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Excerpt from Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions — Volume 3, by Charles Mackay

The gendarmes were aware that their prisoner was supposed to be the
lucky possessor of the philosopher's stone, and on the road they
conspired to rob and murder him. One of them pretended to be touched
with pity for the misfortunes of the philosopher, and offered to give
him an opportunity of escape whenever he could divert the attention of
his companions. Delisle was profuse in his thanks, little dreaming of
the snare that was laid for him. His treacherous friend gave notice
of the success of the stratagem so far; and it was agreed that Delisle
should be allowed to struggle with and overthrow one of them while the
rest were at some distance. They were then to pursue him and shoot him
through the heart; and after robbing the corpse of the philosopher's
stone, convey it to Paris on a cart, and tell M. Desmarets that the
prisoner had attempted to escape, and would have succeeded, if they had
not fired after him and shot him through the body. At a convenient place
the scheme was executed. At a given signal from the friendly gendarme
Delisle fled, while another gendarme took aim and shot him through the
thigh. Some peasants arriving at the instant, they were prevented from
killing him as they intended; and he was transported to Paris, maimed
and bleeding. He was thrown into a dungeon in the Bastille, and
obstinately tore away the bandages which the surgeons applied to his
wound. He never afterwards rose from his bed.

The Bishop of Senes visited him in prison, and promised him his liberty
if he would transmute a certain quantity of lead into gold before
the King. The unhappy man had no longer the means of carrying on the
deception; he had no gold, and no double-bottomed crucible or hollow
wand to conceal it in, even if he had. He would not, however, confess
that he was an impostor; but merely said he did not know how to make
the powder of projection, but had received a quantity from an Italian
philosopher, and had used it all in his various transmutations in
Provence. He lingered for seven or eight months in the Bastille, and
died from the effects of his wound, in the forty-first year of his age.

ALBERT ALUYS.

Explanation ​

Context of the Source ​

Charles Mackay’s Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (1841) is a historical account of mass delusions, financial bubbles, and societal frenzies, including the Tulip Mania, the South Sea Bubble, and the obsession with alchemy. The excerpt provided comes from Volume 3, which focuses on alchemists and the pursuit of the Philosopher’s Stone—a legendary substance believed to transmute base metals into gold and grant immortality.

The passage recounts the tragic fate of Delisle (or Albert Aluys), a self-proclaimed alchemist who was imprisoned under suspicion of fraud. The text illustrates the greed, deception, and brutal consequences surrounding the alchemical craze in 17th- and 18th-century Europe, particularly in France under the reign of Louis XIV.

Summary & Thematic Analysis of the Excerpt ​

1. The Betrayal and Attempted Murder by the Gendarmes ​

  • The gendarmes (French military police) escorting Delisle believe he possesses the Philosopher’s Stone and conspire to rob and murder him.
  • One gendarme feigns sympathy, offering Delisle a chance to escape—this is a trap to justify killing him and stealing the supposed treasure.
  • The plan involves:
    • Letting Delisle struggle and "overpower" one guard (to make the escape seem real).
    • Shooting him "through the heart" (though they only wound him in the thigh).
    • Claiming he was killed while fleeing, then robbing his corpse and presenting the stone to their superior, M. Desmarets (likely Nicolas Desmarets, a French financial official).
  • Peasants interrupt the murder, saving Delisle’s life—though he is left maimed and bleeding.

Themes & Significance:

  • Greed and Corruption: The gendarmes, entrusted with law enforcement, are willing to commit murder for personal gain, showing how the myth of alchemy corrupted even authority figures.
  • Deception & Betrayal: The "friendly" gendarme’s false pity mirrors the fraudulent nature of alchemy itself—both are illusions designed to manipulate.
  • Violence as a Consequence of Delusion: The obsession with the Philosopher’s Stone leads to brutality, demonstrating how mass delusions can have deadly real-world effects.

Literary Devices:

  • Dramatic Irony: The reader knows the gendarmes are lying, but Delisle does not, making his gratitude tragic.
  • Foreshadowing: The conspiracy to kill Delisle hints at his eventual downfall and death.
  • Symbolism: The wound in the thigh (rather than the heart) could symbolize a lingering, painful demise—both physically and in his reputation.

2. Delisle’s Imprisonment in the Bastille & His Refusal to Heal ​

  • Delisle is thrown into the Bastille, a notorious French prison.
  • He tears off his bandages, refusing medical treatment, which suggests:
    • Despair (he may prefer death to captivity).
    • Stubbornness (he clings to his alchemical identity even in ruin).
    • Self-destruction (his pride prevents him from admitting fraud).

Themes & Significance:

  • The Psychological Toll of Deception: Delisle’s refusal to heal mirrors his inability to abandon the lie—he would rather die than confess.
  • The Bastille as a Symbol: The prison represents the crushing weight of authority and the failure of alchemical dreams.
  • The Cost of Pride: His obstinate denial (even when it costs him his life) shows how deeply he is trapped in his own deception.

Literary Devices:

  • Imagery of Decay: The festered wound and dungeon setting evoke rot and decline, reinforcing the futility of alchemy.
  • Character Foil: The Bishop of Senes (who offers freedom) contrasts with Delisle’s self-destructive pride.

3. The Bishop’s Offer & Delisle’s Final Deception ​

  • The Bishop of Senes visits Delisle and offers freedom if he can transmute lead into gold for the King.
  • Delisle cannot perform the alchemy because:
    • He has no gold left (his previous "transmutations" were frauds).
    • He lacks the tools of deception (double-bottomed crucibles, hollow wands).
  • Instead of confessing, he claims he lost the "powder of projection" (a supposed alchemical catalyst) given to him by an Italian philosopher.

Themes & Significance:

  • The Persistence of the Lie: Even facing death, Delisle refuses to admit fraud, showing how deeply ingrained the delusion is.
  • The Role of Authority in Perpetuating Myths: The Bishop and King still believe in alchemy, revealing how institutions fuel mass delusions.
  • The Tragedy of the Impostor: Delisle is trapped by his own lies—he can neither prove his claims nor escape them.

Literary Devices:

  • Unreliable Narration: Delisle’s excuse about the "Italian philosopher" is clearly a last-ditch lie, but the text presents it without explicit judgment, letting the reader see through the deception.
  • Irony: The Bishop’s offer of freedom is useless because Delisle cannot deliver—his entire life was a performance.

4. Delisle’s Death & the Futility of Alchemy ​

  • Delisle lingers in the Bastille for months before dying from his wound at age 41.
  • His death is anticlimalctic—no grand revelation, no last-minute alchemical miracle, just a slow, pathetic end.

Themes & Significance:

  • The Hollow Promise of Alchemy: The Philosopher’s Stone was always a myth, and those who chased it destroyed themselves.
  • The Human Cost of Delusion: Delisle’s fate is a warning about the dangers of obsession, fraud, and greed.
  • Historical Critique: Mackay uses this story to mock the credulity of the era, where even educated men (like bishops and ministers) believed in alchemy.

Literary Devices:

  • Anticlimax: The lack of a dramatic death underscores the meaninglessness of Delisle’s life.
  • Symbolic Ending: His death in prison, wounded and broken, represents the failure of alchemy as a whole.

Mackay’s work is a study of mass hysteria, and this excerpt fits into his larger argument that:

  1. Human beings are susceptible to irrational beliefs (alchemy, financial bubbles, witch hunts).
  2. Greed and fear drive collective madness—whether in investors, alchemists, or authorities.
  3. The consequences of delusion are often violent and destructive (as seen in Delisle’s murder attempt and slow death).

This passage also reflects 18th-century skepticism toward superstition and pseudoscience, aligning with the Enlightenment’s emphasis on reason.

Conclusion: The Excerpt as a Microcosm of Alchemical Fraud ​

The story of Delisle is a tragic farce—a man who lived by deception and died by it. The excerpt highlights:

  • The brutality of human nature (the gendarmes’ betrayal).
  • The fragility of lies (Delisle’s inability to sustain his fraud under pressure).
  • The inevitability of collapse (his slow, undignified death).

Mackay does not glorify or vilify Delisle but presents him as a victim of his own delusions and the greed of others. The passage serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of obsession, the power of myth, and the destructive potential of mass belief.

Would you like any additional analysis on specific literary techniques or historical parallels?