upon by a stranger who applied for work as a journey-man 

 apprentice. The man, who gave the name of Hirschborgen, 

 was employed for a time and on his departure gave Gossen- 

 hauer a red powder with instructions for its use in trans- 

 mutation; the goldsmith made a successful experiment with 

 a portion of the powder and imprudently mentioned his 

 treasure to some friends and neighbors, they in turn told 

 neighbors and friends that Gossenhauer had secured the 

 Philosophers' stone, and soon the news was the gossip of 

 the whole city. The municipal authorities ordered an in- 

 vestigation, and the goldsmith not only made a projection 

 in the presence of three city councillors, but each of them 

 with his own hands performed the same feat. 



On hearing this evidence of Gossenhauer's skill the Emper- 

 or's ambassadors pursuaded him by the use of handcuffs and 

 chains to return to Prague ; on arrival he was brought before 

 Rudolph who commanded him to proceed at once with the 

 manufacture of gold. Meanwhile the Strassburger had used 

 up all the red powder and was at his wits' end to satisfy 

 the imperial demands ; he assured the monarch that he had 

 no more of the Philosophers' stone and did not know how 

 to make it, but this only irritated the Emperor who refused 

 to listen to the protestations of the unhappy goldsmith ; the 

 wretched man was forthwith imprisoned in the White Tower, 

 and never being able to comply with his tyrant's commands, 

 he was liberated from his dungeon only by death. 



Rudolph's jester and poet, De Delle, preserved the ad- 

 ventures and unhappy fate of Gossenhauer in the following 

 immortal verses: 



"Gossenhauer, von Offenburg genannt, 

 Dem Keyser Rudolpho wolbekannt, 

 Dass er in Alchimia erfahren war, 

 Ganz frohlich war den neuen Mahr. 

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