Volume 3

Physical and chemical essays / translated from the original Latin of Sir Torbern Bergman ... by Edmund Cullen ... To which are added notes and illustrations by the translator.

  • Bergman, Torbern, 1735-1784.
Date:
1784-1791
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Physical and chemical essays / translated from the original Latin of Sir Torbern Bergman ... by Edmund Cullen ... To which are added notes and illustrations by the translator. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    62/472 (page 40)
    alfo by the love of gain, and perhaps by vanity and arrogance, unanimoufly turned their atten¬ tion to the making of this molt precious metah They knew that art could effect various changes in the appearance of metallic fubftances; and wherefore fhould they think it not competent, by proper experiments, to form them in this molt perfect character? This problem, however difficult it may ap¬ pear, no one had then demonltrated to be inca¬ pable of folution; and, it may be added, that not, even in our times, has its abfurdity been proved. 1 herefore, not without fame profpeft of fuccefs, did thefe alchymifts employ number- lefs means to attain their objedh But, it is evi¬ dent that they toiled in this occupation under no good aufpices; for their conflant perfeverancc, labour, and expence, were not only employed without fuccefs, but they themfelves wandering trom the true paths of philofophy, and loft in vx~ fionary dreams, began to entertain conceits hof- tile to the principles of fcience. Encouraged by the wifhed-for gain, they bent ail their thoughts, and every faculty of the mind, to the folution of this myfterious problem; fo that, had any one been fo fortunate as to have obtained the reward of his labours, he would have deier- ved the appellation of a covetous ra¬ ther than that of a fkillful chemift. Under the dominion of fordid avarice, and miferably envi¬ ous, they impofed upon themfelves a ridiculous illence,