Middletown transcript., 1876-09-23
A MAN WITHOUT EARS.

mculCiuO WntOus oOSoANss6
story, ought to have kept him alive IN
til now Losing his ears was but one
of the many misfortunes that befel him.
These were cut off when he was quite q
young man, and for the rest Of his life
he wore black skull cap to hide his loss.
The cap came down over his cheeks and
gave him most solemn appearance.
His own partner never discovered that
he was without ears. but thought, like
every one else. that be wore the cap to
make him look digni6ed and important.
Three hundred years ago all sorts Of
cruel punishments were inflicted that
are not now known Signing another
mans name to some paper was the crime
for which be paid SO dearly. That
forgery was one Of the first steps in a
life Of wickedness and crime that led to
a most miserable death.
For six hundred years people were
perfectly infatuated with the hope Of dis
covering two things-the philosopher
stone, which would turn common metals
into gold aud silver; and the elirir
vite, which would prolong life for hun
dreds Of years. You know how Ponce
de Leon came to America in search oi
the spring whose waters would make
him young again. All these strange
beliefs we know were terrible mistakes;
but God permitted many, many years
Of bitter suffering and disappointment,
to convince men that length Of life is
not in our hands.
Edward Kelly went into partnership
with famous DR.. Dee Of London. and
for many years the two went on hum
bugging thousands Of people with their
miraculous crystal and eli1ir vite, which
they pretended to have found. The
miraculous crystal was pice Of camel
coal, we'll polishen, which, by gazing al
long time, would, they pretended. send
forth spirits that would tell the secrets
Of the future That very peculiar wo-
man, Queen Elizabeth, sent many mes
sages and inquiries to Dee and Kelly,
and consulted them about the day thai
would be most fortunate for her corona.
tion.
To consult the crystal, one Of them
gazed long at it and told what it said
while the other wrote down the non.
sense. This crystal was kept as curl
osity, and not SO very long ago was in
the possession Of an Englishman and
/ presume the lump Of coal may now b
somewhere in England. But money
was necessary to carry on ell these
black arts, and the men set about find.
ing rich man whom they could dupe
They caught in their net just the righI
bird-a very wealthy Pole named Lask
who was on visit to Queen Elizabeth
This man had great curiosity about thu
philosophers stone and elixir Of life
and was only too willing to listen to the
marvellous stories Of Dee and Kelly
Whey they told him they had q wonder.
full crystal, by means Of which they
could foretell events, he was fairly
caught. To make him doubly secure
however, they pretended for some timt
that they could not possibly tell theil
secret, but finally consented to let him b.
present when the spirits came out oftht
crystal. On this occasion the roguel
made the spirits prophecy that Lask
would be SO fortunate as to get the phil.
osopher's stone, provided be went home
taking the men and their families. ane
supporting them whileexperiments were
made to find the stone and manufacture
gold The foolish man consented. -
What did be care for expense if ht
could get stoqe with which be could
make any amount Of gold and silver?
Well, to Poland the party went. anc
day after day, and month after month
Laski's money grew less but still nc
philosophers stone was found and NJ
gold was made All the experiments
failed, but for every failure the alchem-
ists found an excuse Laski was so in.
fatuated that not until his millions were
gone, and be was a poor man, did he
wake up to the fact that he had heer
cheated He managed to get rid Of his
destroyers; and Dee and Kelly finally
quarreled and separated.
Kelly now wandered about Germany
telling fortunes, and pretending to make
gold. and getting into prison at last.
He was released, but all his days Of
prosperity were over. People discov-
cred that his gold was not gold. and
that his prophesies were false; and he
soon found that the punishment for dis
honesty and cheating surely comes, and
is heavy. He was thrown into prison
second time. So terrified now was
he. with the prospect Of trial for sorcery
and witchcraft-for which he knew be
would be condemned to death-that he
resolved to make his escape from the
tower in which he was confined. He
made a rope Of his bed-clothes and let
himself out Of bis window. But the
rope broke and he fell to the ground
His legs and two Of his ribs were broken.
and, instead Of escaping to England.
which was his plan, be died in dreadful
agony few days after his fall
But not all the searchers after the
philosophers stone and elixir vitae were
Kellys. Many of them were good men
and great scholars. and believed most
heartily in these wild dreams. Among
the biographies Of at least fifty alchem-
lists. | find many that are wonderfully
interesting-and sad, too. You cannot
read. in all history, of greater patience,
nor of greater self.denials and sufferings
than these men endured. Not many
people know too. that to the labors Of
these infatuated men We owe much Of
our knowledge Gunpowder. the ma
gic-lantern, the telescope, the burning
glass;" and many other indispensable
things, We must thank them for. In
trying 10 solve one problem, or discern
the secret Of one Of Gods works. it
often happens that men discern many
others Of greater yalue. He maketh