Page 8 - Charnock alchemical letter

This tincture belonged to the last Prior of Bath Abbey, William
Holleweye, or Gibbs, who had received it through an
intermediary from George Ripley. Prior Gibbs had hidden it in a
wall of the Abbey during the time it was suppressed, but on
returning a few days later could not find it again. This prior
passed on his secret to Thomas Charnock.
Shortly after the dissolution of Bath Abbey, upon the pulling
down some of the walls, there was a glass found in a wall full of
red tincture, which being flung away to a dunghill, forthwith
coloured it exceeding red. This dunghill (or rubbish) was after
fetched away by boat by Bathwicke men, and laid in Bathwicke
field, and in the places where it was spread, for a long time after,
the corn grew wonderfully rank, thick and high: insomuch as it
was there looked upon as a wonder. This Belcher and Foster
(two shoemakers of Bath, who died about 20 years since) can
very well remember; as also one called Old Anthony, a butcher
who died about 12 years since. This relation I received: from Mr.
Rich: Wakeman Town Clerk of Bath; (who hath often heard the
said Old Anthony tell this story) in Michaelmas Term 1651.

Charnock takes pains to mention his alchemical masters in his
Epistle to Elizabeth, in order to give the impression that he had had direct
access to the secrets of alchemy and could be trusted to work the
alchemical process.

The Epistle begins with an appeal to Queen Elizabeth. He is aware
that she might be critical of the work of alchemy. He acknowledges that
there are a number of false practitioners, but the prize of obtaining the
philosophers’ stone is so precious that one must take the risk of obtaining
it. Few kingdoms possess this secret, and it is truly the gift of God. He
requests she ask one of her courtiers to investigate his claim and that she
might find delight in reading the details of his proposal in his Epistle.

Charnock then leaves off directly addressing the Queen and instead
uses the device of a supposed conversation with an ‘Oxford Man’, a well
educated figure, who effectively asks Charnock a series of questions that
allows him to present his case. At the close of this long dialogue, which
Charnock supposedly recalled from his memory, he tries too hard to add
something to the verisimilitude by going so far as to have the Oxford
man make a personal remark about holding Charnock to his promise to
meet him on the Thursday at ten o’clock, before he left for Oxford. The

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