Artephius，anamenotedintheannalsofalchymy，wasbornintheearlypartofthetwelfthcentury。Hewrotetwofamoustreatises；theoneuponthephilosopher’sstone，andtheotherontheartofprolonginghumanlife。Inthelatterhevauntshisgreatqualificationsforinstructingmankindonsuchamatter，ashewasatthattimeinthethousandandtwenty-fifthyearofhisage！Hehadmanydiscipleswhobelievedinhisextremeage，andwhoattemptedtoprovethathewasApolloniusofTyana，wholivedsoonaftertheadventofJesusChrist，andtheparticularsofwhoselifeandpretendedmiracleshavebeensofullydescribedbyPhilostratus。Hetookgoodcarenevertocontradictastory，whichsomuchincreasedthepowerhewasdesirousofwieldingoverhisfellow-mortals。Onallconvenientoccasions，heboastedofit；andhavinganexcellentmemory，afertileimagination，andathoroughknowledgeofallexistinghistory，hewasneveratalossforananswerwhenquestionedastothepersonalappearance，themanners，orthecharacterofthegreatmenofantiquity。Healsopretendedtohavefoundthephilosopher’sstone；

　　andsaidthat，insearchofit，hehaddescendedtohell，andseenthedevilsittingonathroneofgold，withalegionofimpsandfiendsaroundhim。HisworksonalchymyhavebeentranslatedintoFrench，andwerepublishedinParisin1609or1610。

　　ALAINDELISLE。

　　ContemporarywithAlbertusMagnuswasAlaindeLisle，ofFlanders，whowasnamed，fromhisgreatlearning，the“universaldoctor。“Hewasthoughttopossessaknowledgeofallthesciences，and，likeArtephius，tohavediscoveredtheelixirvitae。HebecameoneofthefriarsoftheabbeyofCiteaux，anddiedin1298，agedaboutonehundredandtenyears。Itwassaidofhim，thathewasatthepointofdeathwheninhisfiftiethyear；butthatthefortunatediscoveryoftheelixirenabledhimtoaddsixtyyearstohisexistence。HewroteacommentaryonthepropheciesofMerlin。

　　ARNOLDDEVILLENEUVE。

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