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THSAT'SJJM QHEM1 CVM
B R I T A N*r I C U M-
CONTAINING .
Severall Poeticall Pieces of our Famous Englilh Thilofophers^ who have written
the Hertnttiquc My/lerics in their owne Ancient Language*
faithfully Collected into one Volume x
with Annotations thereon,
*By El i as Ash m ole , Efq.
gui efi Mercuriofbilu* Anglicus. The First Par t.
Serpens et/Bv/Sjradiens sup terra^-jiq volans, est nostru. JtaqisteruT.
£ O N. 2> O 2G Printed by J% Grifmond for N a t h: B r o cr * s , it the
Angelm fcrnhill. CM D C L 1 1.
ififfffffffffffff^iflff
TO
All Ingenioufly Elaborate Stndents, In the moft Divine Myfteries of Hermetique Learning.
He Subject of 'thU enfuing Worke, h a Phifofo- phicall account of that Eminent Secret treafurd up in the bofime of Nature^ which hath been fought for o/Many, but found by a Few, notwithfianding, Experienced Antiquity hath afforded faithfulT (though not frequent) Difcoveries thereof, Pafi Ages have like Rivers conveied downe to us, (upon the float more light, and Sophifticali pieces of Learning • but Vohzt were Profound andMifterious,thewei£ht and folidity thereof* funke to the Bottome ; Whence every one ioho attempts to dive, cannot eajtly fetch them up: So, that what our Saviour [aid to hU Difciples, may (I hope withmt offence) bejpoken to the Eletled Sons of Put ; Unto youitisgiventoknowtheMyfteriesoftheKingdome of God; but to others in Parables, that feeing they might not fee, and hea- ring they might not underftand,
Our Engiifh Phiiofophers generally, (/#* Prophets^ have re- reived little honour (unleffe what hath beene privately paid them) in their owne Countrey 5 nor have they done any mighty Workes imongft us,except in covertly admimftring their Medicine to a few Sick, Whealing them. (For greater Experiments then What it per- formes inVhybckjhey never pnblikfly made $ew of.) Thus did I.O. (oneofthefirftfoureFdlowesofthe FratresR. C.) in curing the young Earle o/Norfolke, of the Leprofie • and Doctor B. in carry- ing off the virulency of the Small- pox, Wice,from QtJeen Elizabeth; infomnch that they never appeared. But in Parts abroad they have found more noble Reception, and the world greedy of obteyning their Workes ; nay father then want the fight thereof) contented to view
A i - them
xhtm through a Trarfhtitfn, though never fo imperfeft* Witneffe what Maietus, Hermannus, Combachius,Faber, and many others have done; the fir ft of Which came out of Germanic, to live in England \purpofely that he might fo under ft and our Englifh Tongue, 'astoTranflate Norton's Ordinal! /a/a Lrtmverfe, Which moftju- dicioujly and learnedly he did ; Tet (to our fhame be it spoken) hii Entertainement Was too too courfeforfo deferving a Scholler.
How great a blemifh is it then to m.that refufe to readefo Famous Authors in our Naturall Language,*^?///? Strangers art neceffitated% foReade them i»Oars, to under ft and them in their Own, Yet thinly the dignity of the -Subject, much more deferving^ then their Paines.
If this We do but ingenioufiy(fonftder% Wefhall judge it more that We lookf backjspon^ then negletl fuch pieces of Learning as are Natives of our owneCounttey, and by this Inquifition, finde «io' Nation hath Written more^ or better^ although at prefent (as weH through our owne Supinenefte, as the Decrees o/Fa^e/) few of their Workes can be found. JohnLeland tdoke very much paines, even at theyeilding up of the Ghoft,' oj [our Enghfh Learning, topreferve its htzR(but weakeft,'^/* almoft (pent) Breath; and from him John Bil^with John Vltts(who indeed is but Bale's Plagiary) bath left us a Catalogue of the Writers of this Nation, and that's mere all. Yet Fofterity for this u deeply obliged, What puni&ment then did their peftilent Malice deferve, Who rob'd us of their whole Workes ? ^ A Juditious Author jpeaking of the Diflblution of our Monafte- rks, faith thus : Many Manufcripts, guilty of no other fuperftiti. on then Red letters in the Front,were condemned to the Fire; and here a principall Key of Antiquity was loft to the great pre- judice of Vo&cnty. Indeed (fuch Was Learnings misfortune, at that great ter> a Mathematical! Diagram appear ed^ they Were fufficient to intitle the Booke to be Popifti or Diabolical'!.
Our Enghfh Nation hath ever beene happy for Learning and Learned men, and to illuftrats this, I hope it will not prove diftaft- full.
As firjl, the Diuydx (the famous andmyfterious Druyfe) that were Pnefb, Diviners, W Wife men ; and took their Original! and Nimcfrom Druys Sarronyus the fourth King of the Celts, (fly led Sapicncum & Augurum Dodor,; who dyed Armo Mundi.2069.
Next
T^ext the Bardi, who celebr&ted rfo Ilhiftrious Deeds o/Faraotis Men, which the] ingenioufly diffios *d in Heroique Verfe, and fang them to the fweete Melody of 'the Harpe : AmongU other Teftimo- nies hereof receive Chaucer V;
Ctje oiU gentl? "Bziittrng in fcer tmge# 4>f MfcerS abmttttes ftralten II wg,
7%*/* Philofophers had their ^amefrom Birdus Druydns./^ 5 King ofr^ GeltSj) Who was thefirfi Inventor o/Vufes,^ lerofius tells us ; W ^d An.Mundi 2138. Neither ofthefe Seels ^Philo- fophers fifed any writing {indeed it Was r>ot lawful! ; for,) fmh too* the Policy and Curiofity of Eider Ages ( to defend their Learning WMyfteries/w# the Injury of Ignorant Interpretations)^ they delivered them to Pofterity, by Tradition only.
Csefar teftifies, {and tis a noble Teftimony ) That the Learning of the Druydi, Vvat frfi invented in Britaine, iand thence transferred into France ; and that, in all his time , thofe of France came over hither to be Inftrufted. Agricola ( in Ticitm)preferrs the Britaines before the Students of France ( notmthflanding that they Vtere of a doable Wit, and *?t to T>arne) in that they were curious in attain' ing ^Eloquence of the Latin Tongue.
As /b-Magick, Pliny tells ns, ItpurifitfdmEttttotw, and that the People there werefo devoted to it (yea, with all Complements of Ceremony) a man would think that even the Peifian learned his Ma- pckthence.
nsf Germane Poet, fayesjhat when the World was troubled with PannonickInvafions,Erigtai3d^0m/Wz"« the knowledge of all gooi. Arts; and "too* able to fend of her Learned Men into other Countries^ to propoxate Learning ; and inflames Winifrid ( alias Boniface the Devonshire Man)and Wiilebroad(*k Northerne Man) that were fent into Germany.
Nay more, England was twice Schoole-Miftrisro France (for fo faith Peter Ramus ) viz. 'Firfiby the Druydse (^ho taught them their Difcipline) and afterwards by Aicunius,*» Charles the Great's ttmejhrottgh whofe perfwafions the Emperour founded the Univeritty of Paris. \ v
For the Saxons,** is not to be denied but that m^ny of them 9 after
A$ their
their converfon to Chriftianity, were exca '•- \lj I cafnetf , rf»^l £*« /ar* that, much addicled to Southfaying, Au^u , D* v'matio* by the Neighing 0/ Horfes, war* i« it then we ordinarily appr ehen £)n>hy they in Generall worfbip* ed fyttt\)®0 Q *. e. Dame Earth ] for a Goddeffe, W honoured Mercury above aU the Gods,*/ the Germanes , Whom they called JPoofcen, (hence 2O0T>cnfta» wW our ftftrtwefDag ? ; JV, they be- lieved that this rDame t^erfyttg Intermediated in Humane Affaires */»/ Relieved the Poore j *r£a/* Image was made Atmed,ftanding among $\ower$,having in its right hind a Starfe,W in it a Banner, whereinwas painted a Rofe ;In the other Hand a Ballance, and upon the Head thereof a Cock ; on the Breft a carved Beare , the Midle,* fixed Scutchion $ in Chiefe whereof was alfo a Ballance * in Face, a Lyon j oot>«i *&*/ efieemedhim as their God 0/ Battaile, reprefenting him by an Armed Man. Infomuch that wee to this very day retaine the Word 2&OCP& among us, te Signifie Fierce, Furious, Raging, [] *# When one is in a great Rage , we ufually fay he is 3#oofc «j ^ the Mercury of the Phifofophers is Jbaddowed under the fierce and terrible Names of LyonjBragonjPoyfonjeTr. But this is not All, although it be Some^ thing.
And rivw to come yet merer to our Selves ; we mufi needs fay that ©/Later Times (fince the Conqueft) our 'Ration hath produced fuch Famous and eminently learned Men, •the great efl Schollers of other Nations, and happy were We if now we could but partake ofthofe Legacies they left, and which Envy and Ignorance has defrauded us of: ( Howfoever the fmall remainder which is left, we have good reafon to prize,
#o?OBtoft>toe f tem aie?#en fatfto C omert) alls t%i& neS» C ojtie fro j?eate to pcatej 3to ont of oifce © ofec 0 in goofc fapttye Come^ aiie fti0£>c?encr,t$at #enUarc)
*
That England hath beene fucceffwely enrictid with fuch Men, . our (fountry men John Leland (and I never heard he was Partial!) abundantly Teftifies ; who avers, That Generally Wee have had a great number of excellent Wits and Writmjearned With the be ft as H'mcsfervedywhobejtdes their knowledge in the foure Tongues, in
which/
Prolegomena
which part of them excelled % there was no Liberal! Science or any Feate concerning Learning , in which thty have not fbeVocd cert aim s Arguments of great Felicity and Wit. And thus much for the Gene- rality of Learning,
Now for a Particular account, of the Jiermetique Science^ uch~ fafe ( Ingenious Reader,) to accept the enfuing Collections, yet not fa as if therein were contained all the Workes of our Englifh Her- metique Philofophers, ( for more are defign'din a Second Part /a fottoVeand comfleate this afuU Theatriam • the Mich GOD allow- ing me further Time and Trarqu&ey to run through it, at I have already this, I intend fhortly to m.ke ready for the Prefle.) Whereby
Jet more to manifeH what Men we have had, no leffe famous for thii inde of Philofophy, then for all other Commendable .Arts and Sciences.
To adde any thing to the praife thereof were but to hold a Candle before the Sonne ; or fhould I here deliver a full Account of the Mar- vellous Operations and ErTe&s thereof it would be as far beyond the limits of a Preface, as remote from the Beliefe of the generality of the World. 2for doe lexpetlthat aUmy Readers Should come with an Engagement, to believe what I here write , or that there was ever any fuch thing in rerum natura as what we c^APhilofophers Stones mil Iperftoade them to it, [though Imufitellthem I have not the vanity to publifb thefe Sacred and Serious Myftcries and Arcana, as Romances) tis enough that I knoW Incredulity is given to the world as a punifhment. Tet He tell them what one of our Ancient Poetkall Philofophers foyes,
%t ?oto Sotf tyfott ta mp &a$?, £>omettyng tfcetebp peto mat* fittfct, riE^at mag content pour mmfee % 31 Jtofll not tffoeare to mafce vote gzfce cxtocnc;, $ o } a 3&Jjilof o#>cr tetli finae, l> ere m to ence ®f tty Ctaty 5 ant to $®m t^at be Har> 3 fl«H not greats Wat tyes fe£*
/ia;*/? profeffe I know enough to hold my Tongue, but not enough f*Speake j and the no leffe Reall then Miraculous Fruits / have found in my diligent enquiry into thefe Arcana, had me in to fuch degrees of Admiration, they command Silence, and force metolofe
my
Prolegomena^ my Tongue. Yet, as me greatly offering «y Nati* e Countrey, avd thefatisfatlion of all Ingenious Artifts, I have publifhed (for their ufe) thefe enfmng CoHe&ed Antiquities $ and Jhallhere fay fimi* thing more then they /peak of
He who Jhall have the happinefe to meet with S. Dunftans Works De Occulta Phiiofophia, (a Books which E.G. A.I. made much ufe of and which flail chiefly back^ wkit here I am about to fay) may therein readefuch Stories as will make him amaz'd to thinkyehat ftupendious and Immenfe things are to bee performed by vert ue of fkPhilofophers Mercury, of which aT&c onely and no more.
sAndfrft, of the Mineral! Stone, the Which is wrought up to the degree onely that hath the poorer of Tranfmuting any Imperfect Earthy Matter into its utmoft degree o/Peifeclibn • that is, to con* vert the bafift of Metalls into perfect Gold and Silver 5 Flints into all manner o/Precious Stones ; \_as Rubies, Saphirs, Emeralds, and Diamonds, &c7\ and many more Experiments of the like nature* But as this is but a part , fo it is the haft Jhare of that Bleffing which may be acquired by the Philofophers lAt^ethjf the full vertue thereof Were knoWne. Gold I confeffe is a delicious Objcdi, 4 goodly Light, which rp* admire and gaze «/> but, as to make Gold ( faith an incomparable Authour) is the cheif- eft intent of the Alchimifts, fo was it fcarce any intent of the ancient Philofophers, and the low eft ufe the Adepti made of thus Materia.
For they being lovers o/Wifdome more then Worldly Wealth, drove at higher andmore Excellent Operations : And certainly He to Whom the Whole Courfe of Nature lyes open} njoycetbmtfi much that he can makf Gold and Silver, or the Diveiis to become Subject tohim.as that he fees the Heavens openy the Angells •/ God Afcenth ing and Defcending, and that hk o&n Home u f airily written in the Book of life.
Jfext , to come to the Vegitable,Magicall,^i Angelical! Stone*. the which have in them no part of the Minerall Stone ( Quatenus a Stone Fermented with Metalline ^Earthy Nature )for thy are marveloufly Subtile, and each of them differing i» Operation #af Nature, fccaufe Fitted and Fermented for fever all UffeQts and Surpofes. Dovhkfe Adam ( with ^Fathers before the$k>€4,
ami
Prolegomena. and f nee) Abraham, Mofes, WSolomor! , wrought many Won* ders by thm% yet the utmoft of their Vertues they never fully under- ftood;nor indeed any bat GOD the Maker of All things in Heaven and Earthjblefled for evermore.
For, by the Vegitable may be perfectly known the Nature o/Man, Beafts, Foules, Fifties, together %>ith all kinds of 'Trees , Plants, ¥lowet$}&c.and how to produce and make them Grow,Flourifh & beare Fruit ; how to encreafe them in Colour and Smell , and Men and where we pleafe, and all this not onely at an z;?/?4»*,Experimenti gratia, but Daily, Monethly, Yearly,** any Time, at any Seafon • yeayin the depth of Winter. And therefore not unlike, but the Wall- nut-Tree which \ anciently grew in Giaftenbury Church-yard, and never put forth Leaves before S.Bitnzbks Day , yet then woefully loaded Withithem, as alfo the Hawthorne there, fo greatly fam'dfor fhootingforth\jzviZ% and Flowers at Chriftmas, together With the Oake in New-Forreft in Hampshire that boregriene Leaves at the fame Seafon; may be fome Experiments made of the Vegitable Stone.
Be fiats the Mafculine part of it Which is wrought up to a Solar Quality, and through its exceeding Heat frUburne up and deftroy any Creature,Plant,^.7'to Which # Lunar & Feminine (if imme- diately appfyed) will mitigate it with its extreme Cold : and in like wanner the Lunar Quality benums and congeals any Animall, &c* mleffe it be prefently helped and refolved by that of the Sun $ For though they both are made out of 'one Natural Subftance;;** in Work: ing they have contrary Qpi\itics:nevertheleffe there isfuch a naturall Afiiftance between them, that what the one cannot doe^ the other both can, and will perform*
Nor are their inward Vertues more then their outward Beauties* for the Solar part is off* refplendent, tranfparent Luftre , that the Eye o/Man isfcarce able to indure it ; and if the Lunar part be ex- pos'd abroad in a dark Night, Birds will repatre to (and circulate about ) it%as a Fly round a Candle , and fubmit themfelves to the Captivity of the Hand ; And this invites mee to believe \ that the Stone which the ancient Hermet( being then iqoTears old) tooke out 0/ffe Wall *»&/* Cell, and (hewed Cornelius Gallus, Ann, 1602. was of 'the T^atUre of this Vegitable Stone : For, (upon the opening his Golden Box Wherein it Was inclofed ) it dilated its Beames all
B 'ever.
Prolegomena;
over the Roome^ and that with fo great Splendor , that it overcamo the Light that Was kindled therein ; Be fides the Hermet ref fifed to project it upon Metall (as being unworthy ofit)but made his Experi- ment upon Veronica and Rue.
By the Magicail or Profpedive Stone it is poffible to difcover any Perfon in what part of the WoM foever, although never fofecretly concealed or hid -in Chambers, Ciofets, or Cavernes of the Earth; For there it makes a JiriZlInqmCmon. In aWordyit fairely prejents to your view even the whole World, wherein to behold, heare , or tecyour Defire. Nay more, It enables Man ** underftand the Lan- guage of the Creatures, at the Chirping ©/Birds, Lowing */Beafts, &c. To Convey a Spirit into an Image, which by observing the Influence */HeavenJy Bodies,/MT become a true Oracle -, And jet tins as E.A.afuresjou, umtanywayesNecrom*nt\ct\\%orD&i* \i(h; but eafy ponderous eafy, Naturall WHoneft.