5* OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY. 



It was firft made public by Bernhard Canefiu* 

 the alchemift, as we are told by Kirchcr*; and 

 that it contained the theory of the mod valua- 

 ble eflence, which they call the elixir of life, 

 potable gold, and the fifth ellence. In the 

 year 1657, W. C. Kriegfman explained the u- 

 niverfal mercury of the philofophers, and G. 

 Dorneus gave an account of the piaclice of me- 

 dicine, entirely upon the principles of chem>- 

 ftry. 



As to the works of other authors which relate 

 to this fubjecl, none have as yet appeared ex- 

 cept fome written in Greek, or tranllations from 

 that language, and all of them alchemical. Ma- 

 ny of thefe are fpurious, as the Kffays of Ifis, 

 fiddrejftd to her fon Horuf, and the Lhemijlry of 

 Horus. Of Moles and Maria, Jew*; ol'b'ophur 

 from Perfia; of Democ-iitus the Abdcritc; and 

 other Greeks, we fliall fpcak in another place. 

 Leo Allatius, a Grecian, and with him Eoni- 

 chius, both condemn us fuppofititious the works 

 of Comarus, or Coinanus, a prieft, inflrucling 

 the Queen Cleopatra in the fccrct of the philo- 

 fopher's rtonc ; alfo the works of the Qj-ieeu her- 

 felf on weights and meafures, on the making of' 

 gold, and the prefervation of beauty. The au- 

 thors of thefe productions have attempted to 

 gain. both credit and attention by the fplcndour 

 of illuilrious names. 



'^> We 



(EJipui. 



