Alchemy (Dover Books on Engineering)
Language: English
Pages: 320
ISBN: 0486262987
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Alchemy is thought to have originated over 2000 years ago in Hellenic Egypt, the result of three converging streams: Greek philosophy, Egyptian technology and the mysticism of Middle Eastern religions. Its heyday was from about 800 A.D. to the middle of the seventeenth century, and its practitioners ranged from kings, popes, and emperors to minor clergy, parish clerks, smiths, dyers, and tinkers. Even such accomplished men as Roger Bacon, Thomas Aquinas, Sir Thomas Browne and Isaac Newton took an interest in alchemical matters.
In its search for the "Philosopher's Stone" that would transmute base metals into silver and gold, alchemy took on many philosophical, religious and mystical overtones. These and many other facets of alchemy are explored with enormous insight and erudition in this classic work. E. J. Holmyard, a noted scholar in the field, begins with the alchemists of ancient Greece and China and goes on to discuss alchemical apparatus, Islamic and early Western alchemy; signs, symbols, and secret terms; Paracelsus; English, Scottish and French alchemists; Helvetius, Price, and Semler, and much more.
Ranging over two millennia of alchemical history, Mr. Holmyard shows how, like astrology and witchcraft, alchemy was an integral part of the pre-scientific moral order, arousing the cupidity of princes, the blind fear of mobs and the intellectual curiosity of learned men. Eventually, however, with the advent and ascension of the scientific method, the hopes and ideas of the alchemists faded to the status of "pseudo-science." That transformation, as well as alchemy's undeniable role as a precursor of modern chemistry, are brilliantly illuminated in this book. Students of alchemy, chemistry, the history of science, and the occult, plus anyone interested in the origin and evolution of one of mankind's most enduring and influential myths, will want to have a copy of this masterly study.
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Neither does it seem improbable that, if Khalid wanted information on the subject, he should get it from a monk of Alexandria then and for hundreds of years earlier one of the chief centres of alchemical lore. Ruska is on surer ground when he pronounces the extant works ascribed to Khalid to be, at least for the most part, pseudepi-graphical, for while a historian of 950 knew of only three alchemical verses said to have been composed by Khalid, Hajji Khalfa, seven centuries later, knew of 2315.
Impure, but on the contrary is more excellent than that prepared by the alchemists, then the product is silver. If the sulphur, besides being pure, is even better than that just described, and whiter, and if in addition it possesses a tinctorial, fiery, subtle, and non-combustive virtue, it will solidify the mercury into gold. Then again, if the mercury is of good substance, but the sulphur that solidifies it is impure, possessing a property of combustibility, the product will be copper. If the.
When deciphered — there are others where the symbolism is so vague that it cannot have any precise meaning and must be regarded as a poetic alchemical effusion. The following extract is typical of this class: The third daye again to life he shall uprise, And devour byrds and beastes of the wildernesse, Crowes, popingayes, pyes, pecocks, and mevies [seagulls]; The phenix, the eagle whyte, the gryffon of fearfulnesse, The greene lyon and the red dragon he shall distresse; The whyte dragon.
Was published at Basel. Second and third editions of this collection were published at Strasbourg in 1603 and 1616, and it was translated into modern German by Aschner in 1926—30. For the purpose of his collection Huser travelled extensively in Germany and Austria in search of early editions and manuscripts, and was methodical enough to prefix a note to each work in his edition saying when it is printed from a manuscript in Paracelsus’s own hand and when from an authentic copy. He also includes.
Made himselfe respected. He was a person of very extraordinary strength. I remember one at Sherborne protested to us, that as he, being a midling man, being sett in a chaire, Sir Kenelme tooke up him, chaire and all, with one arme. He was of undaunted courage, yet not apt in the least to give offence. He was a great traveller, and understood 10 or 12 languages. He was not only master of a good and graceful judicious stile, but he also wrote a delicate hand, both fast-hand and Roman. He was well.