Intheyear1705，therewasmuchtalkinFranceofablacksmith，namedDelisle，whohaddiscoveredthephilosopher’sstone，andwhowentaboutthecountryturningleadintogold。HewasanativeofProvence，fromwhichplacehisfamesoonspreadtothecapital。Hisearlylifeisinvolvedinobscurity；butLongletduFresnoyhasindustriouslycollectedsomeparticularsofhislatercareer，whichpossessconsiderableinterest。Hewasamanwithoutanyeducation，andhadbeenservantinhisyouthtoanalchymist，fromwhomhelearnedmanyofthetricksofthefraternity。Thenameofhismasterhasneverbeendiscovered；butitispretendedthatherenderedhimselfinsomemannerobnoxioustothegovernmentofLouisXIV，andwasobliged，inconsequence，totakerefugeinSwitzerland。DelisleaccompaniedhimasfarasSavoy，andthere，itissaid，setuponhiminasolitarymountain-pass，andmurderedandrobbedhim。Hethendisguisedhimselfasapilgrim，andreturnedtoFrance。Atalonelyinn，bytheroad-side，wherehestoppedforthenight，hebecameacquaintedwithawoman，namedAluys；andsosuddenapassionwasenkindledbetwixtthem，thatsheconsentedtoleaveall，followhim，andsharehisgoodorevilfortunewhereverhewent。TheylivedtogetherforfiveorsixyearsinProvence，withoutexcitinganyattention，apparentlypossessedofadecentindependence。Atlast，in1706，itwasgivenoutthathewasthepossessorofthephilosopher’sstone；andpeople，fromfarandnear，cameflockingtohisresidence，attheChateaudelaPalu，atSylanez，nearBarjaumont，towitnessthewealthhecouldmakeoutofpumpsandfireshovels。ThefollowingaccountofhisoperationsisgiveninaletteraddressedbyM。deCerisy，thePriorofChateauneuf，intheDioceseofRiez，inProvence，totheVicarofSt。
　　JacquesduHautpas，atParis，anddatedthe18thofNovember1706:——
　　“Ihavesomethingtorelatetoyou，mydearcousin，whichwillbeinterestingtoyouandyourfriends。Thephilosopher’sstone，whichsomanypersonshavelookeduponasachimera，isatlastfound。ItisamannamedDelisle，oftheparishofSylanez，andresidingwithinaquarterofaleagueofme，thathasdiscoveredthisgreatsecret。Heturnsleadintogold，andironintosilver，bymerelyheatingthesemetalsredhot，andpouringuponthem，inthatstate，someoilandpowderheispossessedof；sothatitwouldnotbeimpossibleforanymantomakeamillionaday，ifhehadsufficientofthiswondrousmixture。Someofthepalegoldwhichhehadmadeinthismanner，hesenttothejewellersofLyons，tohavetheiropiniononitsquality。
　　HealsosoldtwentypoundsweightofittoamerchantofDigne，namedTaxis。Allthejewellerssaytheyneversawsuchfinegoldintheirlives。Hemakesnails，partgold，partiron，andpartsilver。Hepromisedtogivemeoneofthem，inalongconversationwhichIhadwithhimtheotherday，byorderoftheBishopofSends，whosawhisoperationswithhisowneyes，anddetailedallthecircumstancestome。
　　“TheBaronandBaronessdeRheinwaldshowedmealingotofgoldmadeoutofpewterbeforetheireyesbyM。Delisle。Mybrother-in-lawSauveur，whohaswastedfiftyyearsofhislifeinthisgreatstudy，broughtmetheotherdayanailwhichhehadseenchangedintogoldbyDelisle，andfullyconvincedmethatallhispreviousexperimentswerefoundedonanerroneousprinciple。Thisexcellentworkmanreceived，ashorttimeago，averykindletterfromthesuperintendentoftheroyalhousehold，whichIread。Heofferedtouseallhisinfluencewiththeministerstopreventanyattemptsuponhisliberty，whichhastwicebeenattackedbytheagentsofgovernment。Itisbelievedthattheoilhemakesuseof，isgoldorsilverreducedtothatstate。Heleavesitforalongtimeexposedtotheraysofthesun。Hetoldmethatitgenerallytookhimsixmonthstomakeallhispreparations。I
　　toldhimthat，apparently，theKingwantedtoseehim。Herepliedthathecouldnotexercisehisartineveryplace，asacertainclimateandtemperaturewereabsolutelynecessarytohissuccess。Thetruthis，thatthismanappearstohavenoambition。Heonlykeepstwohorsesandtwomen-servants。Besides，heloveshisliberty，hasnopoliteness，andspeaksverybadFrench；buthisjudgmentseemstobesolid。Hewasformerlynomorethanablacksmith，butexcelledinthattradewithouthavingbeentaughtit。Allthegreatlordsandseigneursfromfarandnearcometovisithim，andpaysuchcourttohim，thatitseemsmorelikeidolatrythananythingelse。HappywouldFrancebeifthismanwoulddiscoverhissecrettotheKing，towhomthesuperintendenthasalreadysentsomelingots！Butthehappinessistoogreattobehopedfor；forIfearthattheworkmanandhissecretwillexpiretogether。Thereisnodoubtthatthisdiscoverywillmakeagreatnoiseinthekingdom，unlessthecharacteroftheman，whichI
　　havejustdepictedtoyou，preventit。Atallevents，posteritywillhearofhim。“
　　Inanotherlettertothesameperson，datedthe27thofJanuary1707，M。deCerisysays，“Mydearcousin，IspoketoyouinmylastletterofthefamousalchymistofProvence，M。Delisle。Agooddealofthatwasonlyhearsay，butnowIamenabledtospeakfrommyownexperience。Ihaveinmypossessionanail，halfironandhalfsilver，whichImademyself。Thatgreatandadmirableworkmanalsobestowedastillgreaterprivilegeuponme——heallowedmetoturnapieceofleadwhichIhadbroughtwithmeintopuregold，bymeansofhiswonderfuloilandpowder。Allthecountryhavetheireyesuponthisgentleman:somedenyloudly，othersareincredulous；butthosewhohaveseenacknowledgethetruth。IhavereadthepassportthathasbeensenttohimfromCourt，withordersthatheshouldpresenthimselfatParisearlyinthespring。Hetoldmethathewouldgowillingly，andthatitwashimselfwhofixedthespringforhisdeparture；ashewantedtocollecthismaterials，inorderthat，immediatelyonhisintroductiontotheKing，hemightmakeanexperimentworthyofhisMajesty，byconvertingalargequantityofleadintothefinestgold。Isincerelyhopethathewillnotallowhissecrettodiewithhim，butthathewillcommunicateittotheKing。
　　AsIhadthehonourtodinewithhimonThursdaylast，the20thofthismonth，beingseatedathisside，Itoldhiminawhisperthathecould，ifheliked，humblealltheenemiesofFrance。Hedidnotdenyit，butbegantosmile。Infact，thismanisthemiracleofart。
　　Sometimesheemploystheoilandpowdermixed，sometimesthepowderonly，butinsosmallaquantitythat，whenthelingotwhichImadewasrubbedalloverwithit，itdidnotshowatall。“
　　Thissoft-headedpriestwasbynomeanstheonlypersonintheneighbourhoodwholosthiswitsinhopesoftheboundlesswealthheldoutbythiscleverimpostor。Anotherpriest，namedDeLions，achanterinthecathedralofGrenoble，writingonthe30thJanuary1707，says，——“M。Mesnard，thecurateofMontier，haswrittentome，statingthatthereisaman，aboutthirty-fiveyearsofage，namedDelisle，whoturnsleadandironintogoldandsilver；andthatthistransmutationissoveritableandsotrue，thatthegoldsmithsaffirmthathisgoldandsilverarethepurestandfinesttheyeversaw。Forfiveyears，thismanwaslookeduponasamadmanoracheat；butthepublicmindisnowdisabusedwithrespecttohim。HenowresideswithM。delaPalu，atthechateauofthesamename。M。delaPaluisnotveryeasyinhiscircumstances，andwantsmoneytoportionhisdaughters，whohaveremainedsingletillmiddleage，nomanbeingwillingtotakethemwithoutadowry。M。DelislehaspromisedtomakethemtherichestgirlsintheprovincebeforehegoestoCourt，havingbeensentforbytheKing。Hehasaskedforalittletimebeforehisdeparture，inorderthathemaycollectpowderenoughtomakeseveralquintalsofgoldbeforetheeyesofhisMajesty，towhomheintendstopresentthem。Theprincipalmatterofhiswonderfulpowderiscomposedofsimples，principallytheherbsLunariamajorandminor。ThereisagooddealofthefirstplantedbyhiminthegardensofLaPalu；andhegetstheotherfromthemountains，thatstretchabouttwoleaguesfromMontier。WhatItellyounowisnotamerestoryinventedforyourdiversion:M。Mesnardcanbringforwardmanywitnessestoitstruth；amongothers，theBishopofSenes，whosawthesesurprisingoperationsperformed；andM。deCerisy，whomyouknowwell。Delisletransmuteshismetalsinpublic。Herubstheleadorironwithhispowder，andputsitoverburningcharcoal。Inashorttimeitchangescolour；theleadbecomesyellow，andisfoundtobeconvertedintoexcellentgold:theironbecomeswhite，andisfoundtobepuresilver。Delisleisaltogetheranilliterateperson。M。deSt。Aubanendeavouredtoteachhimtoreadandwrite，butheprofitedverylittlebyhislessons。Heisunpolite，fantastic，andadreamer，andactsbyfitsandstarts。“
　　Delisle，itwouldappear，wasafraidofventuringtoParis。Heknewthathissleightofhandwouldbetoonarrowlywatchedintheroyalpresence；anduponsomepretenceorother，hedelayedthejourneyformorethantwoyears。Desmarets，theMinisterofFinancetoLouisXIV，thinkingthe“philosopher“dreadedfoulplay，twicesenthimasafeconductundertheKing’sseal；butDelislestillrefused。
　　Uponthis，DesmaretswrotetotheBishopofSendsforhisrealopinionastothesefamoustransmutations。Thefollowingwastheanswerofthatprelate:——
　　“CopyofareportaddressedtoM。Desmarets，Comptroller-GeneraloftheFinancestoHisMajestyLouisXIV，bytheBishopofSenes，datedMarch1709。
　　“SIR，“Atwelvemonthago，oralittlemore，Iexpressedtoyoumyjoyathearingofyourelevationtotheministry；IhavenowthehonourtowriteyoumyopinionoftheSieurDelisle，whohasbeenworkingatthetransmutationofmetalsinmydiocese。Ihave，duringthelasttwoyears，spokenofhimseveraltimestotheCountdePontchartrain，becauseheaskedme；butIhavenotwrittentoyou，sir，ortoM。deChamillart，becauseyouneitherofyourequestedmyopinionuponthesubject。Now，however，thatyouhavegivenmetounderstandthatyouwishtoknowmysentimentsonthematter，Iwillunfoldmyselftoyouinallsincerity，fortheinterestsoftheKingandthegloryofyourministry。
　　“TherearetwothingsabouttheSieurDelislewhich，inmyopinion，shouldbeexaminedwithoutprejudice:theonerelatestohissecret；theother，tohisperson；thatistosay，whetherhistransmutationsarereal，andwhetherhisconducthasbeenregular。Asregardsthesecretofthephilosopher’sstone，Ideemeditimpossible，foralongtime；andformorethanthreeyears，IwasmoremistrustfulofthepretensionsofthisSieurDelislethanofanyotherperson。
　　DuringthisperiodIaffordedhimnocountenance；Ievenaidedaperson，whowashighlyrecommendedtomebyaninfluentialfamilyofthisprovince，toprosecuteDelisleforsomeoffenceorotherwhichitwasallegedhehadcommitted。Butthisperson，inhisangeragainsthim，havingtoldmethathehadhimselfbeenseveraltimesthebearerofgoldandsilvertothegoldsmithsofNice，Aix，andAvignon，whichhadbeentransmutedbyDelislefromleadandiron，Ibegantowaveralittleinmyopinionsrespectinghim。IafterwardsmetDelisleatthehouseofoneofmyfriends。Topleaseme，thefamilyaskedDelisletooperatebeforeme，towhichheimmediatelyconsented。Iofferedhimsomeironnails，whichhechangedintosilverinthechimney-placebeforesixorsevencrediblewitnesses。Itookthenailsthustransmuted，andsentthembymyalmonertoIrabert，thejewellerofAix，who，havingsubjectedthemtothenecessarytrial，returnedthemtome，sayingtheywereverygoodsilver。Still，however，Iwasnotquitesatisfied。M。dePontchartrainhavinghintedtome，twoyearspreviously，thatIshoulddoathingagreeabletohisMajestyifI
　　examinedintothisbusinessofDelisle，Iresolvedtodosonow。I
　　thereforesummonedthealchymisttocometomeatCastellane。Hecame；