The Magician of Freemasonry. The Mysterious Life of Elias Ashmole — Scientist, Alchemist and One of the Founders of the Royal Society

A richly illustrated account of the "man of good power", the scholar and magician, Elias Ashmole, founder of the museum bearing his name. Ashmole was always true to his friends, his king, his hometown, and his calling — living a happy, fulfilling life, honorably emerging from many trials and achieving success in many fields. But how did he, as an alchemist and mystic at the twilight of the Renaissance, in the era of England's civil wars, come to be regarded by the townspeople with respect as "Our Magician", while aristocrats, academics, and bishops prided themselves on their friendship with the sage? Was it the "art of silence" — or perhaps a deep knowledge of planetary influences, or maybe the world itself was on the side of the noble thinker who firmly stood on the ground while aspiring upwards?