must have rendered it very valuable to burglars and horse-stealers; and houseleek would shield from lightning any house in which it grew; this privilege of being thunder-proof, it shared with the classical bay-tree. The mountain ash, rowan tree, or, as it is called in the northern counties, the wiggen tree, was of sovereign virtue as a preservative against the machinations of witchcraft.

Similar follies are to be observed in all countries. Here is a specimen from the East:-" "There is a tree in India called peridexion, whose fruit is sweet and useful, so that doves also delight to tarry in it; and the serpent fears this tree, so that he avoids the shadow of it; for if the shadow of the tree go towards the east, the serpent flies towards the west; and if the shadow of the tree reach towards the west, the serpent flies towards the east; and the serpent cannot hurt the doves, because of the virtue of the tree; but if any of them straggle from the tree, thề serpent, by its breath, attracts it and devours it. Yet when they fly or go together, neither the serpent nor the spar-hawk can, or dares, hurt them. Therefore, the leaves or bark of the tree, suffumigated, avert all evil that is of venomous beasts." This, though a fiction, is at least a poetical one.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE DELUSIONS OF ALCHEMY.

Origin of Alchemy-Argument for Transmutation-Golden Age of Alchemy-Alchemists in the 13th century-Medals metaphorically described-Jargon of Dr. Dee-The Green Lion-Roger Bacon-Invention of Gunpowder-Imprisonment of Alchemists -Edict of Henry VI.-Pope John XXII.-Pope Sixtus V.Alchemy applied to Medicine-Paracelsus-Evelyn's hesitation about Alchemy-Narrative of Helvetius-Philadept on Alchemy -Rosicrucians-A Vision-Haydon's description of Rosicrucians -Dr. Price-Mr. Woùlfe-Mr. Kellerman.

THE subject of Alchemy occupies so large a space in the humiliating history of the misapplication of talent, as to justify a particular enquiry into the causes of its origin, the grounds of its success, and the reason of its gradual decline. So much mysticism and fondness for ambiguity exist in the writings of the hermetic philosophers, as they were called, that it will not be surprising to find accounts of the origin of the science wrapped in equally extraordinary language.

To begin with Adam: he is said to have foreseen the deluge, and, for the purpose of providing against that catastrophe, to have erected two tables of stone, which contained the foundation of this wisdom. One of them, after the flood, was found on Mount Ararat. Alchemy has as frequently been called the hermetic art, as it is more generally supposed to have been invented by Hermes, King of Egypt, and master of this science, when Egypt was the garden of God. According to chronologers, his æra was before that of Moses. This was the true philosopher's stone, which so enriched that kingdom, and by means of which all the arts flourished; but in quest of which so many persons of all nations and ages have since fruitlessly

consumed both their fortunes and lives. Unlike their baffled successors, the Egyptians increased their wealth to that immense degree, that they studied means how to expend their exuberant stores in the erection of pyramids, obelisks, colossuses, monuments, pensile gardens, cities, and the labyrinth, and in forming the immense lake Moris, and the like stupendous works, which cost so many millions of talents. “All these (say the believers in the science) are sufficient arguments of their skill in alchemy, whence they received so vast a supply of riches; for, since no authors mention any gold mines in the time of Osiris, or Hermes, whence could they have acquired such exceeding great wealth, but from the chemical art of transmuting metals ?"

The Egyptian priests, under a promise of secrecy, communicated the knowledge they possessed to the Alexandrian Greeks. The actual possession of much lucrative knowledge, and the reputation of still more valuable secrets, would attract the notice of the credulous and ignorant. With many the extent of the science was confined to the refining of metals, and preparations of chemical compounds; but the theoretical alchemist having in view a certain mysterious and unattainable object, despised the occupation of the mere chemist, and from policy, or want of clear ideas on the subject, the language of his art became more and more obscure. Knaves and impostors crept in, and, by impositions on the unwary and credulous, indemnified themselves for the ill success of their experiments.

Those chemists, who assumed the pompous title of alchemists, were persuaded that all metals were no other than nature's rude unfinished essays towards the making of gold; which, by means of due coction

in the bowels of the earth, advanced gradually towards maturity, till at last they were perfected into that beautiful metal. Their endeavours, therefore, were to finish what nature had begun, by procuring for the imperfect metals this much desired coction; and upon this grand principle all their processes were dependent.

The golden age of alchemy commenced, properly speaking, with the conquests of Arabian fanaticism in Asia and Africa, about the time of the destruction of the Alexandrian Library, and the subjection of Europe to the basest superstition. The Saracens, lively, subtile, and credulous, intimate with the fables of talismans and celestial influences, admitted, with eager faith, the wonders of alchemy. The rage of making gold spread through the whole Mahometan world; and in the splendid courts of Almansor and Haroun Al Raschid, the professors of the hermetic art found patronage, disciples, and emolument.

About the thirteenth century, Albertus Magnus, Roger Bacon, and Raymond Lully, appeared as the revivers of this science, which had been nearly lost in the interval from the tenth century; their writings again raised alchemy to a very high degree of credit, and their adventures as well as those of their disciples partake more of the character of oriental romance than the results of philosophic study. The most celebrated of the alchemic philosophers were not only the companions of princes, but many of them were even kings themselves, who chose this royal road to wealth and magnificence.

No delusion in the world ever excited so extensive and long-continued an interest, or rather it might. be called madness; though it now seems wonderful how the fallacy of it should have escaped de

tection during a period of seven or eight hundred years, when so many causes for suspicion and disappointment must have occurred amongst its professors; but the fond idea seems to have been strengthened by this want of success, which was attributed to any cause rather than the proper one.

An alchemist, in his writings, complains of the difficulties attending the search after the Immortal Dissolvent, as the grand agent in the operations was sometimes called; and very feelingly asserts, that the principal one is the want of subsistence or money, as without a supply of the latter to buy glasses, build furnaces, etc., the operations cannot go on.

The several metals were described metaphorically, as planets, animals, &c., and mystical allusions were made to the sacred Scriptures, in confirmation of the truth of the science, by the most forced interpretations of certain passages: as for instance-" He struck the stone and water poured out, and he poured oil out of the flinty rock ;" and the whole composition of the philosopher's stone was thought to be contained in the four verses, beginning, "He stretched forth the heavens as a curtain, the waters stood above the mountains."

The descriptions of the several necessary processes partook of such figurative language, as none but the adepts could possibly understand. Dr. Dee, in the fulness of his wisdom, thus instructs his disciples: "The contemplative order of the Rosie-cross have presented to the world angels, spirits, plants, and metals, with the times in astromancy and geomancy to prepare and unite them telesmatically. This is the substance which at present in our study is the child of the sun and moon, placed between two fires,