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The ferste was of which men note。
And of Musique also the note
In mannes vois or softe or scharpe；
That fond Jubal； and of the harpe
The merie soun； which is to like；
That fond Poulins forth with phisique。 2420
Zenzis fond ferst the pourtreture；
And Promothes the Sculpture；
After what forme that hem thoghte；
The resemblance anon thei wroghte。
Tubal in Iren and in Stel
Fond ferst the forge and wroghte it wel：
And Jadahel； as seith the bok；
Ferst made Net and fisshes tok：
Of huntynge ek he fond the chace；
Which now is knowe in many place： 2430
A tente of cloth with corde and stake
He sette up ferst and dede it make。
Verconius of cokerie
Ferst made the delicacie。
The craft Minerve of wolle fond
And made cloth hire oghne hond；
And Delbora made it of lyn：
Tho wommen were of great engyn。
Bot thing which yifth ous mete and drinke
And doth the labourer to swinke 2440
To tile lond and sette vines；
Wherof the cornes and the wynes
Ben sustenance to mankinde；
In olde bokes as I finde；
Saturnus of his oghne wit
Hath founde ferst； and more yit
Of Chapmanhode he fond the weie；
And ek to coigne the moneie
Of sondri metall； as it is；
He was the ferste man of this。 2450
Bot hou that metall cam a place
Thurgh mannes wit and goddes grace
The route of Philosophres wise
Controeveden be sondri wise；
Ferst forto gete it out of Myne；
And after forto trie and fyne。
And also with gret diligence
Thei founden thilke experience；
Which cleped is Alconomie；
Wherof the Selver multeplie 2460
Thei made and ek the gold also。
And forto telle hou it is so；
Of bodies sevene in special
With foure spiritz joynt withal
Stant the substance of this matiere。
The bodies whiche I speke of hiere
Of the Planetes ben begonne：
The gold is titled to the Sonne；
The mone of Selver hath his part；
And Iren that stant upon Mart； 2470
The Led after Satorne groweth；
And Jupiter the Bras bestoweth；
The Coper set is to Venus；
And to his part Mercurius
Hath the quikselver； as it falleth；
The which； after the bok it calleth；
Is ferst of thilke fowre named
Of Spiritz； whiche ben proclamed；
And the spirit which is secounde
In Sal Armoniak is founde： 2480
The thridde spirit Sulphur is；
The ferthe suiende after this
Arcennicum be name is hote。
With blowinge and with fyres hote
In these thinges； whiche I seie；
Thei worchen be diverse weie。
For as the philosophre tolde
Of gold and selver； thei ben holde
Tuo principal extremites；
To whiche alle othre be degres 2490
Of the metalls ben acordant；
And so thurgh kinde resemblant；
That what man couthe aweie take
The rust； of which thei waxen blake；
And the savour and the hardnesse；
Thei scholden take the liknesse
Of gold or Selver parfitly。
Bot forto worche it sikirly；
Betwen the corps and the spirit；
Er that the metall be parfit； 2500
In sevene formes it is set；
Of alle and if that on be let；
The remenant mai noght availe；
Bot otherwise it mai noght faile。
For thei be whom this art was founde
To every point a certain bounde
Ordeignen； that a man mai finde
This craft is wroght be weie of kinde；
So that ther is no fallas inne。
Bot what man that this werk beginne； 2510
He mot awaite at every tyde；
So that nothing be left aside；
Ferst of the distillacion；
Forth with the congelacion；
Solucion； descencion；
And kepe in his entencion
The point of sublimacion；
And forth with calcinacion
Of veray approbacion
Do that ther be fixacion 2520
With tempred hetes of the fyr；
Til he the parfit Elixir
Of thilke philosophres Ston
Mai gete； of which that many on
Of Philosophres whilom write。
And if thou wolt the names wite
Of thilke Ston with othre tuo；
Whiche as the clerkes maden tho；
So as the bokes it recorden；
The kinde of hem I schal recorden。 2530
These olde Philosophres wyse
Be weie of kinde in sondri wise
Thre Stones maden thurgh clergie。
The ferste； if I schal specefie；
Was lapis vegetabilis；
Of which the propre vertu is
To mannes hele forto serve；
As forto kepe and to preserve
The bodi fro siknesses alle；
Til deth of kinde upon him falle。 2540
The Ston seconde I thee behote
Is lapis animalis hote；
The whos vertu is propre and cowth
For Ere and yhe and nase and mouth；
Wherof a man mai hiere and se
And smelle and taste in his degre；
And forto fiele and forto go
It helpeth man of bothe tuo：
The wittes fyve he underfongeth
To kepe； as it to him belongeth。 2550
The thridde Ston in special
Be name is cleped Minerall；
Which the metalls of every Mine
Attempreth； til that thei ben fyne；
And pureth hem be such a weie；
That al the vice goth aweie
Of rust； of stink and of hardnesse：
And whan thei ben of such clennesse；
This Mineral； so as I finde；
Transformeth al the ferste kynde 2560
And makth hem able to conceive
Thurgh his vertu； and to receive
Bothe in substance and in figure
Of gold and selver the nature。
For thei tuo ben thextremetes；
To whiche after the propretes
Hath every metal his desir；
With help and confort of the fyr
Forth with this Ston； as it is seid；
Which to the Sonne and Mone is leid； 2570
For to the rede and to the whyte
This Ston hath pouer to profite。
It makth mulptiplicacioun
Of gold； and the fixacioun
It causeth； and of his habit
He doth the werk to be parfit
Of thilke Elixer which men calle
Alconomie； as is befalle
To hem that whilom weren wise。
Bot now it stant al otherwise； 2580
Thei speken faste of thilke Ston；
Bot hou to make it； nou wot non
After the sothe experience。
And natheles gret diligence
Thei setten upon thilke dede；
And spille more than thei spede；
For allewey thei finde a lette；
Which bringeth in poverte and dette
To hem that riche were afore：
The lost is had； the lucre is lore； 2590
To gete a pound thei spenden fyve；
I not hou such a craft schal thryve
In the manere as it is used：
It were betre be refused
Than forto worchen upon weene
In thing which stant noght as thei weene。
Bot noght forthi； who that it knewe；
The science of himself is trewe
Upon the forme as it was founded；
Wherof the names yit ben grounded 2600
Of hem that ferste it founden oute；
And thus the fame goth aboute
To suche as soghten besinesse
Of vertu and of worthinesse。
Of whom if I the names calle；
Hermes was on the ferste of alle；
To whom this art is most applied；
Geber therof was magnefied；
And Ortolan and Morien；
Among the whiche is Avicen； 2610
Which fond and wrot a gret partie
The practique of Alconomie；
Whos bokes； pleinli as thei stonde
Upon this craft； fewe understonde；
Bot yit to put hem in assai
Ther ben full manye now aday；
That knowen litel what thei meene。
It is noght on to wite and weene；
In forme of wordes thei it trete；
Bot yit they failen of beyete； 2620
For of tomoche or of tolyte
Ther is algate founde a wyte；
So that thei folwe noght the lyne
Of the parfite medicine；
Which grounded is upon nature。
Bot thei that writen the scripture
Of Grek； Arabe and of Caldee；
Thei were of such Auctorite
That thei ferst founden out the weie
Of al that thou hast herd me seie； 2630
Wherof the Cronique of her lore
Schal stonde in pris for everemore。
Bot toward oure Marches hiere；
Of the Latins if thou wolt hiere；
Of hem that whilom vertuous
Were and therto laborious；
Carmente made of hire engin
The ferste lettres of Latin；
Of which the tunge Romein cam；
Wherof that Aristarchus nam 2640
Forth with Donat and Dindimus
The ferste reule of Scole； as thus；
How that Latin schal be componed
And in what wise it schal be soned；
That every word in his degre
Schal stonde upon congruite。
And thilke time at Rome also
Was Tullius with Cithero；
That writen upon Rethorike；
Hou that men schal the wordes pike 2650
After the forme of eloquence；
Which is； men sein； a gret prudence：
And after that out of Hebreu
Jerom； which the langage kneu；
The Bible； in which the lawe is closed；
Into Latin he hath transposed；
And many an other writere ek
Out of Caldee； Arabe and Grek
With gret labour the bokes wise
Translateden。 And otherwise 2660
The Latins of hemself also
Here studie at thilke time so
With gret travaile of Scole toke
In sondri forme forto boke；
That we mai take here evidences
Upon the lore of the Sciences