as Waters be made Some with Brenning as Colophonie And some with Water as Women make Lye Some be otherwise brought about And by naturall working fet out As Urin Sweat Milk and also Blood And Renniet which for Cheese is good By as manie manners and moe by one We seek Liquors for our Stone Every of the forenamed woll cleave To that thei touch and some deale leave But Quicksilver albeit it is fleeting Yet he woll never cleave to any thinge But to a Mettall of one kinde or other For there he findeth Sister or Brother Medling with suttill Erth doth him let To cleave to things such as he meet All the said Liquors which rehearsed be Conteyne fower Elements as well as he As Milke conteyneth Whey Butter and Cheese So done trewly every-each of all these Which fower maie be departed a twinn And after conjoynd to make ye winn But much more craftily they be heere sought Then Cheese and Butter and Whey be wrought And drawe neerer to simplicitie Then Cheese Butter or Whey maie be Of all Liquors which be in our Stone None is called simple but Water alone Of every Liquor which to our Stone shall goe Ye must know complexion and degree allso And than with Liquor ye maie abate The principall Agent from his Estate If he permanent and abiding be In any point of superfluitye As if the reigning qualitie be Driness Ye maie amend it with humour of Moistnes Now more now lesse as ye see need And so in all qualities proceede And in such wise order at your will The principall Agent your purpose to fulfill With knowledge of diversity contrarietie and accord Ye maie chuse which quality shall be Lord. Your Liquors be ordained to add and subtray To make equalitie by wisdome of assay But trust not that any thing maie be Hot and Moist both in one Degree For all that trust two qualities to be soe Shall be deceived where ever thei goe Common Schooles so teaching be not true Leave that Opinion and lerne this of new All Old men in that were oversecne To set in one degree anie qualities twaine Else thei said so that Schollers shulde not finde The secret mixtures of Elementall kind Therefore who cannot his graduations Maie not be perfect in our operations For in true Number God made every thing Without true Number no Man trulie maie sing Who faileth of his Number faileth of his Song Who faileth with us must doe Nature wrong COnsider also the nature of the meane When it is in the Third degree made cleane The purer that your meanes be The more perfection thereof ye shall see The meanes reteyne a great part Of the vertues of this Arte For the Principle maie not give influence To the Finall end neither the refluence Unto his Principall without succour and aid Of meanes conteyning the extremities aforesaid For like as by meanes of a treble Spirit The Soule of Man is to his Body knit Of which three Spirits one is called Vitall The second is called the Spirit Naturall The third Spirit is Spirit Animall And where they dwell now lerne ye shall The Spirit Vitall in the Hert doth dwell The Spirit Naturall as old Auctors tell To dwell in the Liver is thereof faine But Spirit Animall dwelleth in the Braine And as long as these Spirits three Continue in Man in there prosperitie So long the Soule without all strife Woll dwell with the Body in prosperous life But when theis Spirits in Man maie not abide The Soule forthwith departeth at that tide For the suttill Soule pure and immortall With the grosse Body maie never dwell withall He is so heavie and She so light and cleane Were not the suttilnesse of this Spirit meane Therefore in our worke as Auctors teach us There must be Corpus Anima Spiritus Also in our worke ye shall so finde That our meanes must accord in every kinde Of both extremities with wisdome sought Els all our worke shall turne cleere to nought For prudent Nature maie not by workinge Make Complement of appetite of a thing And so passe betweene extremities But if she first passe by all degrees Of everie meane this is truth unfained Wherefore Nature manie meanes ordained NOw after all this to lerne ye had need Of seven Circulations of Elements for your speede According to number of the Planets seaven Which no man knoweth but he have grace from heaven Old Philosophers men of great engine Said how of Circulations there shulde be Nine It is the â—urer to doe by their advice Nethles Seaven maie your worke suffice By inventions late found of new Of later Philosophers whos workes be trewe But for Circulations of Elements Some Clerks ween to have their intents When they fro Fier ordaine to descend To Aire thei ween not to offend If thei to Water doe then proceed And thens to Erth when thei see need And in such wise by order fall From the highest to the lowest of all Upon these words they tooke their ground That Aer est cibus ignis found But trust me that such Circulation Is but only a rectification Better serving for separation And for correction than for transmutation But the truth is that appetite of the Fier Hath to worke in Erth his cheefe desire As upon his cheefe foode materiall For Fier with Erth hath most concord of all Because that siccitie is the lyme of heate But Ayre of her kind is most wet Yet Fire without Ayre worketh not For Faces of Elements be knit with a knot Of Gods hand that they maie not depart By noe engine ne craft of Mans art As in Plomps ye have example faire Where heavie Water ariseth after Ayre Whereof noe cause reasonable ye shall finde But Connexion of faces of Elementall kinde But our Circulation is from Fier on high Which endeth with Water his most contrary Another Circulation beginneth with Ayre Ending with his Contrary cleane Erth and faier Fro Fier to Erth fro thence to Water cleane Fro thence to Ayre then fro thence by a meane Passing to Erth then eftsoones to Fier To such Circulations the Red worke hath desire Other Circulations be better for the White That be rehearsed for her appetite Every Circulation hath her proper season As her lightnesse accordeth with reason For as one Planet is more ponderous Then is another and slower in his course So some Circulations which Clerks seeks Must for her time have full thirtie Weeks Other Circulations shall oft time have lesse As one Planet is lighter then another was But the time of one with another will amount To twenty six Weekes proved by accompt After all grosse workes made before hand And after all Circumstances had I understande Ignorance hereof deceiveth manie a Man Causing them to cease where Wisemen began Common People which for this Science have sought Ween how in forty dayes it mought be wrought They know not how Nature and things of Arte Have a proper time assigned for their part As
and Water thou shalt draw And thereabout thou nedyst not at the Coles to blow Do thys wyth hete esy and mesuryng Fyrst wyth moyst Fyre and after wyth the dry The flewme by Pacyence owt drawyng And after that thy other natures wyttyly Dry up thyne Erth tyll hyt be thrysty By Calcenyng els thou laboryst all in vayne And then make hyt drynke up his moysture agayne Separacyon thus must thou ofte tymes make Thy Matter dyvydyng into parts two So that the Symple fro the groce thou take Tyll Erth remayne benethe in color bloe That Erth ys fyx for to abyde all wo The other parte ys Spyrytuall and fleyng But thou must turne hem all into one thyng Than Oyle and Water wyth Water shall dystyll And thorow her help receve menyng Kepe well thys two that thou not spyll Thy Wark for lack of dew closyng Make thy Stopell of glas meltyng The top of thy Vessle together wyth yt Than Phylosopher-lyke usyd ys hyt The Water wherwyth thou must renew thy Stone Looke thou dystyll afore thou warke wyth hyt Oftentymes by it selfe alone And by thy syght thou shalt well wyt Fro feculent feces when hyt ys quytt For sum men can wyth Saturne it multeply And other Substance which we defye Dystyll hyt therfore tyll hyt be clene And thyn lyke Water as hyt shold be As Hevyn in Color bryght and shyne Kepyng both fygure and ponderosyte Therwith dyd Hermes moysture hys Tre Wythyn hys Glas he made to grow upryght Wyth Flowers dyscoloryd bewtyosely to syght Thys Water ys lyke to the venemous Tyre Wherewyth the myghty Tryacle ys wrought For yt ys Poyson most stronge of yre A stronger Poyson can none be thought Att the Potecarys therfore oftyn yt ys bought But no man shall be by hyt intoxycate After the tyme yt ys into Medycyne Elevate For then as ys the Tryacall trew Hyt ys of poysons most expulsyfe And in hys working doth mervells shewe Preservyng many from deth to lyfe Loke thou meng yt wyth no corrosyve But chese hyt pure and quick rennyng Yf thou thereby wylt have wynnyng It ys a mervelose thyng in kynde And Wythout hyt may nought be done Therefore Hermes calleth hyt hys Wynde For it ys up flying fro Sonn and Mone And makyth our Stone flye wyth hyt Sone Revyvyng the ded and gevyng lyfe To Son and Mone Husband and Wyfe Whych yf they were not by craft made quick And ther fatnes wyth Water drawn out And so the thyn dyssevered from the thyke Thou should never bryng thys worke about Yf thou wylt speed therefore wythout doubt Reyse up thy Byrds out of they re nest And after agayne bryng them downe to rest Water wyth Water accord wyll and assend And Spryt wyth Spryt for they be of kynde Whych after they be exalted make to dyssend And soe thou shalt devyde that nature before dyd bynde Mercury essencyall turnyng into wynde Wythout whych naturall and subtyll Seperacyon May never be compleat profytable Generacyon Now to help thee in at thys Gate The last Secret I wyll tell to thee Thy Water must be seven tymes Sublymate Ells shall no kyndly Dyssolucyon be Nor Putryfyyng shall thou none see Like lyquyd pytch nor colours apperyng For lack of fyre wythin thy Glasse workyng Fower Fyers there be whych you must understond Naturall Innaturall against Nature alsoe Elementall whych doth bren the brond These foure Fyres use we and no mo Fyre against Nature must doe thy bodyes wo That ys our Dragon as I thee tell Fersely brennyng as Fyre of Hell Fyre of Nature ys the thyrd Menstruall That fyre ys naturally in every thyng But fyre occasionat we call Innaturall And hete of Askys and balnys for putrefying Wythout these fyres thou may not bryng To Putrefaccyon for to be seperat Thy matters togeather proportyonat Therefore make fyre thy Glasse wythin Whych brennyth the Bodyes more then fyre Elementall yf thou wylt wyn Our Secret accordyng to thy desire Then shall thy seeds both roote and spyre By help of fyre Occasionate That kyndly after they may be seperat Of Seperacyon the Gate must thus be wone That furthermore yet thou may procede Toward the Gate of secret Conjunccion Into the Castle whych wyll the Inner leade Do after my Councell therefore yf thou wylt spede Wyth two strong locks thys Gate ys shyt As consequently now thou shalt wyt The end of the third Gate OF CONJUNCTION The fourth Gate AFter the Chapter of naturall Separacion By which the Elements of our Stone dysseveryd be The Chapter here followyth of secret Conjunccion Whych natures repugnant joyneth to perfyt Unyte And so them knyttyth that none from other may fle Whan they by Fyre shall be examynate Soe be they together surely conjugate And therfore Phylosophers geveth thys deffynycyon Seyng thus Conjunccion ys nought ells But of dysseveryd qualytes a Copulacyon Or of Pryncypylls a coequacyon as other tells But some wyth Mercury whych the Potecarys sells Medleth Bodyes whych cannot dyvyde Ther matter and therefore they step asyde For unto tyme the Sowle be Separate And clensyd from hys orygynall Syn Wyth the Water and purely spyrytuallyzate Thy trew Conjunccion may thou never begyn Therfore the Soule fyrst fro the Body twyn Then of the corporall parte and of the spyrytuall The Soule Conjunccion shall cause perpetuall Of two Conjunccions Phylosophers don mentyon make Groce when the Body with Mercury ys reincendat But let hyt passe and to the second tent thou take Which as I sayd ys after Separacion celebrat In whych the partys be lest whych lest so collygate And so promotyd unto most perfyt temperance Then never after may be among them Repugnance Thus causyth Separacion trew Conjunccion to be had Of Water Ayre Earth and Fyre But that every Element may into other be lad And so abyde for ever to thy desyre Do as done Laborous with Clay and Myer Temper them thyke and make them not to thyn For so to up drying thou shalt the rather wyn But manners there be of thys Conjunccion three The fyrst ys callyd by Phylosophers Dyptative Betwyxt the Agent and the Patyent which must be Male and Female Mercury and Sulphure vive Matter and forme thyn and thyke to thryve Thys lesson wyll helpe thee wythout any dowte Our Conjunccion trewly to bryng about The second manner ys called Tryptative Whych ys Conjunccion made of thyngs three Of Body Sowle and Spyrit tyll they not stryve Whych Trynite must be brought to perfyt unyte For as the Sowle to the Spyrit the bond must be Ryght to the Body the Sowle to hym must knyt Out of thy mynde let not thys lesson flyt The thyrd manner and also the last of all Fowre Elements together whych joynyth to abyde Tetraptative contently Phylosophers doth hyt call And specyally Guydo de Montayno whose fame goyth wyde And therfore the most laudable manner thys tyde In our Conjunccion four Elements must be aggregat In dew proportion fyrst whych asonder were separat Therefore lyke as
must be proportionate Att the Dyers craft ye may lerne this Science Beholding with Water how they decoctions make Uppon theyr Woad and Maddre easyly and with patience Till the Tinctures appeare which the Cloath doth take Therein so fixed that they wyll never forsake The Cloth for washing after they joyned be Right so our Tinctures with Water of our Lake We draw by boyling with Ashes of Hermes tree Which Tinctures when they by craft are made parfite So dieth Mettalls with Colours evermore permanent After the qualitie of the Medycine Red or White That never away by eny Fire will be brente To this Example if you take good tent Unto your purpose the rather shall ye wynne And see your Fire be easy and not fervent Where Nature did leave off what tyme look ye begynn First Calcine and after that Putrefye Dyssolve Dystill Sublyme Descende and Fyxe With Aquavite oft times both wash and drie And make a marriage the Body and Spirit betwixt Which thus togeather naturally if ye can myxe In losinge the Body the Water shall congealed bee Then shall the Body dy utterly of the Flixe Bleeding and chaunging Colours as ye shall see The third daye againe to Life he shall uprise And devour Byrds and Beasts of the Wildernes Crowes Popingayes Pyes Pekocks and Mavies The Phenix the Egle whyte the Griffon of fearfulnes The Greene Lyon and the Red Dragon he shall destres The white Dragon also the Antlope Unicorne Panther With other Byrds and Beasts both more and lesse The Basiliske also which allmost eche one doth feare In Bus and Nubi he shall arise and ascend Up to the Moone and sith up to the Sonne Through the Ocean Sea which round is without end Only Shypped within a little glasen Tonne When he commeth thither then is the Maistrie Wonne About which Iourney greate good shall ye not spend And yet ye shall be glad that ever it was begonne Patiently if ye liste to your worke attend For then both Body and Spirit also both Oyle and Water Sowle and Tincture one thing both White and Red After Colours variable it conteyneth what so men clatter Which also called is when he hath once bene Dedd And is revived our Marchasite our Magnete and our Lead Our Sulphure our Arsenicke and our true Calcevive Our Sonne our Moone our Ferment of our Bread Our Toade our Basiliske our unknowne Body our Man our Wife Our Body thus naturally by crafte when it is renovate Of the first ordre is Medicine called in our Philosophy Which oftentimes must againe be Spiritualizate The rounde Whele turning of our foresaid Astronomy And so to the Elixir of Spirites must ye come for why Till the same of the fixed by the same of the flier be overgone Elixir of Bodyes named it is only And this secrete poynt truly deceaveth many one This naturall processe by helpe of craft thus consummate Dissolveth the Elixir spirituall in our unctuous Humiditie Then in Balneo of Mary togeather let them be Circulat Like new Hony or Oyle till they perfectly thicked be Then will that Medicine heale all manner Infirmitie And turne all Mettalls to Sonne Moone most perfectly Thus shall ye have both greate Elixir and Aurum Potabile By the grace and will of God to whom be lawd eternally Here followeth the Figure conteyning all the secrets of the Treatise both great small Iohn Goddard sculpsit Incipit Prologus CHyld of thys Dyssyplyne incline to me thyne Ere And harkyn to my doctryne with all thy dylygence Thes words of wysdome in mynde doe thou bare Which of old Fathers be trew in sentence Live clene in soule to God doe none offence Exalt thee not but rather keepe thee Lowe Ells wyll thy God in thee no Wysdome sowe Fro fayned Doctryne and wycked thought The holy spryt doth hym wythdraw Nylling to dwell where Syn is wrought Dred God therefore and obay his Lawe A ryghteous Man forsooke I never sawe Nether hys seed begg bread for need In holy Scrypture thus doe I rede Make Wysdome therefore thy Sister to be And call on Prudence to be thy Frynd By pathes of truth they wyll gyde thee Wyth love and honesty wher so thou wend Both vertuose to be curteous and hend Pray God therefore that thou may fynde Wysdome and Prudence with mouth and mynde All manner good cum wyth them shall And honestie by ther hands innumerable Then into combraunce shall thou not fall Soe be they in ryches Incomparable To worshyp and profyt they wyll thee able To conyng and to all manner of grace Both here and after thy lyvys space For these benefyts which they don bryng In parte ynnumeryd by sapyence To them I can compare no thyng No rychys no spyces of redolence Above all tresure such is ther exellence That whatsoever erthly that precyous ys To them comparyd ys but as cley ywys Infynyte treasure to Man they be Who usyth them shall fryndshyp have With God in Heven and there hym se After them vyvelyche therefor thou crave For Body and Soule both wyll they save And herein Goods doth multiplye And afore Prynces they dygnyfy Thynke how Adam lost hys wysdome Sampson hys myght that was soe strong Kyng Saule also lost hys Kyngdome And Davyd was punnyshed soare for hys wrong In the Oake by the here fayre Absolon hong Kyng Ezeky by sycknesse had punishment And many one moe for synne was shent But see how other that livyd well And to their God did none offence Such chastysment did never fele But God shewed ever to them benevolence Enok and Ely were caryed hence To Paradyse and other good livers were Of God rewarded in dyvers manner Sum had gret Fortune sum gret Cunnynge Sum had gret Peace sum gret Ryches Sum conquered Londs to ther wonyng Sum were exalted for ther gret mekenes Sum other were saved fro the cruelnes Of Tyrants Lyons and hot Fornacys As Danyell and other in many places Thus to good Livers God send gret grace And unto Synners sore ponishment Sum to amend in thys lyfe had space Sum sodenly with fyre fro Heavyn were brent Synfull Sodomyts for ever were shent With Dathan and Abyron and other moe Which sank for Syn to endles wo. Thus ever syth the World was wrought God hath rewardyd both evyll and good Thus yf it maye rest in thy thought Fro synfull livyng wyll chaung thy moode Yf synfull people thys understood They ought to be aferd God to offend And soone ther synfull lyfes to amend Therefore with God looke thou begyne That he by grace may dwell with thee So shall thou best to Wysdom wyn And knowledge of our grete prevyte Norysh Vertues and Vices looke thou flee And trustyng thou wylt thee well dispose Our secrets to thee I wyll dysclose Keep thou them secret and for me pray Looke that you use them to Gods pleasure Do good wyth them what ever thou may For tyme thou shalt thys lyfe endure That after thy endyng thou may be sure In
wythout delusyon For though yt in Water ly a hundred yeres and more Yet shold thou fynd it sound as ever it was afore But and thou kepe hyt somtyme wete sometyme dry As thow many se in Tymber by usuall experyment By prosses of tyme that Oke shall utterly Putrefy And soe in lykewyse accordyng to our entent Sometyme our Tre must wyth the Son be brent And then wyth Water sone after we must hyt kele That by thys menes thou shalt to rottyng bryng hyt wele For nowe in wete and nowe agayne in dry Now in grete hot and now agayne in cold To be shall cause yt sone for to putrefy And so shalt thow bryng to rottyng thy Gold Entrete thy Bodys therfore as I have thee told And in thy Putrefying wyth hete be not so swyft Lest in the Askys thou seke after thy thryft Therfore thy Water out of the Erth thow draw And make the soule therwyth for to assend Then downe agayne into the Erth hyt throw That they oft tymes so assend and dessend From vyolent hete and sodayne cold defend Thy Glasse and make thy fyre so temperat That by the sydys thy Water be never vytryfycate And be thou wyse in chesing of thy Water Medyll with no Salt Sulphure nor mene Minerall For whatsoever any Water to the do clatter Our Sulphure and Mercury be only in Mettall Which Oylys and Waters som men call Fowlys and Byrds wyth other namys many one Because that folys shold never know our Stone For of thys World our Stone ys callyd the sement Whych mevyd by craft as Nature doth requyre In hys encrese shall be full opulent And multeply hys kynd of thyne owne desyre Therfore yf God vouchsafe thee to enspyre To know the trewth and fancies to eschew Lyke unto the shal be in ryches but few But many be mevyd to worke after ther fantasy In many subjects in whych be Tynctors gay Both Whyte and Red devydyd manually To syght but in the Fyre they fle away Such brekyth Potts and Glassys day by day Enpoysonyng themfelfs and losyng of theyr syghts Wyth Odors and smoks and wakeyng up by nyghts Their Clothes be bawdy and woryn threde-bare Men may them smell for Multyplyers where they go To fyle theyr fyngers wyth Corrosyves they do not spare Theyr Eyes be bleryd theyr Chekys both lene bloe And thus for had I wyst they suffer losse an d wo Such when they have lost that was in theyr purse Then do they chyd and Phylosophers sore accurse For all the whyle that they have Phylosophers ben Yet cowde they never know our Stone Som sought in Soote Dung Uryne som in Wyne Som in Sterr slyme for thyng yt ys but one In Blood Eggs Som tyll theyr thryst was gone Devydyng Elements and brekyng many a pott Multyplying the sherds but yet they hyt yt not To se theyr Howsys it ys a noble sport What Fornaces what Glassys there be of divers shape What Salts what Powders what Oyles and waters for t How eloquently de materia prima they clape And yet to fynde the trewth they have no hap Of our Mercury they medle and of our Sulphur vyve Wherein they dote and more and more unthryve They take of the Red Man and hys whyte Wyfe That ys a speciall thyng and of Elixers two Of the Quintessence and of the Elixers of lyfe Of Hony Celydony and of Secundyns also These they devyde into Elements wyth other mo No Multeplyers but Phylosophers callyd wyll they be Whych naturall Phylosophye dyd never rede nor see Thys felyshyp knowyth our Stone ryght wele They thynke them rycher then ys the Kyng They wyll hym helpe he shall not fayle Fraunce for to wyn a wonders thyng The holy Crosse home wyll they bryng And yf the King were prysoner I take Anon hys Raunsome would they make A mervell yt ys that Westminster Church To whych these Phylosophers do haunte Syth they so much ryches can woorche As they make boste of and avaunte Drynkyng dayly the wyne a due taunte Ys not made up perfytly at on s For truly hyt lackyth yet many Stonys Folys doe folow them at the tayle Promotyd to ryches wenyng to be But wyll ye here what worshyp and avayle They wyn in London that nobyll cyte Wyth Sylver Macys as ye may se Sarjaunts awayting on them every owre So be they men of great honour Sarjaunts sekyth them fro Strete to Strete Marchaunts and Goldsmyths leyeth after them watch That well ys he that wyth them do mete For the great advantage that they doe cache They hunt about as doth a Rache Wenyng to wyn so grete tresure That ever in ryches they shall endure Som wold cache theyr goods agayne And some more good would aventure Som for to have wold be full fayne Of Ten pound one I you ensuer Som whych hath lent wythout mesure Theyr goods and be with powerte bestad To cache a Nobyll wold be full glad But when the Sarjaunts do them arest Ther Paukeners be stuffed wyth Parrys balls Or wyth Sygnetts of Seynt Martynes at the lest But as for Mony yt ys pyssyd on the walls Then be they led as well for them befalls To Newgate or Ludgate as I you tell Because they shall in safegard dwell Where ys my Mony becom seyth one And where ys myne seyth he and he But wyll ye here how suttell they be anon In answeryng that they excused may be Saying Of our Elyxers robbyd we be Ells myght we have payd you all your Gold Yf yt had been more by ten folde And then theyer Creditors they begyn to flatter Promysyng to worke for them agayne The Elyxers two in short space after Dotyng the Merchaunts that they be fayne To let them go but ever in vayne They worke so long tyll at the last They be agayne in Pryson cast Yf any then aske them why they be not ryche They sey they make fyne Gold of Tynn But he they sey may surely swym in dyche Whych ys upholden by the chyn We have no stock therefore may we nought wyn Whych yf we had we wold some worche I now to fynysh up Westmynster Churche And some of them be so Devowte They wyll not dwell out of that place For there they may wythowten dowte Do what them lyft to their Solace The Archedeacon ys so full of grace Yf that they please hym wyth the Crosse He forsyth lyttyll of other menys losse And when they there syt at the wyne These Monkys they sey have many a pound Wolde God seyth one that som were myne Hay hoe careaway lat the cup go rounde Drynk on seyth another the mene ys founde I am a Master of that Arte I warrant us we shall have parte Such causyth the Monkys then evyll to don To wast ther Wagys thorow theyr dotage Som bryngeth a Mazer and som a Spone There Phylosophers gevyth them such corage Behotyng them wynnyng wythout damage A pound for a peny at the lest agayne And so fayre promys
makyth folys fayne A ryall Medycyne one upon twelve They promys them thereof to have Whych they could never for themselfe Yet bryng abowte so God me save Beware such Phylosophers no man deprave Whych helpyth these Monkys to ryches so Wyth thread bare Cowlys that they do go The Abbot well ought to cherysh thys Company For they can tech hys Monkys to leve in poverte And to go clothyd and monyed relygyously As dyd Seynt Benet eschuyng superfluyte Esyng them also of the ponderosyte Of theyr pursys wyth pounds so aggravate Whych by Phylosophy be now allevyat Lo who so medlyth wyth thys rych Company Gret bost of ther wynnyng may they make For they shall have as much by ther Phylosophy As they of the tayle of an Ape can take Beware therfore for Jesus sake And medyll wyth nothyng of gret cost For and thou do yt ys but lost These Phylosophers of whych I spake afore Medlyth and blondryth wyth many a thyng Renuyng in errors more and more For lac of trew understandyng But lyke must lyke alway ferth bryng So God hath ordeyned in every kynde Wold Jesus they wold thys bere in mynde Wene they of a Nettyll to have a Rose Or of an Elder an Apple swete Alas that wyse men ther goods shold lose Trustyng such Losells when they them mete Whych seyth our Stone ys trodyn under fete And makyth them therfore vyle thyngs for to styll Tyll at theyr howsys wyth stench they fyll Som of them never lernyd a word in Scolys Such thynk by reason to understond Phylosophy Be they Phylosophers nay they be folys Therfore ther Warkes provyth unwytty Medyll not wyth them yf thou be happy Lest wyth theyr flatteryng they so the tyll That thou agre unto ther wyll Spend not thy Mony away in waste Geve not to every speche credence But fyrst examyn grope and taste And as thou provyst so put thy confydence And ever beware of grete expence But yf thy Phylosopher lyve vertuosely Trust the better to hys Phylosophy Prove hym fyrst and hym oppose Of all the Secretts of our Stone Whych yf he know not thou nedyth not to lose Medyll thou not ferther but let hym gone Make he never so pytyose a mone For than the Fox can fagg and fayne When he wold faynyst hys prey attayne Yf he can answer as ought a Clarke How be hyt he hath not provyd indede And yf thou wylt helpe hym to hys Warke Yf he be vertuose I hold hyt mede For he wyll the quyte yf ever he spede And thou shalt weete by a lytyll anon Yf he have knowledge of our Stone One thyng one Glasse one Furnace and no mo Behold thys pryncypyll yf he take And yf he do not then lat hym go For he shall never thee rych man make Trewly yt ys better thou hym forsake Then after wyth losse and varyaunce And other manner of dysplesaunce But and God fortune the for to have Thys Scyence by doctrine whych I have told Dyscover yt not whoever thee crave For Favor Fere Sylver nor Gold Be none Oppressor Lecher nor boster bold Serve thy God and helpe the powre among Yf thou thys lyfe lyst to continew long Unto thy selfe thy secretts kepe From synners whych hath not God in dred But wyll the cast in Pryson depe Tyll thou them tech to do hyt in dede Then slander on the sholde spryng and sprede That thou dyd coyne then wold they sey And so undo the for ever and aye And yf thou teche them thys conyng Their synfull levyng for to mayntayne In Hell therfore myght be thy wonnyng For God of the then would disdayne As thow nought cowd for thy selfe sayne That Body and Soule you may bothe save And here in pece thy levyng have Now in thys Chapter I have the tought How thou the bodys must Putrefy And so to guide the thou be not cawght And put in duraunce losse and vylanye My doctryne therefore remember wyttyly And passe forth toward the Syxth Gate For thys the Fyfthe ys tryumphate OF CONGELATION The sixt Gate OF Congelacyon I nede not much to wryte But what yt ys now I wyll fyrst declare It ys of soft thyngs Induracyon of Colour Whyte And confyxacyon of Spyrits whych fleyng are How to congele thee nedyth not much to care For Elements wyll knyt together sone So that Putrefaccyon be kyndly done But Congelacyons be made in dyvers wyse And Spyryts and Bodys dyssolvyd to water clere Of Salts also dyssolvyd ons or twyse And then to congele in a fluxyble Mater Of such Congelyng folys do clatter And some dyssolvyth devydyng manually Elements them after congelyng to powder dry But such Congelyng ys not to our desyre For unto owers yt ys contraryose Our Congelacion dredyth not the fire For yt must ever stond in yt unctuos And also in hys Tincture be full bounteous Whych in the Ayre congelyd wyll not relent To Water for then our Worke were shent Moreover Congele not into so hard a Stone As Glasse or Crystall whych meltyth by fusyon But so that hyt lyke wax wyll melt anon Wythouten blast and beware of Delusyon For such Congelyng longyth not to our Conclusyon As wyll not flow and ren to water agen Lyke Salts congelyd then laboryst thou in vayne Whych Congelacyon avaylyth us never a dell Hyt longyth to Multyplyers whych Congele vulgarly Yf thow therefore lyst to do well Syth thy Medcyne shall never flow kyndly Nether Congele wythout thow fyrst yt Putrefye Fyrst Purge and Fyx the Elements of our Stone Tyll they together Congele and flow anone For when the Matter ys made parfyt Whyte Then wyll thy Spryte wyth the Body Congelyd be But of that tyme thou must have long respyte Yer yt appere Congelyd lyke Pearles unto the Such Congelacyon be glad for to see And after lyke graynys red as blod Rychyr then any worldly good The erthly Grosnes therefore fyrst mortyfyed In Moystnes Blacknes ingendâ—yd ys Thys pryncypell may not be denyed For naturall Phylosophers so seyth I wys Whych had of Whytenes thou may not mys And into Whytenes yf thou Congele hyt on s Thou hast a Stone most presyose of all Stonys And by the Dry lyke as the Moyst dyd putrefy Whych causyd in colors Blacknes to appere Ryght so the Moyst Congelyd by the Dry Ingendryth Whytenes shyneyng with myght sull clere And Drynes procedyth as Whytyth the matter Lyke as in Blackyng Moysture doth hym show By colors varyante aye new and new The cause of all thys ys Hett most temperate Workyng and mevyng the Mater contynually And thereby also the Mater ys alterate Both inward and outward substancyally And not to as doth folys to syght sophystycally But every parte all fyre for to endure Fluxybly fyxe and stabull in tyncture And Physycke determyneth of eche Dygestyon Fyrst don in the Stomack in whych ys Drynes Causyng Whytnes wythout questyon Lyke as the second Dygestyon causyth Rednes Complet in the Lyver by Hete and temperatnes And so our Stone
Yf they had knowledge of our Fermentyng For many man spekyth wyth wondreng Of Robyn Hode and of his Bow Whych never shot therin I trow But Fermentacion trew as I the tell Ys of the Sowle wyth the Bodys incorporacyon Restoryng to hyt the kyndly smell Wyth tast and color by naturall conspysacyon Of thyngs dysseveryd a dew redyntegracyon Wherby the Body of the Spryte takyth impression That eyther other may helpe to have ingression For lyke as the Bodys in ther compaccyon corporall May not show out ther qualytes effectually Untyll the tyme that they becom spyrituall No more may Spryts abyde wyth the Bodys stedfastly But they wyth them be fyrst confyxat proportionably For then the Body techyth the Spryt to suffer Fyer And the Spryt the Body to endure to thy desyre Therfore thy Gold wyth Gold thou must Ferment Wyth hys owne Water thyne Erth clensyd I mene Not ells to say but Element wyth Element The Spryts of Lyfe only goyng betweene For lyke as an Adamand as thow hast sene Yern to hym draw so doth our Erth by kynde Draw downe to hym hys Sowle borne up wyth Wynd Wyth mynd therfore thy Sowle lede out and in Meng Gold wyth Gold that is to say Make Elements wyth Elements together ryn To tyme all Fyre they suffer may For Erth ys Ferment wythouten nay To Water and Water the Erth unto Our Fermentacion in thys wyse must be do Erth ys Gold so ys the Sowle also Not Comyn but Owers thus Elementate And yet the Son therto must go That by our Whele yt may be alterate For so to Ferment yt must be preparat That hyt profoundly may joynyd be Wyth other natures as I seyd to thee And whatsoever I have here seyd of Gold The same of Sylver I wyll thou understond That thou them Putrefye and alter as I have told Ere thou thy Medcyn to Ferment take in hond Forsowth I cowde never fynde hym wythin Englond whych on thys wyse to Ferment cowde me teche Wythout errour by practyse or by speche Now of thys Chapter me nedyth to trete no more Syth I intend prolixite to eschew Remember well my words therfore Whych thou shalt preve by practys trew And Son and Mone loke thou renew That they may hold of the fyfth nature Then shall theyr Tynctures ever endure And yet a way there ys most excellent Belongyng unto another workyng A Water we make most redolent All Bodys to Oyle wherwyth we bryng Wyth whych our Medcyn we make floyng A Quyntessens thys Water we call In man whych helyth Dysesys all But wyth thy Bace after my Doctryne preperat Whych ys our Calx thys must be don For when our Bodys be so Calcenat That Water wyll to Oyle dyssolve them sone Make therfore Oyle of Son and Mone Which ys Ferment most fragrant for to smell And so the 9th Gate ys Conquered of thys Castell OF EXALTATION The tenth Gate PRocede we now to the Chapter of Exaltacion Of whych truly thou must have knowledge pure Full lyttyll yt ys dyfferent from Sublymacyon Yf thou conceve hym ryght I thee ensure Herto accordyth the holy Scrypture Chryste seyng thus Yf I exalted be Then shall I draw all thyngs unto me Ower Medycyn yf we Exalt ryght so Hyt shall therby be Nobylyzate That must be done in manners two Fro tyme the parts be dysponsate Whych must be Crusyfyed and examynat And then contumulate both Man and Wyfe And after revyvyd by the Spyryts of Lyfe Than up to Hevyn they must Exaltyd be Ther to be in Body and Sowle gloryfycate For thou must bryng them to such subtylyte That they assend together to be intronyzate In Clowds of clerenesse to Angells consociate Then shall they draw as thou shalt se All other Bodys to ther owne dygnyte Yf thou therfore thy Bodys wyll Exaltat Fyrst wyth the Spryts of Lyfe thou them augment Tyll tyme thy Erth be well subtylyate By naturall rectyfyyng of eche Element Hym up exaltyng into the Fyrmament Than much more presyose shall they be than Gold Because they of the Quyntessence do hold For when the Cold hath overcum the Hete Then into Water the Ayre shall turnyd be And so two contrarys together shall mete Tyll ether wyth other ryght well agre So into Ayre thy Water as I tell the When Hete of Cold hath gott domynacyon Shal be convertyd by craft of Cyrculacyon And of the Fyer then Ayer have thou shall By losyng Putrefyyng and Sublymyng And Fyer thou hast of the Erth materyall Thyne Elements by craft thus dysseveryng Most specyally the Erth well Calcenyng And when they be eche on made pure Then do they hold all of the fyfth nature On thys wyse therfore make them to be Cyrcular Ech unto other exaltyng by and by And in one Glas do all thys surely sygylate Not wyth thy honds but as I teche the naturally Fyer into Water then turne fyrst hardely For Fyer ys in Ayer wych ys in Water exystent And thys Conversyon accordyth to our entent Than ferthermore turne on thy Whele That into Erth thy Ayre convertyd be Whych wylbe don also ryght well For Ayre ys in Water beyng in the Erth trust me Then Water into Fyre contraryose in ther qualyte Sone turne thou may for Water in Erth ys Whych ys in Fyer conversyon true ys thys Thy Whele ys now nygh turnyd abowte Into Ayre turne Erth whych ys the proper nest Of other Elements ther ys no dowte For Erth in Fyre ys whych in Ayre takyth rest Thys Cyrculacyon thou begyn must in the West Then forth into the Sowth tyll they exaltyd be Procede dewly as in the Fygure I have towght the. In whych proces thou may clerly se From an extreame how to another thou may not go But by a mene syth they in qualyte contraryose be And reson wyll forsoth that hyt be so As hete into cold wyth other contraryose mo Wythout theyr menys as moyst to hete and cold Examples suffycyent afore thys have I told Thus have I tawght the how for to make Of all thy Elements a parfyt Cyrculacyon And at thy Fygure example for to take How thou shalt make thys foresayd Exaltacyon And of thy Medcyn in the Elements trew graduacyon Tyll hyt be brought to a quynaryte temperat And then thou hast conqueryd the Tenth Gate OF MULTIPLICATION The eleventh Gate MUltyplycacyon now to declare I procede Whych ys by Phylosophers in thys wyse dyfynyd Augmentacyon yt ys of that Elixer indede In goodnes in quantyte both for Whyt and Rede Multyplycacyon ys therfore as they have seyd That thyng that doth Augment the Medcyns in ech degre In Color in Odor in Vertue and also in Quantyte And why thou may thy Medcyn multeply Infynytly the cause forsoth ys thys For yt ys Fyer whych tyned wyll never dye Dwellyng wyth the as Fyer doth in housys Of whych one sparke may make more Fyers I wys As musk in Pygments and other spycys mo In vertue multyplyeth and our Medcyn ryght so So
thy Elements into Fyre turnyd by Cyrculacyon Then to wyn to thy desyre thou needst not be in dowte For the Whele of our Phylosophy thou hast turnyd abowte But yet ageyne turne abowte two tymys thy Whele In whych be comprehendyd all the Secretts of our Phylosophy In Chapters 12 made playne to the if thou conseve them well And all the Secretts by and by of our lower Astonomye How thou Calcin thy Bodys parfit dissolve devide putrefie Wyth parfyt knowledge of all the polys whych in our Hevyn ben Shynyng with colors inexplycable never were gayer sene And thys one Secrett conclusyonal know thou wythouten fayle Our Red Man teyneth not tyll he teynyd be Therfore yf thou lyst thy selfe by thy craft to avayle The Altytude of thy Bodys hyde show out theyr profundyte In every of thy Materyalls dystroyyng the fyrst qualyte And secundary qualytes more gloryose repare in them anon And in one Glas wyth one governaunce 4 Naturs turne into one Pale and Black wyth falce Citryne unparfyt Whyte Red Pekoks fethers in color gay the Raynbow whych shall overgoe The Spottyd Panther wyth the Lyon greene the Crowys byll bloe as lede These shall appere before the parfyt Whyte many other moe Colors and after the parfyt Whyt Grey and falce Citrine also And after all thys shall appere the blod Red invaryable Then hast thou a Medcyn of the thyrd order of hys owne kynde Multyplycable Thow must devyde thy Elixer whyte into partyes two After thou rubify and into Glassys let hym be don If thou wylt have the Elixers both for Son and Mone do so Wyth Mercury then hem Multeply unto gret quantyte sone Yf thow at the begynnyng had not as much as wold into aspone Yet moght thou them so Multeply both the Whyte Red That yf thou levyd a thousand yere they shold the stond in stede Have thou recourse to thy Whele I councell the unto And stody tyll thou understond eche Chapter by and by Medyll with no falce Fantesys Mulâ—â—plyers let them go Which wyll the flatter falcely sey they are connyng in Phylosophye Do as I byd the and then dyssolve these foreseyd Baces wyttely And turne hym into parfyt Oylys with our trew water ardent By Cyrculacion that must be don accordyng to our entent These Oylys wyll fyx crude Mercury and convert Bodys all Into parfyt Sol and Lune when thou shalt make Projeecyon That Oylysh substance pure and fyx Raymond Lully dyd call Hys Basylyske of whych he made never so playne deteccyon Pray for me to God that I may be of hys eleccyon And that he wyll for one of hys on Domys Day me kene And graunt me in hys blys to reygne for ever wyth hym Amen Gloria tibi Domine An Admonition wherein the Author declareth his Erronious experiments AFter all thys I wyll thou understonde For thy savegarde what I have done Many Experyments I have had in hond As I found wryten for Son and Mone Whych I wyll tell the rehersyng sone Begynnyng wyth Vermylion whych provyd nought And Mercury sublymyd whych I dere bought I made Solucyons full many a one Of Spyrytts Ferments Salts Yerne and Steele Wenyng so to make the Phylosophers Stone But fynally I lost eche dele After my Boks yet wrought I well Whych evermore untrew I provyd That made me oft full sore agrevyd Waters corrosyve and waters Ardent With which I wrought in divers wyse Many one I made but all was shent Eggs shells I calcenyd twise or thryse Oylys fro Calcys I made up-ryse And every Element fro other I did twyne But profyt found I ryght none therein Also I wrought in Sulphur and in Vitriall Whych folys doe call the Grene Lyon In Arsenike in Orpement fowle mot them fall In debili principio was myne Incepcyon Therefore was frawde in fyne the Conclusyon And I blew my thryft at the Cole My Clothys were bawdy my Stomache was never hole Sal Armonyake and Sandever Sal Alkaly sal Alembroke sal Attinckarr Sal Tarter sal Comyn sal Geme most clere Sal Peter sal Sode of these beware Fro the odor of Quycksylver kepe the fare Medyll not wyth Mercury precipitate Nether wyth imparfyt Bodys rubyfycate I provyd Uryns Eggs Here and Blod The Scalys of Yern whych Smethys do of smyte Aes Ust and Crokefer whych dyd me never good The sowle of Saturne and also Marchasyte Lythage and Antemony not worth a myte Of whych gey Tyntures I made to shew Both Red and Whyte whych were untrew Oyle of Lune and water wyth labour grett I made Calcynyng yt with salt precipytate And by hyt selfe with vyolent hett Gryndyng with Vynegar tyll I was fatygate And also with a quantyte of Spyces acuate Uppon a Marble whych stode me oft in cost And Oyles with Corrosyves I made but all was lost Many Amalgame dyd I make Wenyng to fix these to grett avayle And thereto Sulphur dyd I take Tarter Egges whyts and the Oyle of the Snayle But ever of my purpose dyd I fayle For what for the more and what for the lesse Evermore somethyng wantyng there was Wyne Mylke Oyles and Runnett The Slyme of Sterrs that falleth to the grownde Celydony and Secundynes wyth many moe yett In these I practysyd as in my books I found I wan ryght nought but lost many a pownde Of Mercury and Mettalls I made Chrystall stones Wenyng that hyt had ben a worke for the nonys Thus I rostyd and boylyd as one of Gebers Cooks And oft tymes my wynnyng in the Asks I sought For I was dyscevyd wyth many falce Books Wherby untrue thus truly I wrought But all such Experyments avaylyd me nought But brought me in danger and in combraunce By losse of my goods and other gravaunce For the love of our Lady such lewdnes eschue Medyll wyth no falshood whych never prevyd well Assay when thow wylt and thow shalt fynde me treue Wynn shalt thou nought but lose every dele Pence in thy Pauwkner fewe shalt thou feele In smokes and smells thow shalt have myckle wo That unnethe for syknes on Erth shalt thow go I never saw true worke treuly but one Of whych in thys tretys the trewth I have told Stody only therfore to make our Stone For therby may thow wyn both Sylver and Gold Uppon my wrytynge therfore to ground the be bold So shalt thow lose nought yf God be thy gyde Trust to my Doctryne and therby abyde Remember how Man ys most noble Creature In erths Composycyon that ever God wrought In whom are the fowre Elements proportyonyd by nature A naturall Mercuryalyte whych cost ryght nought Out of hys myner by Arte yt must be brought For our Mettalls be nought ells but myners too Of our Soon and our Moone wyse Reymond seyd so The clerenes of the Moone and of the Soone bryght Into these two Myners desendyth secretly Howbeyt the cleernes be hyd fro thy syght By craft thou shalt make ytt to appere openly Thys hyd Stone
Corrosive and bitter substance Well fixed and hard of fusion rude in governance Mercury ys a Body if he be with a Substance moved Mixing one kinde with his kinde so schall he be loved One Spirit received wyth another the which of them be maine Is cause of ingeneration of every body Mettalyne Luna ys a pure white Body of clene Mercury Sulphur white ingendered And sche is a litle hard of fusion almost well fixed And sche is next cleanest in Tincture of whitenes Of Ponderosity light of Iupiter bearing his whitenes And soe after the Colour of that Erth ys Sulphuri and receptuall Some men do say ys engendered every Mettall But my Son the perfect worke of thys alteration I schall informe the true way of another fashion Now have I declared the working of the Bodies Mynerall Whereof they be ingendered after other mens sayings over all And as in place of the Erth one Body was fully wrought Soe must the artificiall Medicine be or else it ys nought Now will I declare the worthines of Mercury in speciall How sche ys the notablest Spirit that ys mynerall Most marvelous in working and in degree Sche ys called the Matter principallest of the three Also sche ys very subtile in many things artificiall Sche will both give and take Tincture most speciall To hym or of hym that sche loveth most best In speciall when sche ys warmed in her Nest My Son Mercury ys called the mightiest Flos florum And most royall and richest of all Singulorum Sche ys very Patron and Princes most royall And sche ys very Mother of every Mettall Sche ys Vegitable Animalle and Minerall Sche ys Foure in kinde and One in generall Sche ys Erth Aire Water and Fyre Among all other sche hath no Peere Sche kylleth and slayeth and also doth calcine Sche dyeth and also doth sche live againe Sche giveth lyfe and also ingression For joyntly sche ys three in one Sche ys a very frendly mixar The progeneration of a greate Elixar Sche ys both Body Soule and Spirite In Colour very red black and white Many be the wooers that hang on her tayle But sche will not with them I'deale They would her wedd against her will With foemen that liken her full ill Sche will deale with no manner of wight But with her Husband as it ys greate right With him sche will beare much fruite For he ys by nature of her selfe same sute My Son of hem Fooles have much dispight And therin such Fooles loose their light For sometymes he ys darke and sometymes bright For he ys lyke no other wight For if they have their kynde ingendering Their naturall foode and good keeping They schall increase frute by dene Very red and white King and Queene My Son in thys Scyence I doe deny All things that be discording truly All manner of Salts I doe defie And all manner of Sulphurs in waters of Corrosie Also Alloome Vitriall Auripigmentum and Haire Gold Silver Alkaly and Sandiver Honey Wax and Oyles or Calx else Gumms Galls and also Egg shells Also I defie Antimony Berrall and Christall Rosin Pitch also Amber Jett and Corrall Hearbs Dated Stones Marble or Tinglas If there come any of all these it ys the worse Also Berrills Gotts Hornes and Alome plome Good with them will none be done All things that discordeth from Mettall It ys contrary to thys worke in generall My Son many fooles to me have sought But they and I accord right nought I leave them there as I them finde And as Fooles I make them blinde For whych Mercury they have errd full sore And then when they had they could doe no more Therefor in Phylosophers sche bear'th the floower For sche ys King Prince and Emperour Yet my deare Son be thow not a knowne To Learned nor to Lewde to High nor to Low That thys worke standeth by Mercury and in her fire Her owne speciall Love both life and deare For he ys her Son sche ys hys Fright In whome sche worketh all her myght He ys her Son sche ys hys Mother Sche loveth him peramore and no other In Sol and Lune in her meeting ys all love For of Mercury only ys all her behove And with them sche worketh all her might But they may never increase on fright Therefor it ys possible to cast a Projection pure Upon a Million to make a perfect Body of tincture Wyth Medicine of Spirits well joyned and fixed It schall not be perceived where it ys well mixed And therefor if there com Silver or Gold in at thy Gate The which men use in Aoyne or in common Plate I sweare by God that all thys world hath wrought All thy labour and warke schall turne to nought For with what Mettall soever that Mercury be joyned Because of her Coldnes and Moistnes sche ys acloyd Put them never so close togeder sche will fume anon And when they come into the fire sche wil sone be gone Therefore Mercury hath a Lover that passeth them A thousandfold who so will him ken And he ys her Lover and her Leman sweete And so hys Councell sche will keepe Both in hys Chamber and also in hys Bedd Also alive and when they byne dead Seeke yee forth fooles as ye have sought For in all other things finde yee right nought Now my deare Son to thee I will indight The truth in word and deede I will write How that a precious Stone shal be made Thee to rejoyce and make thee full glad As I said in the 32. Chapter unto my Conclusion How I schould informe the truth after another fashion And to performe thys Scyence both in word and deede In making of our Medicine God must us speede The which ys called the greate Elixer And ys verily made with a stronge mixar The which is a Stone very Minerall And thow maist him wellgett ever all My Son thow schalt take to Mercury no other thing But Erth that 's heavy and hard and stiff standing The which in himselfe ys derke bright dry and cold To joyne them togeder thow maist be full bold One of them to 10 parts of that Water running most heaviest And they schalbe both one and to thy warke most mightiest Then hast thow Man and Woman togeder brought The which ys done by greate love in a thought The which two be both Spirits one Body most heaviest When they be in your Chamber and bed joyned in the Element lightest The which ys more bigger and bigger hott and dry And therein they will both kiss togeder neither weepe nor cry For when Erth and Water ys well mixed By the vertue of the lightest Element well hardned and fixed For before that time they be Water running both And then schall turne to fix body be they never so loath For in theyr bed they schall make a perpetuall Conjunction After the feeding of the light Element and of their proportion Soe schould they be decoct having the parfeit fixascion In the
adverting that she had tould How might a Man by nature thus he said Be borne againe namely when he ys old Then said hys Mother by reason manifold But if the Gospell thus doth meane In Water and Spirit be renovate hott and cold That he shall never plainely come into Heaven The King was tristy and heavy of cheere Upon his Knees meekely kneeled downe Prayed his Father in full low manner To translate the Challice of hys passion But for he thought the redempcion Of his brethren might not be fulfilled Without his death nor their Salvation For them to suffer he was right willed And for to accomplish hys purpose in sentence By cleere example who so looketh right Heavy things from their Circumferance Must up assend and after be made light And things light ready to the flight Must descend to the Center downe By interchaunging of natures might As they be moved by meane of Revolucion Soe as Iupiter in a Cloud of Gold Chaunged himselfe by transformacion And descended from hys hevenly hold Like a Golden dewe unto Danae downe And she conceived as made is mencion By influence of hys power divine Right so shall Phoebus right soveraigne of renowne To be conceived of his Golden raine decline And to comfort hys Brethren that were full dull The Sun hath chosen without warr or strife The bright Moone when she was at the full To be his Mother first and after hys wedded wife In tyme of Ver the season vegetative In Aries when Titan doth appeare Inspired by grace with the Spirit of lyfe This marriage hallowed at midday Spheare And at this feast were the Godes all Saturne from blacknes was turned to white And Iupiter let his mantle fall Full pale and meager of greate delight Clothed in lylies that every maner wight Of Heaven and Erth and Gods of the Sea Rejoyced in Heart and were full glad and light To be present at this great Solemnity Mars forgot there hys sturdy black hardines Cast off his Habergeon fret with old rust Venus forsooke her minerall rednes Tooke Gold for greene and she againe also for lust Because she had in Phoebus such a trust That he should this feast hold of most noblenes Of brotherly pitty needs as he must Give her a mantle of Orientall brightnes After this Wedding here afore devised Of faire Phoebus and fresh Lucine Philosophers have prudently practised A Closset round by their wise Doctrine Cleere as Christall of Glasse a litle shrine With heavenly deawe stuffed that dungeon Kept night and day with glorious maidens nyne To keepe the Queene in her Concepcion Religiously they kept their Sylence Till that from heaven their a royall light And there with all in open audience Was heard a voyce almost at mid night Among the Virgins most amiable of sight That said unto them to save that was forlorne I must againe through my imperiall myght Be of my Mother new conceived and borne I must passe by water and by Fire The brunt abide and there from not decline To save my brethren I have so greate desire With new light their darknes to yllumine But sore I dread that venomous Serpentine Which ever advanceth with his violence My tender youth to hurt and to invenome But in your keeping doe you your diligence The King thus entred in his bed royall The Queene conceived under a Sun bright Under her feete a mount like Christall Which had devoured her husband anon right Dead of desire and in the Maidens sight Lost all the Collour of his fresh face Thus was he dead the Maidens feeble of mighr Dispaired flept in the same place The Serpent bold shed out his poyson The Queene and Maidens for feare tooke them to flight Seaven tymes assending up and downe With in a vault now darke now cleere of light Their generation was so strong of might Tfter death now passeth Purgatory Ao Resurreccion as any Sun bright Things that were lost to bring to his glory The Queene tooke her full possession The Soule reviving of the dead King But of old hatred the toxicate poyson Was by the Serpent cast in to their hindring The Prince was buried but of his rising The Btethren were glad the truth was seene When they were washed by his naturall clensing And their old Leprie by Miracle was made cleane The full Moone halfe shaddowed the Sun To putt away the burning of his light Black shaddowed first the skyes were so dunn The Ravens bill began who looketh right Blacker then Jett or Bugle to sight But lâ—tle and litle by ordinary apparance The temperate fire with his cherishing might Turned all to white but with noe violence Tyme to the Queene approched of Childing The Child of Nature was ready to fly Passage was there none to hys out going He spread hys wings and found no liberty Of nyne Virgins he devoured three The other six most excellent and faire Fearefull for dread in their greatest beauty Spread their feathers and flew forth in the Aire The Child coloured first Black and after White Having noe heate in very existence But by cherishing of the Sun bright Of forraine fire there was noe violence Save that men say which have experience He dranke such plenty of the Water of the well That his six sisters made noe resistance But would have devowred Dasten can you tell Sometymes black sometymes was he redd Now like ashes now Citrine of Colour Now of Safforne hew now sanguine was his head Now white as a lylie he shewed him in his bower The Moone gave nourishment to him in his labour And with all their force did their buisnes To cloath hym fresher then any flowre With a mantle of everlasting whitnes PEARCE THE BLACK MONKE upon the Elixir TAke Erth of Erth Erths Moder And Watur of Erth yt ys no oder And Fier of Erth that beryth the pryse But of that Erth louke thow be wyse The trew Elixer yf thow wylt make Erth owte of Erth looke that thow take Pewer sutel faire and good And than take the Water of the Wood Cleere as Chrystall schynyng bryght And do hem togeder anon ryght Thre dayes than let hem lye And than depart hem pryvyly and slye Than schale be browght Watur schynyng And in that Watur ys a soule reynynge Invisible and hyd and unseene A marvelous matter yt ys to weene Than departe hem by dystillynge And you schalle see an Erth apperinge Hevie as metale schalle yt be In the wych is hyd grete prevety Destil that Erth in grene hewe Three dayes during well and trew And do hem in a body of glass In the wych never no warke was In a Furnas he must be sett And on hys hede a good lymbeck And draw fro hym a Watur clere The wych Watur hath no peere And aftur macke your Fyer stronger And there on thy Glasse continew longer So schal yow se come a Fyer Red as blode and of grete yre And aftur that an Erth leue there schale The wych is cleped
the Moder of alle Then into Purgatory sche must be doe And have the paynes that longs thereto Tyl sche be bryghter than the Sune For than thow hast the Maystrey wone And that schalbe wythin howres three The wych forsooth ys grete ferly Than do her in a clene Glass Wyth some of the Watur that hers was And in a Furnas do her againe Tyl sche have drunke her Watur certaine And aftur that Watur give her Blood That was her owne pewre and good And whan sche hath dranke alle her Fyer Sche wyll wex strong and of grete yre Than take yow mete and mylcke thereto And fede the Chylde as you schowlde do Tyl he be growne to hys full age Than schal he be of strong courage And tourne alle Bodies that leyfull be To hys owne powre and dignitye And this ys the makyng of owre Stone The trewth here ys towlde yow evereech one For all that taketh any other wey Mouch they looseth and mouch they may For trewly there ys no other way of righte But Body of Body and Lyghte of Lyghte Man of Man begottyn ys And Beste of Beste to hys lykenes Alle the fooles in the worlde seeken A thynge that they may never meeten They wolde have Metalle owte of hem That never was fownde by worldly men Ne never was fownde by Goddis myghte That they schould beare any such fryghte All Saltes and Sulphures far and nere I interdite hem alle in fere Alle Corosive waters Blood and Hayre Pyss Hornes Wormes and Saudiver Alume Atriment alle I suspende Rasalger and Arsnick I defende Calx vive and Calx mort hys Brother I suspende them both one and other For of alle things I wyll no moe But fowre Elements in Generall I say soe Sun and Moone Erth and Water And here ys alle that men of clatter Our Gold and Sylver ben no common plate But a sperme owte of a Bodi I take In the wych ys alle Sol Lune Lyfe and Lyghte Water and Erth Fyre and Fryght And alle commyth of one Image But the Water of the Wood makyth the marryage Therefore there ys none other waye But to take thee to thy Beades and praye For Covetous Men yt fyndyth never Though they seek yt once and ever Set not your Hearts in thys thyng But only to God and good lyvynge And he that wyll come thereby Must be meeke and full of mercy Both in spyrit and in Countenannce Full of Chereti and good Governaunce And evermore full of almes deede Symple and pewerly hys lyf to leade Wyth Prayers Pennaunces and Piety And ever to God a lover be And alle the ryches that he ys sped To do God worschyppe wyth Almes deede In Arsenyck sublymed there ys a way streight Wyth Mercury calcyned nyne tymes hys weight And grownde together with the Water of myght That bereth ingression lyfe and lyght And anon as they togyther byne Alle runnyth to Water bryght and shene Upon thys Fyre they grow togethyr Tyll they be fast and flee no whythyr But than feede hem fowrth wyth thy hond Wyth mylke and meate tyle they be stronge And thow schalt have there a good Stone Whereof an Ounc on fowrty wyll gone Upon Venus or on Mercury Thys Medicyn wyll make thee merry All yow that have sowght mani a day Leave worke take yowre Beades and pray For the longer that yow seeken The longer yt ys or yow meeten And he that now fayne would be sped Lysten to my Daughter Megg For schhe scall tell yow trewth and ryghte Hearken now wyth all your myght I am Mercury the myghty Flower I am most worthy of Honour I am sours of Sol Luna and Mars I am genderer of Iovis many be my snares I am setler of Saturne and sours of Venus I am Empresse Pryncesse and Regall of Queenes I am Mother of Myrrour and maker of lyght I am head and hyghest and fayrest in syght I am both Sun and Moone I am sche that alle thynges must doone I have a Daughter hight Saturne that ys my darlyng The wych ys Mother of all werkyng For in my Daughter there byne hydd Fowre thyngs Commonly I kydd A Golden seede and a spearme rych And a Silver seede none hym lich And a Mercury seede full bryght And a Sulphur seede that ys ryght Of my Daughter wythowten dred Byn made Elyxirs whyte and redd Therefor of her draw a Water cler The Scyence yf thow lyst to leare Thys Water reduceth every thynge To tendernes and to fyxing It burgeneth growyth and gyveth fryght and lyght Ingression lyfe and lastyng in syght Alle ryghteous werkes sooth to say It helpeth and bryngyth in a good way Thys ys the Water that ys most worthy Aqua perfectissima flos mundi For alle werkes thys Water makyth whyte Reducyng and schyning as Sylver bryght And of the Oyle greate marvell there ys For all thyngs yt bryngyth to rednes As Cytrine gold he ys full high None ye so redd nor none ys so worthy And in the Erth grete marvele ys hyd That ys first so black and than so red And alle ys done in howres three Thys may be cleped Gods Prevetie Than the Erth shall torne red as blood Citrine Gold naturall cleere and good And than the red Oyle to hem schall goe Red Ferment and red Mercury alsoe And grow togeder weekes seaven Blessed be Almyghty God of Heven One Ounce of thys Medycine worthy Cast upon two hundred ownces of Mercury Schall make Gold most royall And ever enduring to holde tryall Fyre and Hammer Tuch and Test And all essayes most and least And yt ys Medycen above common Gold To mans body as God yt would For Gold that cometh from the Oare Is nourished with fowle Sulphur And Engendered upon Mercury he ys And nouryshed by Erth and Sulphur I wys And our Gold ys made of thre pewre soules In the wych ys noe Corrupcyon foule But purged pewre as clene as Chrystall Body and Spyryt and Sowle wyth all And so they grow into a stone In the wych Corrupcyon there ys none And than cast hym upon Mercury And he schalbe Gold most worthy Now have you heard the makyng of our Stone The begynyng and endyng ys all one THE WORKE OF RICH CARPENTER OF Titan Magnasia take the cler light The rede Gumme that ys so bryght Of Philosofris the Sulfer vife I called Gold wythouten stryfe Of hem drawe owte a Tincture And make a matrymony pure Betweene the husband and the wyfe I spoused wyth the Water of lyfe And so that none dyvysion Be there in the conjunccion Of the Moone and of the Sonne After the marriage ys begonne And that Mercury the planete In loef make hem so to mete That eyder wyth oder be joyned even As a Stone engendered sente down fro heven Of hem make water clere rennynge As any Chrystall bryght schynynge Drawen out of bodyes fyxed By Nature prively mixed Within a vessal depured clene Of Philosofris bright and schene
worke my will One thing was first imployd And shall not be destroid It compasseth the VVorld so round A Matter easy to be found And yet most hardest to come by A Secret of Secrets pardye That is most vile and least set by And it my Love and my Darling Conceived with all living thing And travells to the VVorlds ending What neede have I of mans Devise of Peny or of Pound Of Gold or Silver Lead or Tynn or Copper in the ground Iron or Silver Quick Whereat the blind do prick Of Cankered Corosives that rust By Salts and sulphurs all to dust Seeke out therefore my darllng deare For unto me it is most neere My spouse my Love and my Compeare And unto it looke thou direct My seaven Children long elect That all things else they might reject A Child begetting his owne Father and bearing his Mother Killing himselfe to give lyfe and light to all other Is yt that I do meane Most myld and most extreame Did not the Word that dwelt in me Take forme and walked visibly And did not I then dwell in it That dwelt in me for to unite Three powers in one seate to sit And then Experience did say Now knowest thou all heere lyes the Key And then she vanisht cleane away There with arose Phylosophy as one filled with grace Whose looks did shew that she had byne in some Heavenly place For oft she wipt her Eyes And oft she bowd her knees And oft she kist the Steps with dread VVhereon Experience did tread And oft she cast her Head on high And oft full low she cast her Eye Experience for to espy But when she saw that she was gon And that her selfe was left alone I never hread thing make such mone FINIS THE MAGISTERY THrough want of Skill and Reasons light Men stumble at Noone day Whilst buisily our Stone they seeke That lyeth in the way Who thus do seeke they know not what Is 't likely they should finde Or hitt the Marke whereat they ayme Better then can the Blinde No Hermes Sonns for Wisdome aske Your footesteps shee 'le direct Shee 'le Natures way and secret Cave And Tree of lyfe detect Son and Moone in Hermes vessell Learne how the Collours shew The nature of the Elements And how the Daisies grow Greate Python how Appollo slew Cadmus his hollow-Oake His new rais'd army and Iason how The Fiery Steeres did yoke The Eagle which aloft doth fly See that thou bring to ground And give unto the Snake some wings Which in the Earth is found Then in one Roome sure binde them both To fight till they be dead And that a Prinee of Kingdomes three Of both them shal be bred Which from the Cradle to his Crowne Is fed with his owne blood And though to some it seemeth strange He hath no other Foode Into his Virgin-Mothers wombe Againe he enter must Soe shall the King by his new-byrth Be ten times stronger just And able is his foes to foile The dead he will revive Oh happy man that understands This Medicen to atchive Hoc opus exigium nobis fert ire per altum DECEMBER 1633. W. B. ANONYMI OR SEVERALL WORKES OF unknowne Authors NOw I schall her be gynne To teche the a Conclusion In the name of the Trenete Send us grace that well hit be Now take two Onces as mych of anoder And dyssolve on ther with the toder Y tel the trowthe as my broder Put in to a Glas wyth owtten oder Than take three Onces of the bytter And meng hym with the swetter And put them than into a Glas Even right as the toder was Than take a unc of the best And do with hym as thou didst erst In a Glas than thou him put And loke thy mowth be wel I shut Now thow hast here Glasses thre Even lyke unto the Trynete Than hem stop these everychon Even a sute as thow hast on About thy Glasses a wal thow make Last the wynde ham al to crake Than thy Glassys now all I thre With yn that grave they schal be Now thys I fed with moysty hete To make that Glassys swynke and swete Then let hem stonde thus wekys thre And wel the beter they schal be Than put hem all now into on The wich ys lyke than be a stone Than let hem stonde so theryn Whan thou hast made thy Conjunction Tyl sevyn dayes be al I don Much the better woll be thy Ston Than upon thy Glas thow sett A fayre heed and wel I mette Draw up thy water with esy fyre Within a Rotunde good and cler Tyl thi Mater wol styl no mer Than set thow hem in dry Fyr Than se thow styl with reasonabyl hete Tyl thy Mater wol no more lete Whan he ys ther both good and dry Ful fayne wolde he than be moysty Than wey that Stone within the Glas And put hym hys Lecur has it was Now whan thys fryst drawte ys don Thow must Embybe with good proporciun Now looke thow wel what ys hys whyght And wyth the fourth part than hym dyght And evermore wyth partys fowr Now tyl he be of Whyte colowr And thus loke thow make good wache Tyl the Body thy Spirit can cache And also thy Sowle so must he Than understand thow hast thre Now schyt thy Glas as hyt was er And worke hyt forthe on thys maner Whan tho thre to gedur ben knyte With moch joy than thow mayst sitte For than art thou ricchar than the King But he have the same thyng Thus is alle thy Medcyn wroght Evyn after thin owne thoght How thys Medcyn thow schalt encres And make hyt mor tyll thow lyst sees The trowth I schall now the certefie How thow schalt hyt thus Multyply Loke as thow did thy Werke befor Encres hit forth with mor and mor As thow did at the begynnyng So continu forth to the endyng Thus for soth infynytely Thou mayst this craft forth Multiply Lyke as a man hath lytil Fyr And mor to make ys hys desyr He be hovyth this ys no nay More Wode or Cole ther to lay And thus he may hys Fyr encres That he schall never be fyreles One the same wise thou understande Ever thy Medcyn must be growande And whan the lyst Projecciun make Loke to this lesson good tent thou take Whan thy Medcyn is very parfit Thow schalt hym cast on hys lyke Al 's evyn than as thow can gese On part on Ten looke thow not messe The trowthe yf thow wil wete Than ys thy Lexer evyn complete And than of that On part thow take The trew Projeccion thus schalt thow make Cast that on Ten of Tyn or Leede Or Coper or Mercury ther in that steede Into fine Lun hit schal be broght Or into Sol evyn after thi thoght After that thy Lexer ys Be hit White or Rede I wys If thow hit cast on Iren also If it schal be Lun or Sol ther to Thys ar the Secrets of Phylosophie I councel
befall Mankinde in health preserve they shall Reneweth Youth and keepeth it sound As trew by proofe the same is found And here I will teach you plaine How for to make their Mixtures pure In order faire without disdaine I will tell you no Dreame be sure Beleeve me while my life may dure Looke what with mouth to you I say My deedes shall prove it true alway Yett shall some Figure my Meeter hide Least the Arte with wings should fly awâ—y And soe as vile abroad to slide Whose sence or Truth cannot decay And without fraude I will display The matter plaine on every side And true likewise what soe betide Although ere this you have heard say That such as practice doth this Arte Their thrift in Ashes seeke alway And learne at length with heavy heart Not more but lesse to make their part Yet be not you dismayed therefore Ne feare nor shrinke for it the more But trust the words which I you tell For truly I doe flatly say I have both seene and known it well And wittnesse will the same alway This the Marrow called is I say A truer Text full well I wote In all this World finde shall you not Then as this writing of our Wine Whereof I bring you here a taste Whose heavenly Water pure and fine Doth all things worke withouten waste To your desire the bodyes fast It doth dissolve make light and open With other things not yett of spoken Against Nature yet is it not But naturall as may men trow Which being cleansed from his spott There Phoebus splendor shall forth shewe And cause it fragrantly to grow For how more fragrant it shal be Soe much of Valor more is hee For Phoebus nature doth surpasse And bodyes pure and eke the sky It doth beshine both Corne and Grasse The Sonn reneweth from on hye And causeth things to fructifie Doth mix and fix and natureth Drives plagues away and nourisheth Abandoneth draweth and clenseth the Aire Maketh dews sweete floods and humors dry Maketh softe hard sweete and fayre And purifieth Natures perfectly By his working incessantly It maketh all things to grow I say And chaseth Vgly things away In Laurell Tree it is full greene In Gold it lodgeth glistringly It decketh Stones with brightnes sheene The shinening bodyes are made thereby But if you will more certeinly Of Phoebus vertue have knowledging Then Saturns Chyld must yssue bring O Pastor meeke draw Water cleere From buds of Vynes out of a Glasse As red as blood as Gold it were Which will you give a Gummy Masse As pretious as ever was Thus without fraude made open is by wyse The Arte which you shall not dispise It multiplyeth and maketh also Gold Potable know this for trewe By it are things increased soe That health thereby you may renewe To learne those Secreats dayly sue Which formally prolong well may Your Life in joy from day to day For although many hate this Arte Yet it is precious over all Try and discerne within your hearte By all the Lessons misticall A Gift it is Coelestiall Which here is taught to you him by That prov'd it hath Assuredly This have I written for your sake Not in vaine stile but order plaine This little Booke of him you take Which frankly doth bestowe his paine To God committinge you againe And all that doth wish well to thee In any place wheresoever they bee If you unbroken long would keepe In perfect health your Vessel still Then for your Cannon looke you seeke Remembring him that hath good will By your assistance to fulfill And in such sort your Worke display As sound may to your lawd alway A SHORT WORKE That beareth the Name of the aforesaid Author Sir G. RIPLEY TAke Heavy Soft Cold and Drye Clense him and to Calx grind him subtily Dissolve him in Water of the Wood If thou can do any good Thereof take a Tincture And Earthy Calx good and pure Of this maist thou have with thy travaile Both Mercury Water and Oyle Out of the Ayre with Flames great Fire into the Earth doth Creepe In this Worke if thou wilt winn Take heed wherewith thou dost begin And in what manner thou dost work For loosing thy way in the darke And where with what and how thy matter shal end I tell and Councell thee as my Frend Make Water of Earth and Earth of Water Then art thou well onward in the matter For thou shalt find hid in the myre Both Earth Water Ayre and Fire I tell thee my Brother I will not flatter Of our Earth is made our Water The which is cleere white as Snow And makes our Earth Calcine and growe Blacknesse first to thee doth shew As by thy practise thou shalt know Dissolve and Calcine oft and oft With Congelation till the Body to whitnes be brought Make the Body fluxible and flowing With the Earth perfect and teyning Then after Ferment is once done Whither thou wilt with Sunne or Moone Dissolve him with the Water of life Ycalled Mercury withouten strife Put the Soule with the Body and Spirite Together in one that they may meete In his Dammes belly till he wax great With giving Drinke of his owne sweate For the Milke of a Cow to a Child my brother Is not so sweete as the Milke of his Mother This Child that is so marveilously wrought Unto his Heritage must be brought His livelyhood is so worthy a thing Of abilitye to spend with a King He that beareth all this in minde And understandeth these Parables all With Seperation he may finde Poore and Rich great and small With our Sulphur we make our Antimony White and Red And thereof we make our Mercury quick dead This is a Mettall that I speake of one of the seaven If thou be a Clerk read what I meane There is no Plannet of six neither great nor small But if he be put to them he will Calcine them all Unto red blood he must be brought Else of him thou gettest right nought Reach him then with the Wood Water Man and Woman Clothed under one hatter In and of them is conceived a Child Lovely of beauty meeke and mild Out of the Earth with dropps strong Nourish the Child in his Mothers wombe Till he be come to full age And then make thou a Mariage Betweene the Daughter and the Sonne And then thou hast the Mastery wonn The beginning of this Worke if thou wilt crave In holly Writ thou shalt it have Both in Masse Booke and in Psalter Yea wrighten before the Preest at the Alter And what is Antimony that thou shalt worke I have written to thee if thou be a Clerke Looke about before if thou canst finde Plainely written which maketh men blind Our Werke is bringing againe our Mercury And that Philosophers call Solucion And if thou loose not the uncleane body Thou werkest without discretion The Inbibition of Water is not the loosing But bringing the Body into water againe turning That is to say into
lyfe is Fyre Wheare hast thowe goe too Scolle to learne all this For that thou sayest is right true I wisse And I suppose it in thie thought That with iiii Spirits it must be wrought Nay your Spirits are too wilde quoth Marlin againe Therefore I will not medle with them certaine I will have a Spirit made by kinde naturally That will abide with every body kindly Such a Spirit could I macke quod Marlin And yet men would hold yt but in veyne And yet of all workes it is the best Lest of Cost and most surest For if it should faile then were we done all And therefore for the most parfitest worke we it call It is so rich when it is wrought Though all the world were turned to nought As mennye rich bodyes agayn make would he As ever were or ever should be Take Earth of Earth Earths Brother c. I have seene an old Coppy of the said work of Pearce the Black Monk to the end of which these following Verses were joyned NOW of this Matter derke and nothing clere An Exposicion I doe mack here Wherein I charge you secre to be That frend ne foe doe yt se Erth hyd within the bodies center is most fine Water of Wood Essell of Wine For by the moyster of the Grape This centrall Earth who can it take It and Sercion do our Maistry make For it shall become Mercuriall And after that Essentiall But now beware that you not faile For then you loose your greate travaile Whan you have drawne owte of the Gum All the Mercury that wyll come Understand that Lycowres three In that Mercury conteyned be The first is the Watur of lyfe Ardent By Bath departed that is most lent It burneth as Aquavite by live And is called our Mercury attractive Wherewith is made Earth Christalline Out of all Collours Metallyne I speke no more thereof as yet For in this worke we neede not it Then runneth a Water after thilke Litle in quantity white as mylke Whych ys sperme or nature of our Stone That is earnestly sought of many one For of Man Beste and every thynge Sperme is there begynyng Therefore we our Mercury do it call Whych ys found here and there and over all For wythout yt ys nothyng lyvyng Wherefore yt ys in every thyng As well in thyngs most preciouse As in thyngs most vyle and odious Of yt they have there first nature Thys moyster to you as now is clere Thys ys the Mercury that we call Vigetable Minerall and Animall Our Quicksilver and our lac Virginis Our Water permanent forsooth yt ys Wyth thys Water Mercuriall We wasch the fylth Originall Of our Erth tyll yt be whyte Lyke a Gumm that floweth lyte By dry fyre after that schale cume Oyle wherewyth we make red Gumm Wych ys our Tincture and our Sulfur vive The soule of Saturne the Golde of life Our Tincture and our airy Gould Wych before was never so plainely tould God graunt that I do no displeasure To hym in fulfillyng your desire Now Elements be divided every one Wyth thys Oyle make red your Stone Owre Gumms two then have schall ye Wythout the wych no Elixir may be They go the Body and the Spirits betwixt Wythowte the wych our Ston cannot be fixt And makyth of hym in a lytle space Two Elixirs by Gods Grace Whereby are trewly alterate All Metalline Bodies into a better state Wyth Sol and Luna equall to be To helpe us in our necessitie Now thanked be God most gracious Wych hath this Secret lent to us Hys grace therewyth to us he leave To our Soules helth us for to meve This following Fragment in some copies I have found placed at the end of the aforegoing Exposition of Pearce the Black Monke In others immediately before With Hic and with Hac c. and bearing this Tytle A CONCLUSION TAke Wynde and Water white and greene And thereof draw a lac Virgine Where some it call a water cleere The which water hath no Peere And then make your Fier stronger When the white fume doth appeare Chaunge your Receiver and continue longer And then shall you see come a Fire Red as blood and full of Yre Quod dicitur menstruum faetens sol philosophorum In quo fit nostra dissolutio congelatio Sublimatio attractio etiam fixatio Et Sulphuris nostri five foliati creatio WIth hic and with haec thus may ye do As Husband and Wife toogeather them wed Put them in a chamber both two And shet fast the dore when they be a bed The woman is both wanton and wilde With her husband she cannot rest Till she have conceived a Child Of all his kin he shall be best He is a Childe of the Elements Both by Father and by Mother None so worthy in presence Not perfect Sol his owne Brother Sol and Luna owe unto him obedience And all that him needes they to him bring Saturne doth to him obesance Howbeit he is next of his kinne There is neither Emperour or Kinge But of his presence they would be glad If he from them were one yeare wanting In their hearts they would be full sad In riches he exceedeth all other The Elements in him are so even Luna is his Sister and Sol is his Brother His Father dwelleth among the planets seaven Nulla virtus mineralibus where shall we him seeke Sit tibi principium principale Councell we must it keepe Reperitur ubique localis by way in every streete An other Conclusion FIrst Calcine and after Putrefie Dissolve distill sublime discend and fix With Aquavitae oftymes wash and dry And make a marriage of Body Soul the Spirit betwixt Which thus together naturally if ye cannot mix Then shall the Body utterly dye in the flix Bleeding and changing Collours as ye shall see In bus and nubi he shall uprise and descend First up to the Moone and after up to the Sun Onely shipped within a litle glasen Tunne When he commeth thether then is all the Maistry wonne About which Journey great goods ye shall not spend And ye shall be Glad that ever it was begun Patiently if ye list to your worke to attend Who so shall our Pearle and our Ruby make Our Principle let him not forsake For at the beginning if his Principle be trew And that he can by craft so him bake Trewly at the end his Worke shall him not rew The whole Scyence THere is a bodi of a Bodi And a Soule and a Spryte Wyth two Bodyes must be knete There ben two Erthys at I the telle And two Waters wyth hem do dwelle The ton ys Whyte the tother is Red To quick the Bodies that ben ded And oon Fyre in Nature y hydd And oon Ayre with hem that doth the dede And all hyt commeth out of onn kynde Marke thys well Man and beare yt yn mynde TAke Mercury from Mercury which is his wyfe For Mercury wife to Mercury maketh greate stryfe But
chiefe And we find that upon Salomon's Prayer to God for Wisdome he granted him a Heart as large as the Sea and therein lodged so greate knowledge of Humane things that he penetrated whatsoever the understanding of Man might comprehend and to manifest the inoffensivenesse of Naturall Magick never â—eckons it up in all his Retractations Though he throughly understood it and in his practise attempted the highest Experiments which had it been unlawfull certainly he would not have omitted Thus much for a Preparative And now that I may come closer to what Norton intends and bring Magick neerer to our purpose We must understand that the Order and Symmitry of the Universe is so setled by the Lawes of Creation that the lowest things the Subcelestiall or Elementary Region should be immediately subservient to the Midle the Midle or Calestiall to those above and these the Supercelestiall or Intelligible to the Supreame Rulers becke With this it is further to be knowne that these Superiours and Inferiours have an Analogicall likenesse and by a secret Bond have likewise a fast coherence between themselvs through insensible Mediamâ— freely combiening in Obedience to the same supreme Ruler and also to the benefit of Nature Insomuch that if we take the said Harmony in the Reverse we shall finde that things Supercelestiall may be drawne down by Celestiall and Supernaturall by Naturall For this is the Maxim of old Hermes Quod est superius est sicut id quod est inferius And upon this ground Wisemen conceive it no way Irrationall that it should be possible for us to ascend by the same degrees through cach world to the very Originall world it selfe the Maker of all things and first Cause But how to conjoyne â—he Inferiours with the vertue of the Superiours which is marrying Elmes to Viâ—es or how to call out of the hidden places into open light the dispersed and seminated Vertues i e. Virtutes in centro centri latentes is the work of the Magi or Hermetick Philosophers onely and depends upon the aforesaid Harmony For They know that the Production of things is Naturall but the bringing forth of the vertue is not Naturall because the things are Create but the Vertues Increate Hence it is that the Power and Vertue is not in Plants Stones Mineralls c. though we sensibly perceive the Effects from them but t is that Universall and All-pierâ—ing Spirit that One operative Vertue and immortall Seede of worldly things that God in the beginning infused into the Chaos which is every where Active and still flowes through the world in all kindes of things by Universall extension and manifests it selfe by the aforesaid Productions Which Spirit a true Artist knowes how-so to handle though its activity be aâ— it were dul'd and streightly bound up in the close Prison of Grosse and Earthie bodies as to take it from Corporiety freeâ— it from Captivity and let it loose that it may freely worke as it doth in the Aetheriall Bodies But the meanes whereby it is to be done which is the first Preparation all Philosophers have hitherto concealed For To Create Magnesia they made no care In their Bookes largely to declare But how to Order it after its Creation They left poore Men without Consolation And unlesse God please to reveâ—le it like the Iewish Fire it must be kept hidden and till he doth there is no bumane industry can forcibly wrest the knowledge thereof out of the Almighties bands Si te fata vocant aliter non Looke not then for it at the hand of Man for t is the Gift of God onely A singlular gift and grace of th' Almighty Nil dat quod non habet Man has it not that is he has it not to bestow where he will The Philosophers were y sworne eche one That they shulde discover it unto none Ne in no Boke it write in no manere For unto Christ it is solefe and deare That he wol â—â—t that it discovered be But where it liketh to his deite Man to inspire and eke for to defend Whan that him liketh lo this is his end In fine if any man be so blest as to discover and unvaile our Diana he shall finde and confesse that he was beholding to Naturall Magick for directions at the Beginning Midle and End and when it is wrought up to his highest degree of Perfection he shall see things not fit to be written for may I aver it with awfull Reverence Angelicall wisdome is to be obteyned by it Pag. 72. li. 25. Tasted our White Stone a parte UNlesse the Medicine be qualified as it ought t is death to east the least Attome of it because its Nature is so highly Vigorous and strong above that of Mans For if its least parts are able to strike so fiercely and throughly into the Body of a base and corrupt Mettall as to Tinge and Convert it into so high a degree as perfect Gold how lesse able is the Body of Man to resist such a force when its greatest strength is far inferiour to the weakest Mettall I doe believe and am confirm'd by severall Authors that many Philosophers having a desire to enjoy perfect Health have destroyed themselves by adventuring to take the Medicine inwardly ere they knew the true use thereof or how to qualifie it to be received by the Nature of Man without destruction Pa. 88. li. 15. The Red Stone is preservative Most precious thing to length my lyfe THis is the Stone which some builders up of life have refused when in truth it was the cheife Stone in the Corner It being produced from that undefiled vertue which is yet left with the Creature as a small remainder of the First Blessing and able to make a perfect union betweene the Body Soule and Spirit whilst our lively Fire that Medium between the Body and Spirit by receiving this Aetheriall Medicine consisting of heavenly vertues that consume the Impurities and Superfluities of the Body is delivered from all Impediments and the Body forced to agree with that incomparable Nature into which it is changing by so sweete and powerfull Compulsions and consequently life Prorogued As touching the Prolongation of life wee meete with some Presidents in Histories and they not Fables where by the Application of things inward or outward the Spirit hath beene renewed the Body strengthned the Vitall and Animall faculty quickned decrepid and withered Age renewed Life inlarged Besides these Relations we perceive Nature is so curtéous to some kind of Creatures as the Hart Eagle and Serpent that she affords them meanes to obteine the benefit of Renovation here Nature teaches them Naturall Magick for t is no other and why then may it not be granted to Man if sought after Nay the consideration of this Favourable Blessing afforded to Animalls has been the principall ground whence many Philosophers have addicted themselves to the search of this Mistery hoping that might not be denyed to Man upon his search which is
Man if they would but observe the Beginnings Change declination and death of all things in and upon this inferiour Globe and compare their vertues with our owne internall Natures for they are certainly united by a Noble excellent and secret Harmony and Relation And having found the true Originall and Cause of Diseases then further to search after a proper remedy for all Diseases are not cured by one sort of Physick save that which is Aetheriall and Incorporeall And therefore according to the Doctrine of Paracelsus such as are bred from so light a cause â—s the impure Seeds of Vegitables viz. Meate Drinke Fruits Herbes and the like Elementary things may be very easily cured with the Secrets of Hearbes Roots and such like mild and tender Medicines of which sort Galenicall Physick is more plentifully furnished then any of the â—est Those that are produced from the more rude and knotteer Qualities of Mineralls and what is cast within the Compasse of that Tribe the Chemicall Phisitian must expell by the power and force of his Metalline Sulphurs c. Vegitables being in this Case too weake to Master and Dissolve their tenacious and coagulated Spirits Those which are derived from the Influences of Heaven must be removed by Plants c. Magically gathered and prepared or by Sigills c. framed or made under sutable Positions and Aspects of the Planets and impregnated with the rayes of Celestiall Vertues for without opening the Bodyes Infusing superiour Influences and by an additionall Artifice fixing them to the said Bodies their own ordinary vertue be Elections never so propitious hath not strength enough to conquer Diseases of that Nature and severall of these choice Secrets of Nature and Art united I my selfe have prepared made and Experimentally verified Finally where Diseases happen by Supernaturall meanes as by Inchantments c. none of the other three are able to remedy the same save onely Magicall and Supercelestiall meanes by and through the Vertues of particular Intelligences Or the Red Medicine wrought up to the highest degree of Perfection And in such cases the Hermetique Philosopher must appeare who In his Reason hath contrived A Perfeit Medicine for Bodiâ—s that be sick Of all infirmities to be releived This heleth Nature and proâ—ongeâ—h lyfe eke Therefore leâ— all men cease to wonder why so many Diseases seeme incurable when many times being Supernaturall we judge them Naturall and the true Causes unknowne no sutable Medicamen is administred And whereas I have toucht upon Sigills I thinke it will not be remote from this discourse if I give a little satisfaction to my Reader therein Though pâ—rhâ—ps it may be esteemed as a thing of too daring a Nature for my Pen Nor am I ignorant how some most learned Men have extremly suffered under the heavy and sharp Load of unworthy and rash Calumny for manifesting or desending this Doctrine but it hath only beene such is their Glory by those that could never sufficiently Answer their Arguments The framing of Sigills Lamâ—ls Talesmes for all depend upon one Radix is a piece of Learning as Ancient as the Babilonianâ— and Caldean Magi who first found out the Secret power of Figures a chiefe part of their Magick And practised by the greatest Philosophers in the Easterne World Where remaine to this day as evident Testimonies of their first Invention very many and ancient Talesmes the miraculous effects whereof were admired and approved throughout all Aegipt and Persia although I confesse their Name and Use be yet scarce knowne in these parts of the World Or if onely to such whose Wisdome thinkes fit to conceale and preserve the knowledg thereof from the hands of the senslesse and profane Among all other Philosophers famous for this kinde of knowledg Apoloneus Tyaneus was the mightiest and his Workes in my Opinion most Stupendious Who though the Envious and Ungratefull World has throwne some dirt upon him to blemish the Innocency of his Operations yet he never deserved other then well all He did being for the good thereof and not for hurt He was no lesse a Pious then Illustrious Philosophâ—r Hiâ— whole Life being strict and vertuous and his Death not blasted with any scandalous Exit And for a justification of his Praxis take this Testimony of Justinus who saith that he was a Man skillfull in the Dissent and Consent of all naturall Powers and who wrought wonderfull things by the meanes of this Science which were only Naturall and not Miraculous For which purpose he made choyce of such fit Subjects as might conduce to the perfection of what he intended to Effect And indeed God did not withstand those Workes of his in regard they were done by the knowledg of Naturall things for the use and benefit of Man What I have further to say shall onely be to shew what Naturall powers Sigills c. Graved or Imprest with proper Characters and Figures and made under certaine peculiar Constellations may have Albumazar Zabel Haly Albaâ—egnus and divers other Arabians give us severall examples of such as have been cured of the biting of Scrpents Scorpions Mad dogs c. by Talismaticall Figures And in other Authors we meete with a world of Stories which tell what Admirable effects they have wrought being rightly prepared which should I here mention would swell beyond the limits of my Discourse But this peece of Art is of extreme difficulty and not to be performed by every one that takes it in hand As for the use of such Characters Letters Words Figures c. Formed or Insculped upon any Matter we make use of we are led to it by the president of Nature who Stampes most notable and marvelous Figures upon Plants Rootes Seeds Fruits nay even upon rude Stones Flints and other inferiour Bodies Nor are these remarkable Signatures made and described by Chaunce for there is a certaine Providence which leades on all things to their end and which makes nothing but to some purpose but are the Characters and Figures of those Starrs by whom they are principally governed and with these particular Stamps have also peculiar and disterent vertues bestowed upon them What Artists therefore doe in point of Character is onely to pursue the Track that is beaten out by Nature And by how much the more the Matter whereupon such Impressions are made is sutable to the Qualities of those Staâ—rs whose Characters it is signed with By so much more apt and inclineable it will be to receive those vertues that shall impower it to produce an Effect in things whereunto it 's applyed Neverthelesse this is not all for this Body must have as it were a Soule insused and be Impregnated with a Celestiall vitality or else it remaines Ineffectuall and Dead In which respect other meanes must be found out before we can obtaine that Effect And therefore we are to Consider that the Soule of the World is not confined nor the Celestiall Influences limited but doe indifferently emit and communicate their
Vertues alike as well to things Artificially made as to those that are Naturally generated though sometimes they are more at othertimes lesse vigorous and powerfull according to the disserent Aspects under which they are wrought In which regard a fit Election must be built up from the foundation of Astrologie sutable to the Nature of the Operation proposed which being effected and the Stars finding a figure aptly disposed for receiving them they forthwith Impresse their vertue which they retaining doe afterwards operate in that they finde to be semblable And this is not strange if we reflect upon the Vulgar experiments of the Loadestone who communicating its vertue to a peece of Iron a thing made fit by Nature to attract and reteine that Piece thereby becomes of strength to communicate this vertue to a third But if we should consider the Operations of this Magnet throughly which proceeds onely from a Naturall Principle there is no other Mystery Celestiall Elementall or Earthly which can be too hard for our Beliefe Moreover these Celestiall vertues and peculiar Gifts are not infused into Individuall and particular things by the Idea and by meanes of the Soule of the World alone But also are invited thither through the Obedientiality of their Matter and a certaine aptitude and likenesse that these Inferiours beare to their Superiours which being once taken in they thereupon contract and reteine besides such as they receive from their owne Specieo those naturall Vertues and Roots of the Starrs wherewith they suscitate and stir up the Influences of the Celestiall Bodies who are as it were by compact when United Obliged to Operate in and for that purpose which the Artist appoints them And more especially if the Minde of the Operator be vehemently inclined towards the same For that through the strength and Efficacy of the Imagination and Passion being seriously intent upon any Operation is joyned with the Minde of the Starrs and Intelligences and as sodainly fitted with Vertues as if it were the proper Receptacle of their Influences and consequently helpes more effectually to infuse their Vertues into our Workes And the reason is because there is an appreheusion and power of all things in the Minde Whereupon all things having a naturall Obedieuce to it have also of necessity an Efficacy and more to that which desires them with a strong and intent Desire Notwithstanding all these Wonders are not wrought but by the Cooperation of second Causes dispositing of the Corporall Matter God the first cause of all things having variously distributed these vertues to every one as he pleaseth who by his Command and appointment are necessitated to produce their Effects which Matter by reason of its Purity or Inequality may cause the Celestiall vertues to erre in their Actings for certainly Influences may be hindred and prove ineffectuall through the indisposition or insufficiency of the Matter And therefore it is no ordinary Speculation to awaken the sleeping Spirit which lyes bound up in the straight Prison of the Body to invite and allure that propitious Spirit to descend from Heaven and unite it selfe with that which is Internall and there withall to convey a Vniculum thereinto that is of power to hold fast and fix the Celestiall Influencs from recoyling back into their united Centers This is the Series and Order of Nature conjoyn'd with Art and this and all this must be effected before one true Magicall Operation can be performed Pag. 194. Liber patris Sapientie THough I cannot yet satisfie the Reader who was the Authour hereof and therefore must Register it together with Experience and Philosophy the hermets Cale amongst the Anonymi yet I can assure him He gives exceeding good advice to the Student in this Science where he bids him be Secret in the Carriage on of his Studies and Operations and not to let any one know of his Undertakings but his good Angel and Himselfe and such a close and retyred Brest had Norton's Master who When Men disputed of Colours of the Rose He would not speake but keepe himselfe full close Privacy will questionlesse prove an unimaginable benefit to him whereas on the contrary Apertnesse exposeth a true Philosopher to a multitude of Misfortunes Witnesse Sir Ed. Kelley whose immoderate Ambition of spreading his Name lifted him up even to a Madnesse of publique Carriage which not correcting in Time he most miserably fell through the fatall Virtego of imprudent Glory To such therefore I shall only adde Chaucers Councell which may prove of no litle advantage if they remember it Make â—privy to your dealing as few as you maie For three may keepe Councell if twaine be awaie THe Figure cut in Brasse and placed in Page 210. is an Hierogliphicall device of Cremer somtime Abbot of Westminster and Scholler in this Science to Raymond Lully which he caused to be painted upon an Arched Wall in Westminster Abbey where now the Statues of our Kings and Queenes are set in their respective Habits I met with it Limned in a very Ancient Manuscript before the old Verses that follow which there seemed to serve as a Preface to that Worke which beares the Tytle of Hermes Bird. In it is conteyn'd the Grand Misteries of the Philosophers Stone and not more Popish or Superstitious then Flamell's Hierogliphicks portraid upon an Arch in St. Innocents Church-yard in Paris Notwithstanding it has pleased some to wash the Originall over with a Plasterer's whited Brush As also of late to breake in Pieces the Glasse Window behinde the Pulpit in St. Margarets Church at Westminster wherein was fairely Painted but unhappily mistaken for a Popish Story the whole Processe of the Worke in this manner The Window is divided into three Parts In the Outermost whereof upon the right hand was drawne a Man holding a Boy in his hand and a Woman with a Girle in hers all standing in upright naked postures upon a greene foliate earth The Man and Woman had Fetters wherewith their Feet seemed to be chained to the ground which Fetters were presented as falling from off their Legs Over the heads of these persons were the Sun and Moone placed and painted of a sad darke red Colour Within the Left side of the Window was a Beautifull Young man clad in a Garment of various Colours bearing a Yellow Crosse upon his Shoulders his Body Encircled with a Bright Glory which sent forth Beames of divers Colours He stood upon an Earth intimating Oculus Piscium At the Foote of the Midle Part of the Window was a faire large Red Rose full spread which issued Rayes upward and in the Middle an exeeding bright Yellow Glory Above the Rose was the Figure of a Man rising with Beames of Light spread about his Head somwhat like the Posture used to expresse Christ's rising from his Sepâ—lâ—hre He had a Garment of a Reddish Colour deepned with Red and heightned with Yellow In his left Hand a White Stone which he held towards the Persons arising in that paâ—t of the