‘ 
irr 
} 
Then he exalts its virtues. (Discourse on Eau de vie, 
Water of Life.) ‘‘ Certain modern writers say that this is 
** permanent water or water of gold, on account of thechar- 
“ agter of its preparation. Its virtues are well-known.” 
He enumerates the maladies which it cures. “ It prolongs 
life and this is the reason why it deserves to be called 
“ water of life. It must be keptina golden vessel; every 
“ other vessel except that of glass is liable to cause some 
“alteration. By reason ofits simple nature, it acquires 
“every kind of taste, and of odour. When it has had 
“ communicated to it the virtues of rosemary and sage 
“ it exercises a favourable influence on the nerves.” 
The pseudo RAYMOND LULLE, a more modern author 
than ARMAND DE VILLENEUVE, speaks with the same 
enthusiasm of alcohol, He describes the distillation 
of fire-water—derived from wine and its reétification— 
as repeated if necessary seven times until the produét 
burns without leaving a trace of water. It is called, he 
THE Discovery oF ALCOHOL. 107 
adds, vegetable mercury. 
_ We see that the alchemists at the commencement of 
the 14th century were seized with such admiration of 
the discovery of alcohol that they assimilated it with the 
elixir of long life and the mercury of the philosophers. 
It is the echo of these memories which RENAN reproduces 
in his philosophic drama L’E£au de Fouvence. 
But care must be taken not to consider every passage 
which treats of the mercury of the philosophers, or the 
elixir of long life, as applicable to alcohol. The elixir of 
life is an imagination of Old Egypt. D1IobORUS DE 
SICILIA mentions it under the name of the ‘ Immortal 
Remedy’ ; its invention was attributed to Isis and its 
composition is to be fonnd in the works of GALEN. In 
O02 
