him hath power none His Elements be so coequall An Incombustible Oyle is this our Stone In power farr passing others all Son In what Element Father is our Sulphur bright Is it in all or is it in one Father In all Sonne he must need be of right For Seperacion of Elements we make none And yett in them we can it not see For sensuall matter is he none But equallitie only intellectuall Without which our Stone never fixt be shall Qualitie Sonne alsoe groweth in the fire Betwixt the White stone and the Read For Colours many to you shall appeare Untill the tyme the Woman be dead The which things if ye shall not see Red shall your Stone at noe time bee For where the Woman is in presence There is much moysture and Accidence Watry humors that in her bee Will drowne and devoure our qualitye Remember and thinke of Noahs flood For too much Water was never good And yet as qualitie is hid in quantitie So must in Water our Earth be Riches in him thou shalt much finde After alteracions all due to his kinde When Oyle in him is coagulate Then is our Stone body made liquefact When Sulphur Water and Oyle be one Indued with riches then is our Stone I cannot thee tell a richer thing Then is our Stone when he is fire dureing Our Fire maketh her so strong Son Father how to make our Stone Fayne would I knowe that have we done Father My Sonne with lent and easie heate The Elements togeather will kindly meate Haste not to fast whilest they be rawe Keepe well the Fie beware of the lowe Shutt well the Vessle least out passe the Spirit So shall you all things the better keepe For if the Spiritts doe passe you from Remedy to gett them againe have you none And how marveillous it is the Elements to meete Keepe this as your principall secrete At your begining give God the prayse And keepe your Matter in heate forty dayes But so that all things be made cleare Or else you are never the neare And within this tyme itt wil be Black And oft chainge colour till it be White There you may cease and further proceede By mendinge the heate to your mesure indeed And there withall now will I end And to God onely thee Commend JOHN GOWER CONCERNING The PHILOSOPHERS STONE AND also with great diligence Thei fonde thilke Experience Which cleped is Alconomie Whereof the Silver multeplie Thei made and eke the Gold also And for to telle howe itt is so Of bodies seven in Speciall With fowre Spirites joynt withall Stant the substance of this matere The bodies which I speke of here Of the Plannets ben begonne The Gold is titled to the Sonne The Moone of Silver hath his part And Iron that stonde uppon Mart The Leed after Saturne groweth And Jupiter the Brasse bestoweth The Copper sette is to Venus And to his part Mercurius Hath the Quicksilver as it falleth The which after the Boke it calleth Is first of thilke foure named Of Spirits which ben proclaymed And the Spirite which is seconde In Sal Armoniake is founde The third Spirite Sulphur is The fourth Sewende after this Arcennium by name is hotte With blowyng and with fires hote In these things which I say Thei worchen by divers waye For as the Philosopher tolde Of Gold and Sylver thei ben holde Two principall extremitees To which all other by degrees Of the mettalls ben accordant And so through kinde resemblant That what man couth awaie take The rust of which they waxen blake And the savour of the hardnes Thei shulden take the likenes Of Gold or Silver parfectly But for to worche it sykerly Betweene the Corps and the Spirite Er that the Metall be parfite In seven formes itt is sette Of all and if one be lette The remnant may not avayle But otherwise it maie nought fayle For thei by whome this Art was founde To every poynt a certayne bounde Ordeinen that a man may finde This Craft is wrought by wey of kinde So that there is no fallace in But what man that this werke begyn He mote awaite at every tyde So that nothynge be left asyde Fyrst of the Distillacion Forth with the Congelacion Solucion Disscencion And kepe in his entencion The poynt of Sublimacion And forthwith Calcinacion Of very Approbacion So that there be Fixacion With temperate hetes of the fyer Tyll he the perfite Elixer Of thilke Philosophers Stone Maie gette of which that many one Of Philosophers whilome write And if thou wolt the names wite Of thilke Stone with other two Which as the Clerkes maden tho So as the Bokes itt recorden The kinde of hem I shall recorden These old Philosophers wyse By wey of kynde in sondry wise Thre Stones made through Clergie The fyrst I shall specifie Was cleped Vegetabilis Of which the proper vertue is To mans heale for to serve As for to keepe and to preserve The body fro sicknes all Till death of kinde upon hym fall The second Stone I the behote Is Lapis Animalis hote The whose vertue is proper and couth For Eare and Eye Nose and Mouth Whereof a man may here and see And smell and tast in his degree And for to feele and for to goe Itt helpeth a man of both two The witts five he underfongeth To keepe as it to hym belongeth The third Stone in speciall by name is cleped Minerall Which the Mettalls of every myne Attempreth till that thei ben fyne And pureth hem by such a wey That all the vice goth awey Of Rust of Stynke and of Hardnes And when they ben of such clennes This minerall so as I fynde Transformeth all the fyrst kynde And maketh hem able to conceive Through his vertue and receive Both in substance and in figure Of Gold and Silver the nature For thei two ben the extremitees To which after the propertees Hath every mettall his desire With helpe and comforte of the fyre Forth with this Stone as it is said Which to the Sonne and Moone is laide For to the Red and to the White This Stone hath power to profite It maketh Multiplicacion Of Gold and the fixacion It causeâ—h and of this babite He doth the werke to be parfite Of thilke Elixer which men call Alconomy as is befalle To hem that whilome were wise But now it stant all otherwise Thei speken fast of thilke Stone But how to make it now wote none After the sooth Experience And nathles greate diligence Thei setten up thilke dede And spillen more then thei spede For alwey thei fynde a lette Which bringeth in povetee and Dette To hem that rich were to fore The Losse is had the Lucre is lore To gette a pound thei spenden five I not how such a Craft shall thrive In the manner as it is used It were better be refused Then for to worchen upon wene In thinge which stant not as thei wene But not for thy who that it knew The
shall shew Collours there many a one And tourne as White as wil be the bone With the Water that he was in Wash him cleane from his sin And let him drinke a litle and a lite And that shall make him faire and white The which Whitnes is ever abiding Lo here is the very full finishing Of the White Stone and the Red Loe here is the true deed THE MISTERY OF ALCHYMISTS Composed by Sir Geo Ripley Chanon of Bridlington WHen ☉ in ♈ and Phoebus shines bright The Elements reviving the new Year springing The Son by his vertue gives Nature Light And moysture refresheth all things growing In the season of the Yeare when the Sun waxeth warme Freshly and fragrante the Flowers doe grow Of Natures subtill working we cannot discerne Nor yet by our Reason we can it not know In foure Elements is comprehended things Three Animalls Vegetabills Mineralls must be Of this is our Principle that we make our Stone Quality and Quantity is unknowne to many one Son Quality Father would I faine know Of what nature it is and what it hath in his kinde Father As Colours divers which on the ground do grow Keepe well this secret Son and marke it in thy minde Son Without Proportion Father how should I it know This working now is far from my minde Father Nature and kinde Son together do grow Quality by waight Son shalt thow never finde Son To seperate Elements Father I must needes know Either in Proportion which be more or less Father Out of our Principle foure Elements thou shalt draw Thou shalt neede nothing else that needefull is Our Principle in quality is so perfectly mixed By vertue of the Son and his quality So equaly Joyned so throughly fixed As nothing so well mixed may be Son This Principle Father is but one thing Good Father tel me where it doth grow Father In every place Son you shall him well finde By Tast and by Colour thou shalt him well know Fowles in the Ayer with it doe fly And Fishes doe swim there with in the Sea With Reason of Angels you may it diserne Both Man and Woman to governe With our fixed Body Son we must thus begin Of him make Mercury and Water cleare Man and Woman is them within Married together by vertue of our Fire The Woman in her working is full wild Be well aware she goe not out Till she have conceived and borne a Chylde Then all his Kin on him shall lout In their workes they be unstable The Elements they be so raw And in their Colour so variable As some tyme like the head of a Crow When he is black ye may well like Putrefaction must go beforne After Blacke he wil be White Then thanke ye God the Chyld is borne This Child is both King and Emperour Through his region both far and neere All the World doth him honour By the vertue he hath taken of the Fire His first Vesture is White and pure As any Christall shining cleere Of White tincture then be you sure By verture taken of our Fire His first Vesture that is so White Betokeneth his Virginity A similitude even thereto like And according to the Trinity Our Medicen is made of things Three Against which the Philosophers cannot say nay The Father the Son in one degree Corpus Spiritus Anima When Nature is with Nature thou mayst fruite finde By proportion more or lesse In practise hereof many men be blinde Because they understand not what Nature is His second Vesture as Gold is Red In his Vessell bright shining A Diadem set on his head Richer then any earthly thing His third Vesture is Purple pure Like Sun-beames he shineth bright and clere Of Red tincture then be you sure By the vertue he hath taken of our Fire My beloved Son I commande thee As thou wilt have my love and blessing That thou to God kneele on thy knee Unto him give laude and thankeing For theis guifts of grace geven unto thee To have trew knowledge of this worthy Scyence That many men seeke by land and sea And cannot finde it for any expence I shall shew thee my Son here a hid Secret Because thou art vertuous in thy living Of me else shouldst thou never it weet And for thou art wise in thy Councell keeping And therefore I charge thee on my blessing Not to shew it to any man living For it is the first Principle of our blessed Stone Through which our noble worke is releeved Note well that I shew now to thee my Son If Sulphur be absent our worke is deprived Our Sulphur my Son is Water and Fire Constraining the Body till it be dead Of hem thou hast never thy desire Till he be bloe as any Lead After all this he doth revive That in his Vessell before was dead I can no better in my reason contrive Then to figure him to the greate God head For as there dyed no more then One Howbeit that there be persons Three The Father the Son by might is one The holy Ghost make our full Trinity A similitude like unto our Stone In him ben things three which be concluded all in one Our Sulphur is likened to the holy Ghost For he is quick called the Spirit of Slyfe In his working of might he is most He raiseth our Body from death to lyfe Many my Son with him do rise The holy Gospell therein is expert The number my reason cannot contrive Multum quantum fructum adfert I liken our Sulphur to the Adamant Stone That Steele drawes to him naturally So doth our Sulphur the woman When she from her husband would flye Son I muse greatly Father and mervaile in minde Whereof this Stone is ingendered And also of what manner of kinde For I have traveled many a Country In vallies low and on hills high And spurred therefore of foes and freind Yet could I never that Sulphur see Nor in any place wat I where him to finde Father Son he is made of the Elements That God hath given both soule and lyfe From Mettall he may never be absent For he rules both man and wife Son Father I pray you for charity Where shall I this Sulphur finde For perfectly I know him not by quality Nor yet to fore know him by kinde Father In our Water Son keepe this in minde For there he will appeare as white as snow Son Gramarcy Father to me ye be full kinde For through your teaching full well I it know Now Father I pray you for charity The while it is in your minde To ken the red Sulphur that you will teach me And then I trust your Doctrine to finde Father White and Red Son be both one in kinde Now hast thou all thy desire Keepe well this secret and close it in thy minde His tincture and growing is by vertue of our Fire For in our Fire our Stone will grow And there his riches he doth encrease And so doth no Stone that I do
know That in the fire will put him in prease We liken him therefore unto the Sun That to all Elements giveth light Never sith the World was begun Was any but he of so much might Were he never of so high degree Saphir Diamond or Emarald Stone The Turcas or the rich Ruby Of all vertuous Stones set ower alone The greatest Carbuncle that is full of light May not with our Stone Compaire For if they in the Fire should fight The Carbuncle of vertue should be full bare To destroy our Stone Son that will not be The Elements in him be so equall He is an Oyle incumbustible And of all things most imperiall Son In which Elements Father is our Sulphur in Is he in all or in any one Father In all Son he needes must be For Seperation of Elements make we none Sulphur in Elements Son we may not see By Nature in them he is so privily mixed In Elements he is a quality Our Stone will never else be perfectly fixed Quality Son growes also in fire Betwixt the White Stone and the Redd For many Colours there will appere While the tyme the Woman be dead Son Father must the Woman needes be dead Father Our Stone else my Son will never be Redd For whereas a Woman is in presence There is much moysture and accidence Wetnes and humours in her be The which would drown'd our Quality Perceive well Son by Noahs flood To much moysture was never good Like as quality is hid in quantity So must our Erth in Waters be The riches in him thou shalt finde After alteration of kinde His Oyle in him is congelate This makes our Body liquefact Sulphur and Oyle all of one kinde Which makes our Stone rich and couloring I cannot tell thee Son a richer thing Then he is in the Fire during The Fire to him may do no wrong Sulphur of Nature makes him so strong Son How to make our Stone Father I would faine know Father In soft heates my Son Elements will meete Hast not to fast whilst they be rawe In the Vessell Son the better thou shalt him keepe Rule well the Fire and and beware of the Lawe Shut well the Vessell for going forth of the Spirit Soe shall you all things the better keepe For how to get him againe it is strange to know It is hard for some men to make Elements meere Keepe well this Secret Son and God daily praise Put into thy Vessell Water cleare And set it in Fire full forty dayes And then in the Vessell blacknes will appeare When that he is black he will change tyte Many Colers in him then will appeare From coulour to colour till it be white Then it is tyme Son to change the Fire And melt the heat to your desire And if you will have him White still Then must you your Medicine apply A dry Fire put him till And a moyst Fire naturally Till he be made fixed For to take Mercury before his flight As he is by nature privily mixed Of fusion then he shal be light And if you to his proportion take Fine Luna then will he make So micle of piercing will he be Both fluxible with penetrabilitie And Son if thou wilt have thy Medicine Red In a dry Fire thou shalt him keepe Ever still in one steed That never your Vessell come to wet Son So hard so heavy and so peircing Father this a wonderous thing So hot so moyst so light so wet This greate Secret Father will I keepe So white so red so profitable Of all Stones most incomparable Father He may do more then any King He is so rich Son in his working Gould and Silver men would faine have Poore and rich for it do crave They that of it have most aboundance Of the people have most obaisance To serve them both day and night And in the feeld will for it fight Therefore Son upon my blessing Keepe secretly this precious cunning Of thy Councell make neither King nor Knight If they knew they would set it light For when they have what they will God's curse wil come they say the untill For had I wist and had I wend That commeth evermore behinde Our Mercury my Son is white and thin In our Vessell shining bright and cleere Our Sulphur is in him within Burning him more then our dry Fire He fixes him more in one yeare By his naturall working I understand Then doth the Sonne by his dry Fire In yeares a long thousand In short space we may have done When our Medicine thou wilt assay Thou maist make both Sol and Lune In lesse space then in one day Son Father is it Water in the well springing Or is it Water in the river running Other Water Father can I not finde Father Noe Son it is of another kinde Howbeit it is Water cleere Our Sulphur in him is soe cleving He may not be departed by any fire I tell thee the throath in this thing Son By no fire Father how may that be Father Fire he is ever brenning Our Sulphur is made of the Sun and such humidity That in the Fire he is ever during Son The tyme of our working would I know In what space might be made our Stone By Corne and by Frut Son thou maist it welknow Once in a yeare it is afore thee done The Sun in the Zodiack about doth gonne Through the twelve Signes once in a yeare Soe long it is eâ—e we can make our Stone Father Haste not to fast but rule well thy Fire The vertue of our Stone few men can tell The Elements in him be so mighty Aboundance of treasure in him do dwell For in riches all Stones exceeds he FINIS The Preface prefixt to Sir Geo Ripley's MEDVLLA Which he wrote Ann. Dom. 1476. and Dedicated to Geo Nevell then Arch-Bishop of Yorke RIGHT noble Lord and Prelate Deere Vouchfafe of me these Verses take Which I present unto you heere That mencion of the Stone doth make Of wise men meetered for your sake For which of you thus much I crave Your gentle favour for to have This Stone divine of which I write Is knowne as One and it is Three Which though it have his force and might Of Triple nature for to be Yet doe they Mettalls judge and try And called is of Wise men all The mighty Stone that Conquer shall Disdaine you not nor yet refuse To learne the vertues of them now By which you may if you them use Your selfe preserve and eke know howe Old age to hide and Youth out shewe And Brasse by them transmuted is And eger Bodyes clensed I wis Fined also and made full pure And Aurified be at the last The first of these I you assure Right hurtfull is for Man to tast For Life it will resolve and wast Of Corrosives made corrupting all And named is the Minerall But Animall the second is The third forsooth the Vegitable To cure all things their vertue is In every cause what soe
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
fruitefull Land Cockle is not meete Gall is ever bitter Honey is ever sweete Of all things contrary is fals Conneccions Let Male and Female together ever meete But both be clensed of their Complexions A Man of Nature ingendereth but a Man And every Beast ingendereth his semblable And as Philosophers rehearse well can Diana and Venus in marriage be notable A Horse with a Swine joyneth not in a stable For where is made unkindly geniture What followeth but things abominable Which is to say Monstrum in Nature All this I finde in the said Boke Brought to me when I lay a sleepe And of one thing good heede I toke The Wolf in kinde is Enemy to the Sheepe The Rose full divers to the wild Neepe For things joyned that be contrary Dame Nature complayning doth sit and weepe For falce receipts found in her Library And there it was so pitiously complained That men so err by false Opinions That be so farr from truth away restrained Like as they had lost wholly their Reasons Not considering in their discretions What mischeife followeth as is oft seene By these false froward Conneccions As doth leapers with folkes that byne cleane Notwithstanding he that is sate so high in heaven Crown'd with a Crowne of bright stones cleere Borne there to raine as cheife chosen of seaven Equall with Phoebus shone in the same sphere Without difference as Clerkes to us leare Sate there most royallin his diadem Very Celestiall and Angelike of cheare And in all vertue like as he did seeme And in that Boke I found well by writing Like as the processe made mention How that there was once a mighty rich King Cleane of nature and of Complexion Voyde of deformity from head soe forthe downe Which for his beauty as it is specified And for his cleanes most soverayne of renowne Was among Planets in heaven stellefyed Certaine Brethren I found he had in Number And of one Mother they were borne every each one But a Sicknes did them sore cumber That none was whole on his feete to gone Hoarse of language cleere voice had they none For with a scabb that was contagious They were infected hole was their none For ever exiled because they were Leaprous The said King rose up in his Royall see Seeing this mischeife cast his Eye downe And of his mercy and fraternall pittye Surprized in heart full of Compassion And began to complaine of their Infeccion Alas quoth he how came this adventure Under what froward or false Constelacion Or in what howre had yee your ingendure But sithence this mischeife ys to you befall There is nothing which were more expedient Then to chuse one out amongst us all Without spott all cleere of his intent For you to dye by his owne assent To save the people from their Damnation And with his blood ere yo be fully shent To make of his mercy your remission The which Liquor most wholesome is and good Against leprous humors and false infeccions When from a veyne taken is the blood Cleansing each parte from all corrupcions The Originall taken from generacions Which is descended downe from stock royall Nourished with Milke of pure complexion With menstrous which are not superficiall But when the Brethren of this worthy King Heard the Language they fell in full great dread Full sore weeping and said in Complayning That none of them was able to bleede Because their blood was infeccious indeede And of corrupt blood made is noe Sacrifice Wherefore alas there is noe way to speede That we can finde to helpe us in any wise Of our Birth and of our Originall Cleerely and truly to make mencion Excuse is there none in parte nor in all In sin was first our concepcion Our bringing forth and generation Fulfilled was in sorrowe and wickednesse And our Mother in a short conclusion With Corrupt milke us fostred in distresse For who may make that seede to be cleane That first was conceived in uncleanes For cancred rust may never I meane By noe crafte shew forth parfect brightnes Now let us all at once our Course addres And goe unto our Mother to aske by and by The finall cause of our Corrupt sicknes That she declare unto us the Cause and why The said Children uprose in a fury Of wofull rage and went by one assent Unto their Mother that called was Mercury Requiring her by greate advisement Before her Goddesses being every one present To tell them truly and in noe parte to faine Why their nature was corrupt and shent That caused them evermore to weepe and complaine To whome the Mother full bright of face and hew Gave this answer remembred in Scripture First when I was wedded a new I conceived by prosses of true Nature A Child of seede that was most cleane and pure Undefiled most orient faire and bright Of all the PLANETS cheife of ingendure Which now in Heaven giveth so clcere a light Whose Complexion is most temperate In heate and cold and in humidity In Erth also that there is noe debate Nor noe repugnaunce by noe quallity Nor none occasion of none infirmity That among them there may be none discord So well proportioned every-each in his degree Each hower and space they be of so true accord Whose Nature is so imperiall That fire so burning doth him noe distresse His royall kinde is so celestiall Of Corrupcion he taketh no sicknesse Fire Water Air nor Erth with his drines Neither of them may alter his Complexion He fixeth Spirits through his high noblenes Saveth infected bodyes from their Corrupcion His Heavenly helth death may not assayle He dreadeth noe venome nor needeth no treacle Winde Tempest ne Wether against him may prevaile Soe high in Heaven is his Tabernacle In Erth he worketh many a miracle He cureth Lepers and fetcheth home Fugitive And to gouty Eyne giveth a cleere Spectacle Them to goe that lame were all their lief He is my Son and I his Mother deare By me conceived truly in Marriage As touching your Birth the sicknes doth appeare Of Menstruous blood brought forth in tender age Your Leprie is shewed in Body and in Visage To make your hole Medicine is no other Drinke nor potion to your advantage But the pure blood of him that is your deare Brother A good Shephard must dye for his Sheepe Without grudging to speake in words plaine And semblable take hereof good keepe Your Brother must dye and newe be borne againe Though he be old be hereof well certaine To youth againe he must be renewd And suffer passion or else all were vaine Then rising againe right fresh and well hewd Old Aeson was made young by Medea With her drinks and with her potions Soe must your Brother of pure Volunta Dyeand be young through his operation And that through subtile natures Confections By whose death plainely to expresse Yee shal be purged from all infeccions And your foule leaprie changed to cleanes With the said words the King began to abrayd The tale
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
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
Apprehensions The latter of which might as well say Jacobs practising to make his Lambs of a Py'd Colour was performed by the assistance or ministry of the Devill and as well condemne the use of Phisick because the Devill has taught Witches divers harmfull and uncharitable uses of Herbs Mineralls Excrements c. And as in some dull ages and among some Grosse Spirits it has proved dangerous to be Learned Witnesse our Renowned Roger Bachon whom Together with Artepheus Arnold de villa nova who were Philosophers of known reputation credit Wierus reckons among the Deplorati ingenii homines all whose Workes fairely written and well bound were by Religious pretending Sciolists dam'd as Devilish with long Nailes through them fastned to desks in the Franciscan Library at Oxford and there with Dust and Moths consumed Even so our other famous Country-man Profound Ripley was also abused who after his death is said to have been branded with the name of a Necromancer Pope Silvester the second pas'd for a Magician in the worst sence because he understood Geometry and about 150. yeares agoe so blind an age was it that to know Greeke and Necromancy were one and the same thing in opinion of the Illiterate However let the Ignorant scoffe and attribute that to Deceipt and Illusion which is the proper worke of Nature produced by exquisite knowledge I am confident the ingenously learned will approve and admire it But to teare off that ugly vizard which Envy has placed before the Face of so Divine a Beauty and to make way for the meaning of our Author I thinke it necessary in the first place that I touch upon the Word that gives a name to the Prosessors And that is Magus primitively a Persian word which onely signifies or imports a Contemplator of Heavenly and Divine Sciences a studious Observer an expounder of Divine things a name saith Marcellus Ficinus gratious in the Gospell not signifying a Witch or a Conjurer but a wise man and a Priest And in truth a true Magician acknowledges God to be the true Cause and Giver of life and vertue to Nature and all Naturall things of the Causes of which things as also of Divine is the whole scope and effect of all their Writings and Discourses In the Next place that I give the Definition of Magick because as Myrandula sayes it is an Art which few understand and many reprehend and therefore of necessity to be clearly evinced Receive it from a learned hand you le finde it worth your observance Magick is the Connexion of naturall Agents and Patients answerable each to other wrought by a wise Man to the bringing forth of such effects as are wonderfull to those that know not their causes Thus Hee Paracelsus called it a most secret and hidden Scyence of supernaturall things in the Earth that whatsoever is impossible to be found out by mans Reason may by this Art And shortly after to cleere it from imputations adds that t is in it selfe most pure and not defiled with Cerimonies nor Conjurations as Necromancy is Agreeable to both but more copiously delivered is that of Corn Agrippa who affirmes Magick to containe the profoundest Contemplation of most secret things together with the nature power quality substance and vertues thereof as also the knowledge of whole nature That instructs us concerning the difference and agreement of things amongst themselves whence it produceth its wonderfull effects by uniting the vertues of things through the application of them one to the other and to their inferiour sutable Subjects joyning and knitting them together throughly by the powers and vertues of superiour Bodies This briefly is an account of that Learning whose Operations and Effects being full of Misteries was by the Ancients esteemed as the highest and sacred Phylosophie the fountaine of all good doctrine Animadverto saith Pliny summum Literarum claritatem gloriaâ—que ex hac scientiâ antiquitus penes semper petitam What hath been hitherto said will not I presume offend the Eares of the most Pious for here is no Incantations no Words no Circles no Charmes no other fragments of invented Fopperies nor needs there any Nature with whom true Magicians only deale can worke without them she findes Matter and they Art to helpe and assist Her and here 's All. To instance the Generation of Froggs Lyce Wormes Insects c. The worke of a Philosopher is therein onely to strengthen the Seeds of Nature for she alone Workes and so to quicken them that they hasten the worke of Generation and by such meanes Tho. Aquinas supposes Pharo's Magitians produced Froggs insomuch as it seems to the Ignorant not to be the Worke of Nature that usually operates more leasurely rather the Power of the Devill But they who are learned in those Arts marvell not at such working but Glorifie the Creator To whose Honour alone these Operations must chiefly tend for he is best praised in his workes and we knowing him in and by these visible things may through such knowledge understand his more Secret and Invisible things and thereby be better inabled to Glorifie him then men otherwise can Now I deny that any measure of understanding in naturall Magick how large soever or the utmost and â—arthest search we can possibly make into that pure and primitive knowledge of Nature to be a prying inâ—o those Hidden Secrets which God would have concealed and ranked among the number and nature of those things he has prohibited us to search into as I know there are that will tell you it is and they such as weare the Coatâ— and would be loath to want the reputation of Schollars And this is fully manifested from Adam who before his Fall was so absolute a Philosopher that he fully understood the true and pure knowledge of Nature which is no other then what we call Naturall Magick in the highest degree of Perfection insomuch that by the light thereof upon the present view of the Creatures he perfectly knew their Naures and was as able to bestow names sutable to their Qualities and Properties For This was a larger and cleerer Ray of the Light of Nature then all the industry of man since the Fall was able to hope for or attaine unto and to attest the allowance bestowed upon him by God himselfe Nor was it this Naturall knowledg that introduced his Fall or can be any Offence or Sin in us were it possible to arrive at his Perfection No certainly Adams transgression for which he fell was of a higher Nature even that proud inquiry into the knowledge of good and evill with no lesse intent then to make a totall defection from God and depend wholly upon himselfe and his free will Besides t is worthy Observation that God in constituting Moses to be a Governor over his owne people seemed as willing to make choyce of such a one for that high Office as was learned in all the Sciences then in request with the Egyptians among whom Magick was the
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