“Aftertravellingforfifteendays，IarrivedinParis，onthe9thofJanuary1539。Iremainedforamonth，almostunknown；butIhadnosoonerbeguntofrequenttheamateursofthescience，andvisitedtheshopsofthefurnace-makers，thanIhadtheacquaintanceofmorethanahundredoperativealchymists，eachofwhomhadadifferenttheoryandadifferentmodeofworking。Someofthempreferredcementation；
otherssoughttheuniversalalkahest，ordissolvent；andsomeofthemboastedthegreatefficacyoftheessenceofemery。Someofthemendeavouredtoextractmercuryfromothermetalstofixitafterwards；
and，inorderthateachofusshouldbethoroughlyacquaintedwiththeproceedingsoftheothers，weagreedtomeetsomewhereeverynight，andreportprogress。Wemetsometimesatthehouseofone，andsometimesinthegarretofanother；notonlyonweekdays，butonSundays，andthegreatfestivalsoftheChurch。’Ah！’oneusedtosay，’ifIhadthemeansofrecommencingthisexperiment，Ishoulddosomething。’’Yes，’saidanother，’ifmycruciblehadnotcracked，I
shouldhavesucceededbeforenow:’whileathirdexclaimed，withasigh，’IfIhadbuthadaroundcoppervesselofsufficientstrength，Iwouldhavefixedmercurywithsilver。’Therewasnotoneamongthemwhohadnotsomeexcuseforhisfailure；butIwasdeaftoalltheirspeeches。Ididnotwanttopartwithmymoneytoanyofthem，rememberinghowoftenIhadbeenthedupeofsuchpromises。
“AGreekatlastpresentedhimself；andwithhimIworkedalongtimeuselesslyuponnails，madeofcinabar，orvermilion。IwasalsoacquaintedwithaforeigngentlemannewlyarrivedinParis，andoftenaccompaniedhimtotheshopsofthegoldsmiths，tosellpiecesofgoldandsilver，theproduce，ashesaid，ofhisexperiments。Istuckcloselytohimforalongtime，inthehopethathewouldimparthissecret。Herefusedforalongtime，butacceded，atlast，onmyearnestentreaty，andIfoundthatitwasnothingmorethananingenioustrick。Ididnotfailtoinformmyfriend，theAbbe，whomI
hadleftatToulouse，ofallmyadventures；andsenthim，amongothermatters，arelationofthetrickbywhichthisgentlemanpretendedtoturnleadintogold。TheAbbestillimaginedthatIshouldsucceedatlast，andadvisedmetoremainanotheryearinParis，whereIhadmadesogoodabeginning。Iremainedtherethreeyears；but，notwithstandingallmyefforts，IhadnomoresuccessthanIhadhadelsewhere。
“Ihadjustgottotheendofmymoney，whenIreceivedaletterfromtheAbbe，tellingmetoleaveeverything，andjoinhimimmediatelyatToulouse。Iwentaccordingly，andfoundthathehadreceivedlettersfromtheKingofNavarregrandfatherofHenryIV。
ThisPrincewasagreatloverofphilosophy，fullofcuriosity，andhadwrittentotheAbbe，thatIshouldvisithimatPau；andthathewouldgivemethreeorfourthousandcrowns，ifIwouldcommunicatethesecretIhadlearnedfromtheforeigngentleman。TheAbbe’searsweresotickledwiththefourthousandcrowns，thatheletmehavenopeace，nightorday，untilhehadfairlyseenmeontheroadtoPau。I
arrivedatthatplaceinthemonthofMay1542。Iworkedaway，andsucceeded，accordingtothereceiptIhadobtained。WhenIhadfinished，tothesatisfactionoftheKing，hegavemetherewardthatIexpected。Althoughhewaswillingenoughtodomefurtherservice，hewasdissuadedfromitbythelordsofhiscourt；evenbymanyofthosewhohadbeenmostanxiousthatIshouldcome。Hesentmethenaboutmybusiness，withmanythanks；saying，thatiftherewasanythinginhiskingdomwhichhecouldgiveme——suchastheproduceofconfiscations，orthelike——heshouldbemosthappy。IthoughtI
mightstaylongenoughfortheseprospectiveconfiscations，andnevergetthematlast；andIthereforedeterminedtogobacktomyfriend，theAbbe。
“Ilearned，thatontheroadbetweenPauandToulouse，thereresidedamonk，whowasveryskilfulinallmattersofnaturalphilosophy。Onmyreturn，Ipaidhimavisit。Hepitiedmeverymuch，andadvisedme，withmuchwarmthandkindnessofexpression，nottoamusemyselfanylongerwithsuchexperimentsasthese，whichwereallfalseandsophistical；butthatIshouldreadthegoodbooksoftheoldphilosophers，whereImightnotonlyfindthetruematterofthescienceofalchymy，butlearnalsotheexactorderofoperationswhichoughttobefollowed。Iverymuchapprovedofthiswiseadvice；but，beforeIacteduponit，IwentbacktomyAbbe，ofToulouse，togivehimanaccountoftheeighthundredcrowns，whichwehadhadincommon；and，atthesametime，sharewithhimsuchrewardasIhadreceivedfromtheKingofNavarre。Ifhewaslittlesatisfiedwiththerelationofmyadventuressinceourfirstseparation，heappearedstilllesssatisfiedwhenItoldhimIhadformedaresolutiontorenouncethesearchforthephilosopher’sstone。Thereasonwas，thathethoughtmeagoodartist。Ofoureighthundredcrowns，thereremainedbutonehundredandseventy-six。WhenIquittedtheAbbe，I
wenttomyownhouse，withtheintentionofremainingthere，tillI
hadreadalltheoldphilosophers，andofthenproceedingtoParis。
“IarrivedinParisonthedayafterAllSaints，oftheyear1546，anddevotedanotheryeartotheassiduousstudyofgreatauthors。
Amongothers，the’TurbaPhilosophorum’ofthe’GoodTrevisan，’’TheRemonstanceofNaturetothewanderingAlchymist，’byJeandeMeung；
andseveralothersofthebestbooks:but，asIhadnoright’
principles，Ididnotwellknowwhatcoursetofollow。
“AtlastIleftmysolitude；nottoseemyformeracquaintances，theadeptsandoperators，buttofrequentthesocietyoftruephilosophers。AmongthemIfellintostillgreateruncertainties；
being，infact，completelybewilderedbythevarietyofoperationswhichtheyshowedme。Spurredon，nevertheless，byasortoffrenzyorinspiration，IthrewmyselfintotheworksofRaymondLulliandofArnolddeVilleneuve。Thereadingofthese，andthereflectionsImadeuponthem，occupiedmeforanotheryear，whenIfinallydeterminedonthecourseIshouldadopt。Iwasobligedtowait，however，untilIhadmortgagedanotherveryconsiderableportionofmypatrimony。ThisbusinesswasnotsettleduntilthebeginningofLent，1549，whenI
commencedmyoperations。Ilaidinastockofallthatwasnecessary，andbegantoworkthedayafterEaster。Itwasnot，however，withoutsomedisquietudeandoppositionfrommyfriendswhocameaboutme；oneaskingmewhatIwasgoingtodo，andwhetherIhadnotalreadyspentmoneyenoughuponsuchfollies。Anotherassuredmethat，ifIboughtsomuchcharcoal，Ishouldstrengthenthesuspicionalreadyexisting，thatIwasacoinerofbasemoney。Anotheradvisedmetopurchasesomeplaceinthemagistracy，asIwasalreadyaDoctorofLaws。Myrelationsspokeintermsstillmoreannoyingtome，andeventhreatenedthat，ifIcontinuedtomakesuchafoolofmyself，theywouldsendaposseofpolice-officersintomyhouse，andbreakallmyfurnacesandcruciblesintoatoms。Iwasweariedalmosttodeathbythiscontinuedpersecution；butIfoundcomfortinmyworkandintheprogressofmyexperiment，towhichIwasveryattentive，andwhichwentonbravelyfromdaytoday。Aboutthistime，therewasadreadfulplagueinParis，whichinterruptedallintercoursebetweenmanandman，andleftmeasmuchtomyselfasIcoulddesire。Isoonhadthesatisfactiontoremarktheprogressandsuccessionofthethreecolourswhich，accordingtothephilosophers，alwaysprognosticatetheapproachingperfectionofthework。Iobservedthemdistinctly，oneaftertheother；andnextyear，beingEasterSunday，1550，Imadethegreattrial。Somecommonquicksilver，whichIputintoasmallcrucibleonthefire，was，inlessthananhour，convertedintoverygoodgold。Youmayjudgehowgreatwasmyjoy，butItookcarenottoboastofit。IreturnedthankstoGodforthefavourhehadshownme，andprayedthatImightonlybepermittedtomakesuchuseofitaswouldredoundtohisglory。
“Onthefollowingday，IwenttowardsToulousetofindtheAbbe，inaccordancewithamutualpromisethatweshouldcommunicateourdiscoveriestoeachother。Onmyway，Icalledintoseethesagemonkwhohadassistedmewithhiscounsels；butIhadthesorrowtolearnthattheywerebothdead。Afterthis，Iwouldnotreturntomyownhome，butretiredtoanotherplace，toawaitoneofmyrelationswhomIhadleftinchargeofmyestate。Igavehimorderstosellallthatbelongedtome，aswellmovableasimmovable——topaymydebtswiththeproceeds，anddividealltherestamongthoseinanywayrelatedtomewhomightstandinneedofit，inorderthattheymightenjoysomeshareofthegoodfortunewhichhadbefallenme。Therewasagreatdealoftalkintheneighbourhoodaboutmyprecipitateretreat；
thewisestofmyacquaintanceimaginingthat，brokendownandruinedbymymadexpenses，IsoldmylittleremainingpropertythatImightgoandhidemyshameindistantcountries。
“Myrelativealreadyspokenofrejoinedmeonthe1stofJuly，afterhavingperformedallthebusinessIhadintrustedhimwith。Wetookourdeparturetogether，toseekalandofliberty。WefirstretiredtoLausanne，inSwitzerland，when，afterremainingthereforsometime，weresolvedtopasstheremainderofourdaysinsomeofthemostcelebratedcitiesofGermany，livingquietlyandwithoutsplendour。“
ThusendsthestoryofDenisZachaire，aswrittenbyhimself。Hehasnotbeensocandidatitsconclusionasatitscommencement，andhaslefttheworldindoubtastohisrealmotivesforpretendingthathehaddiscoveredthephilosopher’sstone。Itseemsprobablethatthesentenceheputsintothemonthsofhiswisestacquaintanceswasthetruereasonofhisretreat；thathewas，infact，reducedtopoverty，andhidhisshameinforeigncountries。Nothingfurtherisknownofhislife，andhisrealnamehasneveryetbeendiscovered。Hewroteaworkonalchymy，entitled“ThetrueNaturalPhilosophyofMetals。“
DR。DEEandEDWARDKELLY。
JohnDeeandEdwardKellyclaimtobementionedtogether，havingbeensolongassociatedinthesamepursuits，andundergonesomanystrangevicissitudesineachother’ssociety。Deewasaltogetherawonderfulman，andhadhelivedinanagewhenfollyandsuperstitionwerelessrife，hewould，withthesamepowerswhichheenjoyed，haveleftbehindhimabrightandenduringreputation。HewasborninLondon，intheyear1527，andveryearlymanifestedaloveforstudy。
AttheageoffifteenhewassenttoCambridge，anddelightedsomuchinhisbooks，thathepassedregularlyeighteenhourseverydayamongthem。Oftheothersix，hedevotedfourtosleepandtwoforrefreshment。Suchintenseapplicationdidnotinjurehishealth，andcouldnotfailtomakehimoneofthefirstscholarsofhistime。
Unfortunately，however，hequittedthemathematicsandthepursuitsoftruephilosophytoindulgeintheunprofitablereveriesoftheoccultsciences。Hestudiedalchymy，astrology，andmagic，andtherebyrenderedhimselfobnoxioustotheauthoritiesatCambridge。Toavoidpersecution，hewasatlastobligedtoretiretotheuniversityofLouvain；therumoursofsorcerythatwerecurrentrespectinghimrenderinghislongerstayinEnglandnotaltogetherwithoutdanger。HefoundatLouvainmanykindredspiritswhohadknownCorneliusAgrippawhileheresidedamongthem，andbywhomhewasconstantlyentertainedwiththewondrousdeedsofthatgreatmasterofthehermeticmysteries。Fromtheirconversationhereceivedmuchencouragementtocontinuethesearchforthephilosopher’sstone，whichsoonbegantooccupynearlyallhisthoughts。