JEAN DE MEUN AND ALCHEMY FREDERIC WALKER, NEWBRIGHTON, STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK
The work of Jean de Meun, the brilliant author of the latter part of "The Romance of the Rose," has fallen into almost as complete an obscurity as the facts of his life which, except for a few scant details, have been irretrievably lost. This is unfortunate since the man not only occupies an important place in the history of French literature but also deserves a place in the history of science. This celebrated French poet was born in the year 1250 or thereabouts at Meun-sur-Loire. Following the custom of the times he took his name from the city of his birth but was also given the surname of Clopinel (the Halt) due doubtless to a limp. He is said to have studied at the University of Paris and later to have come into prominence a t the court of Philippe le Bel. He acquired considerable wealth, a prodigy for a poet in that day (or for that matter in any day), and possessed a house in Paris on the Grande Rue St. Jacques. This house was surrounded by a garden and was called L'Ostel de la Tournelle on account of its tower. It is here that he died in the year 1305 or slightly before, as it is described at that time as the house of the late Jean de Meun. The building was destroyed during the civil wars in the sixteenth century and on its emplacement now stands No. 218 of the Rue St. Jacques, an ordinary house of the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, not distinguished in any way except for a memorial tablet on the wall. In or about the year 1277, Jean de Meun brought to a rather surprising conclusion "The Romance of the Rose," which was begun about forty years earlier by Guillaume de Lorris and was left unfinished by his early death. He did this by adding to his predecessor's 4669 lines of verse, more than 18,000 of his own. The poem, as begun by de Lorris, was a pastoral idyll written in the allegorical manner which was the prevailing fashion of the times. The object of the poem was to tell how the lover personified in the poet was to win his beloved. The beloved was symbolized as a rose. Various allegorical characters such as Envy, Greed, Danger, Nature, Fear, and Fair-Welcome throng the pages. However, instead of continuing in the idyllic mood of de Lorris, Jean de Meun made of the work an encyclopedia of all the knowledge and theories that pulsed through his brain. In it he placed pell-mell his ideas on the universe, life, religion, science, and morality, and presented a scathing satire on many of the institutions of his day. Thus from a simple allegory of rural love, the "Romance" became a cosmic review of the knowledge of an age and an outspoken snmmary of the nascent changes in human thought. It is thus plainly evident that in "The Romance of the Rose," as written by Jean de Meun, we have to deal with a document of considerable importance in the history of science. 2863
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TABLET MARKING TEE SITEOF THE POET'S HOME The inscription reads: Ici h i t La Maison ou Jehan de Meeung LC Rontan de La Rose 180-1305.
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Besides "The Romance of the Rose," Jean de Meun was the author of several other poems, among which are "Le Tresor ou Les Sept Articles de la Fa," a "Testament," and "Codicille." He translated the letters of Abelard and Heloise, Boetius' "De Consolatione Philosophiae," and the "De Re Militeri" of Vegetius. Two other translations have been lost. Other works have been attributed to his hand but the majority of these are undoubtedly spurious. Among these are several chemical works, and the fact that these have been attributed to him attest to the high position accorded to him by the adepts of this art. One of these, "Le Miroir d' Alguimie," mentioned by Lenglet du Fresuoy is a French translation of Bacon's "Speculum Alchimiae." Another, a long poem entitled "La Coniplainte de Nature b l'Alchimiste Errante et la Refionse de l'Alchimiste," of which we shall have more to say is apparently the work of a later hand, although influenced by "The Romance of the Rose." Alchemy flourished throughout the reign of Philippe le Be1 and it is not surprisingto find that Jean de Meun with his scientific trend of mind should become interested in this science. In "The Romance of the Rose," he devotes eighty-four lines to alchemy and gives a clear and succinct outline of its principal theories. He begins by mentioning some of the obstacles to the art or arguments advanced by those who did not believe in the possibility of the alchemistic claims. This is done somewhat after the fashion of Geber in the "Summa Perfectionis Metalorum." The general idea of these arguments is that man cannot equal Nature and make metals as she does in the mines. Further, it is stated that to change one metal to another it would be first necessary to reduce it to its materia prima, a superhuman task. Finally, even if man could obtain the materia prima, he would not be able to prepare the elixir which would change the base metals into gold since the proportions of the elements necessary in its preparation are unknown. After this introduction the author states that notwithstanding, alchemy is a true art, ars ueriteble, and intimates that it may be learned by studying Nature. The whole philosophy of "The Romance of the Rose" is naturalism and this exhortation to follow Nature appears continually. The author now comes to the support of alchemy with the argument that species can be transmuted and supports his statement with examples. These examples will be seen in the translation of this passage which is given below together with the original lines as found in the MCon edition of "The Romance of the Rose." How is it then that from the fern Both ash and dearest glass is made By those most leam6d in the trade? Can simple depwations turn The fern to glass? Glass is not fern Nor does the fern exist in glass.
Ne noit-I'm conzmmt de fogiere Font cil et cendre et uoirre nestre, Qui de ooirrerie sunt mestre, Par depuracion legiere? Si n'cst $as li ~ o i r r fogiere. e Ne fogierr nc rest pos voirrc.
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In springtime too when clouds amass And lightning flashes in the squall How is it stones are seen to fall From clouds to which they never rise? Only the scholar may surmise The reason matter thus may go From form to form, but all may know That these are species greatly changed In all their attributes estranged, In form and substance set apart; One by Nature, one by Art.
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Et p u n t espar v i e d en tonnoire. S i r c p d l ' e n sovent &oir Dcs vapeurs les pierres chPoir Qui me monterent mie pienes? Ce puet savoir li cognoissnies De la cause pui tel metire A rate eslrange espece tire. Ci sun1 especes tr2s-cluangi6es Ou le pieces d'aus estrangides Et en smtence, ct en figure; Ceus par Art, ceste par Nature.
Having given these examples of transmutation, Jean de Meun remarks that these changes are great compared to the change of metal to metal, for metals are all one matter made by Nature from sulfur and quicksilver. The base metals can be turned to gold by purging them of their combustible sulfur (i. e., by removing their tendency to rust) and treating them with spirits that wiu permeate them and become fixed, adding color and weight. "He who can do this may have his will of metals," remarks the author and one must admit the truth of his proposition. The poet also states that gems can be made of fine gold but here we find him at variance with the generality of alchemists. In Lacinius's abridgment of the "Margarita Preciosa" of Peter Bonus, written in 1330, we find this idea decried as folly. The section on alchemy is brought to a conclusion with the remark that the false alchemists who work by sophistications and do not follow Nature will accomplish nothing though they work as long as they live. This sketch of alchemy shows that Jean de Meun was not unread in hermetic literature and justifies the high opinion that adepts of the art later bestowed upon his books. Bernard Palissy, writing in an age when the claims of alchemy were falling into disrepute, in citing the foremost books of alchemy mentions together as of equal rank "les liwres. . . .de Raymond Lulle, de Paracelse, du Roman & la Rose." In E . 0. von Lippmaun's book, "Der Entstehung und Ausbreitung der Alchemic," the author makes mention of the scientific importance of "The Romance of the Rose" and gives a translation in German verse of the portion dealing with alchemy. "The Complaint of Nature" of which we have previously made mention is an alchemical treatise written in the allegorical fashion of "The Romance of the Rose." The influence of the latter poem is made especially evident by the fact that here and there throughout its length, lines occur which were taken bodily from this poem. These lines are pointed out in the M6on edition of "The Romance of the Rose." The poem begins by telling how nature one day fell into a dispute with an alchemist who used only the mechanical art and made no attempt to follow her teachings. The complaint then follows in which Nature tells the alchemist of his folly, exhorts him to repent and indicates the path that he must follow if he wishes to
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JEANDE MEUN This picture appears in the Meon Edition of "The Romance of the Rose."
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succeed. A second part follows, giving the response of the repentant alchemist who mentions the difficultieshe has encountered, thanks Nature for enlightening him, and promises to follow her teachings in the future. A brief epilogue summarizes what has happened and supplies the happy ending by telling that by following Nature's instructions the alchemist finally achieved "the great work." The alchemical teaching of "The Complaint of Nature," is that Nature makes gold in the closed vessel of the earth from the philosophic sulfur and mercury by means of a gentle heat. In this the alchemist can follow her by preparing these elements and placing them in a closed furnace warmed with a gentle fire. Nature will then do her work, the active and passive will combine and gold will be generated. The philosopher's stone and potable gold can be made if Art and Nature are joined. The preparation of the philosopher's stone is to be carried out with one matter in a single vessel. No positive element is capable of action without the corresponding passive. The burden of the poem is the oft-repeated admonition to follow Nature, found also in "The Romance of the Rose," but here developed in a manner more consonant with the run of alchemical texts. This exhortation seems at first sight to be an admonition to the scholastic scientist to leave his books and learn by experiment but as may he seen above the situation is not quite so hopeful. This theme was indeed quite common among the alchemists. Ferdinand Hoefer speaks of it as follows in his "Histoire de ia Chimie," "We observe that the alchemists of the middle ages were in accord already on the necessity for the observation or, as they expressed it, for 'the imitation of Nature.' However this was for them only the means of understanding the secrets of the philosophers." Nevertheless there are times when "The Complaint of Nature" seems to sound a more hopeful note and one feels that faulty as it was, it was a step in the right direction and even in its theory was not wholly devoid of reason. The tirades against the erring alchemist for example are especially pungent and should certainly have not been without effect. The following quotations will give some idea of the style of the poem which displays considerable verve and is written in a pleasant and moving manner. I t will also be observed that the French is plainly not the thirteenth century French of Jean de Meun but is much more like the modern language. The first selections are taken from the opening lines of Nature's speech to the Alchemist (Meon text, new translation). I speak to you, fantastic sot, Who call yourself, and yet are not Philosopher, Alchemist too, You've not the stuff, younever knew The theory nor science of it,
Je pork a toy, sot fanlastipue, Qwi & dis et nomme en praliguc Alchimisfe et bon Phibso9he; Et tu n'as scawoir, ny estoffe,
Na thcorqw, ne scicncs
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This art, nor yet of me one whit. De l'Art, ne & mov. coenmssancc. You break alrrnhics, b a s t of lead. T u romps alembics, grossc brsle. The charcoal furncs have turned your head. El bru~lerhnrbon 01.1 I'enlesle: *
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In your hot fires that hum so bright Quicksilver is not fixed aright; Then too, the quicksilver you use Is hase and volatile, I choose Another, by your folly caught I n this way you must come t o naught
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Help me and I will help you, As you work, will I work too. This for my own sons I'M done That their prmit might he won, Fcr they always followed me. Father, mother, blamelessly Obeying always my commands. You may see i t for i t stands In the hooks of Jean de Meun, Reproof of sophist, my praise sung. Thus did Arnold, Raymond too. And he a noble sermon drew; Mcirienus, the Roman sage, W
