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177
The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry
·
M. M. Pattison Muir
55
The
alchemists
thought
that
to
every
thing,
or
at
any
rate
to
every
class
of
things,
there
corresponds
a
more
perfect
form
than
that
which
we
see
and
handle;
they
spoke
of
gold,
and
the
gold
of
the
Sages;
mercury,
and
the
mercury
of
the
Philosophers;
sulphur,
and
the
heavenly
sulphur
of
him
whose
eyes
are
opened.
To
remove
the
outer
wrappings
of
ordinary
properties
which
present
themselves
to
the
untrained
senses,
was
regarded
by
the
alchemists
to
be
a
difficult
task;
to
tear
away
the
soul
(the
class-property)
of
a
substance,
and
yet
retain
the
Essence
which
made
that
substance
its
dwelling
place,
was
possible
only
after
vast
labour,
and
by
the
use
of
the
proper
agent
working
under
the
proper
conditions.
An
exceedingly
powerful,
delicate,
and
refined
agent
was
needed;
and
the
mastery
of
the
agent
was
to
be
acquired
by
bitter
experience,
and,
probably,
after
many
disappointments.
"Gold,"
an
alchemist
tells
us,
"does
not
easily
give
up
its
nature,
and
will
fight
for
its
life;
but
our
agent
is
strong
enough
to
overcome
and
kill
it,
and
then
it
also
has
the
power
to
restore
it
to
life,
and
to
change
the
lifeless
remains
into
a
new
and
pure
body."
Thomas
Norton,
the
author
of
The
Ordinal
of
Alchemy,
writing
in
the
15th
century,
says
the
worker
in
transmutations
is
often
tempted
to
be
in
a
hurry,
or
to
despair,
and
he
is
often
deceived.
His
servants
will
be
either
stupid
and
faithful,
or
quick-witted
and
false.
He
may
be
robbed
of
everything
when
his
work
is
almost
finished.
The
only
remedies
are
infinite
patience,
a
sense
of
virtue,
and
sound
reason.
"In
the
pursuit
of
our
Art,"
he
says,
"you
should
take
care,
from
time
to
time,
to
unbend
your
mind
from
its
sterner
employments
with
some
convenient
recreation."
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