"tincture," for in 1577 he wrote to an Italian alchemist, 

 Francesco Forense: "I have now reached such perfection in 

 transmutation that I can make daily three ounces of good 

 gold from eight ounces of silver." 



One of Augustus' salaried operators named David Beuther 

 was trained in the royal laboratory from his youth, having 

 been taught assa^'ing and employed in the mint. One day 

 when Beuther was working alone in the cloisters that served 

 him for sleeping room, salon and workshop, he saw a cord 

 jutting out through a break in the wall ; on pulling it hard 

 some plaster fell down and disclosed a small square hewn 

 stone behind which he found a silver box containing a large 

 supply of the Philosophers' stone. Having tested its virtues 

 and found it powerful in transmutation of base metals and 

 multiplication of precious ones, he neglected his master's work 

 and began to lead a careless, spendthrift life, idling with boon 

 companions. When in need of gold he used a little of the 

 "magistery" in projection;' these operations he kept secret 

 for some time, but finally he admitted two of his intimates 

 to witness "the great work" under promise of secrecy. These 

 young men became envious of their friend's good fortune and 

 reported Beuther's discovery to the Elector, who at once 

 arrested him and ordered him to make gold for the royal 

 treasury and to teach him (Augustus) the secret process for 

 manufacturing the tincture. The unfortunate man, being in 

 prison, was unable to satisfy the greed of his despotic master 

 and attempted to escape, but was caught in the act and sent 

 to Leipsic where he was formally indicted and tried. The 

 court sentenced the alchemist to suffer question by torture, 

 to have the middle finger of each hand cut off and to be re- 

 turned to prison lest he should disclose his secret to some 

 other crowned head or nobleman. Augustus, however, felt 

 sympathy for the young man who had been seven years in 



