2014 Reprint of Original 1934 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. In this book the author has presented an account of the rise and development of Alchemy based on the theorem that its curious blend of religious, philosophical and technical matters is a consequence of the application of the natural philosophy of Aristotle and Plato to the processes of tinting metals and alloys, previously practiced by Egyptian artificers. The author lays great stress on the early Alchemy of the Greek period.