Part i

.): but no life of Chapman is found in that volume.

=Walter Charleton= (1619/20-1707).

[612]Walter Charleton, M.D., borne at Shepton-Malet[613] in com. Somerset, Feb. 2ᵈ, 1619, about 6 h. P.M., his mother being then at supper.

[614]'Dom. G. Charleton, D. M.: nascitur die Mercurii[615] 2/12 Febr., aerae Christi 1619/20, hor. 12, mom. 18 P.M.'--this[616] is my lord William Brounckar's doeing and is his owne handwriting.

=Thomas Charnock= (1526-1581).

[617]Mr. <Andrew> Paschal, rector of Chedzoy, hath the originall scroll of Mr. Charnock, scilicet, of the philosopher's stone.

[618]Mr. Charnock, the chymist, mentioned in <Ashmole's> _Theatrum Chymicum_, was buryed in Otterhampton neer Bridgewater, anno 1581[619], April 21, aged 55 yeares--<from> Mr. Paschal: vide Mr. Paschal's lettre, here inserted[620] before <the life of> Nicholas Mercator, p. 32.

[621]_Concerning Mr. Charnocke._

Sir,

Mr. Wells of Bridgewater performed his promise. He writes that the house was lately pulled down, and is new built from the ground, all except the wall at the east end. He could make nothing of what was only left over the chimney; but he found the little dore that led out of the lodging-chamber into the little _Athanor_ roome. Of that you have an account in the enclosed draught.

The two roses I take to be the white and red, termes common with Charnocke for the two magisteries. The two animals over them I suppose are wolves, denoting the[622] ♁; abounding with a volatile[623] ☉ and used for preparing and purifying one of the principal ingredients into the worke. Out of it growes (if those authors may be credited) most precious fruits.

I obliged a painter to goe over soon after I had been there and take all he could find exactly. He was there, but I could never get anything from him: an ingeniose man, but egregiously carelesse.

Looking back I find this noted by me--June 22, 1681; the place in the _Athanor_ roome in which he kept his lampe was stone-work about 15 inches deep and so much square in the clear from side to side. Over it a wooden collar with a rabit[624] as to lett-in a cover close. No place to come into the square but by the collar, contrived probably after the accident of burning his tabernacle mentioned in his printed pieces.

I find this added:--'Twas painted about the chimney thus:--on the left side of the chimney proceeded from a red stalk streaked with white, first, a paire of red branches, then a paire of white, then of red, then one of white to the top; something like a rabbit's head painted looking from the chimney to the foot of the sayd stalk.--The next picture separated as by a pillar on the chimney:--from one stalke, two white branches, of either side one; then two red, above; then two white; then at the top this [Illustration:], the balls of a dusky yellow.--The next picture is also distinguished by a pillar on the chimney to the right side: this <is> quite obscured by smoake.

In the left corner of the roome another picture described, with double branches, white, then red, then white, then one on the top red.

This is all I can say of that place, of which I wish I were capable of sending a better account.

The other side of Mr. Wells's paper gives you one of the schemes in the middle of the roll, which is now by me.

The transcription of the thing, said to be Ripley's, should cost Mr. Ashmole nothing, were I not under an obligation not to impart it to any. It may be greatly to his losse who did communicate it to me, if the owner should know I have it. If I can contrive a way to send it with leave I shall be ambitious to gratify that worthy person.

your etc. And. Paschall.

[625]To his much honoured friend John Aubrey, esqre., these present, at Mr. Hooke's lodgeings in Gresham College, London.

[626]Sir,

I received and returne thankes for yours.

Since my last I got leave to transcribe what Mr. Charnocke wrote on the backside of the rolle, which I heer send you. I kept as neare as I could to the very errours of his pen, by which it may in part be seen that he was, as he professes, an _unlettered_ scholar. The inside of the rolle (which is all in Latine, and perhaps the same with the scrowle mentioned in _Theatrum Chemicum_, p. 375) was composed by a great master in the Hermetic philosophy and written by a master of his pen. Some notes written in void spaces of it by Mr. Charnocke's hand shew he did not (at least throughly) understand it. But it seemes to me that this rolle was a kind of _Vade mecum_ or manuall that the students in that wisdome carryed about with them. I presume 'twas drawn out of Raymund Lully, of which I shall be able to gaine fuller satisfaction when I have his workes come down.

I was also, since my last, at Mr. Charnocke's house in Comag, where the rolle was found; and saw the place where 'twas hid. I saw the litle roome and contrivance he had for keeping his worke, and found it ingeniosely ordered so as to prevent a like accident to that which befell him New Yeare's day, 1555; and this pretty place joining as a closet to his chamber was to make a servant needlesse and the worke of giving attendance more easy to himselfe. I have also a litle iron instrument found there which he made use of about his fire. I sawe on the doore of his little _Athanor_-room, if I may so call it, drawn by his own hand, with course colours and work, but ingeniously, an embleme of his worke, at which I gave some guesses, and so about the walls of his chamber. I thinke there was in all 5 panes of this worke, all somewhat differing from each other, some very obscure and almost worne out. They told me that people had been unwilling to dwell in that house, because reputed troublesome,--I presume from some traditionall storyes of this person, who was looked on by his neighbours as no better than a conjurer.

As I was taking horse to come home from this pleasant entertainment, I see a pretty ancient man come forth of the next doore. I asked him how long he had lived there. Finding that it was the place of his birth, I inquired if he had ever heard anything of that Mr. Charnocke. He told me he had heard his mother (who dyed about 12 or 14 yeares since and was 80 yeares of age at her decease) often speake of him; that he kept a fire in, divers yeares; that his daughter lived with him; that once he was gone forth, and by her neglect (whome he trusted it with in his absence) the fire went out and so all his worke was lost; the brazen head was very neare comeing to speake, but so was he disappointed.

I suppose the pleasant-humoured man--for that he was so appeares by his breviary--alludeing to Frier Bacon's story, did so put off the inquisitivenes of his simple neighbours, and thence it is come down there by tradition till now.

Indeed it appeares by the inclosed lines that when he wrote the rolle he had attained but to the white stone, which is perhaps not half the way to the red,

('Put me to my sister Mercury, I congeale into silver'); and, if the old woman's tale were true, he might afterwards be going on and be come neare to the red and then that vexing accident might befall him; and this might be, notwithstanding what is sayd in the fragment, referred to the yeare 1574, for (being so neare the red as the traditionall story sayes he was) he might see in that 50th yeare of his age that the white was ferment to the red.

You may observe my calculation differs in one thing from Mr. Ashmole's in his notes upon _Theatrum Chemicum_, p. 478: for he makes 'the presse' to have been (out of Stowe) 1558, but I (out of Dr. Burnet's History) 1557; and consequently he supposes the presse to have been after the finishing of the Breviary, but I presume he set on the Breviary after he was pressed. So indeed he himselfe plainly averres in the 4 last lines of chapter 4 of his Breviary (_Theatrum Chemicum_, p. 296). I mention this to give a reason for my dissenting from your worthy friend, to whome I must intreat you to communicate these informations that I have had opportunity to gather, and also present my humble service.

Sir,

I thought when I set pen to paper to have given you an account of some conversation I have had with a person who is a zealous friend and admirer of this sort of knowledge, but I see I have already gone beyound bounds. I shal onely say he hath almost convinced me that it is not so hidden and obscure, so difficult and unaccountable, as men commonly seeme to beleeve. I am in hopes to receive, by Mr. Hooke's and Mr. Lodwick's favour, the lamp for which he was pleased to give directions some time since.

I have not yet seen my miller and his invention, though he promised to bring it to me; I presume 'tis not yet ready. I expect him dayly.

Pray give my humble service to our worthy friend, and to Mr. Pigott.

I am sure I now need the[627]....

[628]I shall be glad to heare of a new edition of the _Theatrum_[629] and that you will speed the printing of your MS. of Raymund Lullye's. If it doe not goe soon to the presse, how joyfull should I be to have the perusall of it! 'Tis the onely grievous thing I suffer in this solitude that I may not see good bookes and good men, but I must be content.

[630]The first thing written on the back side[631] is as followes:--

At Stockeland, Bristowe, iiii myles from Brigewater, 1566.

The principall rules of naturall philosophy figuratively set fourth to the obtayning of the philosopher's stone, collectyd out of xl auctors by the unletteryd scholer Thomas Charnocke, studient in the sciencis off astronomie, physick, and naturall philosophie, the same year that he dedicatyd a booke off the science to queene Elizabeth of Englande which was Anno Domini 1566, and the viii yere off her raigne.

* * * * *

<MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 56ᵛ, gives the rest of the writing on the back of the roll; but the outer edge of the leaf is torn off, and the writing consequently imperfect>

[632]. . . . . . . . his pose . . . . . on the white and red rose . . . . black appere sartayne . . . xx or it wax bright . . . lx after to black againe . . . xx or it be perfet[633] white . . . it or all quick things be dedd . . . . . or this rose be redd Thomas Charnocke [in[634] red letters] 1572.

This is the philosopher's dragon which eateth upp his one tayle Beinge famisshed in a doungen of glas and all for my prevayle <Ma>ny yeres I keapt this dragon in pryson strounge. <Bef>ore I coulde mortiffy him I thought it lounge <But> at the lenght by God's grace yff ye beleve my worde <I> vanquished him wythe a fyrie sword.

[Then[635] followes the picture of a dragon with a black stone under his foot, with a white stone neare his breast, with a red stone over his head: his tayle is turned to his gapeing mouth.]

The dragon speketh:--

. . . . souldiers in armoure bright . . . <n>ot have kylled me in fyelde in fighte . . . <Cha>rnock nother for all his philosophie . . . <pr>yson and famyne he had not famysshed me <Guy of W>arwicke nor Bevys of Southehampton . . . . such a venomous dragon . . . . fowght with Hidra the serpent . . . . . e cowlde not have his intent . . . . n the wyse inclose too in a toonne off brasse . . . . d shutt up in a doungeon of glasse . . . . lyffe was so quick and my poyson so strounge . . . . e cowlde kyll me it was full lounge . . . . he hyld me in prison day and nyght . . <k>eapt me from sustenance to mynishe me myght . . . When I saw none other remedye . . . very hunger I eate myne one bodye . . . . . by corruption I became black and dedd <Th>at precious stone which is in my hedd . . . be worth a Mˡⁱ to him that hath skyll <F>or that stone's sake he wysely dyd me kyll <In d>eath I dyd hym forgyve even at the very hower <Se>inge that he wylbe beneficiall unto the poore When I was alyve I was but stronge poyson Profitable for few things in conclusion <Now th>at I ame now dying in myne owne blood <N>ow I do excell all other wordeley good <A> new name is given me of those that be wysse <No>w I ame named the elixer off great price <If y>ou wyll make prouff, put to me my sister mercury <I will co>ngoyle hir into sylver in the twinkling off an eye . . . . . . qualites I have many mo . . . <foo>lyshe and ingenorant shall never kno Few prelates and Masters of art within this reame Do knowe aryght what I do meane My great grawnt-father was killyd by Ravnde Lulli, knight of Spayne And my g<r>awnt-father by Syr Gorge Rippley, a chanon of Yenglande sartayne And my father by a chanon of Lechefelde was kylled truly Who gave hym to his man Thomas Davton when he dyd dye And my mother by Mr. Thomas Norton off Bristow slayn was And each of these were able to make[636]☉ or ☽ in a glasse And now I ame made the great and riche elixer allso That my master shall never lack whether he ryde or go But he and all other must have great feare and aye As secrettely as they can to exchaunge my increase awaye. * * * * * Here Charnock changeth to a better cheere For the sorrow that he hath sufferyd many a yere Or that he could accomplish the regiment of his fyre . . . . . . . . .[637] or he saw his desier Wherefore in thy hartt now prease God allway And do good deeds with it whatsoever thou may Therefore thy god gave this science unto thee To be his stuarde and refresh the poore and needie.

Anno D. 1526--Thomas Charnocke borne at Feversham in Kent.

He travailed all England over to gain his knowledge.

1554/5--He attained the secret from his master of Salisbury close, who dying left his worke with him.

He lost it by fireing his tabernacle on a New Yeare's day.

About this time being 28 yeares of age, he learned the secret againe of the prior of Bathe.

He began anew with a servant, and againe by himselfe alone without a servant.

He continued it nine monthes; was within a month of his reckoning; the crowe's head began to appear black.

1557--He, pressed on a warre proclaimed against the French (Burnet's History,