OF HUMAN LIFE. $31 



Jacques de la Boucherie, built by him, the deeds of 

 his donations, which are above forty in number, as 

 well as his extraordinary laft will and teftament, in his 

 own hand-writing, wherein he relates the manner how 

 he acquired his vaft riches. 



This great wealth of a man of fo mean a condition, 

 foon drew much notice, fo that at length it came to 

 the ears of king Charles the fixth. He fent the 

 feigneur de Cramoili, one of his confidents, to Fiamel, ." 

 to inquire into the means by which he was become fo 

 opulent. This nobleman found the philofopher, in his 

 fmall miferable houfe, eating his dinner out of a com- 

 mon earthen platter, Flamel was forced to confefs 

 that he was in pofTeffion of the philofopher's ftone 5 and 

 to give him a copy of his book, which is mil preferved 

 in the royal library at Paris, where any man is at 

 liberty to fee it. Shortly after this vifit, in the year 

 141 3. Perenelle, Flamel's wife, dipd ; and again foon 

 after this, he died himfelf, both having attained to the 

 age of near a hundred years K 



This 



* The fceptic Naude has endeavoured to render doubtful the al- 

 chemical derivation of the great riches of Flamel. He aife r ts, that 

 Flamel grew rich by pillaging the jews, who about that time were 

 driven ovjt of France, this he effected by taking of their, the obligati- 

 pns they procured from their debtors, but initead of returning them 

 the mor f ey he thus procured on th,eir account, he kept it all hi&i* 

 felf. Naude holds it more poffiblc for Fiamei to have beei a fliarp- 

 er, than a gold-maker. A!! which, being far mere eafily faid ih;in 

 proved, feveral writers fince have repeated this aifertion of Node's 

 from one to the other. But the well-known critical hiftorian 

 Langlet du Frefnoy, has fhewn, in his HirTqire de la ^hilotophic 

 Hermctio^ue, a la Haye, 1742. vol. i. p. 217. that Naurie is egre~ 



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