Book I.

having' an erifipelas in his arm ; on a certain evening, when the Monk did almoft defpair, he fwiftly tinged a certain little Hone in a fpoonful of almond- milk, and prefently withdrew it thence. So he fays to the keeper — ‘ Reach this flipping to that Monk ; and how much foever he fhall take thereupon, he fnall be whole, at leaH within a fhort hour’s fpace.’ — Which thing even fo came to pafs, to the great admiration of the keeper and the fick man, not knowing from whence fo fudden health fhone upon him, feeing that he was ignorant that he had taken any thing : for his left arm, being before hugely fwollen, fell down as that it could fcarcely be difcerned from the other. On the morn- ing following, I, being entreated by fome great men, came to Vilvord, as a witnefs of his deeds ; therefore I contracted a friendfhip with Butler.
“ Soon afterwards, I faw a poor old woman, a laundrefs, who, from the ag'e of fixteen years, had laboured with an intolerable megrim, cured in m^| prefence. Indeed he, by the way, lightly dipped the fame little Hone in a fpoonful of oil of olives, and prefently cleanfed the fame Hone by licking- it with his tongue, and laid it up into his fnuff-box ; but that fpoonful of oil he poured into a fmall bottle of oil, whereof one only drop he commanded to be anointed over the head of the aforefaid old woman, who was thereby Hraightway cured, and remained whole ; which I atteH I was amazed, as if he w as become another Midas •, but he, finding, faid —
‘ My moH dear friend, unlefs thou come hitherto, fo as to be able, by one only remedy, to cure every difeafe , thou fh alt remain in thy young beginnings , however old thou flialt become.’ — I eafily affented to this, becaufe I had learned that from the fecrets of Paracelfus ; and being now more confirmed by fight and hope. But I willingly confefs, that that new mode of curing was unac- cuHomed and unknown to me : I therefore faid, that a young Prince of our Court, Vifcount of Gaunt, brother to the Prince of Epifuoy, of a very great Houfe, was fo wholly proHrated by the gout, that he thenceforth lay only on one fide, being wretched, and deformed with many knots : he, therefore, taking hold of my right hand, faid — ‘ Wilt thou that I cure the young man ?
I will cure him for thy fake.’ — ‘ But,’ I replied, ‘ he is of that obflinacy, that he had rather die, than drink one only medicinal potion.’
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ALCHYMY,
61