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177
The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry
·
M. M. Pattison Muir
80
In
the
"Dedicatory
Epistle"
to
his
Triumphal
Chariot
of
Antimony,
Basil
Valentine
addresses
his
brother
alchemists
as
follows:--
"Mercury
appeared
to
me
in
a
dream,
and
brought
me
back
from
my
devious
courses
to
the
one
way.
'Behold
me
clad
not
in
the
garb
of
the
vulgar,
but
in
the
philosopher's
mantle.'
So
he
said,
and
straightway
began
to
leap
along
the
road
in
headlong
bounds.
Then,
when
he
was
tired,
he
sat
down,
and,
turning
to
me,
who
had
followed
him
in
the
spirit,
bade
me
mark
that
he
no
longer
possessed
that
youthful
vigour
with
which
he
would
at
the
first
have
overcome
every
obstacle,
if
he
had
not
been
allowed
a
free
course.
Encouraged
by
his
friendly
salutation,
I
addressed
him
in
the
following
terms:
'Mercury,
eloquent
scion
of
Atlas,
and
father
of
all
Alchemists,
since
thou
hast
guided
me
hitherto,
shew
me,
I
pray
thee,
the
way
to
those
Blessed
Isles,
which
thou
hast
promised
to
reveal
to
all
thine
elect
children.
'Dost
thou
remember,'
he
replied,
that
when
I
quitted
thy
laboratory,
I
left
behind
me
a
garment
so
thoroughly
saturated
with
my
own
blood,
that
neither
the
wind
could
efface
it,
nor
all-devouring
time
destroy
its
indelible
essence?
Fetch
it
hither
to
me,
that
I
may
not
catch
a
chill
from
the
state
of
perspiration
in
which
I
now
am;
but
let
me
clothe
myself
warmly
in
it,
and
be
closely
incited
thereto,
so
that
I
may
safely
reach
my
bride,
who
is
sick
with
love.
She
has
meekly
borne
many
wrongs,
being
driven
through
water
and
fire,
and
compelled
to
ascend
and
descend
times
without
number--yet
has
she
been
carried
through
it
all
by
the
hope
of
entering
with
me
the
bridal
chamber,
wherein
we
expect
to
beget
a
son
adorned
from
his
birth
with
the
royal
crown
which
he
may
not
share
with
others.
Yet
may
he
bring
his
friends
to
the
palace,
where
sits
enthroned
the
King
of
Kings,
who
communicates
his
dignity
readily
and
liberally
to
all
that
approach
him.'
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