ANNALS 



OF 



PHILOSOPHY. 



OCTOBER, 1823. 



t 



Article I. 





» Some Account of a scarce and curious Alchemical WorA'^ l^ 

 Michael Maier, By the Rev. J. J. Conybeare, MGS, 



(To the Editor of the Annals of Philosophy.) ^ 



DEAR SIR, 

 As you did not think the account of Biringuccio's Pirotechnia 

 unworthy of admission into your journal, you may, perhaps, be 

 f, disposed, on the same principle, to spare a few pages to the 

 analysis of another early work, in its own hne not less curiouss 

 and interesting. For there is always, unless I am much mis* 

 taken, an interest, and that a strong one, in tracing the history 

 of arts and science even where it exhibits most strikingly the 

 aberration and misuse of human intellect and industry. 

 Believe me, dear Sir, most sincerely yours, 



J. J. Conybeare. 



Symhola Aurecc MemcR Dnode'cim Naiiomitn. Authore Michaele 

 ' Maieio Com. Imp. Cons. Nob. MD. &c. Francofurti, 1G17. 

 Small 4to. pp. 621. 



Maier is termed by Beckman (unless my recollection be 

 incorrect), the most learned alchemist of his age; and of all the 

 alchemical works into which I have been occasionally led to 

 search, this appears the best calculated to afford the curious 

 reader an insight into the history of that art, and of the argu- 

 ments by which it was usually attacked and defended. It has 



New Series f vol. vi. r 



