al not corru[m]pe ne rote whilis it is [th]{er}i{n}ne / 32
miche more [th]anne it wole kepe quyk fleisch of mannys body

[It is Man's Heaven, preserving his body as Heaven does the
world.]

from al man{er}e corruptibilite and rotynge / This is oure q{ui}nta
e{ss}encia,
[th]{a}t is to seie, mannys heuene, [th]{a}t god made to [th]e

[Page 3: THE NATURE AND WORKING OF QUINTE ESSENCE.]

conseruac{i}ou{n}
of [th]e .4. q{ua}litees of mannys body, ri[gh]t as he made
his heuene to
[th]e conseruac{i}ou{n} of al [th]e world / And wite [gh]e for

[Many know it not now for their covetousness and vice.]

certeyn [th]at manye philosophoris and lechis [th]at ben now, knowe
nou[gh]t [th]is q{ui}nta
e{ss}encia, ne [th]e tru[th]e [th]{er}of / Forwhi; god wole 4
not [th]{a}t [th]ei knowe it; for her greet bre{n}nynge coueitise &

[But as God's Heaven is aided by sun and stars, so our Heaven,
or Quinte Essence, is made fair by the sun mineral, or pure
gold of the mine, not of alchemy.]

vicious lyuynge /
Forso[th]e q{ui}nta e{ss}encia sup{er}ior, [th]{a}t is to seie,
heuene of oure lord god
bi hi{m} silf / Aloone / [gh]eue[th] not conseruacioun
in [th]e world, and wondirful influence, but by [th]e v{er}tue 8
of [th]e su{n}ne, planetis,
and o[th]{er}e sterris; ri[gh]t so oure q{ui}nta
e{ss}encia, [th]at is,
mannys heuene, wole be maad fair wi[th] [th]e su{n}ne
min{er}alle, fynyd, schynynge, incorruptibile; and euene in qualite
[th]at fier may not appeire,
corru{m}pe, ne distroie. and [th]is is v{er}ry 12

['N{ot}a.']

gold of [th]e myn,
of [th]e er[th]e, or of [th]e floodis gaderid / for gold of
alkamy maad w{i}t{h} corosyues distroie[th] kynde, as aristotle and

[Good natural gold is called _Sol_, because Sol the planet
gives gold its power, colour, &c.]

manye o[th]ere
philosophoris p{ro}uen / and [th]{er}fore good gold naturel,
& of [th]e myn of [th]e erbe, is clepid of ph{ilosophor}is 'sol' in 16
latyn; for he is
[th]e son{ne} of oure heuene, lich as sol [th]e planet is
in [th]e heuene aboue;
for [th]is planete [gh]eue[th] to gold his influence,

[Our Quinte Essence is the colour of heaven; gold makes it
fair; and the two work in us (so far as is possible) renewal
of youth, and give health plenteously.]

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