64 OF THE OHIGIN Ofr CHEMISTRY. 



ply himfelf to the ftudy of nature, that he de- 

 clared, he would prefer the difcovery of one 

 caufe in the works of nature, to the pofleflkm 

 of the PcrJIan monarchy*. Syncellus fays, that 

 lie obtained the celebrated name of Natural 

 Philofopher from Oflane the Mede, w!io \vus 

 fent by the kings of Pcrfia for the government 

 of religious affairs into Egypt. - IJy him 

 Democritus was initiated, and intruded in the 

 facred writings, in the temple of Memphis, a- 

 mong priefts and philofophers; with whom was 

 Maria, a Hebrew woman, (killed in all kind of 

 learning, and Pammencs. He wrote of gold, 

 of filver, of (tones, and of purple colour, in the 

 fame enigmatical manner that Maria did, Yet 

 both Democritus and Maria are praiicd for this 

 myderioiis and dark (lilc, in which they have 

 buried the art ; while Pammenes is blamed for 

 having written fully, and with perfpicuity j-. 

 Diogenes Luertius aflcrts, that he wrote ,,, 

 alib *tf >.i> : Of which Zofimus ipeaks thus : 



Yet may it be doubted, whether Demo- 

 critus ever treated of the phttofopher's (lone, 

 when fomc will have the title of the work (land, 

 /! x.>. And bcfidcs his treat ife th foils ct tu~ 

 ncc tinfturis, et purpura, there is another attri- 



buted 



* Dionyf. Alex, apud Eufcblum, xiv. 27. *. 

 f Chron. p. 248. Vid. Eufcbiui. . 



