and that in the Flower of
his years, he had known many
things, from his Friend, rare to
the Sight, and especially the way
of Extracting Medicinal Arcanums
by the force of Fire, and that for
this very cause, he was a Lover of
this so noble Science of Medicine.
Moreover, long after other discourses,
touching Experiments in Metals,
made by the violence of Fire,
Elias the Artist spake to me thus;
Do not you know the Highest Secret,
when it is offered to your sight,
viz. the Stone of Phylosophers,
you having read in the Writings
of many Chymists most excellent,
touching the Substance, Colour,
and strange effect of the same?
I answered, not at all; except what
I have read in Paracelsus, Helmont,
Basilius, Sandivogius, and like Books
of Adept Phylosophers extant. Nevertheless,
I think, I am not able
to know the Phylosophick Matter,
whether it be true, or not, although
I should see it present before me.

Whilst I was speaking thus, he
pulled out of his Pocket an Ivory