The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony, xv. 



success. Vincent Placcius, one of the 

 earliest bibliographers and investigators 

 of the secret history of anonymous and 

 pseudonymous authors, affirms that the 

 real name of Valentine was Tholden.* 

 Others state that it was John Estchen- 

 reuter. The evidence for the statement 

 of Placcius is not satisfactory, and as 

 Prosper Marchand calls his curious work 

 mare magnum erratorum, it might be 

 unwise under any circumstances to accept 

 him as a guide. On the other hand, 

 the alternative statement, equally unsup- 

 ported by reference, appears in the 

 monographs of certain biographical dic- 

 tionaries which are not very trustworthy, 

 if only because they betray little or no 

 acquaintance with the works of Basil 

 Valentine. 



In order to appreciate the assertion 

 of Vincent Placcius, it must be noted 

 that it was owing to the solicitude of 

 John Tholden Hessius, that is, Johann 

 Thoelde, that the works of Basil Valen- 



* Theatrum Anonymorum et Pseudonymorum. In two 

 parts. Hamburg, 1708, Fol. 



