Artephius，anamenotedintheannalsofalchymy，wasbornintheearlypartofthetwelfthcentury。Hewrotetwofamoustreatises；theoneuponthephilosopher’sstone，andtheotherontheartofprolonginghumanlife。Inthelatterhevauntshisgreatqualificationsforinstructingmankindonsuchamatter，ashewasatthattimeinthethousandandtwenty-fifthyearofhisage！Hehadmanydiscipleswhobelievedinhisextremeage，andwhoattemptedtoprovethathewasApolloniusofTyana，wholivedsoonaftertheadventofJesusChrist，andtheparticularsofwhoselifeandpretendedmiracleshavebeensofullydescribedbyPhilostratus。Hetookgoodcarenevertocontradictastory，whichsomuchincreasedthepowerhewasdesirousofwieldingoverhisfellow-mortals。Onallconvenientoccasions，heboastedofit；andhavinganexcellentmemory，afertileimagination，andathoroughknowledgeofallexistinghistory，hewasneveratalossforananswerwhenquestionedastothepersonalappearance，themanners，orthecharacterofthegreatmenofantiquity。Healsopretendedtohavefoundthephilosopher’sstone；
　　andsaidthat，insearchofit，hehaddescendedtohell，andseenthedevilsittingonathroneofgold，withalegionofimpsandfiendsaroundhim。HisworksonalchymyhavebeentranslatedintoFrench，andwerepublishedinParisin1609or1610。
　　ALAINDELISLE。
　　ContemporarywithAlbertusMagnuswasAlaindeLisle，ofFlanders，whowasnamed，fromhisgreatlearning，the“universaldoctor。“Hewasthoughttopossessaknowledgeofallthesciences，and，likeArtephius，tohavediscoveredtheelixirvitae。HebecameoneofthefriarsoftheabbeyofCiteaux，anddiedin1298，agedaboutonehundredandtenyears。Itwassaidofhim，thathewasatthepointofdeathwheninhisfiftiethyear；butthatthefortunatediscoveryoftheelixirenabledhimtoaddsixtyyearstohisexistence。HewroteacommentaryonthepropheciesofMerlin。
　　ARNOLDDEVILLENEUVE。
　　Thisphilosopherhasleftamuchgreaterreputation。Hewasbornintheyear1245，andstudiedmedicinewithgreatsuccessintheUniversityofParis。HeafterwardstravelledfortwentyyearsinItalyandGermany，wherehemadeacquaintancewithPietrod’Apone；amanofacharacterakintohisown，andaddictedtothesamepursuits。Asaphysician，hewasthought，inhisownlifetime，tobethemostabletheworldhadeverseen。Likeallthelearnedmenofthatday，hedabbledinastrologyandalchymy，andwasthoughttohavemadeimmensequantitiesofgoldfromleadandcopper。WhenPietrod’AponewasarrestedinItaly，andbroughttotrialasasorcerer，asimilaraccusationwasmadeagainstArnold；buthemanagedtoleavethecountryintimeandescapethefateofhisunfortunatefriend。Helostsomecreditbypredictingtheendoftheworld，butafterwardsregainedit。Thetimeofhisdeathisnotexactlyknown；butitmusthavebeenpriortotheyear1311，whenPopeClementV。wroteacircularlettertoalltheclergyofEuropewholivedunderhisobedience，prayingthemtousetheirutmosteffortstodiscoverthefamoustreatiseofArnoldon“ThePracticeofMedicine。“Theauthorhadpromised，duringhislifetime，tomakeapresentoftheworktotheHolySee，butdiedwithoutfulfillingit。
　　InaverycuriousworkbyMonsieurLongevilleHarcouet，entitled“TheHistoryofthePersonswhohavelivedseveralcenturies，andthengrownyoungagain，“thereisareceipt，saidtohavebeengivenbyArnolddeVilleneuve，bymeansofwhichanyonemightprolonghislifeforafewhundredyearsorso。Inthefirstplace，sayArnoldandMonsieurHarcouet，“thepersonintendingsotoprolonghislifemustrubhimselfwell，twoorthreetimesaweek，withthejuiceormarrowofcassiamoelledelacasse。Everynight，upongoingtobed，hemustputuponhisheartaplaster，composedofacertainquantityofOrientalsaffron，redrose-leaves，sandal-wood，aloes，andamber，liquifiedinoilofrosesandthebestwhitewax。Inthemorning，hemusttakeitoff，andencloseitcarefullyinaleadenboxtillthenextnight，whenitmustbeagainapplied。Ifhebeofasanguinetemperament，heshalltakesixteenchickens——ifphlegmatic，twenty-five——andifmelancholy，thirty，whichheshallputintoayardwheretheairandthewaterarepure。Upontheseheistofeed，eatingoneaday；butpreviouslythechickensaretobefattenedbyapeculiarmethod，whichwillimpregnatetheirfleshwiththequalitiesthataretoproducelongevityintheeater。Beingdeprivedofallothernourishmenttilltheyarealmostdyingofhunger，theyaretobefeduponbrothmadeofserpentsandvinegar，whichbrothistobethickenedwithwheatandbran。“Variousceremoniesaretobeperformedinthecookingofthismess，whichthosemayseeinthebookofM。
　　Harcouet，whoareatallinterestedinthematter；andthechickensaretobefeduponitfortwomonths。Theyarethenfitfortable，andaretobewasheddownwithmoderatequantitiesofgoodwhitewineorclaret。Thisregimenistobefollowedregularlyeverysevenyears，andanyonemaylivetobeasoldasMethuselah！Itisrighttostate，thatM。HarcouethasbutlittleauthorityforattributingthispreciouscompositiontoArnoldofVilleneuve。Itisnottobefoundinthecollectedworksofthatphilosopher；butwasfirstbroughttolightbyaM。Poirier，atthecommencementofthesixteenthcentury，whoassertedthathehaddiscovereditinMS。intheundoubtedwritingofArnold。
　　ThisunluckysagewasbornatApone，nearPadua，intheyear1250。
　　LikehisfriendArnolddeVilleneuve，hewasaneminentphysician，andapretendertotheartsofastrologyandalchymy。HepractisedformanyyearsinParis，andmadegreatwealthbykillingandcuring，andtellingfortunes。Inanevildayforhim，hereturnedtohisowncountry，withthereputationofbeingamagicianofthefirstorder。
　　Itwasuniversallybelievedthathehaddrawnsevenevilspiritsfromtheinfernalregions，whomhekeptenclosedinsevencrystalvases，untilherequiredtheirservices，whenhesentthemforthtotheendsoftheearthtoexecutehispleasure。Onespiritexcelledinphilosophy；asecond，inalchymy；athird，inastrology；afourth，inphysic；afifth，inpoetry；asixth，inmusic；andtheseventh，inpainting:andwheneverPietrowishedforinformationorinstructioninanyofthesearts，hehadonlytogotohiscrystalvase，andliberatethepresidingspirit。Immediately，allthesecretsoftheartwererevealedtohim；andhemight，ifitpleasedhim，excelHomerinpoetry，Apellesinpainting，orPythagorashimselfinphilosophy。
　　Althoughhecouldmakegoldoutofbrass，itwassaidofhim，thathewasverysparingofhispowersinthatrespect，andkepthimselfconstantlysuppliedwithmoneybyotherandlesscreditablemeans。
　　Wheneverhedisbursedgold，hemutteredacertaincharm，knownonlytohimself；andnextmorningthegoldwassafeagaininhisownpossession。Thetradertowhomhegaveit，mightlockitinhisstrongbox，andhaveitguardedbyatroopofsoldiers；butthecharmedmetalflewbacktoitsoldmaster。Evenifitwereburiedintheearth，orthrownintothesea，thedawnofthenextmorningwouldbeholditinthepocketsofPietro。Fewpeople，inconsequence，likedtohavedealingswithsuchapersonage，especiallyforgold。Some，bolderthantherest，thoughtthathispowerdidnotextendoversilver；but，whentheymadetheexperiment，theyfoundthemselvesmistaken。Boltsandbarscouldnotrestrainit，anditsometimesbecameinvisibleintheirveryhands，andwaswhiskedthroughtheairtothepurseofthemagician。Henecessarilyacquiredaverybadcharacter；and，havinggivenutterancetosomesentimentsregardingreligionwhichweretheveryreverseoforthodox，hewassummonedbeforethetribunalsoftheInquisitiontoanswerforhiscrimesasahereticandasorcerer。Heloudlyprotestedhisinnocence，evenupontherack，wherehesufferedmoretorturethannaturecouldsupport。Hediedinprisonerehistrialwasconcluded，butwasafterwardsfoundguilty。Hisboneswereorderedtobedugup，andpubliclyburned。HewasalsoburnedineffigyinthestreetsofPadua。
　　WhileArnolddeVilleneuveandPietrod’AponeflourishedinFranceandItaly，amorecelebratedadeptthaneitherappearedinSpain。ThiswasRaymondLulli，anamewhichstandsinthefirstrankamongthealchymists。Unlikemanyofhispredecessors，hemadenopretensionstoastrologyornecromancy；but，takingGeberforhismodel，studiedintentlythenatureandcompositionofmetals，withoutreferencetocharms，incantations，oranyfoolishceremonies。Itwasnot，however，tilllateinlifethathecommencedhisstudyoftheart。Hisearlyandmiddleagewerespentinadifferentmanner，andhiswholehistoryisromanticintheextreme。Hewasbornofanillustriousfamily，inMajorca，intheyear1235。WhenthatislandwastakenfromtheSaracensbyJamesI，KingofAragon，in1230，thefatherofRaymond，whowasoriginallyofCatalonia，settledthere，andreceivedaconsiderableappointmentfromtheCrown。Raymondmarriedatanearlyage；and，beingfondofpleasure，heleftthesolitudesofhisnativeisle，andpassedoverwithhisbrideintoSpain。HewasmadeGrandSeneschalatthecourtofKingJames，andledagaylifeforseveralyears。Faithlesstohiswife，hewasalwaysinthepursuitofsomenewbeauty，tillhisheartwasfixedatlastbythelovely，butunkindAmbrosiadeCastello。Thislady，likeheradmirer，wasmarried；but，unlikehim，wasfaithfultohervows，andtreatedallhissolicitationswithdisdain。Raymondwassoenamoured，thatrepulseonlyincreasedhisflame；helingeredallnightunderherwindows，wrotepassionateversesinherpraise，neglectedhisaffairs，andmadehimselfthebuttofallthecourtiers。Oneday，whilewatchingunderherlattice，hebychancecaughtsightofherbosom，asherneckerchiefwasblownasidebythewind。Thefitofinspirationcameoverhim，andhesatdownandcomposedsometenderstanzasuponthesubject，andsentthemtothelady。ThefairAmbrosiahadneverbeforecondescendedtoanswerhisletters；butsherepliedtothis。Shetoldhim，thatshecouldneverlistentohissuit；thatitwasunbecominginawisemantofixhisthoughts，ashehaddone，onanyotherthanhisGod；andentreatedhimtodevotehimselftoareligiouslife，andconquertheunworthypassionwhichhehadsufferedtoconsumehim。
　　She，however，offered，ifhewishedit，toshowhimthefairbosomwhichhadsocaptivatedhim。Raymondwasdelighted。Hethoughtthelatterpartofthisepistlebutillcorrespondedwiththeformer，andthatAmbrosia，inspiteofthegoodadviceshegavehim，had，atlast，relented，andwouldmakehimashappyashedesired。Hefollowedheraboutfromplacetoplace，entreatinghertofulfilherpromise:butstillAmbrosiawascold，andimploredhimwithtearstoimportunehernolonger；forthatshenevercouldbehis，andneverwould，ifshewerefreeto-morrow。“Whatmeansyourletter，then？“saidthedespairinglover。“Iwillshowyou！“repliedAmbrosia，whoimmediatelyuncoveredherbosom，andexposedtotheeyesofherhorror-strickenadmirer，alargecancer，whichhadextendedtobothbreasts。Shesawthathewasshocked；and，extendingherhandtohim，sheprayedhimoncemoretoleadareligiouslife，andsethisheartupontheCreator，andnotuponthecreature。Hewenthomeanalteredman。Hethrewup，onthemorrow，hisvaluableappointmentatthecourt，separatedfromhiswife，andtookafarewellofhischildren，afterdividingone-halfofhisamplefortuneamongthem。Theotherhalfhesharedamongthepoor。Hethenthrewhimselfatthefootofacrucifix，anddevotedhimselftotheserviceofGod，vowing，asthemostacceptableatonementforhiserrors，thathewouldemploytheremainderofhisdaysinthetaskofconvertingtheMussulmanstotheChristianreligion。InhisdreamshesawJesusChrist，whosaidtohim，“Raymond！Raymond！followme！“Thevisionwasthreetimesrepeated，andRaymondwasconvincedthatitwasanintimationdirectfromHeaven。Havingputhisaffairsinorder，hesetoutonapilgrimagetotheshrineofSt。JamesofCompostello，andafterwardslivedfortenyearsinsolitudeamidthemountainsofAranda。HerehelearnedtheArabic，toqualifyhimselfforhismissionofconvertingtheMahometans。Healsostudiedvarioussciences，astaughtintheworksofthelearnedmenoftheEast，andfirstmadeacquaintancewiththewritingsofGeber，whichweredestinedtoexercisesomuchinfluenceoverhisfuturelife。