greediness of gold.
Some had been known to use spells and impious ceremonies; to conjure
the aid of evil spirits; nay, even to sell their souls to the enemy of
mankind, so that they might riot in boundless wealth while living.

The poor alchymist had heard all patiently, or, at least, passively.
He had disdained to vindicate his name otherwise than by his word; he
had smiled at the accusations of sorcery, when applied merely to
himself; but when the sublime art, which had been the study and
passion of his life, was assailed, he could no longer listen in
silence. His head gradually rose from his bosom; a hectic colour came
in faint streaks to his cheek; played about there, disappeared,
returned, and at length kindled into a burning glow. The clammy
dampness dried from his forehead; his eyes, which had nearly been
extinguished, lighted up again, and burned with their wonted and
visionary fires. He entered into a vindication of his favourite art.
His voice at first was feeble and broken; but it gathered strength as
he proceeded, until it rolled in a deep and sonorous volume. He
gradually rose from his seat, as he rose with his subject; he threw
back the scanty black mantle which had hitherto wrapped his limbs; the
very uncouthness of his form and looks gave an impressive effect to
what he uttered; it was as though a corpse had become suddenly
animated.

He repelled with scorn the aspersions cast upon alchymy by the
ignorant and vulgar. He affirmed it to be the mother of all art and
science, citing the opinions of Paracelsus, Sandivogius, Raymond
Lully, and others, in support of his assertions. He maintained that it
was pure and innocent and honourable both in its purposes and means.
What were its objects? The perpetuation of life and youth, and the
production of gold. "The elixir vitae," said he, "is no charmed
potion, but merely a concentration of those elements of vitality which
nature has scattered through her works. The philosopher's stone, or
tincture, or powder, as it is variously called, is no necromantic
talisman, but consists simply of those particles which gold contains
within itself for its reproduction; for gold, like other things, has
its seed within itself, though bound up with inconceivable firmness,
from the vigour of innate fixed salts and sulphurs. In seeking to
discover the elixir of life, then," continued he, "we seek only to
apply some of nature's own specifics against the disease and decay to
whic