof41 #afbi4 ---- ,hermetisches ,kleebat1 weisheit4 #hvo4 ,fran41 #afbi4 ,groschedeli 7,j4 ,b47--,mineralis1 seu ,physici ,metallorum ,lapidis ,descriptio4 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #agjf4 ,guiberto 7,mi47--,de ,alchimi ,ratione et ,experientia4 #hvo4 ,arg41 #afjc4 ---- ,de ,interitu ,alchymi4 ,tulli1 #afad4 ,guide to ,alchemy4 ,lond4 ,guidi 7,j47--,de ,mineralibus1 ,de ,alchimisticis1 ,de ,thesauris4 #dto4 ,venet41 #afbe4 ,guissonius 7,p47--,de ,tribus ,principiis4 #hvo4 ,fran41 #afhf4 ,gulielmi 7,dom7--,de ,salibus4 #hvo4 ,lugd4 ,batav41 #agjg4 ,guinaldi 7,j47--,dell' ,alchimia ,opera4 #dto4 ,palermo1 #afde4 ,hadrianeum--,de ,aureo ,philosophorum ,lapide4 #hvo4 ,rothomagi1 #afea4 ,haffeurefferi 7,j47--,officina ,hermetico ,paracelsica1 #hvo4 ,ulmm1 ,n4,d4 ,hagedon 7,e47--,secreta ,spagirica4 ,jena1 #afgf4 ,hannemanni 7,j4 ,l47--,ovum ,hermetico ,trismegistum4 ,franc41 #afid4 ,hapelius 7,n4 ,n47--,chieragogia ,heliana4 #hvo4 ,marpurgi1 #afab4 ,hartman 7,j47--,opera omnia ,medico-,chimica4 ,fol4 ,franc41 #afhd4 ,haumerie 7,c47--,les ,secrets les ,plus ,cachs4 ,par41 #agbb4 ,helbegii 7,j4 ,o47--,introitus in veram1 atque ,inauditam ,phisicam4 #hvo4 ,ham41 #afhj4 ---- ,centrum ,natur ,concentratum4 #abmo4 ,gedani1 #afhb4 ---- ,judicium de ,viribus ,hermetecis4 #abmo4 ,amst41 #afhc4 ---- ,salt of ,nature1 by ,alipili4 #afmo4 ,lond41 #afif4 ,heli 7,a ,franciscan7--,speculum ,alchemi4 #hvo4 ,fra41 #afad4 ,helmont 7,j4 ,b47--,works1 translated4 ,fol4 ,lond41 #affd4 ,helvetius 7,j4 ,e47--,of a ,transmutation4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afgj4 ,helwig 7,j4 ,o47--,curiositates ,alchemi4 #hvo4 ,leip41 #agaj4 ,hermetis ,trismegisti1 #g capitula4 7,adept47 #hvo4 ,lips41 #afjj4 ---- ,seven ,chapters1 ,tablet and ,second ,book4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afib4 ,hermetical ,banquet4 #hvo4 ,london1 #afeb4 ,hermophile--,canones ,hermetici4 #hvo4 ,marpurgh1 #afjh4 ,heydon 7,john7--,theomagia1 or the ,temple of ,wisdome4 ,in three parts--spirituall1 celestiall1 and elementall4 #hvo4 ,london1 #abfb-c-d4 ,heydon 7,john7--,the ,wise ,man's ,crown 444 ,with the ,full ,discovery of the true ,clum ,terr1 or ,first ,matter of the ,philosophers1 with the ,regio ,lucis4 #hvo4 ,london1 #affd4 ---- ,saphiric ,medicine4 ,fol4 ,lond41 #affe4 ,hieroglyphica ,egyptio-,grca 7de ,lapide74 #dto4 ,basil1 #aega4 ,hoffmann 7,f47--,dissertationes ,phisico-,medico-,chimic4 #dto4 ,haf41 #agbf4 ,hoghelande 7,ewald7--,historia ,transmutat4 #hvo4 ,colon41 #afjd4 ---- 7,theo47--,de ,alchimi ,difficultatibus4 #hvo4 ,colon41 #aeid4 ,holland 7,isaac1 adept7--,mineralia ,opera de ,lapide ,phil4 ,middl41 #afjj4 ---- ,de ,triplici ,ordine ,elixiris et ,lapidis ,theoria4 #hvo4 ,bern1 #afjh4 ---- ,opera ,universalia et ,vegetabilia4 ,amh41 #afag4 ---- ,vegetable ,work4 #dto4 ,london1 #afei4 ---- ,universali ,opere4 7,sicut filio suo ,m4 ,johanni1 ,isaaco ,hollando e ,flandria ,paterno animo47 #hvo4 ,fran41 #affi4 ,hornei 7,c47--,de ,metallis ,medecis4 #hvo4 ,helm41 #afbd4 ,hortulanus ,hemeticus4 7,cum fig47 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afbg4 ---- ,reign of ,saturn ,revived4 ,lond41 #afih4 ,hydropyrographum1 true ,fire-,water4 #bdmo4 ,london1 #afhj4 ,hylealischen1 ,natural ,chaos4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #agjh4 ,icon ,phil4 ,occult4 7,esteemed47 #hvo4 ,par41 #afgb4 ,imperial--,chevalier ,imprial4 ,le ,miroir d',alchimie4 #afmo4 ,paris1 #afjg4 ,inconnu--,chevalier ,inconnu4 ,la ,nature au ,dcouvert4 #hvo4 ,aix41 #affi4 ,isabella--,secreti della ,isabella4 ,venet41 #affe4 ,isagoge--,triunus ,dei et ,natur4 #hvo4 ,ham41 #afgd4 ,isnard 7,abel7--,la ,mdecine ,universelle4 #dto4 ,par41 #afee4 ,jean--,pope ,john ,,xxii4 ,l',art ,transmutatoire4 #hvo4 ,lyons1 #aeeg4 ,jebsenii 7,j47--,de ,lapide ,philosophorum ,discursus4 #dto4 ,rostochii1 #afde4 ,johnsoni 7,guil47--,lexicon ,hemeticarum4 #hvo4 ,london1 #afeb4 ,jonstoni 7,j47--,notilia ,regni ,mineralis4 #abmo4 ,lips41 #affa4 ,jungkin 7,j4 ,h47 ,chimia ,experimentalis ,curiosa4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afhg4 ,kalid 7,arabian adept74 ,secreta ,alchimi4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afib4 ,kelleus 7,edw47--,de ,lapide ,philos4 #hvo4 ,ham41 #afgc4 ,kergeri 7,m47--,de ,fermentatione4 ,wittenb41 #affc4 ,kerneri 7,a47--,de ,auro ,mercurio ,antimonio4 #abmo4 ,erfurt41 #afah4 ,khunrath 7,h4 ,conrad7--,symbolum4 7,esteemed47 #hvo4 ,magd41 #aeii4 ---- ,magnesia ,catholica4 #abmo4 ,argen41 #aeii4 ---- ,amphitheatrum ,sapienti tern4 #dto4 ,mag41 #afjh4 ,kieseri 7,f47--,azoth ,solificatum4 ,mulhusit1 #afff4 ,kircheri 7,athan47--,mundus ,subterraneus4 #b v4 ,fol4 ,amst41 #afgh4 ,kircmayer 7,g47--,de ,natura ,lucis1 de ,igne ,philos4 #dto4 ,vitteberg1 #afhj4 ,keickringii 7,t47--,commentarius in ,currum ,triumphalem ,antimonii4 #hvo4 ,amst41 #afga4 ,kleinold--,oder ,schatz der ,philosophen1 c4 #hvo4 ,fran41 #agad4 ,knorr 7,l4 ,g47--,basil ,redivivus4 7,german47 #hvo4 ,lip4 #agaf4 ,koffski 7,v47--,vonder ,ehrste ,tinctur ,burtzel4 #dto4 ,dan41 #afhg4 ,kriegsmanni 7,g4 ,c47--,commentariolus interpres ,tabul ,hermetis4 7,sine loco47 ,kruger 7,a4 ,a47--,de ,sol4 ,chemicorum4 ,brunswici1 #agac4 ,kunckel 7,j47--,experiments4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #agje4 ,kunst 7,j4 ,c47--,de ,menstruo ,universali4 #dto4 ,hal41 #agcg4 ,lacinium 7,j47--,pretiosa ,margarita4 #hvo4 ,venet41 #aedf4 ,lagnei 7,d47--,consensus ,philosophorum4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afja4 ---- ,harmonie ,mystique1 ou ,accord des ,philosophes ,chimiques4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afcf4 ,lambye 7,s4 ,b47--,revelation of the ,secret ,spirit4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afbc4 ---- ,an ,italian ,comment on the above work1 by ,agnelli4 #affe4 ,lamy 7,guillaume7--,sur ,l',antimoine4 #abmo4 ,paris4 ,lancilotti 7,c47--,guida alla ,chimia4 #abmo4 ,modene1 #afgb4 ---- ,triumfo del ,mercurio4 #afmo4 ,modene1 #afgg4 ---- ,triumfo ,d'ell ,antimonio4 #abmo4 ,modene1 #afhc4 ,langlet du ,fresnoy--,histoire de la ,philosophie ,hermtique1 avec ,catalogue des ,livres ,hermtiques4 #c v4 #hvo4 ,hay1 #agdb4 ---- ,the ,hermetic ,catalogue separately4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #agfb4 ,lanis 7,francisie ,tertii de7--,magisterium4 #c v4 ,fol4 ,brix41 #afhd4 ,lampas ,vit et ,mortis4 #abmo4 ,ludg4 ,bat41 #afgh4 ,lapis ,philosophicus--,lapis ,metaphisicus4 7,rare47 #hvo4 ,paris1 #aegj4 ---- ,de ,lapidis ,physici ,conditionibus4 #hvo4 ,colon41 #aeie4 ---- ,de ,lapide ,philosophico4 ---- #afah4 ---- ,disceptatio de ,lapide ,philos4 #hvo4 ,col41 #afga4 ,lasnioro 7,j47--,tractatus ,aureus4 #hvo4 #afab4 ,lavini 7,ven47--,de ,clo ,terrestre4 #hvo4 ,marp41 #afab4 ,lazarel 7,louis7--,le ,basin ,d',hermes4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #aegg4 ,lee 7,thomas7--,of the ,sovereign ,balsam4 ,lond41 #affe4 ,lemery 7,nic47--,de ,l',antimoine4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #agjg4 ,lemnius 7,lav47--,secret ,miracles of ,nature4 ,fol4 ,london1 #afeh4 ,lettre sur le ,secret du ,grand uvre4 #abmo4 ,hay1 #afjf4 ,leonardi 7,camilla7--,speculum ,lapidem4 ,paris1 #afaj4 ,libavius 7,and47 of ,halle in ,saxony--#dd works on the various branches of ,alchemy4 ,fol4 ,franc41 #aeie4 ,liberii 7,b47--,explanatio in ,tincturam ,physicorum4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afbc4 ,locatelli 7,lud47--,theatro ,d',arcani ,chimici4 #hvo4 ,venet41 #afdh4 ,locques 7,j47--,philosophie ,naturelle4 7,scarce47 #hvo4 ,par41 #affe4 ,longino 7,c47--,trinum ,magicum4 7,rare47 #abmo4 ,fran41 #afaf4 ,long ,livers4 ,folio4 ,lond41 #agbb4 ,lossii 7,f47--,de ,martis ,curationibus4 ,lip41 #afhe4 ,lucerna ,salis ,philos4 7,curious4 ,it is by ,john ,harprecht of ,tubingen1 a professed adept47 #hvo4 ,amst41 #afeh4 ,lucii 7,c47--,de ,lapide ,christo ,sophico4 #dto4 ,ingold41 #aehb4 ,ludovicus ,comitibus--,practic ,manualis4 ,francof4 ,lulli 7,raymundi1 an adept7--,opera ,alchemia4 #b v4 ,lond41 #afgc4 ---- ,opera ,omnia4 #hvo4 ,argent41 #afgg4 ---- ,practica ,artis4 ,fol4 ,lug41 #aebc4 ---- ,de ,secretis4 #hvo4 ,aug41 #aeda4 ---- ,de ,aquis ,super ,accurtationes4 #hvo4 ,aug41 #aeda4 ---- ,alchimia ,magia ,naturalis4 #hvo4 ,norimb41 #aedf4 ---- ,tertia ,distinctio ,transmutatione4 #dto4 ,norimb41 #aedf4 ---- ,cantilena ad ,regem ,anglorum4 #hvo4 ,colon41 #aeec4 ---- ,summaria ,lapidis ,abbreviationes4 ,fol4 ,basil1 #aefa4 ---- ,mercuriorum ,repertorium ,apertorium4 #hvo4 ,colon41 #aeff4 ---- ,de ,aquis ,mineral ,epist4 ,rupert4 #hvo4 ,colon41 #aefg4 ---- ,testamentum ,novissimum4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aegb4 ---- ,de ,secretis ,medicina ,magna4 ,basil1 #afjj4 ---- ,secreta ,magnalia ,alchimia4 ,lugd4 ,bat41 #afjb4 ---- ,le ,vade ,mecum4 ,abrge de l',art4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afac4 ---- ,de ,conservatione ,vit4 #hvo4 ,argent41 #afaf4 ---- ,testament and ,codicil4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afhj4 ---- ,clavicule1 or ,little ,key4 #bdmo4 ,lond41 #afhj4 ---- ,blaquerna in ,lullium--,de ,amico et ,amate4 #cbmo4 ,paris4 ---- ,lullius ,redivivus4 #hvo4 ,norim41 #agjc4 ---- ,histoire ,r4 ,l4 par ,vernon4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #affh4 ,lumire--,la ,lumire sortant des ,tenbres4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afhg4 ,maffei 7,g4 ,e47--,scala ,naturale4 #hvo4 ,venet41 #aefd4 ,magni ,philosophorum ,arcani ,revelator4 #abmo4 ,geneva1 #afhh4 ,majeri 7,m47--,lusus ,serius4 #ej ,figs4 #dto4 ,fran41 #afag4 ---- ,simbola ,aure ,mens4 #dto4 ,franc41 #afag4 ---- ,tripus ,aureus4 #dto4 ,franc41 #af--4 ---- ,septimana ,philosophica4 #dto4 ,franc41 #afbj4 ---- ,de ,circuito ,physico ,quadrato4 #dto4 ,franc41 #afaf4 ---- ,arcana ,arcanissima4 #dto4 ,londini1 #afad4 ---- ,atalanta ,fugiens4 #dto4 ,oppenheimii1 #afah4 ---- ,silentium ,post ,clamores4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afag4 ---- ,themis ,aurea4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afah4 ---- ,jocus ,severus4 #dto4 ,franc41 #afag4 ---- ,maieri ,viatorium4 #dto4 ,franc41 #afah4 ---- ,de ,rosea ,cruce4 #dto4 ,franc41 #afah4 ---- ,cantilen ,intellectuales4 #afmo4 ,roma41 #afbb4 ---- ,quatuor ,anguli ,mundi4 ---- ,ulyssus4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afbh4 ---- ,verum ,inventum4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afai4 ---- ,civitas ,corporis ,humani4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afba4 ---- ,museum ,chimicum4 #dto4 ,franc41 #agjh4 7,some of these rare works are embellished with curious and beautiful copperplates47 ,mangeti 7,j4 ,j47--,bibliotheca ,chemica ,curiosa4 #b v4 ,fol4 ,it contains #acc alchemical tracts1 of which #cc are reprinted from ,theatrum ,chemicum1 viz41 ,arisleus1 ,artephius1 ,aristotle1 ,avicenna1 ,arnold1 ,altus ,liber ,mutus1 ,angenelli1 ,albinus1 ,bacon1 ,becher1 ,blawenstein1 ,borrichius1 ,brachesky1 ,bono1 ,bernard1 ,basil1 ,bernaud1 ,balduinus1 ,cato1 ,clauder1 ,chortalasseus1 ,cuoffelius1 ,dornea1 ,dastin1 ,espagnet1 ,faber1 ,fanianus1 ,ficinus1 ,friben1 ,geber1 ,gerard1 ,guido1 ,hermes1 ,hogheland1 ,helvetius1 ,icon1 ,johnson1 ,kalid1 ,kircher1 ,kuigman1 ,libavius1 ,lewis1 ,lully1 ,massa ,solis1 ,merlin1 ,morhoff1 ,morien1 ,malvisius1 ,f4 ,mirandola1 ,t4 ,norton1 ,orthelius1 ,paracelsus1 ,philalethes1 ,pantaleon1 ,ripley1 ,richard1 ,rupescissa1 ,sachs1 ,sendivogius1 ,stoleius1 ,todenfeld1 ,zadith1 ,zacharia4 ,col1 #agjb4 ,manna--,of the ,blessed ,manna of the ,philosophers4 ,lond41 #afhj4 ,margarita ,philosophica4 #dto4 ,basil1 #aehc4 ,maria ,egypti ,dialogues4 7,an adept47 ,a4 ,m4 #cfcj4 #hvo4 ,leip41 #agjh4 ,mark 7,b47--,hermetischen ,philos4 ,herren4 #hvo4 ,strasb41 #agja4 ,mars ,philosophische1 vel ,azoth4 #hvo4 ,fran41 #afef4 ,martinire 7,la7--,le ,tombeau de la ,folie4 #abmo4 ,paris4 ,massin 7,p47--,de la ,pierre ,philosophale4 ,mazotta 7,b47--,de ,triplici ,philosophia4 #dto4 ,banoni1 #afec4 ,medices 7,c4 de7--,concursus ,philosophorum4 #hvo4 #agjf4 ,medicina ,metallorum1 seu ,transmutatio4 #dto4 ,lip41 #agbc4 ,medicinesche1 ,universal-,sonne4 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #agjf4 ,meerheim 7,t4 ,g47--,discours ,curieuser ,sachen1 c4 #hvo4 ,leip41 #agjh4 ,melceri 7,n47--,lapis ,philosophorum4 ,fol4 #addi4 ,menneus 7,g47--,sacr ,philosophi4 #dto4 ,antwerp1 #afjd4 ,mercurii ,trismegisti--,sapientia ,dei4 ,basil1 #aecb4 ,mercurius ,redivivus4 7,scarce47 #dto4 ,franc41 #afcj4 ,mercurius ,triumphans4 7,scarce47 #dto4 ,magd41 #afjj4 ,mercury's ,caducean ,rod1 by ,cleidophorus4 #afmo4 ,lond41 #agjd4 ,meresini 7,thi47--,metal ,transubstant4 #hvo4 ,han41 #aeic4 ,meun 7,jean de7--,ses uvres4 #c tomes4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #agce4 ---- ,le ,miroir d',alchimie4 #ahmo4 ,paris1 #afac4 ,meurdrack 7,maria7--,light of ,chemistry4 7,german47 #abmo4 ,fran41 #agab4 ,meysonnier 7,l47--,la ,belle ,magie4 ,lyons1 #affi4 ,milii 7,j4 ,d47--,opus ,medico-,chemicum1 cum ,fig4 7,disesteemed47 #dto4 ,franc41 #afbj4 ,milii 7,j4 ,d47--,philosophia ,reformata4 7,curious47 #dto4 ,fran41 #afbb4 ,minderii 7,r47--,disquisido ,jatrochimica4 ,aug41 #afah4 ,minera del ,mondo1 ,secreti di ,natura4 #abmo4 ,ven41 #afei4 ,minzicht 7,h47--,thesaurus ,medico-,chimicus4 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #afch4 ,mizaldi 7,a47--,memorabilium ,,ix4 ,centuri4 #afmo4 ,coloni1 #aegb4 ---- ,de ,lapide ,aureo ,philosophico4 #dto4 ,hamb41 #afca4 ,mollii 7,h47--,physica ,hermetica4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afai4 ,montani 7,j4 ,b47--,de ,arte ,alchemia1 libri xviii4 ,monte 7,j47--,de ,medicina ,universali4 #hvo4 ,fran41 #afgh4 ---- ,hermetis1 ,erlauterung dess ,hermetischen ,guldenen ,fluss4 #hvo4 ,ulm1 #afhj4 ,morestel 7,p47--,de ,la ,pierre ,naturelle4 #abmo4 ,rouen1 #affg4 ,morhoffi 7,d4 ,g47--,de ,metal ,transmut4 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #afgc4 ,morienus 7adept7--,de ,transfiguratione ,metallorum4 #dto4 ,han41 #aefe4 ,morleii 7,c4 ,l47--,collectanea ,chemica4 7,esteemed47 #hvo4 ,ant41 #agjb4 ,mormii 7,p47--,arcana ,natur4 ,lugd41 #afcj4 ,mortii 7,j47--,opera ,varia4 ,lug4 ,bat41 #afif4 ,mose 7,der ,von7--,urtheilende ,alchymist4 #hvo4 ,chern41 #agjf4 ,motren 7,m47--,amadis de ,gaule ,livre4 #adme4 7,various editions47 ,moilhet 7,p47--,la ,vie de ,p4 ,m4 de ,carcassonne1 avec figs4 #hvo4 ,par41 #afac4 ,muller 7,a47--,paradiess-,spiegel4 #hvo4 ,leips41 #agjd4 ---- 7,j4 ,e47--,des ,steins der ,wisen4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #agjg4 ,mulleri 7,p47--,miracula ,chemica4 #abmo4 ,regio1 #afad4 ,mutus ,liber 7,altus7--,the ,process in ,fifteen ,views4 ,fol4 ,rup41 #afgg4 ,museum ,hermeticum--#ba tracts1 by the following authors3 ,alze1 ,cremer1 ,flamel1 ,hydrolitus1 ,helvetius1 ,lampspring1 ,de ,meun1 ,mynsicht1 ,maierus1 ,t4 ,norton1 ,philalethes1 ,pansophus1 ,sendivogus4 ,franc41 #afgg4 ,mylii 7,j4 ,d47--,philosophia ,reformata4 ,fran41 #afbb4 ,mysii 7,f47--,de ,secretis ,antimonii4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aege4 ,nabre 7,g4 ,b47--,il ,metamorfosi ,metallicoe ,humano4 #dto4 ,brescia1 #aefd4 ,nadasti 7,teodo47--,teorica ,prattica4 ,cosmop41 #agah4 ,nasari 7,j4 ,b47--,della ,transmutat4 #dto4 ,bresc41 #aeii4 ,nasari 7,j4 ,b47--,concordanza dei ,filosofi4 #dto4 ,bresc41 #aeii4 ,nature--,history of ,nature ,confirmed by ,experience4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afgh4 ,naxagoras 7,j4 ,equitis von7--,veritas ,hermetica4 #hvo4 ,vratislau1 #agab4 ---- ,alchimia ,denudata4 7,german47 #hvo4 ,vratislu1 #agaf4 ---- ,aurea ,catena ,homeri4 #abmo4 ,lipsi1 #agbh4 ---- ,concorda ,philosophica4 ,neander 7,theop47--,heptas ,alchimica4 #hvo4 ,hall1 #afba4 ,nehusi 7,henr47--,tres ,tractatu de ,lapide4 7,curious47 #afmo4 ,hanovi1 #afah4 ,nollius 7,h47--,theoria ,philosophi ,hermetic4 #hvo4 ,hanov41 #afag4 ---- ,corruption and ,generation4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afeg4 ,nortoni 7,samuelis7--,septem ,tractatus ,chimici1 cum ,figuris4 #a4 ,catholic ,physic4 #b4 ,elixir ,vitriol4 #c4 ,mercury ,revived4 #d4 ,medicine of ,life4 #e4 ,saturn ,saturated4 #f4 ,gems of ,pebbles4 #g4 ,alchemy4 #dto4 ,fran41 #afcj4 ,norton 7,thomas7--,ordinall of ,alchemy4 #dto4 ,lond41 #afeb4 ,nuysement 7,dom7--,true ,salt of ,philosophers4 #hvo4 ,london1 #afeg4 ,ohacan 7,d4 ,a41 ,spaniard7--,commentum in ,parabolas ,arnoldi4 ,fol4 ,hisp41 #aead4 ,olympe--,le ,grand ,olympe1 ou ,explication de #gi ,metamorphoses4 7,the author of this treatise is said mendaciously to have been a friend of ,flamel47 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afad4 ,opuscula ,diversorum ,authorum4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afad4 ,opus ,tripartitum de ,philosophorum ,arcanis4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afgh4 ,orontii 7,finei7--,de ,philosophorum ,lapide4 #dto4 ,paris1 #aedb4 ,or ,potable--,discours des ,vertus de l',or ,potable4 #ab mo4 ,paris1 #aege4 ,ortholanus--,practica ,vera ,alkimik4 ,parisiis1 #aceh4 ,padua 7,j47--,sapientia ,consummata4 ,pagez 7,j47--,les ,miracles de la ,cration4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afcb4 ,palissy 7,b47--,les ,moyens de devenir ,riche4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afcf4 ---- ,du ,jardinage et de la ,chimie4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #aehj4 ,palladis ,chimic ,arcana ,detecta1 ,j4 ,b4 ,marnigue4 7,rare47 #hvo4 ,genev41 #afgd4 ,palladium ,spagiricum4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afbd4 ,palmarii 7,petri1 ,m4,d41 ,paris7--,lapis ,philosophicus4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afji4 ,pamphilus 7,lucidas7--,theatri ,alchymistico-,medici breve et jucundum spectaculum4 #hvo4 #afha4 ,pans 7,mart47--,libellus ,aureus4 #hvo4 ,lips41 #afae4 ,pantaleonis--,bifolium ,metallicum4 #hvo4 ,norimbrg1 #afgf4 ,pantheus 7,j4 ,a47--,sacerdos ,venetus1 de ,arte et ,theoria ,transmutationis ,metallicis4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #aeej4 ,paracelsi ,theophrasti ,opera ,omnia4 #c v4 ,fol4 ,gen41 #affb4 ---- ,compendium ,vit et ,catalogus4 ,basil1 #aefh4 ---- ,pyrophilia ,vexationem4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aefh4 ---- ,septem ,libri de ,gradibus ,philosophi ,magn4 ---- ,de ,tartaro4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aegj4 ---- ,archidoxorum1 lib4 x4 #hvo4 ,colon41 #aegj4 ---- ,aurora4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aegg4 ---- ,key of ,philosophy4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #aehj4 ---- ,de ,mercuriis ,metallorum4 #hvo4 ,colon41 #aehb4 ---- ,medico-,chimico ,chirurgica4 #ab t4 #dto4 ,franc41 #afjc4 ---- ,sympathy4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afef4 ---- ,chemical ,transmutation4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afeg4 ---- ,philosophy to the ,athenians4 #abmo4 ,lond41 #afeg4 ---- ,prescription of #aad ,cures4 #dto4 #afei4 ---- ,archidoxis of ,arcana and ,elixirs4 #hvo4 ,london1 #affc4 ---- ,philosophi ,adept4 #hvo4 ,basil4 ,parkhurst's ,sympathetic ,mummy4 ,lond41 #afec4 ,partricii 7,f47--,magia ,philos4 ,zoroastris4 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #aeic4 ,partridge 7,john7--,treasury of ,secrets4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #aeia4 ,paysan--,le ,petit ,paysan4 ,alchemical4 7,german1 rare47 #hvo4 ,strasb41 #afai4 ,pellagii ,greci1 ,in ,democritum ,abderitam1 de ,arte ,sacra1 sive de ,rebus ,mysticis1 et ,naturalibus comment4 #hvo4 ,coloni1 #aegd4 ,pelletier1 ,l',alcst de ,helmont4 7,esteemed47 #abmo4 ,rouen1 #agjd4 ,penotus 7,b47--,alchemist's ,enchiridion4 #abmo4 ,lond41 #afib4 ---- ,de ,materia ,lapidis ,philosophorum4 #hvo4 ,bern41 #afjh4 ,persons 7,david7--,salamandra4 #dto4 ,lond41 #afcf4 ,petrei 7,h47--,nosologia ,hermetica4 #dto4 ,marpurg1 #afad4 ,petty 7,john7--,mine ,laws of ,england4 ,fol4 ,lond41 #afaj4 ,pharmundi 7,j4 ,p47--,compendium ,hermeticum4 #abmo4 ,fran41 #afce4 ,philadelphia1 or ,brotherly ,love4 ,lond4 ,philalethes 7,eirenus7--,introitus ,apertus ad ,occlusum ,regis ,palatium1 edente ,joanne ,langio4 #hvo4 ,amstelodami1 #affg4 ---- ,medulla ,alchymi4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #affd4 7,in verse and in ,english47 ---- ,ripley ,revised4 ,with the ,commentaries of ,philalethes4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afgh4 ---- ,experimenta de ,prparatione ,mercurii ,sophici4 #hvo4 ,amstel41 #affh4 ---- ,enarratio ,methodica trium ,gebri ,medicinarum4 #hvo4 ,amstel41 #affh4 ---- ,tractatus ,tres 444 edente ,martino ,birrio4 #hvo4 ,amstel41 #affh4 ---- ,vera ,confectio ,lapidis ,philosophici4 #hvo4 ,amstel41 #afgh4 ---- 7,eugenius7--,anthroposophia ,theomagica4 ,anima ,magica ,abscondita4 #hvo4 ,london1 #afej4 ---- ,magia ,adamica4 ,whereunto is added a perfect and full ,discovery of the ,clum ,terr4 #hvo4 ,london1 #afej4 ---- ,lumen de ,lumine4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afea4 ---- ,aula ,lucis4 #afeb4 ---- ,euphrates2 or1 ,the ,waters of the ,east4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afee4 ---- ,fame and ,confession of the ,fraternity of ,r4 ,c4 ,with a ,declaration of their ,physicall ,work4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afei4 ---- 7,eirenus ,philoponos1 i4e41 ,george ,starkey7--,marrow of ,alchemy4 #abmo4 ,lond41 #agji4 ---- 7,b4 ,p47--,enchiridion ,alchemi4 ,lond41 #afib4 ,philaleth--,tracttlein von ,verwandelung der ,metallen1 c4 #abmo4 ,ham41 #afge4 ,philaleta 7,t47--,theosophischer ,wunder ,saal4 #hvo4 #agji4 ,philosophus ,gallus--,de ,arbore ,solari4 #hvo4 ,arg41 #afei4 ,picus de ,mirandola 7,j4 ,f47--,de ,auro4 #dto4 ,venet41 #aehf4 ,pietra de ,philosopha ,catala4 ,ascoli1 #agcg4 ,pinus 7,v47--,de ,concordia ,hipoc et ,parcels4 #hvo4 ,arg41 #aefi4 ,pittore 7,m4 ,g47--,dialogi4 ,venet41 #aeej4 ,plan--,projet du ,plan de la ,cration4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afec4 ,planis ,campi 7,d47--,l'cole ,transmutatoire4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afcc4 ---- ,de la ,mdecine ,universelle4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afcc4 ,platt 7,h47--,jewel ,house of ,art4 #dto4 ,lond41 #aeid4 ,politii 7,a47--,libri duo de ,quinta ,essentia ,solutiva4 #dto4 ,panormi1 #afac4 ,pontanus 7,john1 adept7--,sophic ,fire4 #bdmo4 ,lond41 #afbd4 ---- ,de ,rebus ,celestibus4 ,fiorenza1 #aebj4 ,poppii 7,j47--,hodogeticus ,chemicus4 7,german47 #afbg4 ,poppius 7,h47--,basilica ,antimonii4 #dto4 ,fran41 #afah4 ,porta 7,j4 ,b47--,de ris ,transmutationibus4 #dto4 ,rom1 #afaj4 ---- ,magia ,naturale4 ,napo41 #afaa4 ,potier 7,m47--,apologia ,hermetico-,philosophica4 #dto4 ,franc41 #afcj4 ---- ,de ,vera ,materia et ,processu ,lapidis4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afag4 ---- ,philosophia ,pura4 #hvo4 ,francof41 #afag4 ---- ,fons ,chimicus1 id est1 ,vera ,auri ,conficienda4 #dto4 ,col41 #afcg4 ---- 7,p47--,opera ,omnia4 7,disesteemed47 #dto4 ,franc41 #afib4 ,privy ,seal of ,secrets1 or ,first ,matter4 ,lond41 #afhj4 ,processes for the ,philosophical ,stone4 7,german47 #hvo4 ,jena1 #agjd4 ,prudhomme 7,p47--,deux ,merveilles4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #affi4 ,pruggmayr 7,m47--,de ,vero ,elixire ,vit4 #hvo4 ,salisburgi1 #afhg4 ,quercetan 7,j47--,hermetical ,physic4 #dto4 ,london1 #afje4 ,rabbard's 7,raphael7 ,book of ,alchemy4 #dto4 ,lond41 #aeia4 ,ramsaia 7,c4 ,a47--,observationes1 ,j4 ,kunkell4 ,rott41 #afgh4 ,rant 7,mariani71 ,english ,prophetess--,apocaliptica ,clavis ,auri ,facturum ,brevi ,promittens4 7,rare47 #hvo4 ,tolos4 ,raphlis 7,s47--,de ,sale1 ,sulphure1 et ,mercurio4 #abmo4 ,rattri 7,silv47--,theatrum ,sympatheticum4 ,norim41 #afeh4 ,reconditiorum ,opulenti1 sapientque mundi magni1 c4 7,esteemed47 ,amst41 #afff4 ,regio ,salutifera--,prima ,materia4 #hvo4 ,fran41 #agjh4 ,reinecerri ,thesaurus ,chimicus4 #hvo4 ,lipsi1 #afji4 ,renaudot 7,e47--,de ,l',antimoine ,justifi4 #dto4 ,paris1 #afec4 ,respom--,sur ,l',esprit ,minrale4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #affh4 ,reyheri 7,s47--,de ,juridice ,philosophica4 #dto4 ,kibi1 #afib4 ,rhenani 7,j47--,aureus ,tractatus4 #dto4 ,franc41 #afab4 ---- ,decades ,du1 seu ,syntagma harmoni ,chimicorum--,rhasis1 ,merlin1 ,guido1 ,saure1 ,wittich1 ,dumbel1 ,gratian1 ,antonio1 ,aquinas1 ,dastin1 ,salamon1 ,small ,rosary4 #hvo4 ,fran41 #afbe4 ---- ,de ,solutione ,materi4 #hvo4 ,fran41 #afce4 ,rhodagiri 7,l47--,de ,solutione ,philosophica4 #hvo4 ,lugd41 #aeff4 ,richebourg 7,j4 ,m47--,bibliothque4 ,eighteen tracts4 ,artephius1 ,azot1 ,ancient ,war1 ,bernard1 ,basil1 ,flamel1 ,geber1 ,hermes1 ,hortulain1 ,morien1 ,mary1 ,turba1 ,zachary4 #c vols4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #agda4 ,riplei 7,georgii1 adept7--,opera ,omnia4 #hvo4 ,casselis1 #afdi4 ---- ,treatise of ,mercury4 ,lond41 #afhj4 ---- ,bosom ,book1 ,accurtations4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afhj4 ,riviere 7,cesare della7--,il ,mondo ,magico4 ,milano1 #afje4 ,robertus 7,valensis7--,de ,antiquitate ,artis ,chemi4 #hvo4 ,lugd41 #afjb4 ,rochas 7,h47--,la ,physique ,demonstrative4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afdc4 ,rodostanticum ,speculum4 7,german47 #dto4 #afah4 ,rodocanacis 7,c47--,of ,antimony4 #dto4 ,lond41 #affd4 ,rolfincius 7,g47--,mercurius ,metallorum et ,mineralium4 #dto4 ,jena1 #afgj4 ,rosarium ,novum--,de ,lapide ,benedicto4 #dto4 ,germ41 #affh4 ,,rosicrucians4 ,communis et ,generalis ,reformatio ,totius ,mundi4 7,german47 #hvo4 ,casselis1 #afad4 ,fama ,fraternitatis of the meritorious order of the ,r4 ,c4 7,german47 #hvo4 ,casselis1 #afad4 ,secretioris ,philosophi ,consideratio ,brevis ,philippo ,gabella1 ,philosophi studioso1 conscripta2 et nunc primum un cum ,,confessione ,,fraternitatis ,r4 ,c41 in lucem edita4 #dto4 ,cassellis1 #afae4 ,exercitatio ,paracelsica ,nova de ,notandis ex ,scripto ,fraternitatis de ,rosea ,cruce4 7,see ,andreas ,libavius' ,examen ,philosophi ,nov1 qu veteri abrogand opponitur47 ,fol4 #afae4 ,analysis ,confessionis ,fraternitatis de ,rosea ,cruce pro admonitione et instructione eorum1 qui1 quia judicandum sit de ista nova factione scire cupiant4 ,fol4 #afae4 ,chymische ,hochzeit3 ,christiani ,rosencreutz4 ,anno #adei4 #hvo4 ,strasbourg1 #afaf4 ,echo of the ,god-illuminated ,brotherhood of the ,worthy ,order ,r4 ,c4 78 ,by ,julius ,sperber74 #hvo4 ,dantzig1 #afae4 ,julianus de ,campis--,an ,open ,letter or ,report addressed to all who have read anything concerning the new ,brotherhood of the ,r4 ,c4 7,german47 #hvo4 #afaf4 ,andreas ,libavius--,well wishing ,objections concerning the ,fame and ,confessions of the ,brotherhood of the ,r4 ,c4 7,german47 #hvo4 ,francfurt1 #afaf4 ,fama ,remissa ad ,fratres ,rose ,crucis4 7,german47 #hvo4 #afaf4 ,radtichs ,brotoffer--,elucidarius ,major1 oder ,ekleuchterunge ber die ,reformatio der ,ganzen ,weiten ,welt4 #hvo4 #afag4 ,fraternitatis ,rosat ,crucis ,confessio ,recepta4 7,written by ,a4 ,o4 ,m4 ,t4 ,w47 #hvo4 #afag4 ,fredericus ,g4 ,menapius 7i4e41 ,johann ,valentin ,alberti7--,epitimia ,f4 ,r4 ,c4 ,the ,final ,manifestation or ,discovery of the worthy and worshipful ,order ,r4 ,c4444 ,written by command of the above-mentioned ,society by ,irenus ,agnostus 7,menapius74 ,an attack on the ,society4 7,german47 #hvo4 #afai4 ---- ,i4 ,menapius ,rose ,crucis1 to wit3 ,objections on the part of the ,unanimous ,brotherhood against the obscure and unknown writer1 ,f4 ,g4 ,menapius4 7,with other matters4 ,is also a covert attack written by ,menapius47 #hvo4 #afai4 7,german47 ,florentinus de ,valentia--,rosa ,florescens contra ,f4 ,g4 ,menapii ,calumniis4 #hvo4 #afag4 ,judicia de ,statu ,fraternitatis de ,rosea ,cruce4 #abmo4 #afag4 ,responsum ad ,fratres ,rosace ,crucis ,illustres4 #abmo4 #afah4 ,f4 ,r4 ,c4--,fama e ,scanzia ,redux4 #abmo4 #afah4 4--,hoc est ,redintegratio4 7,addressed to the ,brotherhood of the ,rose ,cross47 #hvo4 #afai4 ,johann ,valentin ,andreas--,turris ,babel1 sive ,judicium de ,fraternitatis ,rose ,crucis ,chaos4 #bdmo4 ,argentorati1 #afai4 ,s4 ,r4 7i4e41 ,sincerus ,renatus1 a pseudonym of ,sigmund ,richter7--,perfect and ,true ,preparation of the ,philosophical ,stone1 according to the ,secret of the ,brotherhood of the ,golden and ,rosy ,cross4 ,with the ,rules of the above-mentioned ,order for the ,initiation of ,new ,members4 #hvo4 ,breslau1 #agaj4 ,secret ,symbols of the ,rosicrucians of the ,sixteenth and ,seventeenth ,centuries4 ,fol4 ,altona1 #aghe-hh4 ,joachim ,fritz 78 ,robert ,fludd7--,summum ,bonum1 quod est verum subjectum ver magic1 cabal1 alchymi ,fratrum ,rose ,crucis verorum in dictarum scientiarum laudem1 et insignis calumniatoris 444 ,m4 ,mersenni dedecus publicatum4 ,fol4 ,francfurt1 #afbi4 ,thomas ,vaughan 7,eugenius ,philalethes7--,the ,fame and ,confession of the ,fraternity of ,r4 ,c41 with a ,preface annexed thereto1 and a short declaration of their ,physicall ,work4 #hvo4 ,london1 #afeb4 ,john ,heydon--,the ,rosie ,crucian ,infallible ,axiomata4 #abmo4 ,london1 #affj4 ---- ,the ,holy ,guide1 leading the ,way to the ,wonder of the ,world4 #hvo4 ,london1 #affb4 ---- ,theomagia2 or1 ,the ,temple of ,wisdome4 ,in three parts--spirituall1 celestiall1 and elementall4 #hvo4 ,london1 #affb-c-d4 ---- ,the ,wise ,man's ,crown1 or ,the ,glory of the ,rosy ,cross4 #hvo4 ,london1 #affd4 ---- ,el ,havarevna2 or ,the ,english ,physitian's ,tutor in the ,astrobolismes of ,mettals ,rosie ,crucian4 #hvo4 ,london1 #affe4 ,hargrave ,jennings--,the ,rosicrucians3 ,their ,rites and ,mysteries4 ,with chapters on the ,ancient ,fire and ,serpent ,worshippers1 and ,explanations of the ,mystic ,symbols ,represented on the ,monuments and ,talismans of the ,primeval ,philosophers4 #hvo4 ,london1 #ahgj4 ,arthur ,edward ,waite--,the ,real ,history of the ,rosicrucians4 ,founded on their own ,manifestoes and on ,facts and ,documents collected from the writings of ,initiated ,brethren4 #hvo4 ,london1 #ahhg4 99 99 99 99 99 ,rosnel 7,p47--,le ,mercure ,indien4 7,curious47 #dto4 ,paris1 #afgb4 ,rossello 7,t47--,secreti ,universali4 #hvo4 ,venet41 #aegd4 ,rossinus 7,h47--,de ,opera ,dei ,creationis4 #dto4 ,fran41 #aeig4 ,rothscoltzii 7,f47--,bibliotheca ,chimica4 #dto4 #agai4 ---- ,bibliotheca ,chemia ,curiosa ,adornata4 #abmo4 ,noren41 #agbj4 ,rouillac 7,p47--,practica ,operis ,magni4 #hvo4 ,lugd41 #aehb4 ,rousselet--,la ,chrysospagirie4 #hvo4 ,lyons1 #aehb4 ,rudenius 7,m47--,bendencten ,von der ,alchimistichen ,artzen ,kunst4 #hvo4 ,lip41 #afje4 ,ruelli 7,j47--,de ,natura ,stribium4 #b vols4 #hvo4 ,venet41 #aech4 ,rullandi 7,m47--,progymnasmata ,alchimi4 #hvo4 ,fran41 #afjg4 ,rullandi 7,m47--,lexicon ,alchimi4 #dto4 ,fran41 #afab4 ,rupecissa 7,johan1 adept7--,clum ,philosophorum4 #hvo4 ,parisiis1 #aedc4 ---- ,de ,quinta ,essentia ,rerum ,omnium4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aefa4 ---- ,de ,secretis ,alchemi4 #dto4 ,col4 ,agi41 #aegi4 ---- ,livre de ,lumire4 #afmo4 ,paris4 ,sabor 7,chr4 ,fer47--,practica ,natur vera ,preparatio ,lapidis ,mineralis de ,antimonio4 7,german47 #hvo4 #agba4 ,saignier 7,j47--,magni ,lapidis ,naturalis ,philosophia4 #dto4 ,brem41 #affd4 ,saint ,romain--,effets de la ,pierre ,divine4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afgi4 ,sal 7,angeli7--,opera ,medico-,chymica ,omnia4 #dto4 ,rothomagi1 #afej4 ,sale 7,de7--,de ,secreto ,philosophorum4 #hvo4 ,cass41 #afea4 ,salmon 7,william1 ,m4,d47--,hermes1 ,kalid1 ,pontanus1 ,artephius1 ,geber1 ,flamel1 ,bacon1 ,ripley4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afib4 ---- ,bibliothque4 ,containing twelve tracts by reputed adepts4 #abmo4 ,paris1 #afgb4 ,saltzhal 7,s47--,de ,potentissima ,medicina ,univali4 #hvo4 ,argent41 #afei4 ,sapientia--,clavis ,majoris ,sapienti 7,artephius74 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afji4 ,sawtree 7,john7--,of the ,philosopher's ,stone4 #dto4 ,lond41 #afeb4 ,schennemannus 7,h47--,de ,medecina ,reformata seu denario ,hermetico-,chemico4 #hvo4 ,fran41 #afag4 ,schleron 7,h47--,de ,lapide ,philosophorum4 #hvo4 ,marpus1 #afab4 ,schlussel--,zur ,findung dess ,steins der ,weissen4 #hvo4 ,leip41 #agjf4 ,scholzii 7,l47--,summum ,philosophi4 ,fol4 ,hano41 #afaj4 ,schotti 7,c47--,physica ,curiosa cum ,figuris4 #dto4 ,herb41 #affg4 ---- ,mirabilia ,artis4 #b v4 #dto4 ,norim41 #affd4 ,schuleri 7,c47--,de ,miraculo ,chemico4 #afaf4 ,schwertzer 7,sibald7--,chrysopi4 7,esteemed47 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #afah4 ,scientia ,exemplar 7ex ,lagneo74 #dto4 ,ulm41 #afda4 ,scot 7,patrick7--,tillage of ,light4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afbc4 ,scoti 7,michael7--,de ,secretis ,natur4 #abmo4 ,fran41 #afad4 ,sebilista 7,w47--,manuale ,hermeticum4 #dto4 ,wolf41 #afee4 ,secrets ,disclosed of the ,philosopher's ,stone4 #bdmo4 #afhj4 ,seilerus--,of a ,transmuting ,powder ,found4 #dto4 ,lond41 #afcc4 ,sel--,du ,sel de ,sapience4 7,disesteemed74 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afai4 ,semita ,rectitudinis de ,alchemia4 #hvo4 ,gratianopoli1 #afad4 ,sendivogius 7,mich47--,de ,vero ,sale4 7,spurious47 ,franc41 #afea4 ---- ,new ,light of ,alchymy4 ,senfrid 7,j4 ,h47--,medulla ,natur4 #hvo4 ,taltzlach1 #afgi4 ,sennertus 7,d47--,institutions of ,chemistry4 #hvo4 ,london4 ,severini 7,petri7--,totius ,philos4 ,adept4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aegb4 ,severino 7,scipione7--,triomfo d',ell ,alchimia4 #hvo4 ,venet41 #afia4 ---- ,filosofia ,alchemia4 ,venet41 #afie4 ---- ,commentary on ,lully4 7,italian47 #afhd4 ,seyfarti 7,a47--,klar und ,deutliche ,luorterung4 #hvo4 ,leypsich1 #agbc4 ,sferza 7,la7--,de ,gli ,alchemisti4 ,lion41 #affe4 ,sidrach--,le ,grand ,fontaine de ,science4 #dto4 ,paris1 #aead4 ,simpson--,of ,fermentation4 ,lond41 #afge4 ,snoyus 7,r47--,de ,arte ,alchimi4 ,fol4 ,francof41 #afbj4 ,sol ,sine ,vesta 7anonymous adept74 ,amst41 #afhd4 ,spacheri 7,s47--,alchimia1 cum ,figuris4 #dto4 #afaf4 ,sperberi 7,j47--,argumentum in ,veram ,triunius ,dei et ,natur4 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #afgb4 ---- ,de ,materia ,lapidis4 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #afgd4 ,stahli 7,g4 ,e47--,fundamenta ,chimi4 #dto4 ,norim41 #agbc4 ,starky 7,g47--,pyrotechny ,asserted4 #abmo4 ,lond41 #afeh4 ---- ,nature's ,explication4 #afeh4 ---- ,marrow of ,chemical ,physic4 #abmo4 #affa4 ,steebe 7,i4 ,s47--,elixir ,solis4 #abmo4 ,francof41 #afgb4 ---- ,clum ,sephiroticum4 ,fol4 ,mogunti1 #afgi4 ,stisseri 7,j4 ,a47--,acta ,laboratorii ,jesi4 #dto4 ,helen41 #agja4 ,stolcii 7,d47--,viridiarium ,chimicum1 cum ,figuris4 ,franc41 #afbd4 ---- ,hortulus ,hermeticus1 cum ,figuris4 #hvo4 ,franc41 #afbg4 ,struthius 7,j47--,medecina ,priscorum4 ,lugd41 #afjj4 ,struvius 7,e4 ,g47--,chimicum sine ,igne4 #hvo4 ,jen1 #agae4 ,surmiti 7,j47--,physica ,electiva4 #dto4 ,nor41 #afig4 ---- ,in ,collegium ,experimentale ,curiosum4 #dto4 ,norim41 #agja4 ,suchten 7,alex47--,clavis ,alchemi4 7,german47 #hvo4 ,montis41 #afad4 ---- ,secrets of ,antimony4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afgj4 ,sudum ,philosophicum4 #hvo4 ,hamb41 #affj4 ,swedenburgii 7,em47--,regnum ,minerale4 #c v4 ,fol4 ,liq41 #agcd4 ,synes--,de ,sapientia ,divina4 #abmo4 ,lutet41 #afce4 ,t4 ,w4--,marrow of ,chemical ,physic4 ,lond41 #afei4 ,tabul ,septem ,synopsim ,lapidis4 ,erph41 #aeih4 ,tachemius 7,oth7--,de ,liquore ,alkst4 #dto4 ,hamb41 #afee4 ---- ,hippocrates' ,viperine ,salt4 #dto4 ,london1 #afgg4 ,tackii 7,j47--,triplex ,phasis ,sophicus ,solis arbe expiditus4 #dto4 ,franc41 #afgc4 ,tankins 7,j47--,collection of ,alchemy in ,german4 ,leipsic1 #afaj4 ,teichmeyeri 7,h4 ,f47--,institutiones4 ,jen1 #agbi4 ,tenzelius 7,a47--,medecina ,diastatica4 #abmo4 ,jen1 #afbi4 ,theatrum ,chimicum4 ,two hundred and nine treatises by ,arnold1 ,albert1 ,augmelli1 ,aristotle1 ,aquinas1 ,alanus1 ,alvetanus1 ,alphonso1 ,avicenna1 ,artephius1 ,aphorisms1 ,bacon1 ,balbius1 ,bernard1 ,bernaud1 ,bona1 ,brentzius1 ,brosse1 ,blawenstein1 ,caravantis1 ,colleson1 ,christopher1 ,dee1 ,dornea1 ,democritus1 ,egidius1 ,eck1 ,ficinus1 ,fanian1 ,flamel1 ,ferarius1 ,gaston1 ,greverius1 ,grossius1 ,haymonis1 ,hermes1 ,hogheland1 ,hornius1 ,isaac1 ,kalid1 ,lagneus1 ,lasinoro1 ,lavinius1 ,lacinius1 ,lampsprink1 ,lully1 ,muffetus1 ,mary1 ,p4 ,mirandola1 ,micreris1 ,meneus1 ,monachus1 ,nigrius1 ,orthelius1 ,odomar1 ,ortholan1 ,ponlanus1 ,penotus1 ,pantheus1 ,plato1 ,phedio1 ,quercetan1 ,rhedargii1 ,rupecissa1 ,ripley1 ,richard1 ,rosary1 ,phasis1 ,sendivogius1 ,silento1 ,m4 ,scott1 ,trithemius1 ,turba1 ,troginani1 ,vogelius1 ,ventma1 ,vallensis1 ,vigenerus1 ,zacharia1 ,zonetus1 ,zadith4 #f v4 #hvo4 ,argent41 #affb4 ,theobaldi 7,zach47--,arcana ,natur4 #dto4 ,norin41 #afbh4 ,thom ,aquinatis--,secreta ,alchemi4 #dto4 ,colon41 #aegi4 ---- ,thesaurus ,alchemi4 #hvo4 ,lugd41 #afjb4 ---- ,de ,esse et ,essentia ,mineralium4 7,spurious47 #dto4 ,venet41 #adhh4 ,thor 7,g47--,cheiragogia ,heliana4 7,english47 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afei4 ,thornburgh 7,john7--,nihil1 aliquid1 omnia in gratiam eorum qui artem auriferam ,phisico-chimice et pie profitentur4 #dto41 ,oxon41 #afba4 ,thurneyssers 7,leo47--,hoechste sublilitad der ,alchimia4 #dto4 ,munst41 #aefi4 ,tombeau de la ,pauvret1 par ,atramont4 #abmo4 ,par41 #afgc4 ,tombeau de ,semiramis4 #hvo4 ,par41 #afhi4 ,tractat--,gulden ,rose ,chit der ,natur1 c4 #hvo4 #agjf4 ,tractatus ,antiquorum ,arcanorum4 #hvo4 #afab4 ,tractat4 #g ,von ,stein der ,weissen4 #hvo4 ,ham4 ,tranas ,facilis ad ,hermetis ,artem4 #abmo4 ,corolopili1 #afhf4 ,transformation ,mtallique4 #hvo4 ,paris1 #afea4 ,transfiguratione ,metallorum 7,de74 #hvo4 ,hanov41 #aeic4 ,treasure of ,treasures4 #bdmo4 ,lond41 #afhj4 ,tres ,tractatus de ,metallorum ,transmutatione4 ,amst41 #affh4 ,trinum--,koffski1 ,alphidius1 and ,lully4 #hvo4 ,arg41 #afii4 ,triomphe ,hermtique 7i4e41 ,ancient ,war of the ,knights74 #abmo4 ,amst41 #afhi4 ,trifolium ,hermeticum4 7,german47 #afbi4 ,trimosin 7,s41 adept7--,la ,toison d',or4 #hvo4 #afaa4 ,trithemius 7,j47--,de ,lapide ,phil4 #hvo4 #afaa4 ,trinum ,magicum ,opus ,secretorum4 #abmo4 ,tran41 #af1 #ahji4 ,trompette de ,philosophie ,hermtique4 #abmo4 ,paris4 ,tubicum ,conviviale ,hermeticum4 #dto4 ,gedani1 #afhb4 ,tymme 7,j47--,nature's ,closet ,opened4 #dto4 ,lond41 #afab4 ,ulstadii 7,p47--,clum ,philosophorum4 #abmo4 ,lugd41 #aeec4 ,untzerus 7,m47--,anatomia ,mercurii4 #dto4 ,hale ,sax41 #afbj4 ,urbigero 7,baro41 adept7--,aphorisms4 #abmo4 ,lond41 #afij4 ,vallensis 7,r47--,de ,veritate et ,antiquitate ,artis ,chemic4 #afmo4 ,par41 #afea4 ,valentine 7,basil1 adept7--,last ,will1 ,practica1 ,twelve ,keys1 ,manual1 ,natural and ,supernatural ,things1 ,microcosm1 c4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afga4 ---- ,triumphal ,chariot of ,antimony4 #hvo4 #afef4 ---- ,scripta ,chimica4 #hvo4 ,hamburgi1 #agjj4 ,vallerlis 7,v47--,lulliam ,explicano4 #dto4 ,august41 #aehi4 ,vanderlinden--,de ,scriptis ,medecis4 #dto4 ,norim41 #afhf4 ,vanner 7,t47--,way to ,long ,life4 #dto4 ,lond41 #afbc4 ,vannucio ,pyrotecnia della ,minere4 #dto4 ,venet41 #aedj4 ,vargas 7,b4 ,p47--,de ,re ,metallica4 #hvo4 ,madrid1 #aefi4 ,vigam of ,verona--,medulla ,chymi4 ,lond41 #afhc4 ,vigenerus 7,b47--,of ,true ,fire and ,salt4 ,lond41 #afdi4 ,vigani 7,j4 ,a47--,medulla ,chymi4 ,lug4 ,bat41 #afic4 ,villanova 7,arnoldus de7--,opera ,omnia--,conversion of ,metals1 ,rosary1 ,speculum1 ,questions1 ,flos ,florum1 c4 ,fol4 ,lugd41 #aebj4 ,villanovani 7,petri71 compiler--,speculum4 ,du1 #afbf4 ,vittestein--,de ,quinta ,essentia4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aehb4 ,vogelii 7,ewal47--,de ,lapide ,physici4 ,colon41 #aege4 ,vonderbeet 7,d47--,experimenta4 ,ferrari1 #afhh4 ,wallerus--,chemia ,physica4 #hvo4 ,lond4 ,water--,the ,water ,stone of the ,wise4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afei4 ,webster's ,history of ,metals4 #dto4 ,lond41 #afga4 ,wecker 7,dr1 of ,basle7--,secrets4 #hvo4 ,lyons1 #afdc4 ,weidenfeld 7,j4 ,j47--,secrets of the ,adepts4 #dto4 ,lond41 #afhe4 ,weidnerus 7,j47--,de ,arte ,chimica4 #dto4 ,basil1 #afaj4 ,wickffbain 7,j4 ,p47--,salamandra4 ,norimb41 #afhc4 ,williams 7,w47--,occult ,physics4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #affj4 ,willis 7,t47--,theophisical ,alchemy4 #hvo4 ,lond41 #afaf4 ---- ,opera ,omnia ,medicin4 #b v4 ,lugd41 #afha4 ,wilson 7,g47--,three ,hundred ,unknown ,experiments4 ,lond41 #afii4 ,wirdig 7,sebas47--,medicina ,spiritum4 ,norimberg1 #afge4 ,wittestein 7,c47--,de ,quinta ,essentia4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aehc4 ,wittichius 7,j47--,de ,lapide ,philos4 #hvo4 ,francof41 #afbe4 ,zacharia--,clavis ,spagirica4 #dto4 ,venet41 #afaa4 ,zacharii 7,d41 adept7--,la ,vraie ,philosophie des ,metaux4 #hvo4 ,anvers41 #aefg4 ---- ,de ,chimico ,miracule4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #aehc4 ,zadith--,antiquissimi ,philos4 #hvo4 ,argent41 #aeff4 ,zelator 7,j47--,alchemistici4 #hvo4 ,basil1 #afjf4 99 99 99 99 99 ,note4--,the titles of some of the treatises enumerated above have been mutilated by the original bibliographers1 and owing to the extreme rarity of most alchemical books1 it has been impossible to correct all errors4 ,,appendix4 ,i4 ,the life of ,denis ,zachaire has been made the subject of an interesting and well-written novel--8,a ,professor of ,alchemy0--by 8,percy ,ross10 recently published by ,mr ,george ,redway4 ,the life of the great adept1 after his accomplishment of the ,magnum ,opus1 is detailed at some length1 ,m4 ,louis ,figuier being apparently the authority for the bare facts of the case4 ,the alchemist is represented by the ,french writer as having travelled to ,lausanne1 where he became enamoured of a young and beautiful lady1 whom he carried from ,switzerland into ,germany1 and then abandoned himself completely to a life of dissipation and folly1 which closed tragically at ,cologne in the year #aeef4 ,he was strangled in the middle of a drunken sleep by the cousin who had accompanied him in his travels1 and who coveted his wealth and his mistress4 ,the murderer effected his escape with the lady1 who appears to have been his accomplice4 ,the sole authority for this narrative appears to be a poem by ,mardoch de ,delle1 who was attached1 as a sort of laureate1 to the court of ,rodolph ,,ii4 ,it is not improbably a mere invention of the versifier2 there is nothing in the sober treatise of ,denis ,zachaire1 written at the period in question1 to give colour to the account of his extravagance4 ,,ii4 ,the manuscript volume entitled 8,egyptian ,freemasonry0 fell1 with the other papers of ,cagliostro1 into the hands of the ,inquisition1 and was solemnly condemned in the judgment as containing rites1 propositions1 a doctrine and a system which opened a broad road to sedition and were calculated to destroy the ,christian religion4 ,the book was characterised as superstitious1 blasphemous1 impious1 and heretical4 ,it was publicly burnt by the hands of the executioner1 with the instruments belonging to the sect4 ,some valuable particulars concerning it are1 however1 preserved in the ,italian life2 they are reproduced from the original proceedings published at ,rome by order of the ,apostolic ,chamber4 8,it may be necessary to enter into some details concerning ,egyptian ,masonry4 ,we shall extract our facts from a book compiled by himself1 and now in our possession1 by which he owns he was always directed in the exercise of his functions1 and from which those regulations and instructions were copied1 wherewith he enriched many mother lodges4 ,in this treatise1 which is written in ,french1 he promises to conduct his disciples to perfection by means of physical and moral regeneration1 to confer perpetual youth and beauty on them1 and restore them to that state of innocence which they were deprived of by means of original sin4 ,he asserts that ,egyptian ,masonry was first propagated by ,enoch and ,elias1 but that since that time it has lost much of its purity and splendour4 ,common masonry1 according to him1 has degenerated into mere buffoonery1 and women have of late been entirely excluded from its mysteries2 but the time was now arrived when the grand ,copt was about to restore the glory of masonry1 and allow its benefits to be participated by both sexes4 8,the statutes of the order then follow in rotation1 the division of the members into three distinct classes1 the various signs by which they might discover each other1 the officers who are to preside over and regulate the society1 the stated times when the members are to assemble1 the erection of a tribunal for deciding all differences that may arise between the several lodges or the particular members of each1 and the various ceremonies which ought to take place at the admission of the candidates4 ,in every part of this book the pious reader is disgusted with the sacrilege1 the profanity1 the superstition1 and the idolatry with which it abounds--the invocations in the name of ,god1 the prostrations1 the adorations paid to the ,grand ,master1 the fumigations1 the incense1 the exorcisms1 the emblems of the ,divine ,triad1 of the moon1 of the sun1 of the compass1 of the square1 and a thousand other scandalous particulars1 with which the world is at present well acquainted4 8,the ,grand ,copt1 or chief of the lodge1 is compared to ,god the ,father4 ,he is invoked upon every occasion2 he regulates all the actions of the members and all the ceremonies of the lodge1 and he is even supposed to have communication with angels and with the ,divinity4 ,in the exercise of many of the rites they are desired to repeat the ,veni and the ,te ,deum--nay1 to such an excess of impiety are they enjoined1 that in reciting the psalm ,memento ,domine ,david1 the name of the ,grand ,master is always to be substituted for that of the ,king of ,israel4 8,people of all religions are admitted into the society of ,egyptian ,masonry--the ,jew1 the ,calvinist1 the ,lutheran1 are to be received into it as well as the ,catholic--provided they believe in the existence of ,god and the immortality of the soul1 and have been previously allowed to participate in the mysteries of the common masonry4 ,when men are admitted1 they receive a pair of garters from the ,grand ,copt1 as is usual in all lodges1 for their mistresses2 and when women are received into the society1 they are presented by the ,grand ,mistress with a cockade1 which they are desired to give to that man to whom they are most attached4 8,we shall here recount the ceremonies made use of on admitting a female4 8,the candidate having presented herself1 the ,grand ,mistress 7,madame ,cagliostro generally presided in that capacity7 breathes upon her face from the forehead to the chin1 and then says1 #8,i breathe upon you on purpose to inspire you with the virtues which we possess1 so that they may take root and flourish in your heart1 ,i thus fortify your soul1 ,i thus confirm you in the faith of your brethren and sisters1 according to the engagements which you have contracted with them4 ,we now admit you as a daughter of the ,egyptian lodge4 ,we order that you be acknowledged in that capacity by all the brethren and sisters of the ,egyptian lodges1 and that you enjoy with them the same prerogatives as with ourselves4' 8,the ,grand ,master thus addresses the male candidate3 #8,in virtue of the power which ,i have received from the ,grand ,copt1 the founder of our order1 and by the particular grace of ,god1 ,i hereby confer upon you the honour of being admitted into our lodge in the name of ,helios1 ,mene1 ,tetragrammaton4' 8,in a book1 said to be printed at ,paris in #aghi1 it is asserted that the last words were suggested to ,cagliostro1 as sacred and cabalistical expressions by a pretended conjuror1 who said that he was assisted by a spirit1 and that this spirit was no other than the soul of a cabalistical ,jew1 who by means of the magical art had murdered his own father before the incarnation of ,jesus ,christ4 8,common masons have been accustomed to regard ,st ,john as their patron1 and to celebrate the festival of that saint4 ,cagliostro also adopted him as his protector1 and it is not a little remarkable that he was imprisoned at ,rome on the very festival of his patron4 ,the reason for his veneration of this great prophet was1 if we are to believe himself1 the great similarity between the ,apocalypse and the rites of his institution4 8,we must here observe that when any of his disciples were admitted into the highest class1 the following execrable ceremony took place4 ,a young boy or girl1 in the state of virgin innocence and purity1 was procured1 who was called the pupil1 and to whom power was given over the seven spirits that surround the throne of the divinity and preside over the seven planets4 ,their names according to ,cagliostro's book are ,anal1 ,michal1 ,raphal1 ,gabriel1 ,uriel1 ,zobiachel1 and ,anachiel4 ,the pupil is then made use of as an intermediate agent between the spiritual and physical worlds1 and being clothed in a long white robe1 adorned with a red ribbon1 and blue silk festoons1 he is shut up in a little closet4 ,from that place he gives response to the ,grand ,master1 and tells whether the spirits and ,moses have agreed to receive the candidates into the highest class of ,egyptian masons4444 8,in his instructions to obtain the moral and physical regeneration which he had promised to his disciples1 he is exceedingly careful to give a minute description of the operations to which they are to submit4 ,those who are desirous of experiencing the moral regeneration are to retire from the world for the space of forty days1 and to distribute their time into certain proportions4 ,six hours are to be employed in reflection1 three in prayer to the ,deity1 nine in the holy operations of ,egyptian ,masonry1 while the remaining period is to be dedicated to repose4 ,at the end of the thirty-three days a visible communication is to take place between the patient and the seven primitive spirits1 and on the morning of the fortieth day his soul will be inspired with divine knowledge1 and his body be as pure as that of a new-born infant4 8,to procure a physical regeneration1 the patient is to retire into the country in the month of ,may1 and during forty days is to live according to the most strict and austere rules1 eating very little1 and then only laxative and sanative herbs1 and making use of no other drink than distilled water1 or rain that has fallen in the course of the month4 ,on the seventeenth day1 after having let blood1 certain white drops are to be taken1 six at night and six in the morning1 increasing them two a day in progression4 ,in three days more a small quantity of blood is again to be let from the arm before sunrise1 and the patient is to retire to bed till the operation is completed4 ,a grain of the panacea is then to be taken2 this panacea is the same as that of which ,god created man when ,he first made him immortal4 ,when this is swallowed the candidate loses his speech and his reflection for three entire days1 and he is subject to frequent convulsions1 struggles1 and perspirations4 ,having recovered from this state1 in which1 however1 he experiences no pain whatever1 on the thirty-sixth day1 he takes the third and last grain of the panacea1 which causes him to fall into a profound and tranquil sleep2 it is then that he loses his hair1 his skin1 and his teeth4 ,these again are all reproduced in a few hours1 and having become a new man1 on the morning of the fortieth day he leaves his room1 enjoying a complete rejuvenescence1 by which he is enabled to live #eeeg years1 or to such time as he1 of his own accord1 may be desirous of going to the world of spirits40 ,,concerning ,,the ,,lodge ,,of ,,freemasons ,,discovered ,,at ,,rome4 ,the final chapter of the ,italian life of ,cagliostro1 which appeared before the death of its subject1 contains a curious and interesting account under the above title4 ,the lodge was situated in the quarter of the city called the ,holy ,trinity of the ,mountain4 ,it was visited on the night of ,cagliostro's capture1 but the members had been evidently forewarned2 they had taken precautions as to their personal safety1 had removed the symbols of their craft and the greater part of their books and papers1 which perhaps1 says the writer1 contained secrets of great importance4 ,the ,inquisition claims to have a true insight1 notwithstanding1 into the origin1 establishment1 and other particulars of this lodge1 drawn in part from the depositions of 8a multitude of well-informed persons40 ,the founders were seven in number1 five ,frenchmen1 an ,american1 and a ,pole1 all of whom had been previously initiated into other lodges4 ,it assumed the title of the ,lodge of the ,reunion of ,true ,friends1 and the first meeting took place on ,november #a1 #aghg4 ,proselytes were immediately made1 and included candidates who had not been received into any other society4 ,its numbers rapidly increased1 and to establish it with all the necessary formalities approbation was procured from the ,mother ,lodge at ,paris1 and a deputy was sent to reside in that city as its representative4 ,its letters were transported by special messengers4 ,mention is made in the register of archives kept under three locks1 in which the statutes1 the mysteries1 and the symbols transmitted from ,paris were preserved1 with all the most interesting speeches delivered within the lodge4 ,however1 the ,egyptian lodge is affirmed to have been in this instance devoid of special characteristics4 ,the list of its officers was as follows3-- #a4 ,the ,venerable1 or ,grand ,master4 #b4 ,the ,superintendent1 or ,deputy ,grand ,master4 #c4 ,the ,terrible4 #d4 ,the ,master of the ,ceremonies4 #e4 ,the ,treasurer4 #f4 ,the ,almoner4 #g4 ,the ,secretary4 #h4 ,the ,orator1 or ,export ,broker4 ,the entire ,lodge was composed of two chambers1 or halls4 ,the first was called the ,chamber of ,reflections4 ,a death's head was placed on a table1 and above it were two inscriptions in ,french1 which contained an arcane significance4 ,the second apartment was called the ,temple2 it was adorned according to the various rites performed in it4 ,on all occasions it was provided with a throne1 on which the ,venerable constantly sat4 ,some emblems of masonry adorned the walls--among them were the sun1 moon1 and planets4 ,on the two sides of the throne several magnificent pillars were placed1 and opposite to these the brotherhood were arranged in order1 each of them wearing his leathern apron1 and a black ribbon in the form of a deacon's stole about his neck1 while in his hands1 which were covered with a pair of white gloves1 he brandished a naked sword1 a hammer1 or a compass1 according to the different formalities prescribed by the institution4 ,with the secret signs and passports1 the ,inquisition does not seem to have been acquainted4 ,,index4 ,abraham the ,jew1 #ii ,adfar1 an ,arabian adept of ,alexandria1 #ec ,alain of ,lisle1 #fg ,albertus ,magnus1 #eg ,alcahest1 #aeg ,alchemy--,diversity of opinion on the object of alchemical science1 #i2 the avowed object1 #aj2 the aim said to be concealed1 #aa2 symbolism of the science1 #aa2 distinction between alchemy and chemistry1 #ba2 alchemy as a factor in the progress of the physical sciences1 #bg2 physical nature of the alchemical aim established by the lives and writings of the adepts1 #bi2 side issues of alchemical theories1 #cb2 application of alchemy to the extension of life1 #fe2 modification of the human body by alchemy1 #fe2 alchemy the science of the four elements1 #ic2 the ,seal of ,god set on the secret of alchemy1 #afe ,alfarabi1 #dh ,alipili1 #bb1 #bc ,altotas1 #bba1 #bcd ,ancient ,war of the ,knights1 #dc ,anima ,magica ,abscondita1 #ba ,anonymous adept1 #ahd ,antimony1 ,basil ,valentine's preparation for the study of1 #ag2 the ,triumphal ,chariot of ,antimony1 #aba ,aphrodite ,urania1 #cg ,apono1 ,peter d'1 #hh ,aquinas1 ,st ,thomas1 #fa ,argent ,vive--,reduction of metals into sophic ,argent ,vive1 #hg2 the ,medicine of all ,metals1 #ij2 the first thing to be ascertained in alchemy is the significance of this term1 #ib ,arnold de ,villanova1 #hh ,ars ,lulliana1 #fh ,avicenna1 #ea ,azoth1 or ,the ,star in the ,east1 a forthcoming work on the psychic potencies which enter into the higher act of transmutation1 on the mysteries of spiritual chemistry1 and on the possibilities of practical transcendentalism1 #cg ,bacon1 ,roger1 #fc ,balsamo1 ,joseph1 ,travels1 ,adventures1 and ,imprisonments1 #bbj ,basil1 ,valentine1 #abj ,belin1 ,albert1 #ahf ,berigard of ,pisa1 #adh ,bird1 ,william1 unknown adept1 #aej ,bhme1 ,jacob1 #afa ,bono1 ,peter1 #aah ,borri1 ,guiseppe ,francesco1 #bjh ,botticher1 ,john ,frederich1 neophyte1 #bab ,braccesco1 ,giovanni1 #aea ,busardier1 unknown adept1 #ahb ,butler1 #afh ,cagliostro1 ,count ,allesandro1 name assumed by ,balsamo1 #bcj ,calcination1 an alchemical process1 #ac1 #ai ,canons of ,espagnet1 #ai ,charnock1 ,thomas1 #adh ,chemistry1 said to have no connection with alchemy1 #ad2 distinction between alchemy and chemistry1 #ba1 #be2 a counter view1 #dd ,contemplation1 a preparation for alchemical practices1 #ah ,cremer1 ,john1 pseudo-abbot of ,westminster1 #hc ,dalton1 ,thomas1 #acc ,dee1 ,john1 #aec ,delisle1 #baf ,d',espagnet1 ,jean1 #agj2 on the obstacles which beset the alchemist1 #ci ,diana ,unveiled1 #ahj ,dissolution1 an alchemical process1 #ab ,dominic1 ,st1 said to have been an adept1 #eh ,dubois1 descendant of ,flamel1 #aad ,dunstan1 ,st1 ,book of1 #aed1 #aee ,egyptian ,masonry1 #bde1 #bej1 and ,appendix ,,ii4 ,elias the ,artist1 #aic ,eliphas ,lvi1 #hb ,elixir1 the ,white and ,red1 #aie toile ,flamboyante1 #ei ,eugenius ,philalethes1 #ba1 #ca1 #ahi ,exaltation1 an alchemical process1 #cb ,fabre1 ,pierre ,jean1 #bjj ,ferarius1 #ib ,figuier1 ,louis1 alchemical critic1 #bg1 #fc ,fioravanti1 ,leonardi1 #aec ,flamel1 ,nicholas1 #ie ,fontaine1 ,john1 #abi ,galip1 #ee ,geber1 #dd ,generation of ,metals1 #ch1 #dh1 #acc ,gotic magic1 #fe ,gold1 #aj1 #bh1 #adj ,grand ,magisterium1 #eg1 #abc ,grand ,secret and ,grand ,act1 #agj1 #ahi ,great ,art1 #acj ,grimoire1 #fj ,gustenhover1 #aha ,helmont1 ,j4 ,b4 ,van1 #aff ,helvetius1 ,john ,frederick1 #bja ,hermetic--,aim of ,hermetic science1 #bi2 true method of ,hermetic interpretation1 #cj2 supreme secret of ,hermetic philosophy1 #ff2 the ,hermetic art a gift of ,god1 #fh ,heydon1 ,john1 #baj ,hitchcock--,his ,remarks on ,alchemy and the ,alchemists1 #aj1 #ad1 #bc1 #cj ,interpretation of ,hermetic theories1 c4--,hermetic typology1 #aj2 the moral method1 #ac2 the ,psychic method1 #abb ,invocation as a preparation for the practice of alchemy1 #ag ,isaac of ,holland1 #abc ,jean de ,meung1 #ij ,johannes de ,rupecissa1 #aai ,john ,,xxii41 ,pope1 #ic ,kalid1 an initiated monarch1 #ed ,khunrath1 ,henry1 #aei2 treats of spiritual alchemy1 #cc1 #cf ,lascaris1 #baa ,lavures1 alchemical operations1 #aab ,light--,veritable light of alchemy1 #ae2 vision in the ,divine ,light1 #af2 light the ,first ,matter of the ,magnum ,opus1 #ch ,magic ,chain1 #bb ,magnum ,opus--,the first ,matter of the ,magnum ,opus in its psychic aspect to be revealed in a forthcoming work1 ,,azoth1 ,,or ,,the ,,star ,,in ,,the ,,east1 #cg2 processes for the accomplishment of the ,magnum ,opus1 #db2 these described by ,arnold1 #ij2 the composition of the ,stone is the accomplishment of the ,magnum ,opus1 #aeb2 manner of the accomplishment of the ,magnum ,opus described in 8,the ,adventures of an ,unknown ,philosopher10 #ahf ,maier1 ,michael1 #eh1 #hg1 #afj ,man--,the concealed subject of every adept1 #aa2 the mystic vase of election1 #ad ,manuel1 ,domenico1 #bae ,mary of ,alexandria1 #cf ,matter1 the first matter of the ,magnum ,opus1 said to be gold1 #bh2 defined as a fifth element1 #ci2 one only and self-same thing1 #dj2 its true nature not disclosed by the adepts1 #da2 its informing spirit variously adaptable1 #dc2 a duplex nature1 #ec2 contained in silver and gold1 #hg2 the seed of every metal can be reduced into the first matter1 #ic2 figured in the book of ,rabbi ,abraham1 #ajc2 found by ,nicholas ,flamel1 #ajf2 mercury the true first matter1 #aah2 the matter of the philosophical stone a viscous water1 #aai2 said to be ,saturn1 or lead1 #abd2 is found everywhere1 #acf2 may be discovered by studying the best books of the philosophers1 #ade ,medicine--,properties of a universal medicine attributed to the ,stone1 #ac2 the ,stone a medicine for metals and man1 #cb2 life is prolonged by the stone1 #abc2 application of the tincture as a medicine for the human body1 #adh ,mercury--,identified with the supernatural1 #aa2 obstacles to its discovery1 #ci2 sophic mercury described by ,avicenna1 #eb2 mercury the water of metals1 #abi2 a matchless treasure1 #aig ,morien1 #ec ,morning ,star1 #cf ,new ,birth1 #aa1 #ab ,norton1 ,thomas1 #acj ,obereit1 ,john ,hermann1 #bai ,one ,thing ,needful--,the exaltation of the cognising faculty1 #ae ,orizon ternitatis1 mystical term of ,paracelsus1 #cf ,palingenesis1 #ib ,philalethes1 ,eirenus1 #ahg2 on the ,aqua ,philosophorum1 #bb ,picus de ,mirandola1 #acf ,psychic ,chemistry--,a ,scheme of ,absolute ,reconstruction1 #cf2 accomplished by the ,divine ,power in the ,soul1 #bb2 general observations on spiritual alchemistry1 #cb-cg ,regnauld1 ,brother1 #fc ,rhasis1 #df ,richthausen1 his transmutations with stolen powder1 #ahc ,ripley1 ,george1 #acd2 his description of the ,stone1 #da2 supposed to have initiated ,thomas ,norton1 #acj ,romance of the ,rose1 #ij ,rose ,nobles1 #hb1 #hd1 #hf ,rosicrucians--,had other alchemical objects than metallic transmutations1 #cf2 the associates defended by ,michael ,maier1 #afj2 initiation offered by the ,rosicrucians to ,sendivogius1 #agi ,sendivogius1 ,michael1 #age2 8,the ,new ,light of ,alchemy0 falsely ascribed to this neophyte1 #ba1 #ca ,separation an alchemical process1 #ab1 #ag ,sethon1 ,alexander1 #aga ,son of the ,sun1 #cg ,sophistication of metals1 #fb ,starkey1 ,george1 #afe1 #aie1 #aig1 c4 ,stone of the ,philosophers--,said to be a symbol of immortality1 #ac2 analogous in its nature to the state of primeval man1 #ca2 ,transmutation accomplished by its means1 #ch2 in appearance a subtle1 brown1 and opaque earth1 #acb2 dark1 disesteemed1 and grey in colour1 #afe2 the seed out of which gold and silver are generated1 #bja ,subject of ,alchemy--,according to ,hitchcock1 #ac2 according to ,george ,starkey1 #bd ,suggestive inquiry concerning the ,hermetic ,mystery1 #i1 #ad1 #ag1 #bd1 #cj1 #cd ,sulphur 7,sophic7--,said to symbolise ,nature1 #aa2 sophic sulphur and the conscience1 #ab2 difficulties in its discovery1 #ci2 described by ,avicenna1 #eb ,transmutation--,doubts as to the significance of the term1 #i2 identified with spiritual conversion1 #ac2 the physical theory of ,transmutation1 #ch1 c42 possibility of the fact1 #cc ,transmutations performed by adepts and their emissaries1 #hd1 #id1 #ajf1 #aah1 #acc1 #acf1 #adh1 #aef1 #afg1 #afh1 #agg1 #agh1 #aha1 #ahc1 #ahd1 #ahe1 #aif1 #bja-bjh1 #bab-baf1 #bag1 #bah ,trvisan1 ,bernard1 #abd2 honoured by ,philalethes1 #aid ,tschoudy1 ,baron1 #ci ,typology--,possibility of an infinite variety of interpretations of any sequence of typology1 #bi ,urbigerus--,his alchemical aphorisms1 #dj ,vase of the ,philosophers--,identified with man1 #ad2 its true nature unexplained by adepts1 #da2 described by ,geber1 #df ,vaughan1 ,thomas1 #ahg ,wisdom ,faculty1 #ae ,wood of ,life1 #aeb ,zachaire1 ,denis1 #adj ,turnbull ,spears1 ,printers1 ,edinburgh4 ,,published ,,by ,,mr ,,george ,,redway4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,crown #hvo4 ,historico-,symbolical ,binding4 #ded pp1 price #gs4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,real ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,rosicrucians4 ,founded on their own ,manifestoes1 and on ,facts and ,documents collected from the ,writings of ,initiated ,brethren4 ,by ,,arthur ,,edward ,,waite4 8,we desire to speak of ,mr ,waite's work with the greatest respect on the points of honesty1 impartiality1 and sound scholarship4 ,mr ,waite has given1 for the first time1 the documents with which ,rosicrucianism has been connected in extenso40--,literary ,world4 8,there is something mysterious and fascinating about the history of the ,virgin ,fraternity of the ,rose40--,saturday ,review4 8,a curious and interesting story of the doings of a mysterious association in times when people were more ready to believe in supernatural phenomena than the highly-educated1 matter-of-fact people of to-day40--,morning ,post4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 with ,frontispiece1 price #gs4 #f;d4 ,third ,edition1 revised and enlarged4 ,,magic1 ,,white ,,and ,,black2 or1 ,the ,science of ,finite and ,infinite ,life1 containing ,practical ,hints for ,students of ,occultism4 ,by ,,franz ,,hartmann1 ,m4,d4 8,dr ,hartmann's #8,magic1' as compared with #8,light on the ,path1' is a bulky tome2 and in its closely-printed pages students of occultism will find hints1 #8practical' and otherwise1 likely to be of great service to them in the pursuit of their studies and researches4 ,it was not the author's #8object1 in composing this book1 to write merely a code of ,ethics1 and thereby to increase the already existing enormous mountain of unread moral precepts1 but to assist the student of occultism in studying the elements of which his own soul is composed1 and to learn to know his own physical organism4 ,i want to give an impulse to the study of a science which may be called the 8anatomy and physiology of the ,soul10 which investigates the elements of which the soul is composed1 and the source from which man's desires and emotions spring4' ,dr ,hartmann's compendium is #8an attempt to show the way how man may become a co-operator of the ,divine ,power1 whose product is ,nature1' and his pages1 as described by himself1 #8constitute a book which may properly have the title of 8,magic10 for if the readers succeed in practically following its teaching1 they will be able to perform the greatest of all magical feats1 the spiritual regeneration of ,man4' ,dr ,hartmann's book has also gone into a third edition1 and has developed from an insignificant pamphlet1 #8written originally for the purpose of demonstrating to a few inexperienced inquirers that the study of the occult side of nature was not identical with the vile practices of sorcery1' into a compendious volume1 comprising1 we are willing to believe1 the entire philosophic system of occultism4 ,there are abundant evidences that the science of theosophy has made vast strides in public estimation of late years1 and that those desirous of experimenting in this particular and in many respects fascinating1 branch of ethics1 have leaders whose teaching they can follow with satisfaction to themselves40--,saturday ,review4 ,crown #hvo1 ,cloth1 price #gs4 #f;d4 ,,posthumous ,,humanity2 ,a ,study of ,phantoms4 ,by ,,adolphe ,d',,assier1 ,member of the ,bordeaux ,academy of ,sciences4 ,translated and ,annotated by ,,henry ,s4 ,,olcott1 ,president of the ,theosophical ,society4 ,to which is added an ,appendix shewing the ,popular ,beliefs current in ,india respecting the ,post-mortem ,vicissitudes of the ,human ,entity4 ,truth says--8,if you care for ghost stories1 duly accredited1 excellently told1 and scientifically explained1 you should read the translation by ,colonel ,olcott of ,m4 ,adolphe d',assier's #8,posthumous ,humanity1' a study of phantoms4 ,there is no dogmatism so dogged and offensive as that of the professed sceptic--of the scientific sceptic especially--who ex vi termini ought to keep the doors of his mind hospitably open2 and it is refreshing1 therefore1 to find such scientists as ,wallace1 ,crookes1 and ,m4 d',assier1 who is a ,positivist1 in the ranks of the ,psychical ,research host4 ,for my own part1 though ,i have attended the sance of a celebrated ,london medium1 and there convinced myself beyond all doubt of his imposture1 ,i no more think that the detection of a medium fraud disposes of the whole question of ghosts1 c41 than that the detection of an atheist priest disposes of the whole question of ,christianity4 ,whatever view you take of this controversy1 however1 ,i can promise you that you will find the book interesting at least if not convincing40 ,pott #hvo1 ,cloth1 ,limp1 price #as4 #f;d4 ,,light ,,on ,,the ,,path4 ,a ,treatise written for the ,personal ,use of those who are ignorant of the ,eastern ,wisdom1 and who desire to enter within its influence4 ,written down by ,m4 ,c41 ,fellow of the ,theosophical ,society4 ,new ,edition1 with ,notes1 by the ,author4 8,so far as we can gather from the mystic language in which it is couched1 #8,light on the ,path' is intended to guide the footsteps of those who have discarded the forms of religion while retaining the moral principle to its fullest extent4 ,it is in harmony with much that was said by ,socrates and ,plato1 although the author does not use the phraseology of those philosophers1 but rather the language of ,buddhism1 easily understood by esoteric ,buddhists1 but difficult to grasp by those without the pale4 #8,light on the ,path' may1 we think1 be said to be the only attempt in this language and in this century to put practical occultism into words2 and it may be added1 by way of further explanation1 that the character of ,gautama ,buddha1 as shown in ,sir ,edwin ,arnold's #8,light of ,asia1' is the perfect type of the being who has reached the threshold of ,divinity by this road4 ,that it has reached a third edition speaks favourably for this multum in parvo of the science of occultism2 and #8,m4 ,c4' may be expected to gather fresh laurels in future40--,saturday ,review4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 price #fs4 ,a ,,biographical ,,romance4 ,a ,,professor ,,of ,,alchemy 7,denis ,zachaire74 ,by ,,percy ,,ross1 ,author of 8,a ,comedy without ,laughter0 and 8,a ,misguidit ,lassie40 8,a clever story4444 ,the hero is an alchemist who actually succeeds in manufacturing pure gold40--,court ,journal4 8,shadowy and dream-like40--,athenum4 8,an interesting and pathetic picture40--,literary ,world4 8,the story is utterly tragical1 and is powerfully told40--,westminster ,review4 8,a vivid picture of those bad old times40--,knowledge4 8,sure of a special circle of readers with congenial tastes40--,graphic4 8,this is a story of love--of deep1 undying1 refining love--not without suggestions of ,faust4 ,the figure of ,berengaria1 his wife1 is a noble and touching one1 and her purity and sweetness stand out in beautiful relief from the gloom of the alchemist's laboratory and the horrors of the terrible ,inquisition into whose hands she falls4 ,the romance of the crucible1 however1 is not all permeated by sulphurous vapours and tinged with tartarean smoke4 ,there is often a highly dramatic element40--,glasgow ,herald4 ,demy #hvo1 bevelled cloth1 gilt1 price #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,mysteries ,,of ,,magic3 ,a ,digest of the ,writings of ,eliphas ,lvi4 ,with ,biographical and ,critical ,essay1 by ,,arthur ,,edward ,,waite4 ,the ,morning ,post says3--8,of the many remarkable men who have gained notoriety by their proficiency1 real or imaginary1 in the ,black ,arts1 probably none presents a more strange and irreconcilable character than the ,french magician1 ,alphonse ,louis ,constant4 ,better known under the ,jewish pseudonym of ,eliphas ,lvi ,zahed1 this enthusiastic student of forbidden art made some stir in ,france1 and even in ,london1 and was frequently consulted by those who were inclined to place some credit in his reputation as a magician4 ,his works on magic are those of an undoubted genius1 and divulge a philosophy beautiful in conception if totally opposed to common sense principles4 ,there is so great a fund of learning and of attractive reasoning in these writings that ,mr ,arthur ,waite has published a digest of them for the benefit of ,english readers4 ,this gentleman has not attempted a literal translation in every case1 but has arranged a volume which1 while reproducing with sufficient accuracy a great portion of the more interesting works1 affords an excellent idea of the scope of entire literary remains of an enthusiast for whom he entertains a profound admiration4 8,with regard to the contents of the present volume1 there is nothing in it very suggestive of sulphur4 ,no apprehension need be felt if the book be left about the house that the adventurous members of the family circle will commence incantations in mystic robes with the aid of ,abracadabra1 the ,pentagram and incense4 ,in fact1 ,eliphas over and over again sets his face against amateur attempts at magical practices4 ,the reader may1 however1 with profit peruse carefully the learned dissertations penned by ,m4 ,constant upon the ,hermetic art treated as a religion1 a philosophy1 and a natural science4 ,as a religion1 ,eliphas holds it to be that of the ancient ,magi and the initiates of all ages2 as a philosophy its principles are traced in the ,alexandrian school1 and in the theories of ,pythagoras2 as a science1 he indicates the methods to be ascertained from ,paracelsus1 ,nicholas ,flamel1 and ,raymond ,lully4 ,in view of the remarkable exhibitions of mesmeric influence and thought-reading which have recently been given1 it is not improbable that the thoughtful reader may find a clue in the writings of this cultured and amiable magician to the secret of many of the manifestations of witchcraft that formerly struck wonder and terror into the hearts of simple folks eager to behold and ready to believe in supernatural powers40 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth1 price1 including the pack of cards #gh in number1 #es4 ,,fortune-,,telling ,,cards4--,,the ,,tarot2 ,its ,occult ,signification1 ,use in ,fortune-,telling1 and ,method of ,play1 c4 ,by ,s4 ,l4 ,,macgregor ,,mathers4 8,the designs of the twenty-one trump cards are extremely singular2 in order to give some idea of the manner in which ,mr ,mather uses them in fortune-telling it is necessary to mention them in detail1 together with the general signification which he attaches to each of them4 ,the would-be cartomancer may then draw his own particular conclusions1 and he will find considerable latitude for framing them in accordance with his predilections4 ,it should further be mentioned that each of the cards when reversed conveys a meaning the contrary of its primary signification4 ,no4 #a is the ,bateleur or ,juggler1 called also ,pagad2 the latter designation is adduced by ,count de ,gebelin in proof of the ,oriental origin of ,tarots1 it being derived from ,,pag1 chief or master1 and ,,gad1 fortune4 ,the ,juggler symbolizes ,will4 #b4 ,the ,high ,priestess1 or female ,pope1 represents ,science1 ,wisdom1 or ,knowledge4 #c4 ,the ,empress1 is the symbol of ,action or ,initiative4 #d4 ,the ,emperor1 represents ,realization or ,development4 #e4 ,the ,hierophant or ,pope is the ,symbol of ,mercy and ,beneficence4 #f4 ,the ,lovers1 signify ,wise ,disposition and ,trials surmounted4 #g4 ,the ,chariot1 represents ,triumph1 ,victory over ,obstacles4 #h4 ,themis or ,justice1 symbolizes ,equilibrium and ,justice4 #i4 ,the ,hermit1 denotes ,prudence4 #aj4 ,the ,wheel of ,fortune1 represents ,fortune1 good or bad4 #aa4 ,fortitude1 symbolizes ,power or ,might4 #ab4 ,the ,hanged ,man--a man suspended head downwards by one leg--means ,devotion1 ,self-,sacrifice4 #ac4 ,death1 signifies ,transformation or ,change4 #ad4 ,temperance1 typifies ,combination4 #ae4 ,the ,devil1 is the image of ,fate or ,fatality4 #af4 ,the ,lightning-struck ,tower1 called also ,maison-,dieu1 shows ,ruin1 ,disruption4 #ag4 ,the ,star1 is the ,emblem of ,hope4 #ah4 ,the ,moon1 symbolises ,twilight1 ,deception1 and ,error4 #ai4 ,the ,sun1 signifies ,earthly ,happiness4 #bj4 ,the ,last ,judgment1 means ,renewal1 ,determination of a matter4 #ba4 ,the ,universe1 represents ,completion and ,reward4 #j4 ,the ,foolish ,man1 signifies ,expiation or ,wavering4 ,separate meanings1 with their respective converses1 are also attached to each of the other cards in the pack1 so that when they have been dealt out and arranged in any of the combinations recommended by the author for purposes of divination1 the inquirer has only to use this little volume as a dictionary in order to read his fate40--,saturday ,review4 ,,george ,,redway1 ,,york ,,street1 ,,covent ,,garden4 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,minor errors and omissions in punctuation have been fixed4 ,inconsistent hyphenations have been maintained from the text4 ,inconsistencies and errors in spelling have been maintained from the text4 ,please note that small caps have been transformed into ,,all ,,caps in this text4 ,page #bhh3 8,guinaldi 7,j47--,dell' ,alchimia ,opera4 #dto4 ,palermo1 #afde40 placed in alphabetical order4 ,corrections related in the ,preface by specific page and line refer to the following corrections in the chapter on ,eirenus ,philalethes3 8secrets in the year #afdc0 was intended to read 8secrets in the year #afde04 8asserted to read trigesimo anno0 was intended to read 8asserted to read anno trigesimo tertio04 8instead of vigesimo anno0 was intended to read 8instead of anno vigesimo tertio04