The Book of the Chemical Art, ascribed to Marsilius Ficinus, provides one of the most in depth accounts of alchemical philosophy ever created. It is a philosophical treatise, as those of antiquity, listing its way through objections to alchemy, refuting its foes as well as superstitions prevalent at the time not accepted by the literate mystics of the era. It culminates with a section dedicated specifically to answers on such subjects supposedly derived from the conversations held between one Illardus, a Catalonian necromancer, and the Devil himself, which is here considered to give credence to the entire manuscript.
The Book of the Chemical Art, ascribed to Marsilius Ficinus, provides one of the most in depth accounts of alchemical philosophy ever created. It is a philosophical treatise, as those of antiquity, listing its way through objections to alchemy, refuting its foes as well as superstitions prevalent at the time not accepted by the literate mystics of the era. It culminates with a section dedicated specifically to answers on such subjects supposedly derived from the conversations held between one Illardus, a Catalonian necromancer, and the Devil himself, which is here considered to give credence to the entire manuscript.
