Lives of the Adepts.

FLAMEL.

It was not made of paper or parchment, as other books are, but of admirable rinds thin layers of bark (as it seemed to me) of young trees. The cover of it was of brass; it was well bound, and graven all over with a strange kind of letters, which I take to be Greek characters, or some such like.

This I know, that I could not read them, nor were they either Latin or French letters or words, of which I understand something.

But as to the matter which was written within, it was engraven (as I suppose) with an iron pencil or graver upon the said bark leaves, done admirably well, and in fair and neat Latin letters, and curiously coloured.

It contained thrice seven leaves, for so they were numbered in the top of each folio, and every seventh leaf was without any writing; but in place thereof, there were several images or figures painted.

Upon the first seventh leaf was depicted, 1. A Virgin. 2. Serpents swallowing her up. On the second seventh, A Serpent crucified. And on the last seventh, A Desert or Wilderness; in midst whereof was seen many fair fountains, from whence issued out a number of serpents here and there.

Upon the first of the leaves was written, in capital letters of gold, Abraham the Jew, Prince, Priest, Levite, Astrologer and Philosopher, to the Nation of the Jews, dispersed by the wrath of God in France, wisheth health.

After which words, it was filled with many execrations and curses, with this word MARANATHA a formula of divine curse or excommunication, which was oft repeated, against any one that should look into it to unfold it, except he were either Priest or Scribe.

The person that sold me this book, was ignorant of its worth, as well as I who bought it. I judge it might have been stolen from some of the Jewish nation, or else found in some place where they anciently abode.

In the second leaf of the book, he consoled his nation, and gave them pious counsel, to turn from their wickedness and evil ways; but above all to flee from Idolatry, and to wait in patience for the coming of the Messiah, who, conquering all the kings and potentates of the earth, should reign in glory with his people to eternity. Without doubt, this was a very pious, wise, and understanding man.

In the third leaf, and in all the writings that followed, he taught them, in plain words, the transmutation of metals, to the end that he might help and assist his dispersed people, to pay their tributes to the Roman Emperors, and some other things not needful here to be repeated.

He painted the vessels by the sides or margin of the leaves, and discovered all the colours as they should arise or appear, with all the rest of the work.

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Flamel.

But of the prima materia the first matter, or first matter or agent, he spake not so much as one word: but only he told them, that in the fourth and fifth leaves, he had entirely painted or decyphered it, and depicted or figured it, with admirable dexterity and workmanship.

Now, though it was singularly well, and materially or intelligibly figured and painted, yet by that could no man ever have been able to understand it, without having been well skilled in their Cabala a system of Jewish mystical and esoteric tradition, which is a series of old traditions, and also to have been well studied their books.

The fourth and fifth leaf thereof was without any writing, but full of fair figures, bright and shining, or as it were enlightened, and very exquisitely depicted.

First, there was a young man painted, with wings at his ankles, having in his hand a Caducean rod the staff of Mercury, entwined with two snakes, writhen about with two serpents, wherewith he stroke upon an helmet covered with its head.

This seemed in my mean apprehension, to be one of the heathen Gods, namely, Mercury: against him there came running and flying with open wings, a great old man, with an hour-glass fixed upon his head, and a scythe in his hands, like Death, with which he would (as it were in indignation) have cut off the feet of Mercury.

On the other side of the fourth leaf, he painted a fair flower, on the top of a very high mountain, which was very much shaken with the north wind. Its foot-stalk was blue, its flowers white and red, and its leaves shining like fine gold; and round about it the dragons and griffins of the north made their nests and habitations.

On the fifth leaf was a fair rose tree flowered, in the midst of a garden, growing up against a hollow oak, at the foot whereof bubbled forth a fountain of pure white water, which ran headlong down into the depths below.

Yet it passed through the hands of a great number of people, who digged in the earth, seeking after it; but by reason of their blindness none of them knew it, except a very few, who considered its weight.

On the last side of the fifth leaf was depicted a king, with a faulchion a curved sword, who caused his soldiers to slay before him many infants, the mothers standing by, and weeping at the feet of their murderers.

These infants' blood being gathered up by other soldiers, was put into a great vessel wherein Sol the Sun, representing gold and Luna the moon, representing silver came to bathe themselves.

And because this history seemed to represent the destruction of the Innocents by Herod, and that I learned the chiefest part of the art in this book; therefore I placed in their church-yard these Hieroglyphic figures, of this learning. Thus have you that which was contained in the first five leaves.