Month: July 2020

The Duke of York Is No Papist

In 1680, Charles II was on the British throne, and his brother James, the Duke of York, was the only heir. Rumors had begun to circulate that James was a Roman Catholic, and a certain pamphlet had brought those rumors out into the open. Patriotically, another pamphleteer (the librarian identifies him as John Garbrand) undertook to defend the Duke from these scurrilous charges. Here in his preface, our author warns his readers against the sinister designs of those who made the accusations. In fact, James did turn out to be a Papist, which complicated his reign somewhat when he inherited the throne five years later.

Courteous reader, Having seen a Pamphlet some time since, Entituled, Reasons whereupon the Duke of York may most strongly be reputed, and suspected to be a Papist: Not knowing, but that it may come into the hands of some, whom I would not have Poysoned with those fallacious Arguments; I thought it my duty to answer them: That the World may see the Malice and Rage of some Seditious Persons, who, by loading the Duke with Scandalous Aspersions, endeavour to lessen his esteem with the King: And, if that will not do, to brand his Reputation in the opinion of the Credulous Multitude; That they may the sooner introduce their own Maximes into the Government; which are not more fatal to the King, than Destructive to his Subjects.

Therefore, kind Reader, beware, and think not, whilst these Stigmatize the Duke, they are Innocent themselves: ’Tis their Guilt makes them endeavour to overthrow the Government; And, they had rather see the Nation Ruined than themselves brought to answer their breach of Laws: And observe it when you will, Whoever shall go about to Fortify the present Government against Faction, and Rebellion, shall, by the Seditious, be reported to introduce Popery; Or, to be Popishly affected: Knowing, at the same time they do so, they win upon the giddy Vulgar, who have no greater Antipathy then against the Bishop of Rome: And by this Device, commonly, they deliver themselves from that Punishment which they ought justly to undergo. And, this, to me, is a better Argument, that the Duke of York is no Papist; since the Seditious only would have him thought so, then, all the Reasons they have given, can, probably make him one. Your belief of this will compleat my wishes, which are, that you may be Happy, Farewel.

——The Grand Inquest, Or a Full and Perfect Answer to Several Reasons, by which it is Pretended His Royal Highness, the Duke of York, May be Proved to be a Roman-Catholick.

It Is Easier than You Think to Make the Philosopher’s Stone

In 1635, a certain Scottish gentleman named David Person wrote a book about everything entitled Varieties: or, A Surveigh of Rare and Excellent Matters, necessary and delectable for all sorts of persons. Wherein the principall Heads of diverse Sciences are illustrated, rare secrets of Naturall things unfoulded, &c. The gentleman displays an admirable confidence in explaining everything that comes under his notice, having apparently determined that nothing was beyond his understanding. For example, he is quite certain that he knows how to make the philosopher’s stone, which would transmute any substance into any other; and he is quite certain that it is no very hard thing to make. Why, then, do chemical philosophers not make themselves absurdly rich? Well…

SECT. 4. That the making of the Philosophers Stone is lesse expensive and laborious than many things wee both use, and weare; why the makers of it enrich not themselves and others.

The true making of that Stone is neither expensive, nor long, nor wearisome to those that have the dexterity of it.

Betwixt the Barley graine that must be sowne, and the aqua vitae that is made of it, there is both a longer time, and many more points of labour: And betwixt the linnessed, and the linnen cloath wee were, there is a longer time, and much more labour than in the framing of Philosophers Stone, as these blowers would have the world beleeve.

It is true, many chymicall Philosophers so soone as they attained this precious Stone, the very knowledge of it delighted them more than worldly gaine; and they made more use of it in Physick than in projection. And if any would aske; what was the cause they made not themselves and all their their friends most excellently rich. It may be well anfwered, they lacked not, they had contentment, they delighted more in theory than practick: they disdained to bee gold-makers to those that were greedy, or to those that were through idlenesse needy, and were afraid to be made a prey and captivate slaves to avaricious and cruell tyrants: these things and such like made them obscure and hide from the world what they knew or could doe, intending rather to have by the Philosophers Stone a balsamick universall medicine than the seminary of gold.

Many have written divers treatises on this subject some one way some another way, some more mystically some more plainely; and what is darke in one, is found againe more cleare in another, specially to such as are diligent Readers of the Hermeticall Philosophy, I will therefore set downe here what by most approved consent of all, is the moft easie and compendious way to perfite the Philosophers Stone, without prejudice to others, that thinke they knew a better way. In this my discourse there shall be nothing obscure, but that which a filius artis may easily understand.

——From Varieties: or, A Surveigh of Rare and Excellent Matters, necessary and delectable for all sorts of persons.