Albertus Laski [POLISH DUPE of Krakow]
Art Neuendorffer
http://www.sangraal.com/library/SS3.html
"Mortlake: In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. In the year 1582,
on the 10th day of March, before noon, Saturday.
"One Mr. Edward Talbot came to my house and he being willing and
desirous to see or show some thing in spiritual practice. . ."
So begin Dee's notes of his first scrying session with his new seer,
Edward "Talbot" Kelly. At first, Dee was suspicious of the young man,
and rightly so. He appeared unannounced, offering a fake name -- he
might have been a spy seeking information on Dee's spirit conjurations
-- and even when identified proved to have an unsavory reputation. Dee
soon resolved his doubts however; and, on an early spring morning
roughly a year after Dee's angelic visitation, they sat down to a
trial run with the scrying stone. It is hard not to be impressed by
the vivid quality of the quickly written notes of the proceedings.
Kelly fell to his knees before Dee's desk and began to pray over
the stone; surprised, Dee took Kelly and the stone into his chapel,
or oratory.
Within a quarter of an hour, Kelly began to see an angelic shape in
the crystal. This being identified itself as the Archangel URIEL,
accompanied by Raphael and Michael. Dee was hooked by this immediate
success, and so began a long strange relationship between these two
men and the angels. For the next seven years, they conducted almost
daily sessions. Dee of course wrote everything down in his "Spiritual
Diaries," and reading them becomes after a while an exercise in
applied surrealism. As an example of a dialogue with the deep
unconscious Other, they are unparalleled.
At this first session, the Archangel URIEL revealed his sigil, a
rather stylized energy signature, and gave preliminary instructions
for a powerful talisman called the Sigil of TRUTH. Fashioned of wax,
it was meant to be used in all future sessions as the base for the
scrying crystal. This seal or sigil is at first glance similar to
earlier ones by Aggripa and Reuchlin, but the version the spirits
produced for Dee and Kelly is more detailed and aesthetically
satisfying. Designed as an embedded heptagram/heptagon with a
*PENTAGRAM* in the center, the Sigil of TRUTH theoretically acted
as a template or pattern buffer for TRUTHful communication.>>
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Virgin of the Rocks
<<In 1480 Leonardo was commissioned by the Milanese Confraternity of
the Immaculate Conception to paint a work celebrating the Immaculate
conception. The painting illustrates a popular story of the time of
Jesus meeting an infant John the Baptist, who is in the care of the
angel URIEL. Both are on the run to evade Herod's massacre of
innocents. [URIEL's John] is blessing [Mary's Jesus] who holds out
his hands in a gesture of prayer. URIEL points towards [Jesus]
while looking [away (...towards Satan?) and forming a *PENTAGRAM*
in the center of her fist]. This gesture is missing in the London
version.
It is generally believed that the Louvre version is the earlier
work,because it is stylistically close to Leonardo's other work
of the 1480s. The London painting suggests Leonardo's maturer
style, but it is thought likely to have been painted with
the assistance of other artists.>>
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<<2 Esdras is a Jewish Christian apocalypse written toward the end of
the first century AD. It is not accepted as scriptural by most
Christians, therefore they count it among the apocrypha, however the
Ethiopian Orthodox and Russian Orthodox consider it canonical.
The first two chapters of the Latin version of the book are definitely
Christian in origin, and treat of God's rejection of the Jews in favor
of the Christians. These are generally considered to be late additions
(possibly third century) to the work, and they are found only in the
Latin, not in the Eastern translations.
The rest of the book comprises seven visions of Ezra the scribe. The
first vision takes place as Ezra is still in Babylon. He asks God how
Israel can be kept in misery if God is just. The archangel Uriel is
sent to answer the question, responding that God's ways cannot be
understood by the human mind. Soon, however, the end would come, and
God's justice would be made manifest. Similarly, in the second vision,
Ezra asks why Israel was delivered up to the Babylonians, and is again
told that man cannot understand this and that the end is near. The
third vision asks why Israel does not possess the world. Uriel responds
that the current state is a period of transition. Here follows a
description of the fate of evil-doers and the righteous. Ezra attempts
to intercede for the condemned, but is told that no one can escape his
destiny.>> -Wikipedia
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ARIEL = URIEL
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<<Uriel ("Fire of God") is one of the archangels of post-Exilic
Rabbinic tradition, and also of certain Christian traditions. His name
may have analogies with Uriah.
The angels mentioned in the older books of the Hebrew Bible are without
names. Indeed, rabbi Simeon ben Lakish of Tiberias (230-270 CE),
asserted that all the specific names for the angels were brought back
by the Jews from Babylon, and modern commentators would tend to agree.
Of seven archangels in the angelology of post-Exilic Judaism, only
three, Gabriel, Michael and Raphael, are mentioned by name in the
scriptures that gradually became accepted as canonical. The four
others, however, are named in the 2nd century BCE Book of Enoch
(chapter xxi): besides Uriel they are Raguel, Sariel, and Jerahmeel. In
Enoch they testify on behalf of Humankind during the reign of the
Fallen Watchers, (the Nephilim); they represent humanity's case for
divine intervention, since the Watchers, led by Samyaza, were devouring
mankind and all its fruits.
Where a fourth archangel is added to the named three, to represent the
four cardinal points, Uriel is generally the fourth (Jewish
Encyclopedia). He fulfills this role in Milton's Paradise Lost Book
III, where Uriel, in charge of the Orb of the Sun, serves as the eyes
of God, but unwittingly steers Satan towards the newly-created earth.
Uriel also appears in the Second Book of Esdras, an apocryphal addition
in the tradition of apocalyptic literature made to Esdras, in which the
prophet Ezra asks God a series of questions, and Uriel is sent by God
to instruct him.
Uriel is often identified as the cherub who "stands at the Gate of Eden
with a fiery sword," or as the angel who "watches over thunder and
terror" (1 Enoch). In the Apocalypse of Peter he appears as the Angel
of Repentance, who is graphically represented as being as pitiless as
any demon. In the Life of Adam and Eve Uriel is regarded as the spirit
(i.e.,one of the cherubs) of the third chapter of Genesis. He is also
identified as one of the angels who helped bury Adam and Abel in
Paradise.
Stemming from medieval Jewish mystical traditions, Uriel has also
become the Angel of Sunday (Jewish Encyclopedia), Angel of Poetry, and
one of the Holy Sephiroth. He wrestled Jacob at Peniel and is depicted
as the destroyer of the hosts of Sennacherib. He told Noah about the
upcoming Great Flood, and checked the doors of Egypt for lamb's blood
during the plague. He also holds the key to the Pit during the End
Times and led Abraham to the West.
In modern, only marginally Christian angelology, Uriel is identified
variously as a seraph, cherub, regent of the sun, flame of God, angel
of the Divine Presence, presider over Tartarus (hell), archangel of
salvation, and, in later scriptures, identified with Phanuel "face of
God". He is often depicted carrying a book or a papyrus scroll (for his
wisdom). Uriel is a patron of the Arts, and described by Milton as the
"sharpest sighted spirit in all of Heaven." In the Golden Dawn's
version of modern occultism, Uriel is associated with the color Green,
the direction North, the element Earth. In the 1995 film adaption of
Dean Koontz's novel Hideaway, Uriel battles a demon in the end
sequence.>> - -Wikipedia
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URIEL [Hebrew "My Light Is Like God"]
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Thither came URIEL, gliding through the even On a sunbeam. --Milton.
..............................................................
Paradise Lost BOOK 4 THE ARGUMENT
<<Satan now in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now
attempt the bold enterprize which he undertook alone against God and
Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions, fear,
envy, and despare; but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on
to Paradise, whose outward prospect and scituation is discribed,
overleaps the bounds, sits in the shape of a Cormorant on the Tree of
life, as highest in the Garden to look about him. The Garden
describ'd; Satans first sight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at thir
excellent form and happy state, but with resolution to work thir fall;
overhears thir discourse, thence gathers that the Tree of knowledge
was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon
intends to found his Temptation, by seducing them to transgress: then
leaves them a while, to know further of thir state by some other
means. Mean while URIEL descending on a Sun-beam warns Gabriel, who
had in charge the Gate of Paradise, that some evil spirit had escap'd
the Deep, and past at Noon by his Sphere in the shape of a good Angel
down to Paradise, discovered after by his furious gestures in the
Mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam
and Eve discourse of going to thir rest: thir Bower describ'd; thir
Evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his Bands of Night-watch to
walk the round of Paradise, appoints two strong Angels to Adams Bower,
least the evill spirit should be there doing some harm to Adam or Eve
sleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a
dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel; by whom
question'd, he scornfully answers, prepares resistance, but
hinder'd by a Sign from Heaven, flies out of Paradise.>>
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lyra wrote:
> VERRE, GLASS (French)
'Kelly did all his feats upon The devil's looking-GLASS -- a stone.'
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_THE SCRYER AND THE SHEW-STONE_
http://www.themysterium.info/t2.htm
<<John Dee's quest to discover the secrets of the universe (refer to
notes for 'At Mortlake') had led him to make contact with the spirit
world in what he referred to as 'actions' using the services of
'scryer' - a medium, or (more specifically) a crystal-gazer.
In the early actions, Dee recorded making contact with spirits,
but apparently little transpired from such contact to greatly further
his cause. Then, in March 1582, an enigmatic character called Edward
Talbot turned up at Mortlake. A younger man than Dee (who was now 54),
of dubious background, certainly rougher and less educated than Dee's
usual circle, and given to explosive outbursts of temper, Talbot
subsequently disappeared, only to reappear in November 1582 under
the name Edward Kelley. Kelley had an unsettling effect on Dee's
household, and apparently his presence made Dee's wife Jane
physically ill. However, Kelley proved to be a scryer of
incomparable ability, and thus was born an intense partnership
between Dee and Kelley which would last for the next five years.
In the very first 'action' they conducted together, Dee records the
appearance of the archangel URIEL. Dee's first question to URIEL
sought to establish whether one of his books, a rare Arabic text known
as The Book of Soyga, had any relevance to his quest. URIEL's reply
was forthright and momentous: 'That book was revealed to Adam in
paradise by the good Angels of God'. Dee then requested URIEL's
guidance in interpreting the Book, but URIEL replied
that only Michael could fulfil that role.
URIEL advised that special preparations must be made
before the archangel Michael could be invoked.
A special table was to be constructed from 'sweet wood',
*two cubits square and two cubits tall*
with each leg to stand on a divine seal made of wax and bearing a
special motif which appeared in the scrying crystal. The table was
subsequently constructed and became known as The Holy Table
or Table of Practice.>>
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'2 feet by 2 feet WILL do for all I WANT'. - Jonson
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GOOD FREND FOR [IE]{SVS}' {S}AKE FORBEARE,
___ TO DIGG THE DV[ST]___ {ENc}LOASED HEARE:
_ BLESTE BE Ye MAN Yt___ {SP}A[RE]S THES STONES,
______ AND CVRST BE HE Yt MO[VE]S MY BONES.
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lyra wrote:
> VAIR, fur (ERMINE?) (French)
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http://www.krakow-info.com/dama.htm
Krakow is one of just six places in the world that can boast a
painting by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), the old masters? old
master. And there are known only three his female portraits of which
Krakow?s Lady with an *ERMINE* is arguably the most beautiful. It?s
also in the best shape after the 500-plus years that elapsed.
Leonardo?s masterpiece in The Czartoryskich Museum at 19 Sw. Jana
street depicts a delightful teenage beauty, most probably Cecilia
Gallerani who was the mistress of Milan?s ruler Lodovico Sforza il
Moro, the artist?s patron. Most likely Leonardo da Vinci painted her
in his early thirties, between 1482 and 1485?i.e. some 20 years before
the Louvre?s famed Mona Lisa?and for the first time he showed the
sitter in the way that would soon become the standard. Art historians
maintain it?s the world?s first modern-age portrait ever painted.
The portrait of the Lady with an ERMINE was bought by
Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski in Italy and incorporated
into The Czartoryskis? family collections in 1800.
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"the cape is ERMINE"
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'King's New Clothes' - Frank Loesser
Once upon a time there was a king who was absolutely insane about new
clothes One day, two swindlers came to the king to sell him what they
said was a magic suit of clothes. Well, the TRUTH of the matter is,
there were no clothes there at all. But these two men were VERy smart,
and they held up their hands like this And they said: "Your Majesty,
this is a magic suit of clothes. Naturally, because you are VERy wise
and VERy intelligent, you can see what a beautiful raiment it is But
to a FOOL it is absolutely invisible"
"I see", said the king, and naturally,
since he didn't want to appear a FOOL, he said
Isn't it grand, isn't it fine, look at the cut, the style, the line!
The suit of clothes is altogether, but altogether it's altogether
The most remarkable suit of clothes that I have EVER seen
These eyes of mine at once detERMINEd the sleeves are velvet,
the cape is ERMINE
The hose are blue and the doublet is a lovely shade of GREEN
(lovely shade of GREEN) Somebody send for the Queen
Well, they quickly sent for the Queen and the Queen was
quickly told how only wise people could see the magic suit
Naturally, the Queen not wanting to appear a FOOL, said,
"Well, isn't it oh, isn't it rich, look at the charm of EVERy stitch
The suit of clothes is altogether, but altogether it's altogether
The most remarkable suit of clothes that I have EVER seen
These eyes of mine at once detERMINEd the sleeves are velvet,
the cape is ERMINE
The hose are blue and the doublet is a lovely shade of GREEN
(lovely shade of GREEN) Summon the court to convene
Well, the court convened, and you nEVER in your life saw as many
people as there were in that court All the ambassadors were there,
the dukes, the EARLS, the counts, it was black with people
And since none of them wanted to appear a FOOL, they all said
"Isn't it ohhh, isn't it ahhh, isn't it absolutely wheee!
The suit of clothes is altogether, but altogether it's altogether
The most remarkable suit of clothes a tailor EVER made
Now quickly, put it altogether
With GLOVES OF LEATHER and hat and feather
It's altogether the thing to WEAR in Saturday's parade
(Saturday's parade) Leading the royal brigade
Well, Saturday came and by then EVERyone had been told about the
magic suit and what they were supposed to see. So the streets were
lined with thousands, & thousands, & thousands of people and they all
watched as the artillery came by, as the infantry marched by, as the
cavalry galloped by and finally - the king! And since nobody wanted
to appear a FOOL EVERyone began cheering like mad, boys.
Except one little boy, You see, he hadn't been told about
the magic suit and he didn't know what he was supposed to see
So when the King came by the little boy looked and, horrified, said
L-l-l-l-l-l-l-look at the King, look at the King,
look at the King, the King, the King!
The King is in the altogether, but altogether the altogether
He's altogether as naked as the day that he was born
The King is in the altogether, but all together the all together
It's all together the VERy least the King has EVER worn
All the courts positioned to call an intermission
His majesty is wide open to ridicule and scorn
The King is in the altogether, but altogether the altogether
He's altogether as naked as the day that he was born
And it's altogether too chilly a morn
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POLONIUS
Polonian Albertus Laski [POLISH DUPE of Krakow]
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Memoirs of Popular Delusions Vol. 3 by Charles Mackay
Dr. Dee and Edward Kelly
<<There came into England a wealthy polish nobleman, named Albert
Laski, Count Palatine of Siradz. His object was principally, he said,
to visit the court of Queen Elizabeth, the fame of whose glory and
magnificence had reached him in distant Poland. Elizabeth received
this flattering stranger with the most splendid hospitality, and
appointed her favourite Leicester to show him all that was worth
seeing in England. He visited all the curiosities of London and
Westminster, and from thence proceeded to Oxford and Cambridge, that
he might converse with some of the great scholars whose writings shed
lustre upon the land of their birth. He was very much disappointed at
not finding Dr. Dee among them, and told the Earl of Leicester that he
would not have gone to Oxford if he had known that Dee was not there.
The Earl promised to introduce him to the great alchymist on their
return to London, and the Pole was satisfied. A few days afterwards,
the Earl and Laski being in the antechamber of the Queen, awaiting an
audience of her Majesty, Dr. Dee arrived on the same errand, and was
introduced to the Pole. [Albert Laski, son of Jaroslav, was Palatine
of Siradz, and afterwards of Sendomir, and chiefly contributed to the
election of Henry of Valois, the Third of France, to the throne of
Poland, and was one of the delegates who went to France in order to
announce to the new monarch his elevation to the sovereignty of
Poland. After the deposition of Henry, Albert Laski voted for
Maximilian of Austria. In 1585 he visited England, when Queen
Elizabeth received him with great distinction. The honours which were
shown him during his visit to Oxford, by the especial command of the
Queen, were equal to those rendered to sovereign princes. His
extraordinary prodigality rendered his enormous wealth insufficient to
defray his expenses, and he therefore became a zealous adept in
alchymy, and took from England to Poland with him two known
alchymists. -- Count Valerian Krasinski's "Historical Sketch of the
Reformation in Poland."] An interesting conversation ensued, which
ended by the stranger inviting himself to dine with the astrologer at
his house at Mortlake. Dee returned home in some tribulation, for he
found he had not money enough, without pawning his plate, to entertain
Count Laski and his retinue in a manner becoming their dignity. In
this emergency he sent off an express to the Earl of Leicester,
stating frankly the embarrassment he laboured under, and praying his
good offices in representing the matter to her Majesty. Elizabeth
immediately sent him a present of twenty pounds.
On the appointed day, Count Laski came, attended by a numerous
retinue, and expressed such open and warm admiration of the wonderful
attainments of his host, that Dee turned over, in his own mind, how he
could bind irretrievably to his interests a man who seemed so well
inclined to become his friend. Long acquaintance with Kelly had imbued
him with all the roguery of that personage; and he resolved to make
the Pole pay dearly for his dinner. He found out, before many days,
that he possessed great estates in his own country, as well as great
influence; but that an extravagant disposition had reduced him to
temporary embarrassment. He also discovered, that he was a firm
believer in the philosopher's stone and the water of life. He was,
therefore, just the man upon whom an adventurer might fasten himself.
Kelly thought so too; and both of them set to work, to weave a web, in
the meshes of which they might firmly entangle the rich and credulous
stranger. They went very cautiously about it; first throwing out
obscure hints of the stone and the elixir; and, finally, of the
spirits, by means of whom they could turn over the pages of the Book
of Futurity, and read the awful secrets inscribed therein. Laski
eagerly implored that he might be admitted to one of their mysterious
interviews with *URIEL* and the angels; but they knew human nature too
well to accede at once to the request. To the Count's entreaties they
only replied by hints of the difficulty or impropriety of summoning
the spirits in the presence of a stranger; or of one who might,
perchance, have no other motive than the gratification of a vain
curiosity: but they only meant to whet the edge of his appetite by
this delay, and would have been sorry indeed if the Count had been
discouraged. To show how exclusively the thoughts both of Dee and
Kelly were fixed upon their *DUPE*, at this time, it is only necessary
to read the introduction to their first interview with the spirits,
related in the volume of Dr. Casaubon. The entry made by Dee, under
the date of the 25th of May 1583, says, that when the spirit appeared
to them, "I, [John Dee], and E. K. [Edward Kelly], sat together,
conversing of that noble Polonian Albertus Laski, his great honour
here with us obtained, and of his great liking among all sorts of the
people." No doubt they were discussing how they might make the most of
the "noble Polonian," and concocting the fine story with which they
afterwards excited his curiosity, and drew him firmly within their
toils. "Suddenly," says Dee, as they were thus employed, "there seemed
to come out of the oratory, a spiritual creature, like a pretty girl,
of seven or nine years of age, attired on her head, with her hair
rolled up before, and hanging down behind; with a gown of silk, of
changeable red and green, and with a train. She seemed to play up and
down, and seemed to go in and out behind the books; and, as she seemed
to go between them, the books displaced themselves, and made way for
her."
With such tales as these they lured on the Pole from day to day; and
at last persuaded him to be a witness of their mysteries. Whether they
played off any optical delusions upon him; or whether, by the force of
a strong imagination, he deluded himself, does not appear; but certain
it is, that he became a complete tool in their hands, and consented to
do whatever they wished him. Kelly, at these interviews, placed
himself at a certain distance from the wondrous crystal, and gazed
intently upon it; while Dee took his place in corner, ready to set
down the prophecies as they were uttered by the spirits. In this
manner they prophesied to the Pole, that he should become the
fortunate possessor of the philosopher's stone; that he should live
for centuries, and be chosen King of Poland; in which capacity he
should gain many great victories over the Saracens, and make his name
illustrious over all the earth. For this pose it was necessary,
however, that Laski should leave England, and take them with him,
together with their wives and families; that he should treat them all
sumptuously, and allow them to want for nothing. Laski at once
consented; and very shortly afterwards they were all on the road to
Poland.
It took them upwards of four months to reach the Count's estates, in
the neighbourhood of Cracow. In the mean time, they led a pleasant
life, and spent money with an unsparing hand. When once established in
the Count's palace, they commenced the great hermetic operation of
transmuting iron into gold. Laski provided them with all necessary
materials, and aided them himself with his knowledge of alchymy: but,
somehow or other, the experiment always failed at the very moment that
it ought to have succeeded; and they were obliged to recommence
operations on a grander scale. But the hopes of Laski were not easily
extinguished. Already, in idea, the possessor of countless millions,
he was not to be cast down for fear of present expenses. He thus
continued from day to day, and from month to month, till he was, at
last, obliged to sell a portion of his deeply-mortgaged estates, to
find aliment for the hungry crucibles of Dee and Kelly, and the no
less hungry stomachs of their wives and families. It was not till ruin
stared him in the face, that he awoke from his dream of infatuation --
too happy, even then, to find that he had escaped utter beggary. Thus
restored to his senses, his first thought was how to rid himself of
his expensive visiters. Not wishing to quarrel with them, he proposed
that they should proceed to Prague, well furnished with letters of
recommendation to the Emperor Rudolph. Our alchymists too plainly saw
that nothing more was to be made of the almost destitute Count Laski.
Without hesitation, therefore, they accepted the proposal, and set out
forthwith to the Imperial residence. They had no difficulty, on their
arrival at Prague, in obtaining an audience of the Emperor. They found
him willing enough to believe that such a thing as the philosopher's
stone existed, and flattered themselves that they had made a
favourable impression upon him; but, from some cause or other --
perhaps the look of low cunning and quackery upon the face of Kelly --
the Emperor conceived no very high opinion of their abilities. He
allowed them, however, to remain for some months at Prague, feeding
themselves upon the hope that he would employ them: but the more he
saw of them, the less he liked them; and, when the Pope's Nuncio
represented to him, that he ought not to countenance such heretic
magicians, he gave orders that they should quit his dominions within
four-and-twenty hours. It was fortunate for them that so little time
was given them; for, had they remained six hours longer, the Nuncio
had received orders to procure a perpetual dungeon, or the stake, for
them.
Not knowing well where to direct their steps, they resolved to return
to Cracow, where they had still a few friends; but, by this time, the
funds they had drawn from Laski were almost exhausted; and they were
many days obliged to go dinnerless and supperless. They had great
difficulty to keep their poverty a secret from the world; but they
managed to bear privation without murmuring, from a conviction that
if the fact were known, it would militate very much against their
pretensions. Nobody would believe that they were possessors of the
philosopher's stone, if it were once suspected that they did not know
how to procure bread for their subsistence. They still gained a little
by casting nativities, and kept starvation at arm's length, till a new
dupe, rich enough for their purposes, dropped into their toils, in the
shape of a royal personage. Having procured an introduction to
Stephen, King of Poland, they predicted to him, that the Emperor
Rudolph would shortly be assassinated, and that the Germans would look
to Poland for his successor. As this prediction was not precise enough
to satisfy the King, they tried their crystal again; and a spirit
appeared, who told them that the new sovereign of Germany would be
Stephen of Poland. Stephen was credulous enough to believe them, and
was once present when Kelly held his mystic conversations with the
shadows of his crystal. He also appears to have furnished them with
money to carry on their experiments in alchymy: but he grew tired, at
last, of their broken promises, and their constant drains upon his
pocket; and was on the point of discarding them with disgrace, when
they met with another *DUPE*, to whom they eagerly transferred their
services. This was Count Rosenberg, a nobleman of large estates, at
Trebona, in Bohemia. So comfortable did they find themselves in the
palace of this munificent patron, that they remained nearly four years
with him, faring sumptuously, and having an almost unlimited command
of his money. The Count was more ambitious than avaricious: he had
wealth enough, and did not care for the philosopher's stone on account
of the gold, but of the length of days it would bring him. They had
their predictions, accordingly, all ready framed to suit his
character. They prophesied that he should be chosen King of Poland;
and promised, moreover, that he should live for five hundred years
to enjoy his dignity; provided always, that he found
them sufficient money to carry on their experiments.>>
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Art Neuendorffer