ButhedidnotlongenjoytheesteemofthegoodcitizensofBasle。Itissaidthatheindulgedinwinesofreely，asnotunfrequentlytobeseeninthestreetsinastateofintoxication。
Thiswasruinousforaphysician，andhisgoodfamedecreasedrapidly。
Hisillfameincreasedinstillgreaterproportion，especiallywhenheassumedtheairsofasorcerer。Heboastedofthelegionsofspiritsathiscommand；andofoneespecially，whichhekeptimprisonedinthehiltofhissword。Wetterus，wholivedtwenty-sevenmonthsinhisservice，relatesthatheoftenthreatenedtoinvokeawholearmyofdemons，andshowhimthegreatauthoritywhichhecouldexerciseoverthem。Heletitbebelieved，thatthespiritinhisswordhadcustodyoftheelixiroflife，bymeansofwhichhecouldmakeanyonelivetobeasoldastheantediluvians。Healsoboastedthathehadaspiritathiscommand，called“Azoth，“whomhekeptimprisonedinajewel；
andinmanyoftheoldportraitsheisrepresentedwithajewel，inscribedwiththeword“Azoth，“inhishand。
Ifasoberprophethaslittlehonourinhisowncountry，adrunkenonehasstillless。ParacelsusfounditatlastconvenienttoquitBasle，andestablishhimselfatStrasbourg。Theimmediatecauseofthischangeofresidencewasasfollows:——Acitizenlayatthepointofdeath，andwasgivenoverbyallthephysiciansofthetown。AsalastresourceParacelsuswascalledin，towhomthesickmanpromisedamagnificentrecompence，ifbyhismeanshewerecured。Paracelsusgavehimtwosmallpills，whichthemantookandrapidlyrecovered。