Section 7

The midle Colour as Pbilofofhers write, Is Red Colour betvveene Black and White : Nethlcffe truft me certainly, Redislaft in work oiAlkimy. Alfoe they fay in their Do How thcis two Colours Rufe and Citrine, Be meane Colours betweene White and Red, And how that Greene, and Colour wan as Lead, Betweene Red and Black be Colours meane, And frefheft Colour is of matter moft Cleanc.
Phyfitians in Urines have Colours Nyntcenc, Betweene White and Black as thei weene5 Whereof Colour underwhitc Subalbidus isone^ Like in Colour to Onychyne ftone : Of fuch like Colour Magnetic found is, "But mugwtia glittereth with Cleerenes:
In
O R D I N A L L. 57
In our futtillwarkeof^/i/zs) Chaj>.$9
Shall be all Colours that hath beene feen with Eye:
An hundreth Colours more in certcyne,
Then ever hath been feene in Wmu
Wherein fo many Colours mought not be,
But if our Stone conteyned every degree,
Of all Compofitions found in warke of kinde,
And of all (Jompofitions imaginable by minde.
Of as manie Colours as {hall therein be faine,
So manic graduations your wifdome muft anaine :
And if you knowe not fuch graduations all,
Lerne them of Raymond in his Aire General!.
Gilbert Kymer wrote after his devife,
Of 17. Proportions, but thei maie not fuffiee
In this Science, which he coude never findc 5
And yet in Phifick he had a nobil minde.
Wher the royalty of the nature of Man,
Advaunceth oftc Medicines ofthePhifitian:
And fo honorethoft times his Crafte,
When that the Medicines peradventure mought be lafte 5
But it is not fo in Phifick of Mines ,
For that Arte execcdeth all other engines:
And refteth only in the wifdomc of Man,
As by experience wife men witnes can.
ANd foe ofAlkimj the trew foundation, Is in Compofition by wife graduation Of Heate and Cold, of Moift and of Drye, Knowing other Qualities ingendered thereby 5 As hard and fofc, heavy and light, Rough and fmoothe , by ponders right, . With Number and Meafure wifely fought, In which three refteth all that God wrought : For God made all things, andfet it furc,
6 K$ % In
58 3\(ortorf$
Chap. j. In Number Ponder and in Meafure, j
Which numbers if you dee chaunge and breake,. Upon Nature you muft doe wreake. Wherefore Anaxagorasc^did Take good heede, That to Conjunction ye not proceede , Till ye know the Ponders full compleate Of all Components which fhulde therein meete- Bacon faid that old Men did nothing hide, But only Fr of onion wherein was noe guide : For none old Au&or, King, Prince, ne Lord, Writing of this Science with others did accorde In the Proportions 5 which if ye would reach, Raymond }mxh Bacon, and Albert^ done it teach, With old Anaxagoras^ of them fowre ye fliall Have perfeft knowledge, but not of one have all : And if you would joyne fowre Qualities to intent,. Then muft ye Conjoyne every Element : As Water and Erthe after your defire, Well compounded with Aycr, and Fier: Knowing the worth'eft in his a&ivkie, The iecond, the third, every-each in his degree % The fourth, and the vileftmaie not be refufed. For it is profitable and beft to be ufed ; . And beft maie extend his Multiplication, In whome is the virtue of our Generation • And that is the Erthly Lytharge of our Stone* ; Without him Generation fliall be none $ Neyther of our Tin&ure fixation, For nothing is fixe but Erthe alone 5 All other Elements moveable be, Fier, Ayer, and Water, as ye daily fee 2 : But Fier is caufe of extendibility, And caufeth matters permifcible to be. And cleere brightnes in Colours faire^
Ord in all.
59
Is caufed of kinde evermore of Ayer, chap, j
And Ayer alfo with his Coa&ion ,
Maketh things to be of light liquefa&ion :
As Wax is and Butter, and Guijimes all,
A little heatc maketh them to melt and fall :
Water clenfeth with ablution blive,
And things mortifyed caufeth to revive.
Of multiplying of Fier is no greater wonder,
Than is of multiplying of Erth fee under :
For Erth beareth Herbcs daily new and newe,
Without number, therefore it is trewe
That Erth is wonderfull as well as Fier,
Though one fparke maie foone fill a Sheere :
If all a Sheere were filled with Flaxe,
One fparke than would wonderfully waxe :
Fier and Erth be multipliers alone,
And thei be caufers of multiplying our Stone.
Of this Erth fhoweth Albert our great Brother,
In his Miner alls ^ which Lytharge is better than other.
For the white Elixir he doth it there rehearfe,
And the books ofMeeter fhoweth it in a verfc.
NO w to Conjunction let us reforte, And fome wile Councell thereof reportc : Conjoyneyour Elements Grammatically, With all their Concords conveniently : Whiche Concords to healpe a Clerke, Be cheefe Inftruments of all this werke : For nothinge maie be more contrary nowe, Than to be fixt and unperfedly flowe : All the Grammarians of England and ofFraunce, Cannot teach you this Concordance i This Ordinall telleth where ye maie it fee, In Pbifick in the Bokc it Arbore.
K 2 • Joyne
JXortoris
Joyne them alfo in Rhetorical! guife,
With- Natures Ornate in purified wife;
Sithensour Tinfturemuft be moft pure and fairc5.
Be fure of pure Erth, Water5Fier and Ay re..
In Logical! wilebe it early or late,
Joyne trewe kindes not fophifticate •]
Ignorance hereof hath, made many Clerks,
Lewdly to leefe their labour and their werkes.
Joyne them together alfo Arithmetically,
By futtill Numbers proportionally.
Whereof a iitle mention made there was,
When Boctim faid /» numerti elementa If gas,
Joyne your Elements Mufrcatly, .
For two caufes, one is for Melody :
Which there accords will make to your mind, .
The trewe effect when that ye fhall finde*
And alfo for like as Diapafon,
With Diapetrte and with Diatejferon^
W'tthyptte ypatctfj.md Ltcnnes mufe ,
With other accords which in Muflcfc be,
With their proporcionscaufen, Harmony^
Much like proportions be in Alkimy^
As for the great Numbers Afluall :
But for the fecrcate Numbers Intellevtuall y
Ye rauft feeche thenvas I faid before,
Out of Raymond md out of Bacons lore.
Bacon fheweth it darkly in his three letters ally
And Raymonde better in his Arte Genera/L
Many men weene which doth them reade,
That theie doe underftonde them when theie doenot
With Aftrdogie joyne Elements alfo, (indeede^
To fortune their Workings as theie goe :
Such fimple kindes unformed and un wrought, .
Muft craftily be guided tilkhe end be fought.
All
Or dinall. 61
All which fcafon there have more obedience, Chap, 5 ,
Above formed Natures to Sterrs influence.
And Science Perfpefttve giveth great evidence,
To all the Minifters of this Sciggce.
And fo done other Sciences manie moe
And fpccially the Science de Pleno & Vacm>
But thechiefe Miftris among Sciences all.
For helpe of this Arte^ is Magjck Natural/.
WHen the foure Elements wifely joyncd be. And every-each of them fet in his degree, Then of divers degrees and of divers digeftion. Colours will.arife towards perfe&ion, For then workeih inward heate naturally Which in our fubftance is but Intelle&uall : To fight unknowns, hand maieit not feele, His working is knowne to few Men and feild 5 And when this heate natural! moved be fliall By our outward heate artificial!, Then Nature excited to labour will not ceafe \ , Many diverfities of degrees to increafe. Which is one caufe by reafon you ma e fee, Whie in our warke fo manie Colours be : 4 Therfore it caufeth in this Arte great doubt, . Ignorance of heate within and without, To know how theis two heates fbulde accord, And which of them in working ftiulde be Lord, .
Digeftion in thiswarke hath great likeneff& To digeftion in things of Qukknes: And before other (as I witneflc can) It is moft like to digeftion of Man. Therefore faid Mmen^ our Stove in generation Is moft like thing to Mans Creation,
K 3* In
6% Js^orton's
Chap, y. In whom faith Raymond the fowre degrees all
Of the fovvre Complexions together finde ycfhall, ,
And that a
Amongft Creatures in nQne other kinde.
Wherefore arnongc Creatures theis two alone
Be called Mkmofmus^ Man and out Stone.
Now of Digeftion the aliment and foode
Perfe&Iy to know is needfull and full good.
It is humor follid conftant with Eccitie,
Mightily medled after fome degree,
In oppofitc paffives mixed duly,
Ingendered by inward and outward heat trewly.
Soe nothing clfc is ourDigeftion,
But of humour fubftantiall a create perfe&ion.
I pray ye Laymen have meexcufed,
Though fuch Tearmes with you be not ufed,
I muft ufe them, for all Au
How every Science bath bis proper Tearmes.
Digeftion fomecimes advanced maic.be
By outward cold, as yearly ye maie fee
How in Winter men eaten more meate
Than in Summer, when expanfed is their heate*
For colde maketh heate inward then to flye,
And ligge nigh together,, then ftronger is he 5
Which by his ftrength his power is more
To make Digeftion than he mought before.
But our cheefe Digefture for our intent,
Is virtuall heate of the matter digerent 3
Nethles heate of the digeftible thinge,
Helpeth digeftion and her working :
Feaverly heate maketh no digeftion,
Baines maie hejpe and caufe alfo deftrudion.
Wine digefted hath more heate naturall,
Than hath new Mufte^whofe heate is accidental! s
Coagula-
M'
Or DIN A L L. 6^
Coagulation is noc fofmc fubftantiall, chap. 5
But onlie paffion of things materiall.
Ore ye muft know, whe&Colours appeare, - Who is principall Agent in chat matter Cleere.
For fometimes it is Heate, and fometimes Cold it is,
And fometime Moyfture, and fomewhile Drines.
The principall Agent to know at every feafon,
Requireth great fearch made by futtill reafon :
Which is not perceived but of Mafters fewe,
For thci mark not how Colours arife by rewc :
The principall Agent of the qualities fowre,
Hath power royall as Lord of mod honour
The remnant of qualities to Converte to his kinde,
Of which converfion Anaxagom makethminde
In his Boke ofCdnverfiom Naturally
Whereof Raymond fat wet h caufes fpeciall :
It is no Jape neither light to lerrte
Your principall Agent all feafons to difcerne t
Which I teach you to knowne by figncs fowre,
By Colour, odour, Sapor and Liquore*
ANd firft by Colour \o ferve your intente, To know thereby your principall Agent. Looke in your Veffell which Colour fheweth moft, He that caufeth him is principall of the hoft As for that feafon, whofe pride ye maie fwage, By this our Doftrinc, if ye fee him rage : Which ye maie doc when ye well underftonde, The caufe of all Colours which ye have in hondc* Which Iwoll teach you now fhortly withall, Bycaufc here and there feeke them ye ne ihall : Whitnes is caufed of manie matters cleere, la another thing termined, a nd foe it isheerc^
6/\. Norton's
~.hap. 5. Blacknes is when parts of a body darke,
With thicknes opprefferh the clcernes of the Warke- Or els it is of aCombuft tcrreftrietie-, But of fuch CombufHon^reate hardnes fhall be - And by Commixion of Darke Cleere andCleane Shall be ingendered all the Colours mcane: Every cleere thinge perfpicuate and fayre, Standeth by the matters of Water and Aire, Whome a pure Erth doth apprehend, Such as fhall not their cleerenes offend- And if in fuch cleerenes and perfpicuitie, Ye can noe fpeciall Colour fee, Thereupon to Judge you raaie heboid, Thecaufe of fuch things was exceeding Colde ; As Chrifiall^Beri^ and other things moe, Diverfitie bctwecne themlerne ereyegoe^ Chriftall hath Water declyning toward 4yer, Wherefore it is cleere, perfpicubus and faircj- But where it declineth towards Water more, It is darke as Berill or Ice hard frore; But when matters 4raweth toward ficcitie, Darkneswith hardnes ingendred fhall be ; ' Asitappeareth in the Adamant Stone, And in other things manic one. Twinckling and glittering as in Magnetials> Light is caufe thereof within matter of Cleerenes 5 Which is fuperduced upon warerly vapour, Bcforetyme incenccdwith Hcatebeyefurc> Now after cleerenes and Colours in cxtremi'tie, Of meane Colours a litlc (hew will I.
Rubj colour is of a thinn fume fuccended In a cleere Body, which alfoeis amended When in that Body reyncth plenty of light, For more or les thereof maketh more or Its bright :
As
O R D I N A L L. #5
As the Amatifi followeth the Ruby in dignity, Chdp+$+
In kfs Clecrcncs and more Obfcuritie :
And a Cdcedonie in Slymy fubftance,
Followeth the BeriS in degrceg^pf variance.
Greene as a Smaragde is of Water clcerc,
With Erthy f ubftance Combuft mixt full neere :
And the cleerer fubftance that the Erth be ,
The deerer greenefs thereof ye fhall fee*
Tanwey is of Cleercnes terminate,
Infufed with thick Fumofity congregate
Of Water, and alfoe of Erth fuccended,
Whereby the cleerenes of Aier is fufpended.
Wann or leady Colour ingendred is
Of Waterie and Erthy parts without atniffo
And where fuch parts be cold and thick,
Ever Wann Colour theron fliallftickj
As it appeareth in old layen Lead, ^
And in Men that be wcllneere dead .•
This Wann Colour called Lividitic,
In Envious Men ufcth much to be 5
Naturall heate and blood done reforte,
To the Hm,them to comfort,
And leavcth Cold and Dry the Face,
For heate and blood is parted fro that place*
Likewife when Fevers be in extremitic,
The Nailes of Hands of this Colour wilbe.
The Saphire Colour, that Orient Blewe,
Like in Colour to the hcavenlie hue,
Is much fairer than Wann Colour to fight,
For therein is more of Aier Water and Light
Than is in Wann Colour, and that by manifold,
Wherefore fuch Colour is more deerer folde 5
AH other Slews the faddcr that they be,
Thci have lefle of Aier and more of Tcrreftricty,
L » Silver
Silver to Azure foonc broght will be 5 The caufe thereof is perfpicuitie ,
Which is in Silver caufed of Ayer,
Wherefore it turneth to«hevenly Colour fairc. 5
And Quickfilvcr plenty within him is,
Gaufeth in Silver all this brightnes:
Subtiler Erth, pure Water, with cleerenes of Air,
Gaufeth fueh brightnes to Quickfilver to repaire.
Citrine Colour Yellowe as ye fee in Gould,
Is Colour moft liking for fome men tobehould 1
Caufed of mighty and ftrong digeftion.
For humor in him have ftrong deco&ion-
Such Colour with Heate ingendred be (hall,
As it in Honey y Urine, Lye, and Gall:
The {bining of Gould is caufed as I tell,
Of pure and fubtile Water termined full well,
Pcrfpicuoufly condenfed -5 for Water pure and fine,
The more it is Condenfed, the better it woll fhinc §
For of a Mirrour the caufe none other is,
But moifture termined, as all Clerks geflcr
Soe that it be polible withall 5
For Aier Figures receive never fhallv
For Aier mate not be terminate in hiskinde;
So caufe of ihining in Water ye (hall finde.
With White and Red well medlcd pure and fine
Woll be ingendred faire Colour Citrine.
Soe divers Comixtions of Elementsy
Maketh divers Colours, for divers intents i
With divers P>geftions and divers degrees i
All Colours be made which your Eyen fees.
Of Elements ye muft the proper Colour lerne,
Whereby of Colours ye maie better difcerne5
Phifuians faieofgood Herbs and foote,
Some be colde outward and hot within the rootc %
Example
ORD IN ALL* 6y
Example hereof if ye lift togetr, Cbap.^
Behold the working of the gentle Viokt :
Common Philofophie the caufe doth difclofe,
Whiecolde is within and recj^ithouttheRofe:
Anaxagoras faid in his Coverfiom naturaU,
Inward and Outward be contrary in things all,
Which is trewe except fuch things as be
Of little compofition, and nigh fimplickie 5
As is Scammonye , and Lawrell the Laxative,
Which be not nourifhing to vegetative.
Remember how in every mixt thinge,
Evermore one Element defireth to be Kinge:
Which proude appetite of Elements and vicious,
Moveth men to be Ambitious :
Wherefore our Lord that beft difpofe cann,
Hath made Ordeynance for finfullMan,
All proude appetites to equalitie to bringe*
When Requiem &ternamx\\z Church (hall (Inge,
Than (hall cverie ambitious thought,
Plainely appeare how that it was nought :
Lords, and Beggars, and all (hall be
In the Charnell brought to equalitie.
Your Principall Agent fo rebate (hall ye,
When he ufurpeth above equality;
Therefore AriJiotle faid Compound ye our Stone
Equall, that in him repugnance be none 5
Neither divifion as ye proceede •,
Take heedc thereto, for it is greate neede $
And when it falleth that ye (hall fee
All Colours at once that named maie be ;
Than fuffer Nature with her operation,
At her ownc leafure to make Generation \
Soe that amonge fo manie Colours all,
Nature maie (hew one principall :
L 2 • Such
6$ 3\(ortorrs7
Chap. j# Such as /hall draw towards your intent, According to your defired Element*
This wife by Colours yec maie provide Howinyourworkes yeef&all yec guide. Manic moe things of Colours I maie write, But this is fufficient my promife to acquite, As farr forth as Colours maie fervc your intent. By them to know your principall agent. But manic Clerks wonder why you may fee Soe manie Colours as in our Stone woll be, Before that perfeft White and Clcerc, And unchaungeable woll appearc, Confidcring the fewncs of the ingredients 5 I woll that anfwer to pleafc their intents, And teach them the trewth of that greate doubter By kinde of UWagnefia fuch Colours paflc out, Whofe nature is of fuch Convertibility, To everie proportion, and to everie degree, As Chriftall to his Subjeft is founde 5 For of everie thing that is upon the grounde, Which that ye woll Chriftall fet under, Such Colour hath Chriftall, therefore ceafe to wonder £ Wherefore Hermes faid not untruly nc Envious, Ad perpetranda miracula rei unim : God hath fo ordeyned faith Hermes the Kinge, To fulfill the miracles of one thinge : Common Thilofophers thereof cannot finde The vermes of our Stone exceeding far their minde.