A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



chemists, and monks" to find the philosopher's stone, 

 or elixir, that the crown might thus be enabled to pay 

 off its debts. The monks and ecclesiastics were sup- 

 posed to be most likely to discover the secret process, 

 since "they were such good artists in transubstanti- 

 ating bread and wine." 



In Germany the emperors Maximilian I., Rudolf II., 

 and Frederick II. gave considerable attention to the 

 search, and the example they set was followed by 

 thousands of their subjects. It is said that some noble- 

 men developed the unpleasant custom of inviting to 

 their courts men who were reputed to have found the 

 stone, and then imprisoning the poor alchemists until 

 they had made a certain quantity of gold, stimulat- 

 ing their activity with tortures of the most atrocious 

 kinds. Thus this danger of being imprisoned and held 

 for ransom until some fabulous amount of gold should 

 be made became the constant menace of the alchemist. 

 It was useless for an alchemist to plead poverty once 

 it was noised about that he had learned the secret. 

 For how could such a man be poor when, with a piece 

 of metal and a few grains of magic powder, he was 

 able to provide himself with gold ? It was, therefore, 

 a reckless alchemist indeed who dared boast that he 

 had made the coveted discovery. 



The fate of a certain indiscreet alchemist, supposed 

 by many to have been Seton, a Scotchman, was not an 

 uncommon one. Word having been brought to the 

 elector of Saxony that this alchemist was in Dresden 

 and boasting of his powers, the elector caused him 

 to be arrested and imprisoned. Forty guards were 

 stationed to see that he did not escape and that no 



134 



