in a right line she is opposed to ☉ at 14 dayes or full Moone Although she finish her couse in the foresaid time in the circle of the Zodiack yet is allowed to euery Moone 29 and a halfe day because she is to passe forward 2 dayes 4 howers before shee can ouertake the ☉ which maketh 29 dayes 12 houres And in 9 yeare she endeth all her diuersity of coniunctions and aspectes and a new begineth her former reuolution c. A Commet is a wandering star of diuers motions shining in the region of the Plannets this appeareth seldome sometime aboue and some times below the the Plannets It foretelleth greeuous accidentes Others say that a Commet is a fat substance drawne by the heate of the sun from the earth and the heate of the highest region of the Ayre is set on fire appearing like a starre and is sometime moued in the ayre It foreshewth war Pestilence drought and barrennes of the earth The light of some Plannets sometime fayle especially of ☉ and ☽ The defects happen in the Zodiack if these 2. starres be in the knotts of their circles or neare to them which knotts are cuttings made by the course of the ☉ and ☽ and is called the dragon The higher is called Dragons head the lower the Dragons tayle The Ascendant or higher is where ☽ departing from the middle Zodiack doth come nearest vnto vs. The descendant when the ☽ is remouing from vs. The Eclipse of those starres is in whole or part In whole all being obscured as in the midst of them In part it happenth neare one of the knotts The Eclipse of ☉ is by comming of ☽ betweene our eyes and the ☉ in the coniunction of both Plannets A great Eclipse of ☉ is when the centure of these starres proceed in a direct line to our eye The Eclipse of ☽ is the depriuing her of the light of ☉ in the opposition the earth shadowing her comming in a straight line betweene them her Eclipse is sooner seene in the East then in the West Elements are simple essences lesse durable then the heauens and are the wombs of mixed things c. Of the Elements 2. are cleare ayre and water Ayre which is cold and moyst and of these there are described 3. regions the first is hot dry this is termed the fiery which causeth it to be called an Element Ayre the flame being but inflamed ayre the midle region colder and darker the third region in which we liue is hott or cold by the more or lesse reflection of the sunne beames Ayre is so needefull to creatures that none can liue without it the thinner the better and more healthfull Water is an element lesse thin and cleare moyst and most cold Water warmed in channells in the earth causeth hot springs this is heated by running by some hott mineralls and helpeth moyst cold bodies Water is greater or lesse The greatest is the Sea which is salt because of the starres drawe forth the thin substance leauing the earth behinde The Ocean ebbeth and floweth after the ☽ motion and from the new moone to the full humors increase after decrease and the tides are knowne by the Moone Particular Seas take their name of some country or of some accident as the red Sea c. Water are in flouds or fountaines fountaines are best which come of Mountaines or Rocks c. Waters is of diuers cullours and tastes Milky Greene Red Salt sharpe bitter and like wine The earth is a thick element cold and dry and is vnmoueable about which all things moue it is round and althings tend as neare the centure as they can It is in compasse with the water 21600. miles and is but as a point to the whole world Concreat and mixte bodyes or natures are essences mixed of parts seuerally disposed For from sundry things of diuers formes one forme may be formed and things of one mixture according to the diuers affection of their elements are diuersly affected As some are Ayery some Fiery and some Earthly But the proportion maketh temperature which is a proportion of qualities cleauing togeather in mixture it is equall or vneuen is either simple or compound simple is in act or power compound as heate with drinesse c. Mixed natures are either liuelesse or liuing Liuelesse as meteors which are a hot smoake lifted vp by the attractiue force of starres some 15. German miles into the ayre and no higher this smoake is a vapour or exhalation A vapour is a moist smoake drawn from water and is easily resolued into water Exhalation is a dry smoake drawne from the earth easie to fire from exhalatiō arise fiery impressions which burne like fire as pillers dartes candles goates shooting starres fiery Dragons darke streames fooles fire and such like fiery meteors Mixed fiery meteors whose exhalation is somewhat vnpure thicker and long her mixture is thunder which is a fiery exhalation breaking forth of the cloudes with a sound Lightening small and great is a flaming light of a burning exhalation shining before thunder Though we heare not the thunder it is at the present breaking out of the flash the eye being quicker then the eare The great lightening is thicker and burneth more if it be hardened with heate of the suune and it selfe it maketh a stone which is cast out at the cracke this doth much harme Lightening is thick or thin this boreth through without leauing any signe of it The thicker scorcheth and burneth it hath much earthy matter setting on fier steeples and such like and in great flashes is but some small deale of this earthy matter else all things would be fired Watery meteors are vapors more fully compact together and appeare in the lowest part or midst of the Ayre as cloudes and such like A cloude is a vapour ioyned together by the extreame cold of the midle region Cloudes hang in the Ayre by the sunnes heat which draweth them vp and by the mouing of the windes are tossed vp and downe In these Cloudes by ☉ and ☽ are framed diuers shapes hauing no proper matter but onely appeare in the cloudes either about ☉ and ☽ or opposite to them as A false Sunne which is imprinted in the cloud by the reflection of his beames in a cloud being watrish so that sometime the shape of 2. or 3 sunnes are seene so of the moone Bright circles in the cloudes being black are from the reflecting beames seeming to compasse the ☉ or ☽ yet they are far lower These circles appeare more often about the moone shee being not able with her beames to consume these vapours The shape in the cloudes opposed to the Sunne is the raine-bow of diuers cullours in a hollow thin and in an vnequall cloud fashioned by reflection of the sunnes beames and the raine-bow is greater the nearer it commeth to the Horizon If many raine-bowes be seene the latter is made by the shining of the other and are more obscure then the
NATVRALL PHILOSOPHY OR A DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD NAMEly Of Angels of Man of the Heauens of the Ayre of the Earth of the Water and of the Creatures in the whole World 2. KING 4.34 He spake of Trees from the Cedar tree that is in Lebanon euen to the Rosemary that springeth out of the wall He spake also of Beasts and of Fowle and of creeping things and of Fishes These little leaues the Worlds huge load sustaine And what besides the great World can containe LONDON Printed by I. D. for Iohn Bellamie and are to be sould at the South Entrance of the Royal Exchange 1621 TO THE HONORABLE Sir WILLIAM PARSONS Knight Barronet his Ma ties Survayor Generall Commissioner in the Court of Wards and one of his Ma ties most Honorable Priuie Counsell of Ireland c. HONORABLE Sir I doe present to your view a small frame of the world and of the Creatures therein contained drawne with the Pensilles of iudicious Scribon and of D. W. A worke in nature not vnlike to our Survayes in Ireland that represent most liuely vast Countries within a small Map I offer this to you hauing heretofore giuen you an account of those seruices that I haue lately done in the survay of Ireland you being Survayor Generall of that Kingdome wherein I haue spent the most part of thirtie yeares in the seruice of my Prince and Countrie Tam Marte quam Mercurio both with Pike and Pen with great toyle much hazard and many hurts but little profite Notwithstanding your demerits and worth be such as Gratitude hath chosen your Patronage and Deuotion wisheth all honor health and happinesse to you to my good Lady and to yours At your HONORS Command I WYDOVVES alias WOODHOVSE PHILOSOPHIE is a knowledge of Naturall thinges Things her subiect either are he who alone is from by and for whom all things are or els such they be as are numbred by time and measured by place and subiect vnto motion God is a Spirit infinitely good and great God is but one diuine Essence consisting of three distinct Persons the Father the Son and the holy Ghost The actions of God are either the Creating or Gouerning of the world The World consisteth either of things inuisible as of Spirits or Visible as the heauens the elements and the bodies composed of elemēts The heauen of the blessed vide Gen. 1.1 is counted the third heauen the Orbes are the second the Ayre is counted the first The third Heauen visible is of al substances most perfect The inuisible Spirits viz. Angels were created heere Angell signifieth a messenger by nature he is a spirit Angels appeare sometime in dreames visions sometime in bodies apparant and sometime in true and reall bodies their number is great their office is to celebrate Gods glory to watch ouer the world to preserue vs to declare and do Gods will to put good motions into our minds to resist ill spirits The Deuils were Angels cast from heauen for sin into the lower parts of the World and heere they continue seeking to deface the Image of God in man and all creatures THings visible contained in the world are Substances or Accidents Accidents are either generall to all things as motion time and place for these belong to all or proper to some things as Qualities There be two kind of Mouers 1. God 2. Thinges created by him Things created moue from God and are of finite power in mouing in a prefixed matter and in time they be of two kindes without or within the thing moued the one called violent the other naturall Motion is an vnperfect act mouing to that it was not from that it was Fiue things are in naturall motion the mouer the thing moued the terme from which the terme to which it is moued and time There be sixe kindes of motion generation corruption increase decrease alteration of quality and change of place Qualities are either manifest or secret Manifest are either principall or such as proceede from them the chiefe of the principall are heate and colde Heate gathereth together things of one kinde and seperateth things of contrary nature as Gold from Siluer or drosse Colde ioyneth together things as the frost in winter The weaker qualities are moysture and drinesse Moysture is hardly contained in his owne bounds Drines keepeth his owne bounds as for example Earth c. Qualities comming from the first are either seconds or wrought from them Second qualities from one or more are deriued From Heate commeth Rarity and Leuity For Heate openeth and enlargeth the poores Raritas or Thinnes is that which hath hollow parts or spongie as a sponge cloudes c. Lightnes proceedeth from heate drawing easily vpward Thicknes and heauines are of colde For cold gathereth together and stoppeth bodyes by which bodyes become heauie Thicknes hath his partes shut vp together as stones Heauines moueth downewards thus is Mercurie heauier then gold and gold then Lead Tactile or qualities that may bee touched comming from moisture are softnes and tenuitie from the Ayre smoothnes and sliperines from the water From drynesse proceede hardnes and roughnes easines in breaking and drought From the first qualities diuersly disposed arise others called sensible qualities Their Originall is obscure or more manifested Qualities of obscure original are such as doe not alwayes plainely clearely declare the ground whence they arise Of this nature are collors which is the splendor of the body illustrated by light with which all bodies are dyed according to their moystnes decocted more or lesse apt to receiue greater or smaller light Cullour is either simple or mixed A Simple cullour consists of none other as black and white White consisteth of much light in a thin body of an Ayery moisture well concocted Blacke is in a thicke body contayning but small light of moysture either a dust or raw watrish mixed with the earth as appeareth in the iner parts of the earth Mixt cullours are from these two mingled either in a meane or vnequall portion of equall mixture is red Other are made of this meane and one of the extreames Yeallow is of much white and a little red viz. two parts of white and one of red Saffron cullour or Orang-tawny is of greater rednesse and of lesser whitenesse Purple is of much red and lesse blacke Greene is of much black and lesse red This being a cleare moysture is most pleasant to the eye Qualities of a more manifest originall are perceiued in smels and tastes Tast is made from the straining of drinesse through moisture is either hott or cold in a high or meanest degree Very hot tastes are biting bitter or salt Tastes meanely hot are sweet Cold tasts are either thicker or thinner thicke as soure and sharpe or thin as tartnes where also we place freshnesse Smell is a qualitie comming from a dry earthly heate made thin by mixture of vapors If it be well mingled it is good if not it is stincking These qualities come
former The cullours of the Raine-bow be light read green sky cullour and yeallow the raine-bow is a foreteller of raine it sheweth that many vapours are dissolued which will shortly be raine The hayle is like this but it is alwayes vnder the sunne Meteors of dissolued cloudes are either hardened or moist as raine which is as it were a cloude melted and turned vnto water if the cloude be neare the earth the drops are great if hie the drops are smaller The rayning of frogges fish milke flesh and such like come of such matter being carried vp which doth againe fall with the raine as wormes c. are begotten of dead carkases in summer time Meteors made harde after the cloud hath beene melted are snow and Haile Snow is a cloude prepared for raine before it fall being congealed by cold is by the motion of the windes dispersed into fleakes and falleth onely in winter Hayle is rayne made hard in the fall the higher the fall the rounder and lesser because in the fall it melteth It hayleth most in Autume and in the spring For then the sharpe ayre hath most power ouer the drops and in winter the extreame cold maketh it snow being yet in the cloudes In the lowest region of the Ayre are dew and frost Dew is a vapour thickned with some earthly matter which in falling is presently turned vnto water Dew falleth onely in summer for then the vapour is dissolued with the Sunne A fat kind of dew like melting hony especially at the shining of Syrius being gathered from leaues of trees is Manna called also wilde honey or meldewes This Manna hardened by the heate of ☉ into lumpes is called Tereniabin Frost is a dewish vapour made very hard by cold in winter before it be dissolued Meteors made of both kindes of smoake ioyned togeather are windes and such like Winde is a subtil smoake beaten downeward by the cold in the middle of the ayre and is moued sideling on the earth Auncients noted out 12. principall windes all which in regard of matter are hote and dry but differ for their situation of their quarter The winde being great carried with force darkens the Ayre and is called a storme If it doe roll about it is a Whirle winde if it be but small it is called Ayre An Earthquake is a fume contained in the earth when it findeth no vent it shaketh it is made according to the breadth or depth of the earth In breadth it causeth sometime such trembling that it shaketh downe whole citties that in depth causeth a gaping or swelling A Gaping is when the Earth openeth as it were her mouth and doth swallow downe trees walles c. A Swelling is when the earth being lifted vp like a mountaine either remaineth so or else falleth downe againe NAtures mixed perfectly are liuing and corporal essences indeued with a Vegetatiue soule A Vegetatiue soule is a facultie giuing life to bodyes Therfore so long as any part of this shall exercise her power in any body so long is that aliue and remaineth safe But her cheife operation so life it selfe consisteth either in preseruing seueral bodies or whole kindes Nourishment is the preseruing of seuerall bodies and is the making of foode receiued like to the body norished Vnder that name is euery thing which is receiued to sustaine our bodyes of which sort is the ayre it selfe Some other faculties are required to perfection of nourishment as concoction his companions Concoction is a working or framing of nourishment and it is made either of temperate or increased heate of the parts to be nourished By temperate heate is made ripening which is a concoction of nourishment with moisture by how much therefore the moisture shal be better tempered with heate by so much is the ripening sooner and more perfect as in a summer too moist the increase of the earth is later made ripe Concoction arising from greater store of heate is either elixation or assation Elixation is a concoction more perfectly working the thicke or watrish moysture with a strong moyst heate As flesh is sod in water whose moist heate altereth and consumeth the fomy moystnes of meate if this elixation remaine vnperfect it is called rawnes and the norishment is not refined for want of moist heate For it was not of power to finish concoction Assation is concoction by meanes of dryer heate fully strengthening the moisture of nourishment If this strength of bodyes be somewhat weake it is called thickning if concoction be vicious it is turned vnto putrifaction Moyst and hote things doe most easily corrupt if the bodyes be not open to the Ayre In stopped bodyes heate hauing no vente is increased Whence commeth inflamation which putrifaction doth follow causing greater heate This of concoction The Companions of concoction are faculties fitly seruing for the perfection of it Of these one goeth before the other followeth The former is Attraction and Retention Attraction is a facultie supplying matter of conuenient nourishment as is seene in things drawing out of the flesh Arrow-heads or thornes deepely fastned So wheat draweth water out of an earthen pot it beeing set vppon the heape Retention which retayneth norishment vntill it be concocted and doth norish the body Nourishment is first put to and afterwarde vnited The companion following concoction is expulsion Expulsion is a driuing backe of vnprofitable matter when concoction is once made it is within or without the body Within when the stronger thrust superfluities to the weaker vntill they come to the weakest of all Encrease which is ioyned to the nourishment is continued but to a certaine age then the nourishing growing weake it ceaseth Now followeth conseruation of the whole stocke Generation is a facultie of the body procreating any thing like to it selfe This faculty preserueth all kindes of thinges in their estate though continually they perish The obiect of generation is the procreating seede of euery thing The changing faculty altereth the seede into parts of the body to be begotten The Ministeriall vertues of this facultie of generation doe change or forme The forming facultie fashioneth the thing into distincte forme THe Vegetatiue soule being explained now followe the kindes of such natures as haue persit or vnperfect growth Those of vnperfect growth are Mettalles which are decocted in the vaynes of the earth Mettalls are to be melted easily or hardly Those that are easie to be dissolued are either first or such as spring from them Principall or first are of themselues from the original as brimstone and Quicksiluer Brimstone is the fatt of the earth with fiery heat decocted vnto his hardenesse which is the cause that it so speedily is enflamed and burneth euen in water yea sooner then the fat of the Beasts which though it be fatter then Brimstone yet is it far colder So that for his fat drines it helpeth scabbes of all kinds the leprie That Brimstone is counted the best which is greene and cleare Quicksiluer is
danger to be choaked The Heart is a fleshie part solid and well compacted almost like a Piramis it hath two ventricles the right and the left The right by an arteriall veine communicateth bloud to the lights This veine is so called of a proper substance and office From the left ventricle of the Heart ariseth Aorta the roote of all the Arteries These are hollow vessells in the Heart begotte and are thicke distributing spirits throughout the whole bodie The excrements of the principall parts of breathing be spittle and cough Spittle is a windie foame cast out of the brest and his parts If it bee avoyded with noyse it is called coughing Superfluitie of this matter is iudged by the coullor for red spittle is of bloud yellow of choller white of flegme and blacke of melancholy The lesse principall partes of breathing are the midrife and the mediastin The midrife is a thinne skin like perchment fastned ouerth wart to the sides and includeth the partes of the brest The mediastin is a double skinne in length deuiding the brest into two sides The vitall partes are those which serue to the preseruation of the spirits of liuing creatures and are appoynted to nourishment or generation The principall parts for the perfection of nourishment be the stomacke and the lyuer The Stomacke is a part like perchment sticking to the throat round but long and as it were twisted with many small threeds and it is the kitchen of nourishment to be concocted The throat is a channell full of nerues carrying meate from the mouth to the stomacke The Fibres are as it were very small threeds by benefit whereof the stomacke enioyeth her facultie These if they bee straight and right draw nourishment vnto them if crooked they are oblique or transuerse those retaine nourishment receiued these expell excrements The casting forth of excrements by the vpper parts of the stomacke is called vomit which expelleth that which aboundeth in the stomack yet such excrement is many times sent backe from other parts into the stomacke The liuer lyeth vpon the stomacke on the right side enclosing it with his laps and is a fleshy part of nourishment red like congealed bloud placed next vnder the Midrife In the Liuer is made the second concoction namely of nourishment in the belly turned into a red masse from the Liuer ariseth a hollow veyne the roote of all other veynes These are hollow partes round and guide the bloud vnto all the body the substance of these is thinner by six folde then the skin of the Arteries whose substance ought to be thicker for the vehement motion of the spirits That the office of the liuer may be made perfect by meanes of veynes other particles are allotted thereunto which receiue the abounding humors choller c. The Gall receiueth yellow choller and the Milt blacke The bladder of the Gall is a slimie part in the hollow part of the Liuer of the figure of a Peare the Milt is a long part like a shooe-sole on the left side ouer against the liuer but somewhat lower Water from the liuer is receiued by the reines and bladder The substance of the reines is thicke and solid flesh they sticke on both sides about the loynes and haue emulgent veynes arising from the hollow veine from the trench of the veynes hang downeward white narrow veynes guiding water from the reines vnto the bladder The bladder is a slimie part round and containing vrine in it Vrine is a whey separated from bloud in the reines and more fully purged in the bladder This in the bodie of a temperate man and sound is of a meane substance and in quantitie answereth the drinke receiued in the chollericke it is yellow or red His sediment is white smooth and equall without bubles c. A sound bodie is knowne by voyding vrine which in the morning is white and after something red For the one signifieth that it doth and the other that it hath concocted Vrine is of a meane substance betwixt thin and thicke Thin vrine argueth the weakenesse of the bodie and coldnesse predominant and rawnesse of the partes of concoction And this either remaineth the same or becommeth troubled That sheweth concoction is not yet begunne and therefore raw or This that it is but new begunne Thicke vrine like that of beasts noteth excesse of matter or concoction Vrine doth varie according to age or complexion or according to dyet and affections of the minde For the vrine of Infants for the most part is white and milkie the vrine of boyes is thicker and not so white the vrine of yong men is like golde and of olde men white and thin Touching complexions the chollerick haue orange coullour Phlegmatike pale and thicke the Sanguine red and meane The melanchollicke wan and thin Dyet changeth vrine as Saffron or Cassia causeth Orange coullour Vrine of those that fast long is yellow of those that eate too much it is white The lesse principall partes of concoction are the gutts and mesenterion The gutts are long round hollow and are knit to the lower part of the stomacke These are thicke or thin The thinner are the three vppermost as Duodenum Ieiunum and Ileos Duodenum is the vppermost gut twelue fingers long The Ieiunum beginneth where the Duodenum beginneth to turne vnto rundells Ileos is a thin gut hauing in wrapped windings The thicker guts of a thicker skin are Caecum Colon and Rectum The blinde gut is thicke large and short hauing but one mouth The Colon hath many turnings The right goeth straight to the Tuell The excrement of the belly if it be but softly compact and made at the appointed time and somewhat yellow and not much smelling argueth good concoction If it be red it argueth that much choller floweth in the stomacke if it be white it sheweth cruditie and want of choller Blew sheweth mortification and cold of the inward parts Too thicke or thin egestion argueth bad concoction if fattish or slimie it noteth a consumption Aboue all in these things it must be obserued what meate hath lately beene receiued The guts are wrapped about with the Mesenterion which is a skin in the end full of kernells and wouen with many thin veines which meeting together make a multiplying of Vena porta in the hollow of the Liver Thus of the common partes of all creatures their kindes follow All Creatures are reasonable or vnreasonable They which want reason are Beasts who liue on Land or in Water Those which liue on the earth mooue on the earth or in the ayre Beasts mouing on the earth are fourefooted or creeping Fourefooted Beasts bring forth yong shaped as themselues or eggs Those that bring forth liuing Creatures some haue solide feete and some clouen feete They haue solide feete who want hornes as Horses Mules and Asses c. The clouen footed Beasts for the most part haue hornes as the Oxe Goate Hart c. Land Beastes bringing forth eggs are the Crocodiles and some which haue a shell Frogges Liserts and some Serpents haue foure feete Creatures creeping on the earth are all kinde of Wormes Ants Earwigs to whom may bee added Spiders Lice Gnatts and such other Fowles are hotter and dryer then Creatures liuing onely on the land and all of them bring forth egges and haue but two feete They haue either whole feete or clawes Geese Duckes Swannes haue whole feete to rowe in the water Other Birds for the most part haue clawes as Doues Swallowes Hennes Sparrowes c. The insect of Fowles are Waspes Bees Hornetts Gnatts Flies These Creatures are they which liue vpon the earth those that liue in the water are Fishes or of that kinde as the Sea-Horse the Sea-Dog c. Fishes many of them are like to Creatures liuing on the earth in their parts but they haue not so much bloud therefore they are colder and moyster Fishes are soft or hard the soft haue scales or onely a skin Of the scalie be the Carpe the Pearch Of the slimie be Eelles The harder fishes haue plates as the Crabbe the Lobster c. Or shells as Oysters Mussells c. MAn is a Creature that hath reason and as he is most excellent so hath he a more perfect shape in bodie then others His members are formed and beginne to appeare distinctly about the sixt and twentieth day And they are all perfect in Males at thirtie dayes and in Females at six and thirtie dayes About this time the Childe beginneth to liue and to feele The Male is moued in the third month but the female in the fourth month then it is nourished and increased till the ninth month and after the ninth month when it is growne great it is brought forth This is the forming and procreating of Man for whose sake all other Creatures were made FINIS
a slimy water mixt with a pure white earth which mettall for the matter whereof it doth consist is thin cold and heauie It is in continuall motion and his thinnesse causeth that it peirceth mettalls Mettalls deriued from the first are more or lesse pure purer are Gold and Siluer Gold is a mettall made of most subtill and pure red Brimstone and of the like quicksiluer Gold hath the most perfect mixture as it is most thin so it is most solide whose substance is not corrupted with either earth water or ayre nor consumed with fire but is more purged in it And for his thin solidnes it is most soft and easie to be melted So that is most worth which is most red and glistering and soft that easily it may be wrought Experience teacheth that the 3 part of one graine of gold can gild a wyre of 134. foote long vpon plaites of siluer one ounce of gold will suffice to gilde eight pound weight of siluer His nature is to be meruelled at It waxeth cold towards day light so that those that weare rings of it may perceiue it when it waxeth day It is found in the mountaines of Arabia and else where and the best in the mountaine Terrat neare the Citty Corbachiam Siluer is a mettall begotten of pure white Mercury and the like cleare white Brimston It differeth from gold almost onely in cullour it being gold not perfectly refined yet in purenesse firme solidenesse and thinnesse it is next to gold and one ounce of it may be drawne 3200. foote long so that it can scarce be discerned from gold Yet it is thicker an hundreth fould When it is found it hath the shape of haires twigs fishes serpents and such like Mettalls lesse pure consist of greater store of Brimston or quick-siluer of greater store of Brimston come Brasse and Iron Brasse is a mettall begotten of thicke red Brimston and Mercury somewhat impure that comming from Cyprus is called Copper the matter of Brasse is more burnt then that of other mettalls and indureth long and is fit in any worke For it is without all moisture whether it be kept in earth or water Mineralls neare brasse are copperas c. Copperas is a minerall mixed of humors strained by droppes into small holes and it shineth like glasse It is hot and dry in the 4 degree vehemently binding being of great force to season and preserue raw flesh It also begetteth found flesh in festered sores and stancheth blood It is of a greene yealow and a skye cullour the best hath in it white spots his kind are Romaine victriall and red vitriall or the some of Copperas Iron is of store of mercury and of thick sulphur impure and aduft It may bee softened by quenching in ioyse of beane shulls or mallowes It being red hot and cooling of himselfe becommeth plyable But if it be often quenched in cold water it becommeth thereby very hard and brittle Mettalls of greater stoore of Mercury are Leade and Tynne Leade is an vnpure mettall begot of much vnpure thicke and drossie Mercury and likewise of vnpure Brimstone his impurity causeth blacknes which by refining is made whiter It increaseth in waight if it lie in moyst ground Yea it is thought to increase with rayne It is of a cold and binding nature and therefore scarce wholsome for mans vse Tynne is a mettall mixed of Mercury white without and red within and of Brimstone not well mixed as it were Leade whited with siluer Thus far of mettalls pliable Mettalls lesse plyable are those which are not easily wrought or melted and are hard or Brittle Those that be altogeather hard are stones These are ingendred of a watry moysture and fat earth mixed hard togeather Of stones some be rare some common Of the rare and strange some are of more estimation then others The more esteemed are precious stones which are more beautifull and fine in regard of their pure and subtill matter Of Gemmes some are of one cullour some of sundry cullours More or lesse transparent be either white or of other cullours White are Chrystall or Adamant Chrystall is a gem bright through begot of a most pure stony moysture and is found in mines of Marble c. His qualitie is binding therefore his oyle or powder is helpefull in Laxes and increaseth milke in womens brests The Adamant or Diamant is a gem cleare and most hard it can scarce be broken and thence it is named vnlesse steeped in the warme bloud of a Goat that hath drunke Wine or eaten Parsly Transparent Gemmes not white as the Saphir Sardonix and Smaragde haue the same coullour in all their kindes The Saphir is a gem cleare through of a skie coullour growing in the East and specially in India Being drunke it helpeth against the stinging of Serpents poyson and pestilence The Smaragde is of a greene coullour making greene the ayre neare about it the stone of Brytaine is the best It preserueth the wearer from the falling sicknesse eyght graines of his shauing drunke expelleth poyson c as some affirme The Sardonyx is a cleare gem representing in coullour the nayle of a mans hand it preserueth chastnes and healeth vlcers about the nayles The Selenites is a transparent gem like glasse it seemeth to increase and decrease with the moone Whose shape in the night it beareth and is called therefore the Moone-stone c. It is of a white blacke and yellow coullour His scrapings heale the falling sicknesse Bright shining Gems doe follow The Carbuncle is a gem shining in the light like fire it is the noblest and hath most vertues of any precious stone The Calcedonian is of a purple coullour shining like a starre it expels sadnes and feare by purging and chearing the spirits It hindreth ill visions The Astarites is a Christaline stone hauing in the midst like a full moone Bright stones not shining doe follow or the lesse shining The Rubie is a red gem shining in darke like a sparke of fire it cleareth the sight it expelleth sad and fearefull dreames The Topaz is of the cullor of gold casting beames in the Sunne being layd to a wound it stancheth bloud or cast into hot water keepeth the hand from scalding The Hiacinth is of watrish coullour it is exceeding hard and cloudie in the darke but pure and cleare by day It is colde moderating the spirits of the heart and of the other parts and causing mirth which being worne obtaineth fauour Precious stones of lesse shining be Corrall Asbestos Magnes and Galacte Corrall is a stone growing in the Sea like a slimie shrub which by the ayre presently is made hard It is taken vp full of mosse but being vnbarked it appeareth cleare in his proper coullour The spongie Corrall is white and colde The solid is more stonie and is red and blacke Red and full of branches is the best which worne of one shortly to be sicke waxeth pale His tender substance is affected by the bad vapour which yet is
and for their earthie matter binding They are hard to disgest and beget lice but good if rosted and eaten with Salt Pepper and Sugar The powder of dry Chesnuts voydeth Vrine The Beech is tall with a thicke white barke or a sad red It hath leaues like Lawrell nicked on the edge His fruit is a thre'angle Nut closed in a little pricking huske His fruit is hot sweete and binding His leaues are coole which being eaten doe helpe much the griefe of the gums and lippes If they bee stamped they much strengthen dead members being anoynted with it Swine and Mise delight much in this fruit Trees whose fruit is but halfe couered The Oke is a tall tree hauing a thicke rough barke his leaues are deepe gashed and his boughes are knotted his proper fruit is the Acorne the gall and his glew are but accidentall It is moderately hot and dry it bindeth and especially the little skin which couereth the Acorne Distilled water of Oke leaues cureth Fluxes and rottennesse of the Liuer and expelleth all congealed bloud His leaues stamped and applyed to greene wounds heale them Likewise they draw heate from swellings and pimples arising by heate Galls grow especially in olde Okes and in the night in the Summer the Sunne then leauing Gemini they be of two sorts small and rough and great and smooth Galls haue in them sometime Spiders Flies and Ants Some thinke Spiders doe presage pestilence Flies warre and Ants dearth The powder of Galls doth heale wounds without any scarre Robur is very hard and during It hath lesse fruit The Ilex is very tall with leaues Lawrell-like euer greene but lesser and sharpe a thicke wood and of a blacke red coullour and is very rare Another kinde is the Corke tree hauing like leafe fruit and greennesse yet is it lesser and hath a most thicke barke which though it be taken of yet doth not the tree wither it is called the female Ilex his wood is full of poores and holes and most light and not to be sunke Now follow trees that beare gum whose Nut hath scales The Pineapple is a tree full of boughes with hayrie leaues like Combe teeth of whose sharpe top it takes his name His fruit is Pine-nuts these are hot and dry and binde They are good against coughs and consumptions strengthening and heating The wilde Pine is a great high tree with hairy leaues The Pitch tree is tall with a blacke barke tough and stiffe and running along his boughes like a crosse from both sides of the trunke his leaues are broader softer and smoother then Rosemary From betweene the barke and wood of this tree floweth a gumme like Rozen The Firre tree is a kinde of Pitch tree but somewhat whiter his leaues on one side are of an Ash coullour from this floweth also a Rozen which sod with honie profitteth against the destillations of the head and throat against the Quinsey and other maladies it asswageth the inflamation of woundes and ioyneth them it soden with Barley bran and wine cureth hard kernells The Larix is a high tree with a thicke barke clifted on each side his boughes grow by degrees about the trunke his leaues are thicke long soft and hairie his fruit is almost like the Cypres and hath a pleasant smell The wood of this for that it is dry and full of Rozen burneth vehemently and soone melteth mettall His Rozen is in smell taste and working better then common Turpentine In coullour it is like honey tough but not hard In the bodie of the tree groweth Fungus Agaricus a swamp or mush-rome The best is white thin full of pores light and easie to breake it purgeth fleame Now follow trees that bring forth no fruit of note called Barren trees The Elme is tall with rough leaues and sharpe his wood is yellow hard deformed the barke boughes and leaues have a healing facultie in scabbes It also closeth woundes The Alder hath a long straight trunke his wood is soft his leaues like Peare-tree but greater thicker and rounder it groweth in moyst places and by ryuers His wood is hot and dry and indureth long vnder the earth or in water His thin and fat leaues layd vpon tumors with hot water cure them and helpe all swellings The Teile is a large and broad tree with a thicke stalke his leaues like Ivie but softer and sharper It bindeth his other qualities are like the wilde Oliue The Boxe hath little round leaues alwayes greene his stalke is rough for most part full of knotts and blacke the wood is hard and heauie it sinketh in water and neuer decayeth with age Of this boxes are named because most of them were wont to be made of Boxe It is dry and binding the powder of his leaues with Lauender and water profiteth against madnesse Lye of Boxe maketh yellow heires The Birch is a tender tree his barke is blacke at first but after white his wood is soft and weake aboue other It hath a sweete sap In the rude age his barke was vsed for Paper His sap taken in the spring heldeth the stone I aundies and rottennesse of the mouth also being put in milke preserueth the Cheese made of that milke from Maggotts Willow groweth apace it endureth long for though it be hollow and rotten yet it liueth It is of two sortes solid or brittle the solid is blacke or yellow the blacke is the greater and better and is most apt for binding The yellow groweth chiefly neare water it is somtime white The brittle Willow is most white and vnapt for binding Willowes are dry and thicke his leaues and barke sod in Wine helpeth grypings of the belly The Poplar delighteth in moyst and watrish places It is white or blacke the white hath a long straight trunke and a smooth barke his leafe round and after sharper greene beneath hoarie aboue and doe continually shake it is moderately hot and dry The roote taken in drinke desendeth from gripings in the belly Blacke Poplar is like the white but greater softer and hath narrower leaues and greene below and of an Ash coullour aboue It is hot and dry the boughes held in the hand some say forbid wearinesse of hand and foote his gumme stamped helpeth loosenesse Now follow shrubbs which spring vp with many stalkes and are noble or lesse noble The noble as first Cynamon which is a barke of a shrub of that name growing in India of a blacke coullour with thin boughes which if they be broken cast forth a sweet sent His barke is of two sorts thicke and thin The thin is of the sharpest and best taste The thicke is more slowly disgested it comforteth the heart the best is red and sharpe with some sweetnesse It is of subtill partes hot in the third and dry in the second degree It helpeth a colde stomacke it strengtheneth the sight heart and liuer and begetteth pure bloud Cassia Fistula is a round great and purple Cane hauing a very blacke pith the heauiest and reddest Canes