Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-09-11
FINN the National Gazette.

NecrOmnncers has been part Of our sum
mer reading IL contains nothing new,
but is compilation of matter particularly |
curious and instruetive-belng " an &C |
count Of the most eminent persons in sue /
cessive ages, who have claimed for them |
selves, or 10 whom has been imputed by I
others, the exercise OF Magical Power"
II illustrates 10 every page the credulIty |
as well as impudence Of mankind, and IN
no section more than 10 that which relates !
to the alchymists and their pteiensions
and labors. But there is scarcely under
The head Of the TransmuiatiOn Of Metals,
an instance Of imposture more daring and
more gross, than the Gold Currency arti-
fee and cry of our Kitchen Cabinet and
their auxiaries. We shall soon be told
that President Jackson has discovered the
Philosophers Stone--and that he, the
1 greatest Of nGcr0nlancerS, as well as " the
besp' Of men, possesses The elixir Of i'm
mortality besides the faculty Of putting
gold into every believers pocket. His
worshippeFs must also create for him
some sure human power and intercourse
Goodwin Observer" So much delicacy
and nicely were supposed TO lie required
in the process of transmutaiion of metals,
that il could not hope 10 succeed but I'M
der favorable conjunction of the planets;
and the most flourishing pretenders TO the
art boosted that they had a familiar inter
course with certain spirits OF supernatural
power which assisted them in their under.
taklngs, and enabled them TO penetrate
INTO things undiscovered to mere human
sagacIiy, and TO predict human events"
| One of the most wonderful of the metal
lurgists, alchemists, astrologers and chiro-
mancers of the 10Th century, was PhiLp
pus Aureolus 1heophrastus BombastS Para
CELSIUS de .Nohenheinl. the very prototype Of
our renowned and prodgious Colonel Ben
ton. Goodwin says of him" lie certain
ly possessed happy spirit of daring; he
delivered lectures IN very bold and pre-
sumptuous style. He took advantage of
the credulity and love of wonder incident
to the generality Of our species, and by
dint of imposing on others, succeeded in
no small degree in imposing on himself"
There was contemporary of Paracesus,
who might also be taken as a model. He
called himself" The most accomplished
Geofgius G0beLticus, a second Faustus,
the spring and centre of necromantic art:
an astrologer, a magician, consummate in
chlromancy; and IN agromancy, pyro-
NANCY, and hydromancy, inferior TO none
that ever lived" The Kitchen Cabinet
can produce a match for either Among
the treatses and proclamations of the old
aichemists, which are more marvellous,
altisonous, bold and positive than the
speeches of the Colonel and the para
graphs of the Globe concerning the Jack
son era of Gold? We have not. this af
ternoon, enough of space at our com
mand, TO follow OUT some parallels which
Godwin's book affords. and which we have
marked; hut we shall add en- attendant
"a few particulars taken at random.
Pythsgoras required an uureserved
submission from all his followers the
master has said az was deemed a sufficient
solution TO all doubt and uncertainty"
CpImenides boosted that he could
send his soul out Of his body, and recall il
when he pleased. Hefmotimus claimed
the same power, but he had enemies, who
one time when his body had lain mani
mate too long. made his wife believe that
he was certainly dead, and that it was dis
respectful and Indecent to keep him so
long in that state. The woman, therefore.
placed her husband on the funeral pyre.
the soul of Hermotimus came back, it had
lost its old receptacle"
Peter, Of Apono, had the extraordina
ny faculty of causing the money he ex-
Ipended, Immediately to come back into
his own purse"
Raymond Lulli commended that he
could enable any one to argue logically
on any subject for whole day together
Il Of
the subject in debate"
In l404, the British Parliament pass
ed law that the making of gold or silver
should be deemed felony. This law re
suited from the fear at that time enter
tanned by the Houses of Lords and Com
mons lest the Executive Power, finding
itself by The art Of transmutation enabled
; 10 increase the revenue of the Crown TO
: any degree it pleased, should disdain to
) ask aid from the legislature, and in con.
sequence should degenerate into tyranny
and arbitrary power But the tide turned.
ere very long. and the alarm respecting
the multiplication of the precious metals
so greatly abated, that patents were issued
for the encouragement of such as were
disposed to seek the Universal Medicine.
and to endeavor the conversion of infe
rlor metals into gold"
" 1t Is related of Cornelius Agrippa, as
oi many other magicidns, that he was in
the habit, when he RECALLED himself al an
inn, of paying his bin in counterfeit mo
ney, which at the time Of ayment appear
Ied Of sterling value, bat IN a few DAYS af
ter. became pieces OF horn and worthless
shells
Three or four centuries elapsed, while
yet the belief IN sotcery and witchcraft
was alive IN certain classes Of society
And then, as IL apo TO occur in such eases.
The expiring folly occasionally gave tokens
lot ITS existence Wih a c0nUuisiue uehe
me"ce, and became only the more pictur-
esque and Impressive through the strong
contrast OF lights and shadows that attend
ed It's manifestations
Mere Trick.-A leading Van Burep
man made the following remark TO wa |
verIns friend -" Why should you give