In the Canon’s Yeoman’s tale we are introduced to a canon who practises alchemy, and whom Chaucer makes the butt for some keen satire against the followers of that science. “It seems,” says Tyrwhitt, “that some sudden resentment had determined Chaucer to interrupt the regular course of his work in order to insert a satire against the alchemists. That their pretended science was much cultivated about this time, and produced its usual evils, may fairly be inferred from the Act that was passed soon after, whereas it was made a felony to multiply gold or silver above the art of multiplication.” The description of the canon as he joined the procession is somewhat amusing:—
“His hat hung at his back down by a lace,
For he had ridden more than trot or pace,
He hadde pricked like as he were wood.
A clote leaf he had laid under his hood,
For sweat and to keep his head from heat,
But it was joye for to see him sweat.
His forehead dropped as a stillatory
Were full of plantain or of paritory.”
To keep his head cool while riding hard he had placed a clote or burdock leaf, which was formerly used as a poultice, in his hat or hood, a common custom in some parts of the country at the present time. To show the tone of the poet’s mind when he wrote this tale, it may be noted how early the chemical hyperbole is introduced, in comparing the canon’s perspiring forehead to a still which is in operation, filled with plantain, or paritory, an old name for the wallflower. The former plant had a large, thick, juicy leaf, and was formerly used as an astringent, while the wallflower once enjoyed a reputation as an anodyne. The yeoman, in proceeding with the story of his master’s practises, first describes his duties as the philosopher’s man:—
“I will speak of our work,
When we be there as we shall exercise
Our elvion craft, we seeme wonder wise,
Our termes be so clergial and quaint,
I blow the fire till that mine hearte faint.
Why should I tellen each proportion
Of things whiche that we work upon,
As on five or six ounces may well be
Of silver, or some other quantity?
And busy me to tell you the names,
As orpiment, burnt bones, iron squames,
That into powder grounden be full small,
And in an earthen pot how put is all.”
The poet here describes an old amalgam used in alchemy composed of red lead, bone ash, and iron scales:—
“Of the care and woe
That we had in our matters subliming,
And in amalgaming, and calcining
Of quicksilver, called mercury crude,
For all our sleightes we can not conclude”.
The subliming of mercury was considered a most important process, and was performed with much care.
The yeoman then goes on to enumerate other articles and apparatus used by the craft, in a somewhat disjointed manner:—
“Yet I will tell them as they come to mind,
As bol armoniac, verdigris, borace,
And sundry vessels made of earth and glass,
Our urinals, and our descensories;
Phials, and croslets, and sublimatories,
Cucurbites and alembikes eke,
And other suche dear enough a leek”.
The descensorie was a kind of flask used in distilling per descensum, while the croslet was an old name for the crucible. The cucurbite was the retort used in distilling, and the alembike was the still itself.