account of the whole process of the Iron-work I had from one of the chief Iron-masters in Sussex my honoured friend Walter Burrell of Cuck-field Esquire deceased And now that I have had occasion to mention this worthy Gentleman give me leave by the by to insert a few observations referring to Husbandry communicated by him in occasional discourse on those Subjects 1. In removing and transplanting young Oakes you must be sure not to cut off or wound that part of the root which descends down-right which in some Countreys they call the tap-root but dig it up to the bottome and prepare your hole deep enough to set it else if you perswade it to live you hinder the growth of it half in half 2. Corn or any other grain the longer it continues in the ground or the earlier it is sown caeteris paribus the better laden it is and the berry more plump full and weighty and of stronger nourishment as for example winter Oats better then summer Oats Beans set in February then those set in March c. 3. The most effectual way to prevent smutting or burning of any corn is to lime it before you sow it as is found by daily experience in Sussex where since this practise of liming they have no burnt corn whereas before they had abundance They lime it thus first they wet the corn a little to make it stick and then sift or sprinkle poudered lime upon it 4. He uses to plow with his Oxen endwayes or all in one file and not to Yoke them by pairs whereby he finds a double advantage 1. He by this means loseth no part of the strength of any Oxe whereas breastwise it is very hard so evenly to match them as that a great part of the strength of some of them be not rendred useless 2. In this way a wet and clay ground is not so much poached by the feet of the Oxen. 5. He hath practised to burn the ends of all the posts which he sets into the ground to a coal on the outside whereby they continue a long time without rotting which otherwise would suddainly decay This observation I also find mentioned in an Extract of a Letter written by David von-der beck a German Philosopher and Physitian at Minden to Dr. Langelot c. Registred in the Philosophic Transact Numb 92. Pag. 5185. In these words Hence also they sleightly burn the ends of timber to be set in the ground that so by the fusion made by fire the volatile Salts which by the accession of the moisture of the earth would easily be consumed to the corruption of the timber may catch and fix one another 6. He first introduced the use of Fern for burning of lime which serves that purpose as well as wood the flame thereof being very vehement and is far cheaper 7. Bucks if gelded when they have cast their head their horns never grow again if when their horns are grown they never cast them in brief their horns never grow after they are gelded This Observation expressed in almost the same words I find in the Summary of a Book of Francesco Rodi the Italian called Esperienze intorno a diverse cose naturali c. Delivered in the Philosophical Transactions Numb 92. Pag. 6005. 8. Rooks if they infest your corn are more terrified if in their sight you take a Rook and plucking it limbe from limbe cast the several limbes about your Field then if you hang up half a dozen dead Rooks in it 9. Rooks when they make their nests one of the pair always sits by to watch it while the other goes to fetch materials to build it Else if both goe and leave it unfinished their Fellow-Rooks ere they return again will have carried away toward their several nests all the sticks and materials they had got together Hence perhaps the word Rooking for cheating and abusing The manner of the VVire-work at Tintern in Monmoth-shire THey take little square bars made like bars of steel which they call Osborn-Iron wrought on purpose for this manufacture and strain i. e. draw them at a Furnace with a hammer moved by water like those at the Iron Forges but lesser into square rods of about the bigness of ones little finger or less and bow them round When that is done they put them into a furnace and neal them with a pretty strong fire for about 12 hours after they are nealed they lay them in water for a month or two the longer the better then the Rippers take them and draw them into wire through two or three holes Then they neal them again for six hours or more and water them the second time about a week then they are carried to the Rlippers who draw them to a two-bond wire as big as a great packthread Then again they are nealed the third time and watered about a week as before and delivered to the small wire drawers whom there they call Overhouse-men I suppose only because they work in an upper room In the mill where the Rippers work the wheel moves several Engins like little barrels which they also call Barrels hoopt with Iron The Barrel hath two hooks on the upper side upon each whereof hang two links standing a-cross and fastned to the two ends of the tongs which catch hold of the wire and draw it through the hole The Axis on which the barrel moves runs not through the center but is placed towards one side viz. that on which the hooks are Underneath is fastned to the barrel a spoke of wood which they call a Swingle which is drawn back a good way by the calms or cogs in the Axis of the wheel and draws back the barrel which falls to again by its own weight The tongs hanging on the hooks of the barrel are by the workmen fastned on the wire and by the force of the wheel the hooks being drawn back draw the wire through the holes They anoint the wire with train-oil to make it run the easier The plate wherein the holes are is on the outside Iron on the inside steel The holes are bigger on the Iron side because the wire finds more resistance from the steel and is streigthned by degrees There is another mill where the small wire is drawn which with one wheel moves three Axes that run the length of the house on 3 floors one above another The Description whereof would be tedious and difficult to understand without a a Scheme and therefore I shall omit it Modus faciendi Vitriolum coctile in Anglia Worm Mus Sect. 2. Cap. 13. p. 89. LApides ex quibus Vitriolum excoquitur ad litus Orientale insulae Shepey reperiuntur Ubi ingentem horum copiam collegerunt per spatiosam areterrae mistos spargunt donec imbrium illuvie accedente Solis aestu calore in terram seu pulverem redigantur subtilissimum nitrosum sulphureum odore praetereuntes offendentem Interea aqua per hanc terram percolata in Subjecta vasa per
in ventriculo fluctuat nauseam parit Verb aut Fr. G. à Praep. Re Fr. G. Jambe It. Gamba ortum ducit Skinner To Remble Lincoln to move or remove q. d. Remobiliare a Reward or good Reward a good colour or ruddiness in the face used about Sheffield in Yorksh To Rine to touch ab AS Hrinan to touch or feel To Ripple flax to wipe off the seed-vessels A Roop a Hoarsness To Rowt or Rawt to lowe like an Ox or Cow The old Saxon word Hrutan signifies to snort snore or rout in sleeping A Runge a Flasket Runnel Pollard wood from running up apace He Rutes it Chesh spoken of a Child he cries fiercely i. e. He rowts it he bellows Rynt ye By your leave stand handsomly As Rynt you witch quoth Besse Locket to her Mother Proverb Chesh S. SAckless innocent faultless without crime or accusation a pure Saxon word from the noun Sac Saca a Cause strife suit quarrel c. and the Praeposition lâ—as without Saur-pool a stinking puddle Scarre the cliff of a Rock or a naked Rock on the dry land from the Saxon Carre cautes This word gave denomination to the Town of Scarborough Sean Lincoln A kind of net Proculdubio contract a Latine Gr. Sagena Skinner Sell self Selt Chesh Chance it 's but a selt whether it is but a chance whether Senfy Not. sign likyhood appearance Sensine Cumb. since then Var. Dial. A Shafman Shafmet or Shaftment the measure of the fist with the thumb set up ab As. Scaeft mund Semipes Shan Lincoln Shamefacedness ab As. Scande confusio verecundia item abominatio ignominia To Shear corn to reap corn No Shed No difference between things to shead Lanc. to distinguish ab As. Sceadan to distinguish disjoyn divide or sever Belgis Scheyden Scheeden Shed Riners with a Whaver Chesh Winning any cast that was very good i. e. strike off one that touches c. v. Ryne A Shippen a Cow-house ab As. Scypeme Stabulum Bovile stable an Ox-stall A Shirt-band Yorksh a Band. Sib'd a kin no sole sib'd nothing akin No more sib'd then sieve and riddle that grew both in a wood together Prov. Chesh Syb or Sybbe is an ancient Saxon word signifying Kindred alliance affinity Sickerly surely à Lat. Secure Side Long. My Coat is very side i. e. very long item Proud steep from the Saxon Side sid or the Danish side signifying long A Sike a little Rivulet ab As. Sich Sulcus a furrow vel potius sulcus aquarius Lacuna lira stria elix a Waterfurrow a Gutter Somner To Sile down Lincoln to fall to the bottom or subside fort ab As. Syl Basis limen q. d. ad fundum delabi Skinner Skathe Loss harm wrong prejudice one doth the skath and another hath the scorn Prov ab As. Scaedan Sceadhian Belg. Schaeden Teut. Schaden Dan. Skader nocere A Skeel a Collock Slape-ale Lincoln Plain ale as opposed to Ale medicated with Wormwood or Scurvy-grass or mixed with any other liquor forte an licet sensus non parum variet ab alt Slape quod agro Lincoln lubricum mollem significat i. e. smooth ale hoc à verbo to slip Skinner To Slat on to Leck on to cast on or dash against Vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Sleak out the tongue to put it out by way of scorn Chesh Sleck Small Pit-coal To Sleck i. e. slack to quench or put out the fire v. g. or ones thirst To Sleech to dip or take up water To Slete a dog is to set him at any thing as swine sheep c. Slim Lincoln à Belg. slim Teut. Schlim vilis perversus pravus dolosus obliquus distortus Skinner To Slive Lincoln à Dan. Slaever Serpo Teut. Schleiffen humi trahere hinc Lincoln a sliverly fellow Vir subdolus vafer dissimulator veterator The Slote of a ladder or gate the flat step or bar To Slot a door Lincoln i. e to shut it a Belg. sluyten Teut. schiiessen claudere occludere obserare Belg. slot vera claustrum ferreum To Smartle away to wast away To Smittle to infect from the old Saxon smittan and Dutch smetten to spot or infect whence our word smut Smopple Pie-crust i. e. short and fat A Snever-spawt a slender stripling Snock the door latch the door The sneck or snecket of a door according to Skinner is the string which draws up the latch to open the door nescio an à Belg. snappen Corripere quia sci cum janua aperienda est semper arripiter To Snee or snie to abound or swarm He snies with Lice he swarms with them To Snite to wipe Snite your nose i. e. wipe your nose à schneutzen Belg. snutten snotten Nares emungere Dan. snyder emungo à Snot A Snithe wind Vox elegantissima agro Lincoln usitatissima significat autem ventum valdè frigidum penetrabilem ab As. snidan Belg. sneiden Teut. schneiden scindere ut nos dicimus a cutting wind Skinner To Soil milk to cleanse it potius to sile it to cause it to subside to strain it v. sile Sool or sowle any thing eaten with bread To Sowl one by the ears Lincoln i. e. Aures summa vi vellere credo a sow i. e. Aures arripere vellere ut suibus canes solent Skinner Soon the Evening A soon at Even A Spackt lad or wench Apt to learn ingenious A Spancel a rope to tie a Cows hinder legs To Spane a Child to wean it To Sparre or speir or spurre to ask enquire cry at the Market ab As. spyrian to search out by the track or trace to enquire or make diligent search To Spar the door to bolt bar pin or shut it ab AS Sparran Obdere claudere This word is also used in Norfolk where they say spar the door an emis he come i. e. shut the door lest he come in The Speer Chesh the Chimney post Rear'd against the speer A Spell or speal a Splinter Spice Raisins plums figs and such like fruit York-sh Spice a species A Stang a wooden bar ab As. staeng sudes vectis Teut. stang pertica contus sparus vectis Datur Camb. Br. Ystang Pertica sed nostro fonte haustum This word is still used in some Colleges in the University of Cambridge to stang Scholars in Christmas being to cause them to ride on a colt-staff or pole for missing of Chappel A Start a long handle of any thing a tail as it signifies in low Dutch so a Redstart is a Bird with a red tail Stark stiff weary ab As. sterc strace Rigidus durus Belg. Dan. sterck Teut. starck validus robustus firmus v. Skinner Staw'd set from the Saxon Stow a place originally from statio and statuo A Stee a ladder in the Saxon stegher is a stair gradus scalae perchance from stee To Steak or steke the dure to shut the door à Teut Belg. stecken steken to thrust or put to stake To Steem to bespeak a thing
else it will not work but fur up the stamps The tin in the loob they let lie a while and the longer the better for say they it grows and encreases by lying The black tin is smelted at the blowing house with Charcoal only first throwing on Charcoal then upon that black tin and so interchangeably into a very deep bing which they call the house broader at the top and narrower at the bottom They make the fire very vehement blowing the coals continually with a pair of great bellows moved by water as in the smelting of other metals The melting tin together with the dross or slag runs out at a hole at the bottom of the bing into a large trough made of stone The cinder or slag swims on the top of it like scum and hardens presently This they take off with a shovel and lay it by When they have got a sufficient heap of it they sell it to be stamped budled and lued They get a good quantity of tin out of it Formerly it was thrown away to mend high wayes as nothing worth When they have a sufficient quantity of the melted metal they cast it into oblong square pieces in a mould made of Moore-stone The lesser pieces they call slabs the greater blocks Two pound of black tin ordinarily yields a pound of white or more The tin after it is melted is coyned i. e. marked by the Kings Officer with the Lion Rampant The Kings custom is four shillings on every hundred pound weight Other particulars concerning the tin-works I omit because they may be seen in Carewy's survey of Cornwal But the manner of preparing the tin for blowing or smelting is now much different from what it was in his time Tin-oar is so different in colour and appearance from tin that one would wonder that the one should come out of the other and somewhat strange it is that tin being so like to lead tin-oar should be so unlike to Lead-oar being very like to the lead that is melted out of it The manner of the Iron-work at the Furnace THe Iron-mine lies sometimes deeper sometimes shallower in the Earth from 4 foot to 40. and upward There are several sorts of mine some hard some gentle some rich some courser The Iron-masters always mix different sorts of mine together otherwise they will not melt to advantage When the mine is brought in they take small cole and lay a row of small cole and upon it a row of mine and so alternately S. S. S. one above another and setting the coles on fire therewith burn the mine The use of this burning is to mollifie it that so it may be broke in small pieces otherwise if it should be put into the furnace as it comes out of the Earth it would not melt but come away whole Care also must be taken that it be not too much burned for then it will loop i. e. melt and run together in a mass After it is burnt they beat it into small pieces with an Iron sledge and then put it into the Furnace which is before charged with coles casting it upon the top of the coles where it melts and falls into the hearth in the space of about twelve hours more or less and then it is run into a Sow The hearth or bottome of the furnace is made of a Sand-stone and the sides round to the height of a Yard or thereabout the rest of the Furnace is lined up to the top with Brick When they begin upon a new furnace They put fire for a day or two before they begin to blow Then they blow gently and increase by degrees till they come to the height in ten weeks or more Every six days they call a Founday in which space they make 8 tun of Iron if you divide the whole summ of Iron made by the Foundays for at first they make less in a Founday at last more The hearth by the force of the fire continually blown grows wider and wider so that if at first it contains so much as will make a Sow of 600 or 700 pound weight at last it will contain so much as will make a Sow of 2000 l. The lesser pieces of 1000 pound or under they call Pigs Of 24 loads of coals they expect 8 tun of Sows to every load of coals which consists of 11 quarters they put a load of mine which contains 18 bushels A Hearth ordinarily if made of good stone will last 40 Foundays that is 40 weeks during which time the fire is never let go out They never blow twice upon one hearth though they go upon it not above five or six Foundays The cinder like scum swims upon the melted metal in the hearth and is let out once or twice before a Sow is cast The manner of working the Iron at the Forge or Hammer IN every forge or hammer there are two fires at least the one they call the Finery the other the Chafery At the Finery by the working of the hammer they bring it into Blooms and Anconies thus The sow at first they roll into the fire and melt off a piece of about three fourths of a hundred weight which so soon as it is broken off is called a Loop This Loop they take out with their shingling tongs and beat it with Iron sledges upon an Iron plate near the fire that so it may not fall in pieces but be in a capacity to be carried under the hammer Under which they then removing it and drawing a little water beat it with the hammer very gently which forces cinder and dross out of the matter afterwards by degrees drawing more water they beat it thicker and stronger till they bring it to a Bloom which is a four-square mass of about two foot long This operation they call shingling the Loop This done they immediately return it to the Finery again and after two or three heats and working they bring it to an Ancony the figure whereof is in the middle a barr about 3 feet long of that shape they intend the whole barr to be made of it at both ends a square piece left rough to be wrought at the Chafery Note At the Finery 3 load of the biggest coals goe to make one tun of Iron At the Chafery they only draw out the 2 ends sutable to what was drawn out at the Finery in the middle and so finish the barr Note 1. One load of the smaller coals will draw out one tun of Iron at the Chafery 2. They expect that one man and a boy at the Finery should make 2 tuns of Iron in a week two men at the Chafery should take up i. e. make or work five or six tun in a week 3. If into the hearth where they work the Iron-sowes whether the Chafery or the Finery you cast upon the Iron a piece of Brass it will hinder the metal from working causing it to spatter about so that it cannot be brought into a Solid piece This