Sirens, Charybdis and Scylla

Meaning

Sirens, Charybdis and Scylla figure the dangers of deceptive chymical promises. The seduction belongs to fraudsters who cover their adulteration with philosophy's sacred mantle.

At the close of II.3, Nuysement distinguishes natural philosophy from fraudulent transmutation and metal falsification. Painted appearances charm credulous eyes and draw curious seekers into maritime ruin. The polemic does not prove every opponent malicious, nor does it condemn all transmutation claims as fraud; that distinction is precisely what the author demands. The mythic names give the warning memorable force while linking it to the broader navigation of inquiry.

The English renders the printed Caribde and Scille as Charybdis and Scylla. These are retrieval equivalents, not corrections to the preserved French forms. “Sellers of smoke” remains an accusation, not a technical name for a reagent supplier.