JustatthetimethatMichaelMayerwasmakingknowntotheworldtheexistenceofsuchabodyastheRosicrucians，therewasborninItalyamanwhowasafterwardsdestinedtobecomethemostconspicuousmemberofthefraternity。ThealchymicmanianevercalledforththeingenuityofamoreconsummateormoresuccessfulimpostorthanJosephFrancisBorri。Hewasbornin1616accordingtosomeauthorities，andin1627accordingtoothers，atMilan；wherehisfather，theSignorBrandaBorri，practisedasaphysician。Attheageofsixteen，JosephwassenttofinishhiseducationattheJesuits’CollegeinRome，wherehedistinguishedhimselfbyhisextraordinarymemory。Helearnedeverythingtowhichheappliedhimselfwiththeutmostease。Inthemostvoluminousworksnofactwastoominuteforhisretention，andnostudywassoabstrusebutthathecouldmasterit；butanyadvantageshemighthavederivedfromthisfacility，wereneutralizedbyhisungovernablepassionsandhisloveofturmoilanddebauchery。Hewasinvolvedincontinualdifficulty，aswellwiththeheadsofthecollegeaswiththepoliceofRome，andacquiredsobadacharacterthatyearscouldnotremoveit。BytheaidofhisfriendsheestablishedhimselfasaphysicianinRome，andalsoobtainedsomesituationinthePope’shousehold。Inoneofhisfitsofstudiousnesshegrewenamouredofalchymy，anddeterminedtodevotehisenergiestothediscoveryofthephilosopher’sstone。Ofunfortunatepropensitieshehadquitesufficient，besidesthis，tobringhimtopoverty。Hispleasureswereasexpensiveashisstudies，andbothwereofanaturetodestroyhishealthandruinhisfairfame。Attheageofthirty-sevenhefoundthathecouldnotlivebythepracticeofmedicine，andbegantolookaboutforsomeotheremployment。Hebecame，in1653，privatesecretarytotheMarquisdiMirogli，theministeroftheArchdukeofInnsprukatthecourtofRome。Hecontinuedinthiscapacityfortwoyears；leading，however，thesameabandonedlifeasheretofore，frequentingthesocietyofgamesters，debauchees，andloosewomen，involvinghimselfindisgracefulstreetquarrels，andalienatingthepatronswhoweredesiroustobefriendhim。
　　Allatonceasuddenchangewasobservedinhisconduct。Theabandonedrakeputontheoutwardsedatenessofaphilosopher；thescoffingsinnerproclaimedthathehadforsakenhisevilways，andwouldlivethenceforthamodelofvirtue。Tohisfriendsthisreformationwasaspleasingasitwasunexpected；andBorrigaveobscurehintsthatithadbeenbroughtaboutbysomemiraculousmanifestationofasuperiorpower。Hepretendedthatheheldconversewithbeneficentspirits；thatthesecretsofGodandnaturewererevealedtohim；andthathehadobtainedpossessionofthephilosopher’sstone。Likehispredecessor，JacobBohmen，hemixedupreligiousquestionswithhisphilosophicaljargon，andtookmeasuresfordeclaringhimselfthefounderofanewsect。This，atRomeitself，andintheverypalaceofthePope，wasahazardousproceeding；andBorrijustawoketoasenseofitintimetosavehimselffromthedungeonsoftheCastleofSt。Angelo。HefledtoInnspruck，whereheremainedaboutayear，andthenreturnedtohisnativecityofMilan。
　　Thereputationofhisgreatsanctityhadgonebeforehim；andhefoundmanypersonsreadytoattachthemselvestohisfortunes。Allwhoweredesirousofenteringintothenewcommuniontookanoathofpoverty，andrelinquishedtheirpossessionsforthegeneralgoodofthefraternity。BorritoldthemthathehadreceivedfromthearchangelMichaelaheavenlysword，uponthehiltofwhichwereengraventhenamesofthesevencelestialIntelligences。“Whoevershallrefuse，“saidhe，“toenterintomynewsheepfold，shallbedestroyedbythepapalarmies，ofwhomGodhaspredestinedmetobethechief。Tothosewhofollowme，alljoyshallbegranted。Ishallsoonbringmychemicalstudiestoahappyconclusionbythediscoveryofthephilosopher’sstone，andbythismeansweshallallhaveasmuchgoldaswedesire。Iamassuredoftheaidoftheangelichosts，andmoreespeciallyofthearchangelMichael’s。WhenIbegantowalkinthewayofthespirit，Ihadavisionofthenight，andwasassuredbyanangelicvoicethatIshouldbecomeaprophet。InsignofitI
　　sawapalm-tree，surroundedwithallthegloryofParadise。TheangelscometomewheneverIcall，andrevealtomeallthesecretsoftheuniverse。Thesylphsandelementaryspiritsobeyme，andflytotheuttermostendsoftheworldtoserveme，andthosewhomIdelighttohonour。“Byforceofcontinuallyrepeatingsuchstoriesasthese，Borrisoonfoundhimselfattheheadofaveryconsiderablenumberofadherents。Ashefiguresinthesepagesasanalchymist，andnotasareligioussectarian，itwillbeunnecessarytorepeatthedoctrineswhichhetaughtwithregardtosomeofthedogmasoftheChurchofRome，andwhichexposedhimtothefierceresentmentofthepapalauthority。Theyweretothefullasridiculousashisphilosophicalpretensions。Asthenumberofhisfollowersincreased，heappearstohavecherishedtheideaofbecomingonedayanewMahomet，andoffounding，inhisnativecityofMilan，amonarchyandreligionofwhichheshouldbethekingandtheprophet。Hehadtakenmeasures，intheyear1658，forseizingtheguardsatallthegatesofthatcity，andformallydeclaringhimselfthemonarchoftheMilanese。Justashethoughttheplanripeforexecution，itwasdiscovered。Twentyofhisfollowerswerearrested，andhehimselfmanaged，withtheutmostdifficulty，toescapetotheneutralterritoryofSwitzerland，wherethepapaldispleasurecouldnotreachhim。
　　Thetrialofhisfollowerscommencedforthwith，andthewholeofthemweresentencedtovarioustermsofimprisonment。Borri’strialproceededinhisabsence，andlastedforupwardsoftwoyears。Hewascondemnedtodeathasahereticandsorcererin1661，andwasburnedineffigyinRomebythecommonhangman。
　　Borri，inthemeantime，livedquietlyinSwitzerland，indulginghimselfinrailingattheInquisitionanditsproceedings。HeafterwardswenttoStrasbourg，intendingtofixhisresidenceinthattown。Hewasreceivedwithgreatcordiality，asamanpersecutedforhisreligiousopinions，andwithalagreatalchymist。Hefoundthatspheretoonarrowforhisaspiringgenius，andretiredinthesameyeartothemorewealthycityofAmsterdam。Hetherehiredamagnificenthouse，establishedanequipagewhicheclipsedinbrilliancythoseoftherichestmerchants，andassumedthetitleofExcellency。Wherehegotthemoneytoliveinthisexpensivestylewaslongasecret:theadeptsinalchymyeasilyexplainedit，aftertheirfashion。Sensiblepeoplewereofopinionthatbehadcomebyitinalesswonderfulmanner；foritwasrememberedthat，amonghisunfortunatedisciplesinMilan，thereweremanyrichmen，who，inconformitywithoneofthefundamentalrulesofthesect，hadgivenupalltheirearthlywealthintothehandsoftheirfounder。Inwhatevermannerthemoneywasobtained，BorrispentitinHollandwithanunsparinghand，andwaslookeduptobythepeoplewithnolittlerespectandveneration。Heperformedseveralablecures，andincreasedhisreputationsomuchthathewasvauntedasaprodigy。Hecontinueddiligentlytheoperationsofalchymy，andwasindailyexpectationthatheshouldsucceedinturningtheinferiormetalsintogold。Thishopeneverabandonedhim，evenintheworstextremityofhisfortunes；
　　andinhisprosperityitledhimintothemostfoolishexpenses:buthecouldnotlongcontinuetolivesomagnificentlyuponthefundshehadbroughtfromItaly；andthephilosopher’sstone，thoughitpromisedallforthewantsofthemorrow，neverbroughtanythingforthenecessitiesofto-day。Hewasobligedinafewmonthstoretrench，bygivinguphislargehouse，hisgildedcoach，andvaluableblood-horses，hisliverieddomestics，andhisluxuriousentertainments。Withthisdiminutionofsplendourcameadiminutionofrenown。Hiscuresdidnotappearsomiraculous，whenhewentoutonfoottoperformthem，astheyhadseemedwhen“hisExcellency“haddriventoapoorman’sdoorinhiscarriagewithsixhorses。Hesankfromaprodigyintoanordinaryman。Hisgreatfriendsshowedhimthecoldshoulder，andhishumbleflattererscarriedtheirincensetosomeothershrine。Borrinowthoughtithightimetochangehisquarters。
　　Withthisviewheborrowedmoneywhereverhecouldgetit，andsucceededinobtainingtwohundredthousandflorinsfromamerchant，namedDeMeer，toaid，ashesaid，indiscoveringthewateroflife。
　　Healsoobtainedsixdiamonds，ofgreatvalue，onpretencethathecouldremovetheflawsfromthemwithoutdiminishingtheirweight。
　　Withthisbootyhestoleawaysecretlybynight，andproceededtoHamburgh。
　　Onhisarrivalinthatcity，hefoundthecelebratedChristina，theex-QueenofSweden。Heprocuredanintroductiontoher，andrequestedherpatronageinhisendeavourtodiscoverthephilosopher’sstone。Shegavehimsomeencouragement；butBorri，fearingthatthemerchantsofAmsterdam，whohadconnexionsinHamburgh，mightexposehisdelinquenciesifheremainedinthelattercity，passedovertoCopenhagen，andsoughttheprotectionofFredericIII，theKingofDenmark。
　　ThisPrincewasafirmbelieverinthetransmutationofmetals。
　　Beinginwantofmoney，hereadilylistenedtotheplansofanadventurerwhohadbotheloquenceandabilitytorecommendhim。HeprovidedBorriwiththemeanstomakeexperiments，andtookagreatinterestintheprogressofhisoperations。HeexpectedeverymonthtopossessrichesthatwouldbuyPeru；and，whenhewasdisappointed，acceptedpatientlytheexcusesofBorriwho，uponeveryfailure，wasalwaysreadywithsomeplausibleexplanation。Hebecame，intime，muchattachedtohim；anddefendedhimfromthejealousattacksofhiscourtiers，andtheindignationofthosewhoweregrievedtoseetheirmonarchtheeasydupeofacharlatan。Borriendeavoured，byeverymeansinhispower，tofindalimentforthisgoodopinion。Hisknowledgeofmedicinewasusefultohiminthisrespect，andoftenstoodbetweenhimanddisgrace。HelivedsixyearsinthismanneratthecourtofFrederic；butthatmonarchdyingin1670，hewasleftwithoutaprotector。
　　AshehadmademoreenemiesthanfriendsinCopenhagen，andhadnothingtohopefromthesucceedingsovereign，hesoughtanasyluminanothercountry。HewentfirsttoSaxony；butmetsolittleencouragement，andencounteredsomuchdangerfromtheemissariesoftheInquisition，thathedidnotremaintheremanymonths。
　　AnticipatingnothingbutpersecutionineverycountrythatacknowledgedthespiritualauthorityofthePope，heappearstohavetakentheresolutiontodwellinTurkey，andturnMussulman。OnhisarrivalattheHungarianfrontier，onhiswaytoConstantinople，hewasarrestedonsuspicionofbeingconcernedintheconspiracyoftheCountsNadasdiandFrangipani，whichhadjustbeendiscovered。Invainheprotestedhisinnocence，anddivulgedhisrealnameandprofession。
　　Hewasdetainedinprison，andaletterdespatchedtotheEmperorLeopoldtoknowwhatshouldbedonewithhim。Thestarofhisfortuneswasonthedecline。TheletterreachedLeopoldatanunluckymoment。
　　ThePope’sNunciowasclosetedwithhisMajesty；andhenosoonerheardthenameofJosephFrancisBorri，thanhedemandedhimasaprisoneroftheHolySee。Therequestwascompliedwith；andBorri，closelymanacled，wassentunderanescortofsoldierstotheprisonoftheInquisitionatRome。Hewastoomuchofanimpostortobedeeplytingedwithfanaticism，andwasnotunwillingtomakeapublicrecantationofhisheresiesifhecouldtherebysavehislife。Whenthepropositionwasmadetohim，heaccepteditwitheagerness。Hispunishmentwastobecommutedintothehardlylesssevereoneofperpetualimprisonment；buthewastoohappytoescapetheclutchoftheexecutioneratanyprice，andhemadetheamendehonorableinfaceoftheassembledmultitudesofRomeonthe27thofOctober1672。HewasthentransferredtotheprisonsoftheCastleofSt。Angelo，whereheremainedtillhisdeath，twenty-threeyearsafterwards。Itissaidthat，towardsthecloseofhislife，considerableindulgencewasgrantedhim；thathewasallowedtohavealaboratory，andtocheerthesolitudeofhisdungeonbysearchingforthephilosopher’sstone。
　　QueenChristina，duringherresidenceatRome，frequentlyvisitedtheoldman，toconversewithhimuponchemistryandthedoctrinesoftheRosicrucians。Sheevenobtainedpermissionthatheshouldleavehisprisonoccasionallyforadayortwo，andresideinherpalace，shebeingresponsibleforhisreturntocaptivity。Sheencouragedhimtosearchforthegreatsecretofthealchymists，andprovidedhimwithmoneyforthepurpose。ItmaywellbesupposedthatBorribenefitedmostbythisacquaintance，andthatChristinagotnothingbutexperience。Itisnotsurethatshegainedeventhat；for，untilherdyingday，shewasconvincedofthepossibilityoffindingthephilosopher’sstone，andreadytoassistanyadventurereitherzealousorimpudentenoughtopretendtoit。