The Worke of John Dastin; Pearce the Black Monke upon the Elixir; The Worke of Richard Carpenter

THE WORKE OF JOHN DASTIN.

NOt yet full sleping, nor yet full waking,
But betweene twayne lying in a traunce;
Halfe closed mine Eyne in my slumbering,
Like a Mā rapt of all cheer & countenance;
By a manner of weninge & Remembrance
Towards Aurora, ere Pheebus uprose,
I dreamed one came to me to doe me pleasaunce
That brought me a Boke with seaven seales close.

Following upon I had a wonderfull dreame,
As semed unto my inward thought,
The face of him shone as the Sun-beame:
Which unto me thys hevenly Boke brought,
Of so greate Riches that yt may not be bought,
In order set by Dame Philosophie,
The Capitall and the flowrishing wrought
By a wise Prince called Theologie.

Thys Boke was written with letters aureat,
Perpetually to be put in memory,
And to Apollo the Chapters consecrate,
And to the seaven Gods in the hevenly Consistory:
And in Mercuries litle Oratory,
Groweth all the fruite in breefe of thys Science,
Who can expresse hem and have of hem Victory,
May clayme the tryumph of his Minerall prudence.

Of this matter above betweene Starrs seaven,
By Gods and Goddesses all of one assent,
Was sent Caducifer to Erth downe form Heaven:
Saturnus as Bedell by great advisement;
For to summon a generall Parliament,
By concord of all both old and younge of age,
To say in Breife their Councell most prudent:
For Common proffit to knitt up a Marriage.

Betweene twaine Borne of the Imperiall blood,
And descended from Iupiters line,
Of their Natures most pure and most good;
Wythowte infeccion their seede is most divine:
That noe Eclips may let them for to shine,
So that Mercury doth stint all debate,
And restraine their Courage by meaknes them incline;
That of frowardnes they be not indurate.

For the Sunne that sitteth so heigh a loft,
His golden dew-droppes shall cleerely raigne downe,
By the meane of Mercury that moven first made soft:
Then there schalbe a glad Conjunccion,
Whan there is made a Seperacion:
And their two Spermes by Marriage are made one;
And the said Mercury by devision,
Hath taken his flight and from both is gone.

These be the two Mercuries cheife of Philosophers,
Revived againe with the Spirit of lyfe,
Richer then Rubies or Pearles shut in Cofeurs;
Washed and Baptized in waters vegitative,
The body dissevered with heate nutrative:
By moderate moysture of Putrefaccion;
So that there is no excesse nor no strife
Of the foure Elements in their Conjunccion.

The graine of Wheate which on the ground doth fall,
But it be dead it may not fructifie,
If it be hole the vertue doth appayle;
And in no wise it may not Multiplye,
The increase doth begin whan it doth Putrefie;
Of good Grafts commeth Fruites of good lastage;
Of Crabs Verjuyce, of Ash is made Lye,
Of good Grapes followeth a good Vintage.

Who soweth good Seede repeth good againe,
Of Cockles sowne there can grow no good Wheate,
For as such a Ploughman traveleth in vaine,
To fruitefull Land Cockle is not meete;
Gall is ever bitter, Honey is ever sweete,
Of all things contrary is fals Conneccions,
Let Male and Female together ever meete;
But both be clensed of their Complexions.

A Man of Nature ingendereth but a Man,
And every Beast ingendereth his semblable;
And as Philosophers rehearse well can,
Diana and Venus in marriage be notable,
A Horse with a Swine joyneth not in a stable,
For where is made unkindly geniture,
What followeth but things abominable?
Which is to say Monstrum in Nature.

All this I finde in the said Boke,
Brought to me when I lay a sleepe;
And of one thing good heede I toke;
The Wolf in kinde is Enemy to the Sheepe.
The Rose full divers to the wild Neepe:
For things joyned that be contrary;
Dame Nature complayning doth sit and weepe:
For falce receipts found in her Library.

And there it was so pitiously complained,
That men so err by false Opinions
That be so farr from truth away restrained,
Like as they had lost wholly their Reasons,
Not considering in their discretions;
What mischeife followeth as is oft seene,
By these false froward Conneccions:
As doth leapers with folkes that byne cleane.

Notwithstanding he that is sate so high in heaven,
Crown'd with a Crowne of bright stones cleere,
Borne there to raine as cheife chosen of seaven:
Equall with Phoebus shone in the same sphere,
Without difference as Clerkes to us leare,
Sate there most royallin his diadem:
Very Celestiall and Angelike of cheare;
And in all vertue like as he did seeme.

And in that Boke I found well by writing,
Like as the processe made mention:
How that there was once a mighty rich King,
Cleane of nature and of Complexion:
Voyde of deformity from head soe forthe downe,
Which for his beauty as it is specified,
And for his cleanes most soverayne of renowne:
Was among Planets in heaven stellefyed.

Certaine Brethren I found he had in Number,
And of one Mother they were borne every each one:
But a Sicknes did them sore cumber,
That none was whole on his feete to gone,
Hoarse of language, cleere voice had they none:
For with a scabb that was contagious,
They were infected, hole was their none;
For ever exiled because they were Leaprous.

The said King rose up in his Royall see,
Seeing this mischeife cast his Eye downe,
And of his mercy, and fraternall pittye,
Surprized in heart, full of Compassion:
And began to complaine of their Infeccion,
Alas quoth he how came this adventure,
Under what froward or false Constelacion;
Or in what howre had yee your ingendure.

But sithence this mischeife ys to you befall,
There is nothing which were more expedient,
Then to chuse one out amongst us all,
Without spott all cleere of his intent,
For you to dye by his owne assent,
To save the people from their Damnation:
And with his blood ere yo be fully shent,
To make of his mercy your remission.

The which Liquor most wholesome is and good,
Against leprous humors and false infeccions,
When from a veyne taken is the blood;
Cleansing each parte from all corrupcions,
The Originall taken from generacions:
Which is descended downe from stock royall,
Nourished with Milke of pure complexion;
With menstrous which are not superficiall.

But when the Brethren of this worthy King
Heard the Language, they fell in full great dread,
Full sore weeping and said in Complayning
That none of them was able to bleede,
Because their blood was infeccious indeede,
And of corrupt blood made is noe Sacrifice,
Wherefore alas there is noe way to speede,
That we can finde, to helpe us in any wise.

Of our Birth and of our Originall,
Cleerely and truly to make mencion;
Excuse is there none in parte nor in all;
In sin was first our concepcion:
Our bringing forth and generation,
Fulfilled was in sorrowe and wickednesse,
And our Mother in a short conclusion
With Corrupt milke us fostred in distresse.

For who may make that seede to be cleane,
That first was conceived in uncleanes,
For cancred rust may never I meane,
By noe crafte shew forth parfect brightnes:
Now let us all at once our Course addres;
And goe unto our Mother to aske by and by,
The finall cause of our Corrupt sicknes;
That she declare unto us the Cause and why.

The said Children uprose in a fury
Of wofull rage, and went by one assent
Unto their Mother that called was Mercury:
Requiring her by greate advisement,
Before her Goddesses being every one present.
To tell them truly and in noe parte to faine,
Why their nature was corrupt and shent;
That caused them evermore to weepe and complaine.

To whome the Mother full bright of face and hew,
Gave this answer remembred in Scripture,
First when I was wedded a new,
I conceived by prosses of true Nature:
A Child of seede that was most cleane and pure,
Undefiled, most orient, faire and bright,
Of all the PLANETS cheife of ingendure:
Which now in Heaven giveth so clcere a light.

Whose Complexion is most temperate,
In heate and cold and in humidity,
In Erth also that there is noe debate,
Nor noe repugnaunce by noe quallity:
Nor none occasion of none infirmity,
That among them there may be none discord,
So well proportioned every-each in his degree,
Each hower and space they be of so true accord.

Whose Nature is so imperiall,
That fire so burning doth him noe distresse:
His royall kinde is so celestiall,
Of Corrupcion he taketh no sicknesse;
Fire, Water, Air, nor Erth with his drines,
Neither of them may alter his Complexion,
He fixeth Spirits through his high noblenes;
Saveth infected bodyes from their Corrupcion.

His Heavenly helth death may not assayle,
He dreadeth noe venome, nor needeth no treacle,
Winde Tempest ne Wether against him may prevaile,
Soe high in Heaven is his Tabernacle,
In Erth he worketh many a miracle:
He cureth Lepers and fetcheth home Fugitive,
And to gouty Eyne giveth a cleere Spectacle:
Them to goe that lame were all their lief.

He is my Son and I his Mother deare,
By me conceived truly in Marriage;
As touching your Birth the sicknes doth appeare,
Of Menstruous blood brought forth in tender age,
Your Leprie is shewed in Body and in Visage,
To make your hole Medicine is no other
Drinke, nor potion to your advantage,
But the pure blood of him that is your deare Brother.

A good Shephard must dye for his Sheepe,
Without grudging to speake in words plaine,
And semblable take hereof good keepe,
Your Brother must dye and newe be borne againe,
Though he be old, be hereof well certaine;
To youth againe he must be renewd,
And suffer passion or else all were vaine,
Then rising againe right fresh and well hewd.

Old Aeson was made young by Medea,
With her drinks and with her potions,
Soe must your Brother of pure Volunta
Dyeand be young through his operation,
And that through subtile natures Confections,
By whose death plainely to expresse;
Yee shalbe purged from all infeccions:
And your foule leaprie changed to cleanes.

With the said words the King began to abrayd
The tale adverting that she had tould,
How might a Man by nature thus he said
Be borne againe, namely when he ys old?
Then said hys Mother by reason manifold:
But if the Gospell thus doth meane,
In Water and Spirit be renovate hott and cold,
That he shall never plainely come into Heaven.

The King was tristy and heavy of cheere,
Upon his Knees meekely kneeled downe,
Prayed his Father in full low manner,
To translate the Challice of hys passion,
But for he thought the redempcion
Of his brethren, might not be fulfilled,
Without his death nor their Salvation;
For them to suffer he was right willed.

And for to accomplish hys purpose in sentence,
By cleere example who so looketh right,
Heavy things from their Circumferance,
Must up assend and after be made light,
And things light ready to the flight
Must descend to the Center downe,
By interchaunging of natures might,
As they be moved by meane of Revolucion.

Soe as Iupiter in a Cloud of Gold,
Chaunged himselfe by transformacion,
And descended from hys hevenly hold
Like a Golden dewe unto Danae downe,
And she conceived as made is mencion,
By influence of hys power divine;
Right so shall Phoebus right soveraigne of renowne
To be conceived of his Golden raine decline.

And to comfort hys Brethren that were full dull,
The Sun hath chosen without warr or strife,
The bright Moone when she was at the full,
To be his Mother first, and after hys wedded wife;
In tyme of Ver the season vegetative,
In Aries when Titan doth appeare,
Inspired by grace with the Spirit of lyfe,
This marriage hallowed at midday Spheare.

And at this feast were the Godes all,
Saturne from blacknes was turned to white;
And Iupiter let his mantle fall,
Full pale and meager of greate delight,
Clothed in lylies that every maner wight,
Of Heaven and Erth, and Gods of the Sea,
Rejoyced in Heart, and were full glad and light,
To be present at this great Solemnity.

Mars forgot there hys sturdy black hardines,
Cast off his Habergeon fret with old rust;
Venus forsooke her minerall rednes,
Tooke Gold for greene and she againe also for lust,
Because she had in Phoebus such a trust,
That he should this feast hold of most noblenes:
Of brotherly pitty needs as he must,
Give her a mantle of Orientall brightnes.

After this Wedding here afore devised,
Of faire Phoebus and fresh Lucine;
Philosophers have prudently practised,
A Closset round by their wise Doctrine,
Cleere as Christall of Glasse a litle shrine;
With heavenly deawe stuffed that dungeon,
Kept night and day with glorious maidens nyne;
To keepe the Queene in her Concepcion.

Religiously they kept their Sylence,
Till that from heaven their a royall light,
And there with all in open audience;
Was heard a voyce almost at mid night,
Among the Virgins most amiable of sight,
That said unto them, to save that was forlorne;
I must againe through my imperiall myght,
Be of my Mother new conceived and borne.

I must passe by water and by Fire,
The brunt abide and there from not decline,
To save my brethren I have so greate desire,
With new light their darknes to yllumine,
But sore I dread that venomous Serpentine,
Which ever advanceth with his violence,
My tender youth to hurt and to invenome,
But in your keeping doe you your diligence.

The King thus entred in his bed royall,
The Queene conceived under a Sun bright;
Under her feete a mount like Christall,
Which had devoured her husband anon right,
Dead of desire and in the Maidens sight;
Lost all the Collour of his fresh face,
Thus was he dead, the Maidens feeble of mighr
Dispaired, flept in the same place.

The Serpent bold shed out his poyson,
The Queene and Maidens for feare tooke them to flight,
Seaven tymes assending up and downe
With in a vault, now darke, now cleere of light,
Their generation was so strong of might,
Tfter death now passeth Purgatory;
Ao Resurreccion as any Sun bright,
Things that were lost to bring to his glory.

The Queene tooke her full possession,
The Soule reviving of the dead King;
But of old hatred the toxicate poyson,
Was by the Serpent cast in to their hindring;
The Prince was buried, but of his rising,
The Btethren were glad the truth was seene,
When they were washed by his naturall clensing;
And their old Leprie by Miracle was made cleane.

The full Moone halfe shaddowed the Sun,
To putt away the burning of his light;
Black shaddowed first the skyes were so dunn,
The Ravens bill began who looketh right,
Blacker then Jett or Bugle to sight;
But l[…]tle and litle by ordinary apparance,
The temperate fire with his cherishing might
Turned all to white, but with noe violence.

Tyme to the Queene approched of Childing,
The Child of Nature was ready to fly,
Passage was there none to hys out going:
He spread hys wings and found no liberty;
Of nyne Virgins he devoured three,
The other six most excellent and faire,
Fearefull for dread in their greatest beauty,
Spread their feathers and flew forth in the Aire,

The Child coloured first Black and after White,
Having noe heate in very existence,
But by cherishing of the Sun bright,
Of forraine fire there was noe violence:
Save that men say which have experience,
He dranke such plenty of the Water of the well,
That his six sisters made noe resistance;
But would have devowred; Dasten can you tell.

Sometymes black, sometymes was he redd,
Now like ashes, now Citrine of Colour:
Now of Safforne hew, now sanguine was his head,
Now white as a lylie he shewed him in his bower,
The Moone gave nourishment to him in his labour;
And with all their force did their buisnes,
To cloath hym fresher then any flowre,
With a mantle of everlasting whitnes.

PEARCE THE BLACK MONKE upon the Elixir.

TAke Erth of Erth, Erths Moder,
And Watur of Erth yt ys no oder,
And Fier of Erth that beryth the pryse,
But of that Erth louke thow be wyse,
The trew Elixer yf thow wylt make,
Erth owte of Erth looke that thow take,
Pewer sutel faire and good,
And than take the Water of the Wood:
Cleere as Chrystall schynyng bryght:
And do hem togeder anon ryght,
Thre dayes than let hem lye,
And than depart hem pryvyly and slye,
Than schale be browght Watur schynyng,
And in that Watur ys a soule reynynge,
Invisible and hyd and unseene,
A marvelous matter yt ys to weene.
Than departe hem by dystillynge,
And you schalle see an Erth apperinge,
Hevie as metale schalle yt be;
In the wych is hyd grete prevety,
Destil that Erth in grene hewe,
Three dayes during well and trew;
And do hem in a body of glass,
In the wych never no warke was.
In a Furnas he must be sett,
And on hys hede a good lymbeck;
And draw fro hym a Watur clere
The wych Watur hath no peere,
And aftur macke your Fyer stronger,
And there on thy Glasse continew longer,
So schal yow se come a Fyer;
Red as blode and of grete yre,
And aftur that an Erth leue there schale,
The wych is cleped the Moder of alle;
Then into Purgatory sche must be doe,
And have the paynes that longs thereto,
Tyl sche be bryghter than the Sune,
For than thow hast the Maystrey wone;
And that schalbe wythin howres three,
The wych forsooth ys grete ferly:
Than do her in a clene Glass,
Wyth some of the Watur that hers was.
And in a Furnas do her againe,
Tyl sche have drunke her Watur certaine,
And aftur that Watur give her Blood,
That was her owne pewre and good,
And whan sche hath dranke alle her Fyer,
Sche wyll wex strong and of grete yre.
Than take yow mete and mylcke thereto,
And fede the Chylde as you schowlde do,
Tyl he be growne to hys full age,
Than schal he be of strong courage;
And tourne alle Bodies that leyfull be,
To hys owne powre and dignitye,
And this ys the makyng of owre Stone,
The trewth here ys towlde yow evereech one.

For all that taketh any other wey,
Mouch they looseth and mouch they may,
For trewly there ys no other way of righte,
But Body of Body and Lyghte of Lyghte,
Man of Man begottyn ys,
And Beste of Beste to hys lykenes,
Alle the fooles in the worlde seeken;
A thynge that they may never meeten,
They wolde have Metalle owte of hem,
That never was fownde by worldly men:
Ne never was fownde by Goddis myghte,
That they schould beare any such fryghte.

All Saltes and Sulphures far and nere,
I interdite hem alle in fere,
Alle Corosive waters, Blood and Hayre,
Pyss, Hornes, Wormes and Saudiver,
Alume, Atriment, alle I suspende,
Rasalger and Arsnick I defende,
Calx vive, and Calx mort hys Brother,
I suspende them both, one and other,
For of alle things I wyll no moe,
But fowre Elements in Generall I say soe,
Sun and Moone, Erth and Water;
And here ys alle that men of clatter,

Our Gold and Sylver ben no common plate,
But a sperme owte of a Bodi I take,
In the wych ys alle Sol, Lune, Lyfe and Lyghte
Water and Erth, Fyre and Fryght:
And alle commyth of one Image,
But the Water of the Wood makyth the marryage;
Therefore there ys none other waye,
But to take thee to thy Beades and praye:
For Covetous Men yt fyndyth never,
Though they seek yt once and ever,
Set not your Hearts in thys thyng,
But only to God and good lyvynge.
And he that wyll come thereby,
Must be meeke, and full of mercy:
Both in spyrit and in Countenannce,
Full of Chereti and good Governaunce;
And evermore full of almes deede,
Symple and pewerly hys lyf to leade:
Wyth Prayers, Pennaunces, and Piety,
And ever to God a lover be,
And alle the ryches that he ys sped,
To do God worschyppe wyth Almes deede.

In Arsenyck sublymed there ys a way streight,
Wyth Mercury calcyned nyne tymes hys weight
And grownde together with the Water of myght
That bereth ingression lyfe and lyght,
And anon as they togyther byne,
Alle runnyth to Water bryght and shene,
Upon thys Fyre they grow togethyr,
Tyll they be fast and flee no whythyr;
But than feede hem fowrth wyth thy hond,
Wyth mylke and meate tyle they be stronge,
And thow schalt have there a good Stone,
Whereof an Ounc on fowrty wyll gone:
Upon Venus or on Mercury,
Thys Medicyn wyll make thee merry.

All yow that have sowght mani a day,
Leave worke, take yowre Beades and pray,
For the longer that yow seeken,
The longer yt ys or yow meeten;
And he that now fayne would be sped,
Lysten to my Daughter Megg:
For schhe scall tell yow trewth and ryghte,
Hearken now wyth all your myght.

I am Mercury the myghty Flower,
I am most worthy of Honour;
I am sours of Sol, Luna, and Mars,
I am genderer of Iovis, many be my snares:
I am setler of Saturne, and sours of Venus,
I am Empresse, Pryncesse and Regall of Queenes,
I am Mother of Myrrour, and maker of lyght,
I am head and hyghest and fayrest in syght:
I am both Sun, and Moone,
I am sche that alle thynges must doone.
I have a Daughter hight Saturne that ys my darlyng,
The wych ys Mother of all werkyng,
For in my Daughter there byne hydd,
Fowre thyngs Commonly I kydd:
A Golden seede, and a spearme rych,
And a Silver seede none hym lich;
And a Mercury seede full bryght,
And a Sulphur seede that ys ryght.

Of my Daughter wythowten dred,
Byn made Elyxirs whyte and redd,
Therefor of her draw a Water cler,
The Scyence yf thow lyst to leare.
Thys Water reduceth every thynge,
To tendernes and to fyxing:
It burgeneth growyth and gyveth fryght and lyght,
Ingression lyfe and lastyng in syght:
Alle ryghteous werkes sooth to say,
It helpeth and bryngyth in a good way:
Thys ys the Water that ys most worthy,
Aqua perfectissima & flos mundi:
For alle werkes thys Water makyth whyte,
Reducyng and schyning as Sylver bryght:
And of the Oyle greate marvell there ys,
For all thyngs yt bryngyth to rednes:
As Cytrine gold he ys full high,
None ye so redd nor none ys so worthy:
And in the Erth grete marvele ys hyd,
That ys first so black, and than so red:
And alle ys done in howres three,
Thys may be cleped Gods Prevetie:
Than the Erth shall torne red as blood,
Citrine Gold, naturall cleere and good,
And than the red Oyle to hem schall goe,
Red Ferment, and red Mercury alsoe,
And grow togeder weekes seaven,
Blessed be Almyghty God of Heven:
One Ounce of thys Medycine worthy
Cast upon two hundred ownces of Mercury:
Schall make Gold most royall,
And ever enduring to holde tryall;
Fyre and Hammer Tuch and Test,
And all essayes most and least.
And yt ys Medycen above common Gold,
To mans body as God yt would.

For Gold that cometh from the Oare,
Is nourished with fowle Sulphur:
And Engendered upon Mercury he ys,
And nouryshed by Erth and Sulphur I wys,
And our Gold ys made of thre pewre soules,
In the wych ys noe Corrupcyon foule:
But purged pewre as clene as Chrystall,
Body and Spyryt and Sowle wyth all;
And so they grow into a stone,
In the wych Corrupcyon there ys none;
And than cast hym upon Mercury,
And he schalbe Gold most worthy,
Now have you heard the makyng of our Stone,
The begynyng and endyng ys all one.

THE WORKE OF RICH: CARPENTER.

OF Titan Magnasia take the cler light,
The rede Gumme that ys so bryght,
Of Philosofris the Sulfer vife,
I called Gold wythouten stryfe;
Of hem drawe owte a Tincture,
And make a matrymony pure:
Betweene the husband and the wyfe,
I spoused wyth the Water of lyfe:
And so that none dyvysion
Be there, in the conjunccion
Of the Moone and of the Sonne,
After the marriage ys begonne;
And that Mercury the planete,
In loef make hem so to mete:
That eyder wyth oder be joyned even,
As a Stone engendered sente down fro heven;
Of hem make water clere rennynge,
As any Chrystall bryght schynynge.
Drawen out of bodyes fyxed,
By Nature prively mixed
Within a vessal depured clene,
Of Philosofris bright and schene;
Beware the Fume escape the nowght,
And alleso marked well in thy thowght;
That of the Fire the quallitee,
Equal to Phebez bemes be;
In the moneth of Iune and Iule,
Understand me be not dulle;
For thou schalt see marveles grete,
Colures spring oute of the heate:
Fyrste Blakke and Whyte, and so Redde,
And after Setryne wythouten drede:
And so wythin howres thre,
That Stone schall thorowe perced be
Wyth Aier that schall upon hym lyght,
The wych ys a wonder syght:
Whenne the spiryt ys refreyned,
And wyth the Bodie so constrayned,
That hem asounder maye nothyng parte,
So Nature hem doth there so coart,
In matrise whenne they both ben knyte,
Lett never thy Vessel be unshytte;
Tyl thys ingendred have a stone,
That in thys world ys not suche on:
For hyt ys called Anymal,
Richer then the Mineral.
Wyche ys founden in every plase,
Who foundeth hyt myght have grase:
In the and me and over alle
Both Vegetables and Sophisticall:
On Hilles hye and Valeys lowe,
He groweth who cowde hyt know,
Take thys for an informacion,
In Caryt and in Proporcion,
Lyth alle who so coude seke oute,
In Bus and Nubi ys alle the doute:
He that puttes hemself in pres,
To Genis and to Species:
Qualitas and every Quantite,
To mane a man hyt wol not be,
To brynge about thys treseur,
I mene owre Stone of suche valour;
And yet who coude well understonde,
May fynde hit redy at hys honde:
For Fowles that in the Ayre done flee,
And also Fisches in the See:
The moyster of the rede Grape
And of the Whyte, who coud hym take:
Vertues of Erbes vegetyff,
And soules of Bestes sensytyff:
Reysons of Angels that doth discerne,
Goude and Yeul Man to governe,
All bryngs to thyn house
Thys Noble Ston so precious,
And Soverente of alle thys Werke,
Both to Lewd and to Clerke:
This lyth alle by discrecion,
In Fyre, and in Decoccion:
The craft recordeth yif he can rede,
How all and sume who shal spede;
In Bokes eler as ye maye see,
Stat in Ignis regimine:
To brynge fosth at my devys,
Thys ryche Rubye, thys Ston of prys:
Harde hevy and percyng,
Now ys thys a wonder thyng:
I coude never suche on a spye;
Save that I finde howe on Marie:
Fyrst found hyt wythouten lese,
The wyche was suster to Moysez:
But who hyt be that schall hyt werke,
Let hem not begenn in the derke:
For he mai fayle for faute of lyght,
But the Sunne schyne full bright:
Advyse the well er thow begene,
Or else lytel schalt thow wynne.