rotting, and much more the living flesh of man.]

[[* Fol. 11.]]

& hoot sijknessis it doiþ awey / Also þ{a}t it ȝeueþ incorruptibilite,
and kepiþ a þi{n}g fro corruptibilite [*]and rotynge, it is p{re}ued
þ{us} / Forwhi. what pece of fleisch, fisch, or deed brid, be putt
þ{er}i{n}ne, it schal not corru[m]pe ne rote whilis it is þ{er}i{n}ne / 32
miche more þanne 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, þ{a}t is to seie, mannys heuene, þ{a}t god made to þe


[Page 3: THE NATURE AND WORKING OF QUINTE ESSENCE.]

conseruac{i}ou{n} of þe .4. q{ua}litees of mannys body, riȝt as he made
his heuene to þe conseruac{i}ou{n} of al þe world / And wite ȝe for

[Many know it not now for their covetousness and vice.]

certeyn þat manye philosophoris and lechis þat ben now, knowe
nouȝt þis q{ui}nta e{ss}encia, ne þe truþe þ{er}of / Forwhi; god wole 4
not þ{a}t þei 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