so farr in preass That secreate Trewth to shew I cannot cease Rehersing such as were greately too bold So great secreats to shew as thei tolde Thei said that within the Center of incompleate White Was hid our Red Stone of most delight Which maie with strength and kinde of Fier Be made to appeare right as we desier Pandulphus in Turba saide mente secura Et ejus umbra in vera tinctura Maria confirmed it in fide oculata Quod in ipsa albedine est rubedo occultata The Boke Laudabile Sanctum made by Hermes Of the Red Worke speaketh in this wise Candida tunc rubeo jacet uxor nupta marito That is to saie if ye take heede thereto Then is the faire White Woman Married to the Ruddy Man Understandinge thereof if ye would gett When our White Stone shall suffer heate And rest in Fier as red as Blood Then is the Marriage perfect and good And ye maie trewly know that tyme How the seminall seed Masculine Hath wrought and won the Victory Upon the menstrualls worthily And well converted them to his kinde As by experience ye shall finde Passing the Substance of Embrion For then compleate is made our Stone Whom wise Men said that ye shulde feede With his owne Venome when it is neede Then ride or goe where ye delight For all your Costs he woll you quite Thus endeth the subtill Warke with all her store I need not I maie not I woll shew no more Vaughan sculp s CHAP. VI. TOwards the Matters of Concordance Consider there be no variance Betweene such things as shulde accorde For of variance maie grow discord VVhereby your VVarkes maie be lost VVith all your labour and all your cost He that wol take our VVarke in hande Five Concords he must understande The first Concord is neede to marke VVhether his Minde accorde with the Warke VVhich shal be Lord to paie for all Els all your labour destroy ye shall The second Concord is needfull to kenn Between this Crafte and her Workemen The Third shall serve well your intents VVhen Warke accordeth with Instruments The fourth Concord must welbe sought VVith the Place where it shall be wrought For trewlie it is no little grace To find a perfect working Place The Fift is of Concord and of Love Betweene your VVarkes and the Spheare above Of theis five Concords reherse we shall Beginning with the first of all FOr the first ye shall well finde That full few Lords be stable of Minde Thei be hasty the VVarke is longe Thei woulde have you doe Nature wronge Some now be onward as hasty as fier Halfe a yeare after have noe desire And some in a Weeke it is noe Nay Woll chaunge their mindes and some in a day And for one Moneth have full beleife And the next Moneth thei woll the Arte repreeve It were much better for such to cease Than for this Arte to put them in preasse Let such like Butterflies wander and passe And lerne this lesson both more and lasse Following the Sentence of this holie letter Attingens à fine usque ad finem fortiter Disponens omnia suaviter That is proceede mightily to the End From the Beginning maugre the feinde All things disposing in the meane space With great suavity that commeth of grace All short-witted Men and mutable Such must needs be variable And some doe every Man beleive Such credence doth their Cofers greive To everie new Tale to them tolde They give Credence and leave the olde But some Lords be stable of wit Such be apt to finish it Everie such Lord or Master of this Werke Be he Layman or be he Clerke Be he rich man Knight Abbot or Lorde He hath with this Arte greate Concorde THe seconde Concorde with this Arte is When ye can finde apt Ministers Noe Minister is apt to this intent But he be sober wise and diligent Trewe and watchfull and also timerous Close of Tongue of Body not vitious Clenly of hands in Tuching curious Not disobedient neither presumptuous Such Servants maie your workes of Charge Minister and save from all outrage But trust not that two such Servants or three Maie sufficient for your worke be If your Matter be of quantity reasonable Then Eight such Servants be convenable But upon litle quantity finde ye shall Foure men able to performe all That one halfe of them must werke While the other Sleepeth or goeth to Kerke For of this Arte ye shall not have your praye But it be ministred as well by Night as Daye Continually except the holy Sonday alone From Evensong begin till Evensong be done And while thei worke thei must needes eschewe All Ribaudry els thei shall finde this trewe That such mishap shall them befall Thei shall destroy part of their Works or all Therefore all the Ministers must be Men Or else thei must be all Weomen Set them not occupied one with another Though some to you be Sister or Brother Yet thei must have some good disporte Their greate labours to recomforte Then nothinge shall better avaunce Your worke than shall this Concordance THe Third Concord is to manie full derke To ordeyne Instruments according to the Werke As everie Chapter hath divers intents Soe hath it divers Instruments Both in Matter and also in Shape In Concord that nothing may mis-happ As workes of Dâ—vision and Seperation Have small Vessells for their Operation But Vessells broade for Humectation And some deale broad for Circulation But longe Vessells for Precipitation Both short and long serve Sublimation Narrowe Vessells and foure inches high Serve Correction most properly Of Vessells some be made of Leade And some of Clay both quick and deade Dead Clay is called such a thinge As hath suffered greate roastinge Such medled in powder with good raw Claye Will Fier abide and not goe away But manie Claies woll leape in Fier Such for Vessells doe not desire Other Vessells be made of Stone For Fier sufficient but few or none Amonge Workemen as yet is founde In any Country of English grounde Which of Water nothing drinke shall And yet abide drie Fier withall Such Stones large for our intente Were a precious Instrument All other Vessells be made of Glasse That spirituall matters should not out-passe Of Ashes of Ferne in this Lond everi-each one Be made but els-where be of Stone Of our Glasses the better kinde The morning stuffe ye shall it finde Which was Ashes the night before Standing in Heate all night and more The harder stuffe is called Freton Of clipping of other Glasses it come Tincture with anealing of Glasiers Will not perse him as thei reherse By this Doctrine chuse or refuse Take which you woll unto your use But for figures of Vessells kinde Everie Man followeth his owne minde The best fashion is ye maie be sure She that best concordeth with Vessell of Nature And figure that best Concordeth with quantity And with all Circumstances to matter best is she And this sheweth well Albertus
workes Daulton kept dilligently Many yeares till that Channon must dye And for his service he said in that space The Cannon gave him all that thereof was The Kinge gave to Daulton Marks foure With liberty to goe where he would that houre Then was the Kinge in his herte sore That he had not knowne Daulton before And ever it happneth without leasinge That Tyrants be full nigh to a Kinge For Herberte lay for Daulton in waight And brought him to Stepney with deceipte The servaunts of Herbert the mony tooke away Which the King gave to Daulton that day And after Herbert carried Daulton farr From thence to the Casle of Gloucester There was Daulton prisner full longe Herbert to Daulton did mickle wronge Fro thence he had him to prison fast To Troy till foure yeares were nigh past And after he brought him out to dye Daulton to death obeyed lowly And said Lord Jesue blessed thou be Me thinks I have byne too longe from thee A Science thou gavest me with full greate charge Which I have kept without outrage I founde noe man yet apt thereto To be myne Heyer when I am goe Wherefore sweete Lord now I am faine To resigne this thy guift to thee againe Then Daulton made devout prayers and still Withsmiling cheere he said now doe your wil. When Herbert sawe him so glad to dye Then ran water from Herberts Eye For Prison ne Death could him not availe To winn this Arte his Crafte did him faile Now let him goe said Herbert than For he shall never hurt ne profett man But when Daulton from the block should rise He looked forth in full heavie wise And so departed with full heavie cheere It was not his will to live one yeare This was his Paine as I you tell By men that had no dread of Hell Herbert dyed soone after in his bed And Deluis at Teuxbury lost his head This wise greate Paine as you may see Followeth this Arte in every degree Heere lost the King all his intent For Herbert was proude and violent Soe nobil a man to opprese with pride And like a Fellone him leade and guide Where that by goodnesse patience and grace There might have growen full great solace As well to the King ye may understonde As for th'ease of Commons of this londe But wonder not that grace doe not fall For sinn reygneth in this londe over all Loe here was grace full ready at honde To have ceased Taxes and Tallages of this londe Whereby much Love and Grace would have be Betweene Knight-hood Priest-hoode and Comminaltie Here ye maie see how vicious violence Maie not purchase the vertue of sapience For vice and vertue be things contrary Therefore the vicious maie not come thereby If Vicious men mought lerne this Science They would therewith doe wondrous violence And with Ambitiousnesse grow evermore Worse of Conditions then they were before Now is this Chapter of Joy and Paine gone The Chapter following sheweth Matters of our Stone CHAP. III. TONsile was a labourer in the fire Threescore years and more to win his defire Brian was another with Holton in the Weste Thes were ever busie could practice with the best But yet this Science thei never founde For thei knew not the Matters ne the Grounde But rumbled foorth and evermore they sought They spent their lyfe and their goods to nought Much losse much cost much anguish they bought Amonge their Receipts which they had wrought Then made Tonsile to me his greate complainte With weeping Teares he said his heart was fainte For he had spended all his lusty dayes In fals Receipts and in such lewde assayes Of Herbes Gommes of Rootes and of Grasse Many kindes by him assayed was As Crowefoote Celondine and Mizerion Vervaine Lunara and Martagon In Antimony Arsenick Honey Wax and Wine In Haire in Eggs in Merds and Urine In Calx vive Sandifer and Vitriall In Markasits Tutits and every Minerall In Malgams in Blanchers and Citrinacions All fell to nought in his opperacions For he considered not how he did rage When to Gods proportions he layde surcharge After all this he thought nothing so good To worke upon as shulde be mans Blode Till that I said how blode would waste and fume In mighty fire and utterly consume For Christ his love then saide he teach me Whereof the substance of our Stone should be Tonsile said I what shulde it you avayle Such thing to know your lims doth you faile For very Age therefore cease your lay And love your Beades it is high time to Praye For if you knew the Materialls of our Stone Ere you could make it your dayes would begone Thereof no charge good Master said he It were sufficient Comfort now to me To know the trewe Materialls without wronge Of that Stone which I have sought soe longe Tonsile said I It is noe litle thinge Whereof you would have trewe tydinge For many Auctors write of this doubte But none of them sheweth it Cleerly oute For Auctors which of this Arte doe write Besought God as witnesseth Democrite That he unpained would fro this Worlde take Their Soules whom he tought Bokes thereof to make For greatly doubted evermore all suche That of this Scyence they may write too muche Every each of them tought but one pointe or twayne Whereby his fellowes were made certayne How that he was to them a Brother For every of them understoode each other Alsoe they wrote not every man to Teache But to shew themselves by a secret Speache Trust not therefore to reading of one Boke But in many Auctors works ye may looke Liber librum apperit saith Arnold the greate Clerke Anaxagoras said the same for his werke Who that slothfull is in many bokes to see Such one in Practice prompt shall never be But Tonsile for almes I will make no store Plainly to disclose it that never was done before By way of answer for your recreation If ye cann wisely make Interrogation Good Master saide he then teach me trewly Whether the matters be Sol or Mercury Or whether of Sol or Lune it maie be Or whether I shall take them all three Or Sol by it selfe or Mercury alone Or Sulpher with them for matters of our Stone Or whether I shall sal Almoniack take Or Minerall meanes our Stone thereof to make Here be many questions Tonsile said I Wisely remembred and full craftily You name it not yet but onely in generall For you must take some deale of theis things all Of these and of other you must take a parte One time or other to minister this Arte Many things helpeth to apt our Stone But two be Materialls yet our Stone is one Betweene which two is such diversity As betweene the Mother and the Childe may be An other diversity betweene them find ye shall Such as is found betweene Male and Female Theis two kindes shall doe all your service As for the White worke if you can be wise One of thes kindes a
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
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
Silver perfect through fine Now am I perfect Goulde excellent better then the prime 6. I was a Pipe of Leade well nigh two hundred yeare And now to all men good Silver I appeare 7. The seventh said I Leade am Gould made for a Maistrie But trewlie my fellowes are nerer thereto then I. This Science beareth her name of a King Called Alchimus without leasing A glorious Prince of most noble minde His noble vertues holpe him this arte to finde He searched Nature he was nobil Clerke He left Extorcion than sought and found this werke King Hermes alsoe he did the same Being a Clerke of Excellent fame In his Quadripartite made of Astrologie Of Physique and of this Arte of Alkimy And also of Magique naturall As of four Sciences in nature passing all And there he said that blessed is hee That knoweth things truly as thei bee And blessed is he that maketh due proofe For that is roote of cunning and roofe For by opinion is many a Man Deceived which hereof litle cann An old Proverbe In a Bushell of weeninge Is not found one handfull of Cunninge With due proofe and with discreet assaye Wise men may leare new things every day By Cunninge Men know themselves and every thinge Man is but a Beast and worse without Cunninge But litle favour hath every Man To Science whereof he litle can And litle Cunning maketh men proud and wilde Sufficient Cunning maketh men full milde Nobil men now in manner have despighte Of them that have to Cunning appetite But noble Kings in auncient dayes Ordained as olde Auctors saies That the seven Sciences to learne and can Shulde none but only a Noble man And at the least he shulde be so free That he mought Studie with libertie Wherefore old Sages did them call The seaven Sciences liberall For he that would leare them perfectly and well In cleere liberty he must dwell From worldly warkes he must withdrawe That would lerne but Mans Lawe Much more the Worlde he must forsake Which many Sciences woulde overtake And for that cause Men may well see Why Cunninge men dispised be Yet nobil Memory shall never cease Of him which Cunninge doth increase Hee which loveth Cunning Justice and Grace Is set aside in many a place But whoe to Courte bringeth in with guile Profit or present he is the Man that while Wherefore this Science and many Graces moe Be lost and be departed all ye fro And furthermore remember what I say Sinn caleth fast for his ending day Covetise and Cunninge have discorde by kinde Who lucre coveteth this Science shall not finde But he that loveth Science for her owne kinde He may purchase both for his blessed minde Of this Chapter more I need not teach For here appeareth what men may it reach That is to remember only the trewe And he that is constant in minde to pursue And is not Ambitious to borrow hath no neede And can be Patient not hasty for to speede And that in God he set fully his trust And that in Cunning be fixed all his lust And with all this he leade a rightfull lyfe Falshoode subduinge support no sinfull strife Such Men be apt this Science to attaine The Chapter following is of Joy and paine CHAP. II. NORmandy nurished a Monke of late Which deceived Men of every state But before that done he in his fantazie Weened he had caught this Art fully Such rejoycing thereof he had That he began to dote and to be madde Of whose Joyes albeit they were smalle For an ensample I write this Tale. This Monke had walked about in Fraunce Raunging Apostata in his plesaunce And after he came into this lond Willing Men should understonde How that of Alkimy he had the grounde By a Boke of Receipts which he had founde In surety thereof he set all his minde Some nobil Acte to leave behinde Whereby his name should be immortall And his greate Fame in laude perpetuall And ofte he mused where to beginne To spend the riches that he shulde winn And ever he thought loe this I cann Where mought I finde some trusty Man Which would accorde now with my will And help my purpose to fulfill Then would I make upon the plaine Of Salisbury glorious to be saine Fifteen Abbies in a little while One Abbie in the end of every mile Hereupon this Monke to me resorted Of trust he said which men of me reported His foresaid mind he did to me tell And prayd me to keep his great Councell I said before an Image of Saint Jame That I would never disclose his name Yet I may write without all vice Of his desires that were so nice When he had discovered his great Cunning He said that he faughted nothing But a good meane for his solace To labour to the Kings good grace To get lycence of his estate And of his Lords mediate To purchase lond for the Abbies aforesaid For which all coste should be well paied But yet he had great doubt and feare How to purchase of whom and where When I had heard of this greate werke I searched to wit what manner of Clerke He was and what he knew of Schoole And therein he was but a Foole. Yet I suffered and held me still More to lerne of his lewd Will Then said I it were a lewd thinge Such matter to shew unto the Kinge But if the proofe were reasonable He would thinke it a foolish Fable The Monke saide how that he had in fire A thing which shulde fulfill his desire Whereof the trewth within forty dayes I shulde well know by trew assaies Then I said I would no more that tyde But forty dayes I said I would abide When forty dayes were gone and past The Monkes Crafte was cleane overcast Then all his Abbies and all his thought Was turned to a thing of nought And as he came he went full lewde Departing in a minde full shrewd For soone after within a little while Many trewe men he did beguile And afterwards went into Fraunce Loe this was a pittifull chance That fifteene Abbies of Religion Shulde in this wise fall to confusion Great wonder was what thing he meant And why he set all his intent Abbies to build then was it wonder Why nould he live Obedient under But be Apostata and range about This blessed Science to finde out But as I wrote above in this Boke Let no Deceiver after this Science looke AN other Ensample is good to tell Of one that trusted to doe as well As Raymond Lully or Bacon the Frier Wherefore he named himselfe saunce peere He was Parson of a little Town Not farr from the Citty of London Which was taken for halfe a Leach But little cunning had he to Preach He weened him sure this Arte to finde His Name he would have ever in minde By meanes of a Bridge imagined in dorage To be made over Thames for light passage Whereof shulde grow a Common ease All the Countrey thereabout to please
Stone ye shall finde For it abideth fire as stones doe by kinde But it is no Stone in touching ne in sight But a subtill Earth browne roddy and not bright And when it is separate and brought to his appearage Then we name it our grounde Litharge First it is browne roddy and after some deale white And then it is called our chosen Markasite One ounce thereof is better then sifty pounde It is not to be sould in all Christian grounde But he that would have it he shal be faine To doe it make or take himselfe the paine But one greate grace in that labour is saine Make it once well and never more againe Olde fathers called it thinge of vile price For it is nought worth by way of Marchandise Noe man that findeth it woll beare it awaie Noe more then thei would an Ounce of Claye Men will not beleeve that it is of high price No man knoweth it therefore but he be wise Here have I disclosed a greate secret wonder Which never was writ by them which been erth under A Nother Stone Tonsile you must have withall Or else you fawte your cheefe Mâ—â—â—riall Which is a Stone gloriouse faier and bright In handling a Stone and a Stone in sight A Stone glittering with perspecuitie Being of wonderfull Dâ—aphanitie The price of an Ounce Conveniently Is twenty shillings or well neere thereby Her name is Magnetia few people her knowe She is fownde in high places as well as in lowe Plato knew her property and called her by her name And Chaucer reherseth how Titanos is the same In the Channons Yeomans Taile saying what is thus But quid ignotum per magis ignotius That is to say what may this be But unknowne by more unknowne named is she Nethles Tonsile now I will trewlie teach What is Magnetia to say in our speache Magos is Greeke Mirabile in Latine it ys Aes is Money yâ—os Science A is God ywisse That is to say it is such a thinge Wherein of Money is wonderous divine Cunninge Now here you may know what is Magnetia Res aeris in qua latet scientia divinaque mira Thes two Stones Tonsile ye must take For your materialls Elixir if ye make Albeit the first tyme materialls be no more Yet many things helpeth as I saide before This secrete was never before this daye So trewly discovered take it for your praye I pray God that this turne not me to Charge For I dread sore my penn goeth too large For though much people perceive not this Sentence Yet subtill Clerks have too much Evidence For many Clerks be so cleere of witt If thei had this ground thei were sure of it Wher our Lord hath ordained that no man it finde But only he that is of verteous minde Wherefore olde Fathers Covered for great reason The Matters of our Stone disclosed at this season Other Materials ye shall none take But only theis two oure white stone to make Except Sal Armoniack with Sulphur of kinde Such as out of Mettals ye can finde Theis two woll abide to fulfill your desire The remnant will void when thei come to fire Sulpher woll brenn and chaunge Collours fast But our Litharge abideth first and last Ye may not with mettals or Quicksilver beginn To make Elixir if you intend to winn Yet if you destroy the whole Composition Some of their Compounds will help in Conclusion And that is nothing Els of that one or that other But only Magnetia and Litharge her Brother Ro Vaughan sculp CHAP. IV. OF the grosse Warke now I will not spare Though it be secrete largely to declare To teach you the trewth is myne intente As far forth as I dare for Gods Commaundement I will informe and guide you in the way In such wise as you may finde your praye If you consider how the partes of Werkes Be out of Order set by the old Clerks As I saide before the Masters of this Arte Every each of them disclosed but a parte Wherefore though ye perceived them as ye woulde Yet ye cannot order and joyne them as ye shulde Arnold sheweth in his writinge How our finall secret is to know the thinge Whereupon our worke shulde take her grounde And how pure Natures simple may be found In this Boke begining multipharie He saith in our grounded Matter two kindes be But how to find them he kept that in store Ye have their Names the last Chapter before Freer Bacon disclosed more of that pointe When he said Departe ye every joynte In Elementa propinqua take good heede thereto But unwise Doctours never worken soe But headly they proceed as men well nigh madd To the Matters divisible moe Matters they adde Soe when thei weene to bringe forth a Flower They doe nothinge but multiply Errour There cesed Bacon and so doe other such For very dread least they shulde shew too much Avicen in Porta wrote if ye remember How ye shulde proceede perfection to ingender Trewly teaching as the pure trewth was Comedas ut bibas et bibas ut Comedas Eate as it drinketh and drinke as it doth eate And in the meane season take it a perfect sweate Rasis set the Dietary and spake some deale farr Non tamen comedat res festinanter Let not your Matters eate over hastilie But wisely consume their foode leasurelie Hereof the Prophet made wondrous mention Yf ye applie it to this intention Visitasti terram inebriasti eam Multiplicasti locupletare eam Terram fructiferam in salsuginem Et terram sine aqua in exitus aquarum If it I have plenty of Meate and of Drinke Men must wake when they desier to winke For it is laboure of watch and paines greate Also the Foode is full costly meate Therefore all Poore men beware said Arnold For this Arte longeth to greate men of the worlde Trust to his words ye Poore men all For I am witnes that soe ye finde shall Esto longanimis suavis said he For hasty men th' end shall never see The lengthe of clensing of Matters infected Deceyveth much People for that is unsuspected Wherefore Poore men put ye not in preaâ—e Such wonders to seech but in season cease Excesse for one halfe quarter of an howre May destroy all therefore cheefe succoure Is Primum pro quo vultimum pro quo non To know of the simperinge of our Stone Till it may noe more simper doe not cease And yet longe Continuance may not cause increase Remember that Water will buble and boyle But Butter must simper and also Oyle And soe with long leasure it will waste And not with bubling made in haste For doubt of perrills many moe then one And for supergression of our stone Amongst grosse Workes the fowlest of all Is to clarifie our meanes Minerall Extremities may not be well wrought Without many Meanes wisely sought And everie Meane must be made pure If this worke shulde be made sure For foule and cleane by naturall lawe Hath
to be of light liquefaction As Wax is and Butter and Gummes all A little heate maketh them to melt and fall Water clenseth with ablution blive And things mortifyed causeth to revive Of multiplying of Fier is no greater wonder Than is of multiplying of Erth set under For Erth beareth Herbes daily new and newe Without number therefore it is trewe That Erth is wonderfull as well as Fier Though one sparke maie soone fill a Sheere If all a Sheere were filled with Flaxe One sparke than would wonderfully waxe Fier and Erth be multipliers alone And thei be causers of multiplying our Stone Of this Erth showeth Albert our great Brother In his Mineralls which Lytharge is better than other For the white Elixir he doth it there rehearse And the booke of Meeter showeth it in a verse NOw to Conjunction let us resorte And some wise Councell thereof reporte Conjoyne your Elements Grammatically With all their Concords conveniently Whiche Concords to healpe a Clerke Be cheefe Instruments of all this werke For nothinge maie be more contrary nowe Than to be fixt and unperfectly flowe All the Grammarians of England and of Fraunce Cannot teach you this Concordance This Ordinall telleth where ye maie it see In Phisick in the Boke de Arbore Joyne them also in Rhetoricall guise With Natures Ornate in purified wise Sithens our Tincture must be most pure and faire Be sure of pure Erth Water Fier and Ayre In Logicall wise be it early or late Joyne trewe kindes not sophisticate Ignorance hereof hath made many Clerks Lewdly to leese their labour and their werkes Joyne them together also Arithmetically By suttill Numbers proportionally Whereof a litle mention made there was When Boetius said tu numeris elementa ligas Joyne your Elements Musically For two causes one is for Melody Which there accords will make to your mind The trewe effect when that ye shall finde And also for like as Diapason With Diapente and with Diatesseran With ypate ypaton and Lecanos muse With other accords which in Musick be With their proporcions causen Harmony Much like proportions be in Alkimy As for the great Numbers Actuall But for the secreate Numbers Intellectuall Ye must seeche them as I said before Out of Raymond and out of Bacons lore Bacon sheweth it darkly in his three letters all And Raymonde better in his Arte Generall Many men weene which doth them reade That theie doe understonde them when theie doe not indeede With Astrologie joyne Elements also To fortune their Workings as theie goe Such simple kindes unformed and unwrought Must craftily be guided till the end be sought All which season theie have more obedience Above formed Natures to Sterrs influence And Science Perspective giveth great evidence To all the Ministers of this Science And so done other Sciences manie moe And specially the Science de Pleno Vacuo But the chiefe Mistris among Sciences all For helpe of this Arte is Magick Naturall WHen the foure Elements wisely joyned be And every-each of them set in his degree Then of divers degrees and of divers digestion Colours will arise towards perfection For then worketh inward heate naturall Which in our substance is but Intellectuall To sight unknowne hand maie it not feele His working is knowne to few Men and seild And when this heate naturall moved be shall By our outward heate artificiall Then Nature excited to labour will not cease Many diversities of degrees to increase Which is one cause by reason you maâ—e see Whie in our warke so manie Colours be Therfore it causeth in this Arte great doubt Ignorance of heate within and without To know how theis two heates shulde accord And which of them in working shulde be Lord. DIgestion in this warke hath great likenesse To digestion in things of Quicknes And before other as I witnesse can It is most like to digestion of Man Therefore said Morien our Stone in generation Is most like thing to Mans Creation In whom saith Raymond the fowre degrees all Of the fowre Complexions together finde ye shall And that actually which ye cannot finde Amongst Creatures in none other kinde Wherefore amonge Creatures theis two alone Be called Microcosmus Man and our Stone Now of Digestion the aliment and foode Perfectly to know is needfull and full good It is humor sollid constant with siccitie Mightily medled after some degree In opposite passives mixed duly Ingendered by inward and outward heat trewly Soe nothing else is our Digestion But of humour substantiall a create perfection I pray ye Laymen have me excused Though such Tearmes with you be not used I must use them for all Auctors affirmes How every Science hath his proper Tearmes Digestion sometimes advanced maie be By outward cold as yearly ye maie see How in Winter men eaten more meate Than in Summer when expansed is their heate For colde maketh heate inward then to flye And ligge nigh together then stronger is he Which by his strength his power is more To make Digestion than he mought before But our cheefe Digesture for our intent Is virtuall heate of the matter digerent Nethles heate of the digestible thinge Helpeth digestion and her working Feaverly heate maketh no digestion Baines maie helpe and cause also destruction Wine digested hath more heate naturall Than hath new Muste whose heate is accidentall Coagulation is noe forme substantiall But onlie passion of things materiall MOre ye must know when Colours appeare Who is principall Agent in that matter Cleere For sometimes it is Heate and sometimes Cold it is And sometime Moysture and somewhile Drines The principall Agent to know at every season Requireth great search made by suttill reason Which is not perceived but of Masters fewe For thei mark not how Colours arise by rewe The principall Agent of the qualities fowre Hath power royall as Lord of most honour The remnant of qualities to Converte to his kinde Of which conversion Anaxagoras maketh minde In his Boke of Conversions Naturall Whereof Raymond sheweth causes speciall It is no Jape neither light to lerne Your principall Agent all seasons to discerne Which I teach you to knowne by signes fowre By Colour Odour Sapor and Liquore ANd first by Colour to serve your intente To know thereby your principall Agent Looke in your Vessell which Colour sheweth most He that causeth him is principall of the host As for that season whose pride ye maie swage By this our Doctrine if ye see him rage Which ye maie doe when ye well understonde The cause of all Colours which ye have in honde Which I woll teach you now shortly withall Bycause here and there seeke them ye ne shall Whitnes is caused of manie matters cleere In another thing termined and soe it is heere Blacknes is when parts of a body darke With thicknes oppresseth the cleernes of the Warke Or els it is of a Combust terrestrietie But of such Combustion greate hardnes shall be And by Commixion of Darke Cleere and Cleane Shall be
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
Magnus In his Boke De Mineralibus Hereof a Secreate disclosed was By my good Master to more and lesse Saying Si Deus non dedisset nobis vas Nihil dedisset and that is Glasse Instruments needefull there be more As be Furnaces ordeyned therefore Olde Men imagined for this Arte A speciall Furnace for everie parte Everie-each divising after his owne thought But manie Furnaces of them be naught Some were too broade and some too longe Manie of them did Nature wronge Therefore some Furnaces maie be well used But manie of them must be refused For theie were made but by advice Of them which seemed and were not wise The most Commendable Fashion of them all In this Boke portraied finde ye shall One Furnace by me is found of newe Such as Olde Men never knewe Whose secreate Power with study sought And with greate Cost was dearely bought In him wil be at one tyme wrought Threescore Warkes and cost right nought More than it shulde for one Warke or twaine Therefore profitable it is certaine Threescore degrees divers ye maie gett For threescore warkes and everie-ech of divers Heate Within that Furnace to serve your desire And all thei served with one litle Fier Which of a Foote square onlie shal be Yet everie-ech of the threescore as greate space as he Manie purposes ye maie thereby fulfill For here you shall have Heate after your will Of this Instrument all Men maie not be sure Therefore it is not formed in Picture Another Furnace woll serve threescore Glasses trewly and yet farr more Everie-ech of them standing in like Heate As by the Picture Doctrine ye maie gett Another Furnace for this operation By me was found by Imagination Notably serving for Seperation Of dividents and for Altification And for Dis-junction called Division And for Correction called Ablution Yt woll for some things serve Desiccation Yt serveth full well for Preparation Soe for six things it serveth well And yet for all at once as I can tell This is a new thinge which shall not be Set out in Picture for all men to see Another Furnace in Picture be shall More full of perills than other Furnaces all Made for Magnetia whereof bould Men had doubte To tuch with hands a poore lynine Cloute Which in the midle thereof unbrenned stoode For feare of flames brenning fierce and woode Which suttill Furnace I devised alsoe In which I found manie wonders moe Than is convenient at this season to tell Whose graduation is doubtfull and casuell Wherein Magnetia matter of greate coste Must quickly be served or suddainly be loste Of whose graduation if you woll not misse Consider your Stoples and lerne well this The more is the Stople the lesse is the Heate By manifould Stoples Degrees ye maie gett Whoe knoweth the power the working and kinde Of everie Furnace he maie well trewth finde And he which thereof dwelleth in Ignorance All his Warke faleth upon Chaunce Noe man is sure to have his intent Without full concord of Arte with Instrument Manie more Instruments occupied ye shall se Than in this Chapter now rehearsed be Which ye must ordeyne by good or sad advice And prove them before hand oft if ye be wise THe fourth Concord is full notable Betweene this Arte and Places Convenable Some Places must needes be evermore dry Close from Aier no waies Windy Some must be darke and dimme of sight In which Sun-beames none maie light But for some Places the trewth so is Thei cannot have too much brightnes Some Places must needes be Moist and Cold For some workes as Auctors toulde But in our Warkes in everie place Winde will hurt in everie Case Therefore for everie Warke in season Ye must ordaine Places by reason Philosophers said by their engine How it shulde be wrought within locks Nyne Astrologers said it was a grace To finde a Chosen Working Place For manie things woll wonderous doe In some Places and elsewhere not soe But contrarie wonders be of one thinge In contrarie Countries wrought without leasing Whereof none other cause maie appeare But only contrarie places of the Sphere Whereto Places contrarie of the grounde To them Concordaunt and Obedient be found Hereof great Evidence and wittnes full cleere In the Magnets Stone openly doth appeare Whose North pointe draweth toward his Countrie Which under the Southe starr driveth Needles awaye Wherefore wise Men which for this Arte sought Found some Places concordant some Places nought Trewly such Places where Lechery is used Must for this Arte be utterly refused THe fift Concord is knowne well of Clerks Betweene the Sphere of Heaven and our Suttill Werks Nothing in Erth hath more Simplicitie Than th' elements of our Stone woll be Wherefore thei being in warke of Generation Have most Obedience to Constellation Whereof Concord most kindly and convenient Is a direct and firie Ascendent Being signe common for this Operation For the multitude of their Iteration Fortune your Ascendent with his Lord also Keeping th' aspect of Shrewes them fro And if thei must let or needely infect Cause them to looke with a Trine aspect For the White warke make fortunate the Moone For the Lord of the Fourth house likewise be it done For that is Thesaurum absconditum of olde Cleâ—ks Soe of the Sixt house for Servants of the Werks Save all them well from greate impediments As it is in Picture or like the same intents Unlesse then your Nativity pretend infection In contrariety to this Election The vertue of the Mover of the Orbe is formall The vertue of the Eight Sphere is here Instrumentall With her Signes and Figures and parts aspectuall The Planets vertue is proper and speciall The vertue of the Elements is here materiall The vertue infused resulteth of them all The first is like to a workmans Minde The second like his Hand ye shall finde The third is like a good Instrument The remnant like a Thing wrought to your intent Make all the Premises with other well accord Then shall your merrits make you a greate Lord. In this wise the Elixir of whom ye make mention Is ingendered a thing of a second intention Trust not in Geomantie that superstitious Arte For God made Reason which there is set aparte Trust not to all Astrologers I saie whie For that Arte is as secreat as Alkimy That other is disproved and plainely forbod By holy Saincts of the Church of God Trust not ne love not Negromancy For it is a property of the Devill to lye Trust to this Doctrine set herein your desires And now lerne the Regiment of your Fiers CHAP. VII Aparfet Master ye maie him call trowe Which knoweth his Heates high and lowe Nothing maie let more your desires Than ignorance of Heates of your Fiers Of manie Auctors written ye maie see Totum consistit in ignis regimine Wherefore in all Chapters you must so proceed That Heate worke not more ne lesse than it need Wherein manie of Gebars Cookes Deceived were though thei be wise
in Bokes Such Heate wherewith Pigg or Goose is Scalded In this Arte Decoction it is called For Minerall meanes serveth such heate And to make our Letharge to give sweate Such Heate as dryeth lawne Karcheefes fayre In thirty operations serveth for our Ayre But for Divisions you must use such heate As Cookes make when they roast grosse Meate The same Heate with a circular Fier For Separation of Dividents we desire But for Circulation of Elements Ignis candens observeth our intents Which Fier must ever be Coequall In every minute and yet perpetuall For it maie never abate ne increase And yet the Fier maie never cease Study wisely and looke about Such a Fier trewlie to finde out And in that Fier no moisture maie be Which Hand maie feele or Eye maie see Ignis humidus an other Fier alsoe Is and yet it seemeth oppositum in adjecto Such Heate dissevereth at certaine tydes Matters cleving to Vessells sides Manie moe things that Heate maie wynn It maketh oft thick Matters to be thynn A Philosopher mistely spake of this Heate And saide the highest degree thereof to get Shall cause and gender such Siccitie As of drie heate shall be in the First degree Another Fier is Fire of Disiccation For matters which be imbibed with Humectation An other Fier is Fier of Conservation For all drie things of his operation For Magnetia is Fier of effusion Full of perills and full of illusion Not onely perill which to the Warke maie fall But such alsoe which the Master hurte shall Against which once received is noe boote Ordaine therefore to fetch breath from your foote Provide for Mouth Eyes Eares and Nose For it is worse than ten times the Pose Men hereby hath sound paines sore Because they had not this warning before Ignis corrodens serveth in this Arte Elementa propinqua wisely to departe By one point of excesse all your Warke is shent And one point too little is insufficient Who can be sure to finde his trewe degree Magister magnus in igne shall he be It is the harder to know trewly his might There is no triall for it but our Eye sight Therefore all men faile in his presence Where Heate is lerned with cost of Experience Of this Heate in speciall Anaxagoras said thus Nemo primo fronte reperitur discretus Another is Heate of mighty Coaction For Mineralls that be of hard Liquefaction This Heate cannot be too stronge Be he continued never so longe Another is Heate of Calcination For fowle Mettalls for their Preparation Which maie not brenn ne doe them melte For so all thei maie soone be spilte The twelfte is Heate for to Sublime All rhe Spirits of the Mine The last Heate of theis goeth for all When to Projection our Stone shall fall Use maketh Masterie there is noe more to saynâ— But he that faileth must needs begin againe Now have I tought you everie thing by name As Men teach other the way to Walsingham Of every Village Water Bridge and Hill Whereby wise Men their Journey maie fulfill Soe maie a Clerke by this Doctrine finde This Science well if he be cleere of minde All other maie finde himselfe hereby a foole To deale therewith which litle can of Schoole For this is the end of all worldly Cunninge Where to attaine can neither Pope ne King By their Honours ne by their great Councell But only by Vertue and Grace as Auctors tell This precious Stone will not be found ne wrought But he be right devotely sought The Auctors forenamed with this Boke of mine Sheweth of Alkimy all the Doctrine If ye compleate their Sentences all Not by Opinion but after this Ordinall For in this Ordinall I fet you from all doubt Is nothing set wronge nor one point left out The dayes were when that this Doctrine and ground Had pleased me more than a Thousand pound Three Hundred pounds was not for my desire As would have byne this Chapter of the Fier And mervaile not Lords ne ye freinds all Why soe noble a Scyence as all Men this Arte call Is here set out in English blunt and rude For this is soe made to teach a Multitude Of rude people which delen with this Werkes Ten Thousand Laymen against ten able Clerks Whereby yearely greate Riches in this Londe Is lewdly lost as Wisemen understonde And manie men of Everie degree Yearely be brought to great Povertee Cease Laymen cease be not in follie ever Lewdnes to leave is better late than never All that hath pleasure in this Boke to reade Pray for my Soule and for all both Quick and deade In this yeare of Christ One thousand foure Hundred seaventy and seaven This Warke was begun Honour to God in Heaven THE COMPOVND OF ALCHYMIE A most excellent learned and worthy worke written by Sir George Ripley Chanon of Bridlington in Yorkeshire Conteining twelve Gates Titulus Operis HEre begynneth The Compound of Alchymie Made by a Chanon of Bridlington After his learning in Italy At Yxning for tyme he there did wonne In which be declared openly The secrets both of Sunne and Moone How they their kinde to multiplye In one body togeder must wonne Which Chanon Sir George Ripley hight Exempt from Claustrall observance For whom pray ye both day and night Sith he did labour you to advance He turned darknes into light Intending to helpe you to happy chaunce Gyving Counsell that ye live right Doeing to God no displeasaunce GEORGE RIPLEY UNTO King EDWARD the fourth O Honorable Lord and most victoryous Knyght With Grace and Fortune abundantly endewed The savegard of England maynteyner of right That God you loveth indeede he hath well shewed Wherefore I trust thys Lond shal be renewed With Joy and Riches with Charyty and Peace So that old ranckors understrewed Tempestuous troubles and wretchednes shall cease And now syth I see by tokens right evident That God you guydeth and that ye be vertuous Hating synne and such as be insolent How that also Manslaughter to you is odious Upon the Indygent also that ye be piteous Greate ruth it were if ye should not lyve longe For of your great fortune ye be not presumptuous Nor vengeable of mynde to wreke every wrong Theis considered with others in your most noble Estate Like as God knoweth and people doe witnesse beare So entyrely me meveth that I must algate Recorde the same and therein be no flatterer And that not onely but also to write here And to your Highnes humbly for to present Great Secretts which I in farre Countryes did lert And which by grace to me most unworthy are lent Once to your Lordship such thyngs I did promise What tyme ye did command to send unto me And since that I wrote in full secret wise Unto your Grace from the Universitie Of Lovayne when God fortuned me by Grace to see Greater secretts and moch more profyte Which onely to you I wyll disclosed to be That is to say the great Elixirs both Red and
thrall To here of VVisdome thiâ—neres be halfe defe Like a Nasse that lysteth upon an Harpe Thow must go pype in a Ive leffe Better ys to me to syng on Thornes scharpe Than in a Cage wyth a Chorle to carpe For hyt was seyd of Folkes many yere agone A Chorles Chorle yâ— oft woâ— be gone Now Chorle y have the her tolde My vertuys her wyth grete experience Hyt were to sume man better than Golde To the yt ys no fructius a sentence A Chepys Croke to the ys better than a Launce Adew now Globbâ— wyth herte sore In Chorles clowchys com y never more The Chorle felt hys herte part in tweyne For very sorow and in sunder ryve Alas quod he y may wel wepe and pleyne As a wreche never lyke to thryve But for to indure in povert all my lyve For of foly and of wylfulnes Y have now lost all holy my ryches I was a Lorde y crye owte on Fortune And had grete Tresor late in my keepyng Wych myght have made me long to contune Wyth that ilke Stone to have levyd a Kyng Yf y had set hyt in a Ryng Borne it upon me y had gode y nowe Than schuld y no mor have gon to the plowe Whan the Byrds saw the Chorle thus morne That he was hevy of hys chere Sche take her flyght and agayne returne Toward hym and sayd as ye schal here O dull Chorle wisdom for to lere That y the taute all ys lefe byhynde Reysed awey and clene owte of thy meynde Taw tey the not thys Wysdome in sentens To every tale brought up of new Not to hastyle gyf not ther to credens Unto tyme thow know hit be trew All ys not Gold that scheweth Goldys hew Nor stonys all by nature as y fynde Byn not Saferus that schewyth colour ynde In thys Doctryne y lost my labour To teche the such Proverbys of substaunce Now mayst thow see thy lewd blynde error For all my body poysed in Balans Weyth not a nounce lewde ys thi remembraunce Yet have y mor poyse closyd in myne entrayle Than all my Body set for Countervayle All my Body weyth not an unce How myght y have then in me a ston That poyseth mor than doth a grete Jagounce Thy brayne ys dull thi witte almost gon Of hre Wysdomys thow hast lost on Thow schulds not after my sentence To every tale gefe to hastyly credence I badde also bewar both even and morowe For thynge lost by suden adventur Thow schulds not make to moche sorow Whan thow seyst thow mayst not hit recover Her thow faylest wych doth thy besy cure In the snare to catch me agayne Thow art a Fole thy labor ys in vayne In the thyrde also thow dost rave Y bad thow schulds in no maner wyse Covet thyng the wych thow mayst not have In wych thow hast fogetyn myne empryse Thaty may say playnly to devyse Thow hast in madnes forgetyn all thre Notabyl Wysdomys that y taute the. Hit wer but foly mor wyth the to carpe Or to teche of Wysdomys mor or lesse Y holde hym madde that bryngs forth hys Harpe Theron to teche a rode for doilyd Asse And mad ys he that syngyth a Fole a Masse And he ys most madd that doth hys besynesse To teche a Chorle the termys of Gentlenesse And semeblabilly in Apryll and in May Whan gentyl Byrds most make melody But the Cockow can syng butoo lay In odthir tewnys sche hath no fantesy Thus every thyng as Clerks do specify As Frute on the Trees and Folke of every age Fro whense they come they have a tallage The Wynter tretyth of hys Welsom wyndys Of the gentyll Frute bostys the Gardener The Fysher castyth hys hokys and hys lynys To catche Fysshe in the fresh Revyr Of tyllyth of Londe tretyth the powre The Gentylman tretyth of Gentry The Chorle delytith to speke rebawdry Al on to a Faucon and a Kyte As good an Owle as a Popyngay A dunghyll Douke as deyntieth as a Snyte Who servys a Chorle hase many a wofull day Y cast me never her after mor with the play To fore a Chorle any more to syng Of Wysdome to carpe in my lyfyng The Folke that schall thys Fabyl se and rede New Forged Talys y councel them to fle For losse of Good take not to grete hede Be not to Sorowfull for noon adversyte Covet not thyng that may not be And remember wher ye goan A Chorlys Chorle ys ofte wo begon Unto purpose thys Proverbe ys ful ryve Redde and reported by olde remembraunce A Chyldys Byrde and a Chorlys Wyfe Hath ofte sythys sororâ— and mischaunce VVho hat fredom â—ath sufficiaunce Better ys Freâ—om wyth lytle in gladnes Than to be Chorle wyth all worldly rychches Go lytyl Quiar and rcommaunde me To my Mayster wyth humbyl affeccyon Be sekyng hym lowly of mersy and pete Of thys rude makyng to ha compassion And as towchyng thys Translacyon Owte of the Frenshe how so ever the Englysh be All thyng ys sayd under correccyon Wyth supportation of yowr benygnite FINIS M S Imago Chauceri Qui fuit Augsorum Vates ter maximus olim Galfridus Chaucer conditur hoc Tumulo Annum si quaeras Domini si tempora vitae Ecce nota subsunt quae tibi cuncta notant 25 Octobris 1400. Aerumnarum requies mors N Brigham hos fecit musaruÌ„ nomine sumptus Vaughan sculps 1556. THE TALE OF THE CHANONS YEOMAN VVritten by our Ancient and famous English Poet Geoffry Chaucer THE PROLOGUE OF The Chanons Yeoman WHan ended was the Lyfe of Saint Cecyle Er we fully had rydden fyve myle Att Boughton under the blee us gan a take A Man that clothed was in clothes blake And under that he had a whyte Surplyse His hakeny that was all pomely gryse So swete that itt wonder was to see It seemed that he had precked myles three The horse eke that his Yoman rode uppon So Swete that vimeth migh he gon About the paytrell stode the fome full hye He was of fome as flecked as a pye A Male twyfolde on his croper lay Itt semed that he carryed letel Aray All fight for somer rode this worthy Man And in my heart wondren I began What that he was till I understode How that his cloke was sewed to his hode For which whan I had long avysed me I demyd him some Chanon for to be His hatt hynge att his backe by a Lace For he had rydden more then trot or pace He rode aye pryckyng as he were wode A Clote leafe he had layd under his hode For Swett and for to keepe his heede from hete But itt was joy for to se him swete His foreheed dropped as a Stillatorie But full of Playntaine or of Peritorie And when he was come he gan crye God save quod he this Iolly company Fast have I pricked quod he for your sake Bycause that I wold you overtake To ryden in this mery company His
Yoman was eke full of curtesy And sayd Syrs now in the morowe tyde Out of your hostrye I saw you ride And warned here my Lord and Soverayne Which that to ryden with you is full fayne For his disporte he loveth dalyance Frede for thy warning God yeve thee good chance Then sayd our Host certayne itt wold seme Thy Lord were wyse and so I may well deme He is full locunde alsoe dare I lay Can he ought tell a mery Tale or tway With which he glad may this company Who Sir my Lord ye without lye He can of myrthe and eke of Iolyte Not but ynough also Sir trusteth me And ye him knew also well as doe I Ye wold wonder how well and thriftely He con the werke and that in sondry wyse He hath taken on him many a great Empryse Which were full hard for any that is here To bring about but they of him itt lere As homely as he rideth among you If ye him knew itt wold ben for your prowe Ye nolde not forgon his aquayntaunce For Mochel good I dare lay in balaunce All that I have in my possession He is a man of hye discression I warne you well he is a passing wyse man Wel quod our Hoste I pray thee tell me than Is he a Clerke or non tell what he is A Clerke nay greater then a Clerke I wys Sayd the Yoman and in words fewe Hoste of his Crafte somwhat wol I shew I say my Lord can such a subtelte But of his Crafte ye may not wete of me And somewhat helpe I yett to his worchyng That all the ground that we be on rydyng Till we come to Canterbury Towne He could all cleane turne up and downe And pave it all of Silver and of Gold And when this Yoman had thus I told Unto our Hoste he sayd benedicite This thing is wonder and marvellous to me Sens that thy Lord is of so high prudence Because of which men shold him reverence That of his worship recketh he so lyte His overest slopp is not worth a myte As in effect to him so mote I go It is all bawdy and to tore alfoe Why is thy Lord soe slotlyche I thee pray And is of power better clothes to bey If that his dede accord with thy speech Tell me that and that I thee beseech Why quod this Yoman whereto aske ye me God helpe mee so for he shall never ythe But I wol not avow that I saye And therefore keepe itt secrett I you praye He is to wyse in fay as I beleeve That is overdone wil not preve And right as Clerkes sayne itt is a vyce Wherefore I holde him in that leude and nyce For whan a man hath over greate a witte Full ofte it happeth him to misusen itt So doth my Lord and that me greveth sore God amend itt I can say you no more Thereof no force good Yoman quod our Host Sens of the connyng of thy Lord thou wost Tell how he doth I pray the hertely Sens that he is so crafty and so sly Where dwellen ye if itt to tell be In the Subbarbes of a Towne quod he Lurkeyng in hernes and in lanes blynde Where these Robbers and Theeves by kynde Holden her privy fearefull residence As they that dare not shewen her presence Soe fare we if that I shall say the sothe Yett quod our Hoste lett me talke tothe Why art thou soe discolored in thy face Peter quod he God yeve itt hard grace I am so used in the hott fyre to blowe That itt hath changed my colour as I trow I am not wonte in no mirrour to prye But swynke sore and lerne to Multiplye We blondren ever and pooren in the fyre And for all that we faylen of our desyre For ever we lacken our conclusion To moche folke we do illusion And borrowe Golde be itt a pound or two Or ten or twelve or many somes mo And make hem wene at the leste way That of a pound we coulde make tway Yett is itt false and ay have we good hope Itt for to done and after it we grope But that Science is so ferre us by forne We mowe not all though we had itt sworne Itt overtake itt flytte away soe faste Itt wol us make Beggers at the laste Whiles this Yeman was thus in his talking This Chanon drew him nere and herde all thing Which this Yeman spake for suspection Of mennes speche ever had this Chanon For Cato saythe he that giltye is Deemeth all thing be speke of him Iwys Bycause of that he gan so nyghe to draw To his Yeman to herken all his saw And thus he sayd unto his Yeman tho Holde nowe thy peace and speke no words mo For if thou d ee thou shalt it sore abye Thou standerest me here in this Companye And eke discoverest that thou sholdest hyde Ye quod our Hoste tell on what soever betyde Of all his thretynge recke the not a myte In fayth quod he no more doe I but lyte And whan this Chanon saw itt wolde not be But his Yeman wolde tel his privyte He fledde away for very sorrow and shame A quod the Yeman here shall ryse a game All that I can anon woll I you tell Sens he is gone the foule Fend him quell For never hereafter wol I with him mete For penny ne for pounde I you behete He that me brought first unto that game Er that he dye sorrowe have he and shame For it is ernest to me by my faith That fele I well whatsoe any man saith And yett for all my smerte and all my greife For all my sorrowe labour and mischeife I couthe never leave it in noe wyse Now wolde God my witt might suffyse To tellen all that longeth to that Arte. But nathelesse yet wol I tell you a parte Sens that my Lord is gon I wol not spare Such thyng as I know I wol declare Here endeth the Prologue of the Chanons Yeoman and here followeth his Tale. THE TALE OF The Chanons Yeoman WIth this Chanon I dwelt seaven yere And of this Science am I never the nere All that I had I have lost thereby And God wotte soe hath many moe then I There I was wonte to be right fresh and gay Of clothing and eke of other good aray Now may I weare an hose uppon myne heed And where my colour was both fresh and reed Now itt is wanne and of a leaden hewe Whoe soe itt useth sore shall him rewe And of my swynke yett blered in myne Eye Lo which avauntage itt is to Multiply That slyding Science hath me made so bare That I have noe good where that ever I fare And yett I am indetted so thereby Of Gold that I have borrowed truly That while I live I shall itt quitt never Let every man beware by me ever What manner man that casteth him thereto If he contynue I hold his thrifte I do So helpe me God thereby shall he never wyn
God and the Trinity Since that our Lord this world first began Was it not so opened I dare lay my hand No all the Philosophers which were before this day Never knew this secret I dare boldly say And now to obteyne thy purpose more rathe Let thy Fire be as temperate as the Bath of the Bathe Oh what a goodly and profitable Instrument Is the Bath of the Bathe for our fiery intent To seeke all the World throughout I should not finde For profit and liberty a Fire more fitt to my minde Goe or ride where you list for the space of a yeare Thou needest not care for the mending of thy Fire A Monke of Bath which of that house was Pryor Tould me in seacret he occupied none other fire To whome I gave credit even at the first season Because it depended upon very good reason He had our Stone our Medicine our Elixir and all Which when the Abbie was supprest he hid in a wall And ten dayes after he went to fetch it out And there he found but the stopple of a Clout Then he tould me he was in such an Agonie That for the losse thereof he thought he should be frenzie And a Toy tooke him in the head to run such a race That many yeare after he had no setling place And more he is darke and cannot see But hath a Boy to leade him through the Country I hapned to come on a day whereas he was And by a word or two that he let passe I understood streight he was a Philosopher For the which cause I drew to him neare And when the Company was all gone And none but his Boy and he and I alone Master quoth I for the love of God and Charity Teach me the seacrets of Naturall Philosophy No Son quoth he I know not what thou art And shall I reveale to thee such a preciuos Arte No man by me shall get such gaines No not my Boy which taketh with me such paines That to disclose it lyes not in my Bands For I must surrender it into the Lords hands Because I heare not of one that hath the same Which lifts up his minde and is apt for the same Which if I could finde I would ere I dye Reveale to him that same greate mistery Yet one there is about the Citty of Salisbury A young man of the age of Eight and Twenty Charnock is his name of Tennet that Isle His praise and Comendacions soundeth many a Mile That for a Younge man he is toward and apt In all the seaven liberall Scyences set none apart But of each of them he hath much or title Whereof in our Scyence he may claime a title His praise spreads also for his good indighting And of some of his doings I have heard the reciting Both of Prose and Meeter and of Verse also And sure I commend him for his first shewe I thinke Chancer at his yeares was not the like And Skelton at his yeares was further to seeke Wherefore for his knowledge gravity and witt He may well be Crowned Poet Laureat Cease Father quoth I and heare me speake For my name is Charnock upon whome you treate But this which you say to me is greate wonder For these quallities and I am farr assunder I am no such Man as you have made reckoning But you shall speake for me when I go a wiving Your praise will make me speede though it be not true Nor yet my substance worth an old horse shooe Is your name Charnocke and the same Man Yea Sir quoth I then stumbled he to give me his hand And talked an howre with me in the Philosophers speeche And heard that in no question I was to seeche My Son quoth he let me have thy prayer For of this Science I will make thee myne heire Boy quoth he lead me into some secret place And then departe for a certaine space Untill this man and I have talked together Which being done quoth he now gentle Brother Will you with me to morrow be content Faithfully to receive the blessed Sacrament Upon this Oath that I shall heere you give For ne Gold ne Silver as long as you live Neither for love you beare towards your Kinne Nor yet to no great Man preferment to wynne That you disclose the seacret that I shall you teach Neither by writing nor by no swift speech But only to him which you be sure Hath ever searched after the seacrets of Nature To him you may reveale the seacrets of this Art depart Under the Covering of Philosophie before this world yee What answer will you give me let me heare Master quoth I I grant your desire Then Son quoth he keepe thys Oath I charge thee well As thinkest to be saved from the pitt of Hell The next day we went to Church and after our devocion A Preist of his Gentlenes heard both our Confessions Which being done â—o Masse streight we went And he ministred to us the holy Sacrament But he never wist what we meant therein For with a contrary reason I did him blinde And so home to dinner we went to our hoast All which refeccion I paid for the Cost When dinner was done I walked in the field Large and plaine where people passe by but sield And when we were in the midds Boy quoth he go pick a Thistle And come not againe before I for thee whistle Now Master quoth I the Coast from hearers is cleare Then quoth he my Sonn hearken in thyne Eare And within three or foure words he revealed unto me Of Mineralls prudence the greate Misterie Which when I heard my Spirits were ravished for Joy The Grecians were never gladder for the wynning of Troy As I was then remembring my good Master thoe For even the selfe same secret he did me shew Nyne dayes and no more I tarried with him sure But Lord in this tyme what secrets of Nature He opened to me at divers sundry tymes As partly I have told thee in my former Rimes The rest is not to be written on paine of Damnacion Or else in this Boke truly I would make relation Now Father quoth I I will depart you froe And for you I wil pray whether soever I goe Son quoth he Gods blessing goe with thee and thyne And if thou speede well let me heare of thee againe The sixt Chapter WHen I was gone a mile or two abroade With fervent prayer I praised the Lord Giveing him thankes for that prosperous Journy VVhich was more leaver to me then an 100 l. in mony Surely quoth I my Master shall know all this Or else my Braines shall serve me amisse Which if they were so good as the Monke made mencioÌ„ Then would I write to my Master with a better invencioÌ„ O Lord quoth I what a solemne Oath was this given Surely in sheetes of Brasse it is worthy to be graven For a perpetuall memory ever to remaine Among the Philosophers for an Oath certaine And when I was
to Trebona the Rancour Dissimulation was more evident to him and it seemes grew up to a greater height then he could beare And thereupon he thought wisely to avoid the further Danger by leaving Germany which occasioned him to deliver to Sir Edward Kelley the Powder the Bookes the Glasse with some other things and thereupon received his Discharge in writing under his Hand and Seale While these Discontents continued severall Letters past between Queene Elizabeth and Doctor Dee whereby perhaps he might promise to returne At length it so fell out that he left Trebona and took his Iourney for England The ninth of Aprill he came to Breame and had not stayed there three dayes but the Landtgrave of Hesse sent Letters of Civill Complements to him and within three dayes after Doctor d ee presented him with his Twelve Hungarian Horses that he bought at Prague for his Journey Here that famous Hermetique Philosopher Doctor Henric Kunrath of Hamburgh came to visit him The 16. of Nov. he went thence to Stade where he met with Mr. Edward Dyer going Embassador for Denmarke who the yeare before had beene at Trebona and carried back Letters from the Doctor to Queene Elizabeth He was a great Corespondent of Doctor Dees and as earnest a Searcher after the Stone The 23. of Novemb. following he arrived at Graves end having beene out of England 6. yeares 2. Moneths and 2. Dayes and the 9th of Decemb. presented himselfe to the Queene at Richmond where he was favoured with a kinde Reception Being setled againe at Mortclack the Queene used to call at his House to visit him and shewed herself very Curteous to him upon all Occasions Against Christmas 1590. she sent him Two hundred Angels where with to keep his Christmas and a hundred Makes against Christmas 1592. she liâ—ewise sent him word by Mr. Thomas Candish to doe what he would in Alchymie and Philosophy and none should controule or molest him and not unlike by the Queenes example divers Personages of Honour at Court frequented his Company and sent him many Guists from time to time Amongst others Sir Thomas Jones most nobly offered him his Castle of Emlin in Wales to dwell in free with all Accomadations His Favour was faire at Court the Queene her selfe bad him finde out something for her to bestow yet all the preferment he gain'd was the Grant of the Chancellorship of St. Pauls and the 27 of May 1595. his Patent past the great Seale for the Wardenship of Manchester whither He his Wife Children and Family came the 14. of Feb. 1596. and the 20. day following was Installed and in this Wardenship wherein he had the unhappinesse to be often vext with the Turbulent Fellowes of that Colledge dyed deserving the Commendations of all Learned and Ingenious Schollert and to be remembred for his remarkable Abilities After Doctor Dee came into England as is before remembred Correspondency was still maintained betweene him and Sir Edward Kelley in Letters sent by Mr. Francis Garland and others and some expectancy of Sir Edwards comming over Mr. Thomas Kelley his Broher putting the Doctor in hopes thereof likewise but at length Sir Edward was clapt up close Prisoner by the Emperour for he had so unwarily and openly managed the Secret that it had given the Emperour occasion to carry a strict Eye over all his Actions out of a desire to be sharer with him in his good fortune yet it seemes the Emperour set him at Liberty and Doctor Dee had notice of it the 5. of Decemb after And though he began to grow into the Emperours favour in hopes to be entertained into his Service for so he certified Doctor Dee by Letters in August 1595. Neverthelesse he was clapt up againe into Prison and attempting to make his Escape out of a high Window by the teering of his Sheetes which were tyed together to let him downe he being a weighty Man fell and broke his Legg and thereof dyed The Ascendent then coming by Direction to the place of the Moone with Latitude she being Lady of the 8th house in the Radix and posited in Aquarius And this is one report of his Death others there are but Doctor Dee mencions none at all of the manner thereof onely this Novemb. 25. Newes that Sir E. K. was staine Pag. 365. A Dialogue betwixt the Father and the Sonne THis Dialogue is there placed among the Anonymi in regard I then knew not the Author but afterwards I met with the intire Worke and found it to be that of Ripley's which is called the Mistery of Alchymists and that this Fragment was but drawne out of it only drest up with another Tytle which if the Reader compare he shall readily finde For the want of Snese in some parts thereof as also in other Elder Pieces I hope the Dimnes of the Taper will be excused where there was no cleerer light to be found For though like the Sun they may seeme to have some Spots yet the candid Peruser must confesse they are not without their pecullar Glories The truth is some Passages through them were so obscure and dark and the Paths I followed so rugged and uneven that I could neither stay in them without manifest disparagement or goe out of them without some Danger and from my discoveries fraught thence I am well assured I might have more contented the Reader could I have satisfied my Self better However I durst not adventure to Rectifie what I found amisse but thought it better to leave it to the Iudgement of each that takes the paines to study them then obtrude my owne sense lest what I judge an Emendation others may sensure as a Grosse fault and withall ever remembring the strict Charge the generality of Philosophers have continually given to succession not to meddle or alter any of their Workes I even in what I feare are manifest Imperfections dare not but most inviolably observe them and amongst them all this Credible and Trusty Philosopher is not unworthy of our taking notice of who thus requires the same Therefore in Charite and for the Lords sake Let no man from my writing take One word or add thereto For certainely if that he do He shall shew malice fro which I am free Meaning Truth and not subtily Pag. 368. lin 5. And also with grete diligence THis Piece is the Worke of Sir John Gower and Collected out of his Booke De Confessione Amantis He is placed in the Register of our Hermetique Philosophers and one that adopted into the Inheritance of this Mistery our famous English Poet Geoffry Chaucer In this litle Fragment it appeares he fully understood the Secret for he gives your a faithfull account of the Properties of the Minerall Vegitable and Animall Stones and affirmes the Art to be true This Craft is wrought by wey of kinde So that there is no faâ—lace in And againe The Scyence of himselfe is trew Upon the forme as it is founded He was an eminent Poes and
but was oftentimes disquieted and vexed with the sower dispositions of such as most Injuriously Scandalized both him and them Insomuch that the â—eare he went beyond Sea his Library was seized on wherein was 4000. Books and 700. of them Manuscripts aCaveat for all Ingenious and eminent Philosophers to be more wise then to keep any dear or Excellent Books in their own Houses And t is most probable that at this time his before mentioned SpeculuÌ„ unitaris might fall into those hands that would never since suffer it to see the Light which might occasion the Learned Selden to say this Apologie was long since promised by him but intimating it was never VVrit An. 1592. Master Secretary VValsingham and Sir Tho George were sent to his then dwelling house at Mortclack by vertue of a Commission to understand the Matter and Causes for which his Studies were Scandalized And for some other thing in the like Nature was he necessitated to send his Apologeticall letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury These kind of Persecutions were stil Multiplyed upon him and he sometimes Personally agreeved by them for about the yeare 1594. he was under a kinde of Restraint which occasioned him to write to the Lady Scydmore to move the Queene that either he might declare his Case to the Body of the Councell or else under the Broade-seale have liberty to goe freely where he pleased And thus much concerning these two famous men in severall now shall I give the Reader an Account of their joynt Actions abroad as also what relates to Doctor d ee after his returne into England which I shall doe from an unquestionable Authority even Doctor Dee's Diary all written with his owne hand where I shall take the larger Field to walke in because I move upon so certaine ground some of which passages may please if not concerne the Reader For I think it not fit to suffer such Eminent lights longer to lie in Obscurity without bringing them forth to the view of the VVorld 'T is generally reported that Doctor Dee and Sir Edward Kelly were so stangely fortunate as to finde a very large quantity of the Elixir in some part of the Ruines of Glastenbury-Abbey which was so incredibly Rich in vertue being one upon 272330. that they lost much in making Projection by way of Triall before they found out the true height of the Medicine And no sooner were they Masters of this Treasure then they resolved to Travell into Forraigne Parts where falling into acquaintance with one Albertue Laskey a Polonian Prince which came into England the beginning of May An. 1583. on the 21. of Sept. following They their VVives Children and Families went beyond Sea with the said Prince And whether they found it at Glastenbury as is aforesaid or howsoever else they came by it 't is certain they had it for at Trebona in Bohemia whither they were come to dwell Sir Edward Kelley made Projection with one small Graine thereof in proportion no bigger then the least graine of Sand upon one Ounce and a Quatter of Common Mercury and it produced almost an Ounce of most pure Gold This was done to gratifie Master Edward Garland and his Brother Francâ—s and in their presence which Edward was lately come to Trebona being sent thither to Doctor Dee from the Emperour of Muscovia according to some Articles before brought by one Thomas Symkinson I also finde this Note of Doctor Dee's Jan. 5. 1586. Donum Dei 2. ounces E. K Moreover for neerer and later Testimony I have received it from a credible Person that one Broomfield and Alexander Roberts told him they had often seen Sir Ed Kelly make Projection and in particular upon a piece of Metall cut out of a Warming-pan and without Sir Edwards touching or handling it or melting the Metall onely warming it in the Fire the Elixir being put thereon it was Transmuted into pure Silver The Warming-pan and this piece of it was sent to Queen Elizabeth by her Embassador who then lay at Prague that by fitting the Piece into the place whence it was cut out it might exactly appeare to be once part of that VVarming-pan The aforesaid Person hath likewise seen in the hands of one Master Frye and Scroope Rings of Sir Edward Kellyes Gold the fashion of which was onely Gold wyre twisted thrice about the Finger and of these fashioned Rings he gave away to the value of 4000l at the Marriage of one of his Servant Maides This was highly Generous but to say truth he was openly Profuse beyond the modest Limitts of a Sober Philosopher During their abode at Trebona they tried many Chemicall Experiments to see whether they could make that Iewell they possest the particular account of their operations I neede not here relate yet I cannot heare that ever they accomplished any thing onely I finde the 27. of Aprill noted by Doctor Dee with severall expressions of Ioy and Gladnesse as Haec est dies quam fecit Dominus Againe Miserecordia Dei magna and lastly Omne quod vivit laudet Dominum And to testifie what they meant he writes upon the 30. day following Master Edward Kelley did open the Great secret to me God be sharked Whiles they lived at Trebona Sir Edward Kelley went dives times to Prague and the 15. of Ian. 1587. he went into Poland but returned the 9 of Febr. after And 't is probable these Iourncys were made in quest after some famous Chemists Things were not carried here so privately but Qeene Elizabeth had notice given her of their Actions whereupon she used severall meanes by Letters and Mâ—ssages to invite them back into England where it was believed she had so far prevailed that Master Simkinson and Garland's Brother Robert coming from England to Trebona supposed they had beene ready to come over to England upon the Queenes Letters formerly sent them And though Sir Edward Kelley staid behinde yet Doctor d ee left Trebona and and came for England But whether occasioned by some unkindnesse received from Sir Edward Kelley or falling out of their Wives or the Solicitation of Queene Elizabeth or all these concurring I am not yet certaine not unlike but each of them might contribute to their Seperation For that there was some Greate and Wonderfull unkindnesse past from Sir Edward Kelley appeares by his sending for Doctor Dee the beginning of Ian. 1588. under shew of Reconciliation and discovering more then an Ordinary Intimacy and Compliancy about that time which faire shewes the good Doctor notes with this prayer God leade his heart to all Charity and Brotherly love As also by Letters sent from Doctor d ee to Sir Edward Kelley and his Wife the end of March following requiring at their hands Mutuall Charity which after upon Mistris Kelleys receiving the Sacrament she gave her hand to Doctor Dee and his VVife in Token of Charity But it seemes these things were not cordiall but onely outward for 9. Sept. following the Lord Chancellor coming