8o OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY. 



that they could impart to thole metals corrc- 

 fponding to them, conlulerable efficacy upon 

 their particular days. But we fhall give pre- 

 fently an example of this extraordinary folly. 



From the Athenian ambafladors we learn, 

 that among the Perfians, before the time of A-. 

 Icxander the Great, c^.,^,^r. (vcflcls made 

 of glafs) were daily ufccl *. 



Of the eftablifhrncnt of the fuccrdota! college 

 at Pcrfopolis, according to the Egyptian princi- 

 ples, we have th: following account from Dio- 

 dorus. Pliant";, a certain Halicumallian, hav- 

 ing infmuated himfelf into favour with King 

 Amafis, obtained from him the knowledge of 

 the Egyptian myftcries, with which he fled in- 

 to Perfia, and betrayed them to Cambyfes. 

 Temj)ted from what lie thus knew, with the 

 defirc of learning Hill more, the King of the 

 Perfians marched immediately ugainfl Pfammi- 

 nitu^, the fen of. AmalU; from whom he did 

 not take away his trcafures only, (about 525 

 years before Chrift,) but the Ilierophauti alfo, 

 With regard to them, however, he failed in his 

 deiign; as they obllinately refufed to commu- 

 nicate any knowledge of their myftcries, until 

 after his death they imparted them to his fon 

 "barms Hyflafpcsj. We have already mention- 

 ed, from Syncellus, that Oilancs was fent by 



..^ Xcixe;, 



* Arulophanes, Achanu i. a. 

 BH.I. I-iiil. !. i. 0.. 



