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

MOreover it healpeth in Alkimy
To know seaven Waters effectually:
Which be Coppied with manie a Man,
While thei be common seeke them as ye can,
Desire not this Boke to show things all,
For this Boke is but an Ordinall.
By those Waters men Weene in mind
All faults to amend of Metaline kinde;
Also thei weene of the Elements fower,
The effects to weene by their succour:
For thei suppose with confidence unfeined,
That all Vertues requifit in them be conteyned;
Some to molifie Mettalls hard wroght,
And some to harden Mettalls that be soft,
Some to purifie, some to make malleable;
Everie each according that he was able,
Such Liquors to know it is profitt and good,
Howbeit thei maie not to our Stone be food:
Noble Auctors men of glorious fame,
Called our Stone Microcosmus by name:
For his composition is withouten doubt,
Like to this World in which we walke about:
Of Heate, of Cold, of Moyst and of Drye,
Of Hard, of Soft, of Light and of Heavy,
Of Rough, of Smooth, and of things Stable,
Medled with things fleetinge and moveable;
Of all kinds Contrary broght to one accord,
Knit by the doctrine of God our blessed Lord:
Whereby of Mettalls is made transmutation,
Not only in Colour, but transubstantiation,
In which ye have need to know this thing,
How all the vertues of the Elements transmuting,
Upon the transmuted must have full domination,
Before that the substance be in transmutation;
And all partes transmuted must figured be
In the Elements transmuting impressed by degree.
So that the third thinge elemented of them all,
Of such condition evermore be shall.
That it trewly have it maie be none other,
But her Substance of that one, and her Vertue of that other.
A Child at his Nativitie can eate his meate and cry,
Our Stone at his Nativity woll Colour largly.
In three years after a Child can speake and goe,
Then is our Stone more Colouring also.
One upon a Thousand his tincture trewly is,
Of clean washen Mettall I am trew witnes,
Fastiely (beleeve it) and fully in your thought,
It maketh good Silver as of the Myne is wrought;
And also our Stone woll augment and increase,
In quantitie, and qualitie, and thereof never cease;
And therefore his growing and augmentation,
Is likned to Man in waxing and creation.
Nathles one pointe of trewth I woll reporte,
Which to some Men maie be discomforte;
At the first making of our Stone,
That time for winninge looke for none;
If ye then cease, I understande
Ye shall departe with loosinge hand[…],
The Costs be so great before,
Expended and set upon the score;
But at the first augment of all
Which tyme our Stone depart ye shall
In parts twaine full equally,
With subtill ballance and not with Eye:
One for the Red, that other for the White,
To mainteyne both for your delight;
Then winning first beginneth to arise:
But afterwards if ye be wise,
At every augment continually,
Profit shall grow comodiously;
In this our White Warke alone,
As well as in the Ruby Stone;
Whereof said Maraa Sister of Aron,
Lyfe is short, and Science is full long.
Nathles it greately retardeth Age,
When it is ended by strong Courage;
But some that have byne tought trewlie,
Have forsooke their worke lewdly;
When their greate labour have byne paste,
For thei know not how at the laste
Groweth the profit and the winninge,
Which thei would have at the beginninge,
Therefore I finde that it is neede,
The trewth to tell when ye shulde speede,
For when I am past and out of minde,
This my Witnes shall rest behinde,
For which cause I doe not spare,
Of this Arte the trewth to declare;
As much as I dare, that I be not shent
For breaking of Gods Commandement.
This wise endeth all our White Werke
Shewed sufficiently for an able Clerke.

AFter all this upon a day
I heard my noble Master say,
How that manie men patient and wise,
Found our White Stone with Exercise;
After that thei were trewlie tought,
With great labour that Stone they Caught;
But few (said he) or scarcely one,
In fifteene Kingdomes had our Red Stone:
And with that word he cast his Eye,
Looking on me full steadilye,
Of his words he saw me woe,
I said alas what shall I doe?
For above all Erthly thinge,
I most desire and love Cunninge.
And for the Red Stone is preservative,
Most precious thinge to length my Life;
The Red Stone said I is lever to me,
Then all were Gould that I would soe to be.
He said I was to younge of Age,
Of Body lusty and likely to outrage,
Scantly of the age of twenty eight yeares,
He said Philosophers had noe such Compeers;
This woefull answer then he made to me,
Till ye be elder he said it maie not be.
Alas good Master remember said I,
Howbeit my Body be light and lustie,
Prove and assay and you shall finde
Age sufficient within my Minde,
He held his words full still that tyde,
And so long tyme he did abide;
After this sudainely in wonderous wise,
He tempted me after the Philosophers guise.
Which to reherse it were too longe,
And to shew how I should doe wronge;
For that must be kept secreate,
For them which shall with this Science meete;
Yet at the last with leasure and with space
I wan his love, by help of Gods Grace;
So that I had with Grace the trewe doctrine
Of Confection of the Red medicine;
Whom to seeke it availeth right nought,
Till the White medicine be fully wrought.
Alsoe both Medicines in their beginninge
Have one manner of Vessell and Workinge,
As well for the White as also for the Red,
Till all quick things be made dead;
Then Vessells and forme of operation
Shall chaunge, in Matter, Figure, and Graduation.
But my herte quaketh, my hand is tremblinge,
When I write of this most selcouth thinge.
Hermes brought forth a true sentence and blounte,
When he said Ignis & AZot tibi sufficiunt.
The Expositor of Hermes and Aristotle joynte,
In that joynte worke shewd a straunge pointe,
He said Albertus Magnus the Black Freere,
Nether Freer Bacon his compeere,
Had not of our Red stone consideration,
Him to increase in multiplication.
The Expositor knew it sufficiently,
And my Master tought me trewly,
Albeit that I never made assaye
Of the Red worke before this Daye:
The cause appeareth in this Boke before,
When I was robbed then I would no more.
Nethlesse I have put me so farr in preass,
That secreate Trewth to shew I cannot cease;
Rehersing such as were greately too bold,
So great secreats to shew as thei tolde:
Thei said that within the Center of incompleate White
Was hid our Red Stone of most delight:
Which maie with strength and kinde of Fier,
Be made to appeare right as we desier.
Pandulphus in Turba saide, mente secura,
Et ejus umbra in vera tinctura.
Maria confirmed it in fide oculata,
Quod in ipsa albedine est rubedo occultata.
The Boke Laudabile Sanctum made by Hermes,
Of the Red Worke speaketh in this wise:
Candida tunc rubeo jacet uxor nupta marito,
That is to saie, if ye take heede thereto,
Then is the faire White Woman
Married to the Ruddy Man.
Understandinge thereof if ye would gett,
When our White Stone shall suffer heate,
And rest in Fier as red as Blood,
Then is the Marriage perfect and good;
And ye maie trewly know that tyme,
How the seminall seed Masculine
Hath wrought and won the Victory
Upon the menstrualls worthily,
And well converted them to his kinde,
As by experience ye shall finde,
Passing the Substance of Embrion,
For then compleate is made our Stone;
Whom wise Men said that ye shulde feede
With his owne Venome when it is neede.
Then ride or goe where ye delight,
For all your Costs he woll you quite.

Thus endeth the subtill Warke with all her store,
I need not, I maie not, I woll shew no more.

[Figure: Vaughan sculp:s]

CHAP. VI.

TOwards the Matters of Concordance,
Consider there be no variance
Betweene such things as shulde accorde;
For of variance maie grow discord,
VVhereby your VVarkes maie be lost,
VVith all your labour and all your cost:
He that wol take our VVarke in hande,
Five Concords he must understande.

The first Concord is neede to marke
VVhether his Minde accorde with the Warke,
VVhich shalbe Lord to paie for all,
Els all your labour destroy ye shall.
The second Concord is needfull to kenn,
Between this Crafte and her Workemen.
The Third shall serve well your intents,
VVhen Warke accordeth with Instruments.
The fourth Concord must welbe sought,
VVith the Place where it shall be wrought:
For trewlie it is no little grace
To find a perfect working Place.
The Fift is of Concord and of Love,
Betweene your VVarkes and the Spheare above.
Of theis five Concords reherse we shall,
Beginning with the first of all.

FOr the first ye shall well finde
That full few Lords be stable of Minde;
Thei be hasty, the VVarke is longe,
Thei woulde have you doe Nature wronge.
Some now be onward as hasty as fier,
Halfe a yeare after have noe desire;
And some in a Weeke, it is noe Nay,
Woll chaunge their mindes, and some in a day,
And for one Moneth have full beleife,
And the next Moneth thei woll the Arte repreeve.
It were much better for such to cease,
Than for this Arte to put them in preasse;
Let such like Butterflies wander and passe,
And lerne this lesson both more and lasse,
Following the Sentence of this holie letter,
Attingens à fine us q; ad finem fortiter,
Disponens omnia suaviter:
That is, proceede mightily to the End
From the Beginning, maugre the feinde,
All things disposing in the meane space,
With great suavity that commeth of grace.
All short-witted Men and mutable,
Such must needs be variable;
And some doe every Man beleive,
Such credence doth their Cofers greive;
To everie new Tale to them tolde,
They give Credence and leave the olde.
But some Lords be stable of wit,
Such be apt to finish it.
Everie such Lord or Master of this Werke,
Be he Layman or be he Clerke,
Be he rich man, Knight, Abbot or Lorde,
He hath with this Arte greate Concorde.

THe seconde Concorde with this Arte is,
When ye can finde apt Ministers.
Noe Minister is apt to this intent,
But he be sober, wise, and diligent;
Trewe, and watchfull, and also timerous,
Close of Tongue, of Body not vitious,
Clenly of hands, in Tuching curious,
Not disobedient, neither presumptuous;
Such Servants maie your workes of Charge
Minister, and save from all outrage;
But trust not that two such Servants or three,
Maie sufficient for your worke be;
If your Matter be of quantity reasonable,
Then Eight such Servants be convenable;
But upon litle quantity, finde ye shall
Foure men able to performe all;
That one halfe of them must werke
While the other Sleepeth or goeth to Kerke;
For of this Arte ye shall not have your praye,
But it be ministred as well by Night as Daye
Continually, except the holy Sonday alone,
From Evensong begin till Evensong be done.
And while thei worke thei must needes eschewe
All Ribaudry, els thei shall finde this trewe,
That such mishap shall them befall,
Thei shall destroy part of their Works or all;
Therefore all the Ministers must be Men,
Or else thei must be all Weomen;
Set them not occupied one with another,
Though some to you be Sister or Brother:
Yet thei must have some good disporte
Their greate labours to recomforte:
Then nothinge shall better avaunce
Your worke than shall this Concordance.

THe Third Concord is to manie full derke,
To ordeyne Instruments according to the Werke:
As everie Chapter hath divers intents,
Soe hath it divers Instruments,
Both in Matter and also in Shape,
In Concord that nothing may mis-happ:
As workes of D[…]vision and Seperation
Have small Vessells for their Operation;
But Vessells broade for Humectation,
And some deale broad for Circulation;
But longe Vessells for Precipitation;
Both short and long serve Sublimation:
Narrowe Vessells and foure inches high
Serve Correction most properly.
Of Vessells, some be made of Leade,
And some of Clay both quick and deade;
Dead Clay is called such a thinge
As hath suffered greate roastinge;
Such medled in powder with good raw Claye,
Will Fier abide and not goe away;
But manie Claies woll leape in Fier,
Such for Vessells doe not desire.
Other Vessells be made of Stone,
For Fier sufficient but few or none
Amonge Workemen as yet is founde
In any Country of English grounde,
Which of Water nothing drinke shall,
And yet abide drie Fier withall,
Such Stones large for our intente,
Were a precious Instrument;
All other Vessells be made of Glasse,
That spirituall matters should not out-passe;
Of Ashes of Ferne in this Lond everi-each one
Be made, but els-where be of Stone.
Of our Glasses the better kinde.
The morning stuffe ye shall it finde,
Which was Ashes the night before,
Standing in Heate all night and more;
The harder stuffe is called Freton,
Of clipping of other Glasses it come:
Tincture with anealing of Glasiers
Will not perse him as thei reherse.
By this Doctrine chuse or refuse,
Take which you woll unto your use,
But for figures of Vessells kinde,
Everie Man followeth his owne minde,
The best fashion is ye maie be sure,
She that best concordeth with Vessell of Nature;
And figure that best Concordeth with quantity,
And with all Circumstances, to matter best is she,
And this sheweth well Albertus Magnus,
In his Boke De Mineralibus.
Hereof a Secreate disclosed was,
By my good Master; to more and lesse,
Saying, Si Deus non dedisset nobis vas
Nihil dedisset, and that is Glasse.

Instruments needefull there be more,
As be Furnaces ordeyned therefore.
Olde Men imagined for this Arte
A speciall Furnace for everie parte,
Everie-each divising after his owne thought;
But manie Furnaces of them be naught;
Some were too broade and some too longe,
Manie of them did Nature wronge:
Therefore some Furnaces maie be well used,
But manie of them must be refused,
For theie were made but by advice
Of them which seemed, and were not wise:
The most Commendable Fashion of them all,
In this Boke portraied finde ye shall.
One Furnace by me is found of newe,
Such as Olde Men never knewe,
Whose secreate Power with study sought,
And with greate Cost was dearely bought;
In him wilbe at one tyme wrought,
Threescore Warkes, and cost right nought,
More than it shulde for one Warke or twaine,
Therefore profitable it is certaine;
Threescore degrees divers ye maie gett,
For threescore warkes, and everie-ech of divers Heate,
Within that Furnace, to serve your desire,
And all thei served with one litle Fier,
Which of a Foote square onlie shalbe,
Yet everie-ech of the threescore as greate space as he:
Manie purposes ye maie thereby fulfill,
For here you shall have Heate after your will.
Of this Instrument all Men maie not be sure,
Therefore it is not formed in Picture.
Another Furnace woll serve threescore
Glasses trewly, and yet farr more,
Everie-ech of them standing in like Heate,
As by the Picture, Doctrine ye maie gett:
Another Furnace for this operation,
By me was found by Imagination,
Notably serving for Seperation
Of dividents, and for Altification,
And for Dis-junction called Division,
And for Correction called Ablution,
Yt woll for some things serve Desiccation,
Yt serveth full well for Preparation;
Soe for six things it serveth well,
And yet for all at once as I can tell:
This is a new thinge which shall not be
Set out in Picture for all men to see;
Another Furnace in Picture be shall,
More full of perills than other Furnaces all,
Made for Magnetia, whereof bould Men had doubte,
To tuch with hands a poore lynine Cloute,
Which in the midle thereof unbrenned stoode,
For feare of flames brenning fierce and woode;
Which suttill Furnace I devised alsoe,
In which I found manie wonders moe
Than is convenient at this season to tell,
Whose graduation is doubtfull and casuell:
Wherein Magnetia, matter of greate coste,
Must quickly be served or suddainly be loste:
Of whose graduation if you woll not misse
Consider your Stoples, and lerne well this,
The more is the Stople the lesse is the Heate,
By manifould Stoples Degrees ye maie gett;
Whoe knoweth the power, the working and kinde,
Of everie Furnace, he maie well trewth finde,
And he which thereof dwelleth in Ignorance,
All his Warke faleth upon Chaunce:
Noe man is sure to have his intent,
Without full concord of Arte with Instrument.
Manie more Instruments occupied ye shall se,
Than in this Chapter now rehearsed be,
Which ye must ordeyne by good or sad advice
And prove them before hand oft if ye be wise.

THe fourth Concord is full notable
Betweene this Arte and Places Convenable.
Some Places must needes be evermore dry,
Close from Aier, no waies Windy;
Some must be darke and dimme of sight,
In which Sun-beames none maie light;
But for some Places the trewth so is,
Thei cannot have too much brightnes:
Some Places must needes be Moist and Cold
For some workes as Auctors toulde;
But in our Warkes in everie place,
Winde will hurt in everie Case:
Therefore for everie Warke in season,
Ye must ordaine Places by reason.
Philosophers said by their engine,
How it shulde be wrought within locks Nyne:
Astrologers said it was a grace,
To finde a Chosen Working Place;
For manie things woll wonderous doe
In some Places and elsewhere not soe,
But contrarie wonders be of one thinge
In contrarie Countries wrought without leasing;
Whereof none other cause maie appeare,
But only contrarie places of the Sphere:
Whereto Places contrarie of the grounde,
To them Concordaunt and Obedient be found;
Hereof great Evidence and wittnes full cleere,
In the Magnets Stone openly doth appeare,
Whose North pointe draweth toward his Countrie,
Which under the Southe starr driveth Needles awaye;
Wherefore wise Men which for this Arte sought,
Found some Places concordant, some Places nought;
Trewly such Places where Lechery is used
Must for this Arte be utterly refused.

THe fift Concord is knowne well of Clerks,
Betweene the Sphere of Heaven and our Suttill Werks.
Nothing in Erth hath more Simplicitie,
Than th'elements of our Stone woll be,
Wherefore thei being in warke of Generation,
Have most Obedience to Constellation:
Whereof Concord most kindly and convenient
Is a direct and firie Ascendent,
Being signe common for this Operation,
For the multitude of their Iteration:
Fortune your Ascendent with his Lord also,
Keeping th' aspect of Shrewes them fro;
And if thei must let, or needely infect,
Cause them to looke with a Trine aspect.
For the White warke make fortunate the Moone,
For the Lord of the Fourth house likewise be it done;
For that is Thesaurum absconditum of olde Cle[…]ks;
Soe of the Sixt house for Servants of the Werks;
Save all them well from greate impediments,
As it is in Picture, or like the same intents.
Unlesse then your Nativity pretend infection,
In contrariety to this Election,
The vertue of the Mover of the Orbe is formall,
The vertue of the Eight Sphere is here Instrumentall,
With her Signes and Figures and parts aspectuall,
The Planets vertue is proper and speciall,
The vertue of the Elements is here materiall,
The vertue infused resulteth of them all:
The first is like to a workmans Minde,
The second like his Hand ye shall finde.
The third is like a good Instrument,
The remnant like a Thing wrought to your intent.
Make all the Premises with other well accord,
Then shall your merrits make you a greate Lord.
In this wise the Elixir of whom ye make mention,
Is ingendered, a thing of a second intention.
Trust not in Geomantie that superstitious Arte,
For God made Reason which there is set aparte.
Trust not to all Astrologers, I saie whie,
For that Arte is as secreat as Alkimy.
That other is disproved and plainely forbod,
By holy Saincts of the Church of God.
Trust not, ne love not Negromancy,
For it is a property of the Devill to lye.

Trust to this Doctrine, set herein your desires,
And now lerne the Regiment of your Fiers.

CHAP. VII.

Aparfet Master ye maie him call trowe,
Which knoweth his Heates high and lowe.
Nothing maie let more your desires,
Than ignorance of Heates of your Fiers.
Of manie Auctors written ye maie see,
Totum consistit in ignis regimine:
Wherefore in all Chapters you must so proceed,
That Heate worke not more ne lesse than it need;
Wherein manie of Gebars Cookes
Deceived were, though thei be wise in Bokes.
Such Heate wherewith Pigg or Goose is Scalded,
In this Arte Decoction it is called;
For Minerall meanes serveth such heate,
And to make our Letharge to give sweate.
Such Heate as dryeth lawne Karcheefes fayre,
In thirty operations serveth for our Ayre;
But for Divisions you must use such heate,
As Cookes make when they roast grosse Meate;
The same Heate with a circular Fier,
For Separation of Dividents we desire;
But for Circulation of Elements,
Ignis candens observeth our intents;
Which Fier must ever be Coequall
In every minute, and yet perpetuall:
For it maie never abate ne increase,
And yet the Fier maie never cease.
Study wisely, and looke about
Such a Fier trewlie to finde out.
And in that Fier no moisture maie be,
Which Hand maie feele or Eye maie see.
Ignis humidus an other Fier alsoe
Is, and yet it seemeth oppositum in adjecto:
Such Heate dissevereth at certaine tydes
Matters cleving to Vessells sides.
Manie moe things that Heate maie wynn,
It maketh oft thick Matters to be thynn.
A Philosopher mistely spake of this Heate,
And saide, the highest degree thereof to get
Shall cause and gender such Siccitie,
As of drie heate shall be in the First degree.
Another Fier is Fire of Disiccation,
For matters which be imbibed with Humectation.
An other Fier is Fier of Conservation,
For all drie things of his operation:
For Magnetia is Fier of effusion,
Full of perills and full of illusion,
Not onely perill which to the Warke maie fall,
But such alsoe which the Master hurte shall;
Against which once received is noe boote,
Ordaine therefore to fetch breath from your foote;
Provide for Mouth, Eyes, Eares, and Nose,
For it is worse than ten times the Pose.
Men hereby hath sound paines sore,
Because they had not this warning before.
Ignis corrodens serveth in this Arte,
Elementa propinqua wisely to departe.
By one point of excesse all your Warke is shent,
And one point too little is insufficient;
Who can be sure to finde his trewe degree,
Magister magnus in igne shall he be.
It is the harder to know trewly his might,
There is no triall for it but our Eye sight:
Therefore all men faile in his presence,
Where Heate is lerned with cost of Experience.
Of this Heate in speciall Anaxagoras said thus,
Nemo primo fronte reperitur discretus.
Another is Heate of mighty Coaction,
For Mineralls that be of hard Liquefaction:
This Heate cannot be too stronge,
Be he continued never so longe.
Another is Heate of Calcination
For fowle Mettalls for their Preparation;
Which maie not brenn, ne doe them melte,
For so all thei maie soone be spilte.
The twelfte is Heate for to Sublime
All rhe Spirits of the Mine.
The last Heate of theis goeth for all,
When to Projection our Stone shall fall.
Use maketh Masterie, there is noe more to sayn[…],
But he that faileth must needs begin againe.
Now have I tought you everie thing by name,
As Men teach other the way to Walsingham,
Of every Village, Water, Bridge, and Hill,
Whereby wise Men their Journey maie fulfill:
Soe maie a Clerke by this Doctrine finde
This Science well if he be cleere of minde;
All other maie finde himselfe hereby a foole
To deale therewith, which litle can of Schoole;
For this is the end of all worldly Cunninge,
Where to attaine can neither Pope ne King
By their Honours, ne by their great Councell,
But only by Vertue and Grace as Auctors tell.
This precious Stone will not be found ne wrought
But he be right devotely sought.
The Auctors forenamed with this Boke of mine,
Sheweth of Alkimy all the Doctrine,
If ye compleate their Sentences all,
Not by Opinion, but after this Ordinall;
For in this Ordinall I fet you from all doubt,
Is nothing set wronge, nor one point left out.
The dayes were when that this Doctrine and ground
Had pleased me more than a Thousand pound;
Three Hundred pounds was not for my desire,
As would have byne this Chapter of the Fier.
And mervaile not Lords, ne ye freinds all,
Why soe noble a Scyence, as all Men this Arte call,
Is here set out in English blunt and rude,
For this is soe made to teach a Multitude
Of rude people which delen with this Werkes,
Ten Thousand Laymen against ten able Clerks:
Whereby yearely greate Riches in this Londe
Is lewdly lost, as Wisemen understonde;
And manie men of Everie degree
Yearely be brought to great Povertee.
Cease Laymen, cease, be not in follie ever;
Lewdnes to leave is better late than never.

All that hath pleasure in this Boke to reade,
Pray for my Soule, and for all both Quick and deade.
In this yeare of Christ One thousand foure Hundred seaventy and seaven,
This Warke was begun, Honour to God in Heaven.