The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 181v
4 of 22 folios
And combust matieres and coagulat
Cley maad wiþ horses or mannes heer and oyle
Of tartre alym glas berme wort and argoyle
95
Rysalgar and oþer matieres enbykynge
And eek of oure matieres encorporynge
And eek of Siluer Citrynacioū
Oure sementynge and fermentacioū
Oure Ingotes testes and many mo
100
I wol ȝou telle as was me taugħt also /
Þe foure spirites and þe bodyes seuene /
By ordre ofte as I herde my lord neuene
The fyfte spirit quyk siluer called is
Þe seconde orpiment . þe þridde y wys
105
Sal armoniak and þe ferþe bremston
The bodyes seuene eek lo hem heere anon
Sol gold is and luna siluer we threpe
Mars yren mercurie quyk syluer we clepe
Saturnë leed and Iubiter is tyn
110
And venus Copur by my fader kyn
This cursede craft who so wol exercise
He schal no good han þat may him suffise
For aƚƚ þe good he spendeþ þer aboute
He lese schal þer of haue I no doute
115
Who so þat list to outen his folye
Let him come forþ and lerne to multiplie
And euery man þat haþ augħt in his cofre
Lat him appere and wexe a philosophre
As scaunce þat craft is so ligħt for to lere
120
Nay nay god woot al be he monk or frere /
Preste or Chanoū or eny oþer wigħt
Þough he sitte at his book boþe day and nigħt
In lernyng of þis eluyssħ nyce lore /
Al is in veyn and parde moche more
125
Is to lerne a lewed man þis sotilte
Fy speke nouȝt þerof for it wol not be
Al cowde he letterure or couþe he non