xviii. The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony. 



And again : 



Depromis Sal, Tholde, penu mortalibus ; ergo 

 Condimenta coquus, tumque Hygiea paret 



Non condus sis, Basilii monumenta recondens, 

 Sed promus, pateat Basiliique penu. 



Quo mage Basilii a doctis nunc scripta 



leguntur, 

 Tanto major erit gloria, Tholde, tua.* 



But the reference was not to the 

 Haligraphia, but to Thoelde's editorial 

 labours over Basil Valentine, then in 

 progress, and probably well known to 

 his friends. 



While, however, there is no reason 

 for fathering the Haligraphia upon 

 Valentine, with Thoelde as editor, so 

 is there less ground for identifying 

 Thoelde with Valentine, or Valentine 

 with any of his family, which is the 

 course that is countenanced by Placcius 

 on the authority of a vague reference. 



The claim of John Estchenreuter 

 to have worn the mask of Basil Valen- 

 tine, is negatively more difficult to dis- 



* From the prefatory verses of M. Johannes Tanckius, 

 who himself shortly afterwards figured as an editor of 

 alchemical literature. 



