OP HUMAN LIFE. 237 



human life, and to our notions, utterly impoffible. On 

 the other hand, it is hard to fuppofe that Paul Lucas 

 invented the flory. It is the only one of the kind that 

 appears in his whole book; he confefTes that he does 

 not believe it himfelf, and adduces fo many little cir- 

 cumflances, that, with any hillorical fentiment, one 

 cannot doubt but that he merely delivers what he has 

 heard. Withal, Paul Lucas is a very credible traveller. 

 One of my friends who refided long on the coaft of 

 Barbary, has often allured me, that no one has better 

 and more accurately defcribed thofe countries than 

 Paul Lucas. Nothing then remains for us, but to ad- 

 mit that the wonderful dervife, who fpoke fo fluently 

 all the languages of Europe, invented the whole flory. 

 But how could he be fo accurately acquainted with the 

 hiftory of Flamel ? How could he compofe fo con- 

 nected and real a narrative on the fpot, and without 

 premeditation ? And what advantage was to accrue to 

 him by impoling on Paul Lucas ? Queftions that it is 

 difficult to anfwer. I am merely a narrator, and very 

 far from vouching for the truth of this furpriling fcory. 

 If itbepoffible for human life to be fo greatly prolong- 

 ed, yet this, fecret, from the very nature of it, can only 

 be known to a few. The fortunate polTeiibr of it, far 

 from boafting that he had it, would keep it in the 

 clofeft referve, and, to guard himfelf from the envy 

 and covetoufnefs of his fellow-creatures, would en- 

 deavour to remove all fufpicion that he was in pofTef- 

 fion of fo vaft a treafure. It is ridiculous to fuppofe 

 that any fecret fociety can have this noftrum, or to 

 truft impoflors who offer to communicate it to us for 

 money. Every well-wiflier to mankind muft rejoite 



that 



