5 6 OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY. 



afterwards, many of them vifited that coun- 

 try, and even chofe their refidence in it ; and foU 

 licitoufly endeavoured to open an cafier com- 

 munication with their fecrets: when, through 

 Alexander the Great, Egypt became fubjecl to 

 the Macedonian yoke, 332 years before Chrift, 

 under the reign of the Lngidi, the moil celebra- 

 ted were received into the new academy of 

 Alexandria. But it was the rate of all thofe, who 

 travelled into Egypt to be but little cfleemed 

 in their own country ; for, whatever fublimity 

 of knowledge they pofllfled, they communicat- 

 ed it at home fo very myflerioully, as to be in- 

 telligible to a very few. In the mean time ju- 

 dicial aftrology, nuific, and agronomy, were 

 cultivated by them with great fuccefs ; and, 

 though they were obliged to yield to the Egyp- 

 tians in art's great undertakings, and in the 

 magnitude of their works, and immcnfe labour 

 and expence; yet were thefe, in their, turn, 

 forced to acknowledge the fupcriority cf the 

 Greeks, in the elegance and form which their 

 artuls^ave to every thing, ftriclly imitating na. 

 ture; and in every work that depends upon fun- 

 cy and imagination. In natural philoibphy 

 they laboured with k-fs advantage, unltfs in- 

 ilrudcd by the Egyptians. An Alexandrian 

 feft being cfhiblifhcd among the Greeks, in the 

 third century, the fecrets of chemiilry were 

 ftill more cbfcured in tlarknefs, and became dai- 



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