Aprilis 20.-Saterday

Mysteriorum Libri / Five Books

Liber Mysteriorum Quintus

angelic_speaker,scrying_apparition,ritual_apparatus,language_tables,alchemy_nature,apocalypse_reform

Δ: This satterday had byn great and eger pangs betwene EK and me: while he wold utterly discredit the whole process of our actions: as, to be done by evill and illuding spirites: seking his destruction: saying that he hath often here to fore byn told things true, but of illuding diuells: and Now, how can this be other, than a mockery, to haue a cornerd dark clowd to be shewed him in steade of the playn writing, which hitherto he had written out of? and that whan they shold do good in dede that then they shrank from us: and that he was not thus to leese1425 his time: But that he is to study, to lerne some knowledge, whereby he may liue: and that he was a cume1426 to my howse, and that he dwelled here as in a prison; that it wer better for him to be nere Cotsall playne where he might walk abroade, without danger or to be cumbred1427 or vexed with such sklaunderous fellows as yesterday he was, with one little Ned dwelling at the blak raven in Westminster: who rayled at1428 him for bearing witnes of a bargayn made betwene the same Ned (or Edward) and one Lush a Surgien, who was now falln in poverty, a very honest man &c: With a great deale of more matter; melancholik, and cross overthwartly to the good and patient using of our selues to the accomplishing of this action. I replyed, and sayd, that we might finde our selfs answered on thursday, as, That God wold clere when it pleased him: and that we were not to appoint God a time to performe his mysteries and mercies in; shorter then he hath spoken of: And that undowtedly, the occasion of this blak clowd, was some imperfection of oures, to be amended and that then, all wold be to our furder cumfort. And as concerning his dowting the goodnes of the Creatures, (dealing with us) he was to blame, to say or dowt the tree to be yll that bringeth furth good frute: for of these creatures, from the begynning of theyr dealing with us unto the last howre, we never hard other than the prayse of god, instructions and exhortations to humilitie, patience, constancy, fayth &c. The things they promise be such as god can performe, and is for his servyce and glory to performe: and such as haue byn imparted to man before: and therfore neyther impossible for man to enioye agayne, nor unmete for us to hope for: and thowgh his trubbled mynde did dowt, yet my quiet mynde, which god hath made ioyfull throwgh his mercyes, and which accuseth me not in this action of any ambition, hypocrisie, or disorderly longing, but onely is bent and settled in awayting the Lord his helping hand to make me wise for his servyce. (according as long tyme my daylie prayer to him hath byn): and seing I haue and do ax wisdome1429at the lord his hands, and put my trust in him, he will not suffer me to be so confownded: nether will he offer a stone to his seely children, when in tyme of nede they ax bred at his hands: besides that, Voluntatem timentium se faciet deus:1430 and (by his graces) I feare him so, and am so carefull to do that shold pleas him, that I make no accownt of all this world possessing, unleast I might enioye his fauor. his mercies and graces. And whereas he complayned of want, I sayd my want is greater than his: for I was in det allmost 300 pownds,1431 had a greater charge than he; and yet for all my 40 yeres course of study, many hunderd pownds spending, many hundred myles travayling, many an incredible toyle and forcing of my will in study using to lerne or to bowlt out some good thing, &c. Yet for all this I wold be very well pleased to be deferred yet longer, (a yere or more,) and to go up and down England clothed in a blanket, to beg my bred, so that I might, at the ende be assured to atteyn to godly wisdome, whereby to do God some service for his glory. And to be playne, that I was resolued, eyther willingly to leave this world presently that, so, I might in spirit enioye the bottomles fowntayne of all wisdome, or els to pass furth my dayes on earth with gods favor and assurance of enioying here his mercifull mighty blessings, to understand his mysteries, mete for the performing of true actions, such as myght sett furth his glory, so, as it might be evident and confessed, that such things wer done Dextera Domini.1432 And many other discourses and answers I made unto his obiections and dowtes: Afterward [A meridie] I began to speak of the trubbles and misery foreshewed to be nere at hand, and by that tyme I had entred a little into the Consideration & talk of the matter, he appered that sayd he was called El or Il1433,and sayd, Now to the matter. Δ: What matter? Il:-Imust have a Wallet to carry your witt and myne own in. Δ: Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini.1434 Il:-Then I perceyue that I shall haue a blessing. Blessed is the physitien that hath care of his patient, before the pangs of death doth viset him. Δ:-What think you of that clowdy Heptagonum? Il:-Dost thow consider, I go abowt it? I told thee, euery thing I did, was an Instruction. As I can not stand stedfastly uppon this, (it self one, and one, perfect:) so can not my mowth declare, much lesse speak, that you may comprehend it, what this is whereuppon I go. EK: He went on the Heptagonon, as one might go on the top of a turning whele: (Δ: as some horses use to turne wheles as may appere in Georgius Agricola1435 de re metallica). Il:-I know, what all your talk hath byn: But such myndes, such Infection, such Infection, such corruption: and must nedes haue a potion appliable for the cure. But how will you do? I haue forgotten all my droggs behinde me. But since I know that some of you are well stored with sufficient oyntments, I do entend to viset you onely with theyr help. You see, all my boxes ar empty?-EK: He sheweth, a great bundell of empty potichayre1436 boxes, and they seme to my hearing to rattle. Δ: How commeth it, that you pretend to come from a favorable diuine powre to pleasure us, and your boxes ar empty. Il:-You sayd euen now in your talk, Iovis omnia plena:1437 yf my empty boxes be vertuous, how much more shall any thing be, which I bring not empty? Δ: Then I pray you, to say somwhat of the vertue of your empty boxes, bycause we may haue the better confidence of your fullnes. Il: Will you haue my bill? Δ: Shall we go to the Apothecaries, with your Bill? Il: I will shew it: Serve it, where you list. Iudra galgol astel. Δ: You know we, understand it not: how can it be serued? Il:-You must nedes haue an expositor. What boke of physik is that, that lyeth by you? [Δ: There lay by me on my desk, Marcus Heremita de Lege spirituali 1438 in greke and latine but the latine translation lay open before, on the left side of which, the sentence began: Non raro per negligentiam, quæ circa alicuius rei operationem comittitur, etiam Cognito obscuratur. 1439 And on the right side, began: Corpus sine mente nihil pt perficere1440 &c.] Il:-Mary here is good physik in dede. You fownd my name the other day. Go to my name [Δ: So I turned to the second boke and browght sigillum Æmeth: and there chose the Word Ilemese. He than axed me, which letter of this name I liked best, and I sayd, L: bycause it conteyned the name representing God: El, &c. Then he sayd somwhat farder of the letters, which I wrote not. Il:-Go to great M, the second: for this is it that shall serue his turne. Yf this can not serue him, he shall haue a medicine, that a horse can not abyde. Use this, and I warrant you, your blindenes will be gone.1441 Δ: It is here, greatly, to be Noted: that I turned in this boke of Marcus, 27 leaues furder: tyll I cam to the Quaternio of M, the second and there I fownd this sentence notified (by my lines drawn, and a Note in the margent Cor Contritum): Sine corde contrito impossibile est omnino liberari a malitia et vilijs. Conterit autem cor tripartita temperantia somni dico et cibi, et corporalis licentiæ. Cæterum horum excessus et abundantia voluptatem generat. Voluptas autem prauas cogitationes ingerit repugnat verò præcationi et convenienti Cogitationi.1442 Δ: This being considered by us, we ceased and this instant and thanked God of his mercies, that it wold pleas him to make us understand some iust cause whie clowdes now appeared in stede of brightnes &c. Soli Deo omnis honor laus et gloria.1443 Amen.