distilled water from the flowers will wonderfully make the Face whole Also with the decoction of Ivory one may make the Face like Ivory Melanthinm makes the Face beautiful Dioscorides But it shews its excellency when it is thus prepared Pown it and sift out the finest of it take the juice of Lemmons and let the Meal of Gith lie wet in it twenty four hours take it out and let it dry then break an Egg with the Shell and mingle it with it then dry it in the shade and sift it once more In the morning when the woman riseth out of her bed let her put this into a white Linen-clour that is not too fine and wet it with water or spittle and let her rub her Face with the clour that the moysture alone and not the Meal may come on the Face If you will have Your Face white it may be made as white as Milk many ways and chiefly with these that follow Let Litharge of Silver half an ounce boyl in a Glazed Earthen Pot with strong Vinegar until the thinner part be evaporated set it up for use Then in another Pot let half a pound of clear water boyl then mingle both these waters together and shake them and it will become like Milk and sink to the bottom when it is settled pour it off water being plentifully poured in and leaving it a while to settle pour it off again and pour on fresh shake it and leave it to settle a short time and so forbear That which is settled set in the Sun and when it is grown stiff as thick pap make small balls of it and lay them up You may use these with water to make the Face white Or else powder Lytharge of Silver eight ounces very fine pour on the Powder of the strongest Vinegar five pints distil them and keep them for your use Then take Allome de Plume Salt Gemma one drachm Frankincense one ounce and a half Camphire two drachms Oyl of Tartar six ounces Rose-water one pound powder what must be powdered and pour it in distil the water in Chymical Vessel and set it up When you would use them mingle a little of both waters in the palm of your hand and it will be like Milk rub your Face with it and it will be white Or else take off the Pills of about twenty Cirton Lemmons infuse the Pills in one pound of the best Wine and one pint and an half of Rose-water for six days then add one ounce of white Lilly and Mallow-Roots and let them stay as many days then add Rosin of Turpentine four ounces white Mercury sublimate two ounces Boxan half an ounce ten whites of Eggs made hard at the fire and mingle all these together let them stay one night The next day put a cap upon the Vessel and luting the joynts well that nothing may breath forth let the water drop into a Vessel to receive it set it aside for use I me this that is easie to make and doth the business completely Take the white of an Egg and stir it so long with an Iron that it froth well let it stand to turn to water then take half an ounce of the best Honey and beat with that water and â—ingle them until they unite add to them the quantity of two Corns of Wheat Mercury sublimate finely powdered when you go to bed take some of the water in the palm of your hand and wash your Face and so let it dry in that it may not slick to the Linen in the morning wash it off with Fountain-water and you shall have your Face cleer and white CHAP. X. How women shall make their Faces very clean to receive the Colour BEfore any thing be used to make the Face beautiful it must be made very clean and fit to receive it for oft-times women have excellent Waters and Remedies brought them but they have no operation wherefore the matter is that they must first prepare their Face This is the best Preparation of the Face Bind Barley-Meal-Bran in a Linen-cloth and let it down into a Pot full of water and let it boyl till a third part be remaining and press out the juice with this decoction wash your face and let it dry then bruise Myrrh and mingle it with the white of an Egg and burn it on hot Fire-sticks or red hot Tiles and receive the fume by a tunnel let the narrow part of it be toward the Face and the broad to the fire cover the head with a Napkin that the smoak flie not away and when you have received sufficient of the smoak rub your Face with a Linen-cloth then use your Remedy to anoynt your Face I shall shew you One that is stronger When the skin must be cleansed or made white you must cleanse some parts of your Face from skins that will not let your painting Oyntment stick Powder an ounce of Sublimate very finely put it into a Pot that is glazed and cast into it fix whites of Eggs so beaten that they are turned into water then boyl them on hot Embers till they grow thick put them into a Linnen-cloth that is loosly weaved and press the water out of them with your hands and wash your Face with it then mingle Honey whites of Eggs and the aforesaid water together equal parts put some in your palm and rub the place you would make white with the palms of your hands then boyl spelt and when it is boyl'd take the fume of it by a tunnel then rub your Face with a course Linnen-cloth Others wash their Face with water wherein fine flour is boyled CHAP. XI How the Face may be made very soft THe next Beauty of the Face and Hands is Tenderness which is procured by fat things and chiefly by Milk and principally of Asses for it takes off wrinkle and makes the skin white and soft And therefore it was not for nothing that Nero's wife had always five hundred Asses with her and in a Bath with a â—ear she soaked all her body with that Milk Wherefore if you would have Tour Face made soft and white Steep crums of Bread in Whey or in Milk then press it out and with that water wash your Face for it will wonderfully white your Face and make the skin fair Or take six Glasses of Milk steep crumbs of Bread in it five hours take ten Lemmons make clean the Pills and cut the Body of them into thin slices then shake ten whites of Eggs bruise an ounce of Camphire Allom Sauharinum two ounces mingle them all and distil them and set it in a glazed Vessel close covered in the Sun and then set it up for your use Here is one stronger For the same purpose Boyl two Calfs Feet in water first make them clean then boyl the water till half be consumed put it in Rice one pound and boyl it well let crums of Bread steep in Asses Milk or Goats Milk with ten whites of Eggs bruised with
be this set the pot in a Centre as it were that the fire may lye as it were in the circumference round about it to the distance of one foot from the Centre a little after this move you fire neerer to the pot that there may not be above the distance of half a foot betwixt them then within a while lay the fire a little neerer and so by little and little let the fire be brought close to the pot yea and let the pot be covered all over with hot burning coals within the space of one hour and so let it stand hidden in the fire for the space of six whole hours together And after the six hours you must not take away the coals but let them go out and die of themselves and let the pot so stand under them until it be stark cold and when it is thoroughly cold break it into pieces and there you shall find your little thin plates so brittle that if you do but touch them somewhat hard with your fingers they will soon be crumbled into dust When you have taken them out of the pot you must afterward put them into some casting vessel that is very hard and durable and there within half an hour it will be melted then put into it some of your powder by little and little till all of it be molten together then cast it all forth into some hollow place into some form or mould that it may run along into rods and the metal will be as brittle and as easie to be broken into small crumbs as any Ice can be After all this you must melt two pounds of brass but you must first purifie it and cleanse it a little by casting upon it some broken glass and Lees of wine and Salt-ammoniack and Salt-peeter every one of them by turns and by little and little When you have thus cleansed it you must put unto it one pound of that metal which you made of the Copper and powder before spoken of and you must still sprinkle upon theâ— some of that powder and after all this you must take half so much of the best silver that may be gotten and melt it amongst the metals before spoken of and cast them all togeâ—her into some hollow place like a mould and so you shall obtain your purpose But that the surface and the utmost out-sides of the metal may appear whiâ—e you must throw it into the fire that it may be burning hot and then take it forth and cast it into that water wherein the Lees of wine and ordinary salt have been liquefied and dissolved and there let it boil for a certain time and so shall you make it very white and moreover so pliant and so easie to be framed and wrought to any fashion that you may draw it thorough any little hole yea even thorough the eye of a needle Furthermore this is not to be omitted nor buried in silence for it is a matter of great use and special force in the colouring of metals that they be inwardly cleansed and purged of their dross that they may be thoroughly washed and rid of all such scum and â—ffals as are incident unto them for being thus handled they will be more serviceable and operative for all experiments As for example let brass be molten and then quenched in vineger and then reduced into powder with salt so that the more gross and infectious parts thereof be extracted from it and let it be so handled oftentimes till there be nothing of its natural uncleanness remaining within it and so shall it receive a deeper dye and be changed into a more lively colour Let the vessel wherein you melt your metals to prepare and make them fit for your turn be bored thorough in the bottom with sundry holes that the metal being melted may strain thorough but the dross and scum and offals of it may be left behind that there may be nothing but pure metal to be used in your experiments for the less drosse and offals that your metal have they are so much the more serviceable for your use in working Let this therefore be a general rule alwayes to be remembred and observed that your metals be throughly purged and rid from their dross as much as may possibly be before ever you entertain any of them into your service for these intendments There is yet also another way whereby we may bring to pass that Brass should resemble silver and this by Arsnick Orpine which is an effectual means to accomplish this matter and whereas in tract of time the metal will somewhat recover it self to its own former paleness and dim colour we will seek to remedy it and prevent it Take the best Arsnick Orpine that may be gotten such as yawns and gapes as though it had scales upon it it must be of a very orient golden colour you must meddle this Orpine with the dust of brass that hath been filed from it and put into them some Lees of wine but they must be each of them of an equal weight and quantity when you drench them together within the liquor and so shall it bear a continual orient colour and glister very brightly without ever any fading at all After this take you some silver and dissolve with that kind of water which is called Aqua-fortis but it must be such as hath in it very little store of moisture for the most waterish humour that is in it must be evaporated in some scalding pot or other such vessel which you must fill up to the brim six or seven several times with the same water after the vapours of it have been extracted by the heat of the fire that is under the vessel when you have thus done you must mingle your silver that is so dissolved with the brass filings and the Arsnick Orpine which we spake of before and then you must plain it and smooth it all over with the red marble-stone that the clefts or scales before spoken of may be closed up and withal you must water it by little and little as it were drop after drop with the oyle that hath been exprest or extracted out of the Lees of wine or else out of the firmest Salt-ammoniack that may be had And when the Sun is gotten up to any strength that it shews forth it self in very hot gleams you must bring forth this confection and let the force of the heat work upon it even till it be thorough dry afterward you must supple it with more of the same oyle again and then let it be dryed up again so long till that which is remaining do weigh just so much as the silver weighed before it was dissolved Then closâ— it up in a vessel of glass and lay it under some dunghil till it be dissolved again and after the dissolution be gathered together into a Gelly then cast into it ten or eight pieces of brass and it will colour them all that they shall most lively counterfeit
it and press her between your hands that no Wine remain and then adding two Cups of white-Wine distil her in a Chymical Vessel then distil the Flowers of Bindeweed Citrons Oranges together and keep this water by it self Then open Lemmons and press out the juice And also take water of Bean-flowers then distil six cups of Asseâ— milk and as many of Cows-milk You shall do the same with water of Gourds and of Milk well boyled and of water of Bean-flowers and of Rosin of Turpentine Then provide a glazed Vessel put into it Camphire two drachms four ounces of Ceruss finely powdered mingle them with the aforesaid waters and set it in a soft Vessel in the open Air fifteen days and nights When you would use it wet a Linen-rag in it and wash your Face CHAP. XVII How to make the Face Rose-coloured I Have made the Face white now I will make it red that the wise may be made wholly Beautiful for her husband And first To make a pale Face purple-coloured And to adorn one that wants colour use this Remedy Take Vinegar twice distilled and cast into it the raspings of red Sanders as much as you please boyl it at a gentle fire adding a little Allom and you shall have a red colour most perfect to dye the Face If you would have it sweet-smelling add a little Musk Civet Cloves or any Spices Now Another Take Flowers of Clove-Gilliflowers bruise the ends of the sprigs and draw forth the juice if they be so ripe that they are black add juice of Lemmons that they may shine with a more clear red With this paint your Face and you shall have a pleasant red colour without any stinking smell or wet the sprigs of Clove-gilliflowers in juice of Lemmons and set them in the Sun Take away the old and put in fresh until it be as red as you would have it let the juice dry and the color will be most glorious But I draw a quintessence from Clovegill flowers Roses Flower-gentle with Spirit of Wine then I add Allom and the juice of a Citron and I made an excellent colour to beautifie the Face Take Another If you add to the best Wine one tenth part of Honey and one ounce of Frankinsenceâ— and then distil it and steep in it the raspings of red Saunders until it is coloured to your minde and then wash your Face with it it will make your Face white and well-coloured Also A Fucus that cannot be detected And it is so cunningly made that it will delude all men for a cleer water makes the Cheeks purple-coloured and it will last long and the cleerer the part will be the more your wash it with it and rub it with a cloth of Woolen You shall draw out a water from the Seeds of Cardamom which the Apothecaries call Grains of Paradise Cubebs Indian Cloves raspings of Brasil and Spirit of Wine distilled when they have been infused some time draw forth the water with a gentle fire or corrupt Dung and wet your Face often with this There are also Experiments To colour the Body If you boyl Nettles in water and wash your Body with it it will make it red-colored if you continue it long If you distil Straw-berries and wash your self with the water you shall make your Face red as a Rose But the Ancients dyed their bodies of divers colours partly for ornament partly for terrour as Caesar writes of the Britans going to war for they painted themselves with wood Theophrastus calls it Isatis and we call it Guado The Grecian-women painted themselves with wood as Zenophon writes And in our days the West-Indians crush out in Harvest-time a blood-red juice from the Roots of wilde Bugloss which the women know well enough whereby they cover their pale colour with a pleasant red and so change their over-white colour with this Experiment CHAP. XVIII To wash away the over-much redness of the Face I Have shewed you how to colour the Face now I shall shew how to uncolour it when the Face is too red and women that are very red desire this The way is To wash away the too-much redness of the Face Take four ounces of Peach-Kernels and Gourd-Seed two ounces pown them and crush them out strongly that you may draw forth an oyly Liquor with this morning and evening anoynt the red Carbuncles of your face and by degrees they will vanish and be gone Another Take Purple-Violets Egg-shells Saunders Camphire mingled with water set the water in the open Air and wash the redness therewith Also I know that the distilled water of white Lillies will take away the redness CHAP. XIX How to make a Sun-burnt Face white WHen women travel in the open Air and take journeys in Summer the Sun in one day will burn them so black that it is hard to take it off I found out this Experiment Beat about ten whites of Eggs till they come to water put them in a glazed Vessel adding one ounce of Sugar-Candy to them and when you go to bed anoynt your Face and in the morning wash it off with Foutain-water Pliny also saith thus Another If the Face be smeered with the white of an Egg it will not be Sun-burnt With us women that have to do in the Sun to defend their Faces from the heat of it that they may not be black they defend it with the white of an Egg beaten with a little Starch and mingled and when the Voyage is done they wash off this covering with Barley-water Some do it Another way rubbing their foul Skin with Melon-Rindes and so they easily rub off Sun-burnings and all other spots outwardly on the Skin The Seed also bruised and rubbed on will do it better Also a Liquor found in little bladders of the Elm-Tree when the Buds first come forth makes the Face clear and shining and takes away Sun-burnings CHAP. XX. How Spots may be taken from the Face OFt-times fair women are disgraced by spots in their Faces but the Remedy for it is this to use Abstergents and Detergents in whiting of their Faces Therefore To take off spots from the Face anoynt the Face with Oyl of Tartar and let it dry on and wash it not at all do this for ten days then wash it with a Lixivium and you shall see the spots no more If the part be not yet clean enough do it once more If this please you not take Another Put Quick-Lime into hot water mingle them and stir them for ten days After two days pour forth the clear water into a Brazen Vessel then take Salt-Ammoniac between your Finger-tops and rub it so long at the bottom of the Vessel until you see the water become of a blew-colour and the more you rub it the better colour it will have and it will turn into a Skie-colour or Purple-colour very pleasant to behold Wet Linen-cloths in this water and lay them on the spots till they be dry and wet them again till
pour as much Fountain-water on as will cover them a handful or five large fingers over then set on the head and stop the joynts very close Put the other end of the Pipe into the other Pot and joynt them exactly then set on the other head and fasten the lower end of its crooked Pipe into that straight one which passing through the Barrel runneth into the Receiver If the joynts be anywhere faulty stop them with Flax and paste them with Wheat-flour and the white of an Egg then rowl them about and tie them close with Fillets cut out of a Bladder for when the vapors are forced by the heat of the fire they are so attenuated that they will break forth through the least rime or chink in spite of all your endeavors Fill the Barrel with cold water and when it beginneth to grow hot draw it out through a Cock at bottom and supply fresh water that the Pipe may always be kept cool At length make the Pot boyl at first with a gentle fire then encrease it by degrees until the vehemency of the heat doth make the vapors hiss as it were ready to break the Pipes as they run thorow them so they will be elevated thorow the retorted Pipes and leave the phlegmatick water in the lower Vessel till passing through the cold Pipe they be condensed into Liquor and fall down into the Receiver If the water do consume away in the boyling pour in more being first warmed thorow a little Pipe which the Pot must have on one side with a Spigget to it for this purpose but be sure to stop the Spigger in very close that there may be no vent Afterwards separate the Oyl from the Water sublime and purifie it in another Vessel Of all the Instruments that ever I saw not any one extracteth a greater quantity of Oyl and with less labour and industry then this Thus you may without any fear of burning draw Oyl out of Flowers Leaves Spices Gums and VVood with the vehementest fires as also out of Juniper and Laurel-Berries CHAP. IX The Description of a Descendatory whereby Oyl is extracted by Descent I Cannot refrain from discovering here an Instrument found out by my own private experience which I hope will be of no small profit to the Ingenious by which they may draw Oyl out of any the least things without any fear of burning For there are many tenuous oyly Flowers as of Rosemary and Juniper and other things as Musk Amber Civet Gum and such-like out of which may be drawn Oyls very sweet and medicinable but they are of so thin a substance that there is a great hazard of burning them when they are forced by the heat of the fire without which neither fat things will be elevated nor Oyl extracted Therefore to remedy these inconveniences I have invented an Instrument by which Oyl shall descend without any labour or danger of burning Let a Vessel be made of Brass in the form of an Egg two foot high and of the same breadth let it be divided towards the top of which the upper part must serve for a cover and be so fitted to be received into the lower part that the joynts may closely fall in one another and be exactly stopt In the lower part towards the middle about half a foot from the mouth let there be a Copper-plate fitted as it were the midriff so that it may easily be put and taken out in which must be made three hollow places to receive the bottom of three retorted Vessels the rest of the plate must be pervious that the boyling VVater and hot Spirits may have passage to rise upwards Out of the sides of the Vessel there must be three holes through the which the necks of the Retorts may pass being glued and fastned to their Pipes with Flax and tied with Fillets of Bladders so that not the least Air much less any VVater may flie out VVhen you prepare to work fill the Glass-Retorts with the things you intend to still thrust the necks thorow the holes outward and lay their bodies in the prepared hollowness of the cross-plate somewhat elevated If there remain any void space between the necks and the sides of the holes they pass through stop it with Flax and tie it about with Fillets of Bladder and fill the Vessel with with water within three fingers up to the cross-plate The Vessel being covered and the joynts well stopt and glued and bound about so that the force of the vapours arising may not burst it open and scald the Faces of the by-standers kindle the fire by degrees until it become very vehement then wil the vapors make a great nose almost sufficient to terrifie one and first VVater then VVater and Oyl will distil out I cannot contain my self from relating also another Instrument invented for the same purpose Make an oval Brass-Vessel as I advised before with a hole bored thorow the bottom to which fasten a pipe that may arise up to the mouth of the Vessel let the mouth of it be wide like a trumpet or tunnel so that the long neck of a Gourd-Glass may pass through the Pipe of it and the wide mouth of the Vessel under may by degrees receive the swelling parts of the neck Adapt a cover to this Vessel that it may be close stopt and luted as we said before You must make a Furnace on purpose for this use for the fire must not be made in the bottom but about the Vessel The use is this Fill the Glass with Flowers or other things put in some wire Lute-strings after them that they may not fall out again when the Glass is inversed Thrust the neck thorow the Brass-Pipe set the Vessel on the Furnace and fill it with Water round about the arising Pipe put on the Cover and plaister it about set the Receiver under the Furnace that it may catch the dropping Water and Oyl then kindle the fire about the sides of the Pot the violence of which will elevate vapors of burning water which beating against the concave part of the Cover will be reverberate upon the bottom of the Gourd-Glass whose fervent heat will turn the Water and Oyl into vapor and drive it down into the Receiver I will set down some examples of those things which I made trial of my self As How to extract Oyl out of Rosemary Flowers Fill the Retorts with the Leaves and Flowers of Rosmary and set them in the Brass-Furnace the fire being kindled will force out first a Water and afterward a yellow Oyl of a very strong and fervent odor a few drops of which I have made use of in great sicknesses and driving away cruel pains You may extract it easier if you macerate the Flowers or Leaves in their own or Fountain-water for a week In the same manner Oyl of Citron-Pill is extracted When Citrons are come to perfect ripeness shave off the peal with a gross Steal-File put the Filings into a Pot
remaining Powders make a mass which you may form into cakes which being burnt on hot Ashes smell very sweetly I take out the Cinnamon and the Woods because in burning they cast forth a stink of smoak Another way Take one pound and a half of the Coals of Willow ground into dust and seirced four ounces of Labdanum three drachms of Storax two of Benjamin one of Lignum Aloes mix the Storax Benjamin and Labdanum in a Brass Morter with an Iron Pestle heated and put to them the Coal and Lignum Aloes powdered Add to these half an ounce of liquid Storax then dissolve Gum Tragacantha in Rose-water and drop it by degrees into the Morter When the powders are mixed into the form of an Unguent you may make it up into the shape of Birds or any other things and dry them in the shade You may wash them over with a little Musk and Amber upon a Pencil and when you burn them you will receive a most sweet fume from them Another Perfume Anoynt the Pill of Citron or Lemmon with a little Civet stick it with Cloves and Races of Cinnamon boyl it in Rose-water and it will fill your chamber with an odorifeous fume CHAP. IX How to adulterate Musk. THese Perfumes are often counterfeited by Impostors wherefore I will declare how you may discern and beware of these Cheats for you must not trust whole Musk-Cods of it there being cunning Impostors who fill them with other things and onely mix Musk enough to give its sent to them Black Musk inclining to a dark red is counterfeited with Goats blood a little rosted or toasted bread so that three or four parts of them beaten with one of Musk will hardly be discovered The Imposture may be discerned onely thus The Bread is easie to be crumb'd and the Goats blood looketh clear and bright within when it is broken It is counterfeited by others in this manner Beat Nutmegs Mace Cinnamon Cloves Spikenard of each one handful and seirce them carefully then mix them with the warm blood of Pigeons and dry them in the Sun Afterward beat them again and wet them with Musk-water and Rose-water dry them beat them and moysten them very many times at length add a fourth part of pure Musk and mix them well and wet them again with Rose-water and Musk-water divide the Mass into several parts and rowl them in the hair of a Goat which groweth under his Tail Others do it Another way and mingle Storax Labdanum and Powder of Lignum Aloes add to the Composition Musk and Civet and mingle all together with Rose-water The Imposture is discovered by the easie dissolving of it in water and it differeth in colour and sent Others augment Musk by adding Roots of Angelica which doth in some sort imitate the sent of Musk. So also they endeavour To adulterate Civet with the Gall of an Ox and Storax liquified and washed or Cretan Honey But if your Musk or Amber have lost their sent thus you must do To make Musk recover its sent hang it in a Jakes and among stinks for by striving against those ill savours it exciteth its own vertue reviveth and recovereth its lost sent THE TWELFTH BOOK OF Natural Magick Of Artificial Fires THE PROEME BEfore I leave off to write of Fire I shall treat of that dangerous Fire that works wonderful things which the vulgar call Artificial Fire which the Commanders of Armies and Generals use lamentably in divers Artifices and monstrous Designs to break open Walls and Cities and totally to subvert them and in Sea-fights to the infinite ruine of mâ—rtal men and whereby they oft-times frustrate the malicious enterprizes of their Enemies The matter is very useful and wonderful and there is nothing in the world that more frights and terrifies the mindes of men God is coming to judge the world by Fire I shall describe the mighty hot Fires of our Ancestors which they used to besiege places with and I shall add those that are of later Invention that far exceed them and lastly I shall speak of those of our days You have here the Compositions of terrible Gun-powder that makes a noise and then of that which makes no noise of Pipes that vomit forth deadly Fires and of Fires that cannot be quenched and that will rage under Water at the very bottom of it Whereby the Seas rend asunder as if they were undermined by the great violence of the flames striving against them and are lifted up into the Air that Ships are drawn by the monstrous Gulphs Of Fireâ—Balls that flie with glittering Fire and terrifie Troops of Horse-men and overthrow them So that we are come almost to eternal Fires CHAP. I. How divers ways to procure Fire may be prepared VItruvius saith That it fell out by accident that sundry Trees frequently moved with Windes and Tempests the Bows of them rubbing one against another and the parts smiting each other and so being ratified caused heat and took fire and flamed exceedingly Wilde people that saw this ran away When the Fire was out and they durst come neerer and found it to be a great commodity for the Body of man they preserved the Fire and so they perceived that it afforded causes of civility of conversing and talking together Pliny saith It was found out by Souldiers and Shepherds In the Camp those that keep watch found this out for necessity and so did Shepherds because there is not always a Flint ready Theophrastus teacheth what kindes of Wood are good for this purpose and though the Anger and the handle are sometimes both made of one sort of Wood yet it is so that one part acts and the other suffers so that he thinks the one part should be of hard Wood and the other of soft Example Wood that by rubbing together will take Fire They are such as are very hot as the Bay-Tree the Buck-thorn the Holm the Piel-Tree But Mâ—estor adds the Mulberry-Tree and men conjecture so because they will presently blunt the Ax. Oâ— all these they make the Auger that by rubbing they may resist the more and do the business more firmly but the handle to receive them is to be made of soft Wood as the Ivy the wilde Vine and the like being dried and all moisture taken from them The Olive is not fit because it is full of fat matter and too much moysture But those are worst of all to make Fires that grow in shady places Pliny from him One Wood is rub'd against another and by rubbing takes Fire some dry fuel as Mushroomes or Leaves easily receiving the Fire from them But there is nothing better then the Ivy that may be rubbed with the Bay-Tree or this with that Also the wilde Vine is good which is another kinde of wilde Vine and runs upon Trees as the Ivy doth But I do it more conveniently thus Rub one Bay-Tree against another and rub lustily for it will presently smoak adding a little Brimstone put your fuel
eight parts of Salt-Peter but excellent well refined and mingled For four parts of Salt-Peter well refined and mingled will do more then ten parts of that which is faeculent and ill mingled From the Salt-Peter comes the force the noise of the flame for Brimstone it takes fire and the sooner for the coal But if one would have Gun-powder that will shoot a Bullet without noise he must make weak the Salt-Peter but with some fat substance which is done by the Glew and Butter of Gold by mingling them according to a certain and due proportion and so it will shoot a Ball with very little or no noise for you shall scarce hear it and though the force be not so strong yet it is but little less I will not teach the way lest wicked men should take occasion to do mischief by it CHAP. IV. How Pipes may be made to cast out Fire THe same Heron bids the Souldiers when they scale the VValls that they should set against the faces of their enemies that defend the Cities such hand-Guns that they can turn and that will throw fire a great way for so they shall so terrifie those that defend the VValls by these monstrous Engines that cast Fire-Balls at such great distance and with such furious flames that they will never endure to behold them nor yet the Souldiers that mount up the VValls but will quickly run away Moreover in fights at Sea and amongst Horse-men men of this later age make great use of them for Horses are terrified with Fire as Elephants were and will easily run away and break the ranks VVhen Antipater besieged the Megarenses and the Macedonians did fiercely lie upon them the Megarenses first anoynted their Hogs with pitch and set them on Fire and so sent them out amongst their Enemies The Hogs were mad at it and ran furiously among the Troops of Elephants and cried as they burned with the Fire and as so many Furies they extreamly disordered the Elephants But I shall describe Rockets that cast Fire a great way Make a stick of three foot long round on the outside and with a Turners Instrument make it hollow within let the hole in the middle be four fingers diameter and the VVood a finger thick but within let it be fenced with a thin Iron plate and without with Iron hoops at the mouth in the middle and on the end and let the Spaces between be fastned and joyned together with Iron-wires lest by the violence of the flames striving within the Engine should break in pieces and hurt our Friends Fill the hollow hole with this composition Gun-powder three parts Colophonia Tutia Brimstone half a part but you must bruise your Brimstone and Colophonia very well and sprinkle them with Linseed Oyl and work them in your hands Then try if your mixture will burn gently or fiercely fill the space between the joynts in a Reed with powder put Fire to it if it burn vehemently that it break the Cane add to it Colophonia and Brimstone but if mildly then put more Powder into your Rocket pressing it again with a sharp stick then stop the mouth of it being full with a Linen-clout wax and pitch and cover it that the Powder fall not out and making a hole in the clout fasten a Cotton-match to the mixture that when necessity is it may take fire You shall learn shortly after to make the Match This is called a simple Rocket How to make a Rocket armed This by a continual sending forth of Fire-balls and Leaden Bullets and by the shooting off of Iron-guns will strike thorow the faces of those that stand by It is made of Turpentine-Rosin liquid Pitch Vernish Frankincense and Camphire equal parts quick Brimstone a third part and half two parts of Salt-Peter refined three parts of Aqua Fortis as much of Oyl of Peter and Gun-powder pown them together and make Fire-balls put them into the hollow of the Pipe that is broad enough to receive them Put into the hollow part the first mixture three fingers deep and press it down then put in the little Ball of Gun-powder onely weighing one ounce ready made then put in again the first Powder and do this by course one after another till it be full and stop the mouth as I said Some do not thrust down a Ball but Hards wrap'd up in square pieces of Iron and that is so pliable that the first mixture can kindle the Gun-powder Some put in with the Tow Glass grosly powdered Others Salt and powder of Lead for if the Lumps stick to Armour or Garments you cannot put them out with water or any thing else till they be consumed Some there are also that compass in the Rocket with Brass or Iron-Guns and at the open passage of the Rocket they put in Gun-powder when fire comes at it with terrible and frequent noises they cast Leaden Bullets forth upon the standers by I saw a Rocket of extraordinary largeness it was ten foot long and as wide as a mans head might go in it was full of Fire-balls Stones and other matters and put into a Gun and bound to the lower part of the Cross-yard of a Ship which was transported every way with cords as the Souldiers would have it and in Sea-fights was levelled against the Enemies Gallies and destroyed them all almost Yet I will not omit to relate how A Brass-Gun once fired may discharge ten times It is a new Invention that a great Brass-Gun or a hand-Gun may discharge ten or more Bullets one after another without intermission Make a dark Powder such as I used in the precedent part and fill it thus First put in a certain measure of Gun-powder that being put in may discharge the Ball then put in the Ball but a small one that it may go in loosely and that the powder put in upon it may come to touch the Gun-powder then pour in this dark powder two or three fingers depth then put in your Gun-powder and your Bullet and thus in order one after the other until the Gun seems to be full to the very mouth Lastly pour in some of your dark clammy powder and when you have levelled your Gun to the place appointed put Fire to the mouth of it for it will cast out the Bullets and then Fire for so long time as a man may discharge a hand-Gun at divers shoots And thus with one Brass-Gun you may discharge many times CHAP. V. How Fire-Balls are made that are shot off in Brass-Guns NOw I will shew how to make some Pot-compositions of Fire-balls that are shot out of Brass-Guns for divers uses either to burn ships or to give light to some men in the night or at Solemnities to cast up into the Air that they may seem to stream along like falling Stars Fire-balls flying in the Air that are made at Festival times Grind one pound of Gun-powder one third part of Salt-Peter two ounces of Brimstone and as much
But this you must know that as slight and trivial as they are yet they require the handling of a very skilful Artificer and whosoever thou art that goest about to practice these experiments if thou be not a skilful and well experienced workman thy self be sure to take the advice and counsel of those that are very good Artists in this kind for otherwise thou wiâ—t certainly miscarry in them and be defeated of thy purpose The chief and especial things which are of force to endue Brass with a whiter colour are these Arsenick or Oker that kind of quick-silver which is sublimated as the Alchymists call it the scum or froth of silver which is called by the Greeks Lithargvron the Marchasiâ—e or fire-stone the Lees of wine that kind of Salt which is found in Africk under the sand when the Moon is at the full which is commonly called Salt Ammoniack the common and ordinary Salt which the Arabians call by the name of Al-hali Salt-peter and lastly Alome If you extract the liquor out of any of these or out of all these and when it is dissolved put your Brass being red hot into it to be quenched your Brass will become white Or else if you melt your Brass and assoon as it is molten put it into such liquor your Brass will become white Or else if you draw forth into very small and thin plates and pown those bodies we now speak of into small powder and then cast both the brass that is to be coloured and the bodies that must colour it into a melting or casting vessel and there temper them together to a good medâ—ev and keep them a great while in the fire that it may be thoroughly meâ—ted the brass will become white Or else if you melt your brass and then cast upon it some of that colouring in small lumps for if you cast it in powder and dust it is a doubt that the force and rage of the fire will utterly consume it so that it shall not be able to infect or Pain the mettal but if you cast good store of such colouring upon the molten brass it will endue your brass with a strange and wonderful whiteness insomuch that it will seem to be very silver indeed But that you may learn the better how to work such experiments and beside that you may by occasion of those things which are here set down learn how to compound and work other matters we will now set forth unto you certain examples how we may make Brass to counterfeit Silver for when once you are trained up a little in the practice of these matters then they will sink more easily into your understanding then by all your reading they can do therefore as we have spoken of such things as will do this seat so also we will reach you how to work artificially Take an earthen pot and set it upon the fire with very hot coals heaped round about it put lead into it and when you see that your lead is molten by the force of the fire take the third part of so much silver as there was lead and pown it into small powder and puâ— it to the lead into the pot but you must sprinkle it in onely by little and little that it may be scorched and even burned as it were by the heat of the fire and may float like as it were oyle on the top and surface of the lead and some of it may be so wasted by the vehemency of the heat that it vanish away into the smoak Then let them rest a while so long as there be any remainders of the coaâ—s left After you have so done break the vessel into pieces and take away the scum and dross of the mettal and whereas there will stand on the top of the mettal a certain oyle as it were or a kind of gelly you must take that and bray it in a morter and cast it into a vessel by little and little where there is brass melted and though the brass be three times so muâ—h in weight as that gelly is yet the gelly will endue all that brass with a white silver colour Nay if there be more then three times so much melted brass put into that metal it will make it all like unto silver But if you would have your brass endued with a perfect white colour and not discernable from silver you must melt some silver and some brass together and then throw them into the fire and so take them out again after some short time for the longer you suffer them in the fire the worse will your experiment succeed Which is a matter most worthy to be observed in these cases for if your work continue any longer in the fire then need requires it will fade in colour and the violence of the fire will countermand the operation and effect of your skil and labour in tempering the mettals together and so the brass will recover his former colour in his first estate Wherefore let your mettals be kept in the fire as little while as you can that you may make your brass the whiter and in colour most like unto silver howbeit though you have made it never so white yet in time it will wax blackish and dim again for the Arsnick that is naturally incorporated into the brasse will alwayes strive to restore it to the former duâ—kish and dim colour which it is by nature endued withal We will now also teach you another way how to make Brass to counterfeit Silver and this is a more excellent and notable experiment then the former Take six ounces of the Lees of wine eight ounces of Cristal Arsnick half an ounce of quick-silver that hath been sublimated two ounces of Salt-peeter one ounce and an half of glass beat all these together in a morter and see that they be broken into the smallest powder and dust that may be After this take three pounds of Copper that which is commonly called Banda Mediolanensis this you must have to be drawn out into small thin and slender plates and when you have thuâ— prepared your mettals and ingredients you must take of that powder and sprinkle it into an earthen pot by little and little and withal put into the same pot your slender plates of Copper and these things you must do by course first putting in some of your powder and then some of your Copper and afterward some powder again and afterward some of your little plates again and so by turns one after another till the pot be brim-full then set a cover upon your pot and plaister it all over singularly well with good stiffe morter that is tempered with chopped straw then binde it round about with bands and clamps of iron and truss it up very hard and stiffe together and then cover it over again with such morter as before Afterward let the pot be made hot with a great fire round about it The manner of the heating of your pot must