102 THE HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY, 



ty of their difhonefly with the lofs of their hand*. 

 Pope John II. in the fourteenth century, pub- 

 licly condemns them in his bull as impoftures : 

 Spondent qua tion exhibent, &c. Henry IV. of 

 .England, in the fourteenth century, and the 

 faculty of medicine at Paris in 1609, followed 

 the example of the Pontiff. But we will not 

 dwell longer upon the fufterings and miifor- 

 tunes to which they were now expofed. 



Towards the dole of this period, the fociety 

 of Roficrucians, an inflitution congenial to the 

 fpirit of the age, begun to dillurb the rcpofe of 

 Germany. While academies of fcicnccs were 

 eftablifhing a fhort time after, for the purpofe 

 of exploring the fecrets of nature by proper ex- 

 periments, and of publifhing an account of 

 their tranfaclions, and were thus gradually fub- 

 verting all bold and obfcure myltcries; tliis fo- 

 ciety not only chimed to itfelf the tranfmuta- 

 tion of metalSj and an univerial panacea, but af- 

 ferted likewiie, that by the cabulu and numbers 

 every thing was made known to the adepts, and 

 to thcfc that were kept by the peculiar care of 

 the Deity, by invifible unknown beings ; and 

 that even thoughts could not be concealed 

 from them. They had iikewife many o- 



ther opinions equally as abfurd and ridiculous. 

 From the year 1609 to 1630, an incredible num- 

 ber of books were poured out from this frater- 

 nity; though it is not left to be doubted whether 



it 

 . * Johannes Leo <lc vim illuftrlbus spud Aritbn 



