i 3 8 THE HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY, 



any one of adefign to deceive all mankind, un- 

 lefs upon better grounds ; as the impolllbility 

 of the tranihiutation in qucilion can never be 

 demo nitrated. Berigardus of Pifa, gives an ac- 

 count of Ibmething limilar that happened to 

 himielf. Pie defcribes it in the following words*: 

 44 Rcferam, quod olim inihi contigit, cum velie- 

 44 menter ambigerem, an auruin ex hydrargyro 

 " fieri poilet, accepi aviroinduftrio, qui huncmihi 

 44 icrupulum aufcrre voluit, ilrachmam pulveris, 

 ;> colore non abiimilis llori papaveris fylvcflris, 

 4< odorc vero lal marinum adullum icierentis, 

 14 atque, ut abellct omnis hiipicio jocoliu iYaudis, 

 ' vafculum c multis venalibus acccpi, carboncrn 

 4< et hydrargyrum, quibus nihil auii occuite, ut 

 " fit a circulatoribus, fubjeclum ellet. Decem 

 " L^lius drachmis pulvercin injeci, fubjedo igni 

 " fatis valido, (latirnque omnia, cxiguo inter. 

 41 trimcntoin jo fere drachmas auri optimie na- 

 *' tune coaluerunt : quippequod aurificumjudi- 

 4 * cio nullam non lubiit tentatiunem. Hoc mi- 

 44 hi in fulo loco et rcmoto ab arbitris niii corn- 

 ' ; probalTem, fufpicarer aliquiJ fu belle fraud is : 

 44 nam fideiiter tefl-iri poilem rein ita cflc." I. 

 E. \ r an Hclmont thus expix-rTes himfelf : 4t Co- 

 " gor credere lapidem aurificum et argentificum, 

 44 qui diilinclis vicibus manu mca unius grani 

 44 pulverh fupcr aliquot millc grami argcnti vivi 

 " projectionem feci, aflanteque mul.oreni corona 



44 noilr: 



s r;r. 75. 



