228

UEATH S DOINGS.

Above all, let him not seek the aid of AureolusPhilippus Paracelsus Theophrastus Bombastus deHoenheim* for they will all equally fail him;while there is one so rich and knowing in hermeticart, that the elements, the philosopher's stone,and the alkahest, are all at his finger's ends,—one (the sole hope of the alchymist) who cananalyze all, transmute all, and dissolve all!—The greatest of chymists !—the Davy of Davys !

OLD DAVY!!Accordingly, in the design before us, the artist

* Paracelsus boasted of being able, by his elixir proprietatis,to prolong the life of man to the age of Methusalah,—nor isthis wonderful in one who declared he held conversation withGalen and Avicenna at the gates of Hell, and obtained secretsin physic from the Devil himself.—Nevertheless, Death, en-vious of his power, overturned Ms elixir, and took him off inrevenge, at little more than 40 years of age, that he might notdepopulate by his art the grim empire of the King of Terrors.

His followers believe, however, " that he is not dead, butstill lives in his tomb, whither he retired," (like JohannaSouthcot, and like her too,) " weary of the vices and follies ofmankind ! " Notwithstanding all the extravagances of Para-celsus, the world is indebted to him for many useful discoveries ;and it is still a question whether himself or Carpue, a nameagain to be associated with a Harvey, an Abernethy, and aHunter, first introduced mercury into medicine !