The Rise of Alchemy in Fourteenth-Century England: Plantagenet Kings and the Search for the Philosopher's Stone [Paperback]

The first book to explore the importance of alchemy and its links to the occult in the period between 1320 and 1400. Alchemists didn't just try to turn metals into gold: they studied planetary influences on metals and people, refined plants and minerals in the search for medicines. This book illustrates how this branch of thought became more popular as the practical and theoretical knowledge of alchemists spread throughout England.The first book to explore the importance of alchemy and its links to the occult in the period between 1320 and 1400.Jonathan Hughes has taught at the University of East Anglia, University of Roehampton and the Oxford Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. He is a guest lecturer at the Exeter Centre for the Study of Esotericism. His books includePastors and Visionaries: Religion and Secular Life in Late Medieval Yorkshire;The Religious Life of Richard IIIandArthurian Myths and Alchemy: the Kingship of Edward IV.

Foreword / Section A: Alchemy and the Occult in English Cultural and Political Life / 1: Alchemy and the Occult in England / 2: The Origins of English Alchemy and Sources for the Study of Alchemy in Fourteenth-Century England / Section B: Astrology of the Earth - the Intellectual Impact of Alchemy in Fourteenth-Century England / 3: Alchemy and Science and Philosophy / 4: Alchemy and the Church / 5: The Cultural Impact of Alchemy / Section C: The Political Significance of Alchemy / 6: The Accession of Edward III / 7: Alchemical Themes in the Kingship of Edward III / 8: Richard II the Magus and Boy King / 9: Richard II and the Occult / Conclusion: The Lancastrian Reaction / Bibliography / Index