The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Folio 384r
1 of 19 folios
And besye me to telle ȝow the namys
40
Of orpemynt brend bonys Iren squamys
That in to poudere groūde been fxul smal
And in an erthene pot how put is al
And salt I put in & also papeer
By fore these pouderis that I speke of heer
45
And weel I keuered with a laūpe of glas
And of muche othir thyng whiche there was
And of the pot & glasis enlutȳge
That of the ayr myghte passe out nothȳge
And of the esy fuyr & smert also
50
Whiche that was mad & the care & wo
That we hadde in oure mateeris sublymyng
And in a malgamynge & calcenyng
Of quik siluyr I clepede Mercurye Crude
For alle oure slytis we cūne not cōclude
55
Of oure orpemynt & sublimyd mercurye
Oure groūdyn lytarge ek & the porphurye
Of eche of these / of ounces a certeyn
Noght helpith vs oure labor is in veyn
Ne ek oure spiritis ascencioū
60
Ne oure matieris that lyn al fyx a doū
Mowe in oure werkȳge no thyng vs avayle
For lost is al oure labor & trauayle
And al the cost a twēty deuelleweye
Is lost also which we on it leye
65
There is also ful manye anothir thyng
That is vnto oure craft aperteynȳge
Thow I be ordere / hē nat reherce can
By cause that I am a lewede man
That wele I telle hē as they come in mȳde
70
Thow I ne can nat sette hē in hir kynde
As bole armonyak verdegres boras
And sūderi vessellys mad of erthe & glas
Oure vrynallis & oure discensories
Violys / Crosletis / & sublymatories
75
Cucurbites & alembikes eek
And othere swche / deere I nogh a leek