“Aftertravellingforfifteendays,IarrivedinParis,onthe9thofJanuary1539。Iremainedforamonth,almostunknown;butIhadnosoonerbeguntofrequenttheamateursofthescience,andvisitedtheshopsofthefurnace-makers,thanIhadtheacquaintanceofmorethanahundredoperativealchymists,eachofwhomhadadifferenttheoryandadifferentmodeofworking。Someofthempreferredcementation;
otherssoughttheuniversalalkahest,ordissolvent;andsomeofthemboastedthegreatefficacyoftheessenceofemery。Someofthemendeavouredtoextractmercuryfromothermetalstofixitafterwards;
and,inorderthateachofusshouldbethoroughlyacquaintedwiththeproceedingsoftheothers,weagreedtomeetsomewhereeverynight,andreportprogress。Wemetsometimesatthehouseofone,andsometimesinthegarretofanother;notonlyonweekdays,butonSundays,andthegreatfestivalsoftheChurch。’Ah!’oneusedtosay,’ifIhadthemeansofrecommencingthisexperiment,Ishoulddosomething。’’Yes,’saidanother,’ifmycruciblehadnotcracked,I
shouldhavesucceededbeforenow:’whileathirdexclaimed,withasigh,’IfIhadbuthadaroundcoppervesselofsufficientstrength,Iwouldhavefixedmercurywithsilver。’Therewasnotoneamongthemwhohadnotsomeexcuseforhisfailure;butIwasdeaftoalltheirspeeches。Ididnotwanttopartwithmymoneytoanyofthem,rememberinghowoftenIhadbeenthedupeofsuchpromises。
“AGreekatlastpresentedhimself;andwithhimIworkedalongtimeuselesslyuponnails,madeofcinabar,orvermilion。IwasalsoacquaintedwithaforeigngentlemannewlyarrivedinParis,andoftenaccompaniedhimtotheshopsofthegoldsmiths,tosellpiecesofgoldandsilver,theproduce,ashesaid,ofhisexperiments。Istuckcloselytohimforalongtime,inthehopethathewouldimparthissecret。Herefusedforalongtime,butacceded,atlast,onmyearnestentreaty,andIfoundthatitwasnothingmorethananingenioustrick。Ididnotfailtoinformmyfriend,theAbbe,whomI
hadleftatToulouse,ofallmyadventures;andsenthim,amongothermatters,arelationofthetrickbywhichthisgentlemanpretendedtoturnleadintogold。TheAbbestillimaginedthatIshouldsucceedatlast,andadvisedmetoremainanotheryearinParis,whereIhadmadesogoodabeginning。Iremainedtherethreeyears;but,notwithstandingallmyefforts,IhadnomoresuccessthanIhadhadelsewhere。
“Ihadjustgottotheendofmymoney,whenIreceivedaletterfromtheAbbe,tellingmetoleaveeverything,andjoinhimimmediatelyatToulouse。Iwentaccordingly,andfoundthathehadreceivedlettersfromtheKingofNavarregrandfatherofHenryIV。
ThisPrincewasagreatloverofphilosophy,fullofcuriosity,andhadwrittentotheAbbe,thatIshouldvisithimatPau;andthathewouldgivemethreeorfourthousandcrowns,ifIwouldcommunicatethesecretIhadlearnedfromtheforeigngentleman。TheAbbe’searsweresotickledwiththefourthousandcrowns,thatheletmehavenopeace,nightorday,untilhehadfairlyseenmeontheroadtoPau。I
arrivedatthatplaceinthemonthofMay1542。Iworkedaway,andsucceeded,accordingtothereceiptIhadobtained。WhenIhadfinished,tothesatisfactionoftheKing,hegavemetherewardthatIexpected。Althoughhewaswillingenoughtodomefurtherservice,hewasdissuadedfromitbythelordsofhiscourt;evenbymanyofthosewhohadbeenmostanxiousthatIshouldcome。Hesentmethenaboutmybusiness,withmanythanks;saying,thatiftherewasanythinginhiskingdomwhichhecouldgiveme——suchastheproduceofconfiscations,orthelike——heshouldbemosthappy。IthoughtI
mightstaylongenoughfortheseprospectiveconfiscations,andnevergetthematlast;andIthereforedeterminedtogobacktomyfriend,theAbbe。
“Ilearned,thatontheroadbetweenPauandToulouse,thereresidedamonk,whowasveryskilfulinallmattersofnaturalphilosophy。Onmyreturn,Ipaidhimavisit。Hepitiedmeverymuch,andadvisedme,withmuchwarmthandkindnessofexpression,nottoamusemyselfanylongerwithsuchexperimentsasthese,whichwereallfalseandsophistical;butthatIshouldreadthegoodbooksoftheoldphilosophers,whereImightnotonlyfindthetruematterofthescienceofalchymy,butlearnalsotheexactorderofoperationswhichoughttobefollowed。Iverymuchapprovedofthiswiseadvice;but,beforeIacteduponit,IwentbacktomyAbbe,ofToulouse,togivehimanaccountoftheeighthundredcrowns,whichwehadhadincommon;and,atthesametime,sharewithhimsuchrewardasIhadreceivedfromtheKingofNavarre。Ifhewaslittlesatisfiedwiththerelationofmyadventuressinceourfirstseparation,heappearedstilllesssatisfiedwhenItoldhimIhadformedaresolutiontorenouncethesearchforthephilosopher’sstone。Thereasonwas,thathethoughtmeagoodartist。Ofoureighthundredcrowns,thereremainedbutonehundredandseventy-six。WhenIquittedtheAbbe,I
wenttomyownhouse,withtheintentionofremainingthere,tillI
hadreadalltheoldphilosophers,andofthenproceedingtoParis。
“IarrivedinParisonthedayafterAllSaints,oftheyear1546,anddevotedanotheryeartotheassiduousstudyofgreatauthors。
Amongothers,the’TurbaPhilosophorum’ofthe’GoodTrevisan,’’TheRemonstanceofNaturetothewanderingAlchymist,’byJeandeMeung;
andseveralothersofthebestbooks:but,asIhadnoright’
principles,Ididnotwellknowwhatcoursetofollow。
“AtlastIleftmysolitude;nottoseemyformeracquaintances,theadeptsandoperators,buttofrequentthesocietyoftruephilosophers。AmongthemIfellintostillgreateruncertainties;
being,infact,completelybewilderedbythevarietyofoperationswhichtheyshowedme。Spurredon,nevertheless,byasortoffrenzyorinspiration,IthrewmyselfintotheworksofRaymondLulliandofArnolddeVilleneuve。Thereadingofthese,andthereflectionsImadeuponthem,occupiedmeforanotheryear,whenIfinallydeterminedonthecourseIshouldadopt。Iwasobligedtowait,however,untilIhadmortgagedanotherveryconsiderableportionofmypatrimony。ThisbusinesswasnotsettleduntilthebeginningofLent,1549,whenI
commencedmyoperations。Ilaidinastockofallthatwasnecessary,andbegantoworkthedayafterEaster。Itwasnot,however,withoutsomedisquietudeandoppositionfrommyfriendswhocameaboutme;oneaskingmewhatIwasgoingtodo,andwhetherIhadnotalreadyspentmoneyenoughuponsuchfollies。Anotherassuredmethat,ifIboughtsomuchcharcoal,Ishouldstrengthenthesuspicionalreadyexisting,thatIwasacoinerofbasemoney。Anotheradvisedmetopurchasesomeplaceinthemagistracy,asIwasalreadyaDoctorofLaws。Myrelationsspokeintermsstillmoreannoyingtome,andeventhreatenedthat,ifIcontinuedtomakesuchafoolofmyself,theywouldsendaposseofpolice-officersintomyhouse,andbreakallmyfurnacesandcruciblesintoatoms。Iwasweariedalmosttodeathbythiscontinuedpersecution;butIfoundcomfortinmyworkandintheprogressofmyexperiment,towhichIwasveryattentive,andwhichwentonbravelyfromdaytoday。Aboutthistime,therewasadreadfulplagueinParis,whichinterruptedallintercoursebetweenmanandman,andleftmeasmuchtomyselfasIcoulddesire。Isoonhadthesatisfactiontoremarktheprogressandsuccessionofthethreecolourswhich,accordingtothephilosophers,alwaysprognosticatetheapproachingperfectionofthework。Iobservedthemdistinctly,oneaftertheother;andnextyear,beingEasterSunday,1550,Imadethegreattrial。Somecommonquicksilver,whichIputintoasmallcrucibleonthefire,was,inlessthananhour,convertedintoverygoodgold。Youmayjudgehowgreatwasmyjoy,butItookcarenottoboastofit。IreturnedthankstoGodforthefavourhehadshownme,andprayedthatImightonlybepermittedtomakesuchuseofitaswouldredoundtohisglory。
“Onthefollowingday,IwenttowardsToulousetofindtheAbbe,inaccordancewithamutualpromisethatweshouldcommunicateourdiscoveriestoeachother。Onmyway,Icalledintoseethesagemonkwhohadassistedmewithhiscounsels;butIhadthesorrowtolearnthattheywerebothdead。Afterthis,Iwouldnotreturntomyownhome,butretiredtoanotherplace,toawaitoneofmyrelationswhomIhadleftinchargeofmyestate。Igavehimorderstosellallthatbelongedtome,aswellmovableasimmovable——topaymydebtswiththeproceeds,anddividealltherestamongthoseinanywayrelatedtomewhomightstandinneedofit,inorderthattheymightenjoysomeshareofthegoodfortunewhichhadbefallenme。Therewasagreatdealoftalkintheneighbourhoodaboutmyprecipitateretreat;
thewisestofmyacquaintanceimaginingthat,brokendownandruinedbymymadexpenses,IsoldmylittleremainingpropertythatImightgoandhidemyshameindistantcountries。
“Myrelativealreadyspokenofrejoinedmeonthe1stofJuly,afterhavingperformedallthebusinessIhadintrustedhimwith。Wetookourdeparturetogether,toseekalandofliberty。WefirstretiredtoLausanne,inSwitzerland,when,afterremainingthereforsometime,weresolvedtopasstheremainderofourdaysinsomeofthemostcelebratedcitiesofGermany,livingquietlyandwithoutsplendour。“
ThusendsthestoryofDenisZachaire,aswrittenbyhimself。Hehasnotbeensocandidatitsconclusionasatitscommencement,andhaslefttheworldindoubtastohisrealmotivesforpretendingthathehaddiscoveredthephilosopher’sstone。Itseemsprobablethatthesentenceheputsintothemonthsofhiswisestacquaintanceswasthetruereasonofhisretreat;thathewas,infact,reducedtopoverty,andhidhisshameinforeigncountries。Nothingfurtherisknownofhislife,andhisrealnamehasneveryetbeendiscovered。Hewroteaworkonalchymy,entitled“ThetrueNaturalPhilosophyofMetals。“
DR。DEEandEDWARDKELLY。
JohnDeeandEdwardKellyclaimtobementionedtogether,havingbeensolongassociatedinthesamepursuits,andundergonesomanystrangevicissitudesineachother’ssociety。Deewasaltogetherawonderfulman,andhadhelivedinanagewhenfollyandsuperstitionwerelessrife,hewould,withthesamepowerswhichheenjoyed,haveleftbehindhimabrightandenduringreputation。HewasborninLondon,intheyear1527,andveryearlymanifestedaloveforstudy。
AttheageoffifteenhewassenttoCambridge,anddelightedsomuchinhisbooks,thathepassedregularlyeighteenhourseverydayamongthem。Oftheothersix,hedevotedfourtosleepandtwoforrefreshment。Suchintenseapplicationdidnotinjurehishealth,andcouldnotfailtomakehimoneofthefirstscholarsofhistime。
Unfortunately,however,hequittedthemathematicsandthepursuitsoftruephilosophytoindulgeintheunprofitablereveriesoftheoccultsciences。Hestudiedalchymy,astrology,andmagic,andtherebyrenderedhimselfobnoxioustotheauthoritiesatCambridge。Toavoidpersecution,hewasatlastobligedtoretiretotheuniversityofLouvain;therumoursofsorcerythatwerecurrentrespectinghimrenderinghislongerstayinEnglandnotaltogetherwithoutdanger。HefoundatLouvainmanykindredspiritswhohadknownCorneliusAgrippawhileheresidedamongthem,andbywhomhewasconstantlyentertainedwiththewondrousdeedsofthatgreatmasterofthehermeticmysteries。Fromtheirconversationhereceivedmuchencouragementtocontinuethesearchforthephilosopher’sstone,whichsoonbegantooccupynearlyallhisthoughts。