Many
persons might have felt alarmed at the peculiarity of my situation, but
being accustomed to mingle with eccentric characters, and having no fear
from any pretensions of the black art, I was infinitely gratified by all
I saw.
Having stated the reports which I had heard, relative to his wonderful
discoveries, I told him frankly that mine was a visit of curiosity, and
stated that if what I had heard was matter of fact, the researches of the
ancient chemists had been unjustly derided. He then gave me a history of
his studies, mentioned some men whom I had happened to know in London,
who he alleged had assured him that they had made gold. That having in
consequence examined the works of the ancient alchemists, and discovered
the key which they had studiously concealed from the multitude, he had
pursued their system under the influence of new lights; and after
suffering numerous disappointments, owing to the ambiguity with which
they described their processes, he had, at length, happily succeeded; had
made gold, and could make as much more as he pleased, even to the extent
of paying off the national debt in the coin of the realm.
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