Bernardus Trevisanus

  When Heav’n had so much blest me to impart To me the wondrous Miracle of Art, Command was givn me to converse with none But the elect Copartners of the Stone. For men possest of Sciences divine 5 Should, like the radiant Galaxy, combine And mix their Lights to make the Paths of Heaven shine. So I, obedient to the great command, Resolvd to search & travel evry Land The Globe had ever shown. At length I came 10 To golden Ganges in the Land of Fame, And Appuleia is the Citty’s name, Where dwelt a Man (alas that hee’s no more, Renderd immortall than he was before), A man I say whom Fate had chosen forth 15 To crown him King of all the Mysterys the Earth With all her wise Inhabitants can see On this side Heaven & Eternity. This King had made his Proclamation: he Of all th’ Hermeticall Fraternity 20 Can best explain that deep Philosophy In disputation, his Reward shall be This Book, whose Leaves are pure & precious Gold, And Gold’s the Cover does the Leavs enfold. My Courage here began to fail, but I 25 Soon reassumd it & resolvd to try The Powrs of Fortune, knowing well that they Can never bear bright Victory away That shun the Mighty contest of the Day So hee advisd, & his advice I took, 30 Who had propos’d the Prœmium of the Book. And I disputed till I won the Prize, The fatall Gold so dazling mortalls’ Eys Almost as much as he that Centers in the Skys. Then I retird, endeavouring to find 35 Some recreation to relieve my Mind, Fatigu’d with Study. Walking in the Fields [f. 29V] To see the Product lovely Nature yields, I chanct upon a Fountain did abound With limpid Water. Twas environd round 40 With curious Stone, & on the Top I found Twas coverd with an Oaken Trunk, for fear Beasts should defile it, or the Fowls o’ th’ Air Should bath themselvs or wash their Feathers there. Upon the Bank I sate contemplating 45 The admirable Beauty of the Spring And found it clos’d above, When, lo, there came A man whom I saluted by the Name Of Venerable Priest: “Pray tell me why The little Fountain, which I here espy, 50 Is so shut up & strongly fortifyd Over & under & on evry side?” Hee answerd thus: “Tis terrible,” said he, “And strange the Vertue of the Spring you see. Of all that burst from underneath the Ground 55 Its parallell is never to be found. So it belongeth to the King alone, Who knows it well, and’s by the Fountain known. In passing by, it allways draws the King, Who, notwithstanding, never draws the Spring. 60 Two hundred eighty & two days he hath To spend in the inclosure of the Bath, Which makes him young again, & stronger than The stoutest Hero of the Race of Man. Therefore he caus’d it carefully to bee 65 With a white stone surrounded, as you see, Wherein the Water of the Spring does shine Like Silver bright, or th’ Heavn Cristalline. And that it might be stronger to defy The force of an invading Enemy, [f. 30r] Around the Top he plact an aged Oak Which had been with an artificiall Stroak Cleft in the middle, & thereby he made, Fenc’t from the Sun, a most delightfull shade. Then as you see, it is inclosed all 75 First with hard Stone & a transparent Wall, Then with a hollow Oak, because its Nature’s such When ’tis excited & inflamd too much, It is most terrible & penetrates Even the hardest Adamantine Gates, 80 And so would vanish quite away; alas, We were undone if that should come to passe.” I askt him whether he had seen the King Within the said inclosure of the Spring. He answerd, he had seen him entring, where 85 He from his entrance did no more appear, After his Keepers had enclos’d him there, Untill the hundredth & the thirtieth day, When he arose in a refulgent Ray. “He at the Gate, that is his Keeper, hath 90 A solemn charge to dayly warm the Bath With such a Heat & in proportion so As fire is hidden in the Source below, And day & night no intermission know.” I askt the Colour of the King. “Behold,” Said he, “at first you’l see him cloathd in Gold. His second Garment is of silk, but black, And a black Doublet on his mourning back. The next he wears are white triumphall Cloaths: [f. 30v] A Shirt as white as are the Mountain Snows. His blood was red, his flesh (not so before) Was as Vermilion or the crimson Gore.” I further askt him, whether he had seen The King have servants when he enterd in. He answering smild, but answerd as a Friend, 105 “No Courtiers here upon their King attend; He leaves his Followers & his Servants all. They must not enter the diaphanous Wall, And none approach the Fountain-head but he Who does the Heat continuall supply, 110 An office that may easily be done Ev’n by a simple, a most simple one.” Then I demanded of him, if the King Had any great affection for the Spring, And that for him. Again he answerd me, 115 “They love & are beloved mutually. The Fountain does attract the King, but he Draws not the Fountain. Yet he loves no other, For to the King the Fountain’s as a Mother." My Question then was, if the Monarch was 120 Descended of some ancient Royal Race. He said, “He was descended of the Spring, Which without adding any other thing Had made him as he was, an honourable King.” Next I enquird, what Nobles did resort 125 To th’ other Presence-Chambers of the Court. Hee told mee there were onely six who had [f. 31r] Great expectations if the King were dead. When that should happen they would serve no more, But have the Kingdome as he had before. 130 They now are but Assistants of his Throne, In hopes of the Reversion of the Crown. Then I desir’d to be informd, how old The Monarch was, & I by him was told That he was older than the Spring & farr 135 Maturer than his other Subjects are. “How comes it then to pass,” said I, “that they Kill not the King to bear the Crown away, Since he’s so much in Years?” “Tho’ he’s so old,” Says he, “he can endure both Heat & Cold 140 And Wind & Rain & Labour. None of them Can violently seiz the Diadem. Nor could they all, should they combine in one, Murder the Monarch to possess his Throne.” “Then what succession can they hope, when he 145 Cannot be murderd, & shall never dy?” “But you, my Friend,” said he, “must know that those Six of his Subjects from the Fountain rose, And such Existence as they have they took Out of the Emanations of the Brook, 150 As did the King. So they’re attracted all By it, as things by their Originall. The Fountain kills the King & them, but then The Fountain brings the King to life agen. He so reviv’d, a distribution makes, And whosoever of the Gift partakes, [f. 31v] Tho’ ne’re so little is the Portion, he Is in Possession of the Royalty Equall to Kings in Pow’r & Riches.” Then I askt my kind Informant once agen, 160 If there were any Time allotted they Should in the doubtfull Expectation stay. He smild again, & told me how the King Without his Train descends into the Spring Altho’ it loves them too, but that it must not be: 165 They have not yet deserved the dignity. “When the King enters he is strip’t of those Which he brought in, his Coronation Cloaths, That were as rich as eys did e’re behold With golden Leavs & Wefts of purest Gold. 170 This he bestows on his first Chamberlain (We call him Saturn), which he does retain Entirely forty days (sometimes two more Augment the number of th’ Account before). The black silk Doublet is the proper fee 175 Of Jove, the second Chamberlain, & he Keeps the Possession twenty days; which done, He by command resigns it to the Moon. Lune, the third Person, has the fairest Face Of any Daughter of the heavnly Race, 180 And shee enjoys the Garment twenty days. Then comes the King clad in a Shirt as white As is the Snow, or flowr of Salt, & bright As Ariadne in a frosty Night. The King puts off his shirt, which is the share [f. 32r] Of stern Gradivus, the fierce God Warr, Who after forty days sometimes disdains A Resignation, & by Force remains Two other days to sway th’ Imperiall Rains. Then Mars retiring, to the Sun gives Place, 190 Who wears a yellow vizard on his Face, But is not clear as the celestiall Lights Till after forty days & forty nights. And then the Sun sanguineous appears, Seizing the Shirt that crimsons all the Spheres. 195 So flaming Hercules on Oeta stood, Fird with the Shirt dy’d in the Centaur’s Blood.” I askt th’event of all these things. Says he, “The fountain Gates you then shall open see To all of them, & as before they sought 200 And had his Shirt, his Doublet & his Coat, So now his red & bloody Flesh they got To eat among themselvs, the precious Hire Of all their Work, & Crown of their Desire.” I askt agen, “Must they so long remain, 205 And can no sooner some reward obtain For service done, unlesse they all attend Till the whole Circle of their Labours end?” The Answer to my Question was, That when The glorious white, the snowy Shirt was seen, 210 Of the six Courtiers four might then possess Them selvs of Powr & Riches numberless. But they would then but half the Kingdome gain, [f. 32v] Wherefore they are contented to remain A little longer in suspence to see 215 The full Event & End of Destiny, Which in like Manner should conferr on them Their King’s bright Coronation Diadem. I askt what Doctours, or what Medicine Was sent the King, while he remaind within. 220 He made me Answer, That they sent him none, No man came near him but that onely one, His Keeper mindfull to perpetuate A constant, vap’rous, circulating Heat. I askt him, “Is the Keeper’s Labour great?” 225 “More at the first than in the End, for then The Fountain is inflam’d.” I askt agen Whether it had been seen by many Men. “The World,” said he, “has seen it, & it lyes Self-evident to ev’ry Mortall’s Eys; 230 Yet all of them that gaze thereon doe know No more than what the outward Husk does show.” Then more at large I askt, “What may they doe?” “Those six,” said he, “may purge the King again (Three days he in the Fountain shall remain, 235 According to th’ contents it does contain), In circling round the Place. On the first Day He gives his Doublet, next his Shirt away, And on the third his bloody Flesh. “Said I, “Tell me the depth of the whole mystery.” To which he made no more than this Reply: [f. 33r] “I now am tird so long with answ’ring thee.” Which I perceiving, had no more to say, But waiting on him as he went away, A thousand Thanks I gave; a thousand more 245 Were ready from my unexhausted store. He was a rev’rend Man, so wise that even The astrall Orbs, & wheeling Spheres of Heaven Obeyed him: all things before him shook And, trembling, bow’d at his Majestick Look. 250 Now I, with suddain drowsyness opprest, Beside the Fountain did intend to rest, And sitting on it I could not forbear, But I must open all th’ Apartments there. In the mean Time I did so often look 255 On my reward, the golden-leaved Book, Its heav’n-born Splendour did so much surprize And overpow’r the vigilance of my Eys, That, as before it did my Head oppress, It so augmented now that drowsyness, 260 That my said Book by inadvertence fell Out of my hands into the little Well; Which much afflicted me, because I thought To keep the Prize my Disputation got. I lookt into it, but alas, no more 265 Could see the Book I had enjoyd before. Believing therefore that my Volume fell Into the very bottome of the Well, [f. 33v] I did attempt the watry Source to Drain, So that ten parts should with a tenth remain. 270 And when I went to draw it all, I saw It was so viscous that it scarce would draw. While I was toyling thus industriously, I spy’d a Tribe whose coming hinderd me From drawing more; yet e’re I left it I 275 Shut all the Fountain round, for fear that they Like wicked Thievs should steal my Book away. But Fire was then enkindled round the Spring To warm the Bath wherein to wash the King. I for my Crime was hurry’d thence away; 280 Full forty days I in a Prison lay. When they expir’d, I was releast, & then Returnd to see my Fountain once agen, Where there appeard thick foggy Clouds, as I Have often seen hang round A winter Sky, 285 Which lasted long. But in the End I found Without much Labour all my Wishes crownd. But ’tis no Labour, you will surely say, If choosing right, you never turn astray In Paths erroneous & the crooked Way. 290 Let your Endeavour allways be to trace The Steps of Nature in her wonted Race; Then you the lovely Queen shall in your Arms embrace. Therefore concluding, I pronounce that he Who in my Book the Secret cannot see 295 Must never hope to compass his desire By manifold Experiments of Fire. [f. 34r] My Pitty & Compassion mov’d my heart For those that wander in the precious Art. Therefore to them I have reveald it all, 300 And prov’d the Operations naturall. For this my Parable the whole work contains In Practice, Colours, Days, and Regimens; Ways, Dispositions & Continuance, Till Fate & Heavn conclude the Mystick Dance. 305 To end then this my Book, I pray that God, Who in the Heavns has fixt his grand Aboad, And who alone commanded me to write, Would thence impart an intellectual Light To searching Tyros who have Hearts upright 310 And Minds sincere. To them there shall remain Nothing too hard, provided they abstain From dreaming Fancys & the Subtletys Of cheating Sophisters, who by surprize, Like Mountebanks impose on vulgar Eys. 315 The Way is Nat’rall & but onely one, Which I have in my Speculation shown. I bid you all farewell in Christ, & be Mindfull of those that sink in Poverty, While Treasures unexhausted you possess, 320 Whom the peculiar Hand of Heavn does bless With Riches equally & happiness. Pray then to God to send you down a Ray Out of the Fountain of Eternall Day.