Lives of the Adepts.

BASIL VALENTINE.

In the beginning of the 15th century is placed, Basil Valentine, a benedictine monk of Erfurt in Germany in the electorate of Mayence, one of the most illustrious of the adept philosophers. It was supposed that this name was fictitious, for the purpose of concealing some accomplished artist. But the history of the city of Erfurt, published by I. M. Gudenus, who carefully examined the public documents of this city, assures us of the existence and name of this philosopher, who in 1413, lived in the abbey of St. Peter, and distinguished himself by a profound knowledge of nature; this is all that is known of him, a few particulars only of his life are to be met in his writings.

His numerous works, which have been translated from the German, into Latin, French, and English, shew him to have been extremely laborious in chemistry, and that he knew how to join the practice of the hermetic science alchemy, to the duties of religion.

He inclosed his writings behind a pillar of his abbey church, where they remained until a storm of thunder which broke the pillar discovered them.

The most antient system of chemical philosophy, is preserved in the detail of experiments, by Basil Valentine: every substance, placed in the fire, yields a spirit, which he calls mercury the volatile principle, an inflammable principle, named sulphur, and the most fixed part, he calls salt.

He extols antimony a metallic element as the source of excellent medicines, to those who know the secrets of alchemy, but that otherwise it is a poison of the most powerful nature.

In the same age (namely the year 1413) Basil Valentine lived in the monastery of Saint Peter, admirable for his medical art and natural investigation. original Latin: "Eadem ætate (scilicet anno 1413) Basilius Valentinus, in divi Petri monasterio vixit arte medica, & naturali indagatione admirabilis. Joannes Mauritius Gudenus in historiæ Erfordiensis, in 4to. Erfurti, 1675."

ISAAC OF HOLLAND.

In the same age, Isaac the Hollander, and his son, worked with great success: the celebrated Boerhaave, who will be acknowledged a sound judge in these matters, bears testimony to their skill. They are not only the first known Dutch alchemists, but they carried it so far, that Paracelsus, in the 16th century, and the illustrious Mr. Boyle in the 17th, have the honor of many curious operations which they copied from these experienced artists.

The principle subjects of their labours were the metals, and their writings, most of which are printed, shew with what care they worked, describing the minute particulars of each process. Their lives are almost unknown, buried in the obscurity necessary to adepts, they were occupied in the practice of the hermetic science, and their study or laboratory was the daily scene of their industrious lives.

They are placed in the 15th century by conjecture, from their not quoting any philosopher subsequent to that age, they speak of Geber, Dastin, Morien, and Arnold, but no philosopher more modern than these appears in their works. Yet as they speak of aquafortis nitric acid, and aqua-regiæ a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids, which were invented in the 14th age, it is most probable they lived towards the beginning of the fifteenth century.

JOHN DE MEUN.

This poetical adept was of a good family, and flourished at the court of France in that age, when all people of rank were addicted to the study of the secret chemistry. Pope John XXII. at this time, was one of the most zealous disciples of the curious sciences, and above all, of the hermetic philosophy.

John de Meun was born about the year 1280, at Meun upon the Loire, four leagues from Orleans: he was sometimes called Clopinel the Limper, from a defect in one of his legs: at two or three and twenty, he had acquired much information in the sciences of astronomy, arithmetic, philosophy, chemistry, and theology; he had read attentively all the best authors, and as his manners were agreeable, though sometimes too free in satire, he became a favourite at the court of Philip; and always had access there from the esteem of the nobility. He was unmarried, and although he was in the enjoyment of those favours, he irritated all the ladies of the court, by his severe verses on the sex; they resolved to punish him, and accordingly a number of them were provided with rods, against he appeared in the apartment of the king, determined to flagellate him, but his wit helped him out, for addressing the ladies, he told them, he would voluntarily suffer the intended punishment; but as the verses alluded to, were only against unprincipled females, he did not expect disapprobation from the virtuous ladies present, but would request that she whom he had offended most, should have the pleasure of striking the first blow. This finesse saved him, and afforded much pleasure to the public.

It was about this time 1300, that he published the celebrated Romance of the Rose, which attracted general attention; men of pleasure read it as a voluptuous love tale, and the admirers of mere romance esteemed it; while the adepts saw beneath the ornament of style, and incidents, the process for the stone for the philosophers the Philosopher's Stone.

The plan of this poem is ascribed to William de Loris of Gascony who wrote the first part, he died in 1260, aged 26.

The Romance of the Rose, as well as some other of the works of John de Meun, evinced a knowledge of the hypocrisy and vices of some monks of his time, and his remarks frequently brought him into danger, The Sermon of Genius, chaplain and confessor to Dame Nature, in the Romance, is not only an exposition of the principles of chemistry, but a satire on the preachers of the day, who for popular admiration, say unintelligible things rather than plain truths. From verse 16914 to 16997 there is much chemical information. Besides this he wrote two other treatises expressly alchemic, which together compose 1800 verses, the first is the "Remonstrance of Nature, to the erring Alchemist," the other is "The Reply of the Alchemist to Nature."—There is a letter in this author's name, which seems to be taken from Raymond Lully's works, and is dated Mons, 1422. This shews it is not his, as his death is supposed to have been about the year 1365. He shewed the same satirical wit in dying, as in his life, by exposing the cupidity of the monks. He chose by his will, to be interred in the church of the Jacobins, and as an acknowledgment, left them a coffer, that appeared to be filled with precious things, at least by its weight; but he ordered that this coffer should not be opened till after his funeral. The monks failed not to raise this treasure, the moment after the funeral was duly solemnized; and, touched with the piety of the deceased, they assembled in great numbers, to open the coffer, and offer up thanks to God.

They found, to their great disappointment, that the coffer was filled with large pieces of slates, beautifully engraved with the figures of Geometry and Arithmetic. At this, the Fathers' indignation rose, and they were about to remove his body from their walls; but the Parliament being informed of this inhumanity, obliged the Jacobins, by an arret a decree, to leave the deceased undisturbed, in the honourable sepulchre of the cloisters of their convent.

The famous English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, translated the Romance of the Rose into English verse; it is printed in folio, with his works.