Section 6

H J One
3\(ortons
One ounce thereof is better then fifty pounde^
It is not to be fould in all Chriftian grounde$
But he that would have it he flialbe faine
To doe it make, or take himfelfe the painc :
But one greate grace in that labour is faine,
Make it once well and never more againe.
Olde fathers called it t hinge of vile price,
For it is nought worth by way of Marchandife i
Noe man that findeth it woll beare it awaie,
Noe more then thei would an Ounce of Clayc •
Men will not beleevc that it is ot high price,
No man knoweth it therefore but he be wifei
Here have I difclofcd a greate fecret wonder,
Which never was writ by them which becnerth under.
ANother Stone Tonfile you muft have withall, Or elfe you fawte your cheefe Materiall 5 Which is a Stone glorioufe faier and bright,, In handling a Stone, and a Stone in fight-, A Stone glittering with perfpecuitie, Being of wonderfull Diaphanitie 5 The price of an Ounce Conveniently, Is twenty fhillings or well neere thereby : Her name is Magnetia, few people her knowe, She is f ownde in high places as well as in lowe 5 Plato knew her property and called her by her name, And Chaucer reher feth how Titanos is the fame , In xhcChannom Teomans Taile faying what is thus' But quid ignotum per magis ignotius : That is to fay, what may this be, - But unknowne by more unknowne named is /he 5. Nethles Tonfile now I will trewlie teach What is Magnetiaxo fay in our fpeache : Magos is Gxeekc^Mirabile in Latine it ys, ^£i is Money, y cos Uit%ceyA\% God ywiffe*
t , Tha
Ml
OrDINALL. 4.2
That is to faykis fuch a things chap. 3
Wherein of Money Is worrderous divine Gunninge 3 Now feenryou may know what is Magnetic : -^? " ^^ii Ees^rjjtmqualdMf^
Thes two^^jZ»^/tfy€mu&takc^. - 1
For yoqr materialis, Elixir if ye iriake7~ "
Albeicjthefirfttytnematenallsbenoiiior^
Yet m by things helpeth its I faidc before;' m
This feerete was never before this daye
So trebly difcoyered, take it for your praye5
I pray (W that this turne not me to Charge,
For I dread fore my penn goeth too large:
For though mudh people perceive not this Sentence,
Yet (iibtill Clertehzvc too much Evidence 5
For many Clerks be fo $eere of witt, >,
If thei had this gtiound^thei werefure of it 5 ;
Wber pur Lord hath brdainedtha^no man'it finde,
ButOD|yhethat|isofverteoulmm^e; , *'
Whe&jfofebl&
The Matters of 6ur 5^d^k>ledaahis feafpti;. ^
OchctS Materials ye fliallitone take* • :- '
But only theis two oure white /^ t# make •
Except; Sal Armbpiack with Sulphur of kinde
Such 3s outof Metixls ye can finde 5
Theis two woll ^biclc to fulfill your defire The remnant w'i\ void whenf thei come to fire ; Sulpher woll break and chaurige Collours faft,' But our Litharge ibideth firfiand laft :;:..: -; Ye may not with mettals or Quickfilver beginn, To make Elixir if you intend to winn : Yet if you deftrdy the whole Campofition, Some of their Compounds will help in Conclufion •- And t fiat is nothingBls of tha toneor that other, But only Magnetia and Lmargehci 'Bother. \
H 2 Cha*p,
Ordinall,
Chap. IV*
* the groffe Warke now I wil not fpare, Though it 5e fecrete, largely to declare : To teach you the trewth is myne interne, As fer forth' as I dare for Gods Com-
(maundement. I will informe and guide youin the way, Infuchwife asyoumay findeyourpraye: If you confider how the partes of Werkes, Be out of Order fc* by the old Ckrh. As I faide before, the Mafters of this Arter Every each of them difclofed but a parte •. Wherefore though ye perceived them as ye woulde, Yet ye cannot order and joyne them as ye Ihulde. f Arnold fheweth in his writinge, How our finallfecretista know the thlnge Whereupon our worke Ihulde take her grounde* And how pure Natures & fimple may be found : In this poke begining multipharie , He faith in our grounded Matter two kindes be 5 But how to find them he kept that in (tore,- Ye have their Names the laft Chapter before. Freer Bacon difclofed more of that pointe, When he faid, Departe ye every joynte In Element* propinqua : take good hcede thereto^ But unwife Do&ours never worken foe, But hcadly they proceed as men well nigh madd. To the Matters divifible moe Matters they adde : Soe when thci weene to bringe forth a Flower, They doc nothinge but multiply Errour. There ccfed Bacon^ and fo doe other fuch^ For very dread lead they fhulde ihew too m uch
-H 3 Avian >
Chap. 4,
3\(ortoM
Avicen in Pma wrote, if ye remember, How ye fhulde proceede perfection to ingender, Trewly teaching as the pure trewth was. Comedos ut bibas, et btbas uPJComcdas, Eate as it drinkcth, and drinke as it doth eate, And in the meanc feafon take it a perfeft fweate. Rafts fet the Dietary and fpake fome dealc farr , N on t amen comedatres fe(hwantery Let not your Matters eate over haftilie, ■ But wifely confume their foode leafurelie. Hereof the Prophet made WQndrous mention, Yf ye applie it to this intention. i Vifitafti t err am, ejr inebriafti earn, CMultiplicaHi locupletare earn Terr am frucTiferam infalfuginem^ Et t err am fine aqua in exitm aquarum. If it I have plenty of Meate and of Drinke, Men muft wake when they defier to winke: For it is laboure of watch and paincs greatc. Alfo the Foode is full coftly meate-, Therefore all Poore men beware faid Arnoid, For this ^rttlorigeth to greate men of the worlde, Truft to his words ye Poore men all, For lam witnes that foe ye finde fhall. Efto longammis ejrfuavis faid he, Forjiafty men th'end fhall never fee. Thelengtheof clenfing of Matters infe&ed, Decey veth much People, for that is unfufpeded. Wherefore Poore men put ye not in preale, Such wonders to feech, but in feafon ceafe; ExcefTc for one halfe quarter of an howre, May deftroy all : therefore checfe (uccoure Is Primnm pro quo^ & vultimum pro quo non, To know of the fimperingcof our Stone.
Till
Ordinall. i/y
Till it may noe more fimper doe not ceafe, Chap.*.
And yet longe Continuance may not caufe increafe.
Rcme mber that Water will buble and boyle,
But Butter muft fimper and-dfo Oyle.
And foe with long leafure it will wafte,
And not with bubling made in hafte :
For doubt of perrills many moe then one.
And for fupergreffion of our ftone.
Amongft groflfe Workes the fowleft of all
Is to clarifie our meancs Minerall.
Extremities may not be well wrought,
Without many Meanes wifely fought.
AndeverieMeanemuftbe made pure,
If this workc fliulde be made fure.
For foule and cleanc by naturall lawe
Hath greate difcord, and foe hath ripe and rawe.
Stedf aft to ftedfaft will it felf e combinde,
And fleeting to fleeting will drawe by kinde :
And ever where as the Concordance is more ,
Natures will drawe that were elfwhere before 5
This groflfe Worke is fowl? in her kinde,
And full of perrills as ye fhall it finde.
No mans witt can him foe much availe,
But that Tometyme he fhall make a fayle.
As well as the Layman foe fhall the Clcrke,
And all that labour the groflfe werke :
Whereof Anaxagoras faid trewlie thus,
Nemo frimo front e refer itur dtferetm.
And once I heard a wife man fay,
How in Catilonia at this day,
Magnetia with Minerall meanes all,
Be made to fale if ye for them call,
Whereby the honds of a cleanly Gierke,
Shall not be filed about fo foule a wcrkc.^
And
4-g ^(ortons
:hafr$. And longe tyme fooncr your Workc I underftondc, Shulde be farr onward before honde. For if you fliulde make all things as I cann, Ye might be weary before your worke begann. The Philofophers warkc doe not begin, Till all things be pure without and within. We that muft feeke Tin&ure moft fpecious, Muft needely avoyd all things vild and vicious* Of manifold meancs each hath his propertie, To doe his Office after his degree : With them hid things be out fett, Some that will helpe and fome that would lctt. Our Jppoticaries to drcfTe them can no skill, And we to teach them have no manner of will : Whereof the caufe trewly is none other, But that they will counterfaid to beguile their Brother, Rather then they will take the paine Thereto belonging, ere they fhould it attainc : It is there ufe whereof my hert is fore, Much to defire and litle to doe therefore. Who would have trewe warke. he may no laboure fpare, Neither yet his Purfe, though he make it bare : A nd in the GrofTe Warke he is furtheft behinde, That daily defireth the end thereof to finde. If the grofTe warke with all his Circumftance, Were don in three yeares, it were a bleffed chance : For he that (hall end it once for certeyne, Shall never have necde to begin againe, If he his Medicine wifely can Augment • For that is the Maftrie of all our intent. It needeth-not to name the mcanes Mineral!, For Albert writeth openly of them all. Much I might write of nature of Mynes, Which in this Groffe \^arkebe but engines-,
For
Ordinall, aq
For in this Warke finde ye nothing fhall, chap, a ,
But handle- crafte called Arte Mechanicall :
Wherein an hundreth wayes and moc,
Ye maie committ a faulte as ye therein goe.
Wherefore beleeve what oldPAu&ors tell,
Without Experience ye maie not doc well.
Confider all Circuraftances, and fet your delight
To keepe Uniformity of all things requifite.
Life one manner of Veflcll in Matter and in Shape,
Beware of Commixtion that nothing mifcape.
And hundreth faultes in fpeciall,
Ye maie make under this warning gcnerall. .
Nethles this Do&rine wollfuffice* To him that can in Pra&ife be wife. If your Minifters be witty and trew, Such fhall not necde your warkes to renew.
Therefore if ye wolf avoyde all drcade,
In the GroflTe Warke doc by my read :
Take never thereto no Houfhold-man3
Thei be foonc weary as I tell cann 5
Therefore takenoe man thereto,
But he be Waged,however you doe; »
Not by the Moneth, as nigh as ye maie,
Nebythe Weekc, but by the Day e:
And that your Wages be to their minde,
Better then thei effewhere can finde 5
And chat thei needc not for Wages fue,
But that their Payment be quick and trewe •
For that fhall caufethem to love and dreade,
And to their Warks to take good hecde,
For doubt lcaft thei be put awayc,
For Negligence of them in one dayc :
Houfhold-men woll not doe foe,
From this Warke therefore let them goe.
I - If
So J\(ortorrs
Chap. 4. If I had knowne this, and had done foe, I had avoyded mickle woe. . Alfoe in this Warke muftbe Liberty, Without impediment, in ^erie degree. With divers Comforts peynes to relcafe Of labours continuall which maie not Ceafe 5 Els anguifli of Labour and Mclancholly, Mought be Caufe your Warkes to deftroy. Of the groffe Warke it needes to fhew noe more. For old men havetought the remnant before 5 And what is neceflary that thei laft out, This Boke ftieweth it without doubt. Wherefore this litle Boke the Ordinall, Is in Alkimy the Complement of all 5 The Chapter following convenient for a Ckrkcy Sheweth the Comcells of the fubtill Werke.
Chap.
Rio: Uauqhaa fcu/jt
3\(ortori$ . Chap. V.
lyjo&by Surname when the chaunge of
(Coyne was had, Made fome Men forry,and fomc Men glad: And as to much people that chaunge, Seemed a newc thinge and a ftraungc 5 Soe that feafon befell a wonderoos thinge, i Tuching this Science without leafinge. That three Mafters of this Science all Lay in one Bed nigh to Leaden- HaU , Which had Elixirs parfite White and Red, A wonder fuch Three to reft in one Bed, And that within the fpace of dayes Tenn, While hard it is to finde One in Millions of Men. Of the Dttkedome of Loraine one I underftand Was borne,that other nigh the Uidle of England?, Under a Crqf erin the end of Shires three, .,.. The third was;borne 5 the youngeft of them is he. Which by his Nativity is by Clerks found, That he fhulde honour all Englifh ground 5 A Man mougbt walke all the World aboute, Andfaile fuch three ^iMafieri to Rndcoutc i Twayne be fleeting, the Youngeft (hall abide, And doc much good in this Londezt a Tyde. But finne of Princes fliall let or delaye The Grace that he ihulde doe on a daye. Theeldeft Mafier chaunted of him a Songe, And laid that he fhulde fuffer much wronge. Of them which were to him greately behould» And manie things moe this Mafier tould. Which fith that tyme hath trewly befall, And fome of them hereafter fliall.
\ X 1 J-» a *♦ A r^ {-
OR D I N ALU 53
Whereof one is trewlic (faid he) Cbap.5,
After Troubles great Joy fhalbc
In every quarter of this Londe,
Which all good Men fhall under ft onde :
The Younger asked when that fhulde be,
The old Man faid when Men fhall fee
The holy Croffe honored both day and night 5
In the Lond of God in theLond of Light 5
Whieh maie be done in right good feafon3
But long delayed it is without reafon :
When that beginnetknote well this thinge,
This Science fhall drawe towards the Kinge %
And many moc Graces ye maie be boulde,
Moe then of us fhall now be tould 5
Grace on that King (hall defcend,
When he ould Manners fhall amende :
He fhall make full fecreatefcarch,
For this Scyence with doulced fpeech |
And amonge the Solitary, ^
He fhall have tidings certainly. *
So fought King KaMd of manie Men,
Till he met w\thvM&rien? ■
Which helped Kalid at his ncede,
His Vertues caufed him to fpeede. «*
NOwc of fuch Matters let us ceafe5 And of the futtill Warke teherfe 5 Gfeate need hath he to be a Clerke, That would perceive this futtill Werke. He muft know his firft Philofophie, If he truft to come by Alkimye : And firft ye fhall well underftonde, All that take this Werke in hondc ; When your materialls by preparation,
I 3 Be
54. 3\(orton9s
Chaf^, Be made well apt for Generation,
Then thei muft be departed a twinn, Into foure Elements if ye would to winn : Which thing to doe if ye ne can, Goe and lerne it of Hortolan. Which made his Boke ofthatDo&rine, How ye ftiulde part the Elements of Wine. Moreover ye muft for your fuccour, Know th'effe&s of the quallities fower - Called Heate, Colde^Moifture, and Drines, Of which fowerall things Compounded is 5 And fith in this Arte your cheefe defire Is to have Colour which fhulde abide fier, Ye muft know before you can that fee, How everie Colour ingendred fhall be, For every Colour whiche maie bethought, Shall heere appeare before that White be wrought. , Yet more ye would have to this fumme, ^j/Swiftly to rnelt as Wex or Gumme : "Tilsmought it not enter andperce The Center of Mcttalls asAudors reherfei
Soe ye would have it both fix and flowe,
With Colour plenty ifyewifthowc^ ^ Such three Contraries joyntly to meete
In one accord is a greate Secret.
Nerhles he that is cleere of Minde,
In this Chapter maie it well finde 5
And firft to give you a ihort Do&rine,
Of the aforefaid qualities prime :
Heate, and Cold, be qualities A#ive
Moifture, and Drincs? be qualityes Paffive $
For they fuffren the Acftives evermore,
As Stones to be Lyme, and Water to be Froare.
Hereupon to Judge, ye maie be bold,
No-
Ordinall,
Nothing is full wrought but by Heatc and Cold • Chap. 5,
Nethles the Paffivcs have forne A&ivicy,
As in Handicrafts men ye maie daily fee 5
In Bakinge, and Brewinge, another Crafts all,
Moifture is opperative and foe Drines be fhall.
Arifiotle in his Phificks and other manie moe.
Said ab aciionibus procedit (]>eculatio h
They faid that Pra&ifc is roote and beginning.
Of Speculation and of all Cunning :
For the properties of every thinge,
Be perceaved by their working 5
As by Colours of Urins we may be bold
To give fentence of Heate and Colde 5
Bythesaforefaid foure qualities prime,
We feeche Colours with length of ty me 5
Of White Colour we be not full fure,
To feeche it but in a fubftance pure :
Greate Do&rine thereof lerne now ye maie,
When ye know how Colours growe all day.
Colour is the utmoft thinge of a Body clcere, Cleere fubftance well termined is his matter heere .5 If Heate hath maiftery in matter that is drye, White Colour is ever thereof certainely -, As it appeareth in fight of brent Bones, And in making of all Lyme Stones.
Where Cold worketh in matter moift & cleere, Yet of fuch working Whitnes woll appeare : As it fheweth in Ice and Frofts hore- The caufe is let out in Philofophie before : I write not here of common Philofophie, But by example to teach Alkinty^ That one maie be perceived by that other. As is the Child perceived by the Mother.
3\(orton
If Heatein moyft matter and groffc withall, Warke, thereof Black Colour ingender fliall 5 Example hereof if ye of me defire.
Behold when you fee gr^ene Wood fet on a fire 5 Vi hen Cold worketh in matter thick and drye, Black Colour fhallbe, this is the caufe whie 5 Such matter is compared and more thick, With Cold conftreyning, enimy to all quick, Thicknes made Darkncs with privation of Light*, Soe Collour is private, then Black it is to Sight , Therefore evermore remember this, How cleere matter is matter of Whitenes $ The caufe efficient maie be many fold, For fomewhile it is Heate, and fometime Cold : But Whire and Black, as all men maie fee, Be Colours contrary in moft extremitic : Wherefore your warke with Black muft beginn. If the end ftiulde be with Whitenes to winn.