Sir Edward Kelley’s Worke; The Testament of John Dee; Thomas Robinson, De Lapide Philosophorum and other pieces

SIR EDWARD KELLE'S VVORKE.

ALL you that faine Philosophers would be,
And night and day in Geber's kitchin broyle,
Wasting the chipps of ancient Hermes Tree,
Weening to turne them to a pretious Oyle,
The more you worke the more you loose and spoile.
To you I say, how learned soever you be,
Goe burne your Bookes and come and learne of me.

Although to my one Booke you have red tenn,
Thats not inough, for I have heard it said,
The greatest Clarkes ar not the wisest men,
A Lion once a silly Mouse obeyd,
In my good will so hold your selves appaid:
And though I write not halfe so sweete as Tully,
Yet shall you finde I trace the stepps of Lully.

Yt doth you good to thinke how your desire,
And selfe-conceit doth warrantize vaine hope,
You spare no cost, you want no coals for fier,
You know the vertues of the Elitrope,
You thinke your selves farr richer then the Pope.
What thinge hath being either high or low,
But their Materia prima you do know.

Elixir vitae, and the precious Stone,
You know as well as how to make an Apple;
If'te come to the workinge then let you alone,
You know the coullers black brown bay and dapple,
Controwle you once then you begin to fraple.
Swearing and saying, what a fellow is this?
Yet still you worke but ever worke amisse.

No no, my friends, it is not vauntinge words,
Nor mighty oaths that gaines that sacred skill;
It is obteined by grace and not by swords;
Nor by greate reading, nor by long sitting still,
Nor fond conceipt nor working all by will.
But as I said by grace it is obteined,
Seeke grace, therefore, let folly be refrained.

It is no costly thing I you assure,
That doth beget Magnesia in hir kind.
Yet is hir selfe by leprosie made pure:
Hir eyes be cleerer being first made blind:
And he that can Earths fastnes once unbind,
Shall quickly know that I the truth have tould,
Of sweete Magnesia, Wife to purest Gold.

Now what is meant by Man and Wife is this,
Agent and Patient, yet not two but one,
Even as was Eva, Adams Wife I wisse:
Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone,
Such is the Unionhood of our precious Stone.
As Adam slept untill his Wife was made,
Even so our Stone, ther can no more be said.

By this you se how thus it came to passe,
That first was Man, and Woman then of him:
Thus Adam heere as first and cheefest was,
And still remaineda Man of perfect limme,
Then Man and Wife were joynd together trimme.
And each in love to other straight addressed them,
And did increase their kind when God had blessed them.

Even so the Man our Stone is said to sleepe,
Untill such time his Wife be fully wrought;
Then he awakes, and joyfully doth keepe
His new made Spouse, which he so dearely bought,
And when to such perfection they be brought,
Rejoyce the beauty of so faire a bride,
Whose worth is more then halfe the world beside.

I doubte as yet you hardly understand,
What Man or Wife doth truly signifie,
And yet I know you beare your selves in hand,
That out of doubt it Sulpher is and Mercury,
And so yt is, but not the common certeinly:
But Mercury essentiall is trewly the trew Wife,
That killes her selfe to bring her Child to life.

For first and formost she receaves the Man,
Her perefct love doth make her soone conceive:
Then doth she strive with all the force she can,
In spite of love, of life him to bereave,
Which being done, then will she never leave,
But labour kindly like a loving Wife,
Untill againe she him have brought to life.

Then he againe her kindnesse to requite,
Upon her head doth set a Crowne of glory,
And to her praise he Poems doth indite,
Whose Poems make each Poet write a story,
And that she slew him then she is not sorry.
For he by vertue of his loving Wife,
Not only lives, but also giveth life.

But here I wish you rightly understand,
How heere he m[…]k[…]s his Concubine his Wife,
Which if you know not, do not take in hand,
This worke which unto fooles is nothing rife,
And looke you make attonem[…]nt where is strife.
Then strip th[…] Man into his shi[…]t of T[…]shew,
And her out of her smock to ingender yssue.

To tell you troath he wanteth for no Wives
In Land, or Sea, in Water, Air, or F[…]re,
Without their deaths he wa[…]eth not their lives.
Except they live he wants his cheif desire,
He bindes them prentice to the righte[…] D[…]er,
And when they once all Sorrowes have abidden,
Then finde they Ioyes which from them first were hidden.

For then they finde the Joy of sweete encrease,
They bring forth Children beautifull to sight.
The which are able Prisners to release;
And to the darkest Bodyes give true light,
Their hevenly Tincture is of such great might.
Oh! he that can but light on such a treasure,
Who would not thinke his Joyes were out of measure?

Now by this question I shall quickly know
If you can tell which is his Wife indeede:
Is she quick footed, faire faced yea or no,
Flying or fixed as you in Bookes do reade?
Is she to be fed or else doth she feede?
Wherein doth she joy, where's her habitation?
Heavenly or Earthly, or of a strange nacion?

What is she poore? or is she of any wealth?
Bravely of her attyre, or meane in her apparrell?
Or is she sick? or is she in perfect health?
Mild of her Nature? or is she given to quarrell?
Is she a Glutton? or loves she the Barrell?
If any one of these you name her for to be,
You know not his Wife, nor never did her see.

And that will I prove to you by good reason,
That truly noe one of all these is she,
This is a question to you that is geason:
And yet some parte of them all she must be,
Why then, some parte is not all you may see.
Therefore the true Wife which I doe meane,
Of all these Contraries is the Meane betweene.

As Meale and Water joyned both together,
Is neither Meale nor Water now but Dow;
Which being baked, is Dow nor Water neither:
Nor any more will each from other goe,
The meane betweene is Wife, our Wife even so:
And in this hidden point our seacret lyes,
It is enough, few words content the wise.

Now by this simile heere I do reveale,
A mighty Seacret if you marke it well;
Call Mercury Water, imagine Sulphur Meale,
What Meale I meane I hope the wise can tell:
Bake them by craft, make them together dwell,
And in your working make not too much hast,
For Wife she is not while she is in Paste.

This lesson learn'd now give me leave to play,
I shall the fitter be to learne another,
My minde is turn'd cleane cam another way.
I doe not love sweete secret thoughts to smother,
It is a Child you know that makes a Mother.
Sith so it is then must we have a Childe,
Or else of Motherhood we are beguild.

What will you say if I a wonder tell you,
And prove the Mother is Child and Mother too?
Do you not thinke I goe about to sell you
A bargaine in sport, as some are wont to do?
Ist possible the Mother, to weare her Infants shoe?
In faith it is in our Philosophy,
As I will prove by reason by and by.

Ripley doth bid you take it for no scorne,
With patience to attend the true Conjunccion,
For saith he in the Aire our Child is borne,
There he receiveth the holy Unction,
Also with it a heavenly function.
For after death reviv'd againe to lyfe,
This all in all both Husband Child and Wife.

Whilst all is Earth Conception it is termed,
And Putrefaction tyme of lying in,
Perfect Conjunction (by artes-men is affirmd)
The womans Childing where doth all Ioy beg
Who knowes not this, his witts are very thin.
When she is strong and shineth faire and bright,
She's tearm'd the VVife most beautifull to sight.

Loe thus you see that you are not beguil'd;
For if you marke it I have proved by Reason,
How both is one the Mother and the Child,
Conception, Breeding, Childing, every season:
I have declared to you without all Treason,
Or any false ambiguous word at all;
And hewn you worke then finde it true you shall.

This is that Mercury essentiall truly,
Which is the principall of the Stone materiall,
And not those crude Amalgames began newly;
These are but Mercuries superficiall,
This is that Menstrue of perfect […]incturiall:
This is most truly that One thing,
Out of the which all profitt must springe.

If this content you not, abide displeas'd for me,
For I have done. If Reason take no place,
What can be said, but that there doubts will be,
Doe what one can, where folly wins the race.
Let it suffice, this is the perfect Base,
Which is the Stone that must dissolved be.
How that is done I will declare to thee.

This is the Stone that Ripley bidds you take,
(For untill thus it be it is no Stone)
Be rul'd by me, my councell not forsake,
And he commands, Let Crudities alone,
If thou have grace to keep thee free from moan.
Then stick to this, let Phansey not o'resway thee,
Let Reason rule, for Phansey will betray thee.

Take thou this Stone, this Wife, this Child, this All.
Which will be Gummous, crumbling, silken, soft:
Upon a Glasse or Porphire beat it small,
And as you grinde, with Mercury feede it oft,
But not so much that Mercury swim aloft,
But equall parts, nipt up their seed to save;
Then each in other are buried within their grave.

When thus and there you have it as is said,
Worke in all points as Nature wrought at first:
For Blacknes had thow needest not be afraid,
It wilbe White, then art thou past the worst,
Except th ou breake thy Glasse and beaccurst;
But if through Blacknes thou to Whitenes march,
Then will it be both White and soft as Starch.

This very place is cal'd by many names,
As Imbibition, Feeding, Sublimation,
Clyming high Mountaines, also Childrens Games;
And rightly it is termed Exaltation,
When all is nothing else but Circulation
Of the foure Elements whatsoere fooles clatter,
Which is done by heate upon Forme and Matter.

Earth is the lowest Element of All
Which Black, is exalted into Water,
Then no more Earth but Water wee it call;
Although it seeme a black Earthy matter,
And in black dust all about will scatter,
Yet when soe high as to Water it hath clym'd,
Then is it truly said to be Sublym'd

When this black Masse againe is become White,
Both in and out like snow and shining faire,
Then this Child, this Wife, this Heaven so bright,
This Water Earth sublimed into Aire,
When there it is it further will prepare
It selfe into the Element of Fire,
Then give God thankes for granting thy desire.

This Black, this White, doe we call Seperation,
Which is not manuall but Elementall;
It is no crude Mercuriall Sublimation,
But Natures true worke consubstantiall,
The White is called Conjunction naturall,
Secret and perfect Conjunction not grosse;
Which bringeth profitt all other losse.

When thrice yee have turned this Wheele about,
Feeding and working it as I have said,
Then will it flow like Wax without doubt:
Giving a Tincture that will not vade.
Abiding all tryalls that can be made.
If wisely Project you can and keepe free,
Both profitt and creditt to you it wilbe.

Your Medicine fixed and perfectly flowing,
White you must thinke will Whitenes increase;
So Red begets Red as Seede in the sowing
Begetteth his like or as kinde doth in Beasse,
And fire must be the true maker of peace:
For white or red Ferment your Medicine augmenteth,
And perfectly tinckteth and soone it relenteth.

That is to say, your Medicine ended,
If White melt downe Silver and thereon Project it,
If Red melt downe Sol, for so it is intended;
Like unto like in no wise reject it,
And out of the purest looke you elect it.
Medicen one parte upon Ferment ten,
That One on one Thousand of Jupiter then.

Your Jupiter standing red hot on the fyre,
So soone as your Medicine upon him is cast,
Presently standeth so hard as a Wyre,
For then he is fixed and melteth by blast,
And of all your working thisis the last.
Then let it by Test or strong water be tryde,
The best Gold or Silver no better shall bide.

Mercury erude in a Crucible heated,
Presently hardeneth lik Silver anealed;
And in the high Throwne of Luna is seated,
Silver or Gold as Medicine hath sealed:
And thus our greate Secret I have reveled.
Which divers have seene, and my selfe have wrought,
And dearely I prize it, yet give it for nought.

E. K.

FINIS.

SIR ED: KELLEY CONCERNING the Philosophers Stone written to his especiall good Freind, G. S. Gent.

THe heavenly Cope hath in him Natures fower,
Two hidden; but the rest to sight appeare:
Wherein the Spermes of all the Bodies lower;
Most secrett are, y[…]tt spring forth once a yeare,
And as the Earth with Water, Authors are,
So of his parte is Drines end of care.

No Flood soe greate as that which floweth still,
Nothing more fixt than Earth digested thrise:
No Winde so fresh as when it serveth will;
No Profitt more, then keepe in, and be wise,
No better happ, then drie up Aire to dust,
For then thou maist leave of, and sleepe thy lust.

Yett will I warne thee least thou chaunce to faile,
Sublyme thine Earth with stinkeing Water erst,
Then in a place where Phaebus onley tayle
Is seene att midday, see thou mingle best:
For nothing shineth that doth want his light,
Nor doubleth beames, unlosse it first be bright.

Lett no man leade, unlesse he know the way
That wise men teach, or Adrop leadeth in,
Whereof the first is large and easiest pray;
The other hard, and meane but to begin.
For surely these and no one more is found,
Wherein Appollo will his harp-strings sound.

Example learne of GOD that plaste the Skyes,
Reflecting vertues from and t'every poynt,
In which the mover wherein all things lyes,
Doth hold the vertues all of every Joynt:
And therefore Essence fift may well be said,
Conteining all and yett himselfe a Maid.

Remember also how the Gods began,
And by Discent who was to each the Syre,
Then learne their Lives and Kingdomes if you can,
Their Manners eke, with all their whole Attire;
Which if thou doe, and know to what effect;
The learned Sopheis will thee not reject,

If this my Doctrine bend not with thy brayne,
Then say I nothing though I said too much:
Of truth tis good will moved me, not gaine,
To write these lynes: yett write I not to such
As catch at Crabs, when better fruits appeare,
And want to chuse at fittest time of yeare.

Thou maist (my Freind) say, what is this for lore?
I answere, such as auncient Phyficke taught:
And though thou read a thousand Bookes before,
Yett in respect of this, they teach thee Naught:
Thou mayst likewise be blind, and call me Foole
Yett shall these Rules for ever praise their Schoole.

TESTAMENTUM JOHANNIS DEE PHILOSOPHI SUMMI ad Johannem Gwynn, transmissum 1568.

THis Letter third and last I minde to make,
At your request for very vertues sake;
Your written panges, and methods set aside,
From that I byd, looke that you never slide.
Cut that in Three, which Nature hath made One,
Then strengthen hyt, even by it self alone,
Wherewith then Cutte the poudred Sonne in twayne,
By length of tyme, and heale the woonde againe.
The self same Sunne twys yet more, ye must wounde,
Still with new Knives, of the same kinde, and grounde;
Our Monas trewe thus use by natures Law,
Both binde and lewse, only with rype and rawe,
And ay thanke God who only is our Guyde,
All is ynugh, no more then at this Tyde.

THOMAS ROBINSONUS DE LAPIDE PHILOSOPHORUM.

THe Heavens, the Earth, and all that in them is,
Were in six Dayes perfected from Abisse:
From One sprung foure; from foure a second One;
This last a Gritt; that first the Corner Stone.
Without the First the Last may not be had;
Yet to the First the Last is too too bad.
When from the Earth the Heavens were seperated,
Were not the Heavens with Earth first cohobated?
And when the Heavens, and Earth and all were not;
Were onely Heavens create; and Earth forgott?
No: Heavens, and Earth sprung all from one at first:
Then who can say or Heavens, or Earth is worst?
Is not the Earth the Mother of them all?
And what the Heavens, but Earths essentiall?
Although they have in Heaven no Earthly residence,
Yet in the Earth doth rest their Heavenly influence:
Were not the Earth, what were the other Three?
Were not the Heavens, what on the Earth could be?
Thus as they came, so shall they passe together;
But unto Man not knowne from whence, or whither.
And for the tyme of Earths Heaven purifying,
Six thousand yeares they live, and have their dying:
Then all shall rest eternall and divine,
And by the beauty of the Godhead shine.
I sweare there is noe other truth but this
Of that great Stone; which many seeke and misse.

FINIS.

EXPERIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY.

HAve you not heard yee Princes great, you Lords & Ladies all,
Of the mishap and heavy chaunce that now of late did fall?
A wofull Tale to tell
VVho could expresse it well:
Oh that some learned Poet had byne
With me, to se that I have sene:
Or else some other standing by,
That well could write a Tragidy
Of lasting fame and memory.
For yet not since this VVorld began,
Such cry, such clamour as was than
Heard never any earthly Man.

Experience that Princesse greate, I saw her in her Throne
Of glory, where her Majesty delightes to sitt upon;
And on her wayting by
A blessed Company
Of Virgins pure, that as I gesse,
VVere Children to that great Goddesse:
Their Princely port, their Comly grace,
Their pierles featur'd hands and face
Did shew them of most Noble race:
But of their prudent skill to tell,
In Artes where in they did excell,
No earthly Tongue can do it well.

And as I gazed thus upon that strange and dreadfull sight,
I saw how that Experience did teach these Ladies right,
The seven Artes Divine,
With desent discipline,
By divers rules and orders grave,
As she thought good for them to have.
But for to see how diligent
And buisily their time they spent
To learne those Artes most excellent,
The endlesse travells that they tooke
From place to place, from booke to booke,
Amazed me on them to looke.

For some in divers Languages did reason and dispute,
And other some did sing and play on Organ, Harpe and Flute;
And some with Compasse found
All Measures square and round:
And some by Cyphering could tell
Infinite Summes and Numbers well:
And some with Eloquence began
As Poets and Orators to scan
The Causes betweene Man and Man:
And some upon the Stars did gaze,
And other some sat 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 sought out the privity:
This Rocky Earth, this heavy Masse,
This Articke Virgin, this let not passe
To seeke the thing that therein was:
But put themselves in presse to creepe
Into the Center of the Deepe,
Where sundry Soules and Spirits doe sleepe.

This thing Experience gan prudently to debate,
VVith cheerefull looke and voyce full mylde, as seemed to her state.
And soone decreed she
Of her benignity:
Not for their sundry paines I take,
But only for her Glory sake,
That all these Ladies in a row
Should further of her Secrets know,
That from her Majesty did grow;
VVherewith to Councell called shee
A Lady grave of greate degree,
That named was Philosophy.

And after their discourse and talke, that Lady fell downe flatt
On hands & knees before the Queene in heaven where she satt.
And looking upon her face
Did say unto her grace:
Blessed be thou Experience,
Full mighty is thy Influence;
Thy wondrous workes records full well
In wordell of wordels where thou doest dwell,
In Earth, in Heaven, and in Hell;
That thou art now the very same,
That of Nothing All things did frame,
VVherefore now blessed be thy Name.

Wherewith the Heavens opened, and fiery flames did fall
Downe from the Throne of endles Joy and seate imperiall,
Where Angels infinite
Like glistering Starrs did fitt:
So pure and simple was the Light,
As all the World had burnt bright;
The flames and floods began to roare,
And did present their hidden store,
Of Spirits that fing for evermore,
All glory and magnificence,
All humble thankes and reverence
Be given to EXPERIENCE.

Then sylence fell upon the face of Heaven Christalline
Where all the Powers mustered full ready […]o encline;
To that most Sapient,
The high Omnipotent:
That said be it, and it was don,
Our Earth, our Heaven were begun;
I am said it the most of might,
In worde in lyfe and eke in light.
I am Mercy and Judgment right,
The Depth is myne so is the Hight:
The Cold, the Hot, the Moyst, the Dry,
Where All in All is there am I.

What thing can tell when I began, or when I make an end?
Wherewith I wrought, and what I mought, or what I did intend?
To doe when I had done
The worke I had begun.
For when my Being was alone
One thing I made when there was none,
A Masse confused darkely clad
That in it selfe all Nature had
To form and shape the good and bad;
And then as Tyme began to fall,
It pleased me the same to call
The first Matter, Mother of all.

And from that Lumpe divided I foure sundry Elements,
Whom I commanded for to raigne in divers Regiments:
In Kinde they did agree,
But not in Quality.
Whose simple Substance I did take,
My seate invisible to make:
And of the Qualites compound,
I made the Starry Sky so round
VVith living Bodyes on the ground;
And blessed them infinitely,
VVith lyfe and long prosperity,
And bad them grow and Multiply.

Respecting these divided things so created by me,
Their light and lively spreading forth of them in their degree;
Retourning to the Masse,
VVhere there begining was,
And saw the refuse of the same,
How Voyd and Empty it became,
All darke, and nothing to remaine,
I put with wrath and greate disdaine,
My only Curse there for to raygne;
For I the Author of all Light
Did banish Darknes from my sight,
And blessed all things that shined bright,

So that I mard nothing I made, for that I made is still,
And so shalbe unto the end, only to worke my will:
One thing was first imployd,
And shall not be destroid,
It compasseth the VVorld so round,
A Matter easy to be found:
And yet most hardest to come by:
A Secret of Secrets pardye,
That is most vile and least set by,
And it my Love and my Darling,
Conceived with all living thing,
And travells to the VVorlds ending.

What neede have I of mans Devise of Peny or of Pound,
Of Gold or Silver, Lead or Tynn, or Copper in the ground,
Iron or Silver Quick,
Whereat the blind do prick;
Of Cankered Corosives that rust,
By Salts and sulphurs all to dust?
Seeke out therefore my darllng deare;
For unto me it is most neere,
My spouse my Love and my Compeare:
And unto it looke thou direct
My seaven Children long elect,
That all things else they might reject.

A Child begetting his owne Father, and bearing his Mother,
Killing himselfe to give lyfe, and light to all other:
Is yt that I do meane,
Most myld and most extreame.
Did not the Word that dwelt in me
Take forme and walked visibly;
And did not I then dwell in it,
That dwelt in me for to unite
Three powers in one seate to sit?
And then Experience did say
Now knowest thou all, heere lyes the Key,
And then she vanisht cleane away.

There with arose Phylosophy as one filled with grace,
Whose looks did shew that she had byne in some Heavenly place:
For oft she wipt her Eyes,
And oft she bowd her knees.
And oft she kist the Steps with dread,
VVhereon Experience did tread;
And oft she cast her Head on high
And oft full low she cast her Eye
Experience for to espy:
But when she saw that she was gon,
And that her selfe was left alone:
I never hread thing make such mone.

FINIS.

THE MAGISTERY.

THrough want of Skill and Reasons light
Men stumble at Noone day;
Whilst buisily our Stone they seeke,
That lyeth in the way.

Who thus do seeke they know not what
Is't likely they should finde?
Or hitt the Marke whereat they ayme
Better then can the Blinde?

No, Hermes Sonns for Wisdome aske
Your footesteps shee'le direct:
Shee'le Natures way and secret Cave
And Tree of lyfe detect.

Son and Moone in Hermes vessell
Learne how the Collours shew,
The nature of the Elements,
And how the Daisies grow.

Greate Python how Appollo slew,
Cadmus his hollow-Oake:
His new rais'd army, and Iason how
The Fiery Steeres did yoke.

The Eagle which aloft doth fly
See that thou bring to ground;
And give unto the Snake some wings,
Which in the Earth is found.

Then in one Roome sure binde them both,
To fight till they be dead;
And that a Prinee of Kingdomes three
Of both them shalbe bred.

Which from the Cradle to his Crowne,
Is fed with his owne blood;
And though to some it seemeth strange,
He hath no other Foode.

Into his Virgin-Mothers wombe,
Againe he enter must;
Soe shall the King by his new-byrth,
Be ten times stronger just.

And able is his foes to foile,
The dead he will revive:
Oh happy man that understands
This Medicen to atchive!

Hoc opus exigium nobis fert ire per altum. DECEMBER, 1633. W. B.