Alchimy Yet many called every Houre Learn'd and Unlearned Rich and Poore who 'll neither Tend nor take the Paines And therefore Trudge without the Gaines On whom God doth this Art bestow Her Sons may herein fully know By these foure-lines you may believe Heaven doth all things gratis give This Art in such you only finde As Justice love with spotles-Minde But t is deny'd to guilefull Men For sin protracts the gifts of Heaven These had adorn'd the English-Throne If they had trusted God alone For he that hereby Honor winns Shall change the old for better things And when he comes to rule the Land Reforme it with a vertuous hand Leaving examples of good deedes To every King that him succeedes Then shall the People Jubilize In mutuall love and sacrifise Praises to God O King that shall These Workes implore the God of all For timely helpe in this good thing So to a Just and Glorious King Most goodly Graces shall descend When least look'd for To Crowne his End THE PROHEME TO the honor of God One in Persons three This Boke is made that Lay-men shulde it And Clerks alsoe after my decease Whereby all Lay-men which putteth see To seech by Alkimy great ryches to winn them in prease May finde good Counseller they such warke begin And greate deceipts they may hereby eschewe And by this doctrine know fals men from trewe Nathles Clerks greate seacreats heere may leare But all Lay men shall finde heere cause to feare And to beware of falsillusions Which Multiplyers worke with their Conclusions But for that I desire not worldly fame But your good prayers unknowne shall be my name That no man shulde therafter search ne looke But wisely Consider the flowers of this booke Of every estate that is within Mankind If yee make search much people ye may finde Which to Alkimy their Corage doe address Only for appetite of Lucre and Riches As Popes with Cardinalls of Dignity Archbyshopes with Byshopes of high degree With Abbots and Priors of Religion With Friars Heremites and Preests manie one And Kings with Princes and Lords great of blood For every estate desireth after good And Merchaunts also which dwell in the fiere Of brenning Covetise have thereto desire And Common-workemen will not be out-lafte For as well as Lords they love this noble Crafte As Gouldsmithes whome we shulde lest repreve For sights in their Craft meveth them to beleeve But wonder it is that Wevers deale with such warks Free Masons and Tanners with poore Parish Clerks Tailors and Glasters woll not thereof cease And eke sely Tinkers will put them in the prease With greate presumption but yet some collour there was For all such Men as give Tincture to Glasse But many Artificers have byn over-swifte With hasty Credence to fume away their thrifte And albeit that losses made them to smarte Yet ever in hope continued their hearte Trusting some tyme to speede right well Of many such truly I can tell Which in such hope continued all their lyfe Whereby they were pore and made to unthrife It had byne good for them to have left off In season for noughte they founde but a scoffe For trewly he that is not a greate Clerke Is nice and lewde to medle with this warke Ye may trust me well it is no small inginn To know all secreats pertaining to the Myne For it is most profound Philosophie The subtill science of holy Alkimy Of which Science here I intend to write Howbeit I may not curiously indite For he that shulde all a common people teache He must for them use plaine and common speache Though that I write in plaine and hoemely wise No good Man then shulde such writenge dispise All Masters that write of this Soleme werke They made their Bokes to many Men full derke In Poyses Parables and in Metaphors alsoe Which to Shollers causeth peine and woe For in their practise whan they would it assay They leese their Costs as men see aldaye Hermes Rasis Geber and Avicen Merlin Hortolan Democrit and Morien Bacon and Raimond with others many moe Wrote under covert and Aristotle alsoe For what hereof they wrote with their penn Their Cloudy Clauses dulled many Men Fro Lay-men Fro Clearks and so fro every Man They hid this Art that no Man finde it cann By their bokes do they shew Reasons faire Whereby much people are brought into dispaire Yet Anaxagoras wrote plainest of them all In his boke of Conversions naturall Of the old Fathers that ever I founde He most disclosed of this Science the grownde Whereof Aristotle had greate envy And him rebuked unrightfully In many places as I can well report Intending that men to him shulde not resort For he was large of his cunning and love God have his soule in blisse with him above And suche as sowed envious seede God forgive them their misdeede As the Mounke which a Boke did write Of a thousand receipts in mallice for despight Which be coppied in many a place Whereby hath beene made pale many a Face And many Gownds have byne made bare of hewe And men made fals which before tyme were trewe Wherefore my Pitty doth me constreyne To shew the trewth in fewe words and plaine Soe that you may fro false doctrine flee If ye give Credence to this boke and mee Avoide your Bokes written of Receipts For all such Receipts are full of Deceipts Trust not such Receipts and lerne well this Clause Nothing is wrought but by his proper Cause Wherefore that Practise falleth farr behinde Wher Knowledge of the cause is not in minde Therefore remember ever more wisely That you woorke nothing but you knowe howe and whie Alsoe he that would in this Arte proceede To eschewe falshood he hath greate need For trewth is good which this Arte must guide Wherefore to falshood ye may never slide But stedfastly your minde must be set Fals Colloured Metall never to Counterfett As thei that seeke Blanchers or Citrinacions Which woll not abide all Examinacions Wherewith fals Plate they make as they cann Or Money to beguile some good trew Mann But God hath made that of this blessed Arte All that be fals shall have thereof noe parte He must have Grace that would for this Arte sue Therefore of right him needeth to be trew Also he may not be trobled in his Minde With outward charges which this Arte would finde And he that would have his intent He must have Riches sufficient In many wayes he maie not looke But only pursue the order of this Boke Named of Alkimy the Ordinall The Crede mihi the Standard perpetuall For like as the Ordinall to Preesti sotteth out The service of the dayes as they goe aboute Soe of all the Bokes unordered in Alkimy The effect is here set out Orderly Therefore this Boke to an Alchimister wise Is a Boke of incomparable price Whose trewth shall never be defiled Though it appeare in homely wise compiled And as I had this Arte
Confidence To whome reason shulde you leade That you shall have noe cause to dreade If you wisely call to your minde The vertuous manners such as you finde In your Master and your Teacher Soe shall you have noe neede to feare If you consider all Circumstances about Whether he tought you for Love or for Doubt Or whether Motion of him began For it is hard to trust such a Man For he that profereth hath more neede Of you then you of him to speede This wise certainely ye maie well win Before that you your warkes do begin When such certainety ye truly have Fro Dispaire ye maie be sure and save But who can finde such a Master out As was my Master him needeth not to doubt Which right nobil was and fully worthy laude He loved Justice and he abhorred fraude He was full secrete when other men were lowde Loath to be knowne that hereof ought he Could When men disputed of Colours of the Rose He would not speake but keepe himselfe full close To whome I laboured long and many a day But he was solleyn to prove with straight assaye To search and know of my Disposition With manifold proofes to know my Condition And when he found unfeigned fidelity In my greate hope which yet nothing did see At last I conquered by grace divine His love which did to me incline Wherefore he thought soone after on a tyde That longer delayes I ne shulde abide My manifold letters my heavie heart and cheere Moved his Compassion thei perced him full neere Wherefore his Penn he would noe more refraine But as heere followeth soe wrote he againe MY very trusty my deere beloved Brother I must you answer it may be none other The tyme is come you shall receive this Grace To your greate comfort and to your solace Your honest desire with your greate Confidence Your Vertue proved with your Sapience Your Love your Trewth your long Perseverance Your stedfast Minde shall your Desire advance Wherefore it is neede that within short space Wee speake together and see face to face If I shulde write I shulde my fealty breake Therefore Mouth to Mouth I must needes speake And when you come mine Heier unto this Arte I will you make and fro this londe departe Ye shall be both my Brother and myne Heier Of this greate secrete whereof Clerkes despaire Therefore thanke God which giveth this renowne For it is better then to were a Crowne Next after his Saints our Lord doth him call Which hath this Arte to honour him withall Noe more to you at this present tyde But hastily to see me dispose you to ride THis Letter receiving I hasted full sore To ride to my Master an hundred miles and more And there Forty dayes continually I learned all the secreats of Alkimy Albeit Philosophy by me was understonde As much as of many other in this Londe Nethles fooles which for their Science sought Ween that in forty dayes it wil be wrought Betweene Forty dayes warke now ye may see And Forty dayes lerninge is greate diversitie Then darke doubts to me appeared pure There fownd I disclosed the Bonds of Nature The cause of Wonders were to me soe faire And so reasonable that I could not dispaier If your Master and ye resemble all aboute My good Master and me than have ye no doubte THe third impediment deceipt we call Amongst other to me the worst all And that is of Servaunts that should awaite Upon your warke for some can much deceipte Some be negligent some sleeping by the fire Some be ill-willd such shall let your desire Some be foolish and some be over bold Some keepe no Counsell of Doctrine to them tould Some be filthie of hands and of sleeves Some meddle straunge Matter that greately greeves Some be drunken and some use much to jape Beware of thes if you will hurt escape The Trew be foolish the Witty be false That one hurts me Sore that other al 's For when I had my warke well wrought Such stale it away and left me nought Then I remembring the cost the tyme and the paine Which I shulde have to begin againe With heavie hearte farewell adieu said I I will noe more of Alkimy But howe that chaunce befell that Season Few men would it beleeve by reason Yet Tenn persons be witnes trew all How that mishapp did me befalle Which might not be only by Man Without the Devil as they tell can I made also the Elixer of life Which me bereft a Merchaunt's wife The Quintessens I made also With other secrets manie moe Which sinfull people tooke me fro To my greate paine and much more woe Soe in this worke there is no more to saine But that every Ioy is medled with his paine OF Paine there is a litle yet behinde Which is convenient to be had in minde That fell upon a blessed Man Whereof the trewth report I cann Thomas Daulton this good man height He served God both day and night Of the Red Medicine he had greate Store I trowe never English man had more A Squier for the body of King Ehward Whose name was Thomas Harbert Tooke this Daulton against his desier Out of an Abbie in Gloucester-shier And brought him in presence of the King Whereof Deluis had some tiding For Daulton was whilome Deluis's Clerke Deluis disclosed of Daultons werke Deluis was Squier in confidence With King Edward oft in his presence Deluis reported that in a little stounde How Daulton had made to him a thousand pound Of as good Goulde as the Royall was Within halfe a daye and some dele lasse For which Deluis sware on a Booke Then Daulton on Deluis cast his looke And said to Deluis Sir you be forswore Wherefore your hert hath cause to be sore Of nothing said he that I now have told Witnes our Lord whom Judas sould But once said Deluis I sware to thee That thou shouldst not be uttered by me Which I may breake well I understand For the Kings weale and for all his Lande Then said Daulton full soberlie This answer voydeth no perjury How should the King in you have Confidence Your untrewth confessed in his presence But Sir said Daulton to the Kings Grace I have bin troubled oft in many a place For this Medicine greviously and sore And now I thought it should hurt me no more Wherefore in the Abbie where I was take I cast it in a foule and Common lake Going to the River which doth ebb and flowe There is destroyed as much riches nowe As would have served to the Holy land For twenty thousand men upon a band I kept it longe for our Lords blessed sake To helpe a Kinge which that journey would make Alas Daulton then saide the Kinge It was fowly don to spill such a thinge He would have Daulton to make it againe Daulton said it might not be certeine Why said the Kinge how came ye thereby He said by a Channon of Lichfielde trewly Whose
estate Betwixt Men and Gold is debate Soe fer forthe that unneths there is none This Multiplyeng blyndeth so many one That in good fayth I trowe that it be The greatest cause of such scarsyte These Phylosophers speken so mistily In this Crafte that men cannot come thereby For any witte that men have nowe adayes They may well chattre and jangle as doth the Jayes And in her termes sett her luste and payne But to her purpose shall they never attaine A man may lightly lerne if he have ought To Multiply and bring his good to nought Lo such a Lucre is in this lusty game A mans myrthe it wol turne all to grame And emptien also greate and hevy purses And maken folke to purchase curses Of hem that han alsoe her good ylent O fye for shame they that han be brente Alas cannot they fly the fyres hete Ye that it usen I rede that ye it lete Lest ye lesen al for bet then never is late Never to thryve were to long a date Though that ye prolle aye ye shall it never fynde Ye ben as bold as is Bayarde the blynde That blondereth forth and perill casteth none He is as bolde to renne agenst a stone As for to go besyde in the way So faren ye that multiplyen I say If that your Eyen can not sene aright Loketh that your Mynde lacke not his sight For though ye loke never soe brode and stare Ye shall not wynne a myte in that chaffare But waste all that ye may repe and renne Withdrawe the fyre least it to fast brenne Medleth with that Arte noe more I mene For yf ye done your thrifte is gone full cleane And right as swythe I woll you tellen here What that the Phylosophers sayne in this mattere Lo thus saith Arnolde of the newe toune As his Rosarye maketh mencioune He sayth right thus withouten any lye There may noe man Mercury mortifye But if it be with his brothers knowlegyng Lo how that he which firste sayd this thyng Of Phylosophers father was Hermes He saythe how that the Dragon doutlesse Ne dyeth not but if he be slayne With his brother and this is for to sayne By the Dragon Mercurye and none other He understood that Brimstone was his brother That out of Sol and Luna were ydrawe And therefore sayd he take heed to my sawe Let no man besye him this Arte for to seche But he that the Entention and speche Of Phylosophers understonde can And if he do he is a leud man For this Science and this connyng quod he Is of the Secre of the Secres parde Alsoe there was a Disciple of Plato That on a tyme sayd his Maister to As his booke Senior wol bere wytnesse And this was his demaunde in sothfastnesse Tell me the name of the privy Stone And Plato answered unto him anone Take the Stone that Tytanos men name Which is that quod he Magnatia is the same Said Plato ye Sir and is it thus This is ignotum per ignotius What is Magnatia good Sir I you pray It is a Water that is made I say Of Elements foure quod Plato Tell me the Rocke good Sir quod he tho Of that Water if it be your wyll Nay nay quod Plato certayne that I nyll The Philosophers were y sworne echone That they shulde discover it unto none Ne in no Boke it write in no manere For unto Christ it is so lefe and dere That he wol not that it discovered be But where it liketh to his deite Man to enspyre and eke for to defende Whan that him lyketh lo this is his ende Then conclude I thus sens the God of heaven Ne wyl not that the Phylosophers nemen Howe that a Man shall come unto this Stone I rede as for the best lett itt gone For who so maketh God his adversary As for to werche any thing in contrary Unto his will certes never shall he thrive Though that he Multiplye terme of his live And there a poynte for ended is my Tale God send every true man Bote of his bale THE WORKE OF JOHN DASTIN NOt yet full sleping nor yet full waking But betweene twayne lying in a traunce Halfe closed mine Eyne in my slumbering Like a Mā rapt of all cheer countenance By a manner of weninge Remembrance Towards Aurora ere Pheebus uprose I dreamed one came to me to doe me pleasaunce That brought me a Boke with seaven seales close Following upon I had a wonderfull dreame As semed unto my inward thought The face of him shone as the Sun-beame Which unto me thys hevenly Boke brought Of so greate Riches that yt may not be bought In order set by Dame Philosophie The Capitall and the flowrishing wrought By a wise Prince called Theologie Thys Boke was written with letters aureat Perpetually to be put in memory And to Apollo the Chapters consecrate And to the seaven Gods in the hevenly Consistory And in Mercuries litle Oratory Groweth all the fruite in breefe of thys Science Who can expresse hem and have of hem Victory May clayme the tryumph of his Minerall prudence Of this matter above betweene Starrs seaven By Gods and Goddesses all of one assent Was sent Caducifer to Erth downe form Heaven Saturnus as Bedell by great advisement For to summon a generall Parliament By concord of all both old and younge of age To say in Breife their Councell most prudent For Common proffit to knitt up a Marriage Betweene twaine Borne of the Imperiall blood And descended from Iupiters line Of their Natures most pure and most good Wythowte infeccion their seede is most divine That noe Eclips may let them for to shine So that Mercury doth stint all debate And restraine their Courage by meaknes them incline That of frowardnes they be not indurate For the Sunne that sitteth so heigh a loft His golden dew-droppes shall cleerely raigne downe By the meane of Mercury that moven first made soft Then there schalbe a glad Conjunccion Whan there is made a Seperacion And their two Spermes by Marriage are made one And the said Mercury by devision Hath taken his flight and from both is gone These be the two Mercuries cheife of Philosophers Revived againe with the Spirit of lyfe Richer then Rubies or Pearles shut in Cofeurs Washed and Baptized in waters vegitative The body dissevered with heate nutrative By moderate moysture of Putrefaccion So that there is no excesse nor no strife Of the foure Elements in their Conjunccion The graine of Wheate which on the ground doth fall But it be dead it may not fructifie If it be hole the vertue doth appayle And in no wise it may not Multiplye The increase doth begin whan it doth Putrefie Of good Grafts commeth Fruites of good lastage Of Crabs Verjuyce of Ash is made Lye Of good Grapes followeth a good Vintage Who soweth good Seede repeth good againe Of Cockles sowne there can grow no good Wheate For as such a Ploughman traveleth in vaine To
by Grace from Heaven I give you the same here in Chapters seaven As largely as by my fealty I may By licence of the dreadfull Judge at domes daye The first Chapter shall all Men teache What manner People may this Science reache And whie the trew Science of Alkimy Is of old Fathers called Blessed and Holy In the second Chapter maie be sayne The nice Joyes thereof with the greate paine The third Chapter for the love of One Shall trewly disclose the Matters of our Stone Which the Arabies doon Elixir call Whereof it is there understonde you shall The fowerth Chapter teacheth the grosse Werke A foule laboure not kindly for a Clerke In which is found full greate travaile With many perills and many a faile The fift Chapter is of the subtill Werk Which God ordeyned only for a Clerke Full few Clerks can it comprehend Therefore to few Men is the Science send The sixt Chapter is of Concord and love Between low natures and heavenly spheares above Whereof trew knowledge advanceth greatly Clerks And causeth furtherance in our wonderfull werks The seaventh Chapter trewly teach you shall The doubtfull Regiments of your Fires all NOw Soveraigne Lord God me guide and speede For to my Matters as now I will proceede Praying all men which this Boke shall finde With devoute Prayers to have my soule in minde And that noe Man for better ne for worse Chaunge my writing for drede of Gods curse For where quick sentence shall seame not to be Ther may wise men finde selcouthe previtye And chaunging of some one sillable May make this Boke unprofitable Therefore trust not to one Reading or twaine But twenty tymes it would be over sayne For it conteyneth full ponderous sentence Albeit that it faute forme of Eloquence But the best thing that ye doe shall Is to reade many Bokes and than this withall Ro Vaughan sculp Nortons Ordinall CHAP. I. MAIS tryefull merveylous and Archimastrye Is the tincture of holi Alkimy A wonderfull Science secrete Philosophie A singular grace gifte of th' almightie Which never was founde by labour of Mann But it by Teaching or Revelacion begann It was never for Mony sold ne bought By any Man which for it hath sought But given to an able Man by grace Wrought with greate Cost with long layfir and space It helpeth a Man when he hath neede It voydeth vaine Glory Hope and also dreade It voydeth Ambitiousnesse Extorcion and Excesse It fenceth Adversity that shee doe not oppresse He that thereof hath his full intent Forsaketh Extremities with Measure is content Some people would not have it cauled Holy And in this wise thei doe replye Thei say how Painims maie this Arte have Such as our Lord God woll never save For their wilfull fals infidelitie The cause of goodnes possessours cannot be Alsoe it maketh none other thing But Gold or Silver for Mony Cupp or Ring Whiche of wise men is proved and well founde Least verteous thing that is upon the Ground Wherefore concluding all men of that sect Say how this Science n'is holy in effect To this we say and wittnes as we cann How that this Science was never tought to Man But he were proved perfectly with space Whether he were able to receyve this Grace For his Trewth Vertue and for his stable Witt Which if he faulte he shall never have it Also no man coulde yet this Science reach But if God send a Master him to teach For it is soe wonderfull and soe selcouth That it must needes be tought from mouth to mouth Also he must be he never soe loath Receive it with a most sacred dreadfull Oath That as we refuse greate dignitie and fame Soe he must needly refuse the same And also that he shall not be so wilde To teach this seacret to his owne childe For nighnes of Blood ne Consanguinity May not accepted be to this dignity Soe blood as blood may have hereof noe part But only vertue winneth this holy Arte Therefore straightly you shall search and see All manners and vertues with th'abilitie Of the person which shall this Scyence leere And in likewise make him straightlie swere Soe that noe man shall leave this Arte behinde But he an able and approved Man can finde When Age shall greeve him to ride or goe One he may teach but then never no moe For this Science must ever secret be The Cause whereof is this as ye may see If one evill man had hereof all his will All Christian Pease he might hastilie spill And with his Pride he might pull downe Rightfull Kings and Princes of renowne Wherefore the sentence of perill and jeopardy Upon the Teacher resteth dreadfully So than for doubt of such pride and wreach He must be ware that will this Science teach No Man therefore maie reach this greate present But he that hath vertues excellent Soe though Men weene Possessours not to aide To hallow this Science as before is said Neither seeme not blessed effectually Yet in her Order this Science is holy And forasmuch as noe Man maie her finde But only by grace she is holy of her kinde Also it is a worke and Cure divine Foule Copper to make Gold or Silver fine No man maie finde such chaunge by his thought Of divers kinds which Gods hands have wrought For Gods Conjunctions Man maie not undoe But if his Grace fully consent thereto By helpe of this Science which our Lord above Hath given to such Men as he doth love Wherefore old Fathers conveniently Called this Science Holy Alkimy Therefore noe Man shulde be too swifte To cast away our Lords blessed guift Consideringe how that Almighty God From great Doctours hath this Science forbod And graunted it to few Men of his mercy Such as be faithfull trew and lowly And as there be but Planets seaven Amonge the multitude of starrs in Heaven Soe among millions of millions of Mankinde Scarslie seaven men maie this Science finde Wherefore Lay-men ye may lere and see How many Doctors of great authoritie With many searchers hath this Science sought Yet all their labours havâ— turned into nought If thei did cost yet found thei none availe For of their purpose every tyme thei faile And in despaire thei reason and departe And then thei said how there is noe such arte But fained Fables thei name it where thei goe A fals fond thing thei say it is alsoe Such Men presume too much upon their minde They weene their witts sufficient this Arte to finde But of their slaunder and words of outrage We take thereof trewlie little Charge For such be not invited to our feast Which weeneth themselves wise and can doe leaste Albeit such Men list not lenger to persue Yet is this Science of Alkimy full trew And albeit some proude Clerks say nay Yet every wise Clerke well consider may How he whiche hereof might no trewth see Maie not hereof lawfull wittnes be For it were a wonderous thing and queinte A man that
ingendered all the Colours meane Every cleere thinge perspicuate and fayre Standeth by the matters of Water and Aire Whome a pure Erth doth apprehend Such as shall not their cleerenes offend And if in such cleerenes and perspicuitie Ye can noe speciall Colour see Thereupon to Judge you maie be bold The cause of such things was exceeding Colde As Christall Berill and other things moe Diversitie betweene them lerne ere ye goe Christall hat Water declyning toward Ayer Wherefore it is cleere perspicuous and faire But where it declineth towards Water more It is darke as Berill or Ice hard frore But when matters draweth toward siccitie Darknes with hardnes ingendred shall be As it appeareth in the Adamant Stone And in other things manie one Twinckling and glittering as in Magnetia is Light is cause thereof within matter of Cleerenes Which is superduced upon waterly vapour Beforetyme incenced with Heate be ye sure Now after cleerenes and Colours in extremitie Of meane Colours a litle shew will I. Ruby colour is of a thinn fume succended In a cleere Body which alsoe is amended When in that Body reyneth plenty of light For more or les thereof maketh more or les bright As the Amatist followeth the Ruby in dignity In less Cleerenes and more Obscuritie And a Calcedonie in Slymy substance Followeth the Berill in degrees of variance Greene as a Smaragde is of Water cleere With Erthy substance Combust mixt full neere And the cleerer substance that the Erth be The cleerer greeness thereof ye shall see Tawney is of Cleerenes terminate Infused with thick Fumosity congregate Of Water and alsoe of Erth succended Whereby the cleerenes of Aier is suspended Wann or leady Colour ingendred is Of Waterie and Erthy parts without amisse And where such parts be cold and thick Ever Wann Colour theron shall stick As it appeareth in old layen Lead And in Men that be wellneere dead This Wann Colour called Lividitie In Envious Men useth much to be Naturall heate and blood done resorte To the Hert them to comfort And leaveth Cold and Dry the Face For heate and blood is parted fro that place Likewise when Fevers be in extremitie The Nailes of Hands of this Colour wil be The Saphire Colour that Orient Blewe Like in Colour to the heavenlie hue Is much fairer than Wann Colour to sight For therein is more of Aier Water and Light Than is in Wann Colour and that by manifold Wherefore such Colour is more deerer solde All other Blewes the sadder that they be Thei have lesse of Aier and more of Terrestriety Silver to Azure soone broght will be The cause thereof is perspicuitie Which is in Silver caused of Ayer Wherefore it turneth to hevenly Colour faire And Quicksilver plenty within him is Causeth in Silver all this brightnes Subtiler Erth pure Water with cleerenes of Air Causeth such brightnes to Quicksilver to repaire Citrine Colour Yellowe as ye see in Gould Is Colour most liking for some men to behould Caused of mighty and strong digestion For humor in him have strong decoction Such Colour with Heate ingendred be shall As it in Honey Urine Lye and Gall The shining of Gould is caused as I tell Of pure and subtile Water termined full well Perspicuously condensed for Water pure and fine The more it is Condensed the better it woll shine For of a Mirrour the cause none other is But moisture termined as all Clerks gesse Soe that it be polible withall For Aier Figures receive never shall For Aier maie not be terminate in his kinde So cause of shining in Water ye shall finde With White and Red well medled pure and fine Woll be ingendred faire Colour Citrine Soe divers Comixtions of Elements Maketh divers Colours for divers intents With divers Digestions and divers degrees All Colours be made which your Eyen sees Of Elements ye must the proper Colour lerne Whereby of Colours ye maie better discerne Phisitians saie of good Herbs and soote Some be colde outward and hot within the roote Example hereof if ye list to gett Behold the working of the gentle Violet Common Philosophie the cause doth disclose Whie colde is within and red without the Rose Anaxagoras said in his Coversions naturall Inward and Outward be contrary in things all Which is trewe except such things as be Of little composition and nigh simplicitie As is Scammonye and Lawrell the Laxative Which be not nourishing to vegetative Remember how in every mixt thinge Evermore one Element defireth to be Kinge Which proude appetite of Elements and vicious Moveth men to be Ambitious Wherefore our Lord that best dispose cann Hath made Ordeynance for sinfull Man All proude appetites to equalitie to bringe When Requiem aeternam the Church shall singe Than shall everie ambitious thought Plainely appeare how that it was nought Lords and Beggars and all shall be In the Charnell brought to equalitie Your Principall Agent so rebate shall ye When he usurpeth above equality Therefore Aristotle said Compound ye our Stone Equall that in him repugnance be none Neither division as ye proceede Take heede thereto for it is greate neede And when it falleth that ye shall see All Colours at once that named maie be Than suffer Nature with her operation At her owne leasure to make Generation Soe that amonge so manie Colours all Nature maie shew one principall Such as shall draw towards your intent According to your desired Element This wise by Colours yee maie provide How in your workes yee shall yee guide Manie moe things of Colours I maie write But this is sufficient my promise to acquite As farr forth as Colours maie serve your intent By them to know your principall agent But manie Clerks wonder why you may see Soe manie Colours as in our Stone woll be Before that perfect White and Cleere And unchaungeable woll appeare Considering the fewnes of the ingredients I woll that answer to please their intents And teach them the trewth of that greate doubte By kinde of Magnesia such Colours passe out Whose nature is of such Convertibilitie To everie proportion and to everie degree As Christall to his Subject is founde For of everie thing that is upon the grounde Which that ye woll Christall set under Such Colour hath Christall therefore cease to wonder Wherefore Hermes said not untruly ne Envious Ad perpetranda miracula rei unius God hath so ordeyned saith Hermes the Kinge To fulfill the miracles of one thinge Common Philosophers thereof cannot finde The vertues of our Stone exceeding far their minde SMelling maie helpe forth your intente To know your reigning Elemente And be with Colour a Testimony To know your principall Agent thereby And ye which would by smelling lerne Of your principall Agent trewly to discerne As White and Black be Colours in extremitie Soe of Odors soote and stinking be But like as Fishes know not by sight Noe meane Colours because their Eyne bright Have none Eyelidds for their sight closinge Soe meane Odors shall not by
White For like it you to trust that trewlie I have found The perfect waye of most secrete Alchimy Which I wyll never trâ—wly for Mâ—rke ne for Pounde Make common but to you and that conditionally That to your selfe ye shall keepe it full secretly And onely it use as may be to Gods pleasure Els in tyme comming of God I should abye For my discovering of his secrete treasure Therefore advise you well wyth good delyberation For of this Secrete shall know none other Creature But onely you as I make faithfull Protestation For all the tyme that I here in lyfe endure Whereto I wyll your Lordship me to ensure To my desyre in thys by othe to agree Least I should to me the wrath of God procure For my revealing his greate gift and previtie And yet moreover I wyll your Hyghnes to pardon me For openly wyth pen I wyll it never wryte But when that ye list by practice ye shall seâ— By Mouth also this prâ—tious secret most of delyght How may be made Elixirs Red and Whyte Playne unto your Hyghnes it shall declared be And if it please you with easy expence and respyte To help I wyll them make by helpe of the Trinitie But notwythstanding for perill that might befall Though I dare not here plainly the knot unbinde Yet in my writeing I wyll not be so Mysticall But that ye may by studie the knowleige finde How that eche thing multiplicable is in hys kinde And that likenes of bodies Metalline be transmutable I wyll deelare that if ye feele me in your minde Ye shall prove my wryting true and noe fayned fable And if God graunt you by me to wynne thys treasure Serve him devoutly with more Laud and thanking Praying his Godhead in lyfe ye may so endure His gifts of grace and fortune to use to his pleasing Most specially intending over all thing To your power and connyng his precepts tenne So to keep that into no daunger your selfe ye bring But that ye may in glorie see him hereafter Amen As the Philosopher in the boke of Meteors doth wryte That the lykenesse of bodyes Metalline be not transmutable But after he added theis words of more delyte Without they be reduced to theyr beginning materiable Wherefore such bodies which in nature be liquable Minerall and Mettaline may be Mercurizate Conceave ye may that this Scyence is not opinable But very true by Raymond and others determynate In the said Boke the Philosopher speaketh also Therein if it please your Highnes for to reade Of divers Sulphurs but especially of two And of two Mercuryes Joyned to them indede Whereby he doth true understanders leade To the knowledge of the principles which be true Both Red most pure and White as have I spede Which be neverthelesse founden but of right few And these two things be best he addeth anone For them that worketh the Alchimy to take Our Gold and our Silver therewith to make alone Wherefore I say who will our Pearle and Ruby make The said principles looke that he not forsake For at the beginning if his principles be trewe And that he can by crafte them so bake Trewly at the end his Worke shall him not rewe But one greate secret ryght nedefull it is to knowe That though the Philosophers speake plurally All is but one Thing ye may me trowe In kinde which is our Base principally Whereof doth spring both Whyte and Red naturally And yet the Whyte must come fyrst of the Red Which thyng is not wrought manually But naturally Craft helping oute of our Leade For all the parts of our most precious Stone As I can preve be Coessentiall and concrete Moreover there is no true principle but one Full longe it was er I therwith could mete Who can reduce it and knoweth his Heate And only kinde with kinde can redresse Till filth originall be clensed from his Seat Likely he is to finde our secrets both more and lesse Onlie therefore worke Kynde with his owne Kynde And all your Elements Ioyne that they not strive This poynte also for any thing beare in mynde That passive natures ye tourne into active Of Water Fire and Winde of Erthe make blive And of the Quadrangle make ye a Figure round Then have ye honie of our bene hive One ounce well worth a thousand pound The principall secrete of secretes all Is true Proportion which may not be behinde Wherein I councell yow be not superficiall The true conclusion if ever ye thinke to fynde Turne Erth to Water and Water into Wynde Therof make Fire and beware of the Floode Of Noe wherein many one be blinde That by this Science thei get but little good I councell you to eate and drinke temperatly And be well ware that Iposarcha come not in place Nesh not your Wombe by drinking ymmoderatly Lest ye quench your naturall Heate in lyttle space The colour wyll tell appearing in your Face Drinke no more therefore then ye may eate Walke up and downe after an easie pace Chafe not your Body too sore for to sweate With easy Fire after meving when ye sweate Warme your Body and make it dry againe By Rivers and Fountaines walke after meate At morrowe tymely visit the high Mountaine That Phisicke so byddeth I reade certeyne So hygh the Mountaine nevertheles ye not ascende But that ye may downeward the way have plaine And with your Mantell from cold ye yow defende Such labour is holsome your sweat if ye wyll drie With a napkin and after it take no cold For grosse humors be purged by Sweat kindly Use Diacameron then confect with perfect Gold Hermodactilus for watrie humors good I hold Use Hipericon Perforate with mylke of Tithimall And Sperma Cete ana with redd Wyne when ye wax old And Gotes Mylke soddeÌ„ with Gold nourisheth moisture radical But a good Phisytian who so intendeth to be Our lower Astronomy him nedeth well to knowe And after that to lerne well Urine in a glasse to see And if it nede to be chafed the Fyre to blowe Then wyttily it by divers wayes to throwe And after the cause to make a Medicine blive Truly telling the ynfirmities all on a rowe Who thus can doo by his Physicke is like to thrive We have an Heauen yncorruptible of the Quintessence Ornate with Elements Signes Planetts and Starrs bright Which moisteth our Erthe by Suttile influence And owt thereof a Secrete Sulphure hid from sight It fetteth by vertue of his attractive might Like as the Bee fetcheth Hony out of the Flowre Which thing can doo none other Erthly wight Therefore to God only be glory and honour And like as Yse to Water doth relente Whereof congealed it was by violence of greate Cold Whence Phebus it smiteth with his Heate influent Right so to Water mynerall reduced is our Gold As writeth playnly Albert Raymond and Arnold With heate and moisture by craft occasionate With congelation of the Spyrite Lo now have I told Howe our materialls togeather
delyte hath and gladnesse Such fendly thoughts in his herte empresse How Christs people he may to mischiefe bring God kepe us from his false dissymuling What wyst this Preest with whom that he delte Ne of his harme comyng nothing he felte O sely Preest O sely Innocente With Covetyse anon thou shalt be blente O gracelesse ful blynde is thy conceyte Nothyng arte thou ware of his deceyte Which that this foxe hath shapen to the His wylye wrenches thou mayst not flo Wherefore to goe to thy Conclusyon That referreth to thy confusyon Unhappy man anon I wol me hye To tell thyn unwitte ne thy folye And eke the falsenesse of that other wretche As fer forthe as my connyng wol stretche This Chanon was my Lord ye wold wene Syr hoste in fayth and by the heven Quene It was another Chanon and not he That can an hundredfold more subtelte He hath betrayed folke many a tyme Of his falsenesse it doleth me to ryme Ever whan I speke of his falseheed For shame of him my chekes waxen reed Algates they begennen for to glowe For rednesse have I non right well I knowe In my visage for fumes dyverce Of Metalls which ye have herde me reherce Consumed and wasted hath my rednesse Now take heed of this Chanons Cursednesse Syr quod he to the Preest set your Man gon For Quicksilver that we it had anon And lett him bring unces two or thre And whan he cometh as faste shul ye se A wonder thyng which ye saw never er this Syr quod the Preest itt shal be done iwys He badd his servaunte fetch him this thyng And he already was att his bydding And went him forth and came anon agayne With this Quicksylver shortly for to sayne And toke these unces there to the Chanoun And he hem sayd well and fayre adoun And bade the servaunt Coles for to bryng That he anon might go to his werkyng The Coles right anon were yfet And this Chanon toke out a Crosselett Of his bosome and shewed it to the Preest This Instrument quod he which that thou feest Take in thy hond and put thy selfe therein Of this Quicksylver an unce and begyn In the name of Chist to wexe a Philosopher There be ful fewe which I wolde it profer To shewe him this moche of my Science For here shul ye se by experience That this Quicksylver I wol mortifye Right in your syght anon withouten lye And make it as good Sylver and as fyne As there is any in your purse or myne Or elsewhere and make it malliable Or els hold me false and unstable Amonges folke ever to appere I have a poudre that cost me deere Shall make all good for it is cause of all My connyng which I you shewe shall Voydeth your Man and let him be therout And shette the dore whyles we ben about Our privetie that no man us espy Whyles that we Werken in our Philosophye Al as he bade fulfylled was indede This ylke servant anon out yede And his Maister shette the dore anon And to her labour spedily they gone This Preest at this cursed Chanons byddyng Uppon the fyre anon set this thyng And blewe the fyre and besyed him ful faste And this Chanon into this croslet caste A pouder I not wherof it was Ymade either of Chalke Erthe or Glasse Or somwhat els was not worthe a fly To blynde with this Preest and bade him hye These Coles for to couchen al above The Crosslet for in token that I the love Quod this Chanon thyn hondes two Shal werke al thing that here shal be do Graunt mercy quod the Preest and was ful glad And couched coles as the Chanon bad And whyle he besy was this fendely wretch This false Chanon the foule fende him fetche Out of his bosome toke a bechen cole In which ful subtelly was made an hole And therein was put of Sylver lymayle An unce and stopped was without fayle The hole with waxe to kepe the Limayle in And understandeth that this false gyn Was not made there but it was made byfore And other thynges that I shall you tell more Herafter that whiche he with him brought Er he came there to begyle him he thought And so he did er they went a twynne Till he had turned him coulde he not blynne It dulleth me whan that I of him speke On his false hede fayne wolde I me wreke If I wyste how but he is here and there He is so varyaunt he bydeth no where But taketh heed Syrs nowe for Godds love He toke his Cole of which I spake above And in his honde he bare it prively And whyles the Preest couched besily The Coles as I told you er this This Chanon sayd Frende ye done amys This is not couched as it ought to be But sone I shall amend it quod he Nowe let me medle therwith but a whyle For of you have I pyte by Saint Gyle Ye ben right hotte I se wel how ye swete Have here a clothe and wype away the wete And while the Preest him wyped hace This Chanon toke the Cole I shrewe his face And layd it aboven uppon the mydwarde Of the Croslet and blewe wel afterwarde Till that the Coles gonne faste brenne Nowe yeve us drinke quod this Chanon then As swythe al shall be wel I undertake Sytte we downe and let us mery make And whan this Chanons bechen Cole Was brent al the Limayle out of the hole Into the Croslet anon fell adoun And soe it must needes by resoun Sens it so even above couched was But thereof wyste the Preest nothing alas He demed all the coles lyche goode For of the sleyght nothing he understoode And whan this Alkamistre sawe his tyme Ryseth up Syr Preest quod he and stondeth byme And for I wott well yngot have I none Gothe walketh forth and brynge a chalke stone For I wol make it of the same shappe That an yngott is if I may have happe And bring eke with you a bolle or a panne Full of water and you shall se thanne How that our besynesse shall happe and preve And yet for ye shall have no misbyleve Ne wronge conceyte of me in your absence I wol not ben out of your presence But goe with you and come with yon agayne The Chamber dore shortly to sayne They opened and shette and went forth her wey And forthe with him they carryed the key And comen agen withouten any delay What shulde I tarry all the long day He toke the Chalke and shope it in the wyse Of an yngot as I shall you devyse I say he toke out of his owne sleve A teyne of Sylver yvel mote he cheve Which that was but an unce of weight And taketh heed now of his cursed sleight He shope his yngot in lenght and in brede Of the teyne withouten any drede So slily that the Preest it not aspyde And in his sleve agayne he gan it hyde And from the
say it is worth his weight in Gold Son give theis two one penny in their Journey to drinke And thou shalt speede the better truly as I thinke The third Chapter NOw have I good will largely to write Although I can but slenderly indite But whether I can or cannot indeede With the Chapter of Fire I will proceede Which if thou knowest not how to governe and keepe Thou wert as good go to bed and sleepe As to be combred therewith about And therefore I put thee most certainely out of doubt For when I studied this Scyence as thou doest now I fell to practise by God I vowe I was never so troubled in all my lyfe beforne As intending to my Fire both Midday Eve and Morne And all to kepe it at an even stay It hath wrought me woe moe then I will say Yet one thing of truth I will thee tell What greate mishap unto my Worke befell It was upon a Newyeares day at Noone My Tabernacle caught fire it was soone done For within an houre it was right well And streight of fire I had a smell I ran up to my worke right And when I cam it was on a fire light Then was I in such feare that I began to stagger As if I had byne wounded to the heart with a dagger And can you blame me no I think not much For if I had beene a man any thing rich I had rather have given 100 Markes to the Poore Rather then that hap should have chanced that houre For I was well onward of my Work truly God save my Masters lyfe for when he thought to dye He gave me his worke and made me his Heire Wherefore alwaies he shall have my prayer I obteyned his grace the date herefro not to varie In the first and second yeare of King Phillip Queene Mary Yet lewdly I lost it as I have you tould And so I began the new and forgot the old Yet many a night after I could not sleepe in Bed For ever that mischance troubled my head And feare thereof I would not abide againe No though I shoulde reape a double gaine Wherefore my charge rose to a greater summe As in hyring of a good stoute Groome Which might abide to watch and give attendance Yet often tymes he did me displeasaunce And would sleepe so long till the Fire went out Then would the Knave that whorson Lout Cast in Tallow to make the fire burne quicker Which when I knew made me more sicker And thus was I cumbred with a drunken sott That with his hasty fire made my Worke too hott And with his sloth againe he set my worke behinde For remedy thereof to quiet my Minde I thrust him out of dores and tooke my selfe the paine Although it be troublesome it is the more certaine For servants doe not passe how our workes doe frame But have more delight to play and to game A good servant saith Solomon let him be unto thee As thyne owne heart in each degree For it is precious a faithfull servant to finde Esteeme him above treasure if he be to thy minde Not wretchles but sober wise and quiet Such a one were even for my dyet Thus having warn'd thee of an ill servant sufficient But a good servant is for our intent The fourth Chapter WHen my Man was gone I began it anewe And old troubles then in my minde did renew As to break sleepe oftentimes in the night For feare that my Worke went not aright And oftentimes I was in greate doubt Least that in the night my fire should go out Or that it should give to much heate The pensivenes thereof made me to breake sleepe And also in the day least it should miscary It hath made my minde oftentimes to varie Wherefore if thou wilt follow my reade See thy fire safe when thou goest to Bed At Midnight also when thou dost arise And in so doing I judge thee to be wise Beware that thy Fire do no man harme For thou knowest many a mans House and Barne Have byne set on fire by mischance And specially when a Foole hath the governance Our Fire is chargeable and will amount Above 3. pound a weeke who hath list to cast account Which is chargeable to many a poore man And specially to me as I tell can And Geber bids poore men be content Haec Scientia pauperi agento non convenit Sed potius est illis inimica and bids them beware Because their mony they may not well spare For thou must have Fires more then one or two What they he George Ripley will thee shew Above a hundred pounds truly did I spend Only in fire ere 9. moneths came to an end But indeede I begun when all things were deare Both Tallow Candle Wood Coale and Fire Which charges to beare sometymes I have sold Now a Jewell and then a ring of Gold And when I was within a Moneths reckoning Warrs were proclaimed against the French King Then a Gentleman that ought me greate mallice Caused me to be prest to goe serve at Callys When I saw there was none other boote But that I must goe spight of my heart toote In my fury I tooke a Hatchet in my hand And brake all my Worke whereas it did stand And as for my Potts I knocked them together And also my Glasses into many a shiver The Crowes head began to appeare as black as Iett Yet in my fury I did nothing let But with my worke made such a furious faire That the Quintessence flew forth in the Aire Farewell quoth I and seeing thou art gon Surely I will never cast of my Fawcon To procure thee againe to put me to hinderance Without it be my fortune and chaunce To speake with my good Master or that I dye Master I. S. his name is truly Nighe the Citty of Salisbury his dwelling is A spirituall man for sooth he is For whose prosperity I am bound to pray For that he was my Tutor many a day And understood as much of Philosophie As ever did Arnold or Raymund Lullie Geber Hermes Arda nor yet King Caleb Understood no more then my good Master did I travelled this Realme Est and West over Yet found I not the like betweene the Mount and Dover But only a Monke of whome I le speake anon Each of them had accomplished our White Stone But yet to the Red Worke they never came neere The cause hereafter more plainely shall appeare And thus when I had taken all this paines And then could not reape the fruit of my gaines I thought to my selfe so to set out this Warke That others by fortune may hit right the Marke The fift Chapter I am sorry I have nothing to require my Masters gentlenes But only this Boke a litle short Treatise Which I dare say shall as welcome be to him As if I had sent him a Couple of Milch Kine And heere for his sake I will disclose unto thee A greate seacret which by
such water That is turning the Body into his first Matter The second Werke is to bring Earth and Water to Congealing The cleansing of the Third is another Unto Whitenes my owne Brother With this Water of his owne That is full marvalous to be knowne The fourth werke is distilling Of Water and Earth upsweating And thus hast thou by one assent Earth Ayre Water and Fire the foure Elements The Ashes that are in the bottome of the Vessell Looke thou dispise them not though left For I tell thee right well There is the Diadem of our Craft FINIS JOHN LYDGATE MONKE OF St. EDMUNDS BURY In his Translation of the second Epistle that King Alexander sent to his Master ARISTOTLE WHan Alysaundre as is Rehersyd heer This Phylosophre for vertues manyfoold Sent unto hym a secret Messengeer Without exskus to come to hys housoold But he ageyn for he was feeble and old And impotent on the tother syde And unweldy for to goon or ryde But chiefe cause why Alysaundre sente A purpoos take and a fantasye To declare pleynly what it mente He wyst in sooth that in Philosophye Wyth other secrets of Astronomye He was experte and mooste cowde understonde Thys was in cheefe Cause of the Kynges sonde Powder of Planetys and mevyng of all Sterrys And of every heavenly Intelligence Dysposicion of Pees and ek of Werrys And of ech othyr straunge hyd Scyence As the sevene Goddys by theyr Influence Dyspose the Orders of Incantacions Or of sevene Metallys the Transmutacions With othir Craftys which that besecre Calculacion and Geomancye Dyfformacions of Circes and Meed Lokynge of Facys and Pyromancye On Lond and Watir Craft of Geometrye Heyghte and Depnesse with all Experyence Therefore the Kinge desires his presence But for all this within himselfe a thing There was a Secre he kept not to disclose Nor to publishe opynly to the Kynge Takeyng Example by two things in a Roose First how the Flower greet sweetnesse doth dispoose Yet in the Thorne men finde great sharpnesse And thus in Konnyng there may been a lykenesse In Herbe and Flour in Writeing Word and Stoon Ech hath his vertue of God and of Nature But the knowyng is hyd froo many oon And not declaryd to every Creature Wherefor he cast twen Reason and Measure To shape aweye both the Kyng to plese Somewhat to unclose and set his herte at ese There is of ryght a greete difference Tween a Princes royall Dignite And a twen Commons rude Intelligence To whom nat longeth to meddle in no degre Of Konnynges that should be kept secre For to a Kynges famous magnificence And to Clerkys whiche have Experience Itt cordeth well to search out Scripture Mysteries hid of Fowlys Beeste and Tree And of Angellys moost sotyl of Nature Of Myneralls and Fysshes in the See And of Stonys specially of Three Oon Myneral another Vegetatyff Partyd on Foure to lengthe a Mannys lyffe Off whych I radde oonys among othir Stonys There was oon calyd Anymal Foure Elements wrought out for the noonys Erthe Watir and Ayre and in especyall Joyned with Fyre proporcyon maad egal I dar seyn breefly and not tarye Is noon swych Stoone found in the Lapidarye Irad Oonys of a Phylosophre Ageyn ech syckenesse of valew doth moost cure All the Tresure and Gould in Craesus Coffre Nor all the Stoonys that grow by Nature Wrought by Craft or forgyd by Picture Lapis non Lapis Stoon of greetest fame Aristotiles gaff it the same name And for I have but little rad or seyne To write or medle of so high mateerys For presumcion some would have disdeyn To be so bold or clymbe in my desires To scale the Laddere above the nyne Speerys Or medle of Rubyes that yeve so cleere a light On hooly shrines in the dirk night I was nevir noon expert Joweleere In suych mateerys to put my sylfe in prees With Philosophres myn Eyen wer nat cleer Nowthir with Plato nor with Socratees Except the Prynce Aristotilees Of Philosophres to Alisaundre Kyng Wrott of this Stone the mervaylle in all werking In prevy wyse lych to hys Ententys Secretys hyd cloos in Phylosophye Fyrst departyng of the foure Elementys And aftyrward as he doth speceffye Every ech of hem for to recteffye And after thys lyk hys Oppynyon Of thys foure to make a Conjunccyon In suych wyse performe up thys Stoon Seene in the joynynge there be noone outrage But the fals erryng hath founyd many one And brought hem aftyr in full greete rerage By Expensys and outragyous Costage For lak of brayn they wern maad soe wood Thyng to begynne whych they not understood For he that lyst putte in Experience Forboode secrees I hold hym but a foole Lyke hym that temptyth of wylfull neglygence To stonde up ryght on a three foote stoole Or sparyth a stewe or fyssheth a bareyn poole Whan all is doon he get noon othir grace Men wyl skorne hym and mokke hys foltish face Itt is no Crafft poore men t'assayle It causeth Coffers and Chestys to be bare Marryth wytts and braynes doth affray Yit by wryting this booke doth declare And be Resons lyst not for to spare Wyth Golden Resouns in taast moost lykerous Thyng per Ignotum prevyd per Ignocius Title of this Booke Labor Philosophorum Namyd alsoe De Regimine principum Of Philosophres Secreta Secretorum Tresour compyled omnium Virtutum Rewle directory set up in a som As Complexions in helthe and sekenesse Dyspose them sylf to mornyng or to gladnesse The whych booke direct to the Kyng Alysaundre both in the werre and pees Lyke hys request and royall commanding Full accomplished by Aristotiles Feble for Age and impotent doubtles Hoole of corage and trew in his entent T'obeye his byddyng this booke he to hym sent How Aristotle declareth to King Alysaundre of the Stonys TOwching the Stone of Philosophres Oold Of which they make moost Sovereyn mencyon But there is oon as Aristotle toold Which alle excelleth in Comparison Stoon of Stoonys moost Sovereyn of renoune Towching the vertue of this rych thyng Thus he wrote to the most sovereyn King O Alysaundre grettest of dignite Of al this World Monark and Regent And of al Nacyons hast the Sovereynte Echoon to obeye and been obedyent And to conclude the fyn of our entent All worldly Tresure breesly shet in oon Is declaryd in vertue of this Stoon Thou must first conceiven in substance By a maneer uncouth dyvysion Watir from Eyr by a disseverance And fyr from Eyr by a departicion Echoon preservyd from all Corruptyon As Philosophres a forme have speceffyed Which by Reason may not be denyed Watir from Eyr departyd prudently Eyr from Fyr and Fyr from Erthe don The Craft conceyved devyded truly Withouten Errour or Decepcyon Pure every Element in his Complexion As it perteyneth pleynly to his parte As is remembryd perfyghtly in this Arte. This Stone of Colour is sometyme Citrynade Lyke the Sonne stremyd in his kynd Gold tressyd maketh hertes