Section 11

And yet moreover I wyS your Hyghnes to pardon me^ For openly wyth pen I wyll it never wryt€, But when that ye lift by practice ye [hall ft* • By Mouth alfothis pretiom fecret moft of delyght^ Bow may be made Elixirs Red and Whyte, Playne unto your Byghnes it jball declared be, x^ind if it plea[e you with eafy expence and refpyte To help, I wyll them rhake by helpe of the Trinitie.
But
The Epiftle^ in
But notwyfhftanding fir perHl that might befall^ Though I dare not here plainly the knot nnhinde , Tet in my mitcing I wyS not be fo My ft ic all, But that ye may by ftudie the pknowleige finde : How that eche thing multiplicahle is in hys kinde, And that likenes of bodies Metalline be tranfmutabk I wjll deelare> that if ye feele me iuyour minde Tejhall prove my my ting true and noe fayned fable* '
And if Cod gr aunt you by me to wynnethys treafare^ Serve him devoutly with more Laud and thanking^ Praying his Godhead in lyfe ye may fo endure , His gifts of grace and fortune to ufe to his pleafmg^ ] Mo ft specially intending over aH thing, To yeur power and connyng his precepts tenne So to keep, that into no dmnger your felfeye bring 5 But that ye may in glorie fee him hereafter, Amen*
As the Philofopher in the boke of Meteors doth wryte, That the lykenefje of body es Metalline be not tranfmutabk \ But} after he added the is words of more delyte, Without they be reduced totheyr beginning materiable* Wherefore fuch bod es which in nature be liquable^ Miner all and Metuline may be LMercun^ate, Conceave ye may that this Scyence is not opinable, But very true by Raymond and others determynate.
In the faid Boke the Philofopher (peaketh alfoy Therein if it pleafe your Highnes for to reade^ Of divers Sulphurs, but ejpecially of two $ And of two Mcrcurycs fayned to them indede : Whereby he doth true underftanders leade To the knowledge of the principles which be true • Both Red moft pure, and White, as have I §edey Which be nevertheleffe foundtn Put of right few.
And
m The Epiftle.
And thefe two things he hep he addeth anom Tor them that worketh the Alchrmy to take, Our Gold' and our Silver therewith to make alone* Wherefore I fay, who will our Pea/le and Ruby make, The faid principles loote that he not for fake : For at the beginning if his principles be trewe, And that he can by crafte them fo bake • Trewly at the end his Worke pall him not rewe.
But one greate fecret ryght nedefull it is to knowe, That though the Philofophers (peake pluraHy, All is but one Thing, ye may me trim y In kinde, which is our Bafe principally,. Whereof doth firing both Whyte and Red naturally \ And yet the Whyte mufl come fyrjl of the Red z Which thyng is not wrought manually , But naturally, Graft helping oute of our Leade.
For all the parts of our mofl precious Stone? As I can pr eve, be Cocffentiall and concrete • Moreover there is no true principle but one • Full longe it was er I therwiih could mete : Who can reduce it, and kneweth his Heate, \^And only kinde with kinde can redrejfe, Till filth origina/l be clen fed from his Seat , Likely he istofnde our fecret s both more and leffe,
Onlie therefore worke Kynde, with his owne Kynde, And all jour Elements Ioyne that they not Hnve, This poynte alfoforany thing beare in mjnde ; That pafive natures ye t our ne into a5iive, Of Water, Fire, and Winde, ofErthe make blive 5 And of the Quadrangle make ye a Figure round > Then, have ye honie of our bene hive h One ounce well worth a thoufand pound.
The
The Epiftle; Hj
The prineipall fecrete of fecretes all Is true Proportion which may not he behinde, Wherein I counceU yow be not fuperfciall^ The true conclusion if ever ye thinke to fynde; Hume Erth to Water ; and Water into Wyndes Thenf wake Fin, and beware of the Floodc Of Noe9 wherein many one be blinde • That by this Science thei get but little good,
T cotmceU you to eate and drinke temper atly] And be well ware that Ipofarcha come not in place* jNefh not your Wombe by drinking ymmodtratly, Lett ye quench your naturaS fleatein lptle(pace$ The colour wyll tell appearing in your Face: Drinke no more therefore, then ye may me* Walke up anddowne after an eafie pace^ Chafe not your Fody too fore for to fweates
With eafy Fire after meving when ye fweatq Warme your Body and make itdry-againe^ By Rivers and Fountaines walke after meate .* K^dt morrowe tymely viftt the high Mountaine^ That Phificke/0 byddeth I reade certeyne : So hygh the Mount aine nevertheles ye mtafcende; But that ye may d&wnewardtht way have flainey And frith y our UanteU fyom caid ye yow- defend* * -
Such labour is holfome^your ftieat if ye wyll drip With a napkin, and after it take no cold^ Forgrofie humors be purged by Sweat kindly, life Diacamcron, then confeU with ptrfeB 'Gold Hermodaftilus for watrie humors good I holdy life Hipericon Perforate withmylke fl/Tuhimall; AndSpztmz Cetc ana with reddWyne whenyewaxold, AndGtfcsMyike foddtwithGoldneurifheth moifiure rsdicah
n^ TheEpiftle.
But a good Phifytian who fo intendeth to be, Our lower Aftronomy himnedeth well to kmwt And after that to lerne, well, Urine in aglajfe to fee ^ And if it nede to be chafed^ the Fyre to blowe, Then wyttily, it, by divers wayes to ibrowe, And after the caufe to make a Medicine blivey Truly telling the ynfirmities all on a rowe : Who thus can ho by his Phyftcke is like to thrive*
We have an Beauen y corruptible of the guintejfence, Ornate with Elements, Signes, Planetts^ and Starn bright + Which motflttb our Erthe by Suttile influence : And owt thereof a Secrete Sulphur e hid from fight, It fetteth by vertue of his attractive might-, Like as the Bee fetcheth Hony out of the Flown Which thing can doo none other Erthly wight ; Therefore to God only be glory and honour*
And like as Tfe to Water doth relent e^ Whereof congealed it was by violence of great e Cold, Whence Phebus it fmiteth with his Beate influent : Right fo to Water mynerall^ reduced is our Gold^ (As writeth playnly Albert, Raymond, and Arnold) With heate and moifture by craft occafionate^ With congelation of the Spyrite, Lo I now have I told Howe our materialls togeather muft be proportionate*
An the Dyers craft ye may lerne this Science, Beholding with Water how they deco5iiens make Uppon theyr Woad and Maddre eafyly and with patience, 7 ill the TinBures appear e which the C hath doth take Therein fo fixed that they wyll never for fake The Cloth for waging after they joynedbe^, Right fo our Tinffures with Water of our Lake We draw by boylmg with y^ifljes of Bermes tree.
which
r The Epiftle: ll$
Which TinUures when they by craft are made parfite, So dieth Kjifter the qualitie of the CMedycine Red or White $ That never away by eny Pire, will he brente: To this Example, if you take good tent Unto jour purpofe the rather jl) all ye wynne^ And fee your Fire be eafy and not fervent $ Where Nature did leave off\ what ty me look ye begynn.
Fir/l. Calcine, and after that Putrefye, Dyfjolve, Dyfttff, Sublyme, Defcende, and Fyxe, With Aquavite oft times^ both waft) and drie, And make a marriage the Body and Spirit betwixt $ Which thus togeather naturally if ye can myxe, In lofmge the Body the Water ft all congealed bee± Then frail the Body dy utterly of the Flixe, Bleeding and chaunging Colours as ye jhaU fee*
The third daye againe to Life he Jha/1 uprife, \jind devour Byrds, and Beafis of the Wildernes^ Crowes, Popingayes, Pyes, Pekocks^ and CMavies 5 the Phenix, the Egle whyte, the Griffon of fear f nines ^ The Greene Lyon and the Red Dragon he pall deftres* The white Dragon alfo, the Antlope9 Unicome P anther , With ether Byrds , and Beafis loth more and le(fe- The Bafilish alfo which aUmoB echo one doth feart.
In Bus and Nubi he fhall arife and afcend Up to the Moone, and fith up to the Sonne, Through the Ocean Sea, which round is without end: Only S hypped within a little glaf en Tonne, When he commeth thither y then is the CMaiftrie Wonnet Kjibout which Iourney greate goodjhdll.yenotfpend. And yet ye fhall be glad that ever it was begonne * ■ Patiently if ye UJle to tour worke attend*
&1 - *»
n6 The Epiftfe;
Toy then both Body and Spirit alfo both Oyle andWater, Sowle a^drTinSture one thing both White and Red, After Colours variable it contejnetb what fo men clatter $ Which alfo catted is when he hath once bene Dedd : And is revived Our Sulphurc, our Arfenicke, and our true Ca'Icevive * Our Sonne, our Moone, our Ferment of our Bread ; Our Toade, our Bafilisfce,w unknowne Body, our Man,'
{our Wife.
Our Body thus naturally by erafte when it is renovate Of the firft ordre is {Medicine catted in our Philefopby^ Which oftentimes mufi againe be Spiritualise : The rounde Whele turning of our fort faid Aftronomy : And fo to the Elixir of Spirit es nmfl ye come ^ for why Till the fame of the fixed by the fame of the flier be over- Elixir of Bodyes warned it is only 5 (g°n*
\yind this fecretepoynt truly deceaveth many one*
This naturatt procejfe by helpe of craft thus confummate Diffolvetb the Elixir (pirituatt in our untluous Humiditk Then in Balneo of Mary togeather let them be Circulate Like new Hon) or Oyle till they perfectly thicked be, Then mil that Medicine heale all manner Infirmitie, n And turne att Mettalls to Sonne & Moone moft perfectly: Thusjhallye have boihgreate Elixir, W AurumPotabile, By the grace and will ofGod7 to whom h lapd eternally.
The
Here folio we th tlie'Ti the fecrers of theTreati
rure conteynmg all ? both great bi fmall
Zokufoddardfculz/lt
Our hzaven- thisrFiaur-e caM&As u Our tcdde alfo oft/ife hnverJUronomy ^fiuhvnderjhod- thaurnmf nolmifie To make our Median- -par felly Ort It therefore Jet thy study And vnto Cjod botk night and day 'Tor gr act- andfoj\y Author jyray
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"7
Incipit Trologus.
Hyld of thys Dyffyplync incline to mc
(thyne Ere, And harkyn to my doftryne with all thy
(dylygencc 5 Thcs words of wyfdome in mynde doc Which of old Fathers be trew in fentence 5 (thou bare, Live dene in foule, to God doe none offence ; Exalt thee not but rather keepe thee Lowe, Ells wyll thy God in thee no Wyfdome fowc.~
Fro fayncd Do&ryne and wycked thought, The holy fpryt doth hym wythdraw? Nylling to dwell where Syn is wrought, ^ Dred God therefore and obay his Lawc, A ryghteous Man forfooke I never fawe : Nether hys feed begg bread for need, In holy Scryfture thus doe I rede.
Make Wyfdomc therefore thy>Sifter to be, And call on Prudence to be thy Frynd, By pathes of truth they wyll gydc thee, Wyth love and honcfty wher To thou wend: Both vertuofe to be, curteous and hend : Pray God therefore that thou may fyndc Wyfdomc and Prudence with mouth and mynde.'
R3 All
n8 TheTrologue.
All manner good cum wyth them fhall, And honcftic by ther hands innumerable, Then into combraunce ihallthou not fall; Soe be they in ryches Incomparable :: To worfhyp and profy t they wyll thee able, ; Td conyng and to all manner of grace, Both here and after thy lyvys fpace.
For thefe benefyts which they don bryng. In parte ynnumeryd by fapyence , To them I can compare no thyng 5 No rychys, no fpyces of redolence r Above all trefure fuch is ther exellence. That whatfoever erthly that precyous ys^ To them comparyd ys but as cley ywys.
Infynyte trcafure to Man they be, Who ufyth them (hall fryndihyp have With God in Heven, and there hym fe. After them vyvelyche therefor thou crave. For Body and Soule both wyll they favc 5 And herein Goods doth multiplye, And afore Prynces they dygnyfy,
Thynke how K^ddam loft hys wy fdome, Sampfon hys myght that was foe ftrong, Kyng Sauk alfo loft hys Kyngdome 5 And Vavyd was punnyfhed foare for hys wrongs In the Gake by the here fayre Abfolbn hong, Kyng B^eky by fyckneffe had punifliment, * And many one moe for fynne was ihent.
But
TheTrologue. n^
But fee how other that livyd well, And to their God did none offence, Such chaftyfment did never felc, But God fhewed ever to them benevolence* Enok and Ely were caryed hence, To Paradyfe, and other good livers were Of God rewarded in dyvers manner.
Sum had gret Fortune, fumgret Cunnynge, Sum had gret Peace, fum gret Ryches, Sum conquered Londs to ther wonyng ; Sum were exalted for ther gret mekenes , Sum other were faved fro the cruelncs Of Tyrants, Lyons, and hot Fornacys, As DanyeU and other in many places.
Thus to good Livers God fend gret grace. And unto Synners fore ponifhment 5. Sum to amend in thys lyfchad fpace, Sum fodenly with fyrc fro Heavyn were brent, Synfull Sodomyts for ever were (bent $ With Dathan and Abyran and other moe, Which fank for Syn to endles wo.
Thus ever fyth the World was wrought, God hath rewardyd both evyll and good5 Thus yf it mayc reft in thy thought , Fro fynfull livyng wyll chaung thy moode. Yf fynfull people thys underftood. They ought to be aferd God to offend, And foone ther fynfull lyfcs to amend.
Therefore
iia TheTrologwl
Therefore with God looke thou begyne; That he by grace may dwell with thee. So fhall thou beft to Wyfdbm wyn, And knowledge of our grete prevyte; Noryfti Vermes, and Vices looke thou fl£e> And truftyng thou wyk thee well difpofe, Gur fecrets to thee I wyll dyfclofe.
" Keep thou them fccret and for me pray, Looke that you ufe them to Gods pleafurc5 Do good wyth them what ever thou may, For tyme thou fhalt thys lyfc endure, That after thy endyng thou may be fure In Hevyn for to rewardyd be, Whych God graunt both to thee and meJ,
Mi
7 he Treface.
Hygh Yncomprehcnfyble and gloryous
(Magefte, Whofe Luminos Bemes obtundyth our
Speculation 5 One-hode in Subftancc, O Tryne hode
(inDcite,
Of Hierarchycall Jubyleftes the gratulant glory fycation5 O pytcwoufe puryfyer of Soulcs and pucr perpetuation 5 O deviaunt fro danger, O drawer moft deboncrv Fro thys envyos valey of vanyte, O our Exaltcr.
O Power, O Wyfdoin, O Goodnes inexplycable 5 Support me, Tech me, and be my Governourr That never my lyvyng be to theedyfplycable, But that I aquyteme to thee as a trew profeflbr: Att thys begynnyng good Lord here my prayer 5 Be nygh with Grace for to enforce my wyll> Graunt well that I may my entent fulfylL
Moft curyofe Coffer and copyofc of all trefure Thou art, fro whom all goodnes doth deflend, (To Man} and alfo to every-cch Creature-, Thy ne Handy- warke therefore vouchfafe to defend, That we no tyme in ly vying here myfpend, With truth thou graunt us our lyvelode to wyn That in no daunger of Synfulncs ivc renne.
6 S And
yl% The Treface.
And for foe much as wc have for thy fake Renowncyd the World, our Wylls,and the Flefliys Luft, As thyne owne wylfull profcfiTyors us take5 Syth in thee only dependyth all our truft, We can no ferther, to thee enclyne we muft : Thy fecrct Treforars, vouchfaf* to make us, Show us thy Secrets, and to us be bounteous.
Among other which be profefTyd to thee I meprefent,asone wyth humble Submyfifyon, Thy Servant befechyng that I may bee3 Ana trew in levyngaeording to my profefTyon : In order Chanon reguler of Brydlyngton % Befechyng the Lord that thou wylt me fpare, To thy trew Scrvaunts thy fecretts to declare.
In the begynnyngwhen thou madyft all of nought, A globofe Mater and darfce under confufyon, By thee Begynner merveloufly was wrought, Conteynyng naturally all thyngs withoute dy vyfyon, Of whych thou madyft in fix Dayes dere dyftyn&ion 5 As Genefys apertly doth rccorde Then Heavyn and Erth pcrfey tyd were wyth thy word.
So thorowthy Wyll and Power owte of one Mafe Confufyd was made all thyngs that being ys- But yn thy glory afore as maker thou w$s, ' Now ys and (hall be wythout end I wy$: And puryfyed Sowls upp to thy blys Shall come a pryncyple, thys may be one, For the dedaryng of our Stone.
For
The Treface. 123
For as of one Mafe was made all thyng, Ryght foe muft hyt in our pra&yfe be, All our fecrets of one Image muft fpryng: In Phylofophers Bokes therefore who luft to fc, Our Stone ys callyd the kjfe World one and three, Magnefm alfo of Snlphure and CMercuryy Propotionat by Nature moft perfytly* '
But 'many one mervcly th whych mervel may, And mufe on fuch a mervelous thyng, What ys our Stone fyth Phylofophers doth fay, To fuch as ever be hyt fechyng : Yet Fowles and Fyihys to us dotfiyt bryng, Every-cch Manyt hath, and ys in everyplace, In thee, in me, in every tymcand fpacc.
To fchys I anfwer, that Mercury itys I wys But not the comyn callyd Quickfylver by name, But Mercury withoute whych nothyng beyng ys ; All true Phyhfophers record and fay the fame: But fymple ferchers puttyth them in blame, Saying they hyd hyt, but, they beblame worthy 5 Which be no Ckrks^ and mcdlyth with Phylofophy.