OP HUMAN LIFE. 227 



nierdgiypKics. — However, I will rather let honeffc bid 

 Flamel tell his own ftory # . 



ct Whereas I, Nicholas Flamel, fcrivener and citi- 

 <c zen of Paris, in the prefent year 1399. dwelling in 

 " my own hcufe, rue des Eclivains ! though, through 

 <c the poverty of my honoured parents, I learnt nothing 

 c< but a little Latin, yet, by the great grace of God, and 

 " the interceflion of the faints in paradife, particularly 

 (< St. James, I have at length improved that little ftock 

 u of learning fo far as to enable me to comprehend all the 

 u books of the philofophers and tlieir prcfoundeft myf- 

 c * teries, for which I every day of my life give thanks to the 

 ** merciful God on my bended knees. After the death 

 t( of my parents, while I earnt my bread by writing, I 

 *? once bought an old thick book, gilt on the edges, 



and written oil tree- bark in fair latiri characters. 

 " The cover of it was of thin copper, and on this were 

 €t fculptured very many unknown and lingular criarac- 

 <c ters. I believe they were greek letters, or of fome 

 ** other antient language, for I could not read them ; 

 " latin or Celtic they were not, of which I underhand 

 €< fomething. In this curious book I now ftudied day 



and night, but could hot gain intelligence from it. 

 <c My wife, Perenelle, whom I love as myfelf, and 

 " whom I had then but lately married, was very much 

 4C troubled at my perplexity, fhe comforted me, and 

 " did all me could to raife my fpirits. I could not 

 <c conceal my fecret from her, but mewed her the 

 %i book. She was as much delighted with it as myfelf* 



* Le livre de Nicolas Flamel, conteftant ^explication des 



%ures t 



a % d6 contemplated 



