OF HUMAN LIFE. 269 



perfed themfelves (as our dervife very juftly fays) among 

 jews, chriftians, mohammedans and heathens, — and, 

 thence it is, that artful and bold impoftors have fuch 

 vaft advantage over the weak fide of human nature* 

 and preferve it to this very day, in fpite of our im- 

 provements, even in the midft of Europe. 



The higher! fecret of this order, concealed under 

 the name of the philofopher's ftone, comprifes there- 

 fore infinitely more than the bare operation of chan- 

 ging lower metals into gold. This, as well as the fecret 

 of 1 iving a thoufand years, and longer, in the perfect , 

 enjoyment of health, is only a fmall part of the won- 

 derful fciences and prerogatives of the truly wife. 

 Hence, it is the language of all adepts, or of thofe whe 

 heartily wife to perfuade us that they are fo, that they 

 look upon the art of making gold as a wretched trifle, 

 fo contemptible in their eyes, that they never once 

 vouchafe to meddle with it — a very fenfible way of 

 making us comprehend the reafon that thefe gentry for 

 the moil part appear in a very tattered drefs, and could 

 carry all their temporal belongings very eafily with 

 them in a handkerchief. 



That the ufbec dervife, with his fix friends, belong- 

 ed to this order, will fcarcely be a matter of doubt 

 with the reader, after what Lucas has related to us from 

 the dervife's own mouth. For, though what he let 

 fail to our honeft traveller upon that fubject, were only 

 fcattered rays, which he darted by little and little into 

 his mind : neverthelefs, when all is taken together, he 

 has faid enough to convince us, that his philofophy, 

 and that which I have juft been fkerching the outlines 

 of, are one and the fame. — Lucas expreiily fays, 



towards > 



