Video: Principe on the 12 Keys of Basil Valentine

[Paul Ferguson]

"For centuries, alchemists tried in secret to find a way to produce the philosopher's stone - a legendary item that supposedly has the power to transform base metals into gold. Whoever found a way to do this would be powerful beyond belief, so alchemists hid their work in cryptic artwork and poetry, so that only those who were truly worthy could find their secrets. In this video, I speak to Professor Lawrence Principe, who has spent his career studying the history of alchemy, which has allowed him to decode many of its secret experiments in his own laboratory. He teaches me how to interpret a famous alchemical book called The 12 Keys of Basil Valentine."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ3BnraatFY