Thomas Norton, The Ordinall of Alchimy, part 2 of 5

CHAP. II.

NORmandy nurished a Monke of late,
Which deceived Men of every state.
But before that done he in his fantazie,
Weened he had caught this Art fully.
Such rejoycing thereof he had,
That he began to dote and to be madde.
Of whose Joyes (albeit they were smalle)
For an ensample I write this Tale.
This Monke had walked about in Fraunce,
Raunging Apostata in his plesaunce.
And after he came into this lond,
Willing Men should understonde;
How that of Alkimy he had the grounde,
By a Boke of Receipts which he had founde.
In surety thereof he set all his minde,
Some nobil Acte to leave behinde;
Whereby his name should be immortall,
And his greate Fame in laude perpetuall.
And ofte he mused where to beginne,
To spend the riches that he shulde winn.
And ever he thought loe this I cann,
Where mought I finde some trusty Man,
Which would accorde now with my will,
And help my purpose to fulfill.
Then would I make upon the plaine
Of Salisbury glorious to be saine,
Fifteen Abbies in a little while,
One Abbie in the end of every mile.
Hereupon this Monke to me resorted,
Of trust (he said) which men of me reported,
His foresaid mind he did to me tell,
And prayd me to keep his great Councell.
I said before an Image of Saint Jame,
That I would never disclose his name;
Yet I may write without all vice,
Of his desires that were so nice.
When he had discovered his great Cunning,
He said that he faughted nothing,
But a good meane for his solace,
To labour to the Kings good grace,
To get lycence of his estate,
And of his Lords mediate,
To purchase lond for the Abbies aforesaid,
For which all coste should be well paied;
But yet he had great doubt and feare,
How to purchase, of whom, and where.
When I had heard of this greate werke,
I searched (to wit) what manner of Clerke,
He was, and what he knew of Schoole,
And therein he was but a Foole.
Yet I suffered, and held me still,
More to lerne of his lewd Will.
Then said I, it were a lewd thinge,
Such matter to shew unto the Kinge;
But if the proofe were reasonable,
He would thinke it a foolish Fable.
The Monke saide how that he had in fire,
A thing which shulde fulfill his desire,
Whereof the trewth within forty dayes,
I shulde well know by trew assaies.
Then I said, I would no more that tyde,
But forty dayes I said I would abide.
When forty dayes were gone and past,
The Monkes Crafte was cleane overcast.
Then all his Abbies and all his thought,
Was turned to a thing of nought;
And as he came, he went full lewde,
Departing in a minde full shrewd:
For soone after within a little while,
Many trewe men he did beguile;
And afterwards went into Fraunce.
Loe! this was a pittifull chance,
That fifteene Abbies of Religion,
Shulde in this wise fall to confusion.
Great wonder was what thing he meant,
And why he set all his intent
Abbies to build; then was it wonder,
Why nould he live Obedient under,
But be Apostata, and range about,
This blessed Science to finde out:
But as I wrote above in this Boke,
Let no Deceiver after this Science looke.

AN other Ensample is good to tell,
Of one that trusted to doe as well
As Raymond Lully, or Bacon the Frier,
Wherefore he named himselfe saunce peere;
He was Parson of a little Town,
Not farr from the Citty of London,
Which was taken for halfe a Leach,
But little cunning had he to Preach;
He weened him sure this Arte to finde;
His Name he would have ever in minde
By meanes of a Bridge, imagined in dorage,
To be made over Thames for light passage:
Whereof shulde grow a Common ease,
All the Countrey thereabout to please.
Yet though he might that warke fulfill,
It might in no wise suffice his will;
Wherefore he would set up in hight,
That Bridge for a wonderfull sight,
With Pinacles guilt shining as goulde,
A glorious thing for men to beholde.
Then he remembred of the newe,
How greater fame shulde him pursue,
If he mought make that Bridge so bright,
That it mought shine also by Nighte.
And so continue and not breake,
Than all the Londe of him would speake.
But in his minde ran many a doubt,
How he might bring that warke about;
He trowed that Lampes with lights of fire,
Shulde well performe his nice desire;
Wherefore Lampes for that intent,
He would ordaine sufficient:
But then he fell in full great dreade,
How after the time that he were deade;
That light to find Men would refuse,
And chaunge the Rent to some other use.
Then thoughte he well is him that wiste,
In whom he mought set all his trust;
At the laste he thought to make the light,
For that Bridge to shine by nighte,
With Carbuncle Stones, to Make men wonder,
With duble reflexion above and under:
Then new thoughts troubled his Minde,
Carbuncle Stones how he mought find;
And where to find wise men and trewe,
Which would for his intent pursue,
In seeking all the Worlde about,
Plenty of Carbuncles to find out;
For this he tooke soe micle thought,
That his fatt flesh wasted nigh to nought:
And where he trusted without despaire,
Of this Science to have been heire,
When the yeare was fully come and goe,
His Crafte was lost, and thrift also;
For when that he tooke up his Glasse,
There was no matter for Gold ne Brasse:
Then he was angry and well neere wood,
For he had wasted away his good:
In this wise ended all his disporte,
What should I more of him report.
But that Lay-men and Clerks in Schooles,
Maie know the dotage of theis two fooles,
Remember this example where ye goe,
For in such Mindes be trewlie many moe:
Theie lewdly beleeve every Conclusion,
Be it never so false an elusion:
If it in boke written they may finde,
Thei weene it trewe, thei be so lewde of minde.
Such lewde and hasty confidence,
Causeth poverty and lewde expence.
Of trust of this Arte riseth Joyes nice,
For lewde hope is fooles Paradice.
The trewe tought Children made this confession,
Lord without thee all is digression;
For as thou arte of our Science begininge,
Soe without thee may be noe good endinge.

[Figure: Confiteor, Astissimè nullus ista rapit; Licet prius didicit, absque te nilsapit: […] tanta stat gratia te Deumsemper apud Perficere sicut capere, nam finis es, et caput,]

AS of the Joyes of this Arte ye have seene,
Soe shall ye now heare some deale of the Paine:
Albeit contrary to the appetite
Of them that hath to this Science delight.

The first Paine is to remember in minde,
How many seeken, and how few doe finde,
And yet noe Man may this Science wynn,
But it be tought him before that he beginn;
He is well lerned, and of full cleere witt,
Which by teaching can surely learne it:
Of many diversities he must be sure,
Which secreats woulde know of working Nature:
Yet teaching maie not surely availe,
But that sometime shall happ a man to faile;
As all that be now dead and gone
Failed before theie found our Stone:
One tyme or other, first tyme or laste,
All Men failed till trew Practise were paste;
No Man sooner faileth in heate and colde,
Then doth the Master which hasty is and boulde:
For noe Man sooner maie our Worke spill,
Then he that is presuminge his purpose to fulfill:
But he that shall trewlie doe the deede
He must use providence and ever worke with dreade;
For of all paines the most grevious paine,
Is for one faile to beginn all againe.

Every man shall greate Paine have
When he shall first this Arte covet and crave,
He shall oft tymes Chaunge his desire,
With new tydings which he shall heare;
His Councell shall oftentimes him beguile,
For that season he dreadeth noe subtile wile:
And oftentymes his minde to and fro,
With new Oppinions he shall chaunge in woe:
And soe long tyme continue in Phantasie,
A greate adventure for him to come thereby:
Soe of this Arte be ye never so faine,
Yet he must taste of manie a bitter paine.

OF Paines yet I must shewe more,
Against your appetite though it be full sore:
It is greate Paine, as all wise-men gesse,
To witt where a trewe Master is;
And if ye finde him, it will be Paine,
Of his trewe love to be certeyne.
Forasmuch as noe Man maie teach but one,
Of the making of our delicious stone;
And albeit yee finde him that will ye teach,
Yet much trouble and paines may ye reach;
For if your minde be verteously set,
Then the Devil will labour you to lett;
In three wises to let he woll awaite,
With Haste, with Despaire, and with Deceipte:
For dreade of Vertue which ye maie doe,
When ye shulde attaine this grace unto.
The first perill aforesaide is of Haste,
Which causeth most destruction and waste;
All Auctors writing of this Arte,
Saye haste is of the Devils parte:
The little Boke writ of the Philosophers feast,
Saith, omnis festinatio ex parts diaboli est:
Wherefore that Man shall soonest speede,
Which with greate Leasure wisely woll proceede;
Upon assay ye shall trewly knowe
That who most hasteth he trewly shalbe slowe;
For he with haste shall bringe his warke arreare,
Sometymes a Moneth, and sometymes a whole Yeare
And in this Arte it shall ever be soe,
That a hasty Man shall never faile of woe:
Alsoe of haste ye may trewly be sure
That she leaveth nothing cleane and pure;
The Devil hath none so subtill wile
As with hastinesse you to beguile;
Therefore oft tymes he will assault,
Your minde with haste to make default;
He shall finde grace in Towne and Land,
Which can hastines all tymes withstand:
I say all tymes, for in one pointe of tyme,
Haste may destroy all your engine;
Therefore all haste eschewe and feare,
As if that she a Devil were.
My witt trewly cannot suffice,
Haste sufficiently for to despise;
Many Men have byne cast in greate care,
Because thei would not of haste beware:
But ever call upon to see an end,
Which is temptation of the Fende:
Noe more of haste at this present,
But blessed be ever the Patient.

WHen with Haste the Feind hath noe availe,
Then with Despaire your mind he will assaile;
And oft present this Sentence to your minde,
How many seeken, and how few maie finde,
Of wiser Men then ever were yee:
What suretie than to you maie be?
He woll move ye to doubt also
Whether your Teacher had it or noe;
And also how it mought so fall,
That part he tought you but not all;
Such uncertainety he woll cast out,
To set your minde with greevous doubt;
And soe your Paines he woll repaire
With wann hope and with much Despaire;
Against this assault is no defence,
But only the vertue of Confidence:
To whome reason shulde you leade,
That you shall have noe cause to dreade;
If you wisely call to your minde
The vertuous manners, such as you finde
In your Master and your Teacher,
Soe shall you have noe neede to feare;
If you consider all Circumstances about,
Whether he tought you for Love or for Doubt;
Or whether Motion of him began,
For it is hard to trust such a Man:
For he that profereth hath more neede
Of you, then you of him to speede.
This wise certainely ye maie well win,
Before that you your warkes do begin;
When such certainety ye truly have,
Fro Dispaire ye maie be sure and save.

But who can finde such a Master out,
As was my Master, him needeth not to doubt:
Which right nobil was and fully worthy laude,
He loved Justice, and he abhorred fraude;
He was full secrete when other men were lowde,
Loath to be knowne that hereof ought he Could;
When men disputed of Colours of the Rose,
He would not speake but keepe himselfe full close;
To whome I laboured long and many a day,
But he was solleyn to prove with straight assaye,
To search and know of my Disposition,
With manifold proofes to know my Condition:
And when he found unfeigned fidelity,
In my greate hope which yet nothing did see,
At last I conquered by grace divine
His love, which did to me incline.
Wherefore he thought soone after on a tyde,
That longer delayes I ne shulde abide;
My manifold letters, my heavie heart and cheere,
Moved his Compassion, thei perced him full neere;
Wherefore his Penn he would noe more refraine,
But as heere followeth soe wrote he againe.

MY very trusty, my deere beloved Brother,
I must you answer, it may be none other;
The tyme is come you shall receive this Grace,
To your greate comfort and to your solace:
Your honest desire with your greate Confidence,
Your Vertue proved with your Sapience;
Your Love, your Trewth, your long Perseverance,
Your stedfast Minde shall your Desire advance:
Wherefore it is neede that within short space,
Wee speake together, and see face to face:
If I shulde write, I shulde my fealty breake,
Therefore Mouth to Mouth I must needes speake;
And when you come, mine Heier unto this Arte
I will you make, and fro this londe departe.
Ye shall be both my Brother and myne Heier,
Of this greate secrete whereof Clerkes despaire:
Therefore thanke God which giveth this renowne,
For it is better then to were a Crowne:
Next after his Saints, our Lord doth him call
Which hath this Arte to honour him withall:
Noe more to you at this present tyde,
But hastily to see me, dispose you to ride.

THis Letter receiving, I hasted full sore,
To ride to my Master an hundred miles and more;
And there Forty dayes continually,
I learned all the secreats of Alkimy:
Albeit Philosophy by me was understonde,
As much as of many other in this Londe;
Nethles fooles which for their Science sought,
Ween that in forty dayes it wilbe wrought.
Betweene Forty dayes warke now ye may see,
And Forty dayes lerninge is greate diversitie;
Then darke doubts to me appeared pure,
There fownd I disclosed the Bonds of Nature:
The cause of Wonders were to me soe faire,
And so reasonable, that I could not dispaier.
If your Master and ye resemble all aboute
My good Master and me, than have ye no doubte.

THe third impediment deceipt we call,
Amongst other to me the worst all;
And that is of Servaunts that should awaite
Upon your warke, for some can much deceipte;
Some be negligent, some sleeping by the fire,
Some be ill-willd, such shall let your desire;
Some be foolish, and some be over bold,
Some keepe no Counsell of Doctrine to them tould;
Some be filthie of hands and of sleeves,
Some meddle straunge Matter, that greately greeves;
Some be drunken, and some use much to jape,
Beware of thes if you will hurt escape,
The Trew be foolish, the Witty be false,
That one hurts me Sore, that other als:
For when I had my warke well wrought,
Such stale it away and left me nought.
Then I remembring the cost, the tyme, and the paine,
Which I shulde have to begin againe,
With heavie hearte farewell adieu said I,
I will noe more of Alkimy.
But howe that chaunce befell that Season,
Few men would it beleeve by reason:
Yet Tenn persons be witnes trew all
How that mishapp did me befalle,
Which might not be only by Man,
Without the Devil as they tell can.
I made also the Elixer of life,
Which me bereft a Merchaunt's wife:
The Quintessens I made also,
With other secrets manie moe,
Which sinfull people tooke me fro,
To my greate paine and much more woe:
Soe in this worke there is no more to saine,
But that every Ioy is medled with his paine.

OF Paine there is a litle yet behinde,
Which is convenient to be had in minde;
That fell upon a blessed Man;
Whereof the trewth report I cann.
Thomas Daulton this good man height,
He served God both day and night,
Of the Red Medicine he had greate Store,
I trowe never English man had more.
A Squier for the body of King Ehward,
Whose name was Thomas Harbert,
Tooke this Daulton against his desier,
Out of an Abbie in Gloucester-shier,
And brought him in presence of the King,
Whereof Deluis had some tiding,
For Daulton was whilome Deluis's Clerke;
Deluis disclosed of Daultons werke.
Deluis was Squier in confidence
With King Edward oft in his presence.
Deluis reported that in a little stounde,
How Daulton had made to him a thousand pound
Of as good Goulde as the Royall was,
Within halfe a daye and some dele lasse;
For which Deluis sware on a Booke.
Then Daulton on Deluis cast his looke,
And said to Deluis, Sir you be forswore,
Wherefore your hert hath cause to be sore.
Of nothing said he, that I now have told,
Witnes our Lord whom Judas sould.
But once said Deluis I sware to thee,
That thou shouldst not be uttered by me;
Which I may breake well I understand,
For the Kings weale and for all his Lande.
Then said Daulton full soberlie,
This answer voydeth no perjury.
How should the King in you have Confidence,
Your untrewth confessed in his presence.
But Sir said Daulton to the Kings Grace,
I have bin troubled oft in many a place
For this Medicine greviously and sore,
And now I thought it should hurt me no more:
Wherefore in the Abbie where I was take,
I cast it in a foule and Common lake
Going to the River which doth ebb and flowe,
There is destroyed as much riches nowe,
As would have served to the Holy land,
For twenty thousand men upon a band.
I kept it longe for our Lords blessed sake,
To helpe a Kinge which that journey would make,
Alas Daulton then saide the Kinge,
It was fowly don to spill such a thinge.
He would have Daulton to make it againe,
Daulton said it might not be certeine:
Why (said the Kinge) how came ye thereby?
He said by a Channon of Lichfielde trewly,
Whose workes Daulton kept dilligently,
Many yeares till that Channon must dye.
And for his service he said in that space,
The Cannon gave him all that thereof was;
The Kinge gave to Daulton Marks foure,
With liberty to goe where he would that houre.
Then was the Kinge in his herte sore,
That he had not knowne Daulton before.
And ever it happneth without leasinge,
That Tyrants be full nigh to a Kinge.
For Herberte lay for Daulton in waight,
And brought him to Stepney with deceipte.
The servaunts of Herbert the mony tooke away
Which the King gave to Daulton that day.
And after Herbert carried Daulton farr,
From thence to the Casle of Gloucester,
There was Daulton prisner full longe,
Herbert to Daulton did mickle wronge:
Fro thence he had him to prison fast
To Troy, till foure yeares were nigh past,
And after he brought him out to dye;
Daulton to death obeyed lowly,
And said Lord Jesue blessed thou be,
Me thinks I have byne too longe from thee.
A Science thou gavest me with full greate charge,
Which I have kept without outrage.
I founde noe man yet apt thereto,
To be myne Heyer when I am goe:
Wherefore (sweete Lord) now I am faine
To resigne this thy guift to thee againe.
Then Daulton made devout prayers, and still
Withsmiling cheere he said now doe your wil.
When Herbert sawe him so glad to dye,
Then ran water from Herberts Eye:
For Prison ne Death could him not availe
To winn this Arte, his Crafte did him faile.
Now let him goe said Herbert than,
For he shall never hurt ne profett man.
But when Daulton from the block should rise,
He looked forth in full heavie wise,
And so departed with full heavie cheere,
It was not his will to live one yeare.
This was his Paine as I you tell,
By men that had no dread of Hell.
Herbert dyed soone after in his bed,
And Deluis at Teuxbury lost his head;
This wise greate Paine, as you may see,
Followeth this Arte in every degree.
Heere lost the King all his intent,
For Herbert was proude and violent,
Soe nobil a man to opprese with pride,
And like a Fellone him leade and guide;
Where that by goodnesse patience and grace,
There might have growen full great solace,
As well to the King, ye may understonde,
As for th'ease of Commons of this londe;
But wonder not that grace doe not fall,
For sinn reygneth in this londe over all.
Loe here was grace full ready at honde,
To have ceased Taxes and Tallages of this londe;
Whereby much Love and Grace would have be,
Betweene Knight-hood Priest-hoode and Comminaltie.
Here ye maie see how vicious violence
Maie not purchase the vertue of sapience:
For vice and vertue be things contrary,
Therefore the vicious maie not come thereby;
If Vicious men mought lerne this Science,
They would therewith doe wondrous violence:
And with Ambitiousnesse grow evermore
Worse of Conditions then they were before.
Now is this Chapter of Joy and Paine gone,
The Chapter following sheweth Matters of our Stone.

CHAP. III.

TONsile was a labourer in the fire
Threescore years and more to win his defire:
Brian was another, with Holton in the Weste,
Thes were ever busie, & could practice with the best:
But yet this Science thei never founde,
For thei knew not the Matters, ne the Grounde,
But rumbled foorth, and evermore they sought,
They spent their lyfe and their goods to nought;
Much losse, much cost, much anguish they bought,
Amonge their Receipts which they had wrought:
Then made Tonsile to me his greate complainte,
With weeping Teares he said his heart was fainte,
For he had spended all his lusty dayes
In fals Receipts, and in such lewde assayes;
Of Herbes, Gommes, of Rootes and of Grasse,
Many kindes by him assayed was,
As Crowefoote, Celondine and Mizerion,
Vervaine, Lunara, and Martagon:
In Antimony, Arsenick, Honey, Wax and Wine,
In Haire, in Eggs, in Merds, and Urine,
In Calx vive, Sandifer, and Vitriall,
In Markasits, Tutits, and every Minerall,
In Malgams, in Blanchers, and Citrinacions,
All fell to nought in his opperacions:
For he considered not how he did rage,
When to Gods proportions he layde surcharge:
After all this, he thought nothing so good,
To worke upon as shulde be mans Blode;
Till that I said how blode would waste and fume
In mighty fire, and utterly consume.
For Christ his love then saide he teach me,
Whereof the substance of our Stone should be:
Tonsile (said I) what shulde it you avayle
Such thing to know? your lims doth you faile
For very Age, therefore cease your lay,
And love your Beades, it is high time to Praye;
For if you knew the Materialls of our Stone,
Ere you could make it your dayes would begone.
Thereof no charge good Master said he,
It were sufficient Comfort now to me
To know the trewe Materialls without wronge
Of that Stone which I have sought soe longe:
Tonsile (said I) It is noe litle thinge,
Whereof you would have trewe tydinge;
For many Auctors write of this doubte,
But none of them sheweth it Cleerly oute:
For Auctors which of this Arte doe write,
Besought God as witnesseth Democrite,)
That he unpained would fro this Worlde take
Their Soules whom he tought Bokes thereof to make;
For greatly doubted evermore all suche,
That of this Scyence they may write too muche:
Every each of them tought but one pointe or twayne,
Whereby his fellowes were made certayne;
How that he was to them a Brother,
For every of them understoode each other;
Alsoe they wrote not every man to Teache,
But to shew themselves by a secret Speache:
Trust not therefore to reading of one Boke,
But in many Auctors works ye may looke;
Liber librum apperit saith Arnold the greate Clerke,
Anaxagoras said the same for his werke:
Who that slothfull is in many bokes to see,
Such one in Practice prompt shall never be;
But Tonsile for almes I will make no store
Plainly to disclose it that never was done before,
By way of answer for your recreation,
If ye cann wisely make Interrogation.
Good Master (saide he) then teach me trewly,
Whether the matters be Sol or Mercury?
Or whether of Sol or Lune it maie be,
Or whether I shall take them all three,
Or Sol by it selfe, or Mercury alone,
Or Sulpher with them, for matters of our Stone?
Or whether I shall sal Almoniack take,
Or Minerall meanes, our Stone thereof to make?

Here be many questions Tonsile, said I,
Wisely remembred and full craftily;
You name it not yet but onely in generall,
For you must take some deale of theis things all;
Of these and of other you must take a parte,
One time or other to minister this Arte:
Many things helpeth to apt our Stone,
But two be Materialls, yet our Stone is one;
Betweene which two is such diversity,
As betweene the Mother and the Childe may be:
An other diversity betweene them find ye shall,
Such as is found betweene Male and Female:
Theis two kindes shall doe all your service,
As for the White worke (if you can be wise;)
One of thes kindes a Stone ye shall finde,
For it abideth fire as stones doe by kinde:
But it is no Stone in touching ne in sight,
But a subtill Earth, browne, roddy, and not bright:
And when it is separate and brought to his appearage,
Then we name it our grounde Litharge.
First it is browne, roddy, and after some deale white,
And then it is called our chosen Markasite:
One ounce thereof is better then sifty pounde;
It is not to be sould in all Christian grounde;
But he that would have it he shalbe faine
To doe it make, or take himselfe the paine:
But one greate grace in that labour is saine,
Make it once well and never more againe.
Olde fathers called it thinge of vile price,
For it is nought worth by way of Marchandise:
Noe man that findeth it woll beare it awaie,
Noe more then thei would an Ounce of Claye;
Men will not beleeve that it is of high price,
No man knoweth it therefore but he be wise.
Here have I disclosed a greate secret wonder,
Which never was writ by them which been erth under.

A Nother Stone Tonsile you must have withall,
Or else you fawte your cheefe M[…]riall;
Which is a Stone gloriouse faier and bright,
In handling a Stone, and a Stone in sight;
A Stone glittering with perspecuitie,
Being of wonderfull D[…]aphanitie;
The price of an Ounce Conveniently,
Is twenty shillings or well neere thereby:
Her name is Magnetia, few people her knowe,
She is fownde in high places as well as in lowe;
Plato knew her property and called her by her name,
And Chaucer reherseth how Titanos is the same,
In the Channons Yeomans Taile, saying what is thus,
But quid ignotum per magis ignotius:
That is to say, what may this be,
But unknowne by more unknowne named is she;
Nethles Tonsile now I will trewlie teach
What is Magnetia to say in our speache:
Magos is Greeke, Mirabile in Latine it ys,
Aes is Money, y[…]os Science, A is God ywisse.
That is to say it is such a thinge,
Wherein of Money is wonderous divine Cunninge;
Now here you may know what is Magnetia,
Res aeris in qua latet scientia divinaque mira.
Thes two Stones Tonsile ye must take
For your materialls, Elixir if ye make.
Albeit the first tyme materialls be no more,
Yet many things helpeth as I saide before.
This secrete was never before this daye
So trewly discovered, take it for your praye;
I pray God that this turne not me to Charge,
For I dread sore my penn goeth too large:
For though much people perceive not this Sentence,
Yet subtill Clerks have too much Evidence;
For many Clerks be so cleere of witt,
If thei had this ground, thei were sure of it;
Wher our Lord hath ordained that no man it finde,
But only he that is of verteous minde:
Wherefore olde Fathers Covered for great reason,
The Matters of our Stone disclosed at this season.
Other Materials ye shall none take,
But only theis two oure white stone to make;
Except Sal Armoniack with Sulphur of kinde,
Such as out of Mettals ye can finde;
Theis two woll abide to fulfill your desire,
The remnant will void when thei come to fire;
Sulpher woll brenn and chaunge Collours fast,
But our Litharge abideth first and last:
Ye may not with mettals or Quicksilver beginn,
To make Elixir if you intend to winn:
Yet if you destroy the whole Composition,
Some of their Compounds will help in Conclusion;
And that is nothing Els of that one or that other,
But only Magnetia and Litharge her Brother.