OF HUMAN LIFE. $35 



P. Lucas. Is there in reality a means of prolonging 

 life ? 



Dervife. [hi a ferious and firm tone!] Moft affiiredly, 

 P. Lucas. With us in France it has been affirmed 

 by many that they were in poffeflion of the philofo- 

 phers Hone: but they have all died at the ordinary 

 ages. , 



Dervife. The name of an adept is very laviQriy 

 beftowed. Either they were not in poffeflion of the 

 fecret I fpeak of, or they mult have been as old as I 

 have faid. 



P. Lucas. Even Flamel is dead ; notwithftanding 

 he was poffeffed of the philofopher s ftone. 



Dervife. [Smiling] Flamel ? Flamel dead ! 



P. Lucas. [In a tone of the grcatejl aftomfhmentT] Is 

 it poffible to doubt of it ? 



Dervife. [Smiling] You are miftaken, my friend. 

 Flamel is ftill alive. I faw both him and his wife three 

 years ago in India, and he is one of my moft familiar 

 friends. Probably his hiftory is not known in France ; 

 I will therefore tell it you. [Here the dervife relates to 

 him the whole hiftory of Fia?vel> with fome trifling alterati- 

 ons , and then proceeds as follows] Flamel had acquired 

 by his fecret, enormous riches, can fed many churches 

 and public edifices- to be built at his expence, and did 

 much good to the poor. Tp attract great notice is al- 

 ways fiangerpus, but to no one more than to the true 

 philofopher: yet m all cafes he knows how to help 

 himfelf by bis prudence. Fiamel faw plainly that there 

 was a defign on foot to find him out, that he might 

 work for the kins; : he therefore acted as a wife man 

 ihould act on fuch an occafion ; he left all behind him, 



and 



