Among the adepts there were no doubt a select few who employed themselves in their prolonged labours in all sincerity, and who were not unfrequently repaid with remarkable, and unexpected results. Brass, being the result of copper combined with zinc, would appear a singular transformation. Many stones, or more properly, ores, would yield sulphur and metals; sulphur would be found apparently to dissolve iron; and certain salts, when distilled, would yield corrosive acids. Alchemy thus presented to the ancient adepts many of the ordinary wonders of modern chemistry; in short, the latest adept of the present century is no other than an unlettered chemist. It was peculiar to the Alchemists to treat all their operations as secrets; which, when recorded, were described partly by symbols and partly in a novel nomenclature, invented to conceal their mysteries from vulgar gaze or imitation. Thus, to prepare the philosopher's stone, we have merely to--"Take of moisture, an ounce and a half; of meridional redness, that is the soul of the sun, a fourth part, that is, half an ounce; of yellow seyr, likewise half an ounce; and of auripigmentum, a half ounce; making in all three ounces. Know that the vine of wise men is extracted in threes, and its wine at last is completed in thirty." To the incredulous in these matters, Ashmole offers the admonition that, he knows "_Incredulity is given to the world as a punishment!_" However, when the Alkahest, or pretended Universal Solvent, was alluded to by the modern chemist Kunckel, he could not refrain from incredulously enquiring--"If it dissolves all substances, in what vessel can it be contained?" Alchemical writings are very numerous, it might be impossible to procure a complete bibliographical list of them, but they may be estimated at from 3000 to 4000 works, and an astonishing number of manuscripts. Their authors indulge in such terms as the Ph[oe]nix, to indicate the quintessence of Fire; Realgar, for the fume of minerals; Guma, also Luna Compacta, for quicksilver; Hadid, for iron; Aurum potabile, for liquor of gold; Anathron, for saltpetre; Malek, for salt; Terra fidelis, for silver; Tinkar, for borax; and in a similar strain for all matters and operations; so that Dr. Johnson was justified in deriving the word Gibberish from the mysterious jargon employed by Geber, a celebrated Alchemist; who has, nevertheless, been appropriately styled the Pliny of the 8th century. Weidenfeld, in an Alchemical Treatise, published in 1685, addressing students, says:-- "Under heaven is not such an art, more promoting the honour of God, more conducing to mankind, and more narrowly searching into the most profound secrets of nature, than is our true and more than laudable Chymy." And at the conclusion of his address he observes: