Section 17

X Be thow in a place fecret by thy fetfe alone, (done.
That noe man fee or here what thow fchalt fay or
2. Yet ere thow begyn to rede much, take thow good hede, Wyth whom thow tep ft company I councell thee indede; Truft not thy freind too much, wherefoere thow goe, For he that thow trufteft beft fometyme may be thye Foe.
5. And take hede to the words of the Fader of Wyfdom9 How he techeth bys Sonne how he fchould done y To kepe hys preftpts of bodety governance And wyefc hys Conynghe wyll the gretly advance.
4. And yf thow wylt not to hys wordy* ta&e hede, ThowTchalt ftand here oft in gret feare and dred. For he that hath a fore wy tt he nedes not do amyfle. And he that doth Folly the Folly fcnalbe hys.
5. Now my dere Senne be thow not a know To Lerned nor to Leud, to Hygh nor to Low 1. Ney ther to Young nor Old, Rych nor Poore, Unto them thow tech nothyng my Lore.
6. Alfo
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6. Alfo to fcnche men chat hold therafelves wyfe, And fo forth to the foolys that glyde on the Ice ; They weene in grete Bokes fchould be the Art
Of the Science of Alchemy Jmt they -be not worth a fart.
7. Therefor my Sonn to thee thys Science I may well teach, And yf chow wylt upon thy enemy be wreach ;
Or to purchafe or build any good thyng, It fchalbe to thy gret furtheryng,
8. Thys worthy Scyence of Alchemy if thow wy It it leare, A lyttle morry ouc of thy purfe thow muft forbeare j
To buy therewyth Flos Flornm it is moftworthieft, And to build well her Cabyn and her Neft.
p. And if thow put out mony for any other thing, It is co thy iolTe j and to thy great hindring : Except yt be for thy workes naturall Foode, Which is had out of Stone, Ayre and Wood.
io. And if thow have all thyngs wythin the growing, Then thow needed not to buy any manner of thing, That fchould be to thys Science belonging, But beware of thy felfe for feare of hanging.
ix. For then thow and thys Scjence were forever loft, If thow make thereof any manner of boaft, To any Man or Woman, Old or Young, Beware of thy felfe for feare of difcovering.
1 2. For if thow make any man privie Of thy Councell, Rich or Needy,
Thow muft fo beware Sleeping or Waking, For once ymagining of Money making.
1 3. For yf God fends thee grace and underftanding, Wyth thys Scjence thow may ft have good Jyving : But beware of fpeach of Women liberall,
And of the voice and fight of Children general!.
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ip
14. Sonn in thyne ownehowfe thow maift well gett A g°°d Morfell of meat thy mouth to fweet,
Both Pheafant, Partridge, Plover and Leveret, Though thow cry yc notowte in the common Market.
1 5 . Therefore kepe clofe of thy Tongue and of thy Hand, From the Officers and Governours of the Land ;
And from other men that they of thy Craft nothing know, For in wytnes thereof they wyil thee hang and draw.
16. And thereof the People will the at Scffions indight, And great Treafon againft the they wyll write? Wythowt that the Kings grace be to thee more,
Thow fchalt for ever in thys world be forlore.
17. Alfoe wythowt thow be lure of another thyng, To purchafe the Lycence of thy King ;
For all manner of doubts thee fchall betide,
The better thow maifte Worke3 and both goe and ride.
1 8. Alfo another thing I fchall thee Jere, The poore People take thow nothing deare, But ever ferve thy God aiway at the begynnyng,
And among the poore People thebetter fchalbe thy livyng.
19. Now my ChyUe to my precepts looke thow take hede; Whatfoever fair after the better fchall thow fpede.
Better it ys to have a thyng, then for it to wifti,
For when thow feelft a Sore tis hard for thee to get a Leech.
20. Now g^y deare^fcw to the I wyll declare, More of thys Warke which fchalbe thy weifaire ; If thow canft confider all my fayings,
For therewyth thow mayeft finde a full precious thing.
2 1. And Son though thys Writing be made in Ryme, Vet take thow thereat noe greate difdaine.
Till thow hail proved my words in deede and in the ught, 3 watt it well it fchalbe fee at nought.
22. There-
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22. Therefor of all Bodyes and Spyrits more or lefle, Mercury is called Fhs Florum and worthieft Pryncefle : For her Birth and marvelous dealing, Sche ys moft worthieft to have byne King.
'23. For fche ys Erth and Water moft hevieft, And fche will conjoyne wyth Fire and Aire moft lyghteft ; And fo forth wyth her love fche will run and flee, For fche delighteth noc other game or glee.
»24« Some fay that of Sulphur and Mercury all Bodyes minerall Ingendered in the Erth with divers Colours cladd : (are made, By the vertue of Decoccion before Preperacion, To the lykenes of every body Mynerall in ther faftnon.
25.I will firft begin wyth Saturne after other mens fayings, How he ys ingendered in the Erth wyth unclene Mercury flying : And of Mercury he ys moft hevieft wyth black Sulphury Erth Save he ys foft of fufion, and hys Sulphur nothing fixed, (mixed,
261 Iupiter is a whyte Body made of pure Mercury outward, And ofclere Sulphur fomewhat Erthly and white inward ; He ys in kynde fofteft and well in his fixation, For he is almoft ftV, but he iacketh Decoclion.
27. Marsys a white Body moft of unclene £ in the Erth y'made, And he ys hardcft of fufion with Sulphur Erthly cladd $ To blacknes and rednes he will fooneft confume, By heate or by corrofivc when the Spirit beginneth to fume.
28.iSVis the pureftfomwhit red}& is made of dene £ & Sulphur . Ingendered with clere red Sulphur, in the Erth well mixed, (H%cd9 And therefor he ys without defalt and Iacketh no degree ; For he ys almoft hardcft of Fufion and hevieft in ponderosity.
29. Venus ys a Body more red of pure £ made in hys fubftance, ; Moft of red Sulphur and greene and therein is greate variance ; In the Erth ingendered with Corrofive and bitter fubftance, Well fixed and hard of fufion, rude in governance.
D d 3 30. Mercury
jpg 'Pater SapientU.
30. Mercury ys a Body if he be with a Subflance moved, Mixing one kinde with his kinde, fo fchall he be loved ; One Spirit received wyth another, the which of them be maine, Is caufe of ingeneration of every body Mettalyne.
$i.Ltt*a ys a pure white Body of dene Mercury & Sulphur white And fche is a litle hard of fufion & aimoft well fixed, (ingendered And fche is next cleaned m Tincture of whitenes, Of Ponderosity light, oflupiter bearing his whitenes.
32. And foe after the Colour of that Erth ys Sulphuri and re- Some men do fay ys engendered every Mettal I • (ceptuall,
But my Son the perfect worke of thys alteration, I fchall informe the tins way of another faftiion.
3 3. Now have I declared the working of the Bodies Mynerall, Whereof they be ingendered after other mens fayings over all ; And as in place of the Erth one Body was fully wrought, Soe muft the artificiall Medicine, be or elfe it ys nought.
34. Now will I declare the worthines of Mercury in fpeciall How fche ys the notableft Spirit that y s mynerall, Mod marvelous in working and in degree, Sche ys called the Matter principalleft of the three*
3 5 . Alfo fche ys very fubtile in many things artificial/, Sche will both give and take Tin&ure mod fpeciall, . To hym or of hym that fche loveth moft beft, In fpeciall when fche ys warmed in her Neft. £
36*. My Son Mercury ys called the mightieft Flosflorum^ And moft royal 1, and richeft of all Singulorum ; Sche ys very Patron and Princes moft royall, And fche ys very Mother of every Mettall.
37. Sche ys Vegitable, Animalle and Mineral !, Sche ys Foure in kinde, and One in generall.; Sche ys Erth, Aire, Water and Fyre, Among all otha: fche hath no Pecre,
f 38.Sch«
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38. Schekylleth and fhyeth, and alfo doth calrine, Sche dyeth, and alfo doth fche live againe ;
Schc giveth lyfe and alfo ingreflion, For joyntly fche ys three in one.
39. Sche ys a very frendly mixar, The progeneration of a greate Eltxaf : Sche ys both Body Soule and Spirite, In Colour very red, black and white.
40. Many be the wooers that hang on her tayle, But fche will not with them I'deale;
They would her wtdd againft her will, With foemen that liken her full ill.
41. Sche will deale with no manner of wight, But with her Husband as it ys greate right ; With him fche will beare much fruite,
For he ys by nature of her felfe fame fute.
42. My Son of hem Fooles have much difpight, And therin fuch Foeks loofe their light :
For fometymes he ys darke, and fometymes bright, For he ys lyke no other wight.
43. For if they have their kynde ingenderingr Their natural) foode and good keeping,
They fchall increafe frute by dene, Very red and white, King and Qneem,
44. My Son in thys Scjtncel doe deny, All things that be difcording truly,
All manner of Salts I doe defie,
And all manner of Sulphurs in waters of Corrofie.
45 . Alfo Alloome, Vitrial 1> Auripigmefttucn and Hairey Gold, Silver, Alkaly and Sandiver ;
Honey, Wax, and Oyles or Calxelfey
Gumms, Galls, and alfo Egg (hells,
4^1 Alfo
200 Tater Sapientia.
46. Alfo I defie Antimony, Berrall, and Chriftall, Rofin, Pitch, alfo Amber, Jetc and Corral! • Hearbs, Dated Stones, Marble, orTinglas,
If there come any of all thefe it ys the worfe.
47. Alfo BerrillsvGotts Homes, and Alomeplome, Good with them will none be done ;
All things chat difcordeth from Mettall, It ys contrary to thys worke in generall.
48. My Son many fooles to me have fought, But they and I accord right nought ;
I leave them there as I them finde, And as Fooles I make them blinde.
49. For whych Mercury they have errd full fore And then when they had they could doe no more, Therefor in Pkyhfopkers fche bear'th the floower, For fche ys King, Prince, and Emperour.
50. Yet my deare Son be thow not a knowne To Learned, nor to Lcwde, to High, nor to Low ; That thys worke ftandeth by Mercury and in her fire, Her owne fpeciall Love both life and deare.
5 1 . For he ys her Son, fche ys hys Fright, In whome fche worketh all her myght : He ys her Son, fche ys hys Mother,
Sche loveth him peramore and no other.
$ 2. In Sol, and Lune, in her meeting ys all love, For of Mercury only ys all her behove, And with them fche worketh all her might, Bnt they may never increafe on fright.
% 3. Therefor it ys poffible to call: a Projection pure, Upon a Million to make a perfect Body of tincture : Wyth Medicine of Spirits well joyned and fixed* It fchall not be perceived where it ys well mixed,
54- And
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54. And therefor if there com Silver or Gold in at thy Gate, The which men ufe in Aoyne or in common Plate; I fwea^e by God that all thys world hath wrought, All thy labour and warke fchall turne to nought.
55. For with what Mettall foever that Mercury be joyned, Becaufe of her Coldnes and Moiftnes fche ys acioyd :
Put them never fo clofe togeder fche will fume anon, And when they come into the fire fche wil fone be gone*
56. Therefore Mercury hath a Lover that pafleth them A thousandfold, who fo will him ken
And he ys her Lover and her Leman fweete, And fo hys Counccll fche ' will keepe.
57. Both in hys Chamber and alfo in hys Bedd, Alfo alive and when they byne dead ; Seekeyee forth fooles as behave fought,
For in all other things finde yee right nought.
58. Now my deare Son to thee I will indight,
The* truth in word and deede Lwill write : i
How that a precious Stone ftialbe made, Thee to rejoyce and make thee full glad.
. 59. As I faid in the 3 2. Chapter unto my Concludon, How I fchould informe the truth after another fafliion, And to performe thys Scyence both in word and deede, In making of our Medicine God muft us^peede.
60. The which ys called the greate Elixer, And ys verily made with a ftronge mixar ; The which is a Stone very Minerall, And thow maift him well gett ever all.
tfi.-My Son thow fchalt take to Mercury no other thing, But Erth that's heavy and hard and ftiffftanding; The which in himfelfe ys derke bright dry and cold, To joyne them togeder thow maift be full bold.
Ee 6u One
202, 'Pater Sapientitf.
6i.0cit of them to 10 parts of that Water running moft heavieft And they fchalbe both one, and to thy warke moft mightieft: Then haft thow Man and Woman togeder brought, The which ys done by greate love in a thought,
6$, The which two be both Spirits, & one Body moft heavieft, When they be in your Chamber and bed joyned in the Element The which ys more bigger, and bigger hott and dry, (Hghteft, And therein they will both kifs togeder & neither weepe nor cry.
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64. For when Erth and Water ys well mixed,
By the vertue of the lighted Element well hardned and fixed r For before that time they be Water running both, And then fchall turne to fix body be they never fo loath.
65. For in they r bed they fchall make a perpetuall Conjunction* After the feeding of the light Element and of their proportion ; Soe fchould they be deco'ft, having the parfeit fixafcion,
In the likenes of a body in fufion having hysfaihion.
66. But at the firft in their Bed they may indure no greate heate, Soe as they may well labour in their Bed for fweate :
Att the firft if there be in their Chamber overmuch red Colour, Haftily going thereto will ca,ufe greate Dolour.
67. For in their firft Neft they fcho&ld be both water running, And becaufe of heate they fchould be ever drying.
And fo therein become a fubtill dry Subftance, The which warke fchall thee greatefy avaunce.
68. Therefor their Neft muftbemadeof aftrongkinde,
Of the moft hardeft and cleereft Body, that they not out windc • For if it fo be that their Chamber or Neft begin to breake, Anon out thereof they will begin to Creake.
69. And then ys all thy warke and thy greate labour loft, Then thou maift begin againe upon a new coft,
And fo thow mayft not be negligent and hafty, but of the bed be Without it be hard ftoffand cleere it will not induce, (fure,
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70. And if thow wil at the firft hand give fuddaineheate, Ic will unto thy Warke be nothing meete ;
And if thow let him have any fuidaine greate Cold, All thys fchall breke thy warke, then art thow to bold.
71. Let their Neft be fomewhat large with a broade roufe. And therein they fchall abide if it be ftrong and clofe above ; And in proportion put thereto nothing more nor lefle,
But as ys fayd before if thow doe y t ys the worfe.
72. Alfo froifcthe beds headthere muft rife a highe Spoute, And another almoft downe to the bottome that the Spirit go not For thou muft fave the flyers that fwim into the upper place, (out; For they may hereafter ingender a body as well as the other in
(fpace.
73. Alfo be fare that thow put in their Bed no other thing, Then thereof jthow fchalt have no greate winnyng,
If thow do thys it fchall be to thee for the beft
To keepe them clofe from flying and warme in their Neft.
74. Firft with foft fyre her Neft muft be warmed, With a litie bigger Fyre with overmuch they fchalbe harmed, Under thy Chamber flowre meafure thy Fyre with tyme^ Then commeth the reward, Sold and Silver fine.
75. After the quantity fpace and tyme muft be had, For to deale togeder they be in their dealing glad. And how long fpace and tyme I cannot well fay, That they in their Chamber and Neft wilbe in fport and play.
76. Behold the uppermoft of their Neft what there commeth The fweting of their Bodys labouring round aboute, (out, And when they have played and fweate and laboured fo fore. They wilbe ftill, and neither labour nor fweate any more.
77. Then let them coole eafily, and draw their breath, And then there fchalbe fome above and fome beneath : There thou fchalt fee a Stone as it were grey pouthcr, Which fchalbe to the a ryght greate wonder.
E e 2 78. And
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xoi- Tater Sapentia.
78. Then take them out of their Chamber and Bed anon, And lay them upon a Marble (lone and breake them thereon 1 And looke what thow haft in of Colour and Ponderofity, Pat to him as much ofFlosflomm gteateft in dignity,