Page 37 - Charnock alchemical letter

for one of them had sold as I did understand
five £ a year of good arable land
and so began they, their work again
and thought surely, they should it obtain
for they had wrought it, like unto a crystal stone
well coagulated, and fair to look upon
then were they merry as tap and can
and sent for me, that I should come then
to see the philosophers’ white stone which they had wrought
I promise you truly, it was worth right nought
As I proved to their faces, or that I went
and then they began, themselves to repent
and, said they had spent an hundredth marks or more
yea said I then, I told you before
so cursed they the science, and said it was not true
and what became of them after I not, for a bade them adieu
but of any thing that I could hear, by word or by letter
Winchester city for their philosophy, was never the better.

The Oxford Man

These were two joyless philosophers as ever I heard of, and would not
stick I think with their friends for a wage of gold or twain, if they had it.

Master Charnock

With such two like philosophers did Master Norton meet withall in his
time, which also if you be desirous to hear I will gladly repeat them with
the self same words, which he hath written in his book named the
Ordinal of Philosophy.15

The Oxford Man

You cannot weary me in a long time, your talk is so strange, therefore I
pray you let me hear what these two philosophers were?

Master Charnock

Master Norton sayeth

Normandy nourished a monk of late
who deceived men of every estate

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