88 THE SEVEN FOLLIES OF SCIENCE 



exhaled from the crucible; but this speedily subsided, and 

 the whole being poured out, formed six heavy ingots, 

 having the color of gold. The goldsmith was called in by 

 the Italian and requested to make a rigid examination of 

 the smallest of these ingots. The goldsmith not content 

 with the touch-stone and the application of aquafortis, 

 exposed the metal on the cupel with lead and fused it with 

 antimony, but it sustained no loss. He found it possessed 

 of the ductility and specific gravity of gold; and full of 

 admiration, he exclaimed that he had never worked before 

 upon gold so perfectly pure. The Italian made him a 

 present of the smallest ingot as a recompense and then, 

 accompanied by M. Gros, he repaired to the mint, where 

 he received from M. Bacuet, the mint-master, a quantity 

 of Spanish gold coin, equal in weight to the ingots which 

 he had brought. To M. Gros he made a present of twenty 

 pieces on account of the attention that he had paid to him 

 and after paying his bill at the inn, he added fifteen pieces 

 more, to serve to entertain M. Gros and M. Bureau for 

 some days, and in the meantime he ordered a supper, that 

 he might, on his return, have the pleasure of supping with 

 these two gentlemen. He went out, but never returned, 

 leaving behind him the greatest regret and admiration. 

 It is needless to add that M. Gros and M. Bureau continued 

 to enjoy themselves at the inn till the fifteen pieces which 

 the stranger had left, were exhausted." 



Narratives such as these led even Bergman, a very able 

 chemist of the period, to take the ground that " although 

 most of these relations are deceptive and many uncertain, 

 some bear such character and testimony that, unless we re- 

 ject all historical evidence, we must allow them entitled to 

 confidence." 



A much more probable explanation is that the relators 

 were either dreaming or deceived by clever legerdemain. 



Of the possibility or impossibility of converting the more 

 common metals into gold or silver, it would be rash to 

 give a positive opinion. To say that gold, silver, lead, 



