OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY. 47 



forne things relating to aftronomy. Other ten 

 explained the myflcrious modes of writing, treat- 

 ed of the univcrfe in general, of the earth, of 

 the motion of the fun, of the moon and planets, 

 of Egypt, of the Nile, of confecrated places, 

 and of facrificcs. Ten others prefcribed iacrirl- 

 ces, hymns, ceremonies, feflivals, burials, and 

 many other things of a (imilar nature. The 

 third decade inveftigated the nature of the foul 

 and of the gods *. According to Diodorus, the 

 facred books were cntruflcd to every pbyfician, 

 that he might learn from their prefcriptions to 

 to cure the (Ick. 



Of the writings of the Mercuries fcarce any 

 are at this time to be found genuine. The ma- 

 nufcriptsin the library at Ley den, honoured with 

 their names, of which one treats of poifons and 

 antidotes, and the other ofgcmf, arc of a much 

 Jutcr period. The fame may be faid of the 

 poemandcr, of slfclcpius, oftbejccret of the pby- 

 Jical Jlone, of compofttion, of alchtmijlry, of tbf 

 introduction to chemi/lry, of the pbtfieal tin&urc, 

 cf the f even chapters, and of the art of Agatbo- 

 dtcmon of in a king gold ; and of all the others at- 

 tributed to Hermes, which were cither printed, 

 or lie yet as manufcripts in the dud of libraries. 



Albertus Magnus aflerts, that Alexander the 

 Great, in the courfe of his expeditions, difcover- 

 ed the fcpulchre of Hermes, the father of phi- 

 lofophers, filled with trcafurcs, not of metallic 



forms 

 * Strom. 1. 6. 



