Remarks Upon Alchemy and the Alchemists, Indicating a Method of Discovering the True Nature of Hermetic Philosophy; Being Also an Attempt to Rescue from Undeserved Opprobrium the Reputation of a Class of Extraordinary Thinkers in Past Ages (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1857 edition. Excerpt: ...of Nature against Wandering Alchemists, which is not against Alchemy, but against erring Alchemists, designed to bring them back to the truth. The Roman de la Rose, begun by William de Lorris, Was completed by Jean de Meung, and is itself one of the most complete specimens of Hermetic Philosophy extant. The Rose is the symbol of the philosophic gold, and nothing else. The edition of this Romance published at Amsterdam in 1735 is, in fact, a collection of Alchemical Tracts. As a mere question of literature, there is more in this subject than is generally imagined..There is undoubtedly an unexplored mass of secret writing in existence, which proceeded from men of thought in past ages, especially near the period of the Reformation, which, if it could be deciphered, would throw a great deal of light upon the history of the time and upon the nature of man; but to enter this field fully would require both patience and genius. To examine this subject properly, it would be necessary to look into many works on Magic, Astrology, and Chiromancy, for there was a class of men who wrote on these sciences (?) who were not themselves duped, however much they might have misled others. This has often been suggested; but no one, so far as I know, has undertaken to explore these writings, except from idle curiosity. In the Diary of Blias Ashmole may be seen repeated entries, that he attended the "Feast of the Astrologers," without the smallest notice of their proceedings. It is extremely improbable that an association, including such men as Ashmole, were deluded by astrological nonsense, though it is quite possible that under astrological pretensions the wits of the time might have found a freedom denied them in public. I may be told that, in the same Diary, ...