The Book of Quinte Essence or The Fifth Being | Page 3

[th]e purest substau{n}ce of manye corruptible [th]i{n}gis
elementid, 'qui{n}ta e{ss}encia,' [th]at is to seie, 'ma{n}nys heuene,'
drawe out by craft of mani;[1] for whi, as quinta e{ss}encia sup{er}ior,
[th]{a}t is,
[Footnote 1: ? MS. meant for 'man.']
[[* Fol. 10b.]]
heuene of oure lord god, in reward of [th]e .iiij elementis, is 4
yncorruptible & vnchau{n}geable / ri[gh]t so [*]q{ui}nta e{ss}encia
sup{er}ior
[Quinte Essence is incorruptible as to the four qualities of man's body,
but not as the heaven of God.]
inferior, [th]at is to seie, ma{n}nys heuene, is incorruptible, in reward
of [th]e .4. q{ua}litees of mannys body; and so it is p{re}ued naturaly
[th]at oure quinta e{ss}encia, [th]at is, mannes heuene, 8 in it-silf[2] is
incorruptible; and so it is not hoot and drie wi[th]
[Footnote 2: MS. 'siff.']
fier / ne coold and moist wi[th] watir / ne hoot & moist w{i}t{h} eyr,
ne coold and drie wi[th] er[th]e; but oure q{ui}nta e{ss}e{nci}a
avayli[th] to [th]e cont{ra}rie, as heuene incorruptible / But
vndirstonde [th]{a}t oure 12 q{ui}[n]ta e{ss}e{nci}a is nou[gh]t so
incorruptible as is heuene of oure lord god; but it is incorruptible in
reward of composiciou{n}
[It is called, 1. Burning Water; 2. the Soul in the spirit of Wine; 3.
Water of Life; and if you wish to conceal it, Quinte Essence.]

maad of [th]e .4. elementis; & it hath .iij. names by the philosophoris,
[th]{a}t is to seie / bre{n}nynge watir / [th]e soule in [th]e spirit of 16
wyn, & watir of lijf / But whanne [gh]e wole concelle it, [th]a{n}ne
schal [gh]e clepe it 'oure q{ui}nta e{ss}e{nci}a'; for [th]is name, &
[th]e nature [th]{er}of, ri[gh]t fewe philosophoris wolde schewe / but
sikurly [th]ei biriede [th]e tru[th]e with hem. and witi[th] weel that it is
clepid 20
[It is neither moist and cold like water, nor hot and moist like air, nor
cold and dry like earth, nor hot and dry like fire.]
brennynge watir; and it is no bre{n}ny{n}g watir: forwhi, it is not
moist ne coold as comou{n} watir; for it bre{n}ne[th], & so doi[th] not
comyn watir; ne it is nat hoot and moist as eir, for eir corru{m}pi[th] a
[th]i{n}g a-noon, as it schewi[th] weel by gen{er}ac{i}ou{n} of flies,
24 & areins, and siche o[th]{er}e; but sikirly [th]is is alwey
incorruptible, if it be kept cloos fro fli[gh]t / Also it is n{o}t coold and
drie as er[th]e. for souereynly it worchi[th] & chaungi[th]. And it is not
hoot and drie as fier, as it schewi[th] by exp{er}ience; for hoot [th]ingis
it keli[th], 28
[It gives incorruptibility, for it prevents dead flesh from rotting, and
much more the living flesh of man.]
[[* Fol. 11.]]
& hoot sijknessis it doi[th] awey / Also [th]{a}t it [gh]eue[th]
incorruptibilite, and kepi[th] a [th]i{n}g fro corruptibilite [*]and
rotynge, it is p{re}ued [th]{us} / Forwhi. what pece of fleisch, fisch, or
deed brid, be putt [th]{er}i{n}ne, it schal 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