Section 3

Heaven doth all things gratis ghe. jj"? ££2^
This -^rf in fuch you only finde ^bbot of Brid-
AsWiceloveMhfojles-MMe: .g^fo
But tis deny d to gmkfttu Men ; r«, ere.
ForfwprotraBs the gifts of Heaven.
C 2 , Thcfe
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Sape Reges AnglU decoraffet h*c res, Firman in domino ftijfet eorum (pes 5 Jllefeaqni capiet per hanc rem honor es, Antiquos mores mutabit in meliores. Ijlecumque venerit, regnttm reformabit^ Virtutibty & moribtt*^ & exemplum dabit Sempiternum Regibus^pkbs tunc]ubilabit, Bt mutuo fe diltgens laudes Deo dabit: O Rex, hacfafturus ! beum Regem ora, Bt ejus an x ilium pro re hac imp lor a : Tunc regijufto fulgent i mente decora Grata fupervenient qua nonfperabitur htm
Thcfc hadadorn'd the EngliftTbrone, If they had truftcd God alone : For he that hereby Honor winns,
Shall change the old for better things*
And when he comes to rule the Land, Reforme it with a vertnoas hand : Leaving examples ofgooddeedes To every King that him fucceedes : Then fhall the People Jubilee In mutmlllove 5 and facrtfife Praifes to Cod. O King that {hall Thefe ftfrito / implore the God of all For timely helpe,in thisgood thing : So to a *f*ft) and Glorious King,
*5\£oft i goodly Gracej sfhali defcend.
When kaft looked for i toCrownt bis End.
3 The
Th e P r oh e me,
0 the honor of Gcd^Onc in Perfons three, This Boke is made3tha: Lay -men fhulde it And Clerks alfoe, after my deceafe, (fee, Whereby .all Laymen which putteth
(them in preafe, Tofeechby Alkimy great ryches towinn May finde goodCoimfell er they fuch vvarke begin5 And greate deceipts they may hereby efche we, And by this do&rine know falf men from trewe. NathlesClerks greate feacreats heerc may leare, But all Lay men (hall finde heere caufe to feare, And to beware of falf illufions, Which Multiply erswotkc with their Conclusions : But for that I defire not worldly fame, But your good prayers, unknowne fhall be my name.
That no man fhulde therafter fearch, ne looke, But wifely Confider the flowers of this booke : Of every eftate that is within Mankind If yee make fearch much people ye may finde, Which to Alkimy their Corage doe addrefs Only for appetite of Lucre and Riches. As Popes with Cardinalls of Dignity, ' Archby (hopes with Byfiopes of high degree^ With Abbots and Priors of Religion, With Friar.sfleremites, and PreeBs manie one , And Kings with Princes and Lords great of blood,
For every eftate defireth after good 5
And
The Proheme*
And Mcrchaunts alfo which dwell in the fiere
Of brenning Covetife, have thereto defire5
And Common workemen will not be out-lafte,
For as well as Lords they love this noble Crafte [
As Gouldfmithes whome we
Voi fights in their Craft meveth them to beleeve :
But wonder it is that Wevers deale with fuch warks,
Free Mafons and Tanners with poorc Parijh Clerks 5
Tailors zn&Glafiers woll not thereof ceafe,
And eke fely Tinkers will put them in the preafe
With greate prefumption-but yet fome collour there was>
For all fuch Men as give Tin&urc to Glaffc :
But many Artificers have byn over-fwifte
With hafty Credence to fume away their thrifte:
And albeit that lodes made them to fmarte,
Yet ever in hope continued their hearte,
Trufting fome ty me to fpeede right well.
Of many fuch truly 1 can tell, #
Which in fuch hope continued all their lyfe,
Whereby they were pore and made to unthrife :
It had byne good for them to have left off
In feafon, for noughte they founde but a fcoffc,
For trcwly he that is not a greate Gierke
Is nice and lewde to medle with this warke 5
Ye may truft me well it is no fmall inginn
To know all fecreats pertaining to the Myne 5
For it is moil profound Philefephie,
The fubtill fciencc of holy Alkimy i
Of which Science here I intend to write,-
Howbeit I may not curioufly indite.
For he that fhulde all a common people teache,
He muft for them ufe plaine and common fpeache *
Though that I write in plaine, and hocmety wife
No good Man then fhulde fuch writenge dilpne* ■
All
8 * 7k tnUm.
All \M0&$ that write of this SoJerac wcrfce Tfiey made their Bokes to many Men full derke, In Poyfes, Parables, and in Metaphors alibe, Which to Shollers caufeth peine and woe: For in their pra&ife whan t^ey would it allay, They leefe their Cofts, as men fee aldayc, Hermes, Rafts, Geher, and Avicen^ Merlin, HomUn, Demicrit^ and Morten^ Bacon^ and Raimond^ with others many raoe Wrote under covert, and ^yirifiotle alfoe. For what hereof they wrote with their penn, Their Cloudy Claufes dulled many Men: Fro Lay men, Fro Clearks, and fo fro every Man They hid this Art that no Man flnde it cann. By their bokes do they (hew Reafons faire, Whereby much people are brought into difpairc. Yet Anaxagoras wrote plaincft of them all In his bokftof Conversions naturally Of the old Fathers that ever I f ounde He moft difclofed of this Science the grownde $ Whereof Arifiotle had greate envly, And him rebuked unrightfully In many places, as I can well report, Intending that men to him fliuldc not refort : For he was large of his cunning and love, God have his foulc in blifTe with him above : And fuche as fowed envious feede, God forgive them their mifdeede. As the Mounke which a Boke did write Of a thoufand receipts in mallice for defpight; Which be coppied in many a place Whereby hath beene made pale many a Face 5 And many Gwndsiayc byne made bare of hewe, And men ma.de fals which before tyme were tre wc.
Wherefore
TbeProheme.
Wherefore my Pitty doth mc conftrcyne
Tofhewthe trewth infewe words and plaine,
Soc that you may fro falfe do&rinc flee,
If ye give Credence to thisbokc and mce 5
Avoidc your Bokes written of Receipts,
For all fuch Receipts arc full of Deceipts 5
Truft not fuch Receipts, and lerne well this Claufe,
Nothing is wrettght but by bis prefer Caufe :
Wherefore that Pra&ife falleth farr behindc
Wher Knowledge of the caufe is not in raindc:
Therefore remember ever more wifely, (whie.
That you woorke nothing but you knowe howc and
Alfoc he that would in this Arte proceede ,
To cfchewe falfhood he hath grcatc need :
For trewth is good which this Arte muft guide,
Wherefore to falfhood ye may never Aide 5
But ftedfaftly your minde muft be fct, Fals Golloured Metall never to Countcrfett 5
As thei that fecke Blanchers or Citrinacions, Which woll not abide all Examinacions,
Wherewith fals Plate they make as they canti
Or Money to beguile fome good trew Mann :
But (Whath made that of this blcffed Arte,
All that be fals fhall have thereof noc parte •,
He muft have Grace that would for this Arte Cue,
Therefore of right him needeth to be trew :
Alfo he may not be troblcd in his Minde
Wich outward charges, which this Arte would finder
And he that would have his intent,
He muft have Riches fufficicnt.
-In many wayes he maie not looke
But only purfue the order of this Boke $
Named of i^ilkimythe Ordinally
The Crcdc mihi, the Standard f erf etuali :
D For
to
TheProheme. For like as the Ordinall to Preejls fetteth out The fervice of the dayes as they goc aboute : Soe of all the Bokes unordered in v^ilkimj The effeft is here fct out Orderly: Therefore this Boke to an AlchimiUet wife, Is a Boke of incomparable price •, Whofe trewth {hall never be defiled, Though it appcare in homely wife compiled : And as I had this Arte by Grace from Heaven* I give you the fame here in Chapters feaven : As largely as by my fealty I may, By licence of the dreadfull Judge at domes dayc*
The frft Chapter ihall all Men teache What manner People may this Science rcache3 And whie the trew Science of \_Alkimy, Is of old Fathers called Blefled and Holy.
In the fecond Chapter maie be fayne, The nice Joy es thereof, with the greate paine. Thahird Chapter for the love of One,
Shall trewly difclofe the Matters of our Stone 3
Which the A^ahm doon Elixir call,
Whereof it is, there uoderftonde you (hall.
Thcfotverth Chapter teaeheth the groflfc Wcrke^
A foulelaboure not kindly for a Clerke.
In which is found full greate travaile,
With many perills, and nunyafaile. The/?/* Chapter is of the fubtill Werk,
Which God ordcyned only for a Clerke s
Full few Clerks can it comprehend,
Therefore to few Men is the Science fend. Ihzfixt Chapter is of Concord and love,
Between low natures^ and heavenly fphcares above :
Whereof trew knowledge advanceth greatly Clerks,
And caufcth furtherance in our vvondcrfull werks.
Tk Preform; ~ - 1 1
Thcftavcnth chapter trewly teach you fMlj The doubtfull Regiments of your Fires '.all..
NOwSoveraignc Lord God mc guide and fpeede^ For to my Matters as now I will proceede, Praying all men which this Boke (hall finde, With devoute Prayers to have my foule in minde ♦ J
And that noe Man for better ne for worfe, Chaunge my writing for drede of Gods curfez For where quick fentence {hall feame not to be | Ther may wife men finde felcouthe previtye 5 And chaunging of fome one fillable May make this Boke unprofitable. Therefore truft not to one Reading or twaine, But twenty tymes it would be over faync; For it conteyneth full ponderous fentence, |Albcit that it faute forme of Eloquence 5 But the beft thing that ye doe fhall, Jf toreadc many Bokes3 and than this .wit hall. -J
D z
HAP.
musassm
Nortons OrdinaU.
Chap. I.
-^i^tryefull merveyloES andArchimaftryc Is the tin&ure of noli K^ilfamy : A wonderful! J ww*, fecrete Philofophic,. A Angular grace & giftc of th'almightie : Which never was founde by labour of
But it by Teaching, or Revclacion begann. (Mann,t
It was never for Mony fold ne bought,
By any Man which for it hath fought :
But given to an able Man by grace, ( fpace.
Wrought with greate Coft, with long lay fir and
It helpeth a Man when he hath neede,
It voydeth vaine Glory, Hope, and alfo drcade :
It voydeth. AmbitioufnefTe, Extorcion,and Excefle,
It fenceth Adverfity that fhee doe not oppreffe.
He that thereof hath his full intent,.
Forfaketh Extremities, with Meafure is content.
Some people would not have it cauled Bolj>
And in this wife thei doe replye ,
Thcifay how Tainims male th s Arte have.
Such as our LerdGod woll never fave :
For their wilfull fals infidelitie,
The caufc of goodnes, poffeffours cannot be.
Alfoe it maketh none other thing
But Gold or Silver, for Mony, Cupp, or Ring.
Whiche of wife men is proved and well founde
Leaft verteous thing that is upon the Ground.
Wherefore concluding all men of that feft*
Say, how this Science n'is holy ineffe
To this we fay and wittnes as we cann
How that this Science was never tought to Man-,
D 3. But
But he were proved perfectly with fpace,
Whether he were able to receyvethis Grace :
For his Trewth, Vertue, and for his ftablc Witt,
Which if he faulte he fhall ne\ier have it •
Alfo no man coulde yet this Science reach,
But if God fend a Mafier him to teach:
For it is foe wonderfull and foe felcouth,
That it muft needes be tought from mouth to mouth :
Alfo he muft (be he never foe loath)
Receive it with a moft facred dreadfull Oath,
That as we refufe greate dignitie and fame,
Soc he muft needly refufe the fame.
And alfo that he fhall not be fo wilde
To teach thisfeacrct to his owne childe 5
For nighnes of Blood ne Confanguinity
May not accepted be to this dignity:
Soe blood as blood, may have hereof noe part.
But only vertue winneth this holy Arte :
Therefore ftraightly yon fhall fearch and fee,
All manners and vermes with th'abilitie
Of the perfon which fhall this Scyence leere.
And in likewife make him ftraightlie fwere :
Soc that noc man fhall leave this Arte behinde,
But he an able and approved Man can finde 5
When Age fhall grecve him to ride or goe,
One he may teach, but then never no moc :
For this Science muft ever fecret be,
The Caufc whereof is this as ye may fee ;
If one evill man had hereof all his will
All Chriftian Peafe he might haftilie fpill,
And with his Pride, he might pull downe
Rightfull Kings and Princes of rcnowne :
Wherefore the fentencc of perill and jeopardy ,
Upon the Teacher refteth dreadfully.
Soe
Ordinall. 15
So than for doubt of fuch pride and wreath, cfap. 1 ,
He muft be ware that will this Science teach :
No Man therefore maic reach this greate prefent,
But he that hath venues exrellcnt.
Soe though Men weene Pofleffburs not to aide,
To hallow this Science as before is faid $
Neither feeme not bleflcd effe&ually ,
Yet in her Order this Science is My.
And forafmuch as noe Man maie her finde
But only by grace, flic is holy of her kinde.
Alfo it is a worke and Cure divine,
Foule Copper to make Gold or Silver fine :
No man maie finde fuch chaunge by his thought,
Of divers kinds which Gods hands have wrought*
For Gods Conjundtions Man maie not undoe,
But if his Grace fully confent thereto,
By helpe of this Science, which our Lord above
Hath given to fuch Men as he doth love 5
Wherefore old Fathers conveniently
Called this Science Holy Alkim-j.
Therefore noe Man fhulde be too fwifte^ To caft away our Lords blefifed guift : Confideringe how that Almighty God From great Dodlours hath this Science forbod^ And graunted it to few Men of his mercy, Sucfias be faithfull trew and lowiy. And as there be but Planets feaven Amongethe multitude offtarrs in Heaven : Soe among millions of millions of Mankinde^ Scarflie feaven men maie this Science finde. Wherefore Lay men ye may lere and fee How many Doftors of great authoritie, With many fearchers hath this Science fought* Yet all their labours ha^ turned into nought
If
^(artons
Ifthei did coft, yet found thei none availc,
For of their purpofe every tyme thei faile 5
And in defpaire thei reafon and departe,
And then thei faid how there j* noe fuch arte $
But fained Fables thei name it where thei goe,
A fals fond thing thei fay it is alioe : y ■'"
Such Men prefume too much upon their tninde,
They weene their witts fuificient this^rtttofindc.
But of their flaundcr and words of outrage,
We take thereof trewlie little Charge :
For fuch be not invited to our fcaft,
Which weeneththemfelvcs wife and candoclcafte.
Albeit fuch Men lift not lenger to perfue,
Yet is this Science oii^llkimy fall trew 5
And albeit fome proudc Clerks fay nay
Yet every wife Clorke well confidcr may,
How he whiche hereof might no trewth fee
Maie not hereof lawfull wittnes be,
For it were a wonderous thing and queintc,
A man that never had fight to peinte.
How ilioulde a borne blinde Man be fure
To write or make good Portrature.
To build Poules ftecplc might be greate doubt,
For fuch proude Clerks to bring aboute 5
Such might well happ to breake their crowne,
Ere they coude wifely take it downc.
Wherefore all fuch arc full farr behindc,
To fetch out the fecreateft pointe of kinde;
Therefore all Men take theiref ortune and chaunce,
Remit fuch Ckrks to their Ignorance,
NO w ye that will this Science purfuc, Lcarnc ye to know fals Men from trew. All trew fearchers of this Science of Alkimy. Muftbe full learned in dieir firft Philofophic :
Elfc
O R DI N A L L. ■*■■■ Ij
Elfc all their labourc (hall them let and g reive, Chap. i.
Ashethatfetcheth WaterinaSfve 5
The trevv men fearch and feeke all alone
In hope to finde our dele
And for that thei would that no Man fhuldehaveloffc,
They prove and feeke all at their owne Cofte •,
Soe their owne Purfes they will ftoc fpare,
They make their Coffers thereby full bare,
Withgreate Patience thei doe procecde,
Trufting only in God to be their fpeede.
THe fals man walketh from Towne to Townc, For the moft parte in a threedbarerGowne5 Ever fearching with diligent awaite To winn his praye with fome fals deceit Of fwcaring and leafing ; fuch will not ceafe, To fay how they can Silver plate increafe. And ever they rayle with perjury 3 Saying how they can Multiplie Gold and Silver,and in fuch wife With promife thei pleafe the Covetife, And Caufeth his minde to be on him fett, Then Falfehood and Covetife be well mctt. But afterwards within a little while The Multiplier doth him beguile With his faire promife, and with his fals othes, The Covetife is brought to threcd-bare clothes : But if he can haftily be well aware, Of the Multiplier and of his Chaffare , Of whofe deceipts much I canreporte. But I dare not leaft I give comforte To fuch as be difpofed to Treachery • For {q much hurte mought come thereby 5 Wherefore advifcyouandbewife. Of them which proffer fuch femfe.
E If
3\(ortons
If they had Cunning have ye no doubty
They woll be loath to fhew it out :
When fuch men promifc toMultiplic,
They compaffe to doe fotne Villony ,
Some trew mans goods to beare awayc j
Of fuch fellowes what fhulde I faye f
All fuch falfe men where ever thei goe,
They fhulde be punifhed, thei be not fo*