AtthesametimethatDiocletianchastisedthepastcrimesoftheEgyptians，heprovidedfortheirfuturesafetyandhappinessbymanywiseregulations，whichwereconfirmedandenforcedunderthesucceedingreigns。^49Oneveryremarkableedictwhichhepublished，insteadofbeingcondemnedastheeffectofjealoustyranny，deservestobeapplaudedasanactofprudenceandhumanity。Hecausedadiligentinquirytobemade\"foralltheancientbookswhichtreatedoftheadmirableartofmakinggoldandsilver，andwithoutpity，committedthemtotheflames；apprehensive，asweareassumed，lesttheopulenceoftheEgyptiansshouldinspirethemwithconfidencetorebelagainsttheempire。\"^50ButifDiocletianhadbeenconvincedoftherealityofthatvaluableart，farfromextinguishingthememory，hewouldhaveconvertedtheoperationofittothebenefitofthepublicrevenue。Itismuchmorelikely，thathisgoodsensediscoveredtohimthefollyofsuchmagnificentpretensions，andthathewasdesirousofpreservingthereasonandfortunesofhissubjectsfromthemischievouspursuit。Itmayberemarked，thattheseancientbooks，soliberallyascribedtoPythagoras，toSolomon，ortoHermes，werethepiousfraudsofmorerecentadepts。TheGreekswereinattentiveeithertotheuseortotheabuseofchemistry。Inthatimmenseregister，wherePlinyhasdepositedthediscoveries，thearts，andtheerrorsofmankind，thereisnottheleastmentionofthetransmutationofmetals；
andthepersecutionofDiocletianisthefirstauthenticeventinthehistoryofalchemy。TheconquestofEgyptbytheArabsdiffusedthatvainscienceovertheglobe。Congenialtotheavariceofthehumanheart，itwasstudiedinChinaasinEurope，withequaleagerness，andwithequalsuccess。Thedarknessofthemiddleagesinsuredafavorablereceptiontoeverytaleofwonder，andtherevivaloflearninggavenewvigortohope，andsuggestedmorespeciousartsofdeception。Philosophy，withtheaidofexperience，hasatlengthbanishedthestudyofalchemy；
andthepresentage，howeverdesirousofriches，iscontenttoseekthembythehumblermeansofcommerceandindustry。^51
[Footnote49:Hefixedthepublicallowanceofcorn，forthepeopleofAlexandria，attwomillionsofmedimni；aboutfourhundredthousandquarters。Chron。Paschal。p。276Procop。Hist。
Arcan。c。26。]