The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry

This false chanoun--the foulè feend hym fecche!-- Out of his bosom took a bechen cole, In which ful subtilly was maad an hole, And therinne put was of silver lemaille An ounce, and stoppéd was withouten faille The hole with wex, to kepe the lemaille in. The "false chanoun" pretended to be sorry for the priest, who was so busily blowing the fire:-- Ye been right hoot, I se wel how ye swete; Have heer a clooth, and wipe awey the we't. And whylès that the preest wipèd his face, This chanoun took his cole with hardè grace, And leyde it above, upon the middèward Of the crosselet, and blew wel afterward. Til that the colès gonnè fastè brenne. As the coal burned the silver fell into the "crosselet." Then the canon said they would both go together and fetch chalk, and a pail of water, for he would pour out the silver he had made in the form of an ingot. They locked the door, and took the key with them. On returning, the canon formed the chalk into a mould, and poured the contents of the crucible into it. Then he bade the priest, Look what ther is, put in thin hand and grope, Thow fyndè shalt ther silver, as I hope. What, devel of hellè! Sholde it ellis be? Shavyng of silver silver is, parde! He putte his hand in, and took up a teyne Of silver fyn, and glad in every veyne Was this preest, when he saugh that it was so.