Lives of the Adepts.

Nobles were coined of gold made by Raymond Lully, as quoted in page 242, of Borrichius's Rise and Progress of Chemistry original: "De Ortu et Progressu Chemiae".

There is an argument against these facts, drawn from Lully's book of The Great Art of Science original: "Ars Magna", part the 9th, chapter of Elements, in which he says, "one species of matter cannot be changed into another;" and, that "the gold of alchemy has but the semblance of that metal." But it is very true, that without a similarity of species, there could be no transmutation; and all other appearances of it in diverse species, are fictitious. John de Meun, Cremer, and John Rupecissa, who were contemporaries of Raymond, had no doubt of his being an adept one who has mastered the secrets of alchemy.

Raymond Lully had now a sufficient proof, that Edward, who was governed by unworthy favorites, would not emulate his father’s heroic virtues, and instead of entering into plans for the advancement of Christianity, Raymond found himself almost a prisoner. He therefore fled out of England privately, in 1315, and traveled to Messina and Majorca. Here he resolved to set out again for Africa. His friends saw, with pain, an old man of seventy-nine embark on this perilous voyage, from which they could never hope to see him return. They accompanied him to the port from whence he sailed for Egypt; arrived there; traveled to Jerusalem, and back to Tunis; there he found many friends and disciples, whom he had converted. He exhorted them to persevere, and departed for Bugia. This was the termination of his apostolic labors, and God crowned him here with the martyrdom he had always desired. From the time of his arrival at this city, he was not content with catechizing in private, but publicly proclaimed the Gospel. This Christian generosity, and invincible courage, which nothing could daunt, irritated the Sovereign and people to such a degree, that, rushing upon him in a crowd, they covered him with blows; and on his retiring towards the port, he was overwhelmed with a shower of stones. The night following, some Genoese merchants, whose vessel lay in the adjacent river, obtained permission to take up the body, which they found had some remains of life. They carried him on board a ship then on the point of sailing. In two days they arrived within sight of Majorca, just as the blessed Raymond expired, on the 29th of June, 1315; he was then aged 81 years.

His remains were brought to his family chapel, in the church of St. Ula, attended by the viceroy, and principal nobility.

The labors of Raymond are prodigious, when we observe, that his travels, voyages, and public teaching, did not prevent him from writing five hundred treatises on various subjects, especially of grammar, rhetoric, logic, analectic, morals, politics, civil and canon laws, physics, metaphysics, music, astronomy, medicine, chemistry, and theology: all have been well written by this learned man.

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Arnold Villanova,

See the testimony of Cremer, abbot of Westminster, in Theatrum Chymicum original: "The Chemical Theater", for the transmutations in England; also, Camden’s Britannia; and Selden, in Mare Clausum original: "The Closed Sea", book 3, for the Rose Noble. Bergeman Opuscules, volume 4, page 126. Petty Fodince Regales original: "Royal Mines", for the edict of Henry VI. King of England, in letters patent to Lords, Nobles, Doctors, Professors, and Priests, to engage them in the pursuit of the philosopher’s stone, especially the Priests, (says the pious King), who having the power of converting bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, may well convert an impure into a perfect metal.

ARNOLD VILLANOVA.

THERE is a contest among the learned, whether Arnold was of Catalonia, Milan, or France; and there is an equal doubt respecting the time of his birth; but it is probable he was born about the year 1245, and died about the year 1310; for this reason: Pope Clement V wrote a circular letter, in 1311, at the time of the General Council at Vienne, conjuring those who lived under his authority, to discover, if possible, and send to him the Treatise on Medicine, written by Arnold, who promised it to the Holy Father, but died before he could present it.

Arnold studied medicine at Paris for twenty years; he then lived ten years at Montpellier; after which he spent not less than ten years in visiting the universities of Italy. He even went into Spain: but hearing that Peter, of Apono, his friend, was imprisoned there by the Inquisition, he withdrew, and remained under the patronage of Frederick, King of Naples and Sicily, where he wrote some tracts of Medicine, and his Comment on the School of Salerno. These studies and travels, for the space of forty-five years, leaves about twenty years, for his age, when he began, at Paris, the serious study of physic. There is more certainty in ascertaining the time of his death; for, in 1309, James II, King of Arragon, sent him to Pope Clement V to confer respecting the title of King of Jerusalem, to which James believed he was entitled; and, in 1311, the Pope wrote the circular letter, for discovering the treatise of the deceased Arnold, whose death is then fixed between the years 1309, and 1311.

His country is most probably Languedoc; for, Symphorien Champier a French physician and historian asserts it, from the tradition he heard of him, during his residence in that province, in the fourteenth century. And the learned Olaus Borrichius, who traveled in France, assures us, that he knew a descendant of Arnold’s, Monsieur Villeneuve de Montpesat, one of the first barons of Provence, who, in 1664, at Avignon, made some experiments before him, that proved he had inherited the Hermetic philosophy the secret science of alchemy. He acknowledged Arnold Villanova for one of his ancestors.