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。
[Naude，“ApologiedesGrandsHommesaccusesdeMagie；“chap。xviii。]
Hewassorryafterwardsforwhathehaddone，andwasreprovedbyhismasterforgivingwaytohisanger，sounbecominginaphilosopher。
Theymadenoattempttore-animatethestatue。
Suchstoriesastheseshowthespiritoftheage。Everygreatmanwhoattemptedtostudythesecretsofnaturewasthoughtamagician；
anditisnottobewonderedatthat，whenphilosophersthemselvespretendedtodiscoveranelixirforconferringimmortality，oraredstonewhichwastocreateboundlesswealth，thatpopularopinionshouldhaveenhancedupontheirpretensions，andhaveendowedthemwithpowersstillmoremiraculous。ItwasbelievedofAlbertusMagnusthathecouldevenchangethecourseoftheseasons；afeatwhichthemanythoughtlessdifficultthanthediscoveryofthegrandelixir。
Albertuswasdesirousofobtainingapieceofgroundonwhichtobuildamonastery，intheneighbourhoodofCologne。ThegroundbelongedtoWilliam，CountofHollandandKingoftheRomans，who，forsomereasonorother，didnotwishtopartwithit。Albertusisreportedtohavegaineditbythefollowingextraordinarymethod:——HeinvitedthePrince，ashewaspassingthroughCologne，toamagnificententertainmentpreparedforhimandallhiscourt。ThePrinceacceptedit，andrepairedwithalordlyretinuetotheresidenceofthesage。
Itwasinthemidstofwinter；theRhinewasfrozenover，andthecoldwassobitterthattheknightscouldnotsitonhorsebackwithoutrunningtheriskoflosingtheirtoesbythefrost。Great，therefore，wastheirsurprise，onarrivingatAlbert’shouse，tofindthattherepastwasspreadinhisgarden，inwhichthesnowhaddriftedtothedepthofseveralfeet。TheEarl，inhighdudgeon，remountedhissteed；
butAlbertatlastprevaileduponhimtotakehisseatatthetable。
Hehadnosoonerdoneso，thanthedarkcloudsrolledawayfromthesky——awarmsunshoneforth——thecoldnorthwindveeredsuddenlyround，andblewamildbreezefromthesouth——thesnowsmeltedaway——theicewasunbounduponthestreams，andthetreesputforththeirgreenleavesandtheirfruit——flowerssprangupbeneaththeirfeet，whilelarks，nightingales，blackbirds，cuckoos，thrushes，andeverysweetsong-bird，sanghymnsfromeverytree。TheEarlandhisattendantswonderedgreatly；buttheyatetheirdinner，andinrecompenceforit，Albertgothispieceofgroundtobuildaconventon。Hehadnot，however，shownthemallhispower。Immediatelythattherepastwasover，hegavetheword，anddarkcloudsobscuredthesun——thesnowfellinlargeflakes——thesinging-birdsfelldead——
theleavesdroppedfromthetrees，andthewindsblewsocold，andhowledsomournfully，thattheguestswrappedthemselvesupintheirthickcloaks，andretreatedintothehousetowarmthemselvesattheblazingfireinAlbert’skitchen。[Lenglet，“HistoiredelaPhilosophieHermetique。“Seealso，Godwin’s“LivesoftheNecromancers。“]
ThomasAquinasalsocouldworkwondersaswellashismaster。Itisrelatedofhim，thathelodgedinastreetatCologne，wherehewasmuchannoyedbytheincessantclattermadebythehorses’hoofs，astheywereledthroughitdailytoexercisebytheirgrooms。Hehadentreatedthelattertoselectsomeotherspotwheretheymightnotdisturbaphilosopher，butthegroomsturnedadeafeartoallhissolicitations。Inthisemergencyhehadrecoursetotheaidofmagic。
Heconstructedasmallhorseofbronze，uponwhichheinscribedcertaincabalisticcharacters，andburieditatmidnightinthemidstofthehighway。Thenextmorning，atroopofgroomscameridingalongasusual；butthehorses，astheyarrivedatthespotwherethemagichorsewasburied，rearedandplungedviolently——theirnostrilsdistendedwithterror——theirmanesgrewerect，andtheperspirationrandowntheirsidesinstreams。Invaintheridersappliedthespur——invaintheycoaxedorthreatened，theanimalswouldnotpassthespot。Onthefollowingday，theirsuccesswasnobetter。Theywereatlengthcompelledtoseekanotherspotfortheirexercise，andThomasAquinaswasleftinpeace。[Naude，“ApologiedesGrandsHommesaccusesdeMagie；“chap。xvii。]
AlbertusMagnuswasmadeBishopofRatisbonin1259；butheoccupiedtheSeeonlyfouryears，whenheresigned，onthegroundthatitsdutiesoccupiedtoomuchofthetimewhichhewasanxioustodevotetophilosophy。HediedinColognein1280，attheadvancedageofeighty-seven。TheDominicanwritersdenythatheeversoughtthephilosopher’sstone，buthistreatiseuponmineralssufficientlyprovesthathedid。