Thisnaturallygavegreatoffence；andbeingperceivedoneday，intheKing’santechamber，bysomeladieswhowerewaitingforanaudience，theyresolvedtopunishhim。Tothenumberoftenortwelve，theyarmedthemselveswithcanesandrods；andsurroundingtheunluckypoet，calleduponthegentlemenpresenttostriphimnaked，thattheymightwreakjustvengeanceuponhim，andlashhimthroughthestreetsofthetown。Someofthelordspresentwereinnowiseloth，andpromisedthemselvesgreatsportfromhispunishment。ButJeandeMeungwasunmovedbytheirthreats，andstoodupcalmlyinthemidstofthem，beggingthemtohearhimfirst，andthen，ifnotsatisfied，theymightdoastheylikedwithhim。Silencebeingrestored，hestooduponachair，andenteredonhisdefence。Heacknowledgedthathewastheauthoroftheobnoxiousverses，butdeniedthattheyborereferencetoallwomankind。Heonlymeanttospeakoftheviciousandabandoned，whereasthosewhomhesawaroundhim，werepatternsofvirtue，loveliness，andmodesty。If，however，anyladypresentthoughtherselfaggrieved，hewouldconsenttobestripped，andshemightlashhimtillherarmswerewearied。Itisadded，thatbythismeansJeanescapedhisflogging，andthatthewrathofthefaironesimmediatelysubsided。Thegentlemenpresentwere，however，ofopinion，thatifeveryladyintheroom，whosecharactercorrespondedwiththeverses，hadtakenhimathisword，thepoetwould，inallprobability，havebeenbeatentodeath。Allhislifelongheevincedagreatanimositytowardsthepriesthood，andhisfamouspoemaboundswithpassagesreflectingupontheiravarice，cruelty，andimmorality。Athisdeathheleftalargebox，filledwithsomeweightymaterial，whichhebequeathedtotheCordeliers，asapeace-offering，fortheabusehehadlavisheduponthem。Ashispracticeofalchymywaswell-known，itwasthoughttheboxwasfilledwithgoldandsilver，andtheCordelierscongratulatedeachotherontheirrichacquisition。Whenitcametobeopened，theyfoundtotheirhorrorthatitwasfilledonlywithslates，scratchedwithhieroglyphicandcabalisticcharacters。Indignantattheinsult，theydeterminedtorefusehimChristianburial，onpretencethathewasasorcerer。Hewas，however，honourablyburiedinParis，thewholecourtattendinghisfuneral。
NICHOLASFLAMEL。
Thestoryofthisalchymist，ashandeddownbytradition，andenshrinedinthepagesofLengletduFresnoy，isnotalittlemarvellous。HewasbornatPontoiseofapoorbutrespectablefamily，attheendofthethirteenth，orbeginningofthefourteenth，century。
Havingnopatrimony，hesetoutforParisatanearlyage，totryhisfortuneasapublicscribe。Hehadreceivedagoodeducation，waswellskilledinthelearnedlanguages，andwasanexcellentpenman。Hesoonprocuredoccupationasaletter-writerandcopyist，andusedtositatthecorneroftheRuedeMarivaux，andpractisehiscalling:buthehardlymadeprofitsenoughtokeepbodyandsoultogether。Tomendhisfortuneshetriedpoetry；butthiswasamorewretchedoccupationstill。Asatranscriberhehadatleastgainedbreadandcheese；buthisrhymeswerenotworthacrust。Hethentriedpaintingwithaslittlesuccess；andasalastresource，begantosearchforthephilosopher’sstone，andtellfortunes。Thiswasahappieridea；hesoonincreasedinsubstance，andhadwherewithaltolivecomfortably。
He，therefore，tookuntohimselfhiswifePetronella，andbegantosavemoney；butcontinuedtoalloutwardappearanceaspoorandmiserableasbefore。Inthecourseofafewyears，hebecamedesperatelyaddictedtothestudyofalchymy，andthoughtofnothingbutthephilosopher’sstone，theelixiroflife，andtheuniversalalkahest。Intheyear1257，heboughtbychanceanoldbookfortwoflorins，whichsoonbecamethesolestudyandobjectofhislife。Itwaswrittenwithasteelinstrumentuponthebarkoftrees，andcontainedtwenty-one，orashehimselfalwaysexpressedit，threetimesseven，leaves。ThewritingwasveryelegantandintheLatinlanguage。Eachseventhleafcontainedapictureandnowriting。Onthefirstofthesewasaserpentswallowingrods；onthesecond，acrosswithaserpentcrucified；andonthethird，therepresentationofadesert，inthemidstofwhichwasafountainwithserpentscrawlingfromsidetoside。Itpurportedtobewrittenbynolessapersonagethan“Abraham，patriarch，Jew，prince，philosopher，priest，Levite，andastrologer；“andinvokedcursesuponanyonewhoshouldcasteyesuponit，withoutbeingasacrificerorascribe。NicholasFlamelneverthoughtitextraordinarythatAbrahamshouldhaveknownLatin，andwasconvincedthatthecharactersonhisbookhadbeentracedbythehandsofthatgreatpatriarchhimself。Hewasatfirstafraidtoreadit，afterhebecameawareofthecurseitcontained；buthegotoverthatdifficultybyrecollectingthat，althoughhewasnotasacrificer，hehadpractisedasascribe。Ashereadhewasfilledwithadmiration，andfoundthatitwasaperfecttreatiseuponthetransmutationofmetals。Alltheprocesswasclearlyexplained；thevessels，theretorts，themixtures，andthepropertimesandseasonsfortheexperiment。Butasill-luckwouldhaveit，thepossessionofthephilosopher’sstoneorprimeagentintheworkwaspresupposed。Thiswasadifficultywhichwasnottobegotover。Itwasliketellingastarvingmanhowtocookabeefsteak，insteadofgivinghimthemoneytobuyone。ButNicholasdidnotdespair；andsetaboutstudyingthehieroglyphicsandallegoricalrepresentationswithwhichthebookabounded。HesoonconvincedhimselfthatithadbeenoneofthesacredbooksoftheJews，andthatitwastakenfromthetempleofJerusalemonitsdestructionbyTitus。Theprocessofreasoningbywhichhearrivedatthisconclusionisnotstated。