4^ OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY. 



the Chinefe derives its origin : And further, It 

 is added, on the authority of Herodotus, Diodo- 

 rus Siculus, Strabo, and Marcellinus, that the 

 Colchians were the remains of his army. Jn 

 confequence of finding cinnabar, (the bafis of 

 their great work), they determined to fix their 

 refidencc at Colchis ; and afterwards, according 

 to Pliny, having obtained the virgin earth, they 

 extracted from it fuch confiderable quantities of 

 gold and filver, that they furpafled even the fu- 

 perbSefoflris intheirdifplayof theirriches,and in 

 all the fplendor, which thofe metals could give to 

 their apartments, their pillars, and various orna- 

 ments *. The leaders of thefe new fcttlers, initiated 

 in the facred rites of the Egyptians, now torn away 

 from their native country, foon grew inattentive to 

 that fecrecy, in which, according to the cuftom 

 of the Egyptian priefts, the art of chemiflry was 

 inviolably prcferved, and revealed the whole, 

 under the myftic representation of the Golden 

 Fleece. They repented, however, too late of 

 their loquacity, when it led the Grecian plun- 

 derers to undertake the Argonautic expedition. 

 Happily as all thefe relations fecm to coincide, 

 yet the account Strabo gives is worth the atten- 

 tion of every one who makes the attainment of 

 truth the objecl of his enquiry. He fays, that 

 the Iberians, near neighbours of the- Colchians, 

 ufedto receive the gold brought down from the 

 high lands by the torrents, intofievesand fheep- 



fkins, 



* Lib. xxxiii. c. 3. 



