Lives of alchemystical philosophers: To which is added a bibliography of alchemy and hermetic philosophyWaite, Arthur Edward
Philosophy
Lives of alchemystical philosophers: To which is added a bibliography of alchemy and hermetic philosophy
Waite, Arthur Edward
Alchemists -- Biography; Alchemy -- Bibliography; Alchemy -- History
Arabic, for the edification of the Faithful and the instruction of the
Saracens. He became indeed one of the most voluminous authors in the
world, and when weary of the repose of letters he returned to Majorca,
far advanced in years, he embarked, despite the peril, for Tunis,
hoping to work secretly in the conversion of its inhabitants.
According to another account, he publicly proclaimed his return,
crying, “Do you not remember that I am the man whom your princes
formerly hunted from this country and from Tunis in dread that I
should illuminate your souls with the truths of our holy religion,
towards which you already had some disposition? The single hope of your
salvation, and the resolution I have taken to suffer all the torments
of the world for the love of my God, lead me back among you, to do with
me as you please.”
In either case his return was discovered; as one man the people rose
in tumult against him, and having covered him with opprobrium and
atrocious injuries, they chased him with stones from the town to the
port, where he fell miserably overwhelmed.
According to numerous biographers, certain merchants, either of
Majorca or Genoa, passing Tunis, saw a great light, in the shape of
a pyramid, near to the port, on the night of this catastrophe. This
light seemed to issue from a heap of stones, and, curious to discover
its cause, they put ashore in a boat, and thus came upon the precious
body of Raymond Lully, whom, in spite of his disfigured condition, they
immediately recognised.
But M. E. J. Delécleuze, writing in the _Revue des Deux Mondes_, gives
us the same narrative unadorned by the veneer of the miraculous. “The
night fell, and the body of Raymond Lully remained on the sea-shore.
During the whole of this terrible scene none of the converts, and still
less the European Christians then sojourning in the town, had dared
to defend the missionary, or even to intercede in his favour. Certain
Genoese merchants, however, desiring to pay the last honours to his
corpse, came in a boat, under cover of the darkness, to bear it away.
In the accomplishment of this pious duty they perceived that Raymond
Lully was still breathing. They carried him in haste to their ship, and
immediately set sail for Majorca, in sight of which island that holy
and learned man expired on the 29th of June 1315, at the age of eighty
years.”[L]
It has already been stated that Raymond Lully was one of the most
prolific writers of his own or of any age. The following list of his
works is given by Alfonso de Proaza in 1515, and is reproduced by A.
Perroquet:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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