CHAP. XIV. THE ALCHEMIST. 365 



monarch entering into a war with the Turks. 

 The king was too much occupied with his wars 

 in France to attack the Turks, and Lully re- 

 fusing on that account to continue his opera- 

 tions in making more gold, was in consequence 

 of it imprisoned and kept in durance a long 

 time in the Tower. It seems to have been 

 believed by Ashmole 1 , upon the testimony 

 of Norton and Hermes Bird, that this man 

 actually made gold whilst a prisoner in the 

 Tower; and besides giving credit to this from 

 tradition, he mentions as a corroborative proof, 

 that the money coined from this gold had on 

 the reverse " a cross fleury with lioneux, and 

 the inscription, Jesus autem transiens per me- 

 dium eorum ibat* : intimating, that as Jesus 



1 See Ashmole's Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, p. 

 442-467. 



2 These words were supposed in the time of the traveller 

 Mandeville, who began his journeys in 1320, to be a charm 

 sufficient to ensure protection against wars and against 

 thieves. His words are, " And an half myle fro Nazareth is 

 the lepe of our Lord : for the Jewes ladden him upon a 

 highe roche, for to make him lepe doun, and have slayn 

 him : but Jesus passed amonges hem, and lepte upon another 

 roche ; and zit ben the steppes of his feet in the roche, where 

 he allyghte. And therefore seyn men, whan thei dreden hem 

 of thefes, on ony weye or of enemyes, ( Jesus autem tran- 

 siens per medium illorum ibat :' that is to seyne, Jesus 

 forsothe passing by the myddes of hem, he wente : in tokene 

 and mynde, that oure Lord passed thorghe out the Jewes 

 crueltee and scaped safly fro hem ; so surely mowe men passen 



