philosophy, even if it were without so many witnesses, that the Hermetic mystery is groundless.

The world is fully as ignorant of the genuine doctrine and Art of Wisdom as were the imposters whomit repudiated, and their judgment concerning it is of as little value. The words of the philosophers remain, though modern science is not able to confirm them, or present anything analogous to the powers they professed, not in the advancement of the mineral kingdom only, but over all nature. And since they unanimously recommend a studious examination, in order to conceive rightly of the promises held out, before atemnpting to judge them or the pretensions of their Art, we propose to investigate preliminarily the theoretic ground and matter on which the physical possibility of transmutation rests. References (Abridged) ~ (1) De Hermetica Aegyptior, vetere et Paracelsior. Nova Medicina. (2) Oedipus Aegyptiacus. Idem, de Lapide Philos. Dissert. (3) De Ortu et Progressu Chemiae... (4) De Veritate et Antiquitate Artis Chemiae. (5) See Plutarch de Iside et Osiride, and Bryants Analysis of Ancient Mythology. (6) See Suidas de Verbo Chemiae... (7) See Terullianus de Anime... (8) Chimia est auri et argenti confectio (etc.)... Suida in Verbo Chemeia. (9) See Jamblichus de Mysteriis, sect viii, cap. iv, etc. (10) Hermetis Trismegisti Tractatus Aureus de Lapidis physici secreto. (11) From the Asclepian Dialogue of Hermes, by Ficinus, as rendered by T. Taylor. (12) See Taylors notes to the Prophecy, in Plotinus Select Works. (13) De Ostane Magno, vide Plinium, Hostor. Nat. lib. xxx, cap. I. (14) Democriti Abderitae de Arte Sacra... (15) Synesius in Democritum Abderitam de Arte Sacra. (16) Flamelli Summario Philosophico. (17) Hist. Nat. lib. xxx, cap. I. (18) Epistola, xci. (19) Petronius Arbiter in Satyrico. (20) Democriti Abderitae... (Syncellus, Chronographia, p. 248). (21) See Nortons Ordinal in Ashmoles Theatrum Chemicaum Britannicum. (22) See lib. Iii, cap. 15... See also Aristotleis de Lapide ad Alexandrum Magnum; Theat. Chem., vol. v. (23) Epistle II. Platos Works, by Taylor, vol. v. (24) Suidas in Verbo Chemeia. (25) Cleopatra Regini Egypti Ars auri faciendi, etc., in the catalogue of the Royal Library at Paris, 1742. See Dufresnoy, Hist. Herm., vol. iii. (26) Invitaverat spec Caium... (Hist. Nat., lib. 33, cap. 4). (27) Theat. Chem., vol 1; Ex petri Apiani Antq. Desumpta; also, Taylors notes to his Pausanias, vol 3. (28) Ampitheatrum Sapientae Eternae (29) Theat. Chem., vol. v, p. 746. Kircheri Oedipus Aegyptiacus, vol. 1. (30) The Critic, new series, No. 13, p. 352 (1845). (31) Symbola Auriae Mensa (32) Commentariolum in Enigmaticum quoddam Epitaphium Bononiae studiorum... Theat, Chem., vol 5. (33) See Alexander Beauvais in Speculo Naturali... (34) Heliodurus Phil. Christ. De Arte Sacra Chimicor... See Dufresnoy, Hist. De lArt Hermetique, vol. 3, Cat. Gr. Mss. (35) Synesius, Epistola 36, 142. (36) Troics, Traitez de la Philosophie, etc. (Paris 1612), The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony, and The True Book of Synesius, on the Philosophers Stone. (37) Gebri Arabum Summa Perfectionis magisterii in sua Natura, etc... (38) Morienus Eremita Hierosol. De Transfiguratione Metallorum...