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Of your elixir, your lac virginis, Your stone, your med'cine, and your chrysosperme,

Your sal, your sulphur, and your mercury, Your oil of height, your tree of life, your blood,

Your marchesite, your tutie, your magnesia, Your toad, your crow, your dragon, and your panther;

Your sun, your moon, your firmament, your adrop,1

Your lato, azoch, zernich, chibrit, heautarit, And then your red man, and your white woman,

With all your broths, your menstrues, and materials

Of piss and egg-shells, women's terms, man's blood,

Hairo' the head, burnt clouts, chalk, merds, and clay,

Powder of bones, scalings of iron, glass, And worlds of other strange ingredients, Would burst a man to name?

Sub. And all these named,

Intending but one thing; which art our

writers

Used to obscure their art.

Mam. Sir, so I told him—

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Because the simple ideot should not learn it, He'll be mad too.—

And make it vulgar.

Sub. Was not all the knowledge Of the Ægyptians writ in mystic symbols? Speak not the scriptures oft in parables? Are not the choicest fables of the poets, That were the fountains and first springs of wisdom,

Wrapped in perplexed allegories?

Mam. I urged that,

And cleared to him, that Sisyphus was damned

To roll the ceaseless stone, only because He would have made OURS common. [Dol

appears at the door.j-Who is this?

1 Your adrop, &c.] Adrop est azar, lapis ipse.-Chem. Dict. Lato is a species of aurichalc; azoch and chibrit are, I believe, but other names for mercury; zernich is auripigment, and heautarit-I know not what.

2 Face. A lord's sister, &c.] I have adopted the arrangement of the quarto, 1612, in these short speeches. It is so much more natural than that of the folio, 1616, that I am inclined to attribute the alteration to a mere oversight.

3 I warrant thee.] i.e., I will secure thee from the effects of his anger.

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A Bradamante,] The name of an heroine in Orlando Furioso.-WHAL.

5 An excellent Paracelsian,] A follower of Paracelsus. Philippus Aureolus Paracelsus Theophrastus Bumbastus de Hohenheim, (I love, as the good Vicar of Wakefield says, to give the whole name), was born in 1493, at Einsiedeln, a little town near Zurich. His father, who was a physician, taught him the rudiments of his art, and would perhaps have taught him more, had not the incurable passion of his son for rambling prevented it. Before he was twenty

Strange cures with mineral physic. He
deals all

With spirits, he; he will not hear a word
Of Galen; or his tedious recipes.-

Re-enter Face.

How now, Lungs!

Face. Softly, sir; speak softly. I meant To have told your worship all. This must not hear.

Mam. No, he will not be "gulled:"1 let him alone.

Face. You are very right, sir; she is a most rare scholar,

And is gone mad with studying Broughton's
works.

If you but name a word touching the
Hebrew,

She falls into her fit, and will discourse
So learnedly of genealogies,
As you would run mad too, to hear her, sir.

the patient was wearied by some contemptible mummery into a state of somnolency, from which he was to awake with a renovated constitution.

long since. There is not one of the miraculous inventions which for a short time immortalized the philosopher Godwin, that had not been the object of sovereign contempt and ridicule many centuries before he was born.

No, he will not be gulled:] Mammon alludes with a sneer to Surly's declaration, p. 20 a.

She is gone mad with studying Broughton's works.] Mr. Hugh Broughton, a celebrated rabbin in Queen Elizabeth's days, and a great publisher."--WHAL.

he had overrun a great part of Germany, conversing indifferently with barbers, old women, conjurers, chemists, quacks, &c., and eagerly adopting from each whatever he imagined conucive to the system of imposture which he had It is not a little mortifying to observe that the already planned. From Germany he proceeded boasted discoveries of this prodigious period, to Russia, where he fell into the hands of the which has been proudly termed "the age of Tartars and was carried to the Cham, who sent reason," but which would be more aptly denohim to Constantinople to preside over the educa-minated the age of impudence, had been made tion of his son! Here, as all the world knows, he learned the grand secret, and returned to Germany with the philosopher's stone. At Basle he set up for a physician, and having by accident or mistake cured Frobenius (the noted printer), he acquired considerable practice. In 1527 he was appointed professor of physic and gave lectures. As he had far more cunning than knowledge, he wrapped up all that he delivered in a kind of mystical jargon (like the alchemists), which was perfectly unintelligible, and procured him a vast number of scholars. Emboldened by success, he now pretended to magic, and held conference with a familiar or demon, whom, for the convenience of consulting, he constantly carried about with him in the hilt of his sword. He was also a warm stickler for reformation in ecclesiastical matters, which, as he had no religion, sets off his patriotism to great advantage. His language was rude, and his manner gross and offensive in the highest degree; he was arrogant, assuming, and full of the most extravagant promises and pretensions. He offered to teach the secret of making gold ad libitum, and lived on alms. He undertook readily to protract the existence of his patients to any period; and while debating in his own mind how many centuries he himself would live, died of a common fever in the hospital of Salzburg, in the 48th year of his age. The rest of his character is easily settled. He was of a lively fancy, and of an active and restless disposition: in our times he would have been a quack and a puppet-showman; in his own, this was not sufficient for his ambition, and he became a professed necromancer. From what I have read of his works, which are written in a mean, uncouth, and barbarous style, I should suppose that such a man might be compounded out of a Darwin and a Cagliostro. Paracelsus seems to have first fallen upon that ridiculous species of quackery which was revived not long ago with such parade under the name of animai magnetism. His elixir of life was assisted in fts operation by a process very similar to what the modern professors of the art call treating:

Broughton was an English divine, and a considerable proficient (as has been already observed, vol. i. p. 354 a) in the Hebrew. His attainments, however, in this language only served to make him ridiculous, for he fell upon a mode of explaining it perfectly incomprehensible to himself as well as to others. He was of a very pugnacious humour, and wasted many years of his life in a most violent dispute with the Archbishop of Canterbury and a Jew rabbi about the sense of sheol and hades. This rabbi, Howell says, was of the tribe of Aaron, and of such repute for sanctity at Amsterdam (where he saw him), that "when the other Jews met him they fell down and kissed his feet.”—Let. vii. This did not, however, secure him from the coarse revilings of Broughton, whose insolence and pride were beyond all bounds. The reader may be amused with a specimen or two of his opinion of himself. "The Jews desired to have me sent to all the synagogues in Constantinople, if it were but to see my angelicall countenance." French, Dutch, Papist, Protestant call for me, being a man approved over the world." "If the Queen (Elizabeth) will not preferre me for my pains, I will leave the land," &c.

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All this, with much more, is to be found in an answer to Master Broughton's letters to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury:" in which he is constantly spoken of as one grown mad with unprofitable study and self-conceit. At all events the study of him was well calculated to make others mad.

Mam. How might one do t' have conference with her, Lungs?

Face. O, divers have run mad upon the conference:

I do not know, sir. I am sent in haste
To fetch a vial.

Sur. Be not gulled, Sir Mammon.
Mam. Wherein? pray ye, be patient.
Sur. Yes, as you are,

And trust confederate knaves and bawds and whores.

One of the treacherousest memories, I do think,

Of all mankind.

Sur. What call you her brother?
Mam. My lord-

He will not have his name known, now I think on't.

Sur. A very treacherous memory!
Mam. On my faith-

Sur. Tut, if you have it not about you, pass it,

Mam. You are too foul, believe it. Till we meet next.
Come here, Ulen,

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Mam. Nay, by this hand, 'tis true. He's one honour, and my noble friend; And I respect his house.

Sur. Heart! can it be

That a grave sir, a rich, that has no need, A wise sir, too, at other times, should thus, With his own oaths, and arguments, make hard means

To gull himself? An this be your elixir,
Your lapis mineralis, and your lunary,
Give me your honest trick yet at primero,
Or gleek; and take your lutum sapientis,
Your menstruum simplex! I'll have gold
before you,

And with less danger of the quicksilver,
Or the hot sulphur.2

Re-enter Face.

Face. Here's one from Captain Face, sir, [to Surly.] Desires you meet him in the Temple-church, Some half hour hence, and upon earnest business.

Sir, [whispers Mammon] if you please to

quit us now; and come

Again within two hours, you shall have My master busy examining o' the works; And I will steal you in, unto the party, That you may see her converse.-Sir, shall I say

You'll meet the captain's worship?

Sur. Sir, I will.

[Walks aside. But, by attorney, and to a second purpose.3 Now, I am sure it is a bawdy-house; I'll swear it, were the marshal here to thank

me:

Mam. O yes, but I forgot. I have, The naming this commander doth confirm believe it,

1 Ulen! In the folio, 1616, this is made a part of Mammon's speech. It is evident, however, from the abrupt departure of Face, that it is spoken by Subtle within. The 4to, 1612, omits it altogether. Jonson constantly writes this word in the German character.

2 With less danger of the quicksilver, Or the hot sulphur.] "Meaning (as Upton

it.

observes) with less danger of being salivated for it.'

3 But by attorney, and to a second purpose.] i.e., I will delegate, as it were, or appoint some other character to act instead of my own proper character. He speaks this (as Upton says) aside for soon after he puts on the person of a Spanish don.-WHAL.

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Face. As my life, sir.

Face. Not I, sir!

Mam. Come, I was born to make thee,

my good weasel,

Set thee on a bench, and have thee twirl a chain

With the best lord's vermin of 'em all.
Face. Away, sir.

Mam. A count, nay, a count palatine——
Face. Good sir, go.

Mam. Shall not advance thee better: no, nor faster. [Exit.

Re-enter Subtle and Doll.

Sub. Has he bit? has he bit?
Face. And swallowed too, my Subtle.
I have given him line, and now he plays,
i' faith.

Sub. And shall we twitch him?
Face. Thorough both the gills.

A wench is a rare bait, with which a man No sooner's taken, but he straight firks mad.

Sub. Dol, my Lord What'ts'hum's sister,

you must now

Bear yourself statelich.4

Dol. O, let me alone.

Mam. And wilt thou insinuate what I I'll not forget my race, I warrant you.

am, and praise me,

And say I am a noble fellow?

Face. O, what else, sir?

And that you'll make her royal with the stone,

An empress; and yourself King of Bantam. Mam. Wilt thou do this?

Face. Will I, sir!

Mam. Lungs, my Lungs! I love thee.

Face. Send your stuff, sir, that my master May busy himself about projection.

Mam. Thou hast witched me, rogue: take, go. [Gives him money. Face. Your jack, and all, sir. Mam. Thou art a villain-I will send my jack,

And the weights too. Slave, I could bite thine ear.3

Away, thou dost not care for me.

1 What fall;] The fall (a very fashionable article of dress) was a ruff or band, which, instead of being plaited round the neck, was turned back on the shoulders.

2 This gentleman has a parlous head.] A common corruption of perilous, dangerously shrewd, &c. So Shakspeare:

"O, 'tis a parlous boy,
Fold, quick, ingenious, forward, capable."
Richard III.
Save, I could bite thine ear, &c.] See

I'll keep my distance, laugh and talk aloud; Have all the tricks of a proud scurvy lady, And be as rude as her woman.

Face. Well said, sanguine!

Sub. But will he send his andirons ?
Face. His jack too,

And 's iron shoeing-horn; I have spoke to him. Well,

I must not lose my wary gamester yonder.
Sub. O, Monsieur Caution, that will not
be gulled.
Face. Ay,

If I can strike a fine hook into him, now!— The Temple-church, there I have cast mine angle.

Well, pray for me. I'll about it.

[Knocking without. Sub. What, more gudgeons ! Dol, scout, scout! [Dol goes to the window.]

Stay, Face, you must go to the door,

vol. i. p. 130 a. The flow of spirits and exulta tion of Mammon at the near prospect of gratifying two of his predominant passions (lust and avarice) are exquisitely delineated.

Bear yourself statelich.] Dutch, and should be written staatlyk. This affectation of introducing Dutch and Flemish words was common to our old writers: we have lustigh, froelich, &c. in every drama: terms with which we were supplied by the soldiers who returned from the wars in the Netherlands, and which are very inadequately translated by the English words lusty, frolic, &c.

'Pray God it be my anabaptist.—Who is't, Dol?

Dol. I know him not: he looks like a gold-end-man.1

Face. Sir!

Re-enter Face.

Sub. Take away the recipient,

Sub. Ods so! 'tis he, he said he would And rectify your menstrue from the phlegma. send what call you him?

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1 He looks like a gold-end-man,] I find from Whalley's copy that he had consulted Steevens on the meaning of this expression, but without success. It is somewhat strange that this distinguished critic should be ignorant of so common a term. A gold-end-man is one who buys broken pieces of gold and silver, an itinerant jeweller. In the Beggar's Bush, Higgins enters crying, "Have ye any ends of gold and silver, maids?" | words which might be heard every day in the streets of London. And in Eastward Hoe, where the word often occurs, Gertrude says that her father" will do more for his daughter that has married a scurvy gold-end-man (a goldsmith's apprentice) than for her."

2

I must use him

In some strange fashion now to make him admire me.] "Nothing (says Upton) can be finer imagined than this change of Subtle's behaviour. Fools always admire what they least understand; and character is the least they are acquainted with. To the voluptuous and wicked Mammon, Subtle appears holiness and humility itself; to the ignorant and devout Ananias, he appears all learning and science; to which every other consideration must submit: and all this very agreeably to the rules of decorum, to excite the admiration and wonder of

those various kinds of fools."--WHAL.

3 A faithful brother,] So the Puritans styled themselves. Subtle affects to misunderstand the expression, and to take him for a believer in alchemy.

Then pour it on the Sol, in the cucurbite, And let them macerate together.

Face. Yes, sir.

And save the ground?

Sub. No: terra damnata

Must not have entrance in the work.-Who are you?

Ana. A faithful brother,3 if it please you!
Sub. What's that?

A Lullianista Ripley 25 Filius artis?
Can you sublime and dulcify? calcine?
Know you the sapor pontic? sapor stiptic?
Or what is homogene, or heterogene?

Ana. I understand no heathen language, truly.

Sub. Heathen! you Knipper-doling ?7 is Ars sacra,

Or chrysopoeia, or spagyrica,

Or the pamphysic, or panarchic knowledge,

A heathen language?

Ana. Heathen Greek, I take it.
Sub. How! heathen Greek?

A Lullianist?] A follower of Raymund Lully. See vol. i. p. 355 a.

A Ripley?] George Ripley, so called from the place of his birth, was Canon of Bridlington in Yorkshire. He was an adept, and wrote a poem called the Compound of Alchemie, which, with a few shorter pieces by him on the same subject, was printed by Ashmole, in his Theatrum Chemicum, 1652. Ripley lived in the 15th century, and dedicated his great work to Edward IV. More of him may be found in Fuller's Worthies of England.

Know you the sapor pontic? sapor stiptic?] I learn from Norton that "there be nyne sapors,' all of which, he adds, "maie bee learnde in halfe an hower." The two in the text, which are all that I shall burden the reader's memory with at present, are thus explained:

"So is the sowerish tast called sapor pontic,

And lesse sower allso called sapor stiptic." I have taken some pains to instil a portion of this divine art," alchemy, into my readers; and, to say the least, shall think myself very which they may make by the aid of my reungratefully used if a small portion of the gold searches, be not set aside for my use.

doling (as Upton says) was a fanatical anabaptist Heathen, you Knipper-doling?] "Knipperat Munster in Germany; he, with one Rotmar and John Bockholdt, commonly called John of Leyden, a tailor, and the rest of the superstitious crew, raised great disturbances in the Low Cour tries about the year 1533.

"

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