Page 31 - Charnock alchemical letter

and each without. Now, I pray God this be not laid to my charge at the
last day, for I fear me I have spoken too large. It for all this without it
meet with a Master who can tell in what degree it is exa lted, it is nothing
worth, as I can make good probation within this twenty-six years what
happened within the city of London.

The Oxford Man

What happe was that I pray you?

Master Charnock

It befell about the time of the insurrection of the north, that one of my
tutors who was a priest and a northern man born, came up to London,
and one Master Rawlings a priest, each of them to seek service, and did
confer together in studying the sciences.

And while they lay in London, they happened on a day to be drinking in
the company of a yeoman of the guard, and when they came to drawing
of their purses for to pay their reckoning, then said the yeoman I have a
thing here of a marvellous image or figure which I got from a religious
man, and I marvel what thing it may be, and my tutor perceived that it
was the whole proportion of the philosophers’ stone wrought already in
some one degree, and they bought it for a small matter. Then were they
glad and made much of it, and fed it every day a little and a little as a
young child ought to be, and so it increased and waxed pretty and big in
a short time.

And then there fell into their company another philosopher, who
promised them that he would increase him more in a month, than they
were able to do in a year unto whom they did their child of philosophy to
foster and nourish, which within one month had over fed it, and made it
too perfect, whereby for lack of good digestion, watery humours had
overcome his blood, and so it fell into a dropsy. And when he perceived
that he had over glut it, then he delivered him to his master again very
weak and feeble. Who was much careful to recover his health, and put
him into a dry bath for to dry off his watery humours, and gave him easy
vomits among, but all would not serve for natural heat was clean extinct
and so it died named with us Abortion. And this was a pitiful mischance
and a great loss, for by this time, at times, it would have been worth the
great Turk’s treasure.

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