*He stroke the stone and water flowed out, and he brought 

 forth oil out of the flinty rock.' Again: 'To him that over- 

 cometh will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him 

 a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which 

 no one knoweth but him that receiveth it.'" 



Suddenly dropping this line of thought, Dee informed the 

 expectant audience that his Associate, Kelley, had reluctantly 

 consented to the disclosure of the secret of the projection 

 made in Dr. von Hayek's laboratory a short time before, and 

 proceeded to give the preparation of the blood-red oil as 

 follows: "Take distilled vinegar of the philosophers, dissolve 

 therein the green lion, putrify and filter the solution, draw 

 off the liquid in balneo to an oiliness. Place this in a retort 

 and distil with a gentle fire, then increase the fire until the 

 green lion yield his glue; to the caput mortuum pour its 

 phlegm, putrify in balneo and distil as before, and there will 

 come over a bloody oil." 



A short pause ensued during which many in the audience 

 wrote rapidly on tablets their notes of this valuable recipe; 

 presently Dee continued, and with twinkling eyes and an 

 amused countenance, repeated the following enigma: 



"A Riddle to you I will propose 



Of a common thing which most men knows, 



Which now in the earth very reef doth grow, 



But is of small price, as all men know. 



And that without root, stalke or seede, 



Therewith of his kinde another to breede ; 



Yet of that nature, that it cannot cease, 



If you plant it by peeces itselfe to increase ; 



Right heavy by kinde, yet forced to fly, 



Starke nought in the purse, yet good in the eye. 



This something is nothing, which seemeth full strange, 



Having tasted the fire which maketh the change 



And hath many Collours, yet showeth but one; 



This is the materiall of our STONE." 



27 



