The "false chanoun" persuaded the priest, who was his dupe, to send his servant for quicksilver, which he promised to make into "as good silver and as fyn, As ther is any in youre purse or myn"; he then gave the priest a "crosselet," and bid him put it on the fire, and blow the coals.

While the priest was busy with the fire, This false chanoun--the foule 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 stopped 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 whyles that the preest wiped his face, This chanoun took his cole with harde grace, And leyde it above, upon the middeward Of the crosselet, and blew wel afterward.
Til that the coles gonne faste 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 fynde shalt ther silver, as I hope.
What, devel of helle! 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.
The conclusion of the _Canon's Yeoman's Tale_ shows that, in the 14th century, there was a general belief in the possibility of finding the philosopher's stone, and effecting the transmutation, although the common practitioners of the art were regarded as deceivers.