Page 50 - Charnock alchemical letter

head, that the obtaining to the philosophers’ stone, is any token or
judgment that the end of the world to be at hand. But this I say to be
somewhat a more certain token than that, that the end of the world
draweth near. As when you shall hear that the head bishop of the world
shall begin to abate much of his pontifical dignity and doth forbid
offerings, images, jewels, vestments, and idleness in the church, and he
himself to begin the life of the apostles, and command the gospel to be
purely preached and that all bishops and priests shall follow this doctrine,
not only by preaching, but also that their living shall be according to their
profession, which shall be by my astronomical judgement much about
the year of our lord God 1581 and when you shall see this come to pass,
yet say with Christ in his gospel, of that day and of that hour knoweth no
man etc.

The Oxford Man

I promise you for my part I never heard this judgement before, and by
this I gather as well as by some of your former talks, that you have not
wholly given yourself to philosophy, but that you have passed now and
then among many sciences.

Master Charnock

When I was a lad of twelve years of age, I learned this lesson / omnia
probate25 / and followed the same until I was above twenty and then I
began to take a new lesson / quod bonn est tenete26 / And so have
followed the same and ever I trust to do forsaking all vain sciences which
I have over read and passed misspending my time, as geomantia the
worse / idromantia / acromantia and priomantia. And then in Michael the
Scott27 for flying of birds to prove my journey fortunate. And then in
Albertus Magnus who made me climb a dove’s nest, I should have said a
raven’s nest, to have that stone named Aldronicus to go invisible. And
then I have watched the mole by duus hora28 to have his skin to make me
a purse by art which should never be penniless. And then I came to that
rich science of Alchemy whereby I gained as Diggen did by his dishes.
And from thence I fell to the art of physiognomy and chiromancy,
wherein I found some truth. And last of all to Astronomy, Cosmography,
physick, and natural philosophy and so by Gods grace I ever fell from the
worst, to the better. And at this tale we laughed.

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