44 OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRT. 



tied akbemiftry, as if r i^,, chemiftry. The 

 \vord alchemiftry is firft mentioned by Julius 

 Firmicus Maternus, a writer of the fourth cen- 

 tury, and then in a remarkable manner. His 

 language, which favours much of aflrologic in- 

 fanity, is as follows ; "Si fuerit domusMercurii, 

 *' dabit allronomiam; fi Vcncris, cantilenas et 

 44 kctitiam ; fi Martis, opus armorum ct inftru- 

 44 mciitorum ; ii Jovis, divinum cultum fcien- 

 4 * tiamque in !ege ; fi Suturni, fcientiam alchc- 

 ** mia?*. w It occurs, however, but fcldom be- 

 fore the ninth century; but, after that period, 

 indeed very frequently. In the mean time, it 

 L proper to obferve, that in Suidas, as above ci- 

 ted, as well as in John of Antiochus and Cedre- 

 nus, quoted before, the word ahbennjlry never 

 makes its appearance, but, inflead of it, x>ni*( 

 only, which, in the times of thole authors, ad- 

 mitted various fignifications. 



Let us now coniider the wanner in which the 

 Egyptians treated ourfcience. Proclus Lycius 

 commends them for preferring their inventions 

 upon columns f. And Galen {, and Jamblic!ms 

 ail'ert, that every new difcovery was firrt ap- 

 proved by the common voice of the priells, 

 and then engraved without the authors name 

 upon the flones of the temple. Of the obcliiks 



above-mentioned 



* Matth. !. iii. c. i j. 



{ Conun. i. in Timxum. 



I I,, i. coi.trd J>jl. DC limp. mcd. fac. 1. iv. * 



DC my:1cri: ^r.}'?-- 



