Section 29

And
and Thilofophy. qj
And as I gazed thus upon that (trange and dreadful! fight, I faw how that Sxpsrisnce did teach thefe Ladies right,
The (even Artes Divine,
With defent difcipline, By divers rules and orders grave, As ihe thought good for them to have. But for to fee how diligent And buifily their t;me they fpent To learne thofe Artes raoft excellent, The endleflfe travells that they tooke From place to place, from booke to booke, Amazed meon them to looke.
For fome in divers Languages did reafon and difpute, And other fome did ting and play on Organ,Harpe and Flute • And fome with Compaffe found All Meaftires fquare and round ;
And fome by Cyphering could tell
Infinite Summes and Numbers well i
And fome with Eloquence began
As Poets and Orators to fcan
The Caufes betweene Man and Man :
And fome upon the Stars did gaze,
And other fome fat in a Maze,
To judge of Seacrets that there was.
Soe that nothing created was under the Firmament, That hath a Being or Life by any Element,
No Simple nor Compound In all the World is found Under the Sky, or Clouds that fly, But they fought out the privity : This Rocky Earth, this heavy Mafle, This Art;cKe Virgin, this let not paife To feeke the thing that therein was : But put themfelves in prefife to creeps Into the Center of the Deepe,* Where fundry Souks and Spirits doe fleepe,
Yy This
^8 Experience
This thing Experience gan prudently to debate, (ftate.
With cheerefuil looke and voycefall mylde, is fcemed to her, And foone decreed (he
Of her benignity : Not for their fundry paines I take, But only for her Glory fake, That all thefe Lidies in a row Should further of her Secrets know, That from her Majcfty did grow ; Wherewith to Counccll called (hee A Lady grave of greate degree, -
That named was 'Philofephr,
And after their difcourfe and talke, that Lady fell downe flatt On hands & knees before the gueene in heaven where (he fatt. And looking upon her face Did fay unto her grace : Blefled be thou Experience, Full mighty is thy Influence 5 Thy wondrous workes records full well In wordell of word-els where thou doeft dwell. In Earth,in Heaven, and in Hell j That thou art now the very fame, That of Nothing All things did frame, Wherefore now blefled be thy Name,
Wherewith the Heavens opened, and fiery flames did fall Downe from the Throne of endles Joy and feate imperial!, Where Angels infinite Like glittering Starrs did fitt : So pure and (imple was the Light, As all the World had burnt bright ; The flames and floods began to roare, And did prefent their hidden (lore, Of Spirits that fing for evermore, All glory and magnificence, All humble thankes and reverence Be given to EXPSRieNCS,
- " Then
and Thilofophy. 210
Then fylence fell upon the face of Heaven Chriftalfine Where all the Powers muttered full ready ro encline ; To that mod Sapient, The high Omnipotent ;
That faid bt it, and it was don,
Our Earth, our Heaven were begun ;
I am faid it the moft of might,
In worde in lyfe and eke in light.
I am Mercy and Jijgment right,
The Depth is myne fo is th Hight :
The Cold, the Hot, the Moyft, the Dry,
Where All in All is there am I.
What thing can tell when I began,or when Iraake in end.* Wherewith I wrought, and what I mought, or what I did intend* To doe when I had done Theworke I had begun.
For when my Being was alone
One thing I made when there was none,
A Made confuted darkely clad
That in it felfe all Nature had
To form and (hape the good and bad;
And then as Tyme began to fall,
It pleafed me the fame to call
Ihcfirft Urfatter, Mother of all.
And from that Lumpe divided t foure fundry Elements 9 Whom I commanded for to raigne in divers Regiment!: In Kinde they did agree, But not in Quality. Whofefimple Subftanceldidtake, My feate invtfiblc to make : And of the Qualites compound, I made the Starry Sky fo round With living Bodyes on the ground 5 And blefied them infinitely, With lyfe and long profperity, And bad them grow and Multiply.
Yy2 Re-
3
Refpeftiog thefe divided things fo created by me, Their light and lively fpreading forth of them in their degree 5 Retourning to the Maffc, Where there begining was,
And fa w the refufe of the fame,
HowVoydand Empty it became,
All darke,and nothing to remaine,
I put with wrath and greate difdaine,
My only Curfe there for to raygne ;
For I the Author of all Light
Did banifh Darknes from my fight,
And blefled all things that (hined bright,
So that I mard nothing I made, for that I made is ftilf, And fo flulbe unto the end, on!y to worke my wiH a One thing wasfirftimployd, And (hall not be deftroid,
It compafleth the World fo round,
A Matter eafy to be found :
And yet moft hardeft to come by:
A Secret of Secrets pardye,
That is moft vile and leaft fet by,
And it my Love and my Darling ,
Conceived with all living thing,
And travells to the Worlds ending.
What neede have I of mans Devife ofPeny or of Pound, Of Gold or Silver, Lead or Tynn, or Copper in the ground^ Iron or Silver Quick, Whereat Jthe blind do prick •
Of Cankered Corofives that ruft,
By Salts and fulphurs all to duft I
Seeke out therefore my darling deare 5
For unto me it is moft neere ,
My fpoufe my Love and my Compeare;
And unto it looke thou direct
My feaven Children long elefl,
That all things elfe they might reje&
and Thilojoyhy. 34.1
A Child begetting his owne Father, and bearing his Mother, Killing hirafelfe to giye lyfe, and light to all other: Is yt that; I do meane, Moft myld and moft extreame.
Did not the Word that dwelt in me
Take forme and walked vifibly ;
And did not I then dwell in it,
That dwelt in me for to unite
Three powers in one feate to fit ?
And then Experience did fay
Now knoweft thou all, heere lyes the Key,
And then (he vaniflit deane away.
There with arofe Thylofophy as one filled with grace* Whofe looks did (hew that (he had bync in forae Heavenly place.- For oft (he wipt her Eyes, And oft (he bowd her knees.
And oft (he kift the Steps with dread,
Whereon Experience did tread •
And oft (he caft her Head on high
And oft full low (he caft her Eye
Experience for to efpy :
But when (he faw that (he was gon,
And that her felfe was left alone:
I never hread thing make fuch mone,
F l^CJS.
H1
the MAgi sre
THrough want of Skill and Reafons light CMen {tumble at Noone day • Whilft buifily our Stone they fcekc, That lyethinthewsy.
Who thus do feeke they know not what
Is't likely they ihould/Wt£ Or hitt the Marke whereat they ayme
Better then can the Blinde*
No, Hermes Sonns for Wijdome aske \
Your foetefteps fliecle direct : Shee'le Natures way^ndfecret Cave
And Tree oflyfe deteft.
Son and Moone in Hermes veffell
Lcarne how the Collours fhew , jf
The »
And how the Ztaz/kj grow.
Greate Python how Af polio flew,
Cadmus his hollow -Oake : His »«? r*// */- *rw*^ and /
The Fiery Steeres did yoke.
The Eagle which aloft doth fly
See that thou bring to ground $ And give unto the Snake fome wings ^
Which in the Earth is found.
Then
TbeMagiflerj. 34.3
Then in ineRoomefoxc binde them both,
To fight tili they be deads And that a Prince of Kingdomes three
Of both them fhalbe bred.
Which from the Cradle to his Crowne,
Is fed with his owne blood • And though to fome it feemeth ftrange,
He hath no other Foode.
Into his Virgin- Mothers wombc,
Againe he enter muft 5 Soc fhall the King by his new-byrtb,
Be ten times ftronger juft.
And able is his foes to foile,
The dead he will revive : Oh happy man that under/lands
This ^Medicen toatchive !
Hoc opus exigium nobis fert ire per ahum. December, 1633.
344
ifill
ANONYM*
OR,
SEVE%ALL WO %^ES OF
unknowne
Owl fchall her be gy nne, \
To techc the a Conchmon 5 In the name of the Trenete Send us grace that well hit be 5 NowtakctwoOncesas mych of anoder^ And dyflblve on ther with the coder, Y tel the trowthe as ray broder,
Put in to a Glas wyth owtten oder :
Than tafce three Onces of the bytter,
And meng hym with* the fwetter5
And put them than into a Glas,
Even right as the toder was:
Than take a unc of thebeft,
And do with hym as thou didft erft,
In a Glas than thou him put,
And loke thy mowth be wel I fliut 5
Now thow haft here GlafTesthre,
Evenlyke unto theTrynete,
Than hem ftop thefe everyehon,
Even a fute as thow haft on :
About thy Glaffes a wal thow make,
Laft the wynde ham al to crake.
Than
Anonymu ft$
Than thy Glaffys now all I thre,
With yn that grave they fchal be 5
Now thys I fed with moyfty hetc,
To make that Glaffys fwynkc and fwete,
Then let hem ftonde thus weky s thre *
And wel the beter they fchal be.
Than put hem all now into on,
The wich ys lyke than be a ftonc5
Than let hem ftonde fo theryn,
Whan thou haft made thy Conjun&ion :
Tyl fevyn dayes be al I don,
Much the better woll be thy Ston 5
Than upon thy Glas thow fett
A fayre heed and wel I mettc,
Draw up thy water with efy fyre ,
Within a Rotunde good and cler,
Tyl thi Mater wol ftyl no mer,
Than fet thow hem in dry Fyr,
Than fc thow ftyl with reafonabyl hetc,
Tyl thy Mater wol no more lete.
Whan he ys ther both good and dry,
Ful f ayne wolde he than be moyfty %
Than wey that Stone within the Glas,
And put hym hys Lecur has it was 5
Now whan thys fryft drawte ys don,
Thow rauft Embybc with good proporciun :
Now lookc thow wel what y s hys whyght,
And wy th the fourth part than hym dyght ,
And evermore wyth partysfowr,
Now tyl he be of Whyte colowr %
And thus loke thow make good wache,
Tyl the Body thy Spirit can cache 5
And alfo thy Sowle fo muft he,
Than underftand thow haft thre.
Zz Now
3
Now fchyt thy Glas as hy t was cr,
And vvorke hyc forthe on thys maner $ Whan tho thre to gedur ben knyte, With moch joy than thow mayft fitte. For than art thou ricchar than the Kingr But he have the fame thyng. Thus is alle thy Medcyn wroght, Evyn after thin owne thoght ; How thys Medcyn thow fchalt encres, And make hyt mor tyll thow lyft fees 5 The trowth I fchall now the certefie How thow fchalt hyt thus Multyply t Loke as thow did thy Werke befewy Encres hit forth with mor and mor t As thow did at the begynnyng, So contihu forth to the endyng : Thus for foth infyny tely Thou mayft this craft forth Multiply : Lyke as a man hath lytil Fyr, And mor to make ys hys defyr 5 He be hovyth this ys no nay, More Wode or Cole ther to lay : And thus he may hys Fyr encres, That he fchall never be fyrclcs. One the fame wife thou underftande, Ever thy Medcyn muft be growande* And whan the lyft Projecciun make,' Loke to this leffbn good tent thou take % Whan thy Medcyn is very parfit , Thow fchalt hym caft on hys lyke- A Is evyn than as thow can gefc 5 On part on Ten lookc thow not melFc, The trowthe yf thow wil wete, Than y s thy Lexer evyn complete 5
And
Anonyrni. ^y
And than of that On part thow take,
The trew Projection thus fchaltthpw make $
Caft that on Ten of Tyn or Lccde ,
Or Coper or MercujryAher in that fteedc,
Into fine Lunhit fchalbcbrdght y-
Or into Sol evyn after thlthqght:
After that thy Lexer ys,r
Be hit White or Rede I vyy s,
If thow hit caft orvlrei^afto, ;
If it fchal be Lun opSM ifher ta :
Thys ar the Secrets of Mjlefyhit,
I counccl the keepe hit fecretlye %
And ferve thy God both^gfitand day,
The better thou teltlpcede^ihysys no nay.
Now I have taught the how thow fchalt do,
The Wys of hevyn God bryng hus to.
Zz% H"
Anonymi.
-K
ERysanErbe men calls Lmayrie, Iblefletmowtehys maker bee. Afterion he y s, I callet alle fo, And other namys many and mo 5 He y s an Erbe of grete myght, Of Sol the Sunn he taketh hys lyght, He y s the Fader, to Croppe and Rote • Wyth fragrant Flowris that ben fote, Flowrys to bere in that ftcde, Swm benWhyte, and fwm ben Red : Hys Lewys grwy th, both day and nyght3 Lykc to the Ferment that ys fo bright : I fhall declare, thy s Erbe fo lyght, To many a man hyt ys a fayre feyght 5 Frift at the Rote I wolle be gynne, That cawfythalle thingfor to fprynge -,
Ananymu. 34-9
A growyth a pon a Mowntayne bry m3
Where FebU hath grete domination :
The Sune by day, the Mone by nyght,
That maketh hytn both fayre and bryght,
The Rote growyth on ftonns clere ,
Whytc and Rede, that ys fo peyre :
The Rote ys blacke, the Stalke ys red 5
The wyche fchall ther never be dedc,
The Lewis ben rownd, as a Nowbclfon,
And wexfyth and wanythas the Mon :
In the meddes a marke the brede of a peni, j
Lo thys is lykc to 6 wre fweght Lunayre : i \
Hys Flowrys fchynith, fayre and cler, I
In alle the Worlde thayc havenon pere,
He ys not fownde in no maner wyfe,
But of a Schepeherd in Godis fcrvy fe :
The good Schepeherd that I her mene5
Ys he that keepeth hysSowleclene:
Hys Flowrys ben gret and fum ben fmall,
Lyketohem that growyth in Dale,-
With many a .verm both fayre and cler.
As ther ben dayes in alle theyere,
Fro fallyng Ewel and alle Sefceneys,
From Sorowe be brengyth man to files %
Unto that blefe that wee maye come,
Byth the help of Marys Sonne :■
AndofhpModqch^ysfofre,
Amen good Zord for cheritc
Z z 3
350
Anonymu
.[
Schal yow tel wy th hert mode,
Of thrc Kynggys that ben fo goude,
w AndhowthayecamtoGodaknyght, The wich was ther a fwcet fygh a
I figure nowhowrbeffet Stone, FroHrven wafe fende downe to Solemen:
By an Angele bothe goudc and ftylle, The wych wafe than Chriftis wylle.
The
(nonymt. 351
The prefent of hem in Bedlem than,
To Cryftbrwght Aurum Tus & Myrham.
Owrc Sol and Sulphir wy th his Mercuri, Both Bodi and Soule wyth oureLurieyre.
Aurum betokeneth hcer, owre Bodi than, The wych was brwght to God and Man.
And Tusallefo owre Soule of lyfe,
Wyth Myrham owre Mercury e that ys hys Wyfe
Here be the thre namys ray re and good Andallethaye ben but one in mode.
Lyke as the Trenite ys but on,
Ryght fo conclude the Phylofofeers Stone.
Thow mayft a fc her now in fyght, Offowre Stone figuriet a right.
How fende he wafe out ofHevcn, By an Angcle wyth mylde Stefyni
And by hys fygure thow mayft fe That hy t ys lyke to perfonis Thre.
To Fader and Sonne and holi Goft, The wych was and ys of my tis moft*
Into hys blyfe now come wee, Amen goud Lord for cheyte.
^i nAnonymu
£hew you here a fhort Conclufioa, To underftand it if yc have grace , Wrighten without any dclufion 5 Comprehended in a litle fpacc • AH that in this Booke wrighten is. In this place comprehended is, How Nature worketh in her kinde, Kcepe well this Leffon in your minde : I have declared miclc thing, If you have grace to keepc in minde, How that our- Principle is Onethirig, More in Number and One in kinde j For there ben things Seven That in a Principle doe dwell, Moft precious under Heven, I have fo fworne I may not tell. In this Booke I fliew to you in wrighting, As my Brcthcren doe each one, A fimilitude of every like thing, Of the which we make our Stone. O ur Stone is made of one fimple thing, That in him hath both Soule and Lyle, He is Two and Oneinkinde, Married together as Man and Wife : Our Sulphur is our Mafculine, Our Mercury is our Femeninc, Our Earth is our Water cleerc $ Our Sulphur alfo is our Fier, And as Earth is in our Water cleare, Soc is Aer in our Fier, Now have yee Elements foure of might. And yet there appereth but two in fight 5 Water and Earth ye may well fee, Fier and Aer be in them as quality :
It
Anonymi. 2«
Thys Scyence maie not be taught to every one. He were acurft that fo fchould done : How fchould ye have Servants than >: Than non for other would ought done. To tyl the Lande or drive the Plough, For ever ech man would be proud enough % Lerned and leude would put them in Preflc, And in their workes be full bufie, But yet they have but little increfe, The writings to them is fo mifty. It is full hard this Scyence to finde, For Fooles which labour againft kinde^ This Science I pray you to conceale, Or elfe with it do not you meale, For and ye canot in it prevaile, Ofmuchforrowrhenmay you tell : By fuddain mooving of Elements Nature may be letted. And wher lacks Deco&ion no perfedion may be, Forfome Body with leprofy is infe&ed 5 Raw watery humors caufe fupcrfluity : Therefore the Philofofher in his reafon hath contrived A per fed Medicine, for bodyes that be fick, Of all infirmetyes to be releeved, Thisheleth Nature and prolongeth lyfecak-, This Medicine of Elements being perfe&ly wrought, ReceyptsofthePotccarywcneedenot to buy, Their Druggs and Dragms we fet at nought, With quid fro que they make many a ly. Our Aurum fotabile Nature will increafe, Of Philofophers Gold if it be pcrfe&ly wrought, The Phifitians with Minerall puteth him in prefe : Litle it availcth or elfe right nought. This Scyence fhall ye finde in the old bokc of Tttrb • Howperfc&ly thisMedicine Phikjofhers have wrought,