John Lydgate, from the Secrees of Philosophres; An anonymous worke in verse; The Hermet’s Tale

JOHN LYDGATE MONKE OF St. EDMUNDS BURY, In his Translation of the second Epistle that King Alexander sent to his Master ARISTOTLE.

WHan Alysaundre as is Rehersyd heer
This Phylosophre for vertues manyfoold,
Sent unto hym a secret Messengeer,
Without exskus to come to hys housoold,
But he ageyn for he was feeble and old,
And impotent on the tother syde,
And unweldy for to goon or ryde.

But chiefe cause why Alysaundre sente,
A purpoos take and a fantasye,
To declare pleynly what it mente;
He wyst in sooth that in Philosophye,
Wyth other secrets of Astronomye:
He was experte and mooste cowde understonde,
Thys was in cheefe Cause of the Kynges sonde.

Powder of Planetys and mevyng of all Sterrys,
And of every heavenly Intelligence;
Dysposicion of Pees and ek of Werrys,
And of ech othyr straunge hyd Scyence,
As the sevene Goddys by theyr Influence
Dyspose the Orders of Incantacions,
Or of sevene Metallys the Transmutacions.

With othir Craftys which that besecre,
Calculacion and Geomancye,
Dyfformacions of Circes and Meed:
Lokynge of Facys and Pyromancye,
On Lond, and Watir, Craft of Geometrye.
Heyghte and Depnesse with all Experyence,
Therefore the Kinge desires his presence.

But for all this within himselfe a thing
There was a Secre he kept not to disclose;
Nor to publishe opynly to the Kynge,
Takeyng Example by two things in a Roose,
First how the Flower greet sweetnesse doth dispoose:
Yet in the Thorne men finde great sharpnesse,
And thus in Konnyng there may been a lykenesse.

In Herbe and Flour, in Writeing, Word and Stoon,
Ech hath his vertue of God and of Nature,
But the knowyng is hyd froo many oon:
And not declaryd to every Creature,
Wherefor he cast twen Reason and Measure:
To shape aweye both the Kyng to plese,
Somewhat to unclose and set his herte at ese.

There is of ryght a greete difference,
Tween a Princes royall Dignite,
And a twen Commons rude Intelligence,
To whom nat longeth to meddle in no degre,
Of Konnynges that should be kept secre,
For to a Kynges famous magnificence,
And to Clerkys whiche have Experience.

Itt cordeth well to search out Scripture,
Mysteries hid of Fowlys, Beeste, and Tree,
And of Angellys moost sotyl of Nature;
Of Myneralls, and Fysshes in the See,
And of Stonys specially of Three.
Oon Myneral another Vegetatyff,
Partyd on Foure to lengthe a Mannys lyffe.

Off whych I radde oonys among othir Stonys,
There was oon calyd Anymal;
Foure Elements wrought out for the noonys:
Erthe, Watir, and Ayre, and in especyall,
Joyned with Fyre proporcyon maad egal.
I dar seyn breefly and not tarye,
Is noon swych Stoone found in the Lapidarye.

Irad Oonys of a Phylosophre,
Ageyn ech syckenesse of valew doth moost cure,
All the Tresure and Gould in Craesus Coffre;
Nor all the Stoonys that grow by Nature,
Wrought by Craft or forgyd by Picture.
Lapis & non Lapis, Stoon of greetest fame,
Aristotiles gaff it the same name.

And for I have but little rad or seyne,
To write or medle of so high mateerys,
For presumcion some would have disdeyn;
To be so bold or clymbe in my desires:
To scale the Laddere above the nyne Speerys,
Or medle of Rubyes that yeve so cleere a light,
On hooly shrines in the dirk night.

I was nevir noon expert Joweleere,
In suych mateerys to put my sylfe in prees,
With Philosophres myn Eyen wer nat cleer,
Nowthir with Plato nor with Socratees:
Except the Prynce Aristotilees.
Of Philosophres to Alisaundre Kyng,
Wrott of this Stone the mervaylle in all werking.

In prevy wyse lych to hys Ententys,
Secretys hyd cloos in Phylosophye,
Fyrst departyng of the foure Elementys;
And aftyrward as he doth speceffye,
Every ech of hem for to recteffye.
And after thys lyk hys Oppynyon,
Of thys foure to make a Conjunccyon.

In suych wyse performe up thys Stoon,
Seene in the joynynge there be noone outrage
But the fals erryng hath founyd many one;
And brought hem aftyr in full greete rerage,
By Expensys and outragyous Costage.
For lak of brayn they wern maad soe wood,
Thyng to begynne whych they not understood.

For he that lyst putte in Experience,
Forboode secrees I hold hym but a foole,
Lyke hym that temptyth of wylfull neglygence,
To stonde up ryght on a three foote stoole,
Or sparyth a stewe, or fyssheth a bareyn poole.
Whan all is doon, he get noon othir grace,
Men wyl skorne hym and mokke hys foltish face.

Itt is no Crafft poore men t'assayle,
It causeth Coffers and Chestys to be bare,
Marryth wytts, and braynes doth affray;
Yit by wryting this booke doth declare,
And be Resons lyst not for to spare,
Wyth Golden Resouns in taast moost lykerous,
Thyng per Ignotum prevyd per Ignocius.

Title of this Booke Labor Philosophorum,
Namyd alsoe De Regimine principum,
Of Philosophres Secreta Secretorum,
Tresour compyled omnium Virtutum;
Rewle directory set up in a som,
As Complexions in helthe and sekenesse,
Dyspose them sylf to mornyng or to gladnesse.

The whych booke direct to the Kyng
Alysaundre both in the werre and pees,
Lyke hys request and royall commanding,
Full accomplished by Aristotiles,
Feble for Age and impotent doubtles,
Hoole of corage and trew in his entent;
T'obeye his byddyng this booke he to hym sent.

How Aristotle declareth to King Alysaundre of the Stonys.

TOwching the Stone of Philosophres Oold,
Of which they make moost Sovereyn mencyon;
But there is oon as Aristotle toold,
Which alle excelleth in Comparison,
Stoon of Stoonys moost Sovereyn of renoune;
Towching the vertue of this rych thyng,
Thus he wrote to the most sovereyn King.

O Alysaundre grettest of dignite,
Of al this World Monark and Regent,
And of al Nacyons hast the Sovereynte;
Echoon to obeye and been obedyent,
And to conclude the fyn of our entent,
All worldly Tresure breesly shet in oon,
Is declaryd in vertue of this Stoon.

Thou must first conceiven in substance,
By a maneer uncouth dyvysion;
Watir from Eyr by a disseverance:
And fyr from Eyr by a departicion,
Echoon preservyd from all Corruptyon.
As Philosophres a forme have speceffyed,
Which by Reason may not be denyed.

Watir from Eyr departyd prudently,
Eyr from Fyr and Fyr from Erthe don,
The Craft conceyved devyded truly,
Withouten Errour or Decepcyon,
Pure every Element in his Complexion.
As it perteyneth pleynly to his parte,
As is remembryd perfyghtly in this Arte.

This Stone of Colour is sometyme Citrynade,
Lyke the Sonne stremyd in his kynd,
Gold tressyd maketh hertes full glade;
With more Tresour then hath the Kyng of Inde,
Of pretyous Stoonys wrought in their kynde.
The Cetryn Colour for the Sonne bryght,
Whyte for the Morne that shyneth all the nyght.

This Philosophre brought forth in Paris,
Which of this Stoonys wroot fully the nature,
All the Dyvysion set by grett advys;
And thereuppon did his besy cure,
That the perfeccion long should endure,
Lyke the entent of Aristotles sonde,
Which none but he cowd well bryng on honde.

For though the mateer opynly nat toold,
Of this Stoonys what Phylosophres mente,
Aristotiles that was experte and Oold;
And he of Paris that forth this present sent,
And in all hys beheste feythfull true of Entent:
With Circumstances of Araby Inde & Perce,
Towching the Stoonys that Clerkys can reherse.

Hermogenes hadde hymselfe alloone,
With the seyd Phelip that with him was secre,
Knewh the vertue of every prevy Stone;
As they were dispoosyd of Degree,
From him was hyd noon uncouth prevyte.
This Hermogenes and he knewh every thing,
Of alle suych vertues as long to a Kyng.

THE FIRST CHAPTER.

IN the name of the holy Trinitie,
I will write of this Worke breiflie;
Leaving matters of circumstance,
And promise the truth to advance:
I will not write Figuratively,
But declare the Matter plainely,
And how things must be made to accord,
By Natures true worke and the helpe of our Lord:
The World is but one inclosed with heavens round,
Though divers matters and formes be therein found:
The Earth this worlds Center borne up by the Aire,
In kinde hath noe more but being baire,
And neerest to not being, Philosophers have told,
In kinde of Complexion is full dry and cold;
And now for my Figure of rotundity,
I will shew how Elements accord and disagree:
And though the Elements be so contrary,
Yett by heavens Influence they are brought to unite,
And when once togeather a body they binde,
Nought may them loosen without wrecke to the kinde.
First Fire in Nature is hott and dry,
Aire differs from Fire in moisture only:
Earth only for coldnesse from Fire disagrees,
This Concord and discord every man sees:
Aire hot and moist of complexion and kinde,
Water differs from Aire but in heate we finde:
Soe that in moysture we finde them both one;
Naturall heate in Water we finde none;
Water cold and moiste of Complexion is,
Earth differs from Water in drynes I wis:
Earth agrees with Fire in drynes noe doubte,
Thus one in another the Wheele turnes about.
From this round Circle proceeds a quadrant,
Each line unto another an equall distant:
And as the round Figure concludes all in One,
Soe the Quadrant of foure things makes distinction.
From this Quadrant a Fire must proceed,
Which is Animall, Vegitable and Minerall we reede:
And with the Fire I will begin;
Pray God I be not too bold therein.
The whole Composition of this world is fram'd,
Of the Three things which before I have nam'd:
Now to make things of Excellencie,
We must take things neerest Nobilitie;
And as this greate Masse conteines things Three,
Soe Blood, Flesh and Bone in the least World we see;
Yett lesse World and greate World is all but One;
Thus still we keepe an Unyon:
Whatsoever itt is that is alive,
Without Blood they may not thrive.
Sperme is Generacion of each thing,
Of what kinde soever itt bene;
Blood is Sperme be itt White or Redd,
For without Blood each thing is dead:
Blood conteineth the three things I have told,
And in his Tincture hath Nature of Gold:
Without Gold noe Mettle may shine bright,
Without Blood noe Body hath bene fitt of light:
Thus doth the greate and lesse World still,
Hold the Union according to Gods will:
Now of all things Blood Noblest is,
For nothing in the World may itt misse,
Blood hath true proporcion of the Elements foure,
And of the three species I spoke of before:
The Blood must be the principall matter of each thing,
Which hath any manner of increasing:
Mercury in Mettalls is the Blood certeine,
Sperme in Animalls getts the like againe;
Vegetable moysture from heaven so good,
Yett all these three are but Blood:
Then Blood in procreation is neerest of kinde,
This Secrett good Brother keepe close in thy mynde:
And uppon that Condition,
Which Blood thou shalt take I will make repeticion;
The true Blood of Mettalls is hard to have,
And long tyme of getting itt doth crave:
Blood of Vegetables hath moysture greate store,
And therefore to have itt requireth much labour:
The true Blood to finde without labour and cost,
Thou knowst where to have it ere thy witts be lost.
Seeke out the noblest as I said before,
For now of the Matter I dare say noe more.
This Secrett was never reveal'd till this tyme,
By any Mans writings that ere I could finde,
But I which by practice have found itt true,
Knew how things caused things to renew:
God grant noe Alchymists meete with my Booke,
For they would have Elixir by hooke or by crooke;
And he would spend what his Freinds wan,
And be as neere at the last as when he began,
And would promise to give men Gold greate store,
But beware thou of Expence, as I said before.

CHAP. II. Of the manner of the Worke.

NOW after the Matter the Manner compute,
How to bring this our Worke aboute:
First take the Matter crude as itt is,
Which will cost you little or nought I wis:
Searce it soe cleane as it may be,
Untill from filth itt is all free,
Which wilbee done in houres three or foure,
Then will it be cleare from his ill humour:
Then take the Faces which you shall finde,
In the same which the Matter left behind:
Purge him also with the noblest Element,
Untill that he to Earth be brent:
Then have you a Stone of wonderfull might,
With small Cost a secret right.
Take ye this Stone and use Millers Craft,
Till it be fine powder and made very soft:
Then give him the moisture which from him ye tooke,
Then use him as ye shall finde in this booke.
But give him noe other Drinke but of his owne kinde,
For elce you doe not after my mynde.
Let him drinke noe more then will suffice,
Beware of Floods I you advise:
Then search him twice againe as you did before,
And still put uppon his owne liquor:
Thus their first Order to passe is brought,
And your foulest Worke fully wrought.

CHAP. III. Of the second Order.

NOW the second Manner I will shew plaine,
How you shall worke it with little paine:
When your three searsings be done after my lore,
Then breake the Stone as you did before:
Then must you have one Veschell,
Which must be made like an Eggshell,
Into the which Vessell the Matter you must putt,
Then see that itt be well closed upp:
The Vessells divided in parts three,
Whereof two still voyde must bee:
This Vessell must be set in a kinde heate,
That the Matter may kindly sweate;
The Spiritts must not be opprest with Fire,
For then thou shalt never have thy desire;
Neither must thy Vessell have cold,
For then itt will spoile as Philosophers have told;
But keepe itt in a temperate heate alwayes,
For the space of fortie dayes:
Then Blackesse will appeare to sight,
That Blacknesse thou must bring to be White.
ake out t he Glasse at the forty dayes end,
And se that from cold thou doe itt defend;
And set itt in a Furnace with dry fire,
Till itt be White after thy desire,
Which wilbe done in Weekes three,
And dryed from his moysture utterly:
Then with the first Water thou first didst imbibe
Againe thou maist feede it att this tyde,
But give itt noe more, nor you doe thinke
May suffice at once for itt to drinke,
This done putrefy as you did before,
Even in the very selfe same maner,
And in the said tyme which it stoode before,
Itt will becom of blacke Colour,
And in the same Order if it congeale White,
Then is your Worke both perfect and right;
Now you must goe lerne the Bakers occupacion,
How he Leavens Bread by Fermentacion;
And truly to Ferment take noe plate of Gold,
But parte of that the plates doe hold.
You know that if Sol shew not a faire Tincture,
Itt will be had but in little honour,
Then Tincture of Gold is a most noble thing,
With a grace to noble men of our workeing,
For that true proverbe doth well accord,
Base things befitt not a noble Lord.
Now have I told you what Ferment is,
To teach you to Ferment I will not misse;
This Chapter is now brought to an end,
And now the third Order to shew I intend.

CHAP. IV. Of the third Order of this Worke.

RECIPE Sol that is pure and good,
And see that from him you take his pure blood,
Your Stone you must divide in parts three,
And the fourth of the Ferment must be.
If you will have for Red, and White too,
To Red after this Order you must doe,
And the White after the same,
Must be ferment with Lune by name,
And the matter equally divyde
One for the Red, the other for the White.
Another like Vessell for the White you must looke,
As before is taught you in this Booke.
When your Ferments to your matters be put,
Then your Vessell close you must shut;
And sett it to Putrifye as you did before,
The full tyme as I said of yore:
And use itt in every degree,
As in the next Chapter before you may see.
But looke that you knowe your two Ferments assunder,
Or elce of your folly itt were great wonder:
And when from his Blacknesse you have brought itt White,
Then have you Elixir of wonderfull might:
Your Red to his perfection is not fully brought,
But your White is perfectly wrought.
Your Red with most strong heate must be fedd
In a close Furnace untill itt be Redd:
When itt is Redd and will melt like waxe,
Then of all that should be nothing laxe.
Now have you a Stone of wonderfull might,
Which will take Mercury before his flight,
And command him to stay, and cause him to bring
All Mettalls unto him, and call him their Kinge,
And make such obedyence without Digression,
That of him they shall all take Impression;
Now have you a Stone of wonderfull power,
Which conteineth the three Species and the Elements foure:
Fire in Colour, Water by Effusion,
Earth to sight without delusion,
Aire is in Water all men doe knowe,
And thus the foure Elements accordeth nowe:
As for the three Species I will shewe,
How in your Stone you may them knowe:
Tincture for Blood perteineth to the Animall,
Moysture the Vegetable part possesse shall;
All Earth is Minerall without any doubt,
Thus keepe we in one Circle and never goe out.
Now have I my Figure perfectly wrought,
Yett of the Center I have said right nought.
A Center is a pricke of whatsoever itt be,
Without any manner of divisibilitie;
And made as Nature doth well provide,
So as no Accident may itt divide:
Only by hand but in the Quantitie,
But by noe Element seperate the Qualitie;
If in greate Fire you sett it downe,
A true Salamander itt wilbe found;
If in the Water thou throwe I wis,
It will live there as doth a Fish;
If in the Aire you cast it up hye,
There will it live, and never dye:
If in the Earth thou bury itt fast,
Then will it remaine there, and ever last.
Thus can no Element divide without doubt,
The Center which our Wheele turnes about:
Now how to Multiply your Medicine I trow,
Would doe you much good for to knowe;
For unlesse you know howe to Multiply,
Your Medicine will be spent quickly:
Then would itt put thy minde to much paine,
To thinke that thou must make itt againe:
Therefore the next Chapter shall teach thee right,
To Multiply this Stone of wonderfull might.

CHAP. V. How to Multiply.

NOW in this Chapter I meane to shewe,
How to Multiply that thou may knowe:
If Iron to the Load-stone be not put certeinly,
Itt will decreace wonderfully;
The Species of all things both more and lesse each one,
Are mainteyned by reason of Multiplication;
Then if they be not Multiplyed they decay,
But Multiplication makes them be all away.
All things after Conception receive naturall Food,
To mainteine their kind as Nature seeth good:
Soe likewise our Stone must needs Multiply,
Or elce the Species of that Stone will dye:
And Multiplication must needs be of such thing,
As the thing multiplied takes best likeing.
Fire which burneth perpetually,
If Matter want Fire will dye;
But for to feed our Stone rightly,
The way I will shewe presently.
Take your Glasse and Medicine withall,
And in a warme Fire sett itt you shall;
And when itt begins to liquefy,
Put common Mercury to itt by and by;
And itt wilbe devoured anon
By vertue of heate that is in our Stone,
And as much as you putt in quantitie,
Soe much doth your Medicine augment truly:
Yett you must have reason not for to cloye,
With overmuch cooling, kind heate thereby:
And as of a Dragme you will make a Pounde,
You may well do itt, if you keep round;
And when it is Multiplied sufficiently,
Then from the Fire set it by.
A man in this Land once I knewe,
That marred that he made, and so may yowe;
Except ye doe as I have taught,
And then neede you to feare nought.
Another I knewe which wanted good direccion,
And at once spent all at one projection.
These knew not howe itt should be multiplyed,
Which things I have taught you at this tyde;
But see that the Mercury wherewith ye Multiply,
Be made soe cleane as itt may be.

Now to make him extend his perfection,
It is needfull to know how to make projeccion:
Whereof in the next Chapter I will treate,
For of Multiplicacion I will noe more speake.

CHAP. VI. Of Projection.

NOw lacke we but onely this Lesson to take,
Perfectly projection for to make:
Take one parte of the Medicine, and of ☿︎ ♄︎ or Tinn,
But see that you make them exceeding cleane;
And when your Mettall doth Liquefy,
Then cast in your parte of Medicine quickly.
Then will it be brought to such a passe,
That all will be as brittle a glasse;
Take the brittle substance as it is,
And upon an (100.) to take doe not misse.
That 100. uppon 1000. soe still increase you may,
And project noe more when your Tincture doth decay.
This projection is sure without any doubt,
Thus is our Wheele turned round about.
In what Vessell to project I need not to tell,
For a Maister of his Arte knoweth it very well;
To project on Mettalls nowe you knowe,
And to project on mans body nowe will I shewe.
First the Body must be purged well,
And by swetting and bathing be made suttell.
And when you are cleane according to your minde,
Take a dragme of your Medicine with the Quintessence of Wine;
Such a suddeine alteration itt will showe,
As you need not to feare Corruption noe moe:
Nowe of his Vertues I need not to declare,
They are fully shewne by others elce-where.
Now to the holy Trinitie I thee commend,
Thankeing him my Worke is at an end:
Chargeing thee this Secret from bad men to keepe,
Though with greate Importance of thee they itt seeke;
And beware itt goe not from thy hand,
Except to a perfect honest man.
By Bookes the true Worke I could never finde,
Therefore left I this Booke behinde,
That to whose share soever itt might fall,
By itt they might know our Secretts all.
God grant noe Multiplyer meete with my Booke,
Nor noe sinister Clerkes thereon to looke;
Then will they pay their debts surely,
And build Churches, and Steeples very hye;
Keepe itt from these folkes I thee pray,
As thou wilt answere before God att last day:
For whatsoever hath bin said to our worke doth accord,
Therefore give honour, prayse, and thankes to our Lord;
Holy and Reverend be his Name,
Which to me vile Synner hath revealed the same.

THE HERMET'S TALE.

IN Pilgrimage one onely thing I found
Of worth in Lemnes nere to Vulcan's shopp,
A Christall founteine running under ground,
Between a Vally and a Mounteines topp.
Pleas'd with this sight, I bid a Hermite tell
The story of the place, who there did dwell.

Within this Vale a hallowe dusky Cave
There is (quoth he) of greate Antiquity,
Where plumes of Mars blew greene and red you have:
Torne from his crest for his Iniquity.
The Troope of Smiths, as he for Venus lay,
Surpris'd and tooke him, yett he gett away.

For as the Cyclops him in tryumph brought,
To halting Vulcan to receive his doome,
They lifted up his beaver, and found nought
But vacant place and Armour in the roome.
Of th'armour then they thought they had good prize,
But working it they found itt scyndarize.

The Smiths amaz'd finding themselves deluded,
Satt all in Counsaile in their Masters Denne,
Deliberating well, at length concluded,
There is no equall War twixt Godds and men,
Lett's finde the Angry God and pardon crave,
Lett's give him Venus our poore selves to save.

They sought in Heaven Mars knew his fact so bad,
He came out there, then one began to tell,
Saturne turn'd from his Throne, a Place had
Not far from thence, hard by this Christall Well.
Thither they wen, and found two Gods alone,
Sitting within a darke, but glittering throne.

Downe fell old Vulcan on his crooked knee,
And said forgive, O mighty God of Warr,
My servants and my selfe (once God as yee)
Then use thy will with Venus my faire starr.
Saturne (quoth Mars) and I must not yet part,
Though shee for whom th'art pard'ned hath my heart.

With this the Cuckold with his sweaty Troope
Went to his Forge and seem'd to make a legg,
Att every steppe, where halting made him stoope,
In thankes to Mars, granting what he did begg;
In whose remembrance you shall ever have
Syndars, and fetters in that hollow Cave.

But lett me tell you all that then befell,
Iove seeing this, meaning the Smith to right,
Sent downe a winged God, he trusted well,
Disguis'd in habitt of a shineing light,
Which to the Vally from the Hill's high topp,
Affrighted all the smiths in Vulcans shopp.

A voyce was heard from Ioves Embassadour,
To summon Mars t'appeare before the Gods:
With Saturne forth came Venus Paramour:
Thinkeing with might to gett of right the odds:
Downward came he 9. myles, they upward fower,
All mett in mist, he fledd, they nere went lower.

Vulcan came hobling up to se what's done,
He findes nor light, nor Gods, but other shape;
To witnesse of this fact he calls the Sonne,
Who streght cryes Murther, and made hast to scape:
Some dyeing Soule groan'd forth, Apollo stay,
Helpe wise Apollo ere thou goest away.

With this Apollo lookeing round about,
Espies this fountaine knowes the voice was here,
And boweing downe to finde the party out,
Himselfe unto himselfe doth streyght appeare.
There gaz'd he till a sturdy showre of rayne
Tooke wise Apollo from himselfe againe.

Farewell Apollo then Apollo sayd,
To morrow when this storme is fully past,
Ile turne and bring some comfortable ayd,
By which Ile free thee ere the latter cast.
Then did itt cry as if the voyce were spent,
Come sweete Apollo, soe itt downwards went.

Vulcan went to his Forge, the Sonne to bed,
But both were up betimes to meete againe;
Next morne after the storme a pale soule dead
Was found att bottome of this faire Fountaine.
Smith (said Apollo) helpe to lade this spring,
That I may raise to life yonder dead thing.

Then Vulcan held Apollo by the heele,
While he lades out the Waters of the Well;
Boweing and straining made Apollo feele
Blood from his nose, that in the fountaine fell.
Vulcan (quoth he) this Accident of blood
Is that or nought must doe this Creature good.

He spake the word, and Vulcan sawe itt done,
Looke Sol (said he) I see itt changeth hue,
Fewe Gods have vertue like to thee ô Sonne,
From pale itt is become a ruddy blue;
Vulcan (quoth Phoebus) take itt to thy forge,
Warme it, rubb it, lett itt caste the Gorge.

Thus Vulcan did, itt spued the Waters out,
And then itt spake and cry'de itt was a cold;
Then Vulcan stuft and cloath'd it round about,
And made the Stone as hott as ere itt would.
Thus fourteene dayes itt sickly did indure,
The Sonne came every day to se the cure.

As itt grewe well the Colours went and came,
Blew, Blacke, White, Redd, as by the warmth & heate,
The humours moved were within the same,
Then Phoebus bid him put it in a sweate;
Which Vulcan plyde soe well, it grue all Red,
Then was itt sound, and cald for drinke and bread.

Stay (quoth Apollo) though itt call for meate,
Disgestion yett is weeke, 'twill breede relapse,
By surfett, therefore ere you lett itt eate,
Some little exercise were good perhapps,
Yett had itt broath alowde the strength to keepe,
But when 'twas on his leggs it would scarce creepe.

Sol sawe some reliques left of th'ould disease,
A solutine (quoth he) were good to clense,
With which the sicknesse he did so appease,
Health made the Patyent seeke to make amense;
Who went away three weekes, then brought a Stone,
That in projection yeelded ten for one.

This did he lay downe att Apollo's feete,
And said by cureing one th'hast saved three:
Which three in this one present joyntly meete,
Offring themselves which are thine owne to thee.
Be our Physitian, and as we growe old,
Wee'le bring enough to make new worlds of Gold.

With that this Hermite tooke me by the hand
And ledd me to his Cell; Loe here (quoth he)
Could'st thou but stay, and truly understand
What thou now seest, thou knowst this Mystery.
I stayd, I saw, I tryde, and understood,
A Heav'n on Ea[…]th, an everlasting good.

A DISCRIPTION of the STONE.

THough Daphne fly from Phoebus bright,
Yet shall they both be one,
And if you understand this right,
You have our hidden Stone.
For Daphne she is faire and white:
But Volatile is she;
Phoebus a fixed God of might,
And red as blood is he.
Daphne is a Water Nymph,
And hath of Moysture store,
Which Phoebus doth consume with heate,
And dryes her very sore.
They being dryed into one,
Of christall flood must drinke,
Till they be brought to a white Stone:
Which wash with Virgins milke,
So longe untill they flow as wax,
And no fume you can see,
Then have you all you neede to aske,
Praise God and thankfull be.

The standing of the Glasse for the tyme of the Putrifaction, & Congelation of the MEDICINE.

THe Glasse with the Medicine must stand in the fyre desire,
Forty dayes till it be Blacke in sight;
Forty dayes in the Blacknesse to stand he will
And then forty dayes more, till itt be White,
And thirty in the drying if thou list to doe right;
And then is the Sulphur perfectly Calcinate,
To drinke up his moysture for him, being preparate.

In this tyme the Glasse neither open nor shutt,
But still let him stand all the aforesaid dayes,
Not once from the Furnace that ye take him upp:
For by Cooling the Matter the Medicine decayes,
Therefore you must Fire continue alwayes,
In one measure and temperatenes of heate,
Untill all be White, and the Sulphur compleate.

This heate sufficeth for this principle one,
Which is the cheife ground of our Secretts all,
Without which Knowledg thou must not make the Stone,
If thou labour thy lyfe tyme, not prosper thou shall,
Therefore merry beware thou doe not fall.
But first truly learne, before thou beginne,
And so to true workeing thou shalt the better wynne.

Follow this Booke, and wander not aside
Out of the way, to the left hand, nor the right,
But streight betweene both directly you guide
Thy Worke, soe as I to thee doe write,
For in this Booke I will thee plainely excite,
How thou shalt make the Philosophers Lead,
That is Elixir to the White and the Redd.

And then the Golden Oyle called Aurum potabile,
A Medicine most mervelous to preserve Mans health,
And of Transmutation the greatest that can bee,
For in the same Oyle is nothing but wealth;
Then glorious he is in the power of himselfe:
For noe sicknesse can stand where he is in place,
Nor povertie dwell in the pleasures of his Face.

Aenigma Philosophicum.

THere is no light, but what lives in the Sunne;
There is no Sunne, but which is twice begott;
Nature and Arte the Parents first begonne:
By Nature 'twas, but Nature perfects not.
Arte then what Nature left in hand doth take,
And out of One a Twofold worke doth make.

A Twofold worke doth make, but such a worke
As doth admitt Division none at all
(See here wherein the Secret most doth lurke)
Unlesse it be a Mathematicall.
It must be Two, yet make it One and One,
And you do take the way to make it None.

Lo here the Primar Secret of this Arte,
Contemne it not but understand it right,
Who faileth to attaine this formost part,
Shall never know Artes force nor Natures might.
Nor yet have power of One and One so mixt,
To make by One fixt, One unfixid fixt.

D. D. W. Bedman.