336 OP THE PROLONGATION 



and made his efcape with his wife, while they were 

 fuppofed to be dead. Perenelle, by his^advice, mull 

 pretend to be lick. After fome days, he gives out that 

 fhe is dead, and, in her ftead, has a log of wood, 

 dreffed in her cloaths, buried in one of the churches, 

 which ftie herfelf had built. All this while foe was on 

 the way to Switzerland. Not long afterwards Flamel 

 makes ufe of the like ftratagem on his own account. 

 By handfome prefents he gained over his phyfician and 

 the curate. He left behind him a teftament in due 

 form, wherein he ordered that he fhould be buried 

 clofe by his wife, and that a ftone pyramid mould be 

 erected over their common grave. Inftead of him, 

 another log of wood was buried; and, in the mean 

 time, he fet out after his wife. From that time they 

 have always led a truely philofophical life, and are 

 conftantly travelling from one country to another. 

 This is the real hiftory of tjie famous adept Flamel, 

 who is ftill alive. 



Paul Lucas fays, that he was quite aftoniihed at this 

 account. He wondered, with juftice, how it was pof- 

 lible, that a turkifh dervife, who had never been in 

 France, mould- be fo accurately informed of all the 

 circumftances of this hiftory. He adds, that he can 

 believe the whole of it to be impoffible, and only re- 

 lates, as an hiftorian, what he has heard : for the reft, 

 he leaves every one to make his own remarks, and to 

 think as he pleafes of this narration. 



The whole ftory is extremely remarkable and extra- 

 ordinary. If it be true, then Flamel and his wife muft 

 at that time have been near 400 years old. But this is 

 in oppofttion to all that we know of the duration of 



human 



