DURING THE MIDDLE AGE. 143 



in. Of the Univerful Medicine. 



AGREEABLE to the plan of this work, the 

 hiilory of an imiverfal medicine oftcrs itfclf next 

 to our confideration: And from the great pati- 

 ence and induflry with which the fludy of it 

 his been proiecuted, equally with the making 

 of gold, by many chernilts, it becomes a fubjcct 

 more worthy to be inveftigated. 



Although 



as all the powder he had prepared was ronfumcd in thcfc c , 

 pcrimcntS) and as he declined making any more on account of 

 the tedious and unwholcfome proccfs, the qiieftion remains yet 

 to be decided. Probably, though in other rcipc&s a man ot 

 leaining and Integrity, yet he was not proof again ft the inii- 

 nuation* of vanity and the dcfirc of fame, through which lie 

 was led to declare he had discovered the cryfopoictic art. Hi 

 unfortunate end in foinc mcafurc authorizes this conjecture. 

 For when preffed on ail fides, by thedoubtsand interrogation* cf 

 his adverfarie*, to renew hi< pQ\vder,and repeat his cxperimenti 

 before men of flcill and fclencc, he fccms to have thought it ca* 

 fitrto piit an end to his own exigence by laurel water, than to 

 create gold for their fatitfa&ion. Crcll's Chcm. Ann. 1784. 



Kott cfthe Traijlator. 



Sir Kcnclm Digby at a meeting of the Royal Society, foca 

 after its inilitution, produced a fmall piece of gold, which hr 

 afiertedto have been made by the greatprocf*oftranfmutatum; 

 faying, " Gentleman, I afTure you I was formerly fo great an 

 ** infidel that I could not have bclirvcd it, except I had fccn 

 " the facl with mine own eyes." " Marry come up '(aid Sir 

 " Tliomas Brown of Norwich) I am perfectly of Sir Kcnclm'* 

 * opinion ; nor will I give credit to tht making of goM, ur;il 

 ** I behold it wilh my own eyes." 



