The lives of the adepts in alchemystical philosophy

His life led to a well-known proverb. People said he was a philosopher without wisdom and a doctor without health.

There are six or seven books on alchemical philosophy attributed to him. Some of these may have been written by others using his famous name. He had many famous commentators in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. European doctors used his medical writings for a long time. His books were taught in schools until the revival of classical learning and the reformation of medicine.

ALAIN OF LISLE.

This famous man was called the universal doctor because he knew so much. He lived in Lille. After a successful career at the University of Paris, he joined a monastery as a lay brother. He did this to have more time for philosophy. It is very likely that Alain practiced alchemy during his time in the monastery.

There is reason to believe his work was successful. He died in 1298 when he was over 100 years old. Those who edited his main works did not include his alchemical writings. However, these were printed separately. They are preserved in the theatrum chymicum The Chemical Theater, a large collection of alchemical texts.

ALBERT THE GREAT.

Albert was a man of universal genius. He was very curious and did not ignore alchemy. He gave it much attention.

This learned man was born in 1193 to a noble family in Lawingen. He was not considered very bright as a child. This has been true of other great men. He was almost 30 years old when he joined the order of St. Dominic in 1222. At first, he had trouble learning. However, once his mind opened to study, he learned more in six months than others did in many years. His superiors noticed his merit. They asked him to teach in different houses of their order. He taught at Cologne, where Thomas Aquinas became his student in 1244. The next year, he went to Paris with Thomas. He was very fond of his student and helped him grow in the sciences. Thomas was grateful and stayed with his master. They returned to Cologne in 1248. Thomas shared in Albert's fame. In 1249, the Emperor William of Holland visited Albert to honor him.

Albert continued to study the sciences. He was known for his wisdom as much as his knowledge. In 1254, he was chosen as the head of his order in his region. He had to travel to Rome because of a dispute between the mendicant orders religious groups that live by begging and the University of Paris.

These issues were still being resolved when he returned to Germany. A higher position was waiting for him. In 1259, Pope Alexander IV appointed him the Bishop of Ratisbon. Albert accepted, but he soon realized the job was not for him. At that time, a bishop often had to defend his rights with weapons. Albert had been raised in the peace of a monastery. He loved the leisure of the sciences, especially philosophy. Philosophy requires a person's full attention. He was often so focused on study that he forgot his own needs. He felt a strong pull toward a life of quiet study.

Albert resigned as Bishop in 1262. He moved to a pleasant retreat in Cologne and continued his studies.

The historians of his religious order sometimes claim that Albert never practiced alchemy. However, his own books prove otherwise. These are books that he definitely wrote. As a physician, he studied natural history, especially minerals and metals. He performed many experiments. These resulted in his book, Secret of Secrets original title: "Secretum Secretorum". This book was printed many times after 1508. Some people use a specific passage to say he did not believe in alchemy. In his works, the philosopher says he essayed tested for purity gold and silver made by an alchemist. They...