1366-1413

English king who, like his contemporary Charles V, outlawed the practice of alchemy in his realms. Henry, who spent much of his reign (1399-1413) in battles to consolidate his power, issued the edict in 1404. By that time several states in western Europe had prohibited alchemical practice. Rulers such as Henry and Charles apparently feared it as a challenge to their authority because, if alchemy really did work, the production of gold by a private individual would play havoc with state finances, much as counterfeiting would in a modern economy. Despite its modern status as a pseudo-science, alchemy was an important precursor of modern chemistry, perhaps to an even greater extent than astrology was to astronomy.