The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 205v
2 of 4 folios
95
Rysalger / and oure matiers embityng
And eke of oure matiers / encorporyng
And of oure siluer / citrynacioū
And of cementynge / and fermentacioū
Oure Ingottes / testes / & manye moo
100
I wil ȝow telle / as was me taugħt also
The foure spiritez / & the bodies seuene
By ordre / as ofte I herd my lord nemene
The first spirit / quyk siluer called is
The Secund Orpement / the thridde I wys
105
Sal Armonyak / and the ferthe Bremstoū
The bodyes seuene eke / lo hem heere a noon
Sol / gold is / and Luna siluer we threpe
Mars Iren / Mercurie quyksiluer we clepe
Saturnus led / and Iuppiter is Tyn
110
And venus Coper / by my fader kyn
This cursed craft / who so wil excersise
He shal no good haue / þt hī may suffise
For al the good / he spendetħ there a boute
He lese shal / ther of haue I no doute
115
Who so þat listetħ / outren / his folie
Lat hī come fortħ / and lerne multiplie
And euery man / þt hatħ ougħt in his cofre
Lat hī appiere / and wexe a Philosophre
Ascauns that craft / is so ligħt to lere
120
Nay nay god wot / al be he Monke or frere
Preest or Chanoū / or any other wygħt
Thougħ he sitte at his book / bothe day & nygħt
In lernynge / of this eluyssħ / nyce lore
Al is in veyn / and perde mechel more
125
To lerne a lewed man / this subtilitee
Fy / spek nat ther of / for it wil nat be
And cone he letterure / or cone he noon
As in effect he shal fynde it al oon
For bothe xxo / by my sauacioū
130
Concluden / in multiplicacioū
I like wel / whan they han al I do
This is to seyn / they faillen bothe two
Ȝet forgat I / to makee rehersail
Of watres Corosif / and of lymail
135
And of bodies / mollificacioū
And also / of here induracioū