the art of writing, engrossing inventories, making up accounts, keeping
of books, and the like.
“In this course of living there fell by chance into my hands a gilded
book, very old and large, which cost me only two _florins_.
“It was not made of paper or parchment, as other books are, but of
admirable rinds (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, 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 were seen
many fair fountains, 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, Priest, Prince, 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, which was oft repeated against any one that
should look in 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 tribute to the
Roman Emperors, and some other things not needful here to be repeated.
“He painted the vessels by the side or margin of the leaves, and
discovered all the colours as they should arise or appear, with all the
rest of the work.
“But of the _prima materia_ 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 a desirable 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, which
is a series of old traditions, and also to have been well studied in
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, writhen about with two serpents, wherewith
he stroke upon an helmet covering his 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 by the north
wind. Its footstalk 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 leaf was depicted a king, with a faulchion,
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 and Luna 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 churchyard these hieroglyphic
figures of this learning. Thus have you that which was contained in the
first five leaves.
“As for what was in all the rest of the written leaves, which was wrote
in good and intelligible Latin, I must conceal, lest God being offended
with me should send His plague and judgments upon me. It would be a
wickedness much greater than he who wished that all men in the world
had but one head, that he might cut it off at a blow.
“Having thus obtained this delicate and precious book, I did nothing
else day and night but study it; conceiving very well all the
operations it pointed forth, but wholly ignorant of the _prima materia_
with which I should begin, which made me very sad and discontented.
“My wife, whose name was Perrenelle, whom I loved equally with myself,
and whom I had but lately married, was mightily concerned for me, and,
with many comforting words, earnestly desired to know how she might
deliver me from this trouble.
“I could no longer keep counsel, but told her all, shewing her the
very book, which, when she saw, she became as well pleased with it
as myself, and with great delight beheld the admirable cover, the
engraving, the images, and exquisite figures thereof, but understood
them as little as I.
“Yet it was matter of consolation to me to discourse and entertain
myself with her, and to think what we should do to find out the
interpretation and meaning thereof.
“At length I caused to be painted within my chamber, as much to the
life or original as I could, all the images and figures of the said
fourth and fifth leaves.
“These I showed to the greatest scholars and most learned men in Paris,
who understood thereof no more than myself: I told them they were found
in a book which taught the philosophers’ stone.
“But the greatest part of them made a mock both of me and that most
excellent secret, except one whose name was Anselm, a practiser of
physic and a deep student in this art.
“He much desired to see my book, which he valued more than anything
else in the world, but I always refused him, only making him a large
demonstration of the method.
“He told me that the first figure represented Time, which devours all
things, and that, according to the number of the six written leaves,
there was required a space of six years to perfect the stone; and then,
said he, we must turn the glass and see it no more.
“I told him this was not painted, but only to show the teacher the
_prima materia_, or first agent, as was written in the book. He
answered me that this digestion for six years was, as it were, a second
agent, and that certainly the first agent was there painted, which was
a white and heavy water.
“This, without doubt, was _argent vive_, which they could not fix; that
is, cut off his feet, or take away his volubility, save by that long
digestion in the pure blood of young infants.
“For in that this _argent vive_ being joined with Sol and Luna was
first turned with them into a plant, like that there painted, and
afterwards by corruption into serpents, which serpents, being perfectly
dried and digested, were made a fine powder of gold, which is the stone.
“This strange or foreign discourse to the matter was the cause of my
erring, and that made me wander for the space of one and twenty years
in a perfect meander from the verity; in which space of time I went
through a thousand labyrinths or processes, but all in vain; yet never
with the blood of infants, for that I accounted wicked and villainous.
“For I found in my book that the philosophers called blood the mineral
spirit which is in the metals, chiefly in Sol, Luna, and Mercury,
to which sense I always, in my own judgment, assented. Yet these
interpretations were, for the most part, not more subtle than true.
“Not finding, therefore, in my operation or course of the process, the
signs, at the time written in my book, I was ever to begin again.
“In the end, having lost all hope of ever understanding those symbols
or figures, I made a vow to God to demand their interpretation of some
Jewish priest belonging to some synagogue in Spain.
“Whereupon, with the consent of my wife Perrenelle, carrying with me
the extract or copy of the figures or pictures, I took up a pilgrim’s
habit and staff, in the same manner as you see me figured without the
said arch, in the said churchyard in which I put these Hieroglyphic
Figures.
“Whereupon also I have set on the wall, on both hands, the process,
representing in order all the colours of the stone, as they rise and go
away again.
“This is, as it were, the very beginning of Hercules his book, entitled
‘Iris, or the Rainbow,’ which treats of the stone in these words:--_The
process of the work is very pleasing unto nature_.
“And these words I also put there expressly, for the sake of great
scholars and learned men, who may understand to what they allude.
“In this same manner, I say, I put myself upon my journey to Spain,
and so much I did that I, in a short time, arrived at Mountjoy, and, a
while after, at St James, where, with much devotion, I accomplished my
vow.
“This done, in Leon, I, at my return, met with a merchant of Boulogne,
who brought me acquainted with a physician, M. Canches, a Jew by
nation, but now a Christian, dwelling at Leon aforesaid.
“I showed him the extract or copy of my figures, by which he was, as it
were, ravished with great astonishment and joy. He desired immediately
if I could tell him any news of the book whence they were drawn.
“I answered him in Latin (in which language he asked me the question)
that I doubted not of obtaining the sight of the book, if I could meet
with any one who could unfold the enigmas. Hearing this, and being
transported with great earnestness and joy, he began to decypher unto
me the beginning. To be short, he was much pleased that he was in hopes
to hear tidings of the book, and I as much pleased to hear him speak
and interpret it. And, doubtless, he had heard much talk of the book,
but it was, as he said, of a thing which was believed to be utterly
lost. Upon this, we resolved for our voyage, and from Leon we passed to
Oviedo, and thence to Sareson, where we took shipping, and went to sea
in order to go into France.
“Our voyage was prosperous and happy, and, being arrived in the kingdom
of France, he most truly interpreted unto me the greatest part of my
figures, in which, even to the points and pricks, he could decypher
great mysteries, which were admirable to me. Having attained Orleans,
this learned man fell sick, even to death, being afflicted with extreme
vomitings, which still continued with him, as being first caused by
sea-sickness. Notwithstanding which, he was in continual fear lest I
should leave or forsake him, which was a great trouble to him. And
although I was continually by his side, yet he would be almost always
calling for me. At the end of the seventh day of his sickness he
died, which was no small grief to me, and I buried him, as well as my
condition would permit me, in a church at Orleans.
“He that would see the manner of my arrival and the joy of Perrenelle,
let him look upon us two in the city of Paris, upon the door of the
chapel of James of the Boucherie, close by the one side of my house,
where we are both painted, kneeling and giving thanks to God. For
through the grace of God it was that I attained the perfect knowledge
of all I desired.
“Well, I had now the _prima materia_, the first principles, yet not
their first preparation, which is a thing most difficult above all
other things in the world; but in the end I had that also, after a
long aberration, and wandering in a labyrinth of errors for the space
of three years, or thereabouts, during which time I did nothing but
study and search and labour, so as you see me depicted without this
arch where I have placed my process; praying also continually unto
God, and reading attentively in my book, pondering the words of the
philosophers, and then trying and proving the various operations, which
I thought to myself they might mean by their words. At length I found
that which I desired, which I also soon knew by the scent and odour
thereof. Having this, I easily accomplished the magistery. For knowing
the preparations of the prime agents, and then literally following the
directions in my book, I could not then miss the work if I would.
“Having attained this, I come now to projection; the first time I
made projection was upon mercury, a pound and a half whereof, or
thereabouts, I turned into pure silver, better than that of the mine,
as I proved by assaying of it myself, and also causing others to assay
it for me several times. This was done in the year of our Lord 1382,
January 17, about noon, being Monday, in my own house, Perrenelle only
present.
“Again, following exactly the directions in my book, literally and word
by word, I made projection of the red stone, on the like quantity,
Perrenelle only being present, and in the same house, which was done
in the same year of our Lord, namely, 1382, April 25, at five in the
afternoon. This mercury I truly transmuted into almost as much gold,
much better, indeed, than common gold, more soft also, and more pliable.
“I speak it in all truth: I have made it three times, with the help
of Perrenelle, who understood it as well as myself, because she
assisted me in my operations. And without doubt, if she would have
done it alone, she would have brought it to the same, or full as
great, perfection as I had done. I had truly enough when I had once
done it; but I found exceeding great pleasure and delight in seeing
and contemplating _the admirable works of Nature within the vessels_,
and to show to you that I had thus done it three times, I caused to be
depicted under the same arch, three furnaces, like to those which serve
for the operations of this work.
“I was much concerned for a long time lest Perrenelle, by reason of
extreme joy, should not hide her felicity, which I measured by my own,
and lest she should let fall some words among her relations concerning
the great treasure we possessed. For an extremity of joy takes away
the understanding as well as an extremity of grief and sorrow. But the
goodness of the most great God had not only given and filled me with
this blessing, to give me a chaste and sober wife, but she was also
a wise and prudent woman, not only capable of reason but also to do
what was reasonable, and was more discreet and secret than ordinarily
other women are. Above all, she was exceedingly religious and devout:
and therefore seeing herself without hope of children, and now well
stricken in years, she made it her business, as I did, to think of God,
and to give ourselves to the works of charity and mercy.
“Before the time wherein I wrote this discourse, which was at the
latter end of the year of our Lord 1413, after the death of my faithful
companion, whose loss I cannot but lament all the days of my life,
she and I had already founded, and endowed with revenues, fourteen
hospitals, three chapels, and seven churches, in the city of Paris, all
which we had new built from the ground, and enriched with great gifts
and revenues, with many reparations in their churchyards. We also have
done at Boulogne about as much as we have done at Paris, not to speak
of the charitable acts which we both did to particular poor people,
principally to widows and orphans, whose names should I divulge, with
the largeness of the charity, and the way and manner of doing it, as
my reward would then be only in this world, so neither could it be
pleasing to the persons to whom we did it.
“Building, therefore, these hospitals, chapels, churches, and
churchyards in the city, I caused to be depicted under the said
fourth arch the most true and essential marks or signs of this art,
yet under veils, types, and hieroglyphic covertures, in imitation of
those things which are contained in the gilded book of Abraham the
Jew; demonstrating to the wise, and men of understanding, the direct
and perfect way of operation, and lineary work of the philosophers’
stone. Which being perfected by any one, takes away from him the
root of all sin and evil, which is covetousness, changing his evil
into good, and making him liberal, courteous, religious, devout, and
fearing God, however wicked he was before. For from thenceforward he
is continually ravished with the goodness of God, and with His grace
and mercy, which he has obtained from the fountain of Eternal Goodness,
with the profoundness of His divine and adorable power, and with the
consideration of His admirable works.”
According to Langlet du Fresnoy, the evidence of these things remained
in the year 1742. In the cemetery of the Holy Innocents stood the
arch built by Flamel with the hieroglpyhic figures upon it. In two
niches, without the arch and on the cemetery side, were statues of
St James and St John. Below that of St John was the figure of Flamel
himself, reading in a book, with a Gothic N. F. to mark his name. The
progression of the colours in the order of the process, originally
represented on the wall, was, however, effaced.
In the same cemetery was a charnel house, or receptacle for the
skulls and bones disinterred in the digging of new graves. Upon one
of the pillars of this charnel there was a Gothic N. F., with this
inscription:--
_Ce charnier fut fait & donné à l’Eglise,
Pour l’amour de Dieu, l’an 1399._
The second of these evidences was upon the Marivaux door of the Church
of Saint Jacques-la-Boucherie, where on the left side at entering was
the figure of Flamel, kneeling at the feet of St James, with a Gothic
N. upon the pedestal. The figure of Perrenelle was represented on the
opposite side, kneeling at the feet of St John, the pedestal bearing a
Gothic P.
The third evidence was in the street of Notre Dame, at the portal of
Genevieve of Arden. There Flamel’s statue was to be seen in a niche,
kneeling with a desk at his side, looking towards St James. There was a
Gothic N. F. below and the inscription, “This portal was built in 1402,
by the alms of many.” Flamel is supposed to have concealed in this
manner that he was the principal donor, but the figure may have been
erected to his memory.
The fourth and final evidence was in the street of the cemetery of
St Nicholas of the Fields, where there was the wall of an unfinished
hospital with figures engraven on the stone and the initials of Flamel.
After the death of Perrenelle the bereaved adept is supposed to have
prepared for posterity several works on the supreme science which had
enriched him:--_Le Livre des Figures Hieroglyphiques_; _Le Sommaire
Philosophique_, written in verse after the manner of the _Roman de
la Rose_; _Trois Traités de la Transformation Metallique_, also in
rhymed verse; _Le Desir Désiré, ou Trésor de Philosophie_; _Le Grand
Eclaircissement de la Pierre Philosophale pour la Transmutation de tous
Métaux_; _La Musique Chimique_; _Annotationes in D. Zacharmin_, &c.
Approaching near the end of his life, and having no children, he chose
his burial place in the parish church of St Jacques-la-Boucherie,
before the crucifix. To this end he made a contract with the wardens of
the church, which is mentioned in his testament. He then disposed of
his property and goods to the church and to the poor, as may be seen in
his will, which is lodged in the archives of St Jacques. It is dated
the 22nd November 1416, and begins thus:--“To all those to whom these
present letters shall come, I, Annegny du Castel, chevalier, counsellor
chambellan of the King, our Sire, Keeper of the Prevot of Paris,
greeting: Know ye, that before Hugues de la Barre and Jean de la Noe,
notary clerks of the King, at the Chatelet, was established personally,
Nicholas Flamel, scrivener, sound in body and mind, speaking clearly,
with good and true understanding,” &c. It fills four sheets of
parchment, which are sewed one to the end of the other, like the rolls
of ancient writing. It contains thirty-four articles; in the twentieth
he bequeaths to his relations the sum of forty livres. He lived three
years after making this will, dying about 1419.
* * * * *
Hostile criticism has endeavoured to destroy the testimony which
the history of Flamel affords to the reality of transmutation, and
has adopted various means. It has attempted to disprove his wealth
by reducing his munificence, representing him simply as an honest
bourgeois, who, thanks to his economy and his assiduity, acquired a
comfortable competence, which a childless condition enabled him to
devote to works of benevolence, and to the erection of public buildings
on a moderate scale. The alchemical testaments and treatises attributed
to him are condemned one and all as absolutely spurious. The chief
expositor of this view is the Abbé L. Vilain in his _Essai sur une
Histoire de Saint-Jacques-la-Boucherie_, published in duodecimo at
Paris, in 1758, and again in a _Histoire Critique de Nicolas Flamel et
de Pernel sa Femme_, Paris, 1782, &c.
It must be granted out of hand that all the alchemical compositions
which have passed under the name of Flamel are open to more or less
suspicion, and some are undoubtedly forgeries. The work on metallic
transmutation, which is the earliest traceable treatise, was unheard of
till a hundred and forty-three years after the death of its accredited
author. It was published in the year 1561 by Jacques Goharry. _Le Grand
Eclaircissement_ first saw the light in 1628, when the editor, who
apparently abounded in Flamel manuscripts, promised the publication in
addition of _La Joie Parfaite de Moi, Nicolas Flamel, et de Pernelle,
ma Femme_, which has not, however, appeared.
On the other hand, there are strong arguments for the genuineness of
the _Trésor de Philosophie_. “There exists in the _Bibliothèque du
Roi_” says M. Auguste Vallet, “a small manuscript book, _grossement
relié_, according to all appearance belonging to the end of the
fourteenth century, and which treats of alchemical operations. It
commences with these words:--
“‘Excipit the True Practice of the Noble Science of Alchemy, the
desired desire, and the prize unappraisable, compiled from all the
philosophers, and drawn out of ancient works.’
“It teaches the manner of accomplishing the _Magnum Opus_ by the
aid of successive operations, which are termed _Lavures_ in this
treatise. On the last leaf of the manuscript is the following
inscription written by the same hand as the rest of the text:--‘The
present book is of and belonging to Nicolas Flamel, of the Parish
Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie, who has written and illuminated it with
his own hand.’”
With regard to the extent of the scrivener’s resources, the genuine
testament of Pernelle, dated 1399, and the endowments of hospitals and
churches which undoubtedly took place on a scale of great munificence,
are a sufficient evidence that he was an exceedingly wealthy man.