Lives of the Adepts,

Borrichius relates, from the same authority, that the science had been communicated by Arnold to his brother, Peter Villa-nova.

Arnold had an extensive mind: he learned from the Arabs of Spain, their language and sciences. He wrote strictures on the monastic state, and the service of religion; and asserted, that works of divine faith and charity were more agreeable to God than the sacrifice of the mass.

No one disputes his skill in Hermetic philosophy. Not only his works speak for him, but we have the testimony of the celebrated Jurisconsult legal expert John Andre, his contemporary, who says: "At this time appeared Arnold de Villeneuve, a great theologian, a skillful physician, and wise alchemist, who made gold, which he submitted to all proofs." "He testifies the genuine conversion of iron bars into pure gold, at Rome." Arnold has also the character of writing with more light and clearness than the other philosophers. But all this wisdom did not shelter him from the fate of mortals; for, in traveling from Italy into France, to Pope Clement V who required his presence at Avignon, he died, and was interred at Genoa.

See Du Boulay's History of Paris, volume 4, page 121, & volume 2 page 166. Borrichius on the rise and progress of chemistry, 129. J. Andreas at the point; Of the crime of forgery. Oldradius council, 69. Panormitan, decretal. Fabianus section 5, number 8. Works of Arnold de Villa Nova, folio 1509.

JOHN RUPECISSA.

HE was one of the most extraordinary of the Hermetic Philosophers. He was born of a noble family, one of whose descendants was the illustrious and learned Father Don Bernard de Montfaucon, who was the honor of literature in his time.

John Rupecissa was altogether out of the line of ordinary men; he was filled with the spirit of prophecy, and in denouncing the fate of nations, the crowned heads thought him their enemy. Pope Innocent VI was reprehended by him; he therefore imprisoned him, in 1357. The manner of his death is not known, but he professed himself an adept in the secret chemistry, by several works on that science, which are printed: they are considered obscure.

See Wading Annals of the Minorites, at the year, 1357.

POPE JOHN, XXII.

HE was born at Cahors, in 1244, not of a mean family, as some writers have recorded, but of noble birth. He was contemporary with Lully and Arnold; he had an acute mind, with a sweetness of manner, and natural eloquence cultivated by a great depth of study. Historians make no difficulty to acknowledge that this pope wrote, in Latin, the transmutatory art of metals; it is recorded, that he worked at the practice of the hermetic philosophy, in the city of Avignon; where he held his chair until his death, which happened in 1334, and he made there two hundred lingots ingots or bars that weighed each, one quintal one hundred pounds.

The calculation is easy; two hundred lingots made 10,000 lbs. troy weight. The present actual value of gold on an average of all Europe, is about five pounds ten shillings per ounce, at which rate, 120,000 ounces is worth 660,000 pounds British sterling.

Should we then be surprised that there was found in the treasury of this Pope at his death, eighteen millions of florins in gold, and seven millions in jewels, and sacred vases, as recorded in history?

Notwithstanding his writing a treatise on alchemy, and making these transmutations, such was the mischief arising in his time from the impositions of pretended alchemists, that he issued a bull a formal papal decree condemning all traders in this science, as imposters, stating that they promise what they do not perform.

John also wrote in the Latin language on the art of transmuting metals, which work was published in French, by an unknown translator at Lyons, in the year 1557, in octavo. Francis Pagi, a summary of the deeds of the Roman Pontiffs, volume 4, on John XXII. Number 88 in quarto.

CREMER.

THERE are few nations that have produced more disciples of occult philosophy than England. John Cremer Abbot of Westminster London, was one of the most celebrated artists of his age, he worked thirty years to obtain the object of this secret science; the obscurities of the hermetic writers, which he could not clear up, had cast him into a labyrinth of errors; the more he read the more he wandered, at last tired with the loss of his money, and much more of his precious time, which he should have employed to better advantage; he set out to travel; he arrived in Italy, and had the good fortune to meet Raymond Lully, with whom he formed a strict friendship, he remained some time in company with this pious philosopher, edified by his...