OF THE ORIGIN OF CHEMISTRY. 81 



Xerxes into Egypt. The letter written to Pc- 

 talius, dc fact' a ct tlivina arte, commonly afcrib- 

 ed to him, is without doubt entirely fpurious. 

 Equally unfounded arc many other writings un- 

 der his name. The fame fentcnce may be puff- 

 ed upon that work too which bears the iliuilri- 

 ous name of Sopharis, who is faid to have been 

 the preceptor of Oflanis. 



Mow far the inhabitants of the Indies had 

 proceeded in their enquiries into the operations 

 of nature, it will be dillicult for us at this day 

 To determine, as we are not in the poilefiiou of 

 any accounts fufiiciently authentic. The fol- 

 lowing quotation, however, from Philoilratus 

 prove**, that they cultivated equally with other 

 nations of the EaR the fcience of metallic ailro- 

 iogy : He Jays, " Apollonius cum Jarcha Brach- 

 "' mane fecreto philofophatus, imuieris loco ab 

 4i co lulit annulos feptem, tolidem planetaruru 

 44 diclos nominibus, quos iingulos geilaret per 

 44 fubjcclos planctis dies ; fc. ut annulum aurc- 

 " uiTi ^eflarct die folis, argeuteum die lunre, fcr- 

 " rruni die Martis, hydrargyrinuni die Mcrcu- 

 " rii, die Jovis Jlanneum, leneum die Vencris, 

 '* ct plumbcum die Saturni, quod fingulis pla- 

 '* netis lingula refpondcant metalla *. ff 



The Chinefe, according to Martini the Jefuit, 



had been long acquainted with chcmiilry ; and 



arc even faid not to have efcaped the rar;c of al- 



F chcrniftiy; 



* Life of A 



