Thosewhoknewhimwell，andwhowereincredulousaboutthephilosopher’sstone，giveaverysatisfactorysolutionofthesecretofhiswealth。Theysaythathewasalwaysamiserandausurer；thathisjourneytoSpainwasundertakenwithverydifferentmotivesfromthosepretendedbythealchymists；that，infact，hewenttocollectdebtsduefromJewsinthatcountrytotheirbrethreninParis，andthathechargedacommissionoffullycent。percent。inconsiderationofthedifficultyofcollectingandthedangersoftheroad；thatwhenhepossessedthousands，heliveduponalmostnothing；andwasthegeneralmoney-lender，atenormousprofits，ofallthedissipatedyoungmenattheFrenchcourt。
AmongtheworkswrittenbyNicholasFlamelonthesubjectofalchymy，is“ThePhilosophicSummary，“apoem，reprintedin1735，asanappendixtothethirdvolumeofthe“RomandelaRose。“Healsowrotethreetreatisesuponnaturalphilosophy，andanalchymicallegory，entitled“LeDesirdesire。“Specimensofhiswriting，andafac-simileofthedrawingsinhisbookofAbraham，maybeseeninSalmon’s“BibliothequedesPhilosophesChimiques。“Thewriterofthearticle，“Flamel，“inthe“BiographieUniverselle，“saysthat，forahundredyearsafterthedeathofFlamel，manyoftheadeptsbelievedthathewasstillalive，andthathewouldliveforupwardsofsixhundredyears。Thehouseheformerlyoccupied，atthecorneroftheRuedeMarivaux，hasbeenoftentakenbycredulousspeculators，andransackedfromtoptobottom，inthehopesthatgoldmightbefound。A
reportwascurrentinParis，notlongprevioustotheyear1816，thatsomelodgershadfoundinthecellarsseveraljarsfilledwithadark-colouredponderousmatter。Uponthestrengthoftherumour，abelieverinallthewondroustalestoldofNicholasFlamelboughtthehouse，andnearlypulledittopiecesinransackingthewallsandwainscottingforhiddengold。Hegotnothingforhispains，however，andhadaheavybilltopaytorestorehisdilapidations。
WhilealchymywasthuscultivatedonthecontinentofEurope，itwasnotneglectedintheislesofBritain。SincethetimeofRogerBacon，ithadfascinatedtheimaginationofmanyardentmeninEngland。Intheyear1404，anactofparliamentwaspassed，declaringthemakingofgoldandsilvertobefelony。Greatalarmwasfeltatthattimelestanyalchymistshouldsucceedinhisprojects，andperhapsbringruinuponthestate，byfurnishingboundlesswealthtosomedesigningtyrant，whowouldmakeuseofittoenslavehiscountry。Thisalarmappearstohavesoonsubsided；for，intheyear1455，KingHenryVI，byadviceofhiscouncilandparliament，grantedfoursuccessivepatentsandcommissionstoseveralknights，citizensofLondon，chemists，monks，mass-priests，andothers，tofindoutthephilosopher’sstoneandelixir，“tothegreatbenefit，“saidthepatent，“oftherealm，andtheenablingoftheKingtopayallthedebtsoftheCrowninrealgoldandsilver。“Prinn，inhis“AurumReginae，“observes，asanotetothispassage，thattheKing’sreasonforgrantingthispatenttoecclesiasticswas，thattheyweresuchgoodartistsintransubstantiatingbreadandwineintheEucharist，andthereforethemorelikelytobeabletoeffectthetransmutationofbasermetalsintobetter。Nogold，ofcourse，wasevermade；and，nextyear，theKing，doubtingverymuchofthepracticabilityofthething，tookfurtheradvice，andappointedacommissionoftenlearnedmen，andpersonsofeminence，tojudgeandcertifytohimwhetherthetransmutationofmetalswereathingpracticableorno。Itdoesnotappearwhetherthecommissionevermadeanyreportuponthesubject。
Inthesucceedingreign，analchymistappearedwhopretendedtohavediscoveredthesecret。ThiswasGeorgeRipley，thecanonofBridlington，inYorkshire。HestudiedfortwentyyearsintheuniversitiesofItaly，andwasagreatfavouritewithPopeInnocentVIII，whomadehimoneofhisdomesticchaplains，andmasteroftheceremoniesinhishousehold。ReturningtoEnglandin1477，hededicatedtoKingEdwardIV。hisfamouswork，“TheCompoundofAlchymy；or，theTwelveGatesleadingtotheDiscoveryofthePhilosopher’sStone。“Thesegateshedescribedtobecalcination，solution，separation，conjunction，putrefaction，congelation，cibation，sublimation，fermentation，exaltation，multiplication，andprojection！towhichhemighthaveaddedbotheration，themostimportantprocessofall。Hewasveryrich，andallowedittobebelievedthathecouldmakegoldoutofiron。Fuller，inhis“WorthiesofEngland，“saysthatanEnglishgentlemanofgoodcreditreportedthat，inhistravelsabroad，hesawarecordintheislandofMalta，whichdeclaredthatRipleygaveyearlytotheknightsofthatisland，andofRhodes，theenormoussumofonehundredthousandpoundssterling，toenablethemtocarryonthewaragainsttheTurks。Inhisoldage，hebecameananchoritenearBoston，andwrotetwenty-fivevolumesuponthesubjectofalchymy，themostimportantofwhichisthe“DuodecimPortarum，“alreadymentioned。Beforehedied，heseemstohaveacknowledgedthathehadmisspenthislifeinthisvainstudy，andrequestedthatallmen，whentheymetwithanyofhisbooks，wouldburnthem，oraffordthemnocredit，astheyhadbeenwrittenmerelyfromhisopinion，andnotfromproof；andthatsubsequenttrialhadmademanifesttohimthattheywerefalseandvain。[Fuller’s“WorthiesofEngland。“]
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