only idea of using it, or desiring to know it,
was that he might be able to carry on a life
of profligacy, without measure or bounds.

Seudigovius thought that he would turn
the few grains that remained to him of the
powder into medicine; for it was quite as
powerful to cure sickness, or whatever disease
a man might have, as it was to transmute
base metals into gold. He accordingly put
all that remained into rectified spirits of wine,
and astonished the regular physicians by the
marvellous cures it effected. It cured,
amongst others, Sigismond the Third, King
of Poland, "of a very grievous accident."
At length the elixir came to an end, as the
gold had done, and Seudigovius found himself
without money or property of any kind.
He then began the life of an adventurer.
He obtained large sums from various noblemen,
under pretence of making the powder,
but he produced no result save smoke and
cinders. He then subsided into a deliberate
impostor, and played tricks of sleight of hand
worthy only of a mountebank. He silvered
over a piece of gold, and pretending that he
had the true powder, made the silver disappear
by a common chemical operation easy to
execute, and sold his worthless preparation
at large prices: a thing quite obvious and repugnant
to the principles of all true adepts,
who never sold their knowledge.

He died at Guvernu, on the frontiers of
Poland, in sixteen hundred and forty-six, at
the age of eighty-four, having seen great
vicissitudes, and been Counsellor of State to
three Emperors, Rudolph, Matthias, and
Ferdinand.

We add an extract from the work of Eirenæus
Philalethes, called The Shut Palace Opened,
which may serve to show what it
really was to possess a secret which it was
forbidden to reveal, and which it was dangerous
to exercise; it takes the shine out of the
gold. Few would desire to obtain it, if gold
alone had been the object of the Great
Work. Eirenæus, we should tell the reader,
was an Englishman, who lived in sixteen
hundred and forty-five (at least that is the
date of one of his works), his true name has
never been distinctly ascertained. The following
may be accepted as his account of his own
lot, after the discovery of the Stone. "All
alchemical books abound with obscure enigmas,
or sophistical operations; I have not
written in this style, having resigned my will
to the Divine pleasure. I do not fear that
the art will be dis-esteemed because I write
plainly, for true wisdom will defend its own
honour. I wish gold and silver were as mean
in esteem as earth, and then we need not so
strictly conceal ourselves. For we are like
Cain, driven from the pleasant society we
formerly had without fear. Now we are
tossed up and down, as if beset with furies,
nor can we suppose ourselves safe in any one
place long. We weep and sigh, complaining
to the Lord. 'Behold whosoever shall find
me, shall slay me!' We travel through many
nations like vagabonds, and dare not take
upon us the care of a family, neither do we
possess any certain habitation; although we
possess all things, we can use but a few;
what, therefore, do we enjoy except the
speculation of our minds? Many strangers to
art imagine that if they enjoyed it they
would do great good.   So I believed formerly,
but the danger I have experienced has taught
me otherwise. Whoever encounters the imminent
peril of his life, will act with more
caution henceforward. An adept cannot
effect the works of mercy to an uncommon
extent, without in some degree confiding to
the secresy of others; and this is at the hazard
of imprisonment and death. I lately had
a proof of it, for being in a foreign place I
administered the medicine to some distressed
poor persons who were dying, and they having
miraculously recovered, there was immediately
a rumour spread abroad of the Elixir
of Life, insomuch that I was forced to flee by
night, with exceeding great trouble; having
changed my clothes, shaved my head, put on
other hair, and altered my name; else I
should have fallen into the hands of wicked
men, that lay in wait for me, merely on suspicion
excited by the thirst of gold. I could
mention other dangers which would seem
ridiculous to those who did not stand in a
similar situation. They think they would
manage their affairs better, but they do not
consider that all those intelligent people
whose society is chiefly desirable, are
extremely discerning; and a slight conjecture
is sufficient to produce a conspiracy, for the
iniquity of men is so great that I have known
a person to be strangled with a halter on
suspicion, although he did not possess the art, it
was sufficient that a desperate man heard a report
of it. This age abounds with alchemists,
however ignorant of science, and they know
sufficient to discover an adept, or to suspect him.
An appearance of secresy will cause them to
search and examine every circumstance of
your life. If you cure the sick, or sell a large
quantity of gold, the news is circulated all
through the neighbourhood. The goldsmith
knows that the metal is too fine, and it is
contrary to law for any one to alloy it, who is
not a regular metallurgist. I once sold pure
silver worth six hundred pounds in a foreign
country; the goldsmith, notwithstanding I
was dressed as a merchant, told me—'this
silver is made by art.' I asked the reason
he said so, he replied, 'I know the silver that
comes from Spain, England, &c., this is purer
than any of these kinds.' Hearing this I
withdrew. There is no better silver in trade
than the Spanish; but if he had attempted
to reduce my silver, from its superior quality,
and were discovered, I would be hanged for
felony. I never called again for my silver,
or the price of it. The transmission of gold
and silver from one country to another is