 | Thomas Norton's Ordinal of Alchemy |  |
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THE ORDINAL OF ALCHEMY
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Preface
Liber iste clericis monstrat scientiam,Liber sed laicis auget insciciam;
Liber honores iuuans per copiam,
Et liber pauperum fugans inopiam.
Liber fiducie est et veritatis,
Regibus consilium, doctrina prelatis;
Et liber vtilis viris beatis
Viuere qui cupiunt absque peccatis.
Liber secretus, liber doni dei,
Electis semita viris boni spei,
Valens constantibus firme fidei.
Ve non credentibus verbis oris mei!
Querunt alchymyiam falsi quoque recti;
Falsi sine numero, sed hij sunt eiecti.
Et cupiditatibus heu! tot sunt infecti,
Quod inter Mille Milia vix sunt tres electi.
Istam ad scienciam multi sunt vocati,
Nobiles et pauperes, inscij, litterati;
Qui nolunt labores neque tempus pati
Ideo non perficient quia sunt ingrati.
Liber artis filios docet iste satis
Quibus hec percipere deus dedit gratis;
Versiclis propheticis quatuor hijs credatis;
Omnia dat gratis diuine fons pietatis.
Hec nobilis sciencia est tamen illis data
Qui diligunt iusticiam mente cum beata;
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Propter peccata tardantur munera grata.
Sepe reges anglie decorasset hec res,
Firma si in domino fuisset eorum spes.
Ille sed qui capiet per hanc rem honores,
Antiquos mores mutabit in meliores.
Iste, cumque venerit, regnum reformabit
Virtutibus & moribus, & exemplum dabit
Sempiternum regibus; plebs tunc iubilabit,
Et mut[u]o se diligens laudes deo dabit.
O rex hec facturus! deum regem ora,
Et eius auxilium pro re hac implora.
Tunc regi iusto fulgenti mente decora,
Grata superuenient qua non sperabitur hora.
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Prohemium
To the honour of god oon in persones þreethis boke is made þat lay-men shuld it se,
And clerkis al-so aftir my decese,
wherbi al lay-men which puttith them in prese
To seche bi alchymy grete riches to wynne
May fynde goode concelle ar þei such werk bigyn,
And grete deceptis thei may herbie eschew,
& bi þis doctryne know fals men fro þe trewe.
Nethirles clerkis grete secretis here may leere,
But al lay-men shal fynde here cause to feere,
And to be ware of fals Illusions
which multipliers worch with theyre conclusyons.
But for that I desire not wordly fame
But your gode preyers vnknowe shalbe my name,
þat no man shuld þer-aftir serche ne looke,
But wisely consydire þe flowris of thise booke.
Of euery state which is within mankynde
If ye make serche moche peple ye may fynde
which to alchymy theire corage doth addresse
Only for appetite of lucour and richesse;
As popis with cardynales of dignitee,
Archbissopis & bissoppis of hye degree,
with abbottis & priours of religion,
with freris, heremites & prestis many on,
And kingis, with princis, lordis grete of blode,
For euery estate desirith after goode;
And merchantis al-so which dwelle in fyre
Of brennyng couetise haue therto desire;
And comon workmen wil not be owt lafte,
For as wel as lordis þei loue þis noble craft,
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For sightis in theire craft movith hem to bileve.
But wondir is that wevers dele with suche werkis,
Fremasons & tanners with pore parish clerkis;
Staynours & glasiers wil not therof cese,
And yet sely tynkers wille put theyme in prese
with grete presumpcion, but yet som colour was
For alle suche men as gife tyncture to glas.
But many artificers haue be ouer swifte
with hasty credence to fume a-wai theire thrifte,
And alle be it that losse made them to smerte,
yet euer in hope continuede theire herte,
Trustyng somtyme to spede right welle.
Of many such truli I can telle
which in such hope contynued al there lyfe,
wherbi thei were pore & made to vnthryfe.
It had be good for theym to haue left of
In seson, for noght thei fownde but a scoffe;
For truly he that is not a grete clerke
Is nyse & lewde to medle with that werke.
Ye may trust wel it is no smale engyne
To know al secretis perteynyng to the myne,
For it is most profunde philosophie,
The subtile science of holi Alchymye;
Of which science here I entende to write,
How be it I may not curyously endite,
For he that shuld al commyn peple teche,
He most for theym vse playne & comon speche.
Thogh that I write in playn & homely wise,
No good man shulde suche writyng despyce.
Al mastirs which write of þis soleyne werke,
Thei made theire bokis to many men ful derk,
In poyses, parabols, & in methaphoris alle-so,
which to scolers causith peyne and wo;
For in theire practice when thei wold it assay,
Thei leys their costis as men see al day.
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Merlyn, Ortolane, democrite, & morien,
Bacon, & Raymonde, with many auctours mo
write vndir covert, & Aristotille alle-so;
For whate herof thei wrote with theire penne,
Theire clowdy causis dullid many men.
Fro lay-men fro clerkis & so fro euery man,
Thei hidde this arte that no man fynde it can
Bi theire bokis, thofe thei shew reson fayre,
wherby moche peple be broght in-to despeyre.
Yet anaxagoras wrote playnyst of theym al,
In his boke of conuercions naturalle.
Of al the olde faders that euer I fownde
He moste disclosid of this sciens the grownde.
wherof Aristotille hadde grete envye,
And him rebukith vnrightfullye
In many placis, as I can welle reporte,
Entending that me to him shuld not resorte.
For he was large of his connynge & loue,
God haue his sowle in blys with hym a-boue.
And such as sowide envyous seed,
God forgife theym theire mysdede,
As the monke which a boke dide write
Of a Ml. receptis in malice for despite;
which be copied in many a place,
wherbi hath be made pale many a face,
And many gownys hath be made bare of hue,
And men made fals which bifore-tyme were true.
Wherfore my pitee doith me constrayne
To shew the trouth in few wordis & playne,
So that ye may fro fals doctryne flee,
If ye geve credence to this boke & to me.
Avoide youre bokis writen of receytis,
For al such receptis be ful of deceytis;
Truste not such receptis, & lern wel þis clause:
No thing is wroght but bi his propre cause;
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where knowlich of the cause is not in mynd,
wherfore remembre euyrmore wisely,
To werch nothing but ye know how & whi.
Also he that wold in this arte procede,
To eschew falshode he hath grete nede;
For trowth is good which þis arte most gyde,
wherfore to falshode ye may neuyr slyde;
But stedfastly your myndes most be sett
Fals colorid metalle nevir to conterfett;
As thei that seche blanchers or citrinacions
which will not abyde alle examynacions,
where-with fals plate þei make as thei can,
Or monay to begile som good trew man.
But god hath made þat of his blessid arte
Al þat be fals shal haue therof no parte.
He must haue grace þat wold for þis arte sewe,
Therfore of right hym nedith to be trewe.
Also he may not be trowbled in his mynde
with owtward chargis which this arte wold fynde;
And he that wold haue his entent
He must haue riches sufficient.
In many wayis he may not loke,
But only pursue the ordire of this boke,
Namyd of Alchymye the ordinalle,
The crede michi, the standarde perpetuall;
For like as the Ordinalle to prestis settith owte
The seruyce of the dayes as þei go abowte,
So of al the bokis vnorderide in Alchymye
Theffectis be here set owte ordirlye.
Therfore this boke to an Alchymystre wise
Is a boke of incomperable price,
whose trowth shal nevir be defilede,
Thofe it appere in homly wise compiled.
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I geue you the same here in chapiters sevyn,
As larglie as I bi my foialte may,
Bi licence of þe dredful Iuge of domysdai.
The first chapitere shal al men teche
whate maner peple may this science reche,
And whi the trew science of Alchymye
Is of olde faders callid blessid & holye.
In the seconde chapiter may be sayne
The nyce Ioys therof with the grete peyne.
The thrid chapiter for the loue of oone
Shalle truly disclose þe maters of oure stone,
which the Arabies doyn Elixer calle,
wherof is it there vndirstond ye shalle.
The iiij chapiter techeth þe grose werke,
A fowle laboure not kyndly for a clerke,
In which is fownde ful grete trauayle,
with many perilis and many a fayle.
The v chapiter is of the subtile werke
which god ordeynyde only for a clerke,
But ful few clerkis can it comprehende,
Therfore to few men is this science sende.
The vj chapiter is of concorde and love
Bitwene low naturis & hevynly spere above,
wherof tru knowlige auauncith gretly clerkis
And causith fortherance in our wondre werkis.
The vij chapiter truly teche yow shalle
The doutfulle regymentis of your firys alle.
Now souerayn lord god me gyde and spede
For to my maters as now I wil procede,
Prayng al men which this boke shal fynde,
with deuowte prayers to haue my soule in mynd;
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Change my writyng, for drede of goddis curs;
For where quyck sentence shal seme not to be,
þere may wise men fynd selcouth priuyte;
And changing of som oone sillable
May make this boke vnprofitable.
Therfore trust not to oon reding or tweyne,
But xx. tymes it wolde be ouer-sayne;
For it conteynyth ful ponderose sentence,
Al be it that it fawte forme of eloquence.
But the best thing that ye do shalle
Is to rede many bokis, & then this with-alle.
Capitulum I
Mastrie ful mervelous & ArchymastrieIs the tyncture of holye Alchymye,
A wonderful science, secrete philosophie,
A singuler grace & gyfte of almyghtie,
which neuir was fownde bi labour of man,
But it bi teching or reuelacion bigan.
It was neuir for money sold ne boght
Bi any man which for it hath sowght,
But govyn to an able man bi grace
wroght with grete cost with long leiser & space.
It helpith a man when he hath nede,
It voidith vaynglorie hope & also drede,
It voidith ambyciousnes extorcion & excesse,
It fensith aduersite þat she do not oppresse.
He that therof hath his fulle entente
Forsaking extremytees with mesure [is] content.
Som peple wold not haue it callid holy,
And in this wyse thei do replye:
Their sei [how] paynyms may this sciens haue,
Such as oure lord god wol neuir save
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Then cause of goodnes possessours may not be;
Al-so it makith noon othir thinge
But gold or syluere for monay, cuppe, or ring,
which of wise men is prouyde & wel fownde
Leest vertuys thing that is vpon the grownd;
wherfore, concludyng, alle men of that secte
Say how this science nys holy in effecte.
To this we say, & witnes as we can,
How that this science was nevir taght to man
But he were prouyd perfitly with space
whethir he were able to receyve this grace
For his trouth, vertu, & for his stable witt,
which if he fawte, he shal nevir haue itt.
Al-so no man cowde yet this science reche
But if god sende him a master hym to teche,
For it is so worshipfulle & so selcowth,
That it most nede be taght fro mouth to mouth;
Also he shalle, be he nevir so lothe,
Receyve it with moste sacred dredfulle othe,
That as we refuse grete dignite and fame,
So he must nedely to refuse the same;
And also that he shal not be so wilde
To tech this secrete to his owne child,
For nyhenes of blode ne consanguynyte
Be not acceptide to this dygnyte;
So blode as blode may haue no parte,
But only vertue wynnyth this holi arte.
Therfore streytly he shal serche and se
Al maners & vertuys, with the abilite
Of the person which shal this science leere,
And in like wise make him streytli swere;
So that no man shal leve this arte behynde
But he an able & a prouede man can fynde.
When age shal greve hym to ride or go,
One he may teche but then nevir no mo.
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The cause wherof is this, as ye may se,
If oon evil man hadd herof alle his wille,
Alle christian pees he myght hastly spille,
And with his pride he myght set a-downe
Rightful kingis & princis of renowne;
wherof the sentence, perile, & Iupardie
vppon the techer restith dredfullie.
So then for dowte of such pride and wrech
He must be ware þat wil this science teche.
No man therfore may reche þis grete present
But he that hath vertuys excellent.
So thofe men ween possessours to not ayde
To halowe this science as is late forsaide,
Nothir seme not blessed effectuallie,
yet in hyr ordir this science is holie;
And forasmoch that no man may hir fynde
But only bi grace, she is holi of hir kynde.
Also it is a worke and cure dyvyne
Fowle copyr to make gold or syluere fyne.
No man may fynde such changis bi his thoȝt
Of diuers kyndis which goddis hondis wroȝt;
For goddis coniunccions man may not vndo,
But if his grace consent fully therto
Bi helpe of this science which oure lorde above
Hath govyn to such men as he doith love;
wherfore olde faders conuenientlye
Callide this sciens holye Alchymye.
wherfore no man shulde be to swifte
To caste a-way oure lordis blesside gyfte,
Consideringe howe that almyghty god
From grete doctours hath this scyence forbood,
And grawnte it to few men of his mercy,
Such as be feythfulle, trewe, and lowlye.
And as there be but planetis sevyne
Amonge the multitude of sterris in hevyne,
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Scarsely vij men may this science fynde.
Wher-of lay-men ye may leere and see
How many doctours of grete auctorite
with many serchis haue this science soghte,
yet al theire labours haue tornyde in-to noghte;
If thei [did] cost, yet fownde they noon avayle,
For of theire purpose euery tyme thei fayle.
And in despeire thei cesyn and departe,
& then thei say how their is no such arte,
But feynyd fabuls thei name it where thei go,
A fals fownd thinge thei sai it is also.
Such men presume to moche vpon their mynd;
Thei ween their witt suffice þis arte to fynde.
But of theire sclandre & wordes of owtrage
we take their-of truly litille charge;
For such be not convided to oure feest
which wenyth theym-silf wise & can do leest.
Al be it such men list not lengire to pursew,
yet is the science of Alchymye fulle trewe;
And al be it som prowde clerke say nay,
yet euery wise clerke wel considre may
How he which herof no trouth myght see
May not herof lawful witnes be.
For it were a wondir thing & queynt
A man that nevir had sight to peynt;
How shulde a borne blynde man be sure
To write, or to make goode port[r]eture?
To bild powlis stiple myght be grete dowte
For such prowd clerkis to bring a-bowte;
Such myght wel happe to breke their crowne,
Ar thei cowde wisely take it downe.
Wherfore al such [be] ful ferre behynde
To feche owte þe secretiste poynt of kynde.
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Remitt such clerkis to theire ignorance.
Now ye that wille for this science pursue,
lerne ye to know fals men fro the trewe.
Alle trew sechers the science of Alchymye
Most be ful lerned in their firste philosophie,
Els al her labour shal hem lett and greve
As he that fecchith watir in a seve.
The trew men serche & seche alle a-loone
In hope to fynde oure dilectable stone;
And for thei wold þat no man shuld haue lost,
Thei prove and serche al at theire owne cost;
So theire awne pursis thei wille not spare,
Thei makith theire cofers þere-bi fulle bare.
With grete pacience thei do procede,
Trustyng only in god to be theire spede.
The fals man walkith fro towne to towne,
For the moste parte with a thredbare gowne,
Euyr serching with diligent a-wayte
To wyn his pray with som fals disceyte.
Of swering and lesyng such wil not cese,
To say how thei can siluer plate encrese;
And euyr thei rayle with periurye,
Sayng how thei can multiplye
Gold and siluer, and in suche wise
with promyse thei please the covetyse,
And causith his mynde to be on hym sett;
Then falshode and couetyse be fully mett,
But afterwarde, within a litille while,
The multiplier doth hym begyle.
With his faire promyse and with his fals othis
The covetise is broght to thredbare clothis,
But if he can hasteli be welle ware
Of the multipliere & of his cheffare,
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But I darre not, lest I gife comforte
To such as be disposide to tregedie,
For so moche hurte myght growe therbye.
wherfore avise yow and be wise
Of theym which profre such seruyce,
If thei had connynge, haue ye no dowte
Thei wolde be lothe to shewe it owte.
When such men promyse to multiplye,
Thei compas to do som felonye,
Som trew mannys goode to bere a-waye.
Of such felons whate shulde I say?
All such false men where evir thei go,
Thei shulde be punyshide, thei be not so.
Vppon nature thei falsly lye,
For metallis do not multiplye.
Of this sentence alle men be sure:
Euermore arte most sewe nature.
Nothing multiplieth, as auctours says,
But bi one of these two waies:
One bi rotyng callide putrefaccion,
That othir as bestis bi propagacion.
Propagacion in metallis may not be,
But in oure stone moch like þing ye may se.
Putrefaccion most destroy and deface
But it be doon in his convenient place;
Metallis of kinde grow low vndre grownde,
For above erth ruste in theym is fownde,
So above erth apperith corrupcion
Of metallis, & in longe tyme destruccion;
wherof no cause is fownde in this case
But that above erth thei be not in her place.
Contrarie placis to nature cavsith stryfe,
As Fishis owte of watir lesith lyfe,
And man with birdys & bestis lyue in Ayere,
But stone & mynerallis vndre erth repaire.
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To seche watir flowris on an hye drye hill,
For god hath ordeyned of his wisdom & grace
Al thinges to growe in theire naturalle place.
Ageyne this doctryne som men replie,
And say that metalis do multiplie,
For of siluyre, ledd, tynne, & also brasse
Som veyne is more, & som veyne is lasse;
Of which diuersite nature shuld cese,
If metallis dit not multiplie & encrece;
wherfore, thei say this reson shewith now
How that vndir erth thei multiplie & grow;
whi not then aboue erth in vessels close & fayre
Such as shal preserue hem from fyre water & aire?
Here-to we sai this reson is but rude,
For this is no parfite simylitude.
For cause efficient of metals fynd ye shalle
Only the vertu mineralle,
which in euery erth is not fownde,
But in certeyne placis of eligible grownde,
In-to which placis the heuenly speere
Sendith his bemys directly euery yeere,
And as the maters there disposide be
Such metallis therof formed shalle ye se.
Fewe growndis be apte to such generacion,
How shulde then a-boue grounde be multiplicacion?
Also alle men perceyuyn that be wise,
How watire congelid with colde is yse;
And bifortyme it hardide was,
Som lay in more placis & som lay in lasse;
As watir in fossis of the carte whele
were vaynes smale when thei bigan to kele,
But watir in dichis made veynes more
For plentie of mater þat was therin frore;
Heruppon to say it were no good aduyse
That therfore of yse shuld multipli more yse.
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It previth not that thei encrece more þen it was.
Also ye may trust withowt any dowte,
If any multipliyng shuld be broȝt a-bowte,
Al þe ingredientis most draw to symplicite,
And breke composicion, a[s] yerly ye may se
For multipliyng of herbis how nature hath prouidid
That al thing onyd in the seed be diuidede;
Els stalkis & levis which vertually þere-in be
May not com forth actually þat Eye myght hem se;
But metalle holdith his hole composicion
when corrosyfe watirs hath made dissolucion,
Therfore seth yse is nere to symplicite
Then is metalle, & may not encreside be,
Truly ye may truste, as I seide bifore,
How of I vnce of syluer may siluer be no more.
Also nothing multiplied shal ye fynde,
But it be of vegetatife or of sensityfe kynd;
where metallis be only elementatife,
Havyng no seed nethir feldyng of lyve.
Wherfore concluding al multipliers most cese,
For metalle ons metalle shal not more encrease.
Netherles one metalle transmutide we fynde
vnto a metalle of an nother kynde,
For propinquyte of mater that in theyme was,
As it is know bitwixte yre and brasse.
But to make tru syluer or gold is no engyne,
Excepte only the philisophers medicyne;
wherfore such lesyngis as multipliers vse
Clerkes reprove and vttirly refuse.
Such arte of multipliyng is to be reprovid,
But holy Alchymye of right is to be louyd,
which tretith of a precious medicyne
Such as trewly makith gold & siluyr fyne.
Wherof exemple for testymonye
Is in a cite of Catylonye,
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Made in vij ymagis the trowth to disclose.
Thre were good siluer in shape like ladies bright,
Euerych of iiij were golde & like a knyght;
In borders of theire clothinge litteris did appere
Signifiyng in sentence as it shewith here:
Of olde hors-shoys, seid one, I was Ire;
Now am I siluere as good as ye desire.
I was, seid a nothire, yre fet fro the Myne,
But now I am golde pure, perfite, and fyne.
Whilom I was copir of an olde rede panne,
Now am I good siluere, seid the thrid woman.
The iiij said: I was copir grow in filthi place,
Now am I perfite gold made bi goddis grace.
The v seid: I was siluere, perfite throwgh fyne,
Now am I golde excellent, better þan the prime.
I was a pipe of lede welnere CC. yere,
And now to alle men good siluere I appere.
The vij seid: I, lede, am gold, made for a Mastrie,
But truly my felows be nere therto than I.
This science berith hir name bi a kinge
Callid Alchymus with-owte lesynge;
A glorious prince of moost noble mynde,
His noble vertuys holpe him þis arte to fynd;
He serchid nature, he was a noble clerke,
He left extorcion, he sought & fownd þis werk.
King hermes also he did the same,
which was a clerke of excellent fame
In his quadripartite made of Astrologie,
Of phisike, & of this arte of Alchymye,
And also of magike naturalle,
As of iiij science in nature passing alle;
And there he saide that blessid is he
which knowith thingis truli as thei be;
And blesside is he that makith dewe profe,
For that is rote of connyng and roffe.
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Deceived, which herof litille can.
An olde proverbe: in a bushel of wenynge
Is not fownde one hanfulle of connynge.
with dewe profe & with discrete assay,
wise men may lern new thingis euery day;
Bi connyng [men] k[n]owe theym-silf & euery thing,
Man is [but a] beste & wors with-owten connyng.
But litil fauour hath euery man
To science wherof he litille can,
And litille connyng makith men prowd & wild,
Sufficient connyng makith men ful mylde.
Noble men now in maner haue despite
Of theym that haue to connynge appetite,
But noble kingis in Auncien dayes
Ordeyned, as olde auctours sayes,
That the vij science to lerne and can
Shuld noon but only a noble man;
And at the leest he shulde be so fre
That he myght studye with liberte;
wherfore olde sagis dide theym calle
The vij sciencis liberalle;
For he that wolde lerne hem perfitly and welle,
In clere libertee he must dwelle.
Fro wordly werkis he muste withdrawe
That wolde lern but mannys lawe;
Moch more the worlde he must forsake
which many sciencis wold ouyrtake.
And for [that] cause men may welle se
whi connyng men despisid be,
yet noble memorie shal neuyr cese
Of him which connyng doith encrece.
He that lovith connyng, Iustice, & grace
Is set a-syde in many a place;
20
Profett or present, he is a man that while;
wherfor this science & many gracis mo
Be lost, and be departed alle yow fro.
And ferthermore remembre whate I say,
Synn callith fast for his endyng day.
Couetyce & connyng haue discorde bi kynde;
who lucour coveti[t]h this science shal not fynde;
But he that lovith science for hire owne kynd,
He may purchace both for his blessid mynde.
Of this Chapiter more I nede not teche,
For here apperith what men may it reche;
That ys to remembre only the trew,
And he that is constant in mynde to pursew,
And is not ambycious, to borow hath no nede,
And can be pacient not hasty for to spede,
And that in god he sett fully his trust,
And that in connyng be fixid al his lust,
And with al this he lyve a rightful lyfe,
Fa[l]shode subduyng, support no synful stryfe.
Such men be apte this science to atteyne.
The Chapiter folowing is of Ioy and peyne.
Capitulum ii
Normandie norshide a monke now latewhich deceyuede men of euery state.
But bifore that, he in his fantasye
Wenyde he hadde cawght this arte fully.
Such reioysing therof he hadde,
That he be-gan to dote & to madde.
Of whose ioyes, al be it thei were smale,
For an exemple y write this tale.
This monk had walkide a-bowte in france,
Rangyng apostata in his plesance,
21
willing that men shulde vndirstonde
How that of Alchymye he had the grownde
Bi a boke of receptis which he had fownde;
In sewertie therof he set alle his mynde
To leve som noble acte behynde,
wherbi his name shuld be immortall,
And his grete fame in lawde perpetuall.
And ofte he muside wherto begynne
To spende the riches which he shuld wynne.
And evir he thoght: lo, this y can,
where myght y fynde som trusty man
which wolde accorde now with my will,
And helpe my purpose to fulfylle;
Then wold y make vppon the playne
Of Salisbury, glorious to be sayne,
Fyften Abbeys in a litille while,
On abbey in thende of euery myle.
Heruppon this monke to me resorted,
Of trust, he seid, which men of me reportide
His forseid myndis he dide to me telle,
And prayed me to kepe his grete concelle.
I saide bi-fore an ymage of seynt Iame
That I wolde nevir disclose his name,
yet I may write with-outen alle vyce
Of his desires that were so nyce.
when he hadde discouered his grete connyng,
He said that he fawtide nothinge
But a goode meen for his solace,
To labour to the kyngis good grace,
To gete licence of his estate,
And of his lordis mediate,
To purchace lond for the Abbeys forsaide,
For which al costis shuld be welle paide;
But yett he had grete dowte and fere
How to purchace, of whome, and where.
22
I serchid to wite whate maner clerke
was he, & whate he knewe of scole,
And therin he was but a fole;
yet y soeffrede, and helde me stille,
more to lerne of his lewde wille.
Then seide I it were a lewde thing
Such maters to shew to a kynge;
But if the profe were resonable,
He wold thynk it a folish fable.
The monk seid how that he hadde in fyre
A thing which shulde fulfille his desyre,
wherof the trouth within xl dayes
I shuld wel know bi trew assayes.
Then I seid I wold no more that tyde,
But xl dayes y seid y wolde abyde.
When xl dayes were goon and paste,
The monkis crafte was clene ovircaste.
Then alle his abbeys & alle his thoght
was turned to a thinge of noght,
And as he came he went fulle lewde,
Departing in a mynde fulle shrewde.
For sone aftir, within a litille while,
Many trew men he dide be-gile,
And afterward went in-to frawnce.
Lo, this was a pitefulle chawnce
That xv abbeys of Relygion
Shulde in this wise falle to confusion!
Grete wondre was what thing he ment,
And whi he sett alle his entent
Abbeys to bilde, then was it wondre;
why nolde he lyve obedience vndre,
But be apostata and Rayle abowte
This blesside science to fynde owte?
But as I wrote a-boue in this boke,
Late no deceyver aftir this sciens loke.
23
Of one that trustide to do as welle
As Raymonde lully or bacon the frere,
wherfore he namyd him-silfe saunz pere.
He was persone of a litylle towne
Not ferre fro the Cite of londone;
which was take for half a leche,
But litil connynge had he to preche.
He wenyd him sure this arte to fynde,
His name he wolde haue euer in mynde
Bi mene of a Brigge, ymagined in dotage,
To be made ovir Tamyse for light passage,
wherof shulde growe a comone ese
Al the contray there a-bowte to plese.
Yet thof he myght that werke fulfille,
It myght no wise suffice his wille.
Wherfore he wolde sett vp in hight
That Brigge for a wondirfulle syght,
with pynaclis gilte shynyng as golde,
A glorious thinge for men to beholde.
Then he remembrede of the newe
How grettir fame shuld him pursewe
If he myght make that brigge so bright
That it myght shyne also bi nyght,
And so contynew, and not breke,
Then al the londe of him wolde speke.
But in his mynde ranne many a dowte
How he myght bringe that werke abowte;
He trowid that lampis with light of fyre
Shulde wel performe his nyce desire,
wherfore lampis for that entent
He wolde ordeyne sufficient;
But then he fille in ful grete drede
How that after the tyme that he were dede
That light to fynde men wolde refuse,
And change the rente to some othir vse;
24
In whom he myght sett alle his truste.
At the last he thoght to make that light
For that bryge to shyne by nyght
with carbuncle stones to make men wondire,
with dowble refleccion a-boue and vndire.
Then newe thoghtis trowbled his mynde,
Carbuncle stonys how he myght fynde;
And where to fynde wise men and trewe
which wold for his entent pursue
In seching alle the worlde a-bowte
Plentye of Carbuncles to fynde owte.
For this he toke so mekille thoghte,
That his fatt fleshe wastide nye to noght.
And where he trustid with-oute despeire
Of this sciens to haue been heyre,
whe[n] the yere was fully come and go,
His crafte was loste and thrifte alle-so.
For when that he toke vp his glasse,
There was no matere for golde ne brasse.
Then he was angrye & welnere woode,
For he hadde wastyde a-way his goode.
In this wise endid alle his disporte;
whate shuld I more of hym reporte;
But that lay-men & clerkis in scolis
May know the dotage of these twoo folys?
Remembre these exemples where ye goo,
For in such myndes be truly many moo;
Thei lewdly beleve euery conclusion,
Be it nevir so fals Illusion;
If it in boke writen thei may fynde,
Thei weene it trew þei be so lewde of mynde.
Such lewde and hastye confydence
Causith pouertee & lewde expence;
25
For lewed hope is folys paradyse.
The trew taught children made this confession:
Lorde with-oute the alle is degression,
For as thow arte of oure science bigynnynge,
So with-owte the may be no good endyng.
Confiteor altissime nullus ista rapit,
Licet prius didicit, absque te nihil sapit;
Nam tanta stat gracia te deum semper apud,
Perficere sicut capere nam finis es et caput.
As of the Ioyes of this arte ye haue seyne,
So shal ye now hire somdele of the peyne,
Alle be it contrarye to the appetite
Of theym that hath to this science delyte.
The firste payne is to remembre in mynde
How many sechene & how fewe may fynde;
And yet no man may this science wynne,
But it be tawgthe hym bifore þat he bygynne.
He is welle lernyde and of fulle clere witte
whiche bi techynge can sewrly lerne itt;
Of many diuersites he most be sure
whiche secretis wolde know of worching of nature.
yet techynge may not so sewrlye availe
But that somtyme shalle happe a man to faile,
As alle that be now dede and goone
Faylide bifore they fownde owre stone,
Oon tyme or othir, firste tyme other last,
Alle men faylide tille dewe practyce were past.
No man soner failithe in hete and colde
Then doithe the mastire whiche hasty is & bolde;
For no man soner may oure werkis spill
Then he þat is presumyng his purpose to fulfill.
But he that shalle trewly do the deede,
He most vse prouidence, & euer worche with dreede,
26
Is for oon fayle to begynne alle agayne.
Euery man shalle grete peyne haue
when he shalle firste þis arte covyte & crave.
He shalle ofte tymes chaunge his desire
with new tydyngis whiche he shalle hyre;
His concelle shalle often then hym begyle,
For that sesons he dredithe no subtile wyle;
And often tymes his mynde to & fro
In new opinions he shalle change in woo,
And so longtyme contynewe in fantasie,
A grete a-venture for hym to com therbye.
So of this arte be ye neuir soo fayne,
Yet ye most taaste of many a bittyr payne.
Of paynes yet I most shewe more,
Ageyn your appetitis thofe it be soore.
It is grete peyne as alle wyse men gysse,
To wite where a trew mastir is;
And if ye fynde hym yet it wille be peyne,
Of his trew love to be certeyne;
For as moche that no man may teche but oone
Of the makyng of oure delycious stoone.
And alle be itt ye fynde hym þat wil you teche,
yet moche trowble & peynes ye may reche,
For if youre mynde be vertuysly sett,
Then the deville wille labour yow to lett.
In iij wisys to lett he wille a-wayte,
with haste, with dispeyre, & with disceyte,
For drede of vertue whiche ye may do
when ye shulde atteyne this grace vnto.
The firste perile forsaide is of haste
whiche cawsithe most destruccione & waste.
Alle auctours wrytynge of this arte
Say haste is of the deville his parte.
The litill boke wrete of þe philosophers fest,
Seythe: omnis festinacio ex parte diaboli est.
27
which with grete leysere wisely wille procede.
Vppon assay ye shalle trewly knowe
That who most hastith he trewly shalbe slow,
For he with hast shall bryng his werke arere
Somtyme a monyth, & somtyme an hole yere;
And in þis arte it shal euyre be so,
That hasty mane shal neuir fayle of woo.
Also of haste ye may trewly be sure,
That she leuythe no thinge clene & pure.
The devill hathe none so subtile wyle
As with hastynes yow to begyle;
Therfore ofte tymes he will assawte
youre mynde with hast to make defawte.
He shall fynde grace in towne & londe
whiche can hastynes alle tymys withstonde;
I say alle tymes, for in oone puncte of tyme
Haste may destroye alle youre engyne;
Therfore alle haste eschewe & feere
As if that she a deville were.
My witt trewly may not suffice
Haste sufficiently to despice.
Many men haue be caste in grete care
Bi-cause þei wolde not of haste be ware,
But euyre calle vpon to see an ende,
Whiche is temptacion of the feende.
No more of haste at this present,
But blessid be the paciente.
When with haste þe fende hathe noone auaile,
Then with despeire your mynde he wil assaile,
And often present þis sentence to your mynde—
How many sechithe & how few may fynde
Of wisere men then euyr were ye;
what sewrtie then to yow may be?
He wille move yow to dowte alle-so
whethir your techere had it or no;
28
That parte he tawgthe you, but not alle.
Suche vncerteynte he wille caste owte
To sett your mynde in grevous dowte,
And so youre paynes he wille repeyre
With wanhope & with suche despeyre.
A-gayne this assawte is no defense
But only the vertu of confidence,
To whome resone shalle yow lede,
That ye shalle haue no cause to drede;
If ye wysly calle to youre mynde
The vertuous maners, suche as ye fynde
In youre mastire and youre techere,
So shalle ye haue no nede to feere.
If ye considre alle circumstancis a-bowte,
Wheþer he taghte you for loue or for dowte,
And whethir þe mocione of him biganne—
For it is harde to truste suche a man;
For he þat proferthe hathe more neede
Of yow than ye of hym to spede;
This wise certeynte ye may welle wynne
Bifore þat ye your werkis do bigynne.
When suche certeynte ye trewly haue,
Fro dispeire ye may be sewre & save.
But who can fynde suche a mastire owte
As my mastir was, he nedethe not to dowte;
whiche was riȝt noble & fulli worthi lawde,
He louyde Iustice, & he abhorride frawde;
He was fulle secrete when other men were lowde,
Lothe to be know þat herof augthe he cowde;
when men disputide of colours of the rose,
He wolde not speke, but kepte him-silfe close.
To whome I laboride longe & many a day,
But he was soleyne to preve with straite assay,
To serche & know of my disposicioun,
with manyfolde provis to know my condicion;
29
In my grete hope whiche yet no thing dide see,
At the last I conqueride by grace dyvyne
His love whiche did to me inclyne.
wherfore he thoght sone aftir in a tyde
That lengire delaied I ne shulde abyde;
My many-folde letters, my hevy hert & chere
Movid his compassyon, þei persid hym ful nere;
Wherfore his penne he wolde no more refrayne,
But as here folowith so wrote he agayne:
My verray trustye, my dere bilouyde broder,
I most yow awnswere, it may be noon other.
The tyme is come ye shalle receyue this grace,
To youre grete comforte & to youre solace.
Youre persone with youre grete confidence,
Youre uertue provide with your sapience,
Youre love, your trowithe, your longe perseuerance,
Your stedfast mynde shalle your desire a-vaunce.
Wherfore it is nede that with-in shorte space
We speke to-gedire, & see face to face;
If y shuld write I shulde my foialte breke,
Therfore mowthe to mowthe I most nedis speke.
And when ye come, myn heyre vnto þis arte
I wille yow make, & fro this londe departe;
ye shalle be bothe my brodire & myn heyre
Of this grete secrete wherof clerkis despeire.
Therfore thanke god whiche gevith þis renowne,
For it is bettir then is to were a crowne;
Nexte a[f]ter his seyntis our lord doith hem calle
which hath þis arte to honour with-alle.
No more to you at þis present tyde,
But hastely to see me dispose you to ryde.
This lettre receyving, I hastid ful sore
To ride to my master a hundred myle & more;
30
I lerned al the secretys of Alchymy;
Alle be it philosophie of me was vnderstond
As moch as of many othir in this londe.
Netherles folys which for þis science soght
weene þat in xl dayes it wolde be wroght.
Bitwene xl dayes werk, now ye may see,
And xl dayes lernyng is grete diuersitee.
The[n] derke dowtis to me aperide pure;
There fownde I disclosid þe bondis of nature;
The cause of wondirs were to me so faire,
And so resonable that I ne cowde despeire.
If your mastir & ye resemble alle abowte
My goode mastir & me, then take ye no dowte.
The thride Impedyment deceyte we calle,
Amongist other to me the worste of alle;
And that is of seruantis which shuld awaite
vpon your werkis, for som can moche deceite;
And som be necligent, [som] slepyn bi the fyre,
Som be ilwillid, such shal lett youre desire;
Som be folyche, and som be ovirbolde,
Som kepe no concelle of doctrine to them tolde;
Som be filthi of hondis and of slevis,
Suche meddille strange maters þat greteli grevis;
Som be dronklew, & some vse moch to Iape,
Be ware of these if ye wille hurt escape.
The trew be folyshe, the witty be fals,
That one hurt me sore, & that other als.
For when I hadde my werkis wel wroght,
Such stele it a-wey, & lefte to me noght.
Then I, Remembring þe coste, þe tyme, the peyne
which I shulde haue to begynne ageyne,
with hevy hert, fare well, a-diew, saide I,
I wil no more of Alchymye.
31
Few men wolde it bileve bi resoun;
yet ten persons be witnes trewe alle
How that myshappe dide me bifalle,
which mowght not be only by man
with-owte the deville, as thei telle cane.
I made also the Elixer of lyfe,
which me birefte a marchaunt his wife;
The quynte essence I made also,
with other secretis many mo,
which synful people toke me fro,
To my grete peyne & to my grete wo.
So in this worlde there is no more to seyne
But þat euery ioye is medlide with grete peyne.
Of peyne there is a litil yet behynde,
which is convenient to be had in mynde,
That fille vppon a blesside man,
wherof the trouth reporte I can.
Thomas dalton this good man hight,
He serued god bothe day and nyght;
Of the Reede medycine [he] had grete store,
I trowe nevir englishe man had more.
A squyer for the body of kyng Edwarde
whose name was Thomas herbarde
Toke this dalton a-gayne his desire
Owte of an Abbey in gloucestre-shire,
And broght him in presence of the kinge;
wherof delvis had sone tydinge,
For dalton was whilome deluys clerke.
Deluys disclosed of dalton his werke.
Deluys was squyere in confidence
with kinge Edward, ofte in his presence;
Delvis reported that in a litille stownde
How dalton had made to him a Ml. pownde
Of as goode golde as the Ryalle was,
within half a day and somdele las;
32
Then dalton on deluys caste his loke,
And seid, deluys, sir, ye be forswore,
wherof your herte hath cause to be sore.
Of nothing, seide he, that I now haue tolde,
witnes oure lord whome Iudas solde.
But ons, seid deluys, I swore to the
How thu shuldeste not be vtterid bi me,
which y may breke wel I vnderstonde,
For the kingis wele, and for al his londe.
Then seide dalton ful soberly:
This answere voidith no periury.
How shulde þe king in you haue confidence,
youre vntrouth confesside in his presence?
But sir, seid dalton to þe kingis grace,
I haue be trow[b]lid oft in many a place
For this medicyne greuosly and sore,
And now I thoght it shuld hurt me nomore;
wherfore in þe abbey where I was take
I cast it in a foreyn, a comyn lake,
Goyng to þe Ryver which dothe ebbe & flow;
There is destroied as moche riches nowe
As wolde haue seruyd to þe holi londe
For xxti thowsand men vppon a bonde.
I kepte it longe for oure lorddis sake,
To helpe a kyng which þat Iournay wold make.
Alas dalton, then seide the kynge,
It was fowle done to spille suche a thinge.
He wolde haue dalton to make it [a]gayne.
Dalton seid it myght not be, certeyne.
Whi, seide the king, how came ye therbye?
He seid bi a chanon of lichefeld truly,
whose werkis dalton kepte diligently
Many yeres til that chanon moste dye;
And for his service, he seid in that space,
The chanon gave him al þat therof was.
33
with libertie to go where he wold that howre;
Then was þe king in his herte sore
That he had not know dalton bi-fore.
And euer it happith with-owte lesynge
That Tiraunys be ful nye to a kinge.
For herbert lay for dalton in a-wayte,
And broght him to Stepneth with desceyte;
The seruantis of herberd þe monay toke away
which the kinge gaue to dalton that day;
And after herbard caried dalton ferre
Fro thens to the Castelle of Gloucetter.
The[re] was dalton prisonere ful longe,
Herberde to dalton dide mekille wronge.
Fro thens he hadd hym to prisone faste
To troy, tille iiij yeres were nye paste,
And after he broght him owte to deye;
Dalton to deth obeyed lowly,
And seid: lord ihesu blessid thu be!
Me think y haue be to longe fro the.
A science thu gave me with ful grete charge,
which I haue kepte with-owte owtrage;
I fownde no man yet apte therto
To be myn heyre whan I am go,
wherfore swete lorde now am I fayne
To resigne this thi gifte to the agayne.
Then dalton made devowte prayers & stille;
with smylyng chere he seid: now do your wille.
When herberde sawe him so gladde to dye,
Then ran watire fro herberde his Eye;
For prisone ne deth cowde not him availe
To wynne this arte, his crafte dide him faile.
Nowe late him go, seide herberde than,
For he shalle nevir hurte ne profite man.
But when dalton fro the bloke shuld ryse,
He lokide forth in fulle hevy wise;
34
It was not [his] wille to lyve oon yere.
This was his payne as I yowe tell,
Bi men that hadd no drede of helle.
Herberde dyed so[ne] after in his bedde,
And delvis at Tewkesburye lost his hedde.
This wise grete payne, as ye may see,
Folowith this arte in euery degre.
Here loste the kinge alle his entent,
For herberde was prowde and violent,
So noble a man to oppresse with pryde,
And like a felon hym leede and gyde;
where þat bi goodnes pacience and grace,
There moght haue growe ful grete solace
As wel to þe kyng ye may vndirstonde,
As for the ease of commons of the lond.
But wondire not þat grace do not falle,
For synne regnyth in this londe ovire alle.
Lo, here was grace ful redy at honde
To haue ceside taxis & talagis of the londe;
wherbi moch love & grace wolde haue be
Bitwene knyghthode, prestehode, & comynalte.
Here ye may see how vicious violence
May not purchace the vertue of sapience;
For vice and vertu be thingis contrarye,
Therfore þe vicious may not com therbye.
If vicious men myght lerne this science,
Thei wolde therwith do wondre violence;
And with ambiciosnes grow evirmore
wors of condicions then thei were bifore.
Now is the Chapiter of ioye & peynys gone.
The chapiter folowing shewith maters of oure stone.
Capitulum iii
Tonsile was a laborere in fyreThre score yere & more to wyne his desire;
35
These were euer besy, cowde practice with þe best.
But yett this science thei nevir fownde,
For thei knew not the maters ne the grownd,
But rombled forth, & euermore thei sowght,
Thei spend their life & their goode to noght;
Moch lost, moch cost, moch angwish þei boght
Amonge their receptis which þei had wroght.
Then made Tonsile to me his grete compleynt;
with weping teris he seid his herte was feynt,
For he had spendide al his lusty dayes
In fals receptis & in such lewde assayes
Of herbis, gummys, of rotis, and of grasse,
Many kyndes bi hym assaid was,
As crowfote, salandyne, & mezereon,
Verbayn, lunarye, and mortagon,
In heere, in eggis, in merdis, & vryne,
In Antymonye, arsenek, in hony, wax, & wyne,
In calce vive, sondyfere, and vitrialle,
In marchasites, Toties, & euery mynerall,
In malgams, in blaunchers, in citrinacions,
Alle fille to nogthe in his operacions.
For he considerid not how he did raage,
when to goddis proporcione he layde surcharge.
After alle these he thogthe no thing so gode
To worche vpone as shuld be mannys blode,
Till þat I seide how blode wil wast & fume
In mygthy fire, & vttirly consume.
For criste is love, then seide he, teche me
wherof þe substance of our stone shuld be.
Tonsile, saide I, whate shuld it you availe
Suche thing to know? your lymmes do you faile
For verray age, therfore cese youre lay
And love your bedis, it is hy tyme to pray;
36
Ar ye cowde make it your daies wold be gone.
Thereof no charge goode mastir, saide he,
It were sufficient comforte now to me
To know þe trew materials with-owte wrong
Of þat stone whiche I haue sowgthe so longe.
Tonsile, seide I, it is no litille thinge
wherof ye wolde haue trew tidynge;
For many auctours write of þat dowte,
But none of them shewith it clere owte.
For auctours whiche of þis arte do write
Besogthe gode, as witnessithe democrite,
That he vnpeyned wold fro þis world take
Ther sowlis whom he tagthe bokis herof to make.
For gretly dowtid euermore alle suche
þat of þis science thei migthe write to moche;
Eueryche of þem tagthe but oon poynt or tweyne,
wherby his felows were made certeyne
How þat he was to theyme a brodyre,
For eueryche of þem wel vndirstode þat odir.
Alle-so thei wrote not euery man to teche,
But to shew them-silfe bi a secrete speche.
Truste not therfore to redyng of oon boke,
But in many auctours werkis ye most loke;
Liber librum aperit, seide arnalde þe grete clerke,
Anaxagoras seithe þe same for þis werke;
who þat slowfulle is many bokis to see,
Suche oone in practice prompte shal neuir be.
But tonsile, for almis I wil make no store
Playnly to disclose it whiche neuir was do bifore,
Bi way of answere for your recreacion
If ye can wisely make interrogacion.
Gode mastire, saide he, then teche me trewly
whethir þe maters be sol & mercurie,
Or whethir of Sol and Lune it may be,
Or whethir I shal take theme alle three,
37
Or sulfur with them for maters of our stone,
Or whethir I shal Sal armonyake take,
Or myneralle meenys our stone þere-of to make.
Here be many questions tonsile, seide I,
wisely remembrede, & fulle craftily;
ye name it not yet but only in generalle,
for ye most take somdele of þes þinges alle;
Of þese & of odire ye most take a parte
Oon tyme or othir to ministre þis arte.
Many þinges helpithe to apte our stone,
But .ij. be materialle, & yet our stone is oon;
Bitwen whiche .ij. is suche diuersitee
As bitwen þe modir & þe child may be;
Another diuersite bi-twex þem finde ye shal
Suche as is fownde bitwen male & femal.
These ij kindes shal do alle youre seruyce
As for þe white werke, if ye can be wise.
Oon of þese kyndes a stone ye shal it fynde,
For it bidith fire as stones do of kynde;
But it is no stone in towching ne in sygthe,
But a subtile erthe, browne, rody, & not briȝt;
And when it is seperate & brogthe to his aperage,
Then we name it our groundid litarge.
Firste it is browne, rody, & after somdele white,
And þen it is callid our chosen marcasite.
Oon vnce þereof is bettir þen fyvety pownd,
It is not to be solde within al cristen grownd.
But he that wolde haue it he shal be fayne
To do it make, or take him-self the payne.
But one grete grace in that labour is seyne,
Make it onys wel & nevir no more ageyne.
Olde faders callid it thing of vyle price,
For it is noght worth bi wai of merchandise;
38
No more then thei wolde take a vnce of clay;
Men wil not bileve þat it is of hye price,
No man knowith it therfore but he be wise.
Here haue I disclosid a grete secrete wondir
which neuir was write bi them which ben erthe vnder.
Another stone, Tonsile, ye most haue with-alle,
Or els ye fawte your chyef Materialle.
which is a stone glorious, faire, and bright,
In handlyng a stone, & a stone in syght;
A stone glitiryng with perspicuyte,
Beyng of wondirful diaphanyte;
The price of a vnce conveniently
Is xx. shillings, or welnere therbye.
Hire name is Magnesia, few peple hir know;
She is fownd in hye placis as wel as in lowe.
Plato knew hir propertie, & callid hir bi hir name,
And chawcer rehersith how titanos is þe same,
In þe Canon his tale, saynge: whate is thuse
But Quod Ignotum per magis ignocius?
That is to say, whate may this be
But vnknow bi more vnknow named is she?
Netherles, Tonsile, now I wil trewly teche
whate is Magnesia to say in oure speche:
Magos is grue, mirabile in latyne it is,
Es in money, ycos science, A is god i-wis.
That is to say it is suche a thinge
wherin of monay is wondire dyvyne connyng.
Now here ye know whate is Magnesia,
Res eris in qua latent sciencia diuinaque mira.
These ij stonys, Tonsile, ye must take
For youre materials, Elixere if ye make.
39
yet many thingis helpith as I sayde bi-fore.
This secrete was nevir bi-fore this day
So trewly discouerede, take it for your pray.
I pray god that this turne not me to charge,
For I drede sore my penn goith to large;
For thofe moch peple perceyve not þ[is] sentence,
yet subtile clerkis haue to moch evidence;
For many clerkis be so clere of witt,
yf thei had this grownde, þei were sure of itt;
where our lord hath ordei[ny]de þat no man it fynde
But only he þat is of vertuys mynde;
wherfore olde faders coveride for grete reson
The maters of oure stone disclosid at þis seson.
Other materials ye shal none take
But only these ij. our white stone to make;
Excepte sal armonyak, with sulphur of kynde,
Such as owte of metals ye can fynde.
These ij wille abide to fulfille youre desyre,
The Remenant wille voide when þei com to fyre.
Sulphur wille brenn & change colours faste,
But oure litarge abidith firste and laste.
Ye may not with metalle or quyk syluere begynne,
To make Elixer, if ye entende to wynne;
yett if ye destroye theire hole composicion,
Som of theire componentis wil helpe in conclusion
And that is nothing els of þat oon or that odire,
But only Magnesia, & litarge hir brodire.
Capitulum iiij
Of þe Grose werk now I will not spare,Thofe it be secrete, largily to declare.
40
As ferforth as I darre for goddis commaundement.
I wil enforme and gyde yow on the waye
In such wise as ye may fynde youre praye,
If ye considre how the parties of werkis
Be owte of ordre set bi the olde clerkis.
As I seid bifore, the mastirs of this arte
Euerych of theyme discloside but a parte;
wherfore thofe ye perceyuyd theym as ye wolde,
yet ye can not ordre & Ioyn theyme as ye shuld.
Arnalde shewith in his writynge
How oure fynal secrete is to know the thinge
where-vpon oure werk shuld take hir grownde,
And how pure naturis & symple may be founde;
In his boke bigynnynge multipharie,
He seith in oure growndede mater ij kyndis be;
But how to fynde them he kepte þat in store,
ye haue theire names þe laste chapiter bifore.
Frere bacon disclosid more of that poynte
when he seid: departe ye euery ioynte
In elementa propinqua, take goode hede þere-to;
But vnwise doctours worchyn neuyr so,
But hedlye thei procede as men welnere madde;
To þe mater dyuysible mo maters they adde.
So when þei wene to bring forth a flowre,
Thei do nothing but multiplie Erroure.
There ceside bakon, and so do other suche
For verray drede lest thei shewid to moche.
Auicenna in porta wrote, if ye remembre,
How ye shulde procede perfeccion to engendre,
Truly techinge as þe pure trowthe was:
Comedas ut bibas, & bibas ut comedas;
Ete as it drinke, & drinke as it doith Ete,
And in the meene sesons take it a perfite swete.
Rasis sett the dietarie & spake somdele ferre:
41
Lett not youre maters ete ouyrhastelie,
But siselye consume theire foode leyserlye.
Herof the prophete made wondre mencion,
If ye applye it to this intencion:
Visitasti terram et inebriasti eam,
Multiplicasti locupletare eam;
Terram fructiferam in salsuginem,
Et terram sine aqua in exitus aquarum.
If it haue plentye of mete and drynke,
Men must wake when thei desire to wynke;
For it is labour of wacch and peynes grete.
Also the food is ful costelewe mete;
Therfore al pore men be ware, said Arnolde,
For this arte longith for grete men of þe worlde.
Trust to his wordis ye pore men alle,
For I am witnes that so ye fynde shalle.
Esto longanimus et suauis, said he,
For hasti men the ende shal nevir see.
The length of clensinge of maters infectide
Deceyvith moche peple, for it is vnsuspectide,
wherfore pore men, put you not in prese
Suche wondirs to seche, but in seson cese.
Excesse for on half quarter of an howre
May destroye alle, therfore chiefe socowre
Is, primum pro quo & vltimum pro quo non,
To know of the sympring of owre stone.
Til it may no more sympre do not cese,
And yet longe contynuance may not cause encrese;
Remembre that watire wil bubbil & boylle,
But buttir shulde sympire, & also oyle,
And so with longe leysere waste,
And not with bubbilyng made in haste,
For dowte of perilis many mo then oon,
42
Among grose werkis the fowlist of alle
Is to clarifie oure meenys Mineralle.
Extremytees may not be wel wroght
withe-oute many meenys wisely soght;
And euery meen most be made pure
If youre werke shulde be made sure;
For fowle & clene bi naturalle lawe
Haue grete discorde, & so hath Ripe & rawe;
Stedfast to stedfast wil it-silfe combynde,
And fletynge to fletyng wil drawe bi kinde;
And euyre where þe concordance is more,
Naturis wil drawe þat were elswere bi-fore.
This grose werke is fowle in hir kynde,
And ful of perils ye shal it fynde.
No mannys witt can hym so moche a-vaile
But that some tyme he shal make a faile;
As wel as þe lay-man so shalle the clerk,
And alle that labour the grose werk,
wherof Anaxagoras saide trewly thuse:
Nemo prima fronte reperitur discretus.
And ons I herd a wise man say
How in Catilonye at this day
Magnesia, with myneral meenys alle,
Be made to sale, if ye for theyme calle,
wherby the handis of a clenly clerke
Shal not be filyde a-bowte so fowle werke,
And longtyme sonyre your werk, I vndirstonde,
Shulde be ferre onwarde bi-fore-honde.
For if ye shulde make al thingis as I can,
ye myght be wery bi-fore your werk bigan.
The philosophers werke do not begynne
Til al thingis be pure withoute & within;
we that most sech tyncture moost specious,
Muste nedly avoid al vyle thingis & vicious.
43
To do his office after his degree;
with theym hydde thingis be owte fett,
Som that wold helpe, & som that wyl lett.
Oure Apotecarys to dresse hem can no skylle,
And we for to teche them haue no manere of wille;
wherof the cause trewly is none odire
But thei wolde contrefet to be-gile her brodir,
Rather than thei wold receyve the peyne
Therto perteynyng ar thei shuld it atteyne.
It is theire vse, wherof my herte is soore,
Moche to desire and litylle do therfore.
Who wold haue trew werk he may no labour spare,
Nethir yet his purs thof he make it bare;
And in the grose werke he is firthist behind
That dayli desirith thende therof to fynde.
If the grose werke with al his circumstance
were done in iij yeris it were a blessid chaunce;
For he that may ende it ons in certeyn
Shal neuyr haue nede to begynn a-gayne,
If he his medycyne wisely can augment,
For that is the maistrie of al oure entent.
It nedith not to name þe meenys Mineral,
For Albert writith opinly of theym alle.
Moche I myght write of naturis of Mynys,
which in this grose werk be but ingynys;
For in this werk nothing fynde ye shalle
But handcrafte callid arte Mechanycalle;
wherin an hundrede wysis and mo
ye may committ a faylle as ye therin go.
Wherfore beleve whate olde Auctours telle,
with-oute experience ye may not do welle.
Considre alle circumstance & set your delite
To kepe vnyformyte of al thing requisite;
44
Be ware of comixtion that no þing mishap.
An hundred defawtis in specialle
ye may make vnder this warnyng generale.
Nethirles this doctryne wil suffice
To him that can in practice be wise,
If youre Mynystres be witty and trewe,
Such shal not nede your werkis to renewe.
Therfore if ye wil voyde alle dreede,
In the grose werke do bi my reede:
Take nevir therto no howsholde man,
Thei ben soone wery as I telle can;
Therfore take no man therto
But he be wagide, how evir ye do,
Not bi the monthe as nye as ye may,
Ne bi the weeke, but bi the daye;
And that your wagis be to theire mynde
Bettir then thei elswere can fynde;
And that thei nede not for wagis sewe,
But that their payment be quyke & trewe.
For that shalle cause theym to loue and dreede,
And to their werkis to take goode hede,
For dowte leste thei be put a-waye
For negligence of theym in oon day.
Howsholde men wille not do so;
For this werk therfore late theym go.
If y hadde know this & hadde do so,
I hadde a-uoydide mekille woo.
Alle-so in this werke most be libertie
withowte Impedyment in euery degre,
with dyuers confortis, peynys to relesse
Of labour contynualle which may not cese;
Els angwishe of labour & melancolye
Might be cause your werkis to destroye.
45
For olde men haue taght the remenant bi-fore;
And whate is necessarie that thei lefte owte
This boke shewith it withowten dowte;
wherfore this litille boke, the Ordynalle,
Is in Alchymye the complement of alle.
The chapiter folowing, convenient for a clerk,
Shewith the concels of the subtile werk.
Capitulum v.
Bryse, when þe change of þe coyne was had,Made som men sory & som men glad.
And as to moch people that chaunge
Semyd a new thing and a strange,
So that seson be-fille a wondir thinge
Towching this science withowte lesynge,
That iij mastris of this science alle
Lay in oon bed nye to leden halle;
which hadd Elixers perfite white and redde.
A wondir such iij to rest in oon bedde,
And that within the space of dayes tene,
while hard is to fynde oon in Milions of men.
Of the dewkdome of loreyn [oon], I vndirstonde,
was borne; þat odir ny the myddill of ynglond;
vndir a crosse in thende of shirys three
The iijde was born, þe yongist of them is he;
which bi his natyuyte is bi clerkis founde
That he shuld honour alle englishe grounde.
A man myght walke alle the world a-bowte
And faylle such iij masters to fynde owte.
Tweyn be fletyng, þe yongist shalle abyde,
And do moch good in this londe at a tyde;
46
The grace which he shulde do on a day.
The eldist master chantyd of hym a songe,
And seid þat he shuld soeffre moche wronge
Of theym which were to him gretely beholde;
And many thingis mo this mastir tolde
which seth that tyme hath trewly falle,
And som of theym hereafter shalle;
wherof oon is trewly, seid he,
After trowbles grete ioy shalle be
In euery quarter of this londe,
whiche alle good men shalle vndirstond.
The yongir askid when þat shulde be.
The olde man seide when men shalle se
The holy crosse honouryde both day & nyght
In the londe of god in the lond of lyght;
which may be do in welle good seson,
But longe delayed it is withowte resone;
when that bigynnyth note wel this thinge,
This science shal draw towa[r]de the kynge;
And many mo gracis ye may be bolde,
Mo then of vs shulde now be tolde.
Grace on that king shalle descende
when he olde maners shalle amende;
He shal make ful secrete serche
For this science with dowcet speche,
And a-monge the solitarie
He shalle haue tidingis certeynlye.
So soght king kalide of many men
Til he mett with Morien,
which helpid kalide at his nede,
His vertew causide him to spede.
Now of such maters late vs cese,
And of the subtile werke reherce.
47
That wolde perceyve the subtile werke;
He must know his first philosophie,
If he trust to com by Alchymye.
And first ye shalle welle vndirstonde,
Al that take þis werke in honde,
when youre materials bi preparacione
Be made wel apte for generacione,
Then thei most be departed a-twynn
In-to iiij elementis if ye wolde wynne;
which thing to do if ye ne can,
Go and lerne it of ortolane,
which made his boke of that doctryne,
How ye shulde parte þe elementis of wyne.
Morouyre ye most for youre socowre
Know theffectis of þe qualitees fowre,
Callid hete, colde, moisture, & drynys,
Of which iiij al thinge compownyde is.
And seth in this arte your chief desyre
Is to haue colour which shulde a-bide fire,
ye muste know, bifore ye can that see,
How euery colour engendride shalle be,
For euery colour which may be thoght
Shal here appere bifore þat white be wroght.
Yet more ye wolde haue to this summe,
Swi[f]tly to melte as wax or gumme;
Els myght it not entre and perse
The centres of metalle as auctours reherce;
So ye wolde haue it both fyxe & flowe
with coloure plentye, if ye wiste howe.
Such iij contraries ioyntly to meete
In one accorde is grete secrete;
48
In this chapitere may it welle fynde.
And firste to geve you a shorte doctryne
Of the forsaid iiij qualitees pryme.
Hete and colde be qualitees actyve,
Moistour and drynys be qualitees passyve;
For thei suffren the actyuys evirmore,
As stonys to be lyme, & water to be frore.
Herupon to Iuge ye may be bolde,
Nothing is fulle wroght but bi hete or colde;
Nethirles the passivis haue some actyuyte,
As in handcraftes men dayly see,
In baking, brewing, & other craftis alle
Moysture is operatyfe, & so drynes be shalle.
Aristotille in phisikis & other many mo
Saide: Ab accionibus procedit speculacio;
Thei say þat practice is rote & bygynnynge
Of speculacion and of alle connynge.
For the properties of euery thynge
Be perceyvide bi his worchynge,
As bi colours in vrynys we be bolde
To geve sentence of hete and colde.
Bi these forsaide iiij qualitees prime
we sech coloure with lengh[t] of tyme.
Of white colour we be not ful sure
To sech it but in a substance pure.
Grete doctryne therof lerne now ye may
when ye know how colours grow al day.
Colour is the vtmoste þing of a bodie clere;
Clere substance wel termynyd is his mater here.
If hete haue mastry in mater that is dry,
white colour is evir therof certeynly,
As it aperith in sight of brent bonys,
And in making of alle lyme stonys;
49
yett of such worching whitnes wil apere,
As it shewith in Ise and frostis hore;
The cause is sett owte in philosophie bifore.
I write not here of comon philosophie,
But bi exemple to teche alchymye;
That one may be perceivide bi that odire
As is the childe perceivid bi the modire.
If hete in moiste mater & gros with-alle
worch, therof black colour gendire shalle;
Exemple therof yf ye of me desyre,
Beholde when ye [se] grene wode sett afyre.
When colde worchith in mater thik & drye,
Blak colour shal be, this is the reson why:
Such mater is compactid & more thykke,
with cold con[s]treynyng, enemye to al quykke.
Thiknes made derknes with priuacion of light,
So colour is priuate, then blak it is to sight.
Therfore euirmore remembre this—
How clere matere is mater of whitnes.
The cause efficient may be manyfold,
For somwhile it is hete, & somtyme it is cold.
But white & blak, as alle men may se,
Be colours contrarie in mooste extremyte;
wherfore your werk with blak most begyne,
If the ende shuld be with whitnes to wyne.
The middil colour, as philosophers write,
Is rede colour bitwene blak and white;
Netherles trust me certeynlye,
Rede is last in werke of alchymye.
Also thei sey in theire doctryne
How these ij colours, Rufe and citryne,
Be meen colours bitwene white & redde;
And how that grene & colour woone as ledde
50
And freshiste colour is of mater moost clene.
Phisicians in vrynes haue colours nynteen
Bitwene white & blak, as they ween,
wherof colour vndirwhite, subalbidus, is oon
Like in colour to Onychyne the stone;
Of such like colour magnesia fownde is,
But magnesia gliterith with clernys.
In owre subtile werke of Alchymye
Shal be alle colours that hath be seyn with Eye,
An hundreth colours mo in certeyne
Than evir was in vreyne seyne;
wherin so many colours myght not be,
But if oure stone conteynede euery gree
Of al composicions fownde in werke of kynde,
And of al composicions ymaginable bi mynde.
Of as many colours as shal therin be seyne,
As many graduacions your wisdom most atteyne.
And if ye knowe not such graduacions alle,
Lerne theym of Raymonde in his arte generalle.
Gilberte kymere wrote after his devise
Of xvij proporcions, but they may not suffice
In this science which he covde neuir fynde,
And yet in phisike he hadde a noble mynde,
where the royalte of the nature of man
Auawncith ofte medicyns of þe phisician,
And so honowrith oft tymys his craft,
when þat his medicyns per aventure myȝt be laft.
But hit is not so in þe phisik of mynys,
For that arte excedith al othire engynys,
And restith only in the wisdom of man,
As bi experiens wise men witnes can.
And so of Alchymy þe trewe fundacion
Is in composicion bi wise graduacion
Of hete and colde, of moyste and drye,
Knowing othir qualitees engendride therbye,
51
Rough and smoth by ponders right,
with nombre & mesure wiselye soght,
In which iij restith al that god wroght.
For god made al thing, & set it sure
In nombre pondire and in mesure;
which nombres if ye do change and breke,
vpon nature ye muste do wreke;
wherfore Anaxagoras seid, take good hede
That to coniunccion ye not procede
Tille ye know the pondres ful complete
Of al componentes which shuld herin mete.
Bacon seid that olde men nothing did hyde
But only proporcion, wherin was no gyde;
For noon olde auctour, king, prince, ne lorde
writyng of this science with other dide accorde
In the proporcions, which if ye wolde reche,
Raymond with Bacon with Albert doon it teche,
with olde Anaxagoras, of theym iiij. ye shalle
Haue perfyte knowlich, but not of oon haue alle.
And if ye wolde Ioyn iiij qualitees to entent,
Then must ye conioyne euery element,
As watir and erthe after youre desire,
welle compowned with Ayre and fyre,
knowing the worthiest in his actyuyte,
The ijde, the thridde, euerych in his degree.
The iiij and the viliste may not be refuside,
For it is profitable & best to be vside;
And best may extende his multiplicacion,
In whome is the vertu of oure generacion,
And that is the erthly litarge [of] oure stone;
with-owte him generacion shal be noon,
Nother of oure tincturs fixacion,
For nothing is fix but erth allon.
Al other elementis moveable be,
Fire, Ayer, & watir as ye daily se,
52
And causith maters permyscible to be;
And clere brightnys in colours faire
Is causid of kynde euirmore of Ayre;
And Ayer also with his coaccion
Makith thingis to be of light liquefaccion,
As wax is, & buttir, and gummys alle,
A litil hete makith theym to mylt & falle;
watir clansith with ablucion blyve,
And thingis mortified causith to revive.
Of multipliyng of fire is no gretter wondre
Then is of multipliyng of erth set vndre;
For erth berith herbis dayly new and newe
withoute nombre, therfore it is trewe
That erth is wondirful as wel as fyre,
Thofe oone sparkil may soon fille a shire;
If al a shire were fillid with flexe,
Oon sparkille then wold wonderly wexe.
Fire and erth be multipliers allone,
And thei be causers of multipliyng of our stone.
Of this erth shewith Alberte, oure grete brodire,
In his Minerals whiche litarge is better then odire;
For the white Elixer he doithe it there reherce,
And the boke of Metyre shewith it in a verce.
Now to coniunccion late vs resorte,
And some wise concelle therof to reporte.
Conioyne your elementis Grammatically
with alle theire concordis conueniently;
whiche concordis to helpe a clerke
Be chief Instrumentis of alle this werke;
For no thing may be more contrary nowe
Then to be fixe and vnperfitly flowe.
Alle the gramarians of Inglond & of fraunce
Can not teche yow those concordance;
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In phisike, in the boke de arbore.
Ioyne them also in Rethoricalle gyse
with naturis ornate in purifiede wyse;
Sethen oure tincture most be moste pure & fair,
Be sure of pure erth, watyr, fyre, and ayer.
In logicalle wise, be it erlye other late,
Ioyne trewe kyndes, not sophisticate;
Ignorance herof hath made many clerkis
lewdly to lese theire labour & theire werkis.
Ioyne them to-gedir also Arismetically,
Bi subtile nombres proporcionally,
wherof a litil mencion made there was
when Boicius seid: Tu numeris elementa ligas.
Ioyne your elementis Musicallye,
For ij causis: one is for melodye
whiche theire accordis wil make to your mynde
The trewe effecte when þat ye shalle fynde;
And al-so for like as Dyapason,
with diapente & with diatesseron,
with ypate ypaton & lekanos Muse[d],
with accordis which in musike be [vsed],
with theire proporcions cawsen Armonye,
Moch like proporcions be in Alchymye,
As for the grete nombres actualle;
But for the secrete nombres intellectuall,
ye most seche them, as I seid bifore,
Owte of Raymonde & owt of Bacons loore.
Bacon shewith it derkli in his iij litteris alle,
An[d] Raymonde better bi his arte generalle.
Many men ween which doith them rede
That thei vndirstond, when thei [do] not in dede.
With astrologie ioyn Elementis also,
To fortune theire worchingis as thei go;
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Most craftly be gidid til þe ende be sowght;
Al which seson thei haue moost obedience
Aboue formed naturis to sterris influence.
And science perspectyfe gevith grete euydence
To al the mynysters of this science;
And so doon othir sciencis many mo,
And specially the science de pleno & vacuo.
But the chief mastres a-monge sciencis all
For helpe of this arte is magyke naturall.
When the iiij elementis wisely ioyned be,
And euerych of them sett in his degre,
Then of dyuers degrees & of diuers digestion
Colours wil a-ryse towarde perfeccion.
For then worchith inward hete naturalle,
which in oure substance is but intellectuall;
To sight vnknow, hand may not it feld,
His worching is know of few men & seld.
And when this hete naturall movid be shall
Bi oure outward hete artificiall,
Then nature excitid to labour will not cese
Many diuersitees of degrees to encrece;
which is one cause bi reson ye may see
whi in oure werkis so many colours bee.
Therfore it causith in this arte grete dowte
Ignorance of hete within & eke withowte,
To know how these both hetis shuld accorde,
And which of them in worching shuld be lorde.
Digestion in this werk hath grete lyknys
To digestion in thingis of quyknys;
And bifore othir, as I witnes can,
It [is] most like to digestion of man.
Therfore, seid morien, our stone in generacion
Is moste like thing to mannys creacion;
In whom, seith Raymonde, the iiij degrees all
Of the iiij complexions to-gedir fynd ye shall;
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Among creaturis in none othir kynde;
wherfore a-monge creaturis these ij alone
Be callid Microcosmos, man & oure stone.
Now of digestion the Alyment & the fode
Perfitly to know is nedful & fulle goode.
It is humour solide, constant with siccite,
Mightly medlide after some degre,
In opposid passivis commixtid dewly,
Engendrid bi inward & outward hete truly;
So nothing els is oure digestion
But of humour substancial a create perfeccion.
I pray yow lay-men haue me excuside
Thofe such wordis be not with you vside;
I most vse them, for alle Auctours affermys
How euery science hath his propre termys.
Digestion somtyme avauncide may be
Bi outward colde, as yerely ye may se
How in wyntir men eten more mete
Then in somer, when expansid is hir hete;
For cold makith hete inward then to fle,
And ligge nye to-gedir, then strenger hete is he;
which, bi his strength, his poware is more
To make digestion then he myght bifore.
But oure chief digestere for oure entent
Is virtualle hete of the matere digerent.
Nethirles hete of the digestible thinge
Helpith digestion & hir worching.
Fevirly hete makith no digestion;
Baynys may helpe, & cause also destruccion;
wyne digested hath more hete naturalle
Then hath new must whose hete is accidentalle.
Coagulacion is no forme substancialle,
But only passion of thing materialle.
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who is principalle agent in that maters clere;
For sumtyme it is hete, & sumtyme cold it is,
And sumwhile moystour, & sumwhile drynys.
The principal agent to know at euery seson
Requirith grete serch made bi subtile reson;
which is not perceived but of masters fewe,
For thei marke not how colours a-ryse bi rew.
The principalle agent of the qualitees fowre
hath power Royalle, as lord of moste honour,
The remenant qualitees to conuerte to his kynde;
Of which conuersion Anaxagoras makiþ mynd
In his boke of conuersion naturalle,
wherof Raymunde shewith cavses specialle.
It is no iape, nother light to lerne,
your principal Agent al sesons to discerne;
which I tech yow to know be signes fowre,
Bi coloure, sapoure, odoure, and liquour.
And first bi coloure to serve youre entent,
To know bi colowre your principal agent.
Loke in your vesselle which colour shewith moste;
He þat causith him is principalle of the hoste,
As for that seson, whose pride ye may swage
Bi this oure doctrine, if ye see him rage;
which ye may do when ye welle vnderstonde
The cause of alle colours which ye haue in honde;
which I wil tech you now shortly with-alle,
Bicause here & there sech hem ye ne shalle.
Whitnes is causid of many maters clere
In a nother thing termynede, & so it is here;
Blaknes is when parties of a body derke
with thiknes oppressith þe clernys of the werke;
Or els it is of a combuste terrestreyte,
But of suche combustion grete hardnes shalbe.
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Shal be gendrid alle the colours meen.
Euery clere thinge, perspicuate and faire,
Standith bi the maters of watire & of Ayre
whom a pure erth doith apprehende,
Such as shalle not theire clerenys offende.
And if in suche clernes and perspicuyte
ye can no specyalle colours se,
Theruppon to Iuge ye may be bolde
The cause of such thingis was excellent colde;
As cristalle, berille, and other many mo;
Diuersite be-twene hem lerne ar ye go.
Cristalle hath watire declynyng toward Ayer,
wherfore it is clere, specyous, and fayre;
But w[h]ere it declynyth toward watire more,
It is derker as berille, or yse harde frore;
But when maters drawith toward siccite,
Derknes with hardnes engendrid shal be;
As it apperith in the Adamant stone,
And in other thingis many one.
Twynkelinge & glitring as in Magnesia is,
Light is cause therof, within matere of cleernys;
which is superducid vpon watirly vapoure
Bifortyme incensid with hete, be ye sure.
Now after clernys & colours in extremyte,
Of meen colours a litil shew will we.
Rubye colour is of a thyne fume succendid,
In a clere bodye, which also is amendid
when in that bodie regnyth plenty of lyght,
For more or las therof makith more or las bright;
As the Amatyste folowith the Rubie in dignyte,
In las clernys, & in more obscuryte;
And a calcidonye in slymye substance
Folowith the berille with grees of variance.
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with erthly substance combust mixte ful neere;
And the cleryre substance that the erth be,
The cleryre grenys therof ye shalle see.
Tawny is of clernys termynate,
Infuside with a thikke fumosite congregate
Of water & also of erth succendide,
wherby the clernys of Ayre is suspendide.
Wone or ledy colour engendride is
Of watirly & erthy parties withowte mysse;
And where such parties be colde & thyk,
Evire wone coloure theron wille styk;
As it apperith in olde layne ledde,
And in men that be welnere dede.
This wone colour, callide lyuydite,
In envious men vsith moche to be;
Natural hete & blode doon resorte
To theire herte, hym to comforte,
And levith colde and drye the face,
For hete & blode is partyd fro that place.
Likwise when fevirs be in extremyte,
The nailis of hondis of this colour wille be.
The saphire colour that orient blewe,
Like in colour to the heuynly hewe,
Is moch fairere then wone colour to syght,
For therin is more of Ayre, watir, & lyght,
Then is in wone colour, & that bi manyfolde;
wherfore such colour is more derere solde.
Al other blewis, þe sadder that they be,
Thei haue las of Ayre & more terrestreite.
Siluer to Azure sone broght wil be,
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Which is in syluer causede of Ayre,
wherfore it turnyth to hevynly colour fayre.
And quyke siluer plenty which in him is
Causith in syluer al his brightnes.
Subtile erth, pure water, with clernys of Ayre,
Causith such brightnys to quyk siluer repaire.
Citryne colour, yelow as ye se in golde,
Is colour most likinge for som men to beholde;
Causide of myghti & stronge digestion,
For humour in him hath strong decoccion.
Such colour with hete engendride be shalle,
As it is in hony, vryne, lye, & galle.
The shynyng of gold is causid, as I telle,
Of pure & subtile water, termynede ful welle,
Perspicuatly condenside, for watir pure & fyne
The more it is condensid þe better it wil shyne;
For of a mirrour the cause no nother is
But Moistour termynat, as al clerkis gisse,
So that it be pollible with-alle;
For Ayre figuris receyve nevyr shalle;
For Ayre may not be termynat in his kinde,
So cause of shynyng in watire ye shal fynde.
With white and rede wel medlide, pure & fyne,
wil be engendred fayre colour cytryne.
So diuers commixtions of Elementis
Makith diuers colours for diuers ententis;
with diuers digestions, and diuers degrees,
Al colours be made which youre Eyen seeis.
Of elementis ye must the propre colours lerne,
wherbi of colours ye may bettir discerne.
Phisicians say of good herbis and soote,
Som be colde owtward, & hote within þe rote;
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Beholde the wirching of gentille violete.
Comon philosophie the cause doith disclose
whi colde is within, & redde withoute the rose;
Anaxagoras seid in his conuercion naturalle,
Inward & owtward be contrarie in thingis alle;
which is trew excepte such thingis as be
Of litill composicion, and nye to simplicite,
As is scamony, & laureolle the laxatife,
whiche be not norisshing to vegetatife.
Remembre how in euery mixte thinge,
Euermore oon element desirith to be kinge;
which prowde appetite of elementis & vicious,
Mouyth men to be ambycious;
wherfore oure lord that best dispose can,
Hath made ordinance for synful man,
Al prowde appetitis to equalite bring,
when requiem eternam the church shal synge;
Then shal every ambycious thoght
Playnly apere how that it was noght.
Lordis and beggers and alle shalbe
In the Charnelle broght to equalite.
Youre principalle agent so rebate shalle ye,
when he vsurpith a-boue equalite.
Therfore Aristotille seide: compown ye our stone
Egally, that in hym Repugnance be none,
Nothir diuysion as ye procede;
Take hede therto for it is grete nede.
And when it fallith that ye shalle see
Alle colours at ons that named may be,
Then soeffre nature with hir operacion
At hir owne leysere to make generacion;
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Nature may shew oone principalle,
Such as shal draw toward youre entent
According to youre desired element.
This wise bi colours ye may proviyde
How in youre werkis ye shal yow gyde.
Many mo thingis of colours I myght write,
But this sufficith my promyse to acquyte,
As ferforth as colours may serue your entent,
Bi theym to knowe your principalle agent.
But many clerkis wonder whi ye may se
So many colours as in our stone wille be,
Bifore that perfite white and clere
And vnchangeable wille appere,
Considerynge the fewnes of þe Ingredientis.
I wil that answere to plese theire ententis,
And tech them the trouth of þat grete dowte.
Bi kynd of Magn[e]sia such colours passe owte,
whose nature is of such conuertibilite
To euery proporcion and to euery degre,
As cristalle to his subiecte is fownde;
For of euerych thing þat is vpon grownde
which that ye wil cristall set vndre,
Such colour hath Cristal, þerfore cese to wonder;
wherfore hermes said not vntruly ne envious:
Ad perpetranda miracula rei vnius;
God hath so ordeyned, seid hermes þe kinge,
To fulfille the Miracles of oone thinge.
Comon philosophers þerfore can not fynde
The vertuys of our stone exceding fer þere mynd.
Smyllyng may helpe forth your entent
To know youre regnyng element,
And be with coloure a testymonye
To know youre principalle agent therbye.
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Of youre principalle agent truly to discerne,
As white and black be colours in extremyte,
So of odours soote and stynkinge be.
But where that fyshes know not be sight
No meen colours, bi cause theire Eyen bright
Haue noon Eye ledis for theire sight closing,
So meen odours shal not bi smyllynge
Be know of yow; this is the cawse why:
For nostrels be opyn as is the fysh ys Eye.
Therfore meen odours be not in certeyne
Smyllid bi nose, as meen colours be sayne.
Heuy smylle is not, as clerkis thinke,
The myddille odour, but only the las stynke.
Olde faders wrote bi theire doctryne
Of theire experience, which is not myne,
That if ye meddille swete savour & reddolent
Egally with stynking to prove your entent,
The soote shalbe smyllid, þe stynking not so;
The cause ye may lerne now ar ye go.
Al swete smyllyng thing hath more purite,
And is more spiritual then stynking may be;
wherfore it is in Ayre more penetratife,
And more extendible, & is also to lyfe
More acceptable, as frende to nature,
And therfore rather receyvid be ye sure.
Odour is a smokish vapour resoluyd with hete
Owte of a substance bi a Invisible swete,
which in the Ayre hath free entringe,
And changith the Ayre & youre smyllinge;
As Sapour of metis changith your tastinge,
And as sowndis changith youre hyringe,
And as colours changith youre sight,
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The cause of odours to know if ye delyte,
Fowre thingis therto be requysite:
First that subtile matere be obedient
To the worching of hete, to present
Bi a fume the liknes of the same thinge
From whome that fume had his bigynnyng;
Also to bere forth that pure fume & faire,
There is requyride a clene thyne ayre,
For thikke ayre wil not bere it ferre,
But it wil reteyne it moche faster;
And so thikke maters obediens hath none
To þe worching of hete, as it shewith in stone.
Hete makith odour, cold shrynkith bi reson;
Donge hillis in somyr stynk more then wynter seson.
Plesante odours engendrid be shal
Of clene & pure substance & fumygalle;
As it apperith in Ambre, narde, & Myrre,
Good for a woman, such thingis plesith her.
But of pure substance with a meen hete
Be temperate odours, as in violete.
Of a meen hete with substance impure
Is odour mysliking, as Aloes & sulphure.
But when natural hete begynnyth to spille,
Then therof a-risith hevye smylle;
As fyshe smyllith which is kepte to longe,
Natural hete rotith, so þe smylle is stronge.
Stynche is a vapour, a resolued fumosite
Of thingis which of eville complexion be;
And when humour only is in corrupcion,
So that the substance be not in destruccion,
Therof shal only hevi smylle aryse,
But not verray stynch com in that wyse.
Of verray stynch the cause of that chance
Is only corrupcion of the selfe substance;
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Horrible odour is gendred therbye;
As of dragons & men that long dede be,
Theire stynche may cause grete mortalite.
It is not holsom to smylle to som cole,
For quenching of som snofe a mare wil cast her vole.
When the qualitees of a thing according is
To your nature, good odour wille not mys;
But when the substance is contrarie to your kynd,
The odour therof odious ye shalle fynde.
Fishis loue soote smylle, also it is trewe
Thei loue not olde kidels as thei do þe new.
Al thing that is of goode odoure
Hath naturalle hete for his socoure.
Thofe Camfere rosis & thingis colde
Haue soote odours, yet auctours tolde
How hete virtually incloside is the skylle
with purenes of substance whi thei so smylle.
This olde opinion ye may tech your brodire
How no good odour is contrarye to a nothire;
But it is not so of stynking smyllis,
For stynch of garleke voidiþ stynch of dong hillis.
Of odours this doctryne is sufficient
As in alchymye to serue youre entent,
youre werkis to vndirstond therby,
when thingis bigyn to putrefie.
Also bi odours this ye may lerne
Subtilnes & grosnes of maters to descerne.
Alle-so of meen substance knowlich ye may gete,
with k[n]owlich of corrupcion of natural hete,
& knowlich of diuersite bi good attendance,
when humour corrumpith & when þe substance.
But our substance was made so pure & clene,
And is conservid bi vertu of the meene,
That ye no stynch therof shal fynde,
Al be it that it putrifie fro his owne kynde.
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To vnderstond your principal agent therby
Is sapour callid, of mouthe the taste,
which euyrmore is cause of waste
Of the substance of the same thinge
wherof ye make profe bi tastyng.
Sapour shuld be moch better Iuge
Then colour or odour, and more refuge,
were not taste a perilous thing
while oure stone is in worching,
For it is hurtyng to helth and lyfe,
It is so gretely penetratyfe.
Aboue alle subtile thingis it hath victorie,
And persith solide thing hastely.
Wherfore it is perile and not goode
Moche or ofte to taste of that foode.
It confortith metallis as we wel fynde,
But it is perilous for alle mankinde
Til perfite rede therof be made,
Such as in fyre wil nevir faade.
A lewde man late that seruyd this arte
Tastyd of the white stone a parte,
Trustyng therbi to fynde relyefe
Of alle seknes, and of alle grefe,
wherbi the wreche was sodenly
Smytt in a stronge paralisie;
whom my master with grete engyne
Curide with Bezoars of the myne.
Therfore thogh taste bi comon reson
Shuld be best Iuge at euery seson,
yett for that taste is abhomynable,
Sapoure is here not profitable.
Yet of som parties seperable
A taste may wel be covenable
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whether thei be wel wroght or nay.
How be it a wise man hath helpe sufficient
Bi colour and odour to haue his entent;
For many men can chose good wyne
Bi colour and odoure when it is fyne,
But for new wyne, not fynyd in generalle,
The trew taste is moste suerte of alle.
For smyllyng hath of organallis but oon,
No thing discernyng but fumose thing allone,
But taste hath .vj. organallis withowte dowte,
To felde qualitees of thingis within & with-owte;
which nature ordeyned geyn perel & stryfe
For moste sewertie of thingis hauyng lyfe.
An Ape chosith hir mete bi smyllynge,
Men & popyngayes trustith to tastyng.
For many thingis be of goode smylle,
which to taste be fownde ful ylle;
For thei may be abhomynable sowre,
ouyrsharpe, to bitter, or of grete horrour,
Or venenous stynging, or ouyrstronge,
The taste is Iuge & voidith such a-none.
Olde men wrote in avncyen tyme
How that of sapours there be fulli nyne;
which ye may lerne within half an houre
As sharpe taste, vnctuous, and sowre
which iij do subtile mater sygnifye;
And other iij do Meen mater testifye,
As byting taste, saltish, & werish alle-so;
Othir iij came thikke substance fro,
As bitter taste, vndersowre, and dowce,
These ix be fownde in many a noble howse.
v. of these ix. be engendrid with hete,
vnctuous, sharpe, salt, bitter, and dowsett;
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Be made with cold, as is the sapour sowre,
And so is sowrishe taste, callid sapour pontike,
And leest sowre also, callid sapour stiptike;
Also is werish taste, callid vnsauerye,
with colde engendride effectuallye.
Sapour of ij thingis hath hir concepcion,
Of dyuers substance, & of dyuers complexion.
Of hote & moyste in the seconde degre
with a thik substance, dowcet taste wil be;
The same degrees of the same complexion,
To a meen substance knytt bi connexion,
vnctuous sapowre engendre euer shalle,
But where it is hote & dry with-alle;
with a meen substance, & in the secunde degre,
The taste therof most nedys saltishe be;
when a thing in the iijde gre hote & dry is,
with a substance thikke, there is bittirnys;
But in the iiij degre mater hote and drye
with a subtile substance, sharpe taste is therby;
So .v. tastis, as I seid bifore,
Be gendride with hete, & not oon more.
Of colde and drye in seconde gre bi kynde
with a subtile substance, ful sowre ye shal fynd,
As bi facis of peple ye may deme
when thei taste grabbis while thei be grene;
The same complexion in the same degre,
In a thing which of meen substance shalle be,
Of that is gendride, ye may wel suppose,
A bityng taste as is of the rose;
But sowre, & sowrishe, & leest sowre al thre
Be of cold & drye in hye and lowe degre.
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A werish taste engendre evire shalle;
As of an Egge it shewith in the gleire,
And in pale women ovir white & faire;
For such be colde, and of humydite
Thei haue trewly grete superfluyte;
Therfore to men they haue las delyte,
Colde rebatith luxurious appetite.
Ysaac seid there be but tastis sevyn,
For sowre & las sowre was oon but vnevyne,
But in complexion thei were of one fundacion,
And vnsauory was but of taste pryuacion.
Compownyde tastis be fownde alle-so,
As dowsegyre & other many mo.
So bi tastis men may craftly knowe
Diuers substancys, complexions, & grees hye & low.
And when ye dowte bi taste to make reporte,
Then to your other testymonyes resorte.
As in phisike trust not to vryne
Only, but also take witnes & doctryne
Of youre pulsis, & wisely consideryng
vj thingis not natural the bodi concernynge;
Hauyng respecte all-so therwith-alle
Unto the sevyn thingis naturalle;
And take hede, if ye wille be sure,
Of iij thingis contrarie to nature.
Complect these xviij wisely for your grownde,
A lewde phisician lest þat ye be fownde;
For so of hadd-y-wist ye may be ware,
And helpe the seek man from his care.
So of this science, if ye wille avance
your werkis, take hede to euery circumstance,
wisily considering your testimoniys fowre;
Thre be now passid the fourth is liquour.
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Liquour gevith evidence to a clerke
Therbi to fastyn his Elementis,
And also to loose theym for som ententis;
Liquour conioynyth male with female wyfe,
And causith dede thingis to resorte to lyfe;
Liquours clansith with theire ablucion;
Liquours to oure stone be chief nutricion.
with-owte liquours no mete is goode,
Liquours conveith alle Alimente & fode
To euery parte of mannys bodie,
And so thei do with vs in alchymye.
Ye must considre the puryte
Of al youre liquours, and quantite,
And how thikke thei be, or thynne,
Or els therof shalle ye litill wynne.
But not as phisicyans makith mencion,
For Elixer is a thing of a secunde intencion;
wherfore ye shal more wondir naturis fynd
In his worching then in al othir kynde.
Phisicyans say the thikker vryne be,
The more it signyfieth humydite;
where thikke liquour with vs hath siccite,
And subtile liquour tokenyth humydite.
Many liquours be requysite
To oure stone for his appetite.
In the boke of Turba Arisleus deposide
How ayre in watire was secrete incloside,
which bare vp erth with his Airly myght;
Pictagoras seid that was spoke with right.
Aristotil craftly his wordis sett he,
Sayng, Cum habueris aquam ab aere.
Plato wrote ful sapiently,
And named it Stilla roris madii;
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But comon studientis in first philosophy
Said Ayre condensid turned in to Rayne,
And watir Rarified becom ayre agayne.
Som seid how may was first seson & fayre
To take such watyr as is made of Ayre;
Som seid such watirs com hevyn fro
Tille that the son entre in to scorpio;
Som seid alle liquours shuld be refusid
whiche frost infectid, shuld not be vsid;
The cause whi as tellith Auctours olde
Is that theire Acuyte is dullid with colde.
Som philosophers said that ye shuld take
Milke for the liquour Elixer to make.
A nother sorte said after theire entent,
No liquour so goode for the complement
As watir of litarge, which wold not mys
with water of Azogo to make lac virginis.
But democrite said best liquour to present
Elixer with-alle was water permanent,
whose naturalle vertue & propertie
was fyre to abide, & neuer to flee.
Rupicissa seide that chief liquoure
was aqua vite Elixer to socoure,
For she was spiritual, and wolde revyue
Dedde thingis fro deth to lyve;
She was quynt essence the v thinge,
wherof Aristotille bi his writynge
In his boke of secretis seyth soo,
How that al perfeccion is in quinario.
Rupicissa callid it best liquoure of alle,
For it makith grose maters spiritualle.
But of pictagoras ye may fynde
Oure aqua vite of a nother kynde;
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Fac fugiens fixum, et fixum fugiens;
For in such wise with stronge coaccion,
Fix maters were made of light liquefaccion.
A nother sorte said no liquour was a-bove
The liquour which congirs most desire & love;
Therfore such liquours were best fownde
Nye to Ilandis, & to suche grownde
which the Occean see hath compaste a-bowte,
For there suche liquours be sonest fett owte.
Of a nother liquour wise men telle,
which is freshere then water of the welle;
Freshire liquour there is noon in taste,
yet it wil nevir consume ne waste;
Thof it be occupied evirmore,
It wil nevir be lasse in store;
which Democrite named for his entent,
Lux vmbra carens, watir most orient.
Hermes seid no liquor so necessarie
As was watire of crude Mercurie;
For he shal stonde, seid that noble clerke,
For the water within owre werke.
Now lerne ye which for this sciens haue sought,
Bi al these liquours oure stone must be wroght.
Liquour is a thing moveable,
Of fletinge substance and vnstable;
Alle such thingis folowyn the moone
More than stondinge kyndes doone;
And that apperith to a clerke
In wirchyng of the white werke.
Liquours washen and make clene
Both extremytees & the meene.
God made liquour for man his vse
To clense fowle thingis in euery hows;
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Hidde thingis in bodies owte,
As lawnders witnes evidentlie
when of Askis thei makith their lye;
Liquour confortith the rotis of graas,
And of trees such as drye was;
For liquours of nature wille restore
Humours that were lost bifore;
Liquours departith qualitees a-sondyre,
Substance resoluynge in attoms with wondire;
Liquours also bryngith in to oon
Many thingis to be one stone;
Liquour helpith to fluxe and to flowe
Many thingis; & lerne ye may nowe
How liquour is in many maners fownde
Owte of thingis that be on grownde.
Som bi cuttynge, as terebentyne,
Som with pressinge, as sydyre and wyne;
Som with grynding, as oyle is hadde,
Som with stilling, as watirs be made;
Som with brennyng, as Colofonye,
And som with watire, as women make lye;
Som be otherwise broght a-bowte,
And bi natural worching fett owte;
As vryne, swete, mylk, and al-so blode,
And rewnyng which for chese is good;
Bi as many maners & mo bi oon
we sech licours for owre stone.
Euery of the fornamyd wille cleve
To that thei towche, and somdele leve;
But Quycsyluere, al be h[e] is fletyng,
yet he wil nevir cleve to a thing
But to metal of oone kind or odyre,
For there he fyndith sustir or brodyre;
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To cleve to thingis such as he mett.
Alle the seid liquours which rehersid be
Conteyne iiij Elementis as wel as he;
As mylke conteynyth whey, buttur, & chese,
So doon truly eueryche of alle these;
which iiij may be departed a-twynn,
And efte conioynede to make yow wynn.
But moch more craftly thei be here soght
Then chese & buttur & whey be wroght,
And drawe nere to symplicite
Then chese, buttur, or whey may be.
Of alle liquors which be in oure stone,
None is callid simple but watir allone.
Of euery liquour which to oure stone shal go,
ye must know complexion & degre also;
And then with liquours ye may a-bate
The principal agent from his estate,
If he permanent and abidinge be
In any poynt of superfluyte.
As if the Regnyng qualite be drynes,
ye may a-mende it with humour of moystnes,
Now more now las as ye se nede,
And so in alle qualitees procede;
And in such wise ordire at youre wille
The principal agent your purpose to fulfille;
with knowlich of diuersite, Contrariete, & accorde,
ye may chose which qualite shal be lorde.
Your liquours be ordeyned to adde & to subtraye,
And to make equalite bi wisdome of assaye.
But trust not that any thing may be
Hote & moiste both in oon degre,
For alle that trustith ij qualitees to be so,
Shal be deceyvid where-euyr thei go.
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leve that opynyon & lerne that of newe;
Alle olde men in that were ovirseyne
To set in oon degre any qualite[s] tweyne,
Els thei seid so that scolers shulde not fynde
The secrete mixtions of Elementalle kynde.
Therfore who can not his graduacions,
May not be perfite in oure operacions;
For in trew nombre god made euery thinge,
with-owte tru nombre no man truly may singe;
who failith of his nombre, failith of his songe;
who failith with vs, most do nature wronge.
Considre also the naturis of the meen
when it is in the thrid degre made clene.
The purire that youre meenys be,
The more perfeccion therof ye shalle se.
The meenys reteyne a grete parte
Of the vertu[e]s of this arte;
For the principalle may not gefe influence
To the fynal ende, nethir he refluence
vn-to his principille withowte socoure and ayde
Of meenys conteynyng thextremytes forsaide.
For like as bi meen of a treble spirytt
The sowle of man is to his bodie knytt.
Of whiche iij spiritis one is callid vitalle,
The second is callid the spirite naturalle,
The thrid spirite is spirite anymalle;
And where thei dwelle now lerne ye shalle:
The spirite vitalle in þe herte dothe dwelle;
The spirite natural, as olde auctours telle,
To dwel in the lyver is therof fayne;
But spirite animal dwellith in the brayne.
And as longe as these spiritis three
Contynew in man in theire prosperite,
So longe the sowle with-owte al stryfe
wil dwel with the bodie in prosperous lyfe.
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The sowle forthwith departith at that tyde.
For the subtile soule, pure & immortalle,
with the grose bodye may nevir dwel withalle,
He is so hevy & she so light and clene,
were not the subtilnes of these spiritis meene.
Therfore in oure werk, as auctours techith vs,
There must be Corpus, anima, & spiritus.
Also in oure werke ye shalle so fynde
That oure meenys must accorde in euery kynde;
Of Both extremytees with wisdom sowght,
Els al our werke shuld turne clere to noght.
For prudent nature may not bi worching
Make complement of appetite of a thing,
And so passe bitwen extremytees,
But if she first passe bi alle degrees.
Of euery meene this is trouth vnfeyned,
wherfore nature many meenes ordeigned.
Now after al this to lerne ye haue nede
Of vij circulacions of elementis for your spede,
According to nombre of þe planetis sevyne,
which no man knowith but he haue grace fro hevyne.
Olde philosophers, men of grete engyne,
Said of circulacions how þere shulde be ix.
It is the suryr to do bi theire aduyse,
Nethirles vij may your werkis suffise,
Bi Inuencions late fownde of newe
of latir philosophers whos werkis be trew.
But for circulacions of Elementis,
Som clerkis ween to haue theire ententis
when thei fro fyre ordeyne to descende
To Ayre, thei ween to not offende
If thei to watire do then procede,
And thens to erth when their se neede;
And in such wise bi ordire falle
Fro the hyest to the lowist of alle.
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That Aer est cibus ignis fownde.
But trust me that such circulacion
Is but oonly a Rectificacion,
Bettir serving for seperacion
And for correccion then for transmutacion.
But the trowthe is that appetite of fyre
Hath to worche in erth his chiefe desyre,
As vppon his chiefe fode materialle.
For fyre with erth hath moste concorde of alle,
Bicause þat siccite is the lyme of hete,
But Ayer of hir kynde is moste wete.
Yett fyre with-oute Ayer worchith nott,
For facys of elementis be knytt with a knott
Of god his hande, þat thei may not departe
Bi noon engyne ne crafte of mannys arte;
As in plumpis ye haue exemple fayre,
where heuy watyre arisith aftir Ayre;
wherof no cause resonable ye shal fynde
But connexion of facis of Elemental kynde.
But our circulacion is from fyre an hye,
which endith with watir his moste contrary.
A nothir circulacion bigynnyth with Ayre,
Ending with his contrarie clene erth & fayre;
From fyre to erth, fro thens to watire clene,
Fro thens to Ayre, then fro thens bi a meen
Passing to erth, then efte sonys to fyre;
To such circulacions þe rede werk hath desire.
Other circulacions be bettir for the white,
That be reherside for hir appetite.
Euery circulacion hath his propre seson,
As hir lightnes accordith with reson,
For as one planete is more ponderous
Then is an other, & slower in his cours,
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Must for his tyme haue fully xxx wekis.
Othire Circulacions shal of tyme haue lasse,
As oon planete is lighter then a nothir was.
But þe tyme of oon with another wil amownt
To xxvi wekis, provide bi accompte,
After alle Grose werkis made bi-fore-honde,
And aftir al circumstancis had we vndirstonde.
Ignorance herof deceyuyth many a man,
Cawsyng theym to cese where wise men bigan;
Comon peple which for þis science haue soght
ween in xl dayes how it myght be wroght;
Thei know not how nature & þingis of arte
Haue a propre tyme assigned for theire parte;
As it apperith by this symylitude:
The Elefante, for she is grete and Rude,
Goith with voole yeris fulli tweyne,
And fyfty yeris ar þat vole gendre agayne.
Anaxagoras seid in his consideracion
That metallis had for theire generacion
A Ml. yeris, wherfore him luste to say,
Respecte þere-of oure werke is but oon day.
Alle-so ye most worch bi good aduyse
when ye see erthe a-boue watyre aryse;
For as watir berith erth which we go on,
So wil it do in worching of oure stone.
Wherfore welle springis with strokis softe
Soberly make ye most in tymes ofte,
wherbi watir may sobirly flowe,
For violent fluxis be perilous as nowe.
More ovir it helpith in Alchymy
To know vij watirs effectually,
which be copied with many a man
while thei be comon, sech them as ye can.
Desire not this boke to shew thingis alle,
For this boke is but an Ordynalle.
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Al fawtis to amend of metalle kynd.
Alle-so thei ween of the Elementis fowre
The effectis to wynne bi theire socowre.
For thei suppose with confidence vnfeyned
That alle vertu[e]s requisite in theym be conteyned;
Some to mollifie metallis harde wrogth,
And some to hardyn metallis that be softe;
Some to purifie, Some to make malliable,
Euery accordynge to that he was able.
Such liquours to knowe it is profite & goode,
How be it thei may not to our stoon be foode.
Noble auctours men of glorious fame
Callide oure stone Microcosmos bi his name,
For his composicion is with-owten dowte
Like to this worlde in which we walke abowte.
Of hete of colde, of moyste & of drye,
Of harde of softe, of ligth & hevye,
Off rowghe, of smoth, & of thyngis stable,
Medlide with thyngis fletynge & moveable,
Of all kyndis contrarie brogth to oon accorde,
Knytt by ye doctrine of god oure blesside lorde;
Wherbie of metallis is made transmutacion
Not only in colour, but transubstanciacion.
In which ye haue nede to knowe this thynge,
How all the virtues of the elemente transmutynge
Vpon the transmutide moste haue full dominacion
Bifore that the substance be in transmutacion;
And all parties transmutide moste figurede be
In the element transmutyng, impressid by degree,
So that the iijde thynge elementide of them all
Off such condicions euermore be shall
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But hir substance of yat one, & hir virtues of yat odir.
A chylde at his natyuyte can ete his mete & crye,
Our stone at his natyuyte will colour largilye;
In thre yeres after a childe can speke & goo,
Then is our stone more colorynge allso.
Oon vpon a Ml. his tyncture trewly is
Of clene washen metall, I am trewe witnys.
Fastly beleve it & fully in your thogth,
It makith as good siluere as of ye myne is wrogth.
And allso our stone will augment & encrese
In quantite & in qualite & therof nevyre cese;
And therfore his growyng & augmentacion
Is likned to man in wexinge & creacion.
Nethirles one poynt of trowth I will reporte
Which to som men may be discomforte.
At the firste makyng of oure stone,
That tyme for wynnynge loke for none.
If ye then cese I vndirstonde,
Ye shall depart with lesynge honde,
The costis be so grete before,
Expendid & set vppon the scoore.
But at the first augmente of alle,
Which tyme our stone departe ye shalle
In parties tweyne full equallye,
With subtile balance & not with Eye;
One for rede, that other for the white,
To maynteyne both for youre delite;
Then wynnyng first begynnyth to aryse.
But aftyrwarde if ye be wyse,
At euery augment contynuallye
Profite shall growe comodiouslye,
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As well as in the Rubie stone.
Therof sayd Maria, suster of aaron:
Life is shorte & science is full longe.
Nethirles it gretelye retardith age
When it is endid bi stronge corage.
But some that haue be taght trulye
Haue forsake theire werke lewdlye,
When theire grete labours haue be paste,
For thei knew not how, at the laste,
Growith the profite and the wynnynge
Which thei wold haue at the begynnynge.
Therfore I fynde that it is nede
The trowthe to tell when ye shuld spede;
For when I am paste and owte of mynde,
This my witnys shall reste behynde;
For which cause I do not spare
Of this arte the trowth to declare
As moch as I darre that I be not shent
For brekynge of god his commaundement.
This wyse endith all owre white werke
Shewid sufficiently for an able clerke.
Aftire all this vpon a daye
I herde my noble Mastire saye
How that many men, pacient & wyse,
Fownde oure white stone with excercise,
Aftire that thei were trewly tagth,
With grete labour that stone thei cawgth;
But fewe, saide he, or scantly oone
In xv. kyngdoms hadde oure rede stoone.
And with that worde he caste his Eye,
Lokynge on me full stedfastlye.
Of his wordis he sawe me woo;
I sayde: alas what shall I doo?
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I mooste desire & love connynge;
And for the rede stone is preseruatife,
Moste precious thynge to length my life,
The rede stone, saide I, is levire to me
Then all were Golde that I wolde so to be.
He saide I was to yonge of age,
Off bodye lustye, and likly to owtrage,
Scantly of the age of xxviijt yeres,
He said philosophers had no such compeers.
This wofull awnsere then he made to me:
Till ye be eldire, he said, it may not be.
Alas good Mastire, Remembre, saide I,
How be it my bodye be ligth & lustye,
Prove & assay, & ye shall fynde
Age sufficient with-in my mynde.
He hilde his wordis full still that tide,
And so longtyme he didde abyde.
After this sodenly in wondire wyse
He temptide me aftir ye philosophers gyse;
Which to reherce it were to longe,
And to shewe how I shulde do wronge;
For that most be kepte secrete
For them which shall with this science meete.
Yet at the laste with leysere & with space,
I wanne his loue, bi helpe of god his grace;
So that I had with grace the trewe doctryne
Off confeccion of the rede Medicyne;
whome to seche it availith ryght noght
Til the white medicyne be fully wroght.
Also both medicyns in theire begynnyng
Haue one maner of vessel & of worching,
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Til alle quyke thingis be made dedde;
Then vessels and forme of operacion
Shal change in matier figure & graduacion.
But my hert quakith, my hond is tremeling,
when I write of this most selcowth þing.
Hermes broght forth a tru sentence & blont,
Said, ignis et azogo tibi sufficiunt.
Thexpositor of hermes & of aristotille ioynte
In that ioynt werke shewid a strange poynte;
He seid that Albertus magnus the blake frere,
Nothir frere Bacon Minour his compere,
Hadde not of oure red stone consideracione,
Him to encrece in multiplicacione;
Thexpositor knew it sufficiently,
And my master tawght me trewly;
Alle be it that I made neuyr assay
Of the redde werke before this day.
The cavse apperith in this boke before,
when y was robbid, then I wold nomore.
Nethirles I haue put me so ferre in preese
That secrete trowth to shew I kan not cese,
Rehercinge such as were gretly to bolde
So grete secretis to shew as thei tolde.
Thei seide with-in centris of incomplete white
was hidde oure red stone of most delite;
which may be with strength & kind of fyre
Made to apere right as we desyre.
Pandophilus in turba seide: mente secura
Et eius vmbra in vera tinctura.
Maria confermede it in fide oculata,
Quod in ipsa albedine est rubedo occultata.
The boke laudabile sanctum, made bi hermes,
Of the rede werke spekith in this verse:
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That is to say, if ye take hede therto,
Then is the faire white woman
Mariede to the rodie mane;
vndirstonding therof if ye wolde gete,
when oure white stone shal suffre hete,
And rest in fyre as rede as blode,
Then is the mariage perfite and gode;
And ye may trewli knowe that tyme
How the semynale sede masculyne
Hath wroght & wonn the victorie
Vpon the menstruallis worthily;
And wel convertide them to his kynde,
As bi experience ye shalle fynde
Passinge the substance of Embrion;
For then complete is made oure stone;
whome wise men saide that ye shulde feede
with his owne venome when it is nede.
Then ride or go where ye delite,
For alle your costis he wille yow quyte.
Thus endith the subtile werk with al hire store,
It nede not, I may not, I wille shewe no more.
Capitulum vj
[T]owarde the maters of concordance,Considere there be no variance
Bitwene such thyngis as shuld accorde,
For of variance may growe discorde,
Wherbie your werkis myght be loste
With all your labours & all your coste.
He that will take our werke in honde,
V. Concordis he moste vndirstonde.
The first concorde is nede to merke,
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Which shall be lorde to pay for all,
Ells all your lab[o]ur destroye he shall;
The ijde. concorde is nedfull to kenn
Bitwen this crafte & hirr werkmen;
The iijde. shall well serve your ententis,
When werke concordith with Instrumentis;
The iiijth. concorde most well be sowgth
With ye place where it shall be wrogth;
For trewly it is no litill grace
To fynde a perfite worchynge place;
The vth is of concorde & of love
Bitwen your werkis & the spere above;
Of these v. concordis reherce we shall
Bigynnynge with the firste of all.
For the firste ye shall well fynde
That full fewe lordis be stable of mynde;
Thei be hastie, the werke is longe,
Thei wolde haue yowe do nature wronge;
Some now be onwarde as hasty as fyre,
Halfe yere herafter thei haue no desire;
And some in a weke, it is no nay,
Will change theire mynde, & some in a day;
And for oon monthe haue full byleve,
The nexte month thei will ye arte repreve.
It were moch bettir for such to cese
Then for this arte to put theym in preese.
Late such like botirflyes wandir & passe,
And lerne this latyne both more & lasse,
Folowinge the sentence of this holy letter:
Attingens a fine vsque ad finem fortiter & disponens omnia suaviter;
That is, procede myghtly to the ende
Fro the begynnynge, magre the fende,
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With grete suauyte that comyth of grace.
All shorte wittide men & mutable,
Such most nedis be variable;
And some do euery man bileve,
Such credence dothe theire cofirs greve;
To euery new tale to them tolde
Thei gyve credence and leve the olde;
But som lordis be stable of witte,
Such be apte to fynyshe itt;
Euery such lorde or mastir of this werke,
Be he lay-man or be he clerke,
Be he ryche man, knyght, abbott, or lorde,
He hath with this arte grete concorde.
The seconde concorde with this arte is
When ye can fynde apte mynystris.
No mynystre is apte to this entent
But he sobre be, wise, & diligent,
Trewe, and wachlew, and allso tymorous,
Close of tonge, of bodie not viciouse,
Clenly of hondis, in towchynge curiouse,
Not disobedient, neither presumptuouse;
Such Servantis may your werkis of charge
Mynystre, & save from all owtrage.
But trust not that ij. suche servantis or three
May sufficient for youre werke be;
Iff youre matier be of quantite resonable,
Then .viij. such servantis be convenable;
But vppon litill quantite fynde ye shalle
Foure men able to performe alle.
That oon halfe of theym moste wurch,
While yat other slepith, or goon to church;
For of this arte ye shall not haue your pray,
But it be mynystride aswell nyght as day
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From evynsonge bigon, til evesong efte be done.
And while thei werke thei moste nedis eschew
All rebawdry, els thei shall fynde this trew,
That such myshappe shall theym befall
Thei shall destroye parte of theire werke or all.
Therfore all the mynystris most be men,
Othir thei most be all wommen;
Sett theym not occupied oon with odire,
Thofe some to yow be sustire or brodire.
Yett they most have some good disporte
Theire grete labours to recomforte;
Then no thynge shall bettir avance
Your werkis then shall this concordance.
The thridd concorde to many is full derke,
To ordeyn Instrumentis accordyng to ye werke.
As euery Chapiter hath dyuerse ententis,
So hath thei dyuerse Instrumentis;
Both in matere, and allso in shappe,
In concorde that no thynge myshappe.
As werke of diuision & separacion
Haue small vessels for their operacion;
But vessels brode for humectacion,
And somdell brode for Circulacion;
But longe vessellis to precipitacion,
Both shorte & longe serue sublimacion;
But narow vessels & iiij. ynchis hye
Serve Correccion most proprelye.
Of vessels som be made of ledde,
And some of cley, both quykke & dedd.
Dedd clay is callide such a thynge
As hath soeffrede grete Roostynge;
Such medlide in powdire with good rawe cley,
Will fyre abide & not go awey.
But many cleyes will leepe in fyre,
Such for vessell do not desire.
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For fyre sufficient, but fewe or noon
Amonge werkmen as yet is fownde
In any contray of english grownde
Which of watire no thynge drynke shall,
And yet abide drye fyre with all.
Such stonys large for owr entente
Were a precious Instrumente.
All other vessells be made of glasse,
That spirituall maters shuld not owte passe.
Of ashis of verne in this londe euerych on
Be made, but els where thei be of stone.
Of oure glassis the bettir kynde
The mornynge stuffe ye shall it fynde,
Which was ashis the nygth bifore,
Stondynge in hete all nygth & more.
The hardir stuffe is callide freton,
Off crippynge of othir glassis it com;
Tyncture with anelynge of Glaciers
Will not perse hym as thei reherse.
By these doctryne chese or refuse,
Take which ye will vnto your vse.
But for figuris of vessell kynde,
Euery man folowith his awne mynde.
The best fassion is, ye may be sewre,
She yat beste concordith with vessell of nature;
And figure yat beste concordith with quantite,
And with all circumstance, to mater best is she.
And this shewith well albertus magnus
In his boke de Mineralibus.
Herof a secrete discloside was
By my good mastir to more & lasse,
Saiynge: Si deus non dedisset nobis vas
Nichil dedisset, and that is glasse.
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As be fornacis ordeynede therfore.
Olde men ymagynede for this arte
A speciall fornace for euery parte;
Euerych dyuysynge after his owne thogth,
But many fornacis of them be nogth;
Some were to brode, & some to longe
Many of them dide nature wronge.
Therfore some fornacis may be well vside,
But many of them moste be refuside;
For thei were made but bi aduyse
Of them that semyde & were not wise.
The most commendable fassion of them all
In this boke porturide fynde ye shall.
Oon fornace bi me is fownde of newe
Such as olde men nevir knewe;
Whose secrete powere with studye sowgth,
And with grete coste was deerly bogth;
In hym will be at oon tyme wrogth
Lx. werkis, and cost rigth nogth
More then it shulde for one werke or tweyn,
Therfore profitable it is certeyn.
Lx. degrees dyuerse ye may geete
For Lx. werkis, & euerych of dyuerse hete,
Within that fornace to serve your desire;
And all thei servide with oone litill fyre
Which of a fote square only shalbe,
Yet euery of the lx. asmoch space as he.
Many purposis ye may therbye fulfill,
For here ye shall have hete aftir your will.
Of this Instrument all men may not be sure,
Therfore it is not formede in picture.
A nothir fornace will serve iij. score
Glassis trewlye, & yet for more;
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As bi the picture doctryne ye may gete.
An other fornace for this operacion
By me was fownde bi ymaginacion;
Nobilly servynge for separacion
Of dyuydentis, and for altificacion,
And for disiunccion callid dyuysion,
And for Correccion callid ablucyon;
It will for some thyngis serve desiccacion,
It servith full well for preparacion;
So for vj. thyngis it servith well,
And yet for all at oons as I can tell.
This is a newe thynge which shall not be
Sett owte in picture for all men to see.
A nothir fornace in picture be shall
More full of perils then othire fornessis all;
Made for magnesia, wherof bolde men had dowte
To tuych with handis a pore lynyne clowte
Which in ye myddill therof vnbrennyde stode,
For drede of flammys brennyng ferce of wode.
Which subtile fornace I deuyside allso,
In which I fownde many wonders mo
Then is convenient at this seson to tell,
Whos graduacion is dowtefull and casuell;
Wherin Magnesia, matere of grete coste,
Moste quikly be servede or sodenly be loste;
Of whose graduacion yf ye will not mysse,
Considre youre stoppellis and lerne well this,
The more is the stoppell, the lasse is the hete;
Bi manyfolde stoppellis degrees ye may gete.
Who knowith the power, ye worchyng and kynde
Of euery fornace he may well ye trouth fynde;
And he which therof dwellith in ignorance,
All his werkis fallith vppon chaunce.
No man is sure to haue his entent
With-owte ful concorde of arte with Instrument.
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Then in this chapiter now rehersid bee,
Which ye most ordeyne bi gode & sadde aduyse,
And prove them biforehande oft, if ye be wyse.
The iiijth concorde is full notable
Bitwene this arte & placis convenable.
Some placis most nede be euermore drie,
Close from airys no wyse wyndye;
Som most be derke or dym of lyght,
In which sonbemys noon may light;
But for som placis the trouth so is
Thei can not haue to moche brightnes;
Som placis most nedly be moyst & colde,
For some werkis, as auctours tolde.
But in oure werkis in euery place
Wynde will hurte in euery case.
Therfore for euery werke in seson
Ye moste ordeyne placis bi reson.
Philosophers saide bi theire engyne
How it shulde be wroght within lokkis ix.
Astrologiers seide it was a grace
To fynde a chosen worchinge place.
For many thyngis will wondirs do
In some placis, and elswere not so;
But contrarie wondris be of one thynge
In contrary contries wroght withoute leysyng;
Wherof noon other cawse may appere
But only contrarie placis of the speere,
Where-to placis contrary of the grownde
To them concordant & obedient be fownde.
Herof grete evidence & witnes full clere
In the Magnete stone opynly doth appere,
Whose north poynt drawith towarde in yis cuntrey,
Which vndir ye sowth sterre dryvith nedillis awey.
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Fownde som placis concorde, & som to be noght.
Trewly such placis where lechery is vsyde
Moste for this arte vttirly be refuside.
The vth. concorde is knowen well of clerkis,
Betwene ye spere of hevyn & our subtill werkis.
No thyng in erth hath more symplicitie
Then the elementis of owr stone will bee;
Wherfore, thei beynge in werkis of generacion,
Haue most obedience to constellacion.
Wherof concorde most kyndly convenyent
Ys a directe & fyrie ascendent;
Beyng sygne common for these operacions,
For the multitude of there Iteracions.
Fortune your ascendent with his lorde allso,
Kepynge aspectis of shrewys them fro;
And if thei most let, or nedely enfecte
Cause them to looke with a tryne aspecte.
For the white werke make fortunate ye moone;
For ye lorde of ye iiijth howse likewyse be it done;
For this is thesaurum absconditum of olde clerkis,
So of ye vjth. howse for servantz of ye werkis.
Save all them well from grete Impedymentis,
As it is in picture, or like ye same ententis,
Enlas then your nativitie pretende Infeccion
In contraryetie to this election.
The virtew of ye mover of ye orbe ys formall,
The virtew of ye viijth spere is here Instrumentall,
With his signis & figuris & parties aspectuall;
The planet virtue is propre & speciall;
The virtew of Elementis is here Materiall,
The virtew infuside resultith of them all.
The firste is like to a werkman his mynde,
The ijde. like to his hande ye shall fynde;
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The remenant like a thyng wrogth to your entent.
Make all ye premyssis with other well accorde,
Then shall your meritis make yow a grete lorde.
These wysis Elixer of whom we make mencyon
Ys gendrid, a thyng of a secunde intencion.
Trust not Geomancye, that supersticious arte,
For god made reason which yer is sett a-parte;
Trust not to all astrologyeris, I say why,
For that arte is as secrete as alchymye.
That other is disprovide, & playnly forbodde
By holy sayntis of the church of gode.
Trust not, ne love not Nigromancye,
For it is appropriede to the devill to lye;
Trust to this doctrine, sett herin yowr desyris,
And now lerne ye regymentis of your fyris.
Capitulum 7
A Perfite Maister ye may hym troweWhich knowith his hetis hye & lowe.
Nothyng may lett more your desires
Then ignorance of hetis of youre fyres.
Of many auctours writen ye may see:
Totum consistit in ignis regimine.
Wherfore in all chapiters ye most so procede
That hete worche not more ne lasse then nede;
Wherin many of Gebere his cokis
Deceyvid be, thofe thei be wise in bokis.
Such hete wherwith pigge or gose is scallid,
In this arte decoccion it is callid;
For mynerall meenys servith such hete,
And to make oure litarge to geve swete.
Such hete as drieth lawnde kerchows faire,
In xxxti. operacions servith for oure Aier;
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As cokis makith when thei roste grose mete;
The same hete with cercle fire
For seperacions of dyuydentis we desire;
But for Circulacion of Elementis,
Ignis candens observith youre ententis,
Which fire most euer be coequall
In euery mynute, and yet perpetuall;
For it may nevir abate ne encrece,
And yett that fire may nevir cese.
Study wysely and loke abowte
Such a fire trewly to fynde owte;
And in that fire no moyster may be
Which hande may feell or eye may see.
Ignis humidus, a nothir fire allso
Is, and yett is semyth oppositum in adiecto.
Such hete disseverith at certeyne tydes
Maters clevynge to vessellis sides.
Many mo thyngis that hete may wynne,
It makith ofte thikke maters thynne.
A philosopher mystily spake of this hete,
And saide the hiest degre therof to gete
Shall cause and gendre such egall siccite
As of drye hete shall be in the first degre.
A nothir fire is fire of desiccacion
For maters which be inbibide with humectacion;
A nothir fire is fire of conservacion,
For all drye thyngis of this operacion;
For magnesia is fire of effusion,
Full of perils and full of illusion,
Not only perils which to ye worke may fall,
But such allso the mastire which hurte shall;
Ageyn which ons receyvede is no bote;
Ordeyne therfore to fech breth fro your fote,
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For it is worse then x. tymes the pose.
Men herby have fownde peynys sore,
Bi-cause thei had not this warnynge bifore.
Ignis corrodens servith in this arte
Elementa propinqua wisely to departe.
Of oon poynte of excesse all your werke is shent,
And oon poynte to litill is insufficient;
Who can be sure to fynde his trewe degre,
Magister magnus in igne shall he be;
It is the hardyr to know trewly his myght,
There is no triall for it but our Eye sygth.
Therfore all men faile in his presence,
Hir hete is lernede with cost of experience.
Of this hete in speciall Anaxagoras said thuse:
Nemo prima fronte reperitur discretus.
An othir hete is of mygthy coaccion,
For myneralls that be of harde liquefaccion;
This hete can not be to stronge,
Be he contynued nevir so longe.
An othir is hete of calcinacion,
For fowle metallis for theire preparacion,
Which may not brenne, ne do theym mylte,
For so all they may soone be spylte.
The xij. is hete for to sublyme
All the spiritis of the myne;
The laste hete of these goith for all,
When to proieccion our stone shall fall.
Vse makith mastrye, yer is no more to sayne
But he yat failith most nede bigyn ageyne.
Now haue I tagth you euiry thynge bi name
As men tech othir the way to walsynghame;
Of euiry village, watire, bryge, and hyll,
Wherby wise men theire Iournay may fulfill;
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This science well if thei be clere of mynde.
All othir may fynde herby hym selfe a fole
To dele therwith which litill can of scole;
For this is thende of wordly connynge;
Where to atteyne can nothir pope ne kynge
Bi theire honours, ne by theire grete councell,
But only bi vertue & grace, as autours tell.
This precious stone will not be fownde ne wrogth,
But if he be rigth devowtly sowgth.
The autours fornamede, with this boke of myne,
Shewith of alchymye all the doctryne,
If ye complecte theire sentencis all
Not bi opinyon, but aftire this ordynall;
For in this ordynall, I sett yow from all dowte,
Is no thynge sett wronge, nothir on poynt lafte owte.
The dayes were yat this doctryne & grownde
Hadd pleasid me more then a thowsande pownde;
Thre hundrede li. was not for my desire
As wolde haue bene this chapiter of ye fyre.
And Mervaile not lordis, ne ye frendis all,
Whi so noble science as all men this arte call
Is here sett owte in englishe blonte & rude,
For this is so made to teche a multitude
Of rude peple which delyn with these werkis,
Ten thowsande lay men ageyn two able clerkis;
Wherby yerly grete riches in this londe
Is lewdly lost, as wise men vndirstonde;
And many men of every degree
Yerly be brogth in grete pouerte.
Cese lay-men, cese, be not in foly evire,
Lewdnes to cese is bettir late then nevyre.
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Pray for my sowle, & for all quykke & dede.
In the yere of Crist Ml. CCCC. sevynty & sevyne
This werke bigane, honour to Gode of hevyne.
Explicit. deo gracias.
| Thomas Norton's Ordinal of Alchemy | |