Les Caracteres de Theophraste (in French)

Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim known as Paracelsus was born in 1493 at Maria Einsiedeln, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Descended from ancient Bombast family of Castle Hohenheim near Stuttgart, Wurtemberg. His father, a physician of repute, possessor of curious books and his mother, matron of a hospital.

Theophrastus, born a year after their marriage. Said to have been emasculated from infancy which accounts for his beardless face and feminine appearance and hatred of women. Studied Alchemy, surgery and medicine with his father. Stimulated to the higher studies by works of Isaac Holland. Continued his studies under monks in Convent of St. Andrew of Savon, later University of Basel. Finally devoted himself to occult science under illustrious Johann Trithemius, Abbott of Spanheim. Later studied under Sigismund Hagger. At age of twenty traveled through Germany, Hungary, Italy, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Russia.

In Muscovy was made prisoner and taken to court of the "Great Cham." Acquiring favor was sent to embassy at Constantinople where he was given the sublime secret of Alchemy by a generous Arabian who gave him the universal dissolvent, the Azoth of Western Adepts, that Alcahest or Sophic fire. Thus initiated he traveled through India and Egypt. At age of thirty returned to Germany and performed many marvelous cures. In 1528 proceeded to Colmar. In 1530 he was denounced in Nuremberg as an impostor but confounded his critics by marvelous cures of elephantiasis, of which testimonials are extant in the archives of Nuremberg.

Died after many wanderings, on the 24th of September 1541. Traditions regarding his death differ. One states that he died on a bench of the kitchen fire at the Inn at Strasburg. Another states that "he went to Maehren, Kaernthen, Krain, and Hungary, and finally landed in Salzburg, to which place he was invited by the Prince Palatine, Duke Ernst of Bavaria, who was a lover of the secret arts. He died there after a short illness, at the age of forty eight years and three days, in a small room of the White Horse Inn near the quay, and was buried in the graveyard of St. Sebastian. His death is said to have been hastened by a scuffle with assassins in the pay of the orthodox medical faculty." He was one of the greatest and most illustrious of the long line of notable Alchemists and Initiates of the Order.