and by the aid of judiciously placed bribes and of strong 

 drink effected his rescue. This stranger was the celebrated 

 Michael Sendivogius, who had inherited property near Cracow 

 and was in consequence supposed to be of Polish origin; 

 being a skillful chemist, who had discovered an improvement 

 in dyeing fabrics, he was also an alchemist, and in hopes of 

 extorting fromSeton the secrets of his process aided in effecting 



KINGLY GOLD AND QUEENLY SILVER. 



his escape. The two fled to Cracow, but Seton survived only 

 a few weeks dying without disclosing his well-guarded secret. 

 Throughout his life he had observed the injunction of Chaucer: 



"Make privy to your dealing as few as you maie, 

 For three may keepe councell if twain be awaie." 



Not long after these events Sendivogius married Set on 's 

 widow, with the object of penetrating the mysteries in which 

 she had presumably shared, but she was only able to give 

 him the small remainder of the invaluable powder and a 



125 



