In my visagë; for fumës divérse
Of metals, which ye have me heard rehearse,
Consumed have and wasted my rednéss.
Now take heed of this canon’s cursedness.4791
“Sir,” quoth he to the priest, “let your man gon
For quicksilver, that we it had anon;
And let him bringen ounces two or three;
And when he comes, as fastë shall ye see
A wondrous thing, which ye saw ne’er ere this.”
“Sir,” quoth the priest, “it shall be done, y-wis.”4792
He bade his servant fetchë him this thing,
And he all ready was at his biddíng,
And went him forth, and came anon again
With this quicksilver, shortly for to sayn;
And took these ounces three to the canoún;
And he them laidë well and fair adown,
And bade the servant coalës for to bring,
That he anon might go to his workíng.
The coalës right anon weren y-fet,4793
And this canón y-took a crossëlet4794
Out of his bosom, and shew’d to the priest.
“This instrument,” quoth he, “which that thou seest,
Take in thine hand, and put thyself therein
Of this quicksilver an ounce, and here begin,
In the name of Christ, to wax a philosópher.
There be full few, which that I wouldë proffer
To shewë them thus much of my sciénce;
For here shall ye see by experiénce
That this quicksilver I will mortify,4795
Right in your sight anon withoutë lie,
And make it as good silver, and as fine,
As there is any in your purse, or mine,
Or ellëswhere; and make it malleáble;
And ellës holdë me false and unable
Amongë folk for ever to appear.
I have a powder here that cost me dear,
Shall make all good, for it is cause of all
My conning,4796 which that I you shewë shall.
Voidë4797 your man, and let him be thereout;
And shut the doorë, while we be about
Our privity, that no man us espy,
While that we work in this philosophý.”
All, as he bade, fulfilled was in deed.
This ilkë servant right anon out yede,4798
And his master y-shut the door anon,
And to their labour speedily they gon.
This priest, at this cursed canón’s biddíng,
Upon the fire anon he set this thing,
And blew the fire, and busied him full fast.
And this canón into the croslet cast
A powder, I know not whereof it was
Y-made, either of chalk, either of glass,
Or somewhat ellës, was not worth a fly,
To blinden with4799 this priest; and bade him hie4800
The coalës for to couchen4801 all above
The croslet; “for, in token I thee love,”
Quoth this canón, “thine owen handës two
Shall work all thing that herë shall be do’.”4802
“Grand mercy,”4803 quoth the priest, and was full glad,
And couch’d the coalës as the canon bade.
And while he busy was, this fiendly wretch,
This false canón (the foulë fiend him fetch),
Out of his bosom took a beechen coal,
In which full subtilly was made a hole,
And therein put was of silver limáile4804
An ounce, and stopped was withoutë fail
The hole with wax, to keep the limaile in.
And understandë, that this falsë gin4805
Was not made there, but it was made before;
And other thingës I shall tell you more,
Hereafterward, which that he with him brought;
Ere he came there, him to beguile he thought,
And so he did, ere that they went atwin;4806
Till he had turned him, could he not blin.4807
It doleth4808 me, when that I of him speak;
On his falsehóod fain would I me awreak,4809
If I wist how, but he is here and there;
He is so variant,4810 he abides nowhere.
But takë heed, Sirs, now for Goddë’s love.
He took his coal, of which I spake above,
And in his hand he bare it privily,
And while the priestë couched busily
The coalës, as I toldë you ere this,
This canon saidë, “Friend, ye do amiss;
This is not couched as it ought to be,
But soon I shall amenden it,” quoth he.
“Now let me meddle therewith but a while,
For of you have I pity, by Saint Gile.
Ye be right hot, I see well how ye sweat;
Have here a cloth, and wipe away the wet.”
And whilë that the priestë wip’d his face,
This canon took his coal—with sorry grace4811—
And layed it above on the midwárd
Of the croslet, and blew well afterward,
Till that the coals begannë fast to brenn.4812
“Now give us drinkë,” quoth this canon then,
“And swithe4813 all shall be well, I undertake.
Sittë we down, and let us merry make.”
And whennë that this canon’s beechen coal
Was burnt, all the limáile out of the hole
Into the crossëlet anon fell down;
And so it mustë needës, by reasoún,
Since it above so even couched4814 was;
But thereof wist the priest no thing, alas!
He deemed all the coals alikë good,
For of the sleight he nothing understood.
And when this alchemister saw his time,
“Rise up, Sir Priest,” quoth he, “and stand by me;
And, for I wot well ingot4815 have ye none,
Go, walkë forth, and bring me a chalk stone;
For I will make it of the samë shape
That is an ingot, if I may have hap.
Bring eke with you a bowl, or else a pan,
Full of watér, and ye shall well see than4816
How that our business shall hap and preve.4817
And yet, for ye shall have no misbelieve4818
Nor wrong conceit of me, in your absénce,
I willë not be out of your presénce,
But go with you, and come with you again.”
The chamber-doorë, shortly for to sayn,
They opened and shut, and went their way,
And forth with them they carried the key;
And came again without any delay.
Why should I tarry all the longë day?
He took the chalk, and shap’d it in the wise
Of an ingot, as I shall you devise;4819
I say, he took out of his owen sleeve
A teine4820 of silver (evil may he cheve!4821)
Which that ne was but a just ounce of weight.
And takë heed now of his cursed sleight;
He shap’d
