Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions

第107章

试读中

第107章

Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions Mackay, Charles

后面的故事,去 App 接着看,下载后搜索书名即可继续阅读。

Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions
阅读主题
字体大小

  Dee,forawhile,hadmoreprosperousfortune。Thewarming-panhehadsenttoQueenElizabethwasnotwithouteffect。Hewasrewarded,soonafterKellyhadlefthim,withaninvitationtoreturntoEngland。Hispride,whichhadbeensorelyhumbled,sprangupagaintoitspristinedimensions;andhesetoutforBohemiawithatrainofattendantsbecominganambassador。Howheprocuredthemoneydoesnotappear,unlessfromtheliberalityoftherichBohemianRosenberg,orperhapsfromhisplunder。Hetravelledwiththreecoachesforhimselfandfamily,andthreewaggonstocarryhisbaggage。Eachcoachhadfourhorses,andthewholetrainwasprotectedbyaguardoffourandtwentysoldiers。Thisstatementmaybedoubted;butitisontheauthorityofDeehimself,whomadeitonoathbeforethecommissionersappointedbyElizabethtoinquireintohiscircumstances。OnhisarrivalinEnglandhehadanaudienceoftheQueen,whoreceivedhimkindlyasfaraswordswent,andgaveordersthatheshouldnotbemolestedinhispursuitsofchemistryandphilosophy。Amanwhoboastedofthepowertoturnbasermetalsintogold,couldnot,thoughtElizabeth,beinwantofmoney;andshe,therefore,gavehimnomoresubstantialmarksofherapprobationthanhercountenanceandprotection。

  Thrownthusunexpectedlyuponhisownresources,Deebeganinearnestthesearchforthephilosopher’sstone。Heworkedincessantlyamonghisfurnaces,retorts,andcrucibles,andalmostpoisonedhimselfwithdeleteriousfumes。Healsoconsultedhismiraculouscrystal;butthespiritsappearednottohim。HetriedoneBartholomewtosupplytheplaceoftheinvaluableKelly;buthebeingamanofsomelittleprobity,andofnoimaginationatall,thespiritswouldnotholdanycommunicationwithhim。Deethentriedanotherpretendertophilosophy,ofthenameofHickman;buthadnobetterfortune。Thecrystalhadlostitspowersincethedepartureofitsgreathigh-priest。FromthisquarterthenDeecouldgetnoinformationonthestoneorelixirofthealchymists,andallhiseffortstodiscoverthembyothermeanswerenotonlyfruitlessbutexpensive。Hewassoonreducedtogreatdistress,andwrotepiteousletterstotheQueen,prayingrelief。Herepresentedthat,afterheleftEnglandwithCountLaski,themobhadpillagedhishouseatMortlake,accusinghimofbeinganecromancerandawizard;andhadbrokenallhisfurniture,burnedhislibrary,consistingoffourthousandrarevolumes,anddestroyedallthephilosophicalinstrumentsandcuriositiesinhismuseum。Forthisdamageheclaimedcompensation;andfurthermorestated,that,ashehadcometoEnglandbytheQueen’scommand,sheoughttopaytheexpensesofhisjourney。Elizabethsenthimsmallsumsofmoneyatvarioustimes;but,Deestillcontinuinghiscomplaints,acommissionwasappointedtoinquireintohiscircumstances。HefinallyobtainedasmallappointmentasChancellorofSt。Paul’scathedral,whichheexchanged,in1595,forthewardenshipofthecollegeatManchester。Heremainedinthiscapacitytill1602or1603,when,hisstrengthandintellectbeginningtofailhim,hewascompelledtoresign。HeretiredtohisolddwellingatMortlake,inastatenotfarremovedfromactualwant,supportinghimselfasacommonfortune-teller,andbeingoftenobligedtosellorpawnhisbookstoprocureadinner。JamesI。wasoftenappliedtoonhisbehalf,butherefusedtodoanythingforhim。ItmaybesaidtothediscreditofthisKing,thattheonlyrewardhewouldgranttheindefatigableStowe,inhisdaysofoldageandwant,wastheroyalpermissiontobeg;butnoonewillblamehimforneglectingsuchaquackasJohnDee。Hediedin1608,intheeighty-firstyearofhisage,andwasburiedatMortlake。

  THECOSMOPOLITE。

  Manydisputeshavearisenastotherealnameofthealchymistwhowroteseveralworksundertheabovedesignation。ThegeneralopinionisthathewasaScotsman,namedSeton;andthatbyafateverycommontoalchymists,whoboastedtooloudlyoftheirpowersoftransmutation,heendedhisdaysmiserablyinadungeon,intowhichhewasthrownbyaGermanpotentateuntilhemadeamillionofgoldtopayhisransom。BysomehehasbeenconfoundedwithMichaelSendivog,orSendivogius,aPole,aprofessorofthesameart,whomadeagreatnoiseinEuropeatthecommencementoftheseventeenthcentury。

  LengletduFresnoy,whoisingeneralwell-informedwithrespecttothealchymists,inclinestothebeliefthatthesepersonagesweredistinct;andgivesthefollowingparticularsoftheCosmopolite,extractedfromGeorgeMorhoff,inhis“EpistolaadLangelottum,“andotherwriters。

后续内容在 App 继续看

精彩内容未完,打开 App 继续阅读

后面的故事已为你准备好,下载 App 后搜索“Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions”即可继续阅读这一章。