[617]Mr. <Andrew> Paschal, rector of Chedzoy, hath the originall scroll of Mr. Charnock, scilicet, of the philosopher's stone.
[618]Mr. Charnock, the chymist, mentioned in <Ashmole's> Theatrum Chymicum, was buryed in Otterhampton neer Bridgewater, anno 1581[619], April 21, aged 55 yeares—<from> Mr. Paschal: vide Mr. Paschal's lettre, here inserted[620] before <the life of> Nicholas Mercator, p. 32.
[621]Concerning Mr. Charnocke.
Sir,
Mr. Wells of Bridgewater performed his promise. He writes that the house was lately pulled down, and is new built from the ground, all except the wall at the east end. He could make nothing of what was only left over the chimney; but he found the little dore that led out of the lodging-chamber into the little Athanor roome. Of that you have an account in the enclosed draught.
The two roses I take to be the white and red, termes common with Charnocke for the two magisteries. The two animals over them I suppose are wolves, denoting the[622] ♁; abounding with a volatile[623] ☉ and used for preparing and purifying one of the principal ingredients into the worke. Out of it growes (if those authors may be credited) most precious fruits.
I obliged a painter to goe over soon after I had been there and take all he could find exactly. He was there, but I could never get anything from him: an ingeniose man, but egregiously carelesse.
Looking back I find this noted by me—June 22, 1681; the place in the Athanor roome in which he kept his lampe was stone-work about 15 inches deep and so much square in the clear from side to side. Over it a wooden collar with a rabit[624] as to lett-in a cover close. No place to come into the square but by the collar, contrived probably after the accident of burning his tabernacle mentioned in his printed pieces.
I find this added:—'Twas painted about the chimney thus:—on the left side of the chimney proceeded from a red stalk streaked with white, first, a paire of red branches, then a paire of white, then of red, then one of white to the top; something like a rabbit's head painted looking from the chimney to the foot of the sayd stalk.—The next picture separated as by a pillar on the chimney:—from one stalke, two white branches, of either side one; then two red, above; then two white; then at the top this
