Thosewhoknewhimwell，andwhowereincredulousaboutthephilosopher’sstone，giveaverysatisfactorysolutionofthesecretofhiswealth。Theysaythathewasalwaysamiserandausurer；thathisjourneytoSpainwasundertakenwithverydifferentmotivesfromthosepretendedbythealchymists；that，infact，hewenttocollectdebtsduefromJewsinthatcountrytotheirbrethreninParis，andthathechargedacommissionoffullycent。percent。inconsiderationofthedifficultyofcollectingandthedangersoftheroad；thatwhenhepossessedthousands，heliveduponalmostnothing；andwasthegeneralmoney-lender，atenormousprofits，ofallthedissipatedyoungmenattheFrenchcourt。
　　AmongtheworkswrittenbyNicholasFlamelonthesubjectofalchymy，is“ThePhilosophicSummary，“apoem，reprintedin1735，asanappendixtothethirdvolumeofthe“RomandelaRose。“Healsowrotethreetreatisesuponnaturalphilosophy，andanalchymicallegory，entitled“LeDesirdesire。“Specimensofhiswriting，andafac-simileofthedrawingsinhisbookofAbraham，maybeseeninSalmon’s“BibliothequedesPhilosophesChimiques。“Thewriterofthearticle，“Flamel，“inthe“BiographieUniverselle，“saysthat，forahundredyearsafterthedeathofFlamel，manyoftheadeptsbelievedthathewasstillalive，andthathewouldliveforupwardsofsixhundredyears。Thehouseheformerlyoccupied，atthecorneroftheRuedeMarivaux，hasbeenoftentakenbycredulousspeculators，andransackedfromtoptobottom，inthehopesthatgoldmightbefound。A
　　reportwascurrentinParis，notlongprevioustotheyear1816，thatsomelodgershadfoundinthecellarsseveraljarsfilledwithadark-colouredponderousmatter。Uponthestrengthoftherumour，abelieverinallthewondroustalestoldofNicholasFlamelboughtthehouse，andnearlypulledittopiecesinransackingthewallsandwainscottingforhiddengold。Hegotnothingforhispains，however，andhadaheavybilltopaytorestorehisdilapidations。
　　WhilealchymywasthuscultivatedonthecontinentofEurope，itwasnotneglectedintheislesofBritain。SincethetimeofRogerBacon，ithadfascinatedtheimaginationofmanyardentmeninEngland。Intheyear1404，anactofparliamentwaspassed，declaringthemakingofgoldandsilvertobefelony。Greatalarmwasfeltatthattimelestanyalchymistshouldsucceedinhisprojects，andperhapsbringruinuponthestate，byfurnishingboundlesswealthtosomedesigningtyrant，whowouldmakeuseofittoenslavehiscountry。Thisalarmappearstohavesoonsubsided；for，intheyear1455，KingHenryVI，byadviceofhiscouncilandparliament，grantedfoursuccessivepatentsandcommissionstoseveralknights，citizensofLondon，chemists，monks，mass-priests，andothers，tofindoutthephilosopher’sstoneandelixir，“tothegreatbenefit，“saidthepatent，“oftherealm，andtheenablingoftheKingtopayallthedebtsoftheCrowninrealgoldandsilver。“Prinn，inhis“AurumReginae，“observes，asanotetothispassage，thattheKing’sreasonforgrantingthispatenttoecclesiasticswas，thattheyweresuchgoodartistsintransubstantiatingbreadandwineintheEucharist，andthereforethemorelikelytobeabletoeffectthetransmutationofbasermetalsintobetter。Nogold，ofcourse，wasevermade；and，nextyear，theKing，doubtingverymuchofthepracticabilityofthething，tookfurtheradvice，andappointedacommissionoftenlearnedmen，andpersonsofeminence，tojudgeandcertifytohimwhetherthetransmutationofmetalswereathingpracticableorno。Itdoesnotappearwhetherthecommissionevermadeanyreportuponthesubject。
　　Inthesucceedingreign，analchymistappearedwhopretendedtohavediscoveredthesecret。ThiswasGeorgeRipley，thecanonofBridlington，inYorkshire。HestudiedfortwentyyearsintheuniversitiesofItaly，andwasagreatfavouritewithPopeInnocentVIII，whomadehimoneofhisdomesticchaplains，andmasteroftheceremoniesinhishousehold。ReturningtoEnglandin1477，hededicatedtoKingEdwardIV。hisfamouswork，“TheCompoundofAlchymy；or，theTwelveGatesleadingtotheDiscoveryofthePhilosopher’sStone。“Thesegateshedescribedtobecalcination，solution，separation，conjunction，putrefaction，congelation，cibation，sublimation，fermentation，exaltation，multiplication，andprojection！towhichhemighthaveaddedbotheration，themostimportantprocessofall。Hewasveryrich，andallowedittobebelievedthathecouldmakegoldoutofiron。Fuller，inhis“WorthiesofEngland，“saysthatanEnglishgentlemanofgoodcreditreportedthat，inhistravelsabroad，hesawarecordintheislandofMalta，whichdeclaredthatRipleygaveyearlytotheknightsofthatisland，andofRhodes，theenormoussumofonehundredthousandpoundssterling，toenablethemtocarryonthewaragainsttheTurks。Inhisoldage，hebecameananchoritenearBoston，andwrotetwenty-fivevolumesuponthesubjectofalchymy，themostimportantofwhichisthe“DuodecimPortarum，“alreadymentioned。Beforehedied，heseemstohaveacknowledgedthathehadmisspenthislifeinthisvainstudy，andrequestedthatallmen，whentheymetwithanyofhisbooks，wouldburnthem，oraffordthemnocredit，astheyhadbeenwrittenmerelyfromhisopinion，andnotfromproof；andthatsubsequenttrialhadmademanifesttohimthattheywerefalseandvain。[Fuller’s“WorthiesofEngland。“]
　　Germanyalsoproducedmanyfamousalchymistsinthefifteenthcentury，thechiefofwhomareBasilValentine，BernardofTreves，andtheAbbotTrithemius。BasilValentinewasbornatMayence，andwasmadepriorofSt。Peter’s，atErfurt，abouttheyear1414。Itwasknown，duringhislife，thathediligentlysoughtthephilosopher’sstone，andthathehadwrittensomeworksupontheprocessoftransmutation。Theywerethought，formanyyears，tobelost；butwere，afterhisdeath，discoveredenclosedinthestoneworkofoneofthepillarsintheAbbey。Theyweretwenty-oneinnumber，andarefullysetforthinthethirdvolumeofLenglet’s“HistoryoftheHermeticPhilosophy。“Thealchymistsasserted，thatHeavenitselfconspiredtobringtolighttheseextraordinaryworks；andthatthepillarinwhichtheywereenclosedwasmiraculouslyshatteredbyathunderbolt；andthat，assoonasthemanuscriptswereliberated，thepillarclosedupagainofitsownaccord！
　　Thelifeofthisphilosopherisaremarkableinstanceoftalentandperseverancemisapplied。Inthesearchofhischimeranothingcoulddaunthim。Repeateddisappointmentneverdiminishedhishopes；
　　and，fromtheageoffourteentothatofeighty-five，hewasincessantlyemployedamongthedrugsandfurnacesofhislaboratory，wastinghislifewiththeviewofprolongingit，andreducinghimselftobeggaryinthehopesofgrowingrich。
　　HewasbornateitherTrevesorPadua，intheyear1406。Hisfatherissaidbysometohavebeenaphysicianinthelattercity；
　　andbyothers，tohavebeenCountoftheMarchesofTreves，andoneofthemostwealthynoblesofhiscountry。Atallevents，whethernobleorphysician，hewasarichman，andlefthissonamagnificentestate。Attheageoffourteenhefirstbecameenamouredofthescienceofalchymy，andreadtheArabianauthorsintheirownlanguage。Hehimselfhasleftamostinterestingrecordofhislaboursandwanderings，fromwhichthefollowingparticularsarechieflyextracted:——Thefirstbookwhichfellintohishands，wasthatoftheArabianphilosopher，Rhazes，fromthereadingofwhichheimaginedthathehaddiscoveredthemeansofaugmentinggoldahundredfold。
　　Forfouryearsheworkedinhislaboratory，withthebookofRhazescontinuallybeforehim。Attheendofthattime，hefoundthathehadspentnolessthaneighthundredcrownsuponhisexperiment，andhadgotnothingbutfireandsmokeforhispains。HenowbegantoloseconfidenceinRhazes，andturnedtotheworksofGeber。Hestudiedhimassiduouslyfortwoyears；and，beingyoung，rich，andcredulous，wasbesetbyallthechymistsofthetown，whokindlyassistedhiminspendinghismoney。HedidnotlosehisfaithinGeber，orpatiencewithhishungryassistants，untilhehadlosttwothousandcrowns-averyconsiderablesuminthosedays。
　　Amongallthecrowdofpretendedmenofsciencewhosurroundedhim，therewasbutoneasenthusiasticandasdisinterestedashimself。Withthisman，whowasamonkoftheorderofSt。Francis，hecontractedanintimatefriendship，andspentnearlyallhistime。SomeobscuretreatisesofRupecissaandSacroboscohavingfallenintotheirhands，theywerepersuaded，fromreadingthem，thathighlyrectifiedspiritsofwinewastheuniversalalkahest，ordissolvent，whichwouldaidthemgreatlyintheprocessoftransmutation。Theyrectifiedthealcoholthirtytimes，tilltheymadeitsostrongastoburstthevesselswhichcontainedit。Aftertheyhadworkedthreeyears，andspentthreehundredcrownsintheliquor，theydiscoveredthattheywereonthewrongtrack。Theynexttriedalumandcopperas；butthegreatsecretstillescapedthem。Theyafterwardsimaginedthattherewasamarvellousvirtueinallexcrement，especiallythehuman，andactuallyemployedmorethantwoyearsinexperimentalizinguponit，withmercury，salt，andmoltenlead！Againtheadeptsflockedaroundhimfromfarandnear，toaidhimwiththeircounsels。Hereceivedthemallhospitably，anddividedhiswealthamongthemsogenerouslyandunhesitatingly，thattheygavehimthenameofthe“goodTrevisan，“bywhichheisstilloftenmentionedinworksthattreatonalchymy。Fortwelveyearsheledthislife，makingexperimentseverydayuponsomenewsubstance，andprayingtoGodnightandmorningthathemightdiscoverthesecretoftransmutation。
　　Inthisintervalhelosthisfriendthemonk，andwasjoinedbyamagistrateofthecityofTreves，asardentashimselfinthesearch。
　　Hisnewacquaintanceimaginedthattheoceanwasthemotherofgold，andthatsea-saltwouldchangeleadorironintothepreciousmetals。