HISTORY OF ALCHEMY. 459 



proper. It constituted the vital part of ancient science, and, strange as it 

 may seem, its search was continued through a period of more than a thou- 

 sand years, and philosophers, during all that time, were misled by the 

 strange delusion. 



In a decree of 1423 Henry the VI of England, declared "that the clergy 

 should engage in the search for the philosopher's stone, for, since they could 

 ■change bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, they must, also, 

 by the help of God, succeed in trunsmuting the baser metals into gold." 



The alchemists pretended that a knowledge of the philosopher's stone 

 was allowed by Providence to only a few select persons, who were found 

 worthy on account of a virtuous life, a careful study of alchemical authors, 

 and perseverance in experimenting; and anyone receiving this peculiar 

 favor was threatened with the direst vengeance, both in this world and the 

 oaext, if he ever revealed it to the vulgar. Their books were therefore only 

 intended for the favored few. In their style they were as mystical and un- 

 intelligible as possible, their works abounding in symbols and diagrams to 

 add still more to this obscurity. 



From an article by Archibald Campbell we copy the following excellent 

 description of the manner in which their followers were beguiled : 



" Some of the writers adopt such mystical modes of expression, or em- 

 ploy such peculiar diagrams and symbols, as to be absolutely unintelligi- 

 ible ; while others, after professing to speak plainly, and for some time 

 employing the known terms of chemistry, suddenly disappoint our expecta- 

 tions. Just as we begin to flatter ourselves that we understand their pro- 

 cesses and perceive the particular object which they have in view, they tell 

 us that the copper or silver which they have immediately before command- 

 ed us to employ, is (non vulgi sed nostrum) not the copper or silver of the 

 vulgar, but of philosophers. When after deluding their readers in this 

 manner, they conclude by an (infelige si potes) — understand me if you can — 

 or (si plura dicerem etiain pueri intelligerent)^ if I should say more even chil- 

 dren would understand. 



Thus the unhappy persons who addicted themselves to the study of 

 Alchemy always remained uncertain how to interpret the author whom 

 they chose as their instructor ; and instead of being led from the unfortun- 

 ate issue of their experiments to doubt the authority of their guide and 

 desist entirely from the pursuit, rather supposed they had misunderstood 

 the author, and attempted by a more attentive study of his works to arrive 

 at his true meaning. They were thus led on from one delusive hope to 

 another; from one expensive process to another still more expensive, till 

 the complete expenditure of their own funds and the failure of their credit 

 with others, forced them unwillingly to desist from their experiment. After 

 having thus spent their lives in perpetual labor and disappointments, after 

 having injured their health by the processes in which they were employed? 

 and reduced themselves to absolute poverty, in their chase after an imagi- 

 nary object, the alchemists were seldom cured of their folly, but indulging 



