The Arcanum Read Online Free Page B
Author: Janet Gleeson
Saxony were probably marginally better than with Frederick, Böttger also sent a letter to the king begging for
royal protection from the Prussians. The king was not, however, in Dresden but in Poland, and a messenger was duly sent to
Warsaw, a journey of several more days.
While days and then weeks passed, Frederick of Prussia and Lieutenant Mentzel grew increasingly impatient. There was nothing
mysterious about the prisoner, Mentzel assured von Ryssell; he was a straightforward murderer, a man with a long criminal
record, a dangerous prisoner. From Berlin, Frederick threatened military intervention if von Ryssell did not comply; full-scale
war would be the result of this petty obstinacy. Von Ryssell; however, remained unperturbed by these blusterings and stood
his ground. Prussia would have to wait patiently for the response of the ruler of Saxony. Until it was received no further
action would be authorized.
At the time, Augustus was caught up in a lengthy and costly war with Sweden, in which he was losing all the major battles.
Gold was urgently needed to replenish his coffers, and when he heard that a man who could make it had appeared on the scene
it must have seemed like a gift from God. The drawback was that he had no desire to embroil himself in a dispute with Prussia;
if he was not careful the situation could easily escalate into a major diplomatic incident. He decided, therefore, to play
for time. Almost two months after Böttger had first arrived in Wittenberg, instructions were at last sent to von Ryssell and
the Prussian envoy decreeing that any requests for the extradition of the fugitive were to be sent directly to the king, who
would organize his own inquiry before giving the matter his personal consideration. The fate of the nineteen-year-old fugitive,
whose only crime had been to stage an entertaining illusion or two, had now become a matter of international significance.
Meanwhile, desperate to find some justification for his refusal to hand Böttger back to the Prussians, Augustus decided that
his birth in Schleiz gave him a useful piece of ammunition. Schleiz was not part of Prussia but of Augustus's dominion, Reussia.
Thus, Augustus claimed, Böttger belonged not to Frederick but to him. But even in the face of this forceful argument the Prussians
remained unflinching in their determination to secure Böttger's return, refusing to withdraw from Wittenberg without him.
The only solution, Augustus decided, was to spirit the alchemist away to safer custody in Dresden before the Prussians realized
what was happening. The governor of Saxony, Prince Egon von Fürstenberg, also a keen believer in alchemy, was therefore given
royal instructions to escort Böttger back to Dresden under close guard, and on no account to let him slip into Prussian hands.
Judging by the cloak-and-dagger way in which the transfer was accomplished, von Fürstenberg must have considered that the
Prussians posed a very real threat. Frederick's troops were most likely to try to seize the prisoner en route to Dresden.
To avoid this possibility, Böttger was awoken at four in the morning of November 24, 1701, bundled into a waiting carriage
and driven along obscure back ways rather than by the main roads. He was given a cavalry escort of sixteen men, and an advance
party went ahead to check for signs of Prussian soldiers. In order to hoodwink the Prussians into believing that Böttger was
still in Wittenberg, Saxon soldiers continued to stand guard outside his rooms as they had for the past weeks, and for the
next two days food was carried into his rooms as usual.
By the time the Prussians realized they had been outwitted, Böttger was safely beyond their reach. He arrived in Dresden four
days later, on November 28, and was imprisoned in the Goldhouse, a part of the royal castle that was already equipped as a
laboratory. From now on, Augustus decreed, Böttger would remain a
royal protection from the Prussians. The king was not, however, in Dresden but in Poland, and a messenger was duly sent to
Warsaw, a journey of several more days.
While days and then weeks passed, Frederick of Prussia and Lieutenant Mentzel grew increasingly impatient. There was nothing
mysterious about the prisoner, Mentzel assured von Ryssell; he was a straightforward murderer, a man with a long criminal
record, a dangerous prisoner. From Berlin, Frederick threatened military intervention if von Ryssell did not comply; full-scale
war would be the result of this petty obstinacy. Von Ryssell; however, remained unperturbed by these blusterings and stood
his ground. Prussia would have to wait patiently for the response of the ruler of Saxony. Until it was received no further
action would be authorized.
At the time, Augustus was caught up in a lengthy and costly war with Sweden, in which he was losing all the major battles.
Gold was urgently needed to replenish his coffers, and when he heard that a man who could make it had appeared on the scene
it must have seemed like a gift from God. The drawback was that he had no desire to embroil himself in a dispute with Prussia;
if he was not careful the situation could easily escalate into a major diplomatic incident. He decided, therefore, to play
for time. Almost two months after Böttger had first arrived in Wittenberg, instructions were at last sent to von Ryssell and
the Prussian envoy decreeing that any requests for the extradition of the fugitive were to be sent directly to the king, who
would organize his own inquiry before giving the matter his personal consideration. The fate of the nineteen-year-old fugitive,
whose only crime had been to stage an entertaining illusion or two, had now become a matter of international significance.
Meanwhile, desperate to find some justification for his refusal to hand Böttger back to the Prussians, Augustus decided that
his birth in Schleiz gave him a useful piece of ammunition. Schleiz was not part of Prussia but of Augustus's dominion, Reussia.
Thus, Augustus claimed, Böttger belonged not to Frederick but to him. But even in the face of this forceful argument the Prussians
remained unflinching in their determination to secure Böttger's return, refusing to withdraw from Wittenberg without him.
The only solution, Augustus decided, was to spirit the alchemist away to safer custody in Dresden before the Prussians realized
what was happening. The governor of Saxony, Prince Egon von Fürstenberg, also a keen believer in alchemy, was therefore given
royal instructions to escort Böttger back to Dresden under close guard, and on no account to let him slip into Prussian hands.
Judging by the cloak-and-dagger way in which the transfer was accomplished, von Fürstenberg must have considered that the
Prussians posed a very real threat. Frederick's troops were most likely to try to seize the prisoner en route to Dresden.
To avoid this possibility, Böttger was awoken at four in the morning of November 24, 1701, bundled into a waiting carriage
and driven along obscure back ways rather than by the main roads. He was given a cavalry escort of sixteen men, and an advance
party went ahead to check for signs of Prussian soldiers. In order to hoodwink the Prussians into believing that Böttger was
still in Wittenberg, Saxon soldiers continued to stand guard outside his rooms as they had for the past weeks, and for the
next two days food was carried into his rooms as usual.
By the time the Prussians realized they had been outwitted, Böttger was safely beyond their reach. He arrived in Dresden four
days later, on November 28, and was imprisoned in the Goldhouse, a part of the royal castle that was already equipped as a
laboratory. From now on, Augustus decreed, Böttger would remain a
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