TheSultan，highlydelightedwithhispowers，entreatedhimtostay，offeringhimeveryinducementthatwealth，power，anddignitycouldsupply；butthealchymistresolutelyrefused，itbeingdecreed，hesaid，thatheshouldneverreposetillhehaddiscoveredthephilosopher’sstone。Hesetoutaccordinglythesameevening，andwasmurderedbysomethievesinthedesertsofSyria。Hisbiographersgivenofurtherparticularsofhislifebeyondmentioning，thathewroteseveralvaluabletreatisesonhisart，allofwhich，however，havebeenlost。Hisdeathhappenedintheyear954。

　　Avicenna，whoserealnamewasEbnCinna，anothergreatalchymist，wasbornatBokhara，in980。Hisreputationasaphysicianandamanskilledinallscienceswassogreat，thattheSultanMagdalDoulethresolvedtotryhispowersinthegreatscienceofgovernment。HewasaccordinglymadeGrandVizierofthatPrince，andruledthestatewithsomeadvantage:but，inasciencestillmoredifficult，hefailedcompletely。Hecouldnotrulehisownpassions，butgavehimselfuptowineandwomen，andledalifeofshamelessdebauchery。Amidthemultifariouspursuitsofbusinessandpleasure，heneverthelessfoundtimetowriteseventreatisesuponthephilosopher’sstone，whichwereformanyageslookeduponasofgreatvaluebypretenderstotheart。Itisrarethataneminentphysician，asAvicennaappearstohavebeen，abandonshimselftosensualgratification；butsocompletelydidhebecomeenthralledinthecourseofafewyears，thathewasdismissedfromhishighoffice，anddiedshortlyafterwards，ofprematureoldageandacomplicationofmaladies，broughtonbydebauchery。Hisdeathtookplaceintheyear1036。Afterhistime，fewphilosophersofanynoteinArabiaareheardofasdevotingthemselvestothestudyofalchymy；butitbeganshortlyafterwardstoattractgreaterattentioninEurope。LearnedmeninFrance，England，Spain，andItalyexpressedtheirbeliefinthescience，andmanydevotedtheirwholeenergiestoit。Inthetwelfthandthirteenthcenturiesespecially，itwasextensivelypursued，andsomeofthebrightestnamesofthatageareconnectedwithit。AmongthemosteminentofthemareALBERTUSMAGNUSandTHOMASAQUINA。

　　Thefirstofthesephilosopherswasbornintheyear1193，ofanoblefamilyatLawingen，intheduchyofNeuburg，ontheDanube。Forthefirstthirtyyearsofhislife，heappearedremarkablydullandstupid，anditwasfearedbyeveryonethatnogoodcouldcomeofhim。

　　HeenteredaDominicanmonasteryatanearlyage；butmadesolittleprogressinhisstudies，thathewasmorethanonceuponthepointofabandoningthemindespair；buthewasendowedwithextraordinaryperseverance。Asheadvancedtomiddleage，hismindexpanded，andhelearnedwhateverheappliedhimselftowithextremefacility。Soremarkableachangewasnot，inthatage，tobeaccountedforbutbyamiracle。ItwasassertedandbelievedthattheHolyVirgin，touchedwithhisgreatdesiretobecomelearnedandfamous，tookpityuponhisincapacity，andappearedtohiminthecloisterwherehesat，almostdespairing，andaskedhimwhetherhewishedtoexcelinphilosophyordivinity。Hechosephilosophy，tothechagrinoftheVirgin，whoreproachedhiminmildandsorrowfulaccentsthathehadnotmadeabetterchoice。She，however，grantedhisrequestthatheshouldbecomethemostexcellentphilosopheroftheage；butsetthisdrawbacktohispleasure，thatheshouldrelapse，whenattheheightofhisfame，intohisformerincapacityandstupidity。Albertusnevertookthetroubletocontradictthestory，butprosecutedhisstudieswithsuchunremittingzealthathisreputationspeedilyspreadoverallEurope。

　　Intheyear1244，thecelebratedThomasAquinasplacedhimselfunderhistuition。Manyextraordinarystoriesaretoldofthemasterandhispupil。Whiletheypaidalldueattentiontootherbranchesofscience，theyneverneglectedthepursuitofthephilosopher’sstoneandtheelixirvitae。Althoughtheydiscoveredneither，itwasbelievedthatAlberthadseizedsomeportionofthesecretoflife，andfoundmeanstoanimateabrazenstatue，upontheformationofwhich，underproperconjunctionsoftheplanets，hehadbeenoccupiedmanyyearsofhislife。HeandThomasAquinascompletedittogether，endoweditwiththefacultyofspeech，andmadeitperformthefunctionsofadomesticservant。Inthiscapacityitwasexceedinglyuseful；but，throughsomedefectinthemachinery，itchatteredmuchmorethanwasagreeabletoeitherphilosopher。Variousremediesweretriedtocureitofitsgarrulity，butinvain；andonedayThomasAquinaswassoenragedatthenoiseitmade，whenhewasinthemidstofamathematicalproblem，thatheseizedaponderoushammerandsmashedittopieces。

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