The expression by characters adopted among the older chemists agrees with this mythological signification only in the character assigned to gold. Gold, according to the chemists, was the most perfect of metals, to which all others seemed to be inferior in different degrees. Silver approached nearest to it; but was distinguished only by a semicircle, which, for the more perspicuity, was drawn double, and thence had a greater resemblance to the most remarkable appearance of the moon; the name of which this metal had already obtained. All the other metals, as they seemed to have a greater or less affinity to gold or silver, were distinguished by marks composed of the characters assigned to these precious metals. In the character the adepts discover gold with a silver colour. The cross placed at the bottom, which among the Egyptian hieroglyphics had a mysterious signification', expresses, in their opinion, something I know not what, without which quicksilver would be silver or gold. This something is combined also with copper, the possible change of which into gold is expressed by the character. The character declares the like honourable affinity also; though the half-cross is applied in a more concealed manner; for, according to the most proper mode of writing, the point is wanting at the top, or the upright line ought only to touch the horizontal, and not to intersect it. Philosophical gold is concealed in steel; and on this account it produces such valuable medicines. Of tin one-half is silver, and the other consists of the something unknown: for this reason the cross with the half moon appears in 24. In lead this something is predominant, and a similitude is observed in it to silver. Hence in its character ↳ the cross stands at the top, and the silver character is only suspended on the right-hand behind it. The mythological signification of these characters cannot be older than the Grecian mythology; but the chemical may be traced to a much earlier period. Some, who consider them as remains of the Egyptian hieroglyphics, pretend 1 Jablonski, Pantheon Ægypt. i. p. 282, 283, 287; and ii. p. 131. This author makes it the representation of something which cannot be well named. Kircheri Edipus Ægypt. t. ii. pars ii. p. 399. Romæ, 1653, fol. 2 Goguet, ii. pp. 370, 371, considers them as remains of the original hieroglyphics; but he is of opinion that we received them in their present form from the Arabians. that they may be discovered on the table of Isis, and employ them as a proof of the high antiquity, if not of the art of making gold, at least of chemistry. We are told also that they correspond with many other characters which the adepts have left us as emblems of their wisdom. If we are desirous of deciding without prejudice respecting both these explanations, it will be found necessary to make ourselves acquainted with the oldest form of the characters, which in all probability, like those used in writing, were subjected to many changes before they acquired that form which they have at present. I can, however, mention only three learned men, Salmasius1, Du Cange2, and Huet3, who took the trouble to collect these characters. As I am afraid that my readers might be disgusted were I here to insert them, I shall give a short abstract of the conclusion which they form from them; but I must first observe that the oldest manuscripts differ very much in their representation of these characters, either because they were not fully established at the periods when they were written, or because many supposed adepts endeavoured to render their information more enigmatical by wilfully confounding the characters; and it is probable also that many mistakes may have been committed by transcribers. The character of Mars, according to the oldest mode of representing it, is evidently an abbreviation of the word Ooupos, under which the Greek mathematicians understood that deity; or, in other words, the first letter e, with the last letter s placed above it. The character of Jupiter was originally the initial letter of Zeus; and in the oldest manuscripts of the mathematical and astrological works of Julius Firmicus the capital Z only is used, to which the last letter s was afterwards added at the bottom, to render the abbreviation more distinct. The supposed looking-glass of Venus is nothing else than the initial letter, a little distorted, of the word Dwopópos, which was the name of that goddess. The imaginary sythe of Saturn has been gradually formed from the first two letters of his name Kpóvos, which transcribers, for the sake of dispatch, made always more convenient for 1 Plinianæ Exercitat. in Solinum, p. 874. 2 Gloss. ad Script. Med. et Infimæ Græcitatis. 3 In his Annota tions on Manilii Astronomicon (in usum Delphini). Par. 1679, 4to, p. 80. use, but at the same time less perceptible. To discover in the pretended caduceus of Mercury the initial letter of his Greek name riλßwr, one needs only look at the abbrevia tions in the oldest manuscripts, where they will find that the Σ was once written as C; they will remark also that transcribers, to distinguish this abbreviation still more from the rest, placed the C thus, , and added under it the next letter 7. If those to whom this deduction appears improbable will only take the trouble to look at other Greek abbreviations, they will find many that differ still further from the original letters they express than the present character from the C and united. It is possible that later transcribers, to whom the origin of this abbreviation was not known, may have endeavoured to give it a greater resemblance to the caduceus of Mercury. In short, it cannot be denied that many other astronomical characters are real symbols, or a kind of proper hieroglyphics, that represent certain attributes or circumstances, like the characters of Aries, Leo, and others quoted by Salmasius. But how old is the present form of these characters? According to Scaliger', they are of great antiquity, because they are to be found on very old gems and rings. If the ring No. 104 in Goræus be old and accurately delineated, this must indeed be true; for some of these characters may be very plainly distinguished on the beazel. We are told by Wallerius that they were certainly used by the ancient Egyptians, because Democritus, who resided five years in Egypt, speaks of them in the plainest terms. I do not know whence Wallerius derived this information, but it proves nothing. He undoubtedly alludes to the laughing philosopher of Abdera, who lived about 450 years before our æra, but no authentic writings of his are now extant. Fabricius says that we have a Latin translation of a work of his, De Arte Sacra, Patavii, 1572, which, however, is certainly a production of 1 In his Annotations on Manilii Astron. Strasb. 1665, 4to, p. 460. 2 In Gorii Thesaurus Gemmarum antiquarum astriferarum, Florent. 1750, 3 vols. fol., I found nothing on this subject. Characters of the moon and of the signs in the zodiac often occur; but no others are to be seen, except in tab. 33, where there is a ring, which has on it the present characters of Mars and Venus. In general the planets are represented by seven small asterisks, or by six and the character of the moon. Besides, the antiquity of this gem cannot be ascertained. much later times. I have it now before me from the library of our university; and I find that it is not the whole book, but only an abstract, and written in so extravagant a manner that the deception is not easily discovered. It contains chemical processes, but nothing of the characters of metals; which is the case also with the letters of Democritus, published by Lubbinus'. [By way of contrast to the seven metals with which the ancients were acquainted, we may enumerate those known at the present day. They are as follows: 8. Antimony, Basil Valentine 1490. 34. Lithium...... Arfwedson.. 1818. 9. Bismuth 10. Zinc 11. Arsenic 12. Cobalt ... Agricola 1530. 35. Silicium... (Paracelsus?) 1530. 36. Zirconium Berzelius ... 1824. Brandt. 37. Aluminum 1733. 38. Glucinum 1741. 39. Yttrium... Wöhler...... 1828. Cronstedt... 1751. 40. Thorium Berzelius 1829. 15. Manganese.. Gahn ... ... 1774. 41. Magnesium.. Bussy ... ... 1829. 16. Tungsten D'Elhujart.. 1781. 42. Vanadium... Sefström 1830. 17. Tellurium Müller 21. Chromium... Vauquelin... 1797. 47. Pelopium. H. Rose 23. Palladium 24. Rhodium ... . 1845. 1 See the collection of Greek letters of Eilh. Lubbinus. Commelin. 1601, 8vo. ZINC. ZINC is one of those metals which were not known to the Greeks', Romans, or Arabians. This we have reason to conjecture, because it has not been distinguished by a chemical character like the rest; but it is fully proved, by our not finding in the works of the ancients any information that appears even to allude to it. I know but of one instance where it is supposed to have been found among remains of antiquity. Grignon pretends that something like it was discovered in the ruins of the ancient Roman city in Champagne. Such an unexpected discovery deserved to have been investigated with the utmost minuteness; but it seems to have been examined only in a very superficial manner; and as that was the case, it is impossible to guess what kind of a metal or metallic mixture this author considered as zinc. It is not surprising that this metal should have remained so long unknown, for it has never yet been found in the metallic state. Its ores are often and in a great degree mixed with foreign ingredients; and when they are melted, it sublimes in a metallic form, and is found adhering above to the cool sides of the furnace; but a particular apparatus is necessary, else the reduced metal partly evaporates, and is partly oxidized, by which means it appears like an earth, and exhibits to the eye no traces of metal. That mixture of zinc and copper called at present brass, tomback, pinchbeck, princes-metal, &c., and which was first discovered by ores, abundant in zinc, yielding when melted not pure copper, but brass, was certainly known to the ancients. Mines that contained ores, from which this goldcoloured metal was produced, were held in the highest estimation; when exhausted, the loss of them was regretted; and it was supposed that the metal would never be again found. In the course of time it was remarked, no one knows by what 1 [It has been observed by an anonymous reviewer (British and Foreign Medical Review, vol. viii. p. 361) that a passage in Strabo authorises the belief that the ancients were acquainted with this metal in its separate state, and that it is the false silver, Yevdápyvpov, of that ancient geographer.] 2 Bulletin des fouilles d'une ville Romaine, p. 11. |