Page 26 - Charnock alchemical letter

a wonderful strong exorcism having there unto all thing appertaining as
his vesture, his crown, his sceptre, his sword, his rod of verberation, and
his circle strongly fortified with signals and characters thereto
appertaining. By this means he brought together four principal spirits of
the air as by this his devilish learning. And when they were come at
length together, the answer was given by one assent, that they could not
give no such good gift. But if it had been to trouble the air, or to hurt the
unbelievers upon earth that they were ready to do it. But Bacon would
not be answered of them so, and doubled his exorcism upon them.
And then they willed him to make a brass head, and to make a sacrifice
and a fumigation unto it by the space of forty days, and then shortly after
if he would watch it, the brass head should answer him how he should
multiply the same: with biding did he accomplish. And then he watched
it so long before it would speak that he was desirous to sleep, and put his
man in trust to watch it, and gave him great charge to call him when the
head began to speak, and within a while after that Bacon was gone the
brass head spoke the first time, and said the time is / and within half an
hour he said the time was / and about the hours end he said the time is
past.

Then his man thinking he had not done well ran crying, master, master,
the brass head has spoken. What has he said what has he said: marry
master, he said the time is / the time was / and the time is past. Accursed
man quoth Bacon why did thou not call me at the first time. For now I
shall never have my purpose by this art so long as I shall live. By these
three times is to be understood the time is to have it, the time was he
might have had it, the time is past he shall never have it, because it came
not of God as I judge.

Yet after all this, Roger Bacon became a good and virtuous man, and did
utterly forsake this damnable science, and gave himself to a most solitary
life, and took great repentance that he had so misspent his time in
studying and practicing that devilish art. And at last by long study and
practice in philosophy, he had intelligence which way to augment the
stone, which the spirit Delbora brought him, and did much good
therewith, and then he made a three or four true works, or little books, of
this science. But Albertus gave over Roger Bacon and would not confer
no longer with him, but would practice by himself, and could never attain
unto the truth. Wherefore he made a book in despite, of recipes
mineralibus which hath deceived many a man.

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