philosopher's egg was mentioned, they took eggs as the actual
subject. Because the spermatic substance and seeds were mentioned they
thought that the prima materia was human semen, and so arose the school of
seminalists. And because it was written of the subject that it was to be
found wherever men dwell, and that it was a little despised thing which
men threw away not realizing its worth, and because they thought of
putrefaction as such, they thought to find the real substance in human
excrement, and so the school of stercoralists was founded. From the belief
in the healing and wonderworking power of excrement sprang moreover the
famous filth pharmacy, that was held in no little esteem.

The homunculus topic is exceedingly interesting. Unfortunately I cannot in
the space of this book go into it thoroughly. I shall do so in another
place.

Section III.

The Hermetic Art.

Any one that makes a thorough study of the alchemistic literature must be
struck with the religious seriousness that prevails in the writings of the
more important authors. Every "master" who enjoyed the highest honor among
his fellows in the hermetic art has a certain lofty manner that keeps
aloof from the detailed description of chemical laboratory work, although
they do not depart from the alchemistic technical language. They obviously
have a leaning toward some themes that are far more important than the
production of a chemical preparation can be, even if this is a tincture
with which they can tinge lead into gold. Looking forth to higher nobler
things, these authors, whose homely language frequently touches our
feelings deeply, make the reader notice that they have nothing in common
with the sloppy cooks who boil their pots in chemical kitchens, and that
the gold they write about is not the gold of the multitude; not the venal
gold that they can exchange for money. Their language seems to sound as if
they said, "Our gold is not of this world." Indeed they use expressions
that can with absolute clearness be shown to have this sense. Authors of
this type did not weary of enjoining on the novices of the art, that
belief, scripture and righteousness were the most important requisites for
the alchemistic process. [With the sloppers it was indeed a prime
question, how many and what kinds of stoves, retorts, kettles, crucibles,
ores, fires, etc., in short, what necessary implements they needed, for
the great w