354 Outlines of a Bibliography of the 



history of alchemj^ for after experiencing serious doubts of tlie trans- 

 mutation of metals lie became a vigorous defender of tlie faith, and 

 freely made his convictions known. This essay is a collection of mar- 

 vellous tales concerning veritable (?) transmutations. A German trans- 

 lation also ai)peared under the title: "Bevveis das die Alchymey oder 

 Goldinacherkunst eiu sonderbares Gescheuk Gottes sei." 8vo. Leipzig, 

 1604. 



CoNiiixG, Hermann. De hermetica u^cjyptiorum vetere et Paracelska nova 

 medicina. 4to. Helmstadtii, 1648. (Second edition in 1669.) 

 Conriug bitterly attacks the extreme antiquity assigned to alchemy, and 

 provoked the reply by Borrichius, noticed below. 



BOREL, Pierre. [Borellus.] Uibliotheca chimica, seu CaUilogus Libro- 

 rnm Philosophicorum Ilermcikoriim. Auctore Petro Borellio. Parisiis. 

 1654. 

 The first extensive catalogue of chemical books. Contains four thou- 

 sand authors. 



KiRCiiER, Athanasius. De Origins Alchymim; also De Lapide Philoso- 

 lyliorum. In Mundus Subterraneus, Vol. II, Liber XI, Sectio I et II. 

 Polio. Amsterodarai, 1665. 

 Athanasius Kircher, a celebrated historian, philosopher, mathematician 

 and physical philosopher, was born at Fulda, in 1601, and died at Rome, 

 in 1680. He filled the chairs of philosophy and oriental languages in the 

 College of Wurtzburg and in the Jesuit's College, at Avignon. He was 

 afterwards professor of mathematics in the Jesuit's College at Rome. 

 Kircher was a man of " wide and varied, but ill digested erudition, and a 

 most voluminous writer." Athough credulous to an absurd degi-ee, in the 

 dissertation " De Origine Alchymife," he violently attacks the alchemists 

 and their pretended transmutations of the baser metals into gold. It is 

 reprinted in Maugetus' " Bibliotheca Chemica Cnriosa," where also re- 

 plies to his attacks, by Clauder and by Blaueustein, are found. 



Cooper, William. A Catalogue of Chijmicall Books, in 3 Parts, collecled 

 by William Cooper. 12mo. London, 1675. 



Borrichius, Olaus. Dissertatio de ortu et progressu Chemiw. 4to. 



Hafuiae, 1668. (Reprinted in the Bibl. Chem. curiosa of Mangetus, 



Vol. I, No. 1.) 

 The author of this celebrated treatise, the most frequently quoted by 

 succeeding historians, was born at Borchen (whence his latinized name), 

 Jutland, in 1626. He was Professor of Philosophy, Poetry, Chemistry 

 and Botany, at the University of Copenhagen, a fact which causes Rod- 

 well to remark that, " either Professors were difficult to procure in the 

 Kingdom of Denmark, or else Olaus Borrichius was an astounding 

 genius." However this may be, he was certainly a man of amazing 

 credulity, and allowing "the imaginative faculty due to his poetical 



