vessel turned downwards touch the upper part of the lower liquor that no Air may enter for then the water will presently descend into the vessel underneath and the lighter part of the mingled liquor will ascend and the water will sink down and if it be all wine it will all ascend no wine will stay with the water if any thing stay behind you must know that so much water was mingled with the wine which may easily be known by the smell and taste if you do it as it should be done Then take a vessel that will hold more of the same liquor and put it into a vessel underneath till it takes it all in whence by the proportion of the wine ascended and of the water any man may know easily how much water is mingled with the wine But for convenience let the Vial that shall hold the water be of a round belly and the hole not very great and let the vessel under that contains the wine have a narrow mouth that the upper round mouth may the better joyn with the undermost and no Air come in But because it happeneth oft that the upper Ball when it hath drank in all the wine the wine will not fill it and we would part the water from the wine take therefore the round Glass in your hand and turn it about with the mouth upwards then will the wine presently turn about and come uppermost which may be a tongue laid in be all call'd forth Be careful to see when the wine is all drawn out remove the tongue and the water will remain pure CHAP. IV. How otherwise you may part water from wine I Can do this another way not by levity and gravity as I said but by thinness and thickness for water is the thinnest of all liquors because it is simple but wine being coloured and colour comes from the mixture of the Elements it is more corpulent Wherefore to part wine from water we must provide a matter that is full of holes and make a vessel thereof into which the wine poured with the water may drean forth for the water will drean forth through the pores of the matter that is opened by a minglâ—â— and corpulent body And though many kinds of wood be fit yet Ivy is the best because it is full of pores and chinks wherefore if you make a vessel of Ivy wood that is green and pour into it wine mingled with water the water will in a short time drean out Yet I see that all the Antients and modern Writers thought the contrary yet both reason and experience are against them For Gaeto saith If you would know whether there be water put to your wine make a vessel of Ivy put your wine you think is mixed with water into it if there be any water the wine will run forth and the water stay behind for an Ivy vessel will hold no wine And Pliny from him The Ivy is said to be wonderful for proof of wine If a vessel be made of Ivy-wood the wine will run forth and the water will stay behind if any were mingled with it Whereupon both of them are to be noted for a two sold error because they say it comes from the wonderful faculty of the Ivy whereas every porous wood can do the same Again he saith that the wine will run forth and the water stay behind whereas it is the contrary But Democritus thought what was truest and more probable who used not an Ivy vessel but one full of holes saith he they pour it into a new earthen pot not yet seasoned and hang it up for two days the pot saith he will leak if any water be mingled with it Democritas used another Art for the same purpose Some stop the mouth of the vessel with a new Spunge dipt in Oyl and incline it and let it run forth if there be water in it onely the water will run forth which experiment also he useth in Oyl For the Spunge is full of holes and open enough and being dipt in Oyl that hinders that the liquor cannot run forth so easily Africanus adds another reason Put liquid Alom into a vessel of wine then stop the mouth with a Spunge dipt in Oyl and incline it and let it run forth for nothing but the water will run out For the Alom binds the liquors that they drean forth very slowly CHAP. V. Another way to part a light body mingled with a heavy I Have another Art to seperate a light body from a heavy or wine from water or by another way Make a linnen tongue or of bombast and dip it into the vessel where wine is mingled with water and let the tongue swim above without the liquor and ascend above it and so hang pendulous out of the vessel for the lighter liquor will ascend by the tongue and drop on the outside but when the lighter ascends it attracts the heavy also wherefore when you see the colour change take the vessel away for the water runs forth It is evident that the wine being lighter will always ascend to the top of the vessel and run forth by the tongue though all Vintners say the contrary that the water will run forth by the tongue and that the wine will stay within CHAP. VI. How light is mingled in heavy or heavy in light VVE can easily know whether any light matter is mingled with heavy or any heavy matter with light And I will expound the manner out of Archimedes his Book concerning thingâ— that swim above water the cause whereof is that if Wood stone or any heavy Metal be equal in weight to the same quantity of water the utmost superficies oâ— the body will be equal with the superficies of the water if it weigh heavior it will sink to the bottom if it be lighter the lighter it is then the water so much of it will swim above the watâ—â— Since therefore this is true and wine is heavior then water one and the same thing will sink more in wine than in water and in thicker water the less Wherefore vessels are more drown'd in River than in the Sea for Sea-water is thicker and more heavy by reason of its salt mingled with it as also we have it in Alexander If therefore you would know Whether water be mingled with wine Put the wine you suspect to be mingled with water into some vessel and put an Apple or Pear into it if the Apple sink the wine is pure but if it floâ—e the wine hath water mingled with it because water is thicker than wine Which Democritus saith is contrary and false He saith it is necessary sometimes to commit the Care of the wine of new wine to Stewards and Servants also the Merchant hath the like reason to try whether his wine be pure They use to cast an Apple into the vessel but wilde Pears are the best others cast in a Locust others a Grashopper and if they swim it is pure wine but
will shew How all things that are shut up may be preserved for many years Fruits are to be laid up in vials of glass as we shewed before and when the pipe or neck of the glass is stopt close up then they are to be drowned in cisterns and they will last good for certain whole years Likewise flowers are to be closed up in a vessel that is somewhat long and the neck of it must be stopt up as we shewed before and then they must be cast into the water for by this means they may be kept fresh for a long time I have also put new wine into an earthen vessel that hath been glazed within and have laid it in the water with a waight upon it to keep it down and a year after I found it in the same taste and goodness as when I put it into the vessel By the like device as this is we may preserve Things that are shut up even for ever if we wrap them up in some commixtion with other things so that the air may not pierce them through but especially if the commixtion it self be such as is not subject to putrefaction I have made trial hereof in Amber first reducing it to a convenient softness and then wrapping up in it that which I desired to preserve For whereas the Amber may be seen thorow it doth therefore represent unto the eye the perfect semblance of that which is within it as if it were living and so sheweth it to be sound and without corruption After this manner I have lapped up Bees and Lyzards in Amber which I have shewed to many and they have been perswaded that they were the Bees and the Lyzards that Martial speaks of We see every where that the hairs of beasts and leaves and fruits being lapped up in this juice are kept for ever the Amber doth eternize them Martial speaks thus of the Bee A Bee doth lie hidden within the Amber and yet she shines in it too as though she were even closed up within her own honey A worthy reward she hath there for all her labours and if she might make choice of her own death it is likely she would have desired to die in Amber And the same Author speaks thus of the Viper being caught as it were in the same juice The Viper comes gliding to the dropping Pine-tree and presently the Amber juice doth overflow her and while she marvails at it how she should be so entangled with that liqour upon the sudden it closeth upon her and waxeth stiff with cold Then let not Cleopatra boast her self in her Princely Tomb seeing the Viper is interred in a Nobler Tomb then she But if you desire to know how to make Amber soft though there be divers ways whereby this may be effected yet let this way alone content you to cast it into hot boiling wax that is scummed and clarified for by this means it will become so soft and pliant that you may easily fashion it with your fingers and make it framable to any use Onely you must bee sure that it be very new CHAP. IX How Fruits may be drenched in Honey to make them last for a long time THe Antients finding by experience that the shutting up of fruits in vessels and the drenching of those vessels in water was a notable preservative against corruption did thence proceed farther and began to drench the fruits themselves in divers kinds of liqours supposing that they might be the longer preserved if they were sowsed in honey wine vineger brine and such like in as much as these liquors have an especial vertue against putrefaction For honey hath an excellent force to preserve not fruits onely but also even the bodies of living creatures from being putrefied as we have elsewhere shewed that Alexanders body and the carkass of the Hippocentaur were preserved in honey Meer water they did not use in this case because that being moist in it self might seem rather to cause putrefaction But of all other liquors honey was most in request for this purpose they supposing it to be a principal preserver against corruption Columella saith That Quinces may be preserved in honey without putrefaction We have nothing more certain by experience saith he then that Quinces are well preserved in honey You must take a new flagon that is very broad brimmed and put your Quuinces into it so that they may have scope within that one may not bruise another then when your pot is full to the neck take some withy twigs and plat them over the pots mouth that they may keep down the Quinces somewhat close least when they should swell with liquor they should float too high then fill up your vessel to the very brimme with excellent good liquefi'd honey so that the Quinces may be quite drowned in it By this means you shall not onely preserve the fruit very well but also you shall procure such a well relished liquor that it will be good to drink of But in any case take heed that your Quinces be through ripe which you would thus preserve for if they were gathered before they were ripe they will be so hard that they cannot be eaten And this is such an excellent way that though the worm have seized upon the Quinces before they were gathered yet this will preserve them from being corrupted any farther for such is the nature of honey that it will suppress any corruption and not suffer it to spread abroad for which cause it will preserve the dead carkass of a man for many years together without putrefaction Palladius saith that Quinces must be gathered when they are ripe and so put into honey whole as they are and thereby they will be long preserved Pliny would have them first to be smeared over with wax and then to be sowsed in honey Apitius saith Quinces must be gathered with their boughes and leaves and they must be without any blemish and so put into a vessel full of honey and new wine The Quinces that were thus dressed were called Melimela that is to say Apples preserved in honey as Martial witnesseth saying Quinces sowsed in pure honey that they have drunk themselves full are called Melimela Likewise Columella sheweth that Other kind of Apples may be so preserved Not onely the Melimela but also the Pome-paradise and the Sestian Apples and other such daiâ—ties may be preserved in honey but because they are made sweeter by the honey and so lose their own proper relish which their nature and kind doth afford therefore he was wont to preserve them by another kind of practise Palladius saith That Pears may be preserved in Honey if a hey be so laid up therein that one of them may not touch another So Africanus reporteth That Figgs may be long preserved in Honey if they be so disposed and placed in it that they neither touch each other nor yet the vessel wherein they be put and when you have so placed them you must make fast
and run out with great cries Then may he take away their Gold and chink The reason is Because the Loadstone is melancholick as you may conjecture by the colour of it the fumes whereof rising into the brain will cause those that are a sleep to have melancholick phantasms presented unto them and Coles will do the like The weight Davic with Serpents fat and juice of Metals given to one to drink will make him mad and make him run out of his House Country and Nation and this is doth by exaggeration of black Melancholy or it will make people lunatick and melancholick if they do but hold it in their mouths and by its drawing out of iron Physitians think it will help well to draw an Arrow-head out of ones body But we use the Loadstone in making Glass Pliny After Glass was found out as it is a very cunning invention men were not content to mingle Nitre but they began to add the Loadstone thereunto because it is supposed that it will attract the liquor of the Glass into it self and into iron also Hence it is that in making Glass we add a little piece of Loadstone to it for that singular vertue is confirmed by our times as well as former times it is thought so to attract into it self the liquor of the Glass as it draws iron to it and being attracted it purgeth it and from green or yellowish Glass it makes it white but the fire afterwards consumes the Loadstone Out of Agricola We read also That a Loadstone laid to ones head will take away all the pains Galen saith It hath purging faculties and therefore it is given to drink for the Dropsie and it will draw forth all the water in the Belly Lastly I shall not pass by the error of Hadrian concerning the Loadstone for he saith That the iron by its weight makes the Loadstone never the heavier For the Naturalists report That if a great Loadstone were weighed in a Scale and after that should draw iron to it it would be no heavier then it was when it was alone though they be both together so the weight of the iron is as it were consumed by the Loadstone and hindred by it from any effect or motion which I finde to be false It is like that jear in Aristophanes of a Clown that rid upon an Ass and carried his Coulter at his back that he might not load the Ass too much THE EIGHTH BOOK OF Natural Magick Of Physical Experiments THE PROEME I Intended to pass by these following Experiments in Physick because I have everywhere mentioned them in my History of Plants and we have not omitted any thing that was certain and secret in them that we knew unless iâ— be such things as could not be brought into that rank And though other things shall be described in my Book of Distillations yet that this place of Physick be not left empty I changed my opinion and have set down some of them here CHAP. I. Of Medicines which cause sleep THat we may in order set down those Experiments of which we intend to speak we will begin with those Diseases which happen in the Head and first with Sleep for Soporiferous Receits are very requisite to be placed amongst these Arcana and are of very great esteem amongst Physitians who by Sleep are wont to cheat their Patients of pain and not of less amongst Captains and Generals when they practice Stratagemes upon their Enemies Soporiferous Medicines do consist for the most part of cold and moist things Plutarch in Simpos saith That Sleep is caused by cold and therefore Dormitives have a cooling quality We will teach first how To cause Sleep with Mandrake Dioscorides saith That men will presently fall asleep in the very same posture wherein they drink Mandrake losing all their senses for three or four hours after and that Physitians do use it when they would burn or cut off a member And skilful men affirm That Mandrake growing by a Vine will transmit its Soporiferous quality into it so that those who drink the Wine that is made thereof shall more easily and readily fall asleep Here we will relate the pleasant stories of the Mandrake out of Authors of Stratagems Junius Frontinus reports That Hannibal being sent by the Charthagenians against some Rebels in Africa and knowing they were a Nation greedy of Wine mixed a great quantity of Mandrake with his Wines the quality of which is between poysonous and sleepy then beginning a light Skirmish he retired on purpose and in the middle of the Night counterfeited a flight leaving some Baggage in his Camp and all the infected Wine Now when those Barbarians had took his Camp and for joy had liberally tasted of that treacherous Wine he returned took and slew them all as they lay dead as it were before Polinaeus the same And Caesar sailing towards Nicomedia was taken about Malea by some Cilician Pirates and when they demanded a great Ransome for his Liberty he promised them double what they asked They arrived at Miletum the people came out of the Town to see them Caesar sent his Servant being a Milesian named Epicrates to those of the Town desiring them to lend him some money which they presently sent to him Epicrates according to Caesar's command brought the money and with it a sumpâ—uous Banquet a Water-pot full of Swords and Wine mixed with Mandrake Caesar paid to the Pirates the promised sum and set the Banquet before them who being exalted with their great Riches fell freely to it and drinking the infected Wine fell into a sleep Caesar commanded them to be killed sleeping and presently repaid the Milesians their own money Demosthenes intending to express those who are bitten as it were by a sleepy Dragon and are slothful and so deprived of sense that they cannot be awakened saith They seem like men who have drunk Mandrake Pliny affirmeth That smelling to the Leaves of it provoketh sleep For the same with Nightshade We may make the same of Nightshade which is also called Hypnoticon from the effect of it a Drachm of the Rinde drank in Wine causeth sleep but gently and kindely This later Age seemeth to have lost the knowledge of Solanum Manicon for in the very description of it Dioscorides seems to be mad But in my judgement as I have elsewhere said he describes two several Plants in that place Fuschius his Stramonium and the Herb commonly called Bell a Donna whose qualities are wonderfully dormitive for they infect Water without giving it either taste or sent so that the deceit cannot be discovered especially considering it must be given but in a very small quantity I prepared a Water of it and gave it to a Friend for certain uses who instead of a Drachm drank an Ounce and thereupon lay four days without meat or motion so that he was thought dead by all neither could he be awakened by any means till at last when the vapours were digested he arose
no place for the air to come in and that were against the second axiom wherefore by reason of vacuum and because the body is no heavior it falls not into the bowl beneath But should one make a hole in the bottom of the vessel A that the air might come in no doubt the water would not fall down into the bazon Also if the vessel A B were filled with any â—ight liquor and the broad bazon with one that is heavior they would not stir from their places Let therefore the vessel A B be filled with wine and the mouth of it turned downwards into a bazon full of water I say both liquors will keep their places and will not mingle for should the wine descend either vacuum must needs be in the body A or a heavy body must ascend out of the vessel C D which would be against the Nature of Gravity and the second axiom namely that heavy should ascend and light descend wherefore they will not remove from their places Hence comes that which is often done by great drinkers and gluttons who pour by drops into a cuphalf full of water so much wine as will fill the cup they come so close together that onely a line parts those liquors And those that would sooner cool their wine they dip a Vial full of wine into a vessel full of water with the mouth turned downward and hold it down under the water for when the water toucheth the superficies of the wine they cannot mingle and the wine grows sooner cool though it is necessary that the Vial should be lifted up to the superficies of the water and suddenly turned about poured forth and drank then fill them again and set in the bottle as before From this advantage I complain of those who first drink water then pour in wine for wine being the lighter and water the heavior they can hardly mingle wherefore some drink at first the strongest wine then mingled and last of all water At great mens Tables they first bring wine in a Glass then they pour in water that the water by its weight may mingle with the wine and get to the bottom and tast equally Theophrastus bids men first pour in wine then water CHAP. II. How we may by drinking make sport with those that fit at Table with us VVHen friends drink together if we would by such a merry deceit delude the guests that are ignorant of the cause hereof we may provoke them to drink with such a Cup Let there be a great Cup made like a tunnel let the mouth be broad above and beneath narrow Pyramidally and let it be joyn'd to a Glass-Ball by a narrow mouth First pour in water till the whole Ball be filled then put in wine by degrees which by reason of the narrowness of the mouth will not mingle and the water is heavy and the wine lighter He that drinks first shall drink the wine then give it your frind to drink for he shall drink nothing but water But if your friend shall challenge you to drink thus with him and will have you drink first fill the Ball of the Cup with wine and pour water upon it and stay awhile and hold him in discourse for the water will sink down by the narrow mouth and the wine by degrees will ascend as much and you shall see the wine come up through the middle of the water and the water descend through the middle of the wine and sink to the bottom so they change their places when you know that the water is gone down and the wine come up then drink for you shall drink the wine and your friend shall drink the water Hence it is that to great inconvenience of those that drink it when we plunge our wine into a well in vessels of earth or brass ill stopt to cool it the water being the heavior comes in at the least chink and forceth out the wine so in a little time the vessel is full of water and the wine is gone that there is not the least taste of wine in it wherefore stop the mouth very close CHAP. III. How to part wine from water it is mingled with FRom these I shall easily shew two things that a heavy body shut up in a Glass vessel having the mouth of it put within a lighter liquid body they will mutually give place the lighter will ascend the heavior will descend and that without any hindrance one of the other which I shall demonstrate from the former principals Let the Glass be turned downwards and full of water be A B the water is heavior than the wine Let the mouth of it B be put into the vessel C D that is full of wine These are bodies that will mutually yield one to the other as I shewed I say the water will descend into the vessel C D and the wine will ascend into the vessel A B where the water was before For the water because it was contain'd in the vessel A B it being heavy presseth the wine in the vessel C D that is lighter and because there is no body between them the water descends on one side into the vessel C D and the wine ascends on the other side into the vessel AB Now if the wine be red that you may see the difference or their colours you shall see the wine ascend through the middle of the water as far as he bottom of the upper vessel that is put downward into the other and the water to descend hastily to the bottom of the vessel C D and one descend as low as the other riseth high and if the liquors cannot be seen distinguished yet one goes without any hindrance of the other and without mingling into its own place and it will be a pleasant sight to behold the wine going up and the water falling down and when they rest they will be so well parted that not the least wine can remain with the water nor water with the wine Wherefore if you put into a Hogshead full of wine a long neck'd Glass full of water in a short time the vessel turned downwards will be full of wine and the water will go down into the Hogshhad By this any man may easily conjecture How to part water from wine because oft-time Country people and Vintagers use deceit and bring wine mingled with water to be sold to the Merchant we may easily prevent their craft by this Art Let there be underneath a vessel filled with wine that is mixed with water and we would separate the water from the wine But first there must be a vessel that can receive all the wine that is mingled in the other vessel and if we know not the quantity we must conjecture at it how much it may be of something less then fill the said vessel with water and set it with the mouth downwards on the other vessel that is full of wine and water mingled together and let the upper part of the
if they sink it is mingled with water But if you seek to know If new wine have any water mingled with it it will be the contrary for the contrary reason For wine that is pure and sincere is thin but new wine at first is thick feculent gross clammy because the feces are not yet sunk down but in time it will grow clear and thin Wherefore if you put Apples or Pears into new wine and the new wine be most pure the Apples will flote above it but if there be water mingled with it â—he Apples will sink to the bottom for freeze-water is thinner than new wiâ—e and lighter iâ—â—â—useth the Apple to sink which is excellent well described by Sotion and very curiously He saith That we may know whether new wine be mingled with water cast wilde Pears that is green ones into new wine and if there be any water they will sink to the bottom For when you fill the vessel with new wine if you cast in Services or Pears they will swim the more water you put to it the more will the Apple sink But we shall adde this for an addition When new wine is mingled with water to know which part is the best the upper or lower part The Country people use after the pressing forth of the wine when the clusters are pressed forth to caâ—â— in a certain quantity of water and so they make drink for laborers in the Countrey This new wine they divide the Country man hath half and the Landlord the other half The question is which part is the best the first or last that runs forth of the press But if you well remember what I said before the wine being the lightest will come uppermost and the water being heaviest will always sink to the bottom Wherefore the first that comes forth is the wine that which remains and is pressed from the clusters is watry When water is cast on the clusters it goes into the inmost parts of the Grapes and draws forth the wine that is in them and so they mingle but being lighter it chooseth the upper place therefore the upper part is best because it contains most wine but if you turn the Cock beneath the water will first run forth and the wine last CHAP. VII Other ways how to part wine from water THere are other ways to do it as by distilling For in distilling the lightest will ascend first then the heaviest when the fire is not too strong and that is but reason wherefore that the liquor may ascend it must first be attenuated into thin vapours and become lighter therefore wine being thinner than water if it be put in a still in Balneo the lightest vapour of wine will ascend by degrees and fall into the receiver You shall observe the Aqua vitae that distills into the vessel and by the quantity of that you may judge of the proportion of water mingled with the wine Also note that when the lightest part of the wine is ascended the heavy feces remain as water or as part of the wine Oft-times in our distillations when Aqua vitae was distilled in Balneo by chance the vessel brake that contain'd the Aqua vitae and mingled with the water in the kettle I put the mingled liquor into a Glass vessel and putting a soft fire to it first came forth the pure Aqua vitae simple without any water the water stayed in the bottom and kept not so much as the smell of the Aqua vitae By the veins running in the cup I knew the water ascended I will not omit though it be for another reason for pleasure and ingenuity to shew The manner to part water from wine that by this means we may know how much water is mingled in the vessel Take the quantity of the wine and put it into a Glass Vial and put the Vial into very cold water that all that is in the Vial may freeze as I shew'd If the wine be sincere and pure it will be the harder to freeze and longer if it have much water it will freeze the sooner When the wine is frozen break the Vial upon a dish the ice must melt by degrees first the wine because that is hotter than the water will remain frozen Part the wine from it for it will be longer thawing by proportion of this you may know what part of water was put into the vessel CHAP. VIII How the levity in the water and the air is different and what cunning may be wrought thereby NOw I will speak of heavy and light otherwise than I spake before namely how it is in the air and how in the water and what speculation or profit may rise from thence And first how we may know whether a Metal be pure or mingled with other Metals as Gold and Silver as in Gilded cups or else in moneys where Silver or Gold is mingled with Brass and what is their several weights which speculation is useful not onely for Bankers but also for Chymists when they desire to try Metals in fixing of Silver or other operations which I will attempt to declare plainly But first I will see whether the Antients speak any thing hereof Vitruvius saith Archimedes did write of this For when Hiero purposed to offer a Golden Crown to the Gods in the Temple he put it to the Goldsmith by weight he made the work curiously and maintain'd it for good to the King and by weight it seemed to be just but afterwards it was said that he had stoln part of the Gold and made up the Crown with Silver to the full weight Hiero enraged at this this bad Archimedes to consider of it He then by chance coming into a Bath when he had descended into it he observed that as much of his body as went into the Bath so much water ran over the Bath when he considered the reason of it he leaped forth for joy running home and crying Eureka Eureka that is I have found it I have found it Then they say he made to lumps of equal weight with the Crown one of Gold the other of Silver then he filled a large vessel to the very brims with water and he put in the lump of Silver the bigness of that thrust into the water made the water run over wherefore taking out the lump what flowed over he put in again having measured a sixt part and he found what certain quantity of water answered to the quantity of the Silver then he put in the lump of Gold into the full vessel and taking that forth by the same reason he found that not so much water ran forth but so much less of the body of the Gold was less than the same weight in Silver Then he filled the vessel with water and put in the Crown and he found that more water ran forth by reason of the Crown than for the mass of Gold of the same weight and from thence because more water run over by reason of
the Crown than for the Gold lump he reasoned that there must be a mixture in the Crown This was the Greeks invention that is worthy of praise but the operation is difficult for in things of small quantity the theft cannot be discerned nor can this reason appear so clear to the eye where the obsolute fashion of the vessel was wanting Now a way is invented how for all money be it never so small we can tell presently and we want not many instruments that we may cry We have overfounded Vpereureka Vpereureka we have gone beyond Archimedes his Eureka The way is this To know any part of Silver mingled with Gold Take a perfect ballance and put in one scale any Metal in the other as much of the same Metal but the purest of its kind and when the scales hang even in the Air put them into a vessel full of water and let them down under water about half a foot Then will it be a strange wonder for the ballances that hang equal in the Air will change their nature in the water and will be unequal for the impure Metal will be uppermost and the pure will sink to the bottom The reason is because pure Gold compared with that kind is heavior than all impure Gold because pure Gold taketh less place wherefore it will way heavior by the former reason If then we would know how much Silver is in that Gold put as much pure Gold in the other scale as will make the ballances equal under the waters when they are equal take them up and the weight you added under water will be the weight of the mixture If you would know how much Gold is upon a vessel Gilded put the Cup in one scale and as much pure Silver in the other that the scales may hang equal in the Air then put them into the water and the vessel will sink down put into the other scale as much pure Gold as will make them equal under water draw them forth and that is the weight of the Gilt of the plate You shall do the same for Silver Brass Iron white or black Lead But would you know whether in Money Brass be mingled with Silver or Coin be adulterated with Copper put the Money into one scale and as much of the finest Silver into the other ballance them equal then put them under the water the Money will go down adde as much Brass as will make the scales equal then take them forth and it will be the weight of the mixture Now will I set the weighâ—s of Metals how much they weigh more in the waters than in the Air whereby without any other experiment we may know mixtures An Iron-ball that weighed nighteen ounces in the Air will weigh fifteen in the waters whence it is that a Ball of the same magnitude must owe three ounces to the water wherefore the proportion of Iron in the Air to the same in the waters is as fifteen to nineteen A Leaden Bullet of the same magnitude weighs 31 ounces in the Air in the water but 27 A Marble Bullet little less for bulk weighs 7 in the Air and 5 in the water Copper weighs 16 in the Air and 12 in the waters Silver weighs in the Air 125 in the waters 113 Brass in the Air weighs 65 Karats and one grain in the waters 50 Karats and two grains Crown Gold in the Air weighs 66 grains in the waters 6â— Gold called Zechini in the Air weighs 17 Karats under water 16 Karats Tâ—rkish Ducat Gold weighs in the Air 34 under waters 32 Common French Crown Gold weighs in the Air 67 under waters 60 Common Crown Gold of Hungary that is old in the Air weighs 17 in the water 16 Crown Gold of Tartary weighs 16 in the Air and 14 under water THE NINETEENTH BOOK OF Natural Magick Concerning VVind-Instruments THE PROEME I Have spoken concerning light and heavy now follow experiments by wind for these seem to follow the reasons of Mathematicks and of the Air and water and a Philosopher who seeks to find things profitable and admirable for mans use must insist on these things contemplate and search them out in no thing doth the Majesty of Nature shine forth more There are extant the famous Monuments of the most learned Heron of Alexandria concerning wind Instruments I will adde some that are new to give an occasion to search out greater matters CHAP. I. Whether material Statues may speak by any Artificial way I Have read that in some Cities there was a Colassus of Brass placed on a mighty high Pillar which in violent tempests of wind from the nether parts received a great blast that was carried from the mouth to a Trumpet that it blew strongly or else sounded some other Instrument which I believe to have been easie because I have seen the like Also I read in many men of great Authority that Albertus Magnus made a head that speak Yet to speak the truth I give little credit to that man because all I made trial of from him I found to be false but what he took from other men I will see whether an Image can be made that will speak Some say that Albertus by Astrological elections of times did perform this wonderful thing but I wonder how learned men could be so guld for they know the Stars have no such forces Some think he did it by Magick Arts. And this I credit least of all since there is no man that professeth himself to know those Arts but Impostors and Mountebanks whilst they cheit ignorant men and simple women nor do I think that the Godly man would profess ungodly Arts. But I suppose it may be done by wind We see that the voice or a sound will be conveighed entire through the Air and that not in an instant but by degrees in time We see that Brass-guns which by the force of Gun-powder make a mighty noise if they be a mile off yet we see the flame much before we hear the sound So hand-Guns make a report that comes at a great distance to us but some minutes of time are required for it for that is the nature of sounds Wherefore sounds go with time and are entire without interruption unless they break upon some place The Eccho proves this for it strikes whole against a wall and so rebounds back and is reflected as a beam of the Sun Moreover as I said in this work words and voices go united together and are carried very far entire as they are spoken at first These therefore being laid down for true grounds if any man shall make leaden Pipes exceeding long two or three hundred paces long as I have tried and shall speak in them some or many words they will be carried true through those Pipes and be heard at the other end as they came from the speakers mouth wherefore if that voice goes with time hold entire if any man as the words are spoken shall stop the
Chap 13 The fifteenth Book Of Fishing Fowling Hunting c. VVHat meats allure divers animals Chap 1 How living creatures are drawn on with the baits of love Chap 2 Animals called together by things they like Chap 3 What noises allure Birds Chap 4 Fishes allured by light in the night Chap 5 By Looking glasses many creatures are brought together Chap 6 Animals are congregated by sweet smells Chap 7 Creatures made drunk catcht with hand Chap 8 Peculiar poysons of Animals Chap 9 Venomes for Fishes Chap 10 Experiments for hunting Chap 11 Tee sixteenth Book Of invisible Writing HOw a writing dipt in divers liquors may be read Chap 1 Letters made visible in the fire Chap 2 Letters rubâ—d with dust to be seen Chap 3 To write in an egge Chap 4 How you may write in divers places and deceive one that can reade Chap 5 In what place Letters may be inclosed Chap 6 What secret messengers may be used Chap 7 Messengers not to know that they carry Letters nor to be found about them Chap 8 Characters to be made that at set days shall vanish Chap 9 To take off Letters that are written on paper Chap 10 To counterfeit a Seal and Writing Chap 11 To speak at a great distance Chap 12 Signs to be made with fire by night and with dust by day Chap 13 The seventeenth Book Of Burning-glasses and the wonderful sights by them REpresentations made by plain Glasses Chap 1 Sports with plain Looking-glasses Chap 2 A Looking-glass called a Theatrecal-glass Chap 3 Operations of Concave glasses Chap 4 Mixt operations of plain Concave glasses Chap 5 Other operations of a Concave-glass Chap 6 How to see in the dark Chap 7 An Image may be seen to range in the air Chap 8 Mixtures of Glasses and divers operations of Images Chap 9 Effects of a Leuticular Crystal Chap 10 Spectacles to see beyond imagination Chap 11 To see in a Chamber things that are not Chap 12 The operations of a Cristal-pillar Chap 13 Burning-glasses Chap 14 A Parabolical Section which is of Glasses the most burning Chap 15 That may burn obliquely and at very great distance Chap 16 That may burn at infinite distance Chap 17 A Burning-glass made of many spiritural Sections Chap 18 Fire kindled more forcible by refraction Chap 19 An Image to be seen by a hollow Glass Chap 20 How Spectacles are made Chap 21 Foils are laid on Concave glasses and how they are banded Chap 22 How Metal Looking-glasses are made Chap 23 The eighteenth Book Of Things heavy and light THat heavy things descend and light ascend in the same degree Chap 1 By drinking to make sport with those that sit at table Chap 2 To part wine from water it is mingled with Chap 3 Another way to part water from wine Chap 4 To part a light body from a heavy Chap 5 To mingle things heavy and light Chap 6 Other ways to part wine from water Chap 7 The â—evity of water and air different and what may be wraught thereby Chap 8 The ninteenth Book Of Wind-Instruments VVHether material Statues may speak by an Artificial way Chap 1 Musical-Instruments made with water Chap 2 Experiments of Wind-Instruments Chap 3 A Description of Water-hour-glasses Chap 4 Of a Vessel casting forth water by reason of air Chap 5 How to use the air in many Arts Chap 6 The twentieth Book Of the Chaos HOw water may be made Potable Chap 1 To make water of air Chap 2 To alter the face that ones friends shall not know him Chap 3 That stones may move alone Chap 4 An Instrument whereby to hear at great distance Chap 5 To augment weight Chap 6 The wonderful proporties of the Harp Chap 7 To discover frauds in Impostors that work by natural means and pretend conjuration Chap 8 Experiments of a Lamp Chap 9 Some mechanical Experiments Chap 10 FINIS
must be as well seen also in the nature of Metals Minerals Gems and Stones Furthermore what cunning he must have in the art of Distillation which follows and resembles the showers and dew of heaven as the daughter the mother I think no man will doubt of it for it yeelds daily very strange inventions and most witty devices and shews how to finde out many things profitable for the use of man As for example to draw out of things dewy vapours unsavoury and gross sents or spirits clots and gummy or slimy humours and that intimate essence which lurks in the inmost bowels of things to fetch it forth and sublimate it that it may be of the greater strength And this he must learn to do not after a rude and homely manner but with knowledge of the causes and reasons thereof He must also know the Mathematical Sciences and especially Astrologie for that shews how the Stars are moved in the heavens and what is the cause of the darkning of the Moon and how the Sun that golden planet measures out the parts of the world and governs it by twelve Signes for by the sundry motions and aspects of the heavens the celestial bodies are very beneficial to the earth and from thence many things receive both active and passive powers and their manifold properties the difficulty of which point long troubled the Platonicks mindes how these inferiour things should receive influence from heaven Moreover he must be skilful in the Opticks that he may know how the sight may be deceived and how the likeness of a vision that is seen in the water may be seen hanging without in the air by the help of certain Glasses of divers fashions and how to make one see that plainly which is a great way off and how to throw fire very far from us upon which sleights the greatest part of the secrecies of Magick doth depend These are the Sciences which Magick takes to her self for servants and helpers and he that knows not these is unworthy to be named a Magician He must be a skilful workman both by natural gifts and also by the practise of his own hands for knowledge without practice and workmanship and practice without knowledge are nothing worth these are so linked together that the one without the other is but vain and to no purpose Some there are so apt for these enterprises even by the gifts of Nature that God may seem to have made them hereunto Neither yet do I speak this as if Art could not perfect any thing for I know that good things may be made better and there are means to remedy and help foward that which lacks perfection First let a man consider and prepare things providently and skilfully and then let him fall to work and do nothing unadvisedly This I thought good to speak of that if at any time the ignorant be deceived herein he may not lay the fault upon us but upon his own unskilfulness for this is the infirmity of the scholar and not of the teacher for if rude and ignorant men shall deal in these matters this Science will be much discredited and those strange effects will be accounted hap-hazard which are most certain and follow their necessary cause If you would have your works appear more wonderful you must not let the cause be known for that is a wonder to us which we see to be done and yet know not the cause of it for he that knows the causes of a thing done doth not so admire the doing of it and nothing is counted unusual and rare but onely so far forth as the causes thereof are not known Aristotle in his books of Handy-trades saith that master-builders frame and make their tools to work with but the principles thereof which move admiration those they conceal A certain man put out a candle and putting it to a stone or a wall lighted it again and this seemed to be a great wonder but when once they perceived that he touched it with brimstone then saith Galen it ceased to seem a wonder A miracle saith Ephesius is dissolved by that wherein it seemed to be a miracle Lastly the professor of this Science must also be rich for if we lack money we shall hardly work in these cases for it is not Philosophy that can make us rich we must first be rich that we may play the Philosophers He must spare for no charges but be prodigal in seeking things out and while he is busie and careful in seeking he must be patient also and think it not much to recal many things neither must he spare for any pains for the secrets of Nature are not revealed to lazie and idle persons Wherefore Epicharmus said very well that men purchase all things at Gods hands by the price of their labour And if the effect of thy work be not answerable to my description thou must know that thy self hast failed in some one point or another for I have set down these things briefly as being made for wrtty and skilful workmen and not for rude and young beginners CHAP. IV. The opinions of the antient Philosophers touching the causes of strange operations and first of the Elements THose effects of Nature which oft-times we behold have so imployed the antient Philosophers minds in the searching forth of their causes that they have taken great pains and yet were much deceived therein insomuch that divers of them have held divers opinions which it shall not be amiss to relate before we proceed any farther The first sort held that all things proceed from the Elements and that these are the first beginnings of things the fire according to Hippasus Metapontinus and Heraclides Ponticus the air according to Diogenes Apolloniates and Anaximenes and the water according to Thales Milesius These therefore they held to be the very original and first seeds of Nature even the Elements simple and pure bodies whereas the Elements that now are be but counterfeits and bastards to them for they are all changed every one of them being more or less medled with one another those say they are the material principles of a natural body and they are moved and altered by continual succession of change and they are so wrapt up together within the huge cope of heaven that they fill up this whole space of the world which is situate beneath the Moon for the fire being the lightest and purest Element hath gotten up aloft and chose it self the highest room which they call the element of fire The next Element to this is the Air which is somwhat more weighty then the fire and it is spread abroad in a large and huge compass and passing through all places doth make mens bodies framable to her temperature and is gathered together sometimes thick into dark clouds sometimes thinner into mists and so is resolved The next to these is the water and then the last and lowest of all which is scraped and compacted together out of the
experiments prove false because that which we work by happily hath lost his vertue being kept too long But there are certain peculiar times to gather them in which the vulgar sort observeth not wherein the heavenly constellations bestow upon them some singular vertue proceeding from the most excellent nature and quality of the stars in which times if they be gathered they are exceedingly operative But there can be no set and just time assigned by reason of the divers situations of divers places in respect of the Sun for as the Sun-beams come neerer or further off so the earth fructifies sooner or later yet we will give some general observations Roots are to be gathered betwixt the old Moon and the new for then the moisture is fallen into the lower parts and that in the Evening for then the Sun hath driven in the moisture and by the stalk it is conveyed down into the root The time serves well to gather them when their wrinkles be filled out with moisture and they chap because they have so much juice as if they were about to break in pieces Leaves are then to be gathered as soon as they have opened themselves out of the sprigs and that in the morning about Sun-rising for then they are moister then in the evening the Suns heat having drunk up their moisture all day long Flowers are then to be gathered when they begin to seed while their juice is in them and before they wax limber Stalks are then to be gathered when the flower is withered for then especially are they profitable And seeds must be then gatherâ—d when they are so ripe that they are ready to fall There are some more peculiar observations Hot and slender herbs should be gathered when Mars and the Sun are Lords of the celestial houses moist herbs when the Moon is Lord but you must take heed that you gather them not in the falling houses thereof These things well observed in gathering plants will make them very profitable for Physical uses CHAP. XVI That the Countries and places where Simples grow are chiefly to be considered MAny are deceived in plants and metals and such like because they use them that come next hand never heeding the situation of the place where they grow But he that will work soundly must well consider both the aspect of the heavens and the proper nature and situation of the place for the place works diversly in the plants according to his own divers temperatures and sometimes causeth such an alteration in the vertues of them that many not onely young Magicians but good Physitians and Philosophers too have been deceived in searching them out Plato makes mention hereof God saith he hath furnished the places of the earth with divers vertues that they might have divers operations into plants and other things according to their kind And so Porphyry saith that the place is a principle of a generation as a father is Theophrastus would have Hemlock gathered and fetch'd from Susa because Thrasias was of opinion that there it might safely be taken and in other very cold places for whereas in Athens the juice of it is poison odious amongst the Athenians because it is given to kill men in common executions and Socrates there taking it died presently yet here it is taken without danger and beasts feed upon it The herb called Bears-foot that which grows on the Hill Oeta and Parnassus is very excellent but elsewhere of small force therefore Hippocrates when he would cure Democritus he caused it to be fetch'd from the Hills And in Achaia especially about Cabynia there is a kind of Vine as Theophrastus saith the wine whereof causeth untimely births and if the dogs eat the grapes they will bring forth abortives and yet in the taste neither the wine nor the grape differ from other wines and grapes He saith also that those Physicall drugs which grow in Euboea neer unto Aege are good but neer to Telethrium which is a shadowed and waterish place they are much worse and drier In Persia there grows a deadly tree whose apples are poison and present death therefore there it is used for a punishment but being brought over to the Kings into Egypt they become wholesome apples to eat and lose their harmfulnesse as Columella writes Dioscorides saith That the drugs which grow in steep places cold and dry and open to the winde are most forcible but they that grow in dark and waterish and calm places are lesse operative Wherefore if we find any difference in such things by reason of the places where they grow that they have not their right force we must seek them out there where the place gives them their due vertue CHAP. XVII Certain properties of Places and Fountains which are commodious for this work DIfference of places works much in the different effects of things For the place of the waters and also of the earth hath many miraculous vertues which a Magician must needs be well acquainted with for oft-times we see that some things are strangely operative onely by reason of the situation of the place the disposition of the Air and the force of the Sun as it cometh nearer or further off If one ground did not differ from another then we should have odoriferous reeds rushes grasse frankincense peper and myrth not only in Syria and Arabia but in all other Countries also Likewise many properties are derived out of Waters and Fountains which otherwise could not be made but that the waterish humor in the earth conveys his scent and such like properties into the root of that which there groweth and so nourisheth up that matter which springs out and causeth such fruit as savours of the place according to his own kind Zama is a City in Africa and Ismuc is a Town twenty miles from it and whereas all Africk besides is a great breeder of beasts especially of serpents about that Town there breed none at all nay if any be brought thither it dies and the earth of that place also killeth beasts whithersoever it is carried In the great Tarquine Lake of Italy are seen Trees some round some triangle as the wind moves them but none four-square In the Country beyond the River Po that part which is called Monsterax there is a kind of Corn called Siligo which being thrice sown makes good bread-corn Neer to Harpasum a Town of Asia there is a huge Rock which if you touch with one finger will move if with your whole body it will not move There are some places of the earth that are full of great fires as Aetna in Sicily the Hill Chimaera in Phaselis the fire whereof Ctesias writes will be kindled with water and quencht with earth And in the Country of Megalopolis and the fields about Arcia a coal falling on the earth sets it on fire So in Lycia the Hills Ephesti being touched with a Torch flame out insomuch that the stones and sands there do burn in the waters
wherein if a man make a gutter with a staff he shall see Rivers of fire run therein The like things are reported of waters For seeing they passe under the earth through veins of allum pitch brimstone and such like hence it is that they are sometimes hurtful and sometimes wholsome for the body There are also many kinds of water and they have divers properties The River Himera in Sicily is divided into two parts that which runs against Aetna is very sweet that which runneth through the salt vein is very salt In Cappadocia betwixt the Cities Mazaca and Tuava there is a Lake whereinto if you put reeds or timber they become stones by little and little and are not changed from stones again neither can any thing in that water be ever changed In Hierapolis beyond the River Maeander there is a water that becomes gravel so that they which make water-courses raise up whole banks thereof The Rivers Cephises and Melas in Boeotia if cattel drink of them as they do continually to make them conceive though the dams be white yet their young shall be russet or dun or coal-black So the sheep that drink of the River Peneus in Thessaly and Astax in Pontus are thereby made black Some kinds of waters also are deadly which from the poisonous juice of the earth become poisonous as the Well of Terracina called Neptunius which kills as many as drink of it and therefore in old times it was stopt up And the Lake Cychros in Thracia kills all that drink of it and all that wash themselves with it In Nonacris a Country of Arcady there flow very cold waters out of a stone which are called the water of Styx which break to pieces all vessels of silver and brasse and nothing can hold them but a Mules hoof wherein it was brought from Antipater into the Country where Alexander was and there his Son Jolla killed the King with it In the Country about Flascon the way to Campania in the field Cornetum there is a Lake with a Well in it wherein seem to lie the bones of Snakes Lysards and other Serpents but when you would take them out there is no such thing So there are some sharp and sowre veins of water as Lyncesto and Theano in Italy which I sought out very diligently and found it by the way to Rome a mile from Theano and it is exceeding good against the Stone There is a Well in Paphlagonia whosoever drinks of it is presently drunken In Chios is a Well that makes all that drink of it sottish and senslesse In Susa is a Well whoso drinks of it loseth his teeth The water of Nilus is so fertile that it makes the clods of earth to become living creatures In Aethiopia is a Well which is so cold at noon that you cannot drink it and so not at midnight that you cannot touch it There are many other like Wells which Ovid speaks of Ammons Well is cold all day and warm both morning and evening the waters of Athamas set wood on fire at the small of the Moon there is a Well where the Cicones inhabit that turneth into stones all that toucheth it or drinks of it Crathis and Sybaris make hair shew like Amber and Gold the water of Salmax and the Aethiopian Lakes make them mad or in a trance that drink of it he that drinks of the Well Clitorius never cares for wine after the River Lyncestius makes men drunken the Lake Pheneus in Arcady is hurtful if you drink it by night if by day it is wholesome Other properties there are also of places and fountains which he that would know may learn out of Theophrastus Timaeus Possidonius Hegesias Herodotus Aristides Meirodorus and the like who have very diligently sought out and registred the properties of places and out of them Pliny Solinus and such Writers have gathered their books CHAP. XVIII That Compounds work more forcibly and how to compound and mix those Simples which we would use in our mixtures NOw we will shew how to mix and compound many Simples together that the mixture may cause them to be more operative Proclus in his book of Sacrifice and Magick saith That the antient Priests were wont to mix many things together because they saw that divers Simples had some property of a God in them but none of them by it self sufficient to resemble him Wherfore they did attract the heavenly influences by compounding many things into one whereby it might resemble that One which is above many They made images of sundry matters and many odors compounded artificially into one so to expresse the essence of a God who hath in himself very many powers This I thought good to alleadge that we may know the Ancients were wont to use mixtures that a compound might be the more operative And I my self have often compounded a preservative against poison of Dragon-herbs the Dragon-fish Vipers and the stone Ophites being led therein by the likenesse of things The herb Dragon-wort both the greater and smaller have a stalk full of sundry-coloured specks if any man eat their root or rub his hands with their leaves the Viper cannot hurt him The Dragon-fish being cut and opened and laid to the place which he hath stung is a present remedy against his sting as Aetius writes The Viper it self if you flay her and strip off her skin cut off her head and tail cast away all her intrails boil her like an Eele and give her to one that she hath bitten to eat it will cure him or if you cut off her head being alive and lay the part next the neck while it is hot upon the place which she hath bitten it will strangely draw out the poyson Many such compound medicines made of creatures living on the earth in the water in the air together with herbs and stones you may find most wittily devised in the books of Kirannides and Harprocration But now we will shew the way and manner how to compound Simples which the Physitians also do much observe Because we would not bring forth one effect only but sometimes have use of two or three therefore we must use mixtures that they may cause sundry effects Sometime things will not work forcibly enough therefore to make the action effectual we must take unto us many helps Again sometime they work too strongly and here we must have help to abate their force Oft-times we would practice upon some certain member as the head the heart or the bladder here we must mingle some things which are directly operative upon that part and upon none else whereby it falleth out that sometimes we must meddle contraries together But to proceed When you would do any work first consider what is the chief thing which your simple or compound should effect then take the ground or foundation of your mixture that which gives the name to your compound and let there be so much of it as may proportionably work your intent for
scope to swim upon the top of the Wine for by this means shall you keep your fruit fresh and good for a long time and besides the wine wherein they float will have a very fragrant savour Likewise Apples being shut up close and then put into Cisterns will last long As Palladius sheweth You must put your apples saith he into earthen vessels well pitched and made up close and when you have so done drown those vessels in a Cistern or else in a pit Pliny putteth apples in earthen Basons and so lets them swim in wine for saith he the wine by this means will yield a more odoriferous smell Apuleius saith that Apples are to be put into a new pot and the pot to be put into a Hogs-head of wine that there it may swim and play on the top of the wine for so the Apples will be preserved by the wine and the wine will be the better for the Apples So Figs being shut up close may be drowned for their better preservation As Africanus affirmeth They take figs saith he that are not very ripe and put them into a new earthen vessel but they gather them with their tails or stalks upon them and lay them up every one in a several cell by it self and when they have so done they put the vessel into an Hogs-head of wine and so preserve their figs. I have also proved it by experience that Peaches being shut up in wooden Cisterns have been well preserved by drowning And I have proved 〈◊〉 also in other kinds of Apples that if they be shut up in a small vessel that is very well pitched on the utter side and so drowned in the bottom of a Cistern of water and kept down by some weights within the water that it may not float they may be preserved many moneths without any putrefaction By a sleight not much unlike to this Pomegranates may be preserved in a Pipe or But that is half full of water as Palladius sheweth You must hang up your Pomegranates within the But yet so that they must not touch the water and the But must be shut up close that the wind may not come in And as fruit may be thus preserved if the vessels be drowned in water or other liquor so there are some of opinion that if you hide those vessels underneath the ground you may by this means also eschew the danger of the alterations that are in the air Columella sheweth that Cervises being shut up close and so laid under ground will thereby last the longer When you have gathered your Cervises charily by hand you must put them into vessels that are well pitched and lay also pitched coverings upon them and plaister them over with morter then make certain ditches or trenches about two foot deep in some dry place within doors and in them so place your pitchers that the mouth may be downward then throw in the earth upon them and tread it in somewhat hard It is best to make many trenches that the vessels may stand asunder not above one or two in a trench for when you have use of them if you would take up any one of the vessels none of the rest must be stirred for if they be the Cervises will soon putrifie Pliny reports the like out of Cato that Cervises are put into earthen vessels well pitched the covering being plaistered over with morter and then put in certain ditches or pits about two foot deep the place being somewhat open and the vessels set with the mouth downward And Palladius writes out of those two Authors that Cervises must be gathered while they be somewhat hard and laid up even when they begin to be ripe they must be put in earthen pitchers so that the vessels be filled up to the top and covered over with morter and laid in a ditch two foot deep in a dry place where the Sun cometh and the mouths of the vessels must stand downward and the earth must be trodden in upon them The same Author writeth that Pears being shut up in vessels and so laid under the ground will last the longer You must take those pears which are hard both in skin and in skin and substance These you must lay upon an heap and when they begin to wax soft put them into an earthen vessel which is well pitched and lay a covering on it and plaister it over with morter Then the vessel must be buried in a small ditch in such a place as the sun doth daily shine upon Others as soon as the pears are gathered lay them up with their stalks upon them in pitcht vessels and close up the vessels with morter or else with pitch and then lay them abroad upon the ground covering them all over with sand Others make special choice of such pears as are very sound somewhat hard and green and these they shut up into a pitcht vessel and then cover it and set the mouth of it downward and bury it in a little ditch in such a place as the water runs round about it continually In like manner also Apples being shut up close may be hidden within the ground for their better preservation As Pliny sheweth You must dig a trench in the ground about two foot deep and lay sand in the bottom of it and there put in your apples then cover the pit first with an earthen lid and then with earth thrown upon it Some put their apples in earthen basons and then bury them Others put them into a ditch that hath sand cast into the bottom of it and cover it onely with dry earth The like device it is whereby Pomegranates are preserved in small Buts which have sand in them You must fill a small But up to the middle with sand and then take your pomegranates and put the stalk of them every one into a several cane or into the bough of an Elder-tree and let them be so placed asunder in the sand that the fruit may stand some four fingers above the sand but the vessel must be set within the ground in some open place This also may be done within doors in a ditch two foot deep Others fill up the But half full of water and hang the pomegranates within the But that they may not touch the water and shut up the But close that no air may come in Cato sheweth how Filberds may be preserved within the ground You must take them while they be new and put them into a pitcher and so lay them in the ground and they will be as fresh when you take them forth as when you put them in In like manner Palladius sheweth that Chestnuts may be preserved if you put them in new earthen vessels and bury them in some dry place within the ground He saith also that Roses being shut up may be buried in the ground for their better preservation if they be laid up in a pot and well closed and so buried in some open place But now we
carefully closed up must needs last unputrified even for a whole age nay for all eternity At Rome I saw a fish that was drenched in the water that had been distilled out of the Vine and she was preserved five and twenty years as fresh as while she was alive and at Florence I saw the like of fourty years continuance the vessel was made of glass and made up with the seal of Hermes And I make no question but that all things that are sowced in this kind of liquor will last sound and good for many ages How many sorts of things I have preserved by this one means it were too long here to rehearse CHAP. XI That fruits may be very well preserved in salt-waters NExt after wine salt-water is of special use for preserving from putrefaction for such things as have been drenched therein have lasted long very sound and good The Ancients saw that whatsoever was preserved in salt was kept thereby from putrifying wherefore that they might preserve fruits from corruption they have used to drench them in salt-waters Homer calls salt a divine thing because it hath a special vertue against putrefaction and by it bodies are preserved to all eternity Plato calls it the friend of God because no sacrifices were welcome to him without salt Plutark saith that the Antients were wont to call it a divine influence because the bodies of creatures that were seasoned with salt from above were thereby acquitted from corruption Salt binds and dries and knits together and doth priviledge bodies from putrefaction that in their own nature must needs putrifie as the Aegyptians custome manifestly sheweth who were wont to season their dead bodies with salt as Herodotus writeth But let us come to examples Beritius saith that Pomegranates are preserved in salt-salt-waters You must take sea-water or else brine and make it boil and so put your Pomegranates into it and afterward when they are thorough cold dry them and hang them up in the Sun and whensoever you would use them you must steep them in fresh-water two dayes before Columella rehearses the opinion of a certain Carthaginian touching this matter Mago would have saith he that Sea-water should be made very hot and Pomegranates being tied together with thread or broom-twigs to be drenched in it till they change their colour and then to be taken forth and dried in the Sun for three dayes and afterward to be hanged up and when you would use them you must steep them in fresh and sweet water for the space of four and twenty hours before and so they will be fit for your use Pliny also reports out of the same Author that Pomegranates are first to be hardened in hot Sea-water and then to be dried in the Sun three dayes and so to be hung up that the evening dew come not at them and when you would use them to steep them first in fresh-water Palladius writes the same out of Pliny and he sheweth also that Damosins may be preserved in salt-waters They must be fresh gathered and then drenched either in brine or else in sea-water scalding hot and then taken forth and dried either in the Sun or else in a warm Oven Columella would have them drenched in new wine sodden wine and vineger but he gives a special charge also to cast some salt amongst them lest the worm or any other hurtful vermine do grow in them Palladius likewise sheweth that Pears will last long in salt-water first the water is to be boiled and when it begins to rise in surges you must skim it and after it is cold put into it your Pears which you would preserve then after a while take them forth and put them up in a pitcher and so make up the mouth of it close and by this means they will be well preserved Others let them lie one whole day and night in cold salt-water and afterward steep them two dayes in fresh-water and then drench them in new wine or in sodden wine or in sweet wine to be preserved Others put them in a new earthen pitcher filled with new wine having a little salt in it and so cover the vessel close to preserve them Likewise Modlars may be preserved in salt-water They must be gathered when they are but half ripe with their stalks upon them and steeped in salt-water for five dayes and afterward more salt-water poured in upon them that they may swim in it Didymus sheweth also that Grapes may be preserved long in salt-water You must take some sea-water and make it hot or if you cannot come at that take some brine and put wine amongst it and therein drench your clusters of grapes and then lay them amongst Barley straw Some do boil the ashes of a Fig-tree or of a Vine in water and drench their clusters therein and then take them out to be cooled and so lay them in Barley straw The grape will last a whole year together if you gather them before they be thorough ripe and drench them in hot water that hath Allome boiled in it and then draw them forth again The Antients were wont To put salt to Wine to make it last the longer as Columella sheweth They took new wine and boiled it till the third part was wasted away then they put it into vessels there to preserve it for their use the year following they put a pinte and a half of this liquor thus boiled into nine gallons of new wine unboiled and after two dayes when these liquors are incorporated together they wax hot and begin to spurge then they cast into them half an ounce of salt beaten small and that made the wine last till the next year Theophrastus and Pliny write that The fruits of those Palm-trees which grow in salt places are fittest to be preserved as those which grow in Judaea and Cyrenian Africk because those Countries especially do afford salt and sandy grounds for salt is a great nourisher of these kinds of fruits and they are preserved long even by their own saltnesse so that the salter the places are where they grow the better will the fruit be preserved So likewise that kind of Pulse which is called Cicer is preserved by its own saltness without any other dressing for the nature thereof is to have a saltish juice within it whereby it cometh to pass that whereas all other Pulse are subject to corruption and have some vermine or other breeding in them onely this kind doth not engender any at all because of the bitter and sharp saltish juice that is in it as Theophrastus writeth Didymus likewise writeth that Beans will last long in salt-water for if they be sowced in sea-water they will continue long without any blemish Pliny also sheweth that Garlick may be preserved in salt-water for if you would have Garlick or Onions to last long you must dip the heads thereof in warm salt-water so will they be of longer continuance and of a better taste So Cucumbers are preserved in
and the water may run away through the cloth and the meal may dry the better upon the cloth In the mean time boil two pound of Rice and being boil'd mingle them with the Lupins divide the whole into two parts and mingle one with the leaven and a hundred pound of wheat-meal and make bread of it let the other be set by with the leven till the next day which being mingled again with wheat-meal will make excellent bread and will not taste of Lupins But you must use all diligence in the making of it for if you make it not of the best meal the bread will be naught wherefore the work lies in the right preparation of it For the worse Corn or Pulse you make it of the more Corn must be taken to prepare it After this manner it may be made of Tares and Vetches and the favour of them is dulcified with water and mingling meal with them Bread is made also of Peason Chiches Tarses Lentils Beans and chiefly of Acorns But it is not unprofitable to make Bread of Herbs If a man cut the Herb Clot-bur small and grind it in a mill to very fine powder and adde as much or a third part of wheat-meal to it it will make good bread that may be eaten when there is a famine and I have heard that the poor eat it in some places and it hurts them not and that some in a siege have lived a moneth with such bread CHAP. XIX How bread may be increased in weight NOw I shall shew how bread may be augmented a thing very strange and profitable not onely to help in time of need but it is good for the Housholder for with little meal he may nourish many and fill their bellies and that three wayes For there be things that added to Corn will increase the substance of the bread other things are dry and of a clammy nature that will thicken the Element by refraction into the substance of bread The last way is the life of the heat of it whereby it waxes and grows as if it were alive As much as is lost by the bran taken from it is added to it by casting water on it when it is ground and in the other workmanship Moreover the baking of bread takes away a tenth part and a half of the weight Let us see how our Ancestors did by some Earth or Chalk make their bread more weighty and white Pliny teacheth that Spelt will grow white by a kind of chalk thus Let this Spelt be of Beer-corn which he called a seed the corns of it are bruised in a wooden morter for it will be spoiled and consumed by the hardness of a stone the best as it is well known is made by those that are condemned to bray in morters for their punishment For the best there is an iron box the hulls being then beaten off again with the same instruments the marrow of it being made bare is broken so are there made three kinds of this Spelt-meal the finest the second sort and the third that is the coursest But yet they are not white which makes them excellent yet now are these preserved at Alexandria after this it is very strange chalk is mingled with them that passes both into the body and the colour of them and makes them tender You shall find this between Puteoli and Naples on the Hill called Leucogaeum And there is extant a decree of Divus Augustus wherein he commanded to pay them at Naples yearly 20000 Sestertia out of his Treasury drawing his Colony to Capua and he assigns the cause by reason that they of Campania affirmed that Spelt-meal could not be made without that stone Rice makes bread weigh It neither corrupts the taste or goodness of the bread but increaseth both and it brings it closer by one eighth part for by a continual turning it it will retaineth volatil meal and from hence you shall see it coagulate and when it is coagulated put leaven to it but it must first grow cold lest the force of the coagulation should be hindred To binde this fugitive servant fast adde so much Wheat-meal as may fasten it well together till you see there is enough and you shall find it increased to the weight desired By this example You may increase the weight of bread with Millet This is easily done for it is dry ctumbles and will not hang together and is weak let it be bruised with a wooden pestle and sifted through a sieve till the hulls be parted as we see it done at Rome and at Florence by this we hold it that it flie not away by its hungry driness then we mingle it with Wheat and the air reflects back and it will be converted into the substance of Alica that you will think nothing taken from the taste colour or goodness nor yet added to it Nor will it be unpleasant to see Bread weigh more by adding milk to it This is an experiment of great profit and praise-worthy for it adds weight and whitenesse to bread and makes it short being put in instead of water whilst it is hot I never tasted any thing more pleasant or tender I thought fit to adde this for the singular vertue of it adding also such things as we knew to be necessary for this art But truly that is admirable by the same Wheat to increase the weight of Wheat This is done without any addition for if we would we could do this with many and almost infinite things with any small addition but in this a leaven is drawn forth of the very substance of the Wheat which being strained cleansed and added to the same again either by increasing the substance of it or by retracting the air into its substance it will be much augmented giving you this warning before-hand that the augmenting heat must not be diminished but preserved and increased that all may depend on this But an admirable work of Nature and full of wonder it is how it may be that Wheat may increase out of it self I cannot discover this how it came into my mind lest it should be made publike to every common fellow and ignorant Animal Yet not to conceal it from ingenious men I shall hide it from these and open it to those That our fore-fathers knew it not is clear because there is no such thing mentioned in all their works of making bread The whole businesse consists in this that the Wheat-meal may be managed with the life of its heat which is the off-spring of celestial fire By nature it is of such renuity that being raised with its heat it will make the lump swell so much that it will come up to the top of the vessel the next day cast it into a Hutch and adde more meal to it which again being raised by its heat and coming back again by the same and meeting with the lump as flowing back again it joins into the refracted Elements and so into clotters of
the Plane-Tree Pliny For want sometimes they are forced to make Oyl for candles of the Plane-tree berries soaked in water and salt but it is very little as I proved Pliny saith the Indians make Oyl of Ches-nuts which I think very difficult for but a little will come from them as you shall find if you try He said also That Gallia Cisalpina made Oyl of Acorns of the Oak to serve for lights but we can make very little Also the Ancients used to make Oyl of Wallnuts that they pressed from the Wallnuts unsavoury and of a heavy taste for if there be any rottenness in the kernel the whole manner is spoil'd Now Gallia Cisalpina makes it for to eat and for lights also For lights by parting the naughty Nuts from the sound but the best serves for to eat at second courses These therefore are to eat and those for lights they burn cleer and there is nothing that yields more Oyl For it turns almost all to Oyl for one pound of cleansed Nuts will yield almost ten ounces of Oyl Now follows Oyl of sweet Almonds Oyl of sweet Almonds is best for food and of bitter for Physick and of old it was made with great diligence Dioscorides shews the way how half a bushel of bitter Nuts cleansed and dried are pounded in a morter with a wooden pestle into lumpâ— then a sextarius of seething water is poured on and when for half an hour the moisture is drunk in they are beaten more violently then before then is it pressed between boards and what sticks to the fingers is collected with shells The Nuts being pressed again a Hemina of water is sprinkled on them and when they have drank that up they do as before every bushel yields an Hemina With us it is commonly drawn out the same way These are the Oyls of the Antients Now we shall proceed with our Oyls Next follows Oyl of small Nuts They yield abundance of sweet sented excellent Oyl which all may use also for meats one pound of the cleansed Nuts will yield eight ounces of Oyl which former times were ignorant of Oyl of Pistaches serve for Meat and Physicks Out of Pine kirnels Oyl is made They are cull'd and the naughty ones serve for lights but the Oyl that comes from the best is for to eat and for Physick very much is extracted I saw it at Ravenna But Oyl of Beech The best of all is pressed out in abundance for meats and for lights It burns very cleer and tastes as sweet Almonds and the whole Nut almost goes into Oyl as the Wallnut doth The elder the Mast is the more Oyl it yields and the Lees of the Oyl is excellent to far Oxen and Hogs They are soon gathered cleansed bruised and pressed We pressed also Oyl from the bastard Sycomore as they call it for it is abundant in seed and in winter the boughs of it are seen loaded with seed onely In February we collected it and crumbled it the shell is broken into six or seven parts the kernels are like a Pear they are bruised and heated in a pan then put into a press and they yield their Oyl They make clear light in lamps and the seed yields a fourth part of Oyl There is drawn Oyl out of the Sanguine-Tree for lights About the middle of September the ripe berries are taken forth of the clusters let them dry a few days bruise them and let them boyl in water in a brass kettle for one hour then put them into the press you shall have green coloured Oyl about a seventh part of the seed The Mountainous people use it There is pressed Oyl out of the Grapes or Raisins The Greeks call'd these Gigarta Cisalpina Gallia makes oyl of them bruised heat and pressed in a press but it is very little fit for lights because it burns exceeding cleer There is much in Egypt Oyl of Radish-seed made they use it to season their meats and boil it with them But Cisalpina Gallia presseth Oyl out of Radish-seed and Rape-seed Rapes are pulled up onely in Novembâ—r but they are covered with sand together with their leaves They are planten in March that they may seed in May. For unless they be pulled up they freeze with winter cold But there is another kind of Rape that is sowed in July it is weeded it comes forth in the spring in May it yields seed out of a quarter of a bushel of it eighteen pounds of Oyl are drawn it is good for lights and for common people to eat If you sow a whole Acre with this seed you shall have five load of seed and of every load you may make two hundred pounds of Oyl it is onely plow'd and weeded Also Oyl is made of the seed of Cameline It is made for lights but those of Lombardy make great plenty of a golden-coloured Oyl of a seed like to this called Dradella It hath plaited leaves as wild Rochet which they sowe amongst Pulse The same may be said of the seeds of Nettles Mustard Flax Rice CHAP. XXV How a Housholder may provide himself with many sorts of Thread NOw shall I speak of many sorts of Yarn because this may much help the Household for the Houswife hath always need thereof Our Ancestors used Hemp and Flax for thus they made Yarn of Flax yet there needs no example the Thread is so common I will speak of those that follow and of other inventions Pliny Flax is known to be ripe two ways when the seed smells or looks yellow then it is pulled up and bound in handfuls and dried in the Sun letting it hang with the roots upwards for one day Then five of these bundles standing with their tops one against another that the seed may fall in the middle Then after Wheat-harvest the branches are laid in the water that is warm with the Sun they are kept down by some weight and soaked there and again as before turn'd up-side down they are dried in the Sun Then being dried they are bruised on with a flax-hammer that which was next the rind is call'd hard or the worst flax and it is fit for to make weiks for Candles yet that is kemmed with hackes till all the membrans be pilled clean The art of kembing and making of it is out of fifty pound of Flax-bundles to make fifteen pound of Flax. Then again it is polished in Thread it is often beat upon a hard stone with water and when it is woven it is bruised again with Beetles and the more you beat it the better it is Also there is made Thread of Hemp Hemp is excellent for ropes Hemp is plucked up after the Vintage but it is cleansed and pill'd with great labour There are three sorts of it that next the rind is the worst and that next the pith the middlemost is the best which is called Mesa Another To make Thread of Broom It is broken and pull'd from the Ides of May until the Ides in June
flame when it hath ceas'd smoaking take it out and break part of it to see whether it be white quite through for that is an argument of the sufficient burning because it oftentimes happens that the outside onely is burned and the rest of it remaineth crude Therefore when it hath gained the colour of chalk it must be taken out and when it is cold grinde it and lay it in water in some wide-mouth'd vessel a quarter of a day When the water is grown clear filtrate it and strain it into another vessel and then pour water again unto the settlement observing the same things we spoke before until the water have taken out all the salt which will come to pass in the third or forth time Pour your waters which you saved into a vessel of glass and all things being ready put live coles under it and attend the work until the water be consumed by the force of the fire which being done the salt will stick to the bottom it being thus made preserve it in a dry place lest it turn to oyl CHAP. II. How Flint or Crystal is to be prepared and how Pastils are boiled THe matter of which Gems are made is either Crystal or Flint from whence we strike fire or round pebbles found by river sides those are the best which are taken up by the river Thames white clear and of the bigness of an egge for of those are made best counterfeit Gemms though all will serve in some sort Some think that Crystal is the best for this purpose because of the brightness and transparency of it but they are deceived The way of making Gems is this Take riverpebbles and put them into a fornace in that place where the retorted flame is most intense when they are red hot take them out and fling them into water then dry them and powder them in a mortar or a hand-mill until they are very fine put them into a wide-mouthed vessel full of rain water and shake it well in your hands for so the finest part will rise to the top and the grossest will settle to the bottom to that which swims at top pour fresh water and stir the dust again and do this oftentimes until the gross part be quite separated and sunk down Then take out the water and let it settle and in the bottom there will lie a certain slimy matter gather together and reserve the refined powder But whil'st the stone is ground both the morter and the mill will lose somewhat of themselves which being mixt with the powder will foul the Gem wherefore it will be worth the labâ—r to wash that away to which end let water be often poured into the lavel and stirred about the dust of the morter will rise to the top by reason of its levity and the powder of the pebbles will retire to the bottom by reason of its weight skim the lavel and separate them with a spoon till all that sandy and black dust be taken off then strain out the water and reserve the powder dry These being done we must teach How Pastils are boiled Artificers call those pellets which are made of the salts and the forenamed powder and water Pastils Take five parts of salt of Tartar as many of salt of Soda double the quantity of these of the forespoken powder of pebbles and mix them very well in a stone morter sprinkle them with water wet them so that they may grow into a past and make Pastils of them in bigness of your fist set them in the sun and dry them well Then put them into a fornace of reverbaration the space of six hours encreasing the fire by degrees that at last they may become red hot but not melt wherefore use no bellows when they are baked enough let them cool and they will become so hard that they will endure almost the hammer CHAP. III. Of the Fornace and the Parts thereof NOw the Fornace is to be built which is like to that of glass-makers but less according to the proportion of the work Let your fornace be eight foot high and consist of two vaults the roof of the lower must be a handful and a half thick the vault it self must have a little door by which you may cast in wood to feed the fire there Let it also have on the top and in the middle of its roof a hole about a foot in breadth by which the flame may penetrate into the second vault and reach to the upper roof whence the flame being reverberated doth cause a vehement heat In this upper vault there must be cut out in the wall small holes of a handful in breadth which must open and shut to set the pots and pans in on the floor and to take them out again Artificers call these pots Crucibles they are made of clay which is brought from Valencia and doth very strongly endure fire They must be a finger thick and a foot and a half deep their bottom somewhat thicker lest they should break with the force of the fire All things being thus provided cast in your wood and fire and let the fornace heat by degrees so that it may be perfectly hot in a quarter of a day Your workmen must be diligent to perform their duty then let the Pastils being broken into pieces about the bigness of a wall-nut be put into crucibles and set in the holes of the fornace built for that purpose with a pair of iron tongs to every pot When they melt they will rise up in bubbles and growing greater and greater must be pricked with sharp wires that the vapor passing out the bubbles may sink down again and not run over the mouth of the crucibles Then let other pieces be put in and do as before until the pots be filled to the top and continue the fire for a whole day until the matter be concocted Then put an iron hook into the pots and try whether the matter have obtained a perfect transparency which if it have take it out of the pots with iron instruments for that purpose and cast it into clear water to wash off the filth and stains and to purge out the salt for when the Gems are made on a suddain the salt breaks forth as it were spued out and overcast them like a cloud Yet there must be a great deal of diligence used whilâ—st you draw out this vitrified matter lest it touch the sides of the fornace for it will cleave thereto like birdâ—ime hardly to be pulled off without part of the wall as also lest it fall into the vessels for it is very difficult to separate it and it prejudices the clearness of the glasâ— When it is cold put it again into the crucibles and let it glow for two days until it be concocted into perfect glass When this vitrified matter hath stood so for two days some to make it more fine and bright lest it should be specked with certain little bubbles
to which glass is very subject put into the crucible some white lead which presently groweth red then melts with the glass and becomes clear and perspicuous Make your tryal then with an iron hook for if it be clear of those bubbles it is perfected and so will be a perfect mass of Gems Now we will teach the several Colours Yellow Green or Blue wherein we will cast our Gems CHAP. IV. To make Colours WHile the Crystal is preparing in the fornace by the same fire the Colours may be also made And first How to make Crocus of Iron Take three or four pounds of the limature of Iron wash it well in a broad vessel for by putting it into water the weight of the iron will carry that to the bottom but the straws and chips and such kind of filth will swim on the top so you will have your filings clean and wash'd Then dry it well and put it into an earthen glazed pot with a large mouth and pour into it three or four gallons of the best and sharpest vinegar there let it macerate three or four weeks stirring it every day seven or eight times with an iron rod then giving it time to settle pour out the vinegar into another pot and put fresh vinegar into the iron and do this till the vinegar have consumed all the filings Then put all the vinegar into an earthen vessel and set it on the fire and let it boil quite away In the bottom there will remain a slimy durty mattter mixt with a kind of fatness of the iron which the fire by continuance will catch hold of let it burn and the remaining dust will be Crocus Others file your rusty nails and heating them red hot quench them in vinegar then strain them and dry the rust and set it again to the fire till it be red hot then quench it again with vinegar this they do three or four times at length they boil the vinegar away and take the remaining Crocus from the bottom Next remains to shew How to reduce Zaphara into Powder A litâ—le window is to be made out of the side of the fornace nigh to which must be built a little cell or oven so joyned to the mouth of the oven that the flame may be brought in through a little hole Let this cell have a little door without to admit the workmans hand upon occasion Let this cell be a foot in length and breadth Set the Saffron upon a Potters tile into the cell and shut the door let it be red hot and after six hours take it out and put it into water so will it cleave into pieces let it be dryed stamped and so finely seirced that it may scarce be felt But if it cannot be effected with a pestle and morter pour water upon the powder and stir it with your hands and let it settle for a while then strain it into another vessel and pour fresh water into the powder and reiterate this so often till that which setleth being beat and brayed do pass through with water then dry it and it will become very fine powder How to burn Copper Set the filings of Copper with an equal quantity of salt mixt in an earthen pot over the fire and turn it about three or four hours with an iron book that it may be burned on all sides There let it burn a whole natural day then take it out and divide it into two parts lay the one part aside and set the other with salt on the fire again for an artificial day do the same three or four times that it may be more perfectly calciâ—ed always having a care that it be as hot as may be but that it melt not Waen it is burnt it is black CHAP. V. How Gems are coloured ALl things being thus prepared there is nothing more I think remaineth to make an end of this work but to know how to colour them And we will begin with the way How to dye a Saphire Artificers begin with a Saphire for when it is coloured unless it be presently removed from the fire it loseth the tincture and the longer it remains in the fire the brighter it groweth Put a little Zaphara as they call it into a pot of glass two drachms to a pound of glass then stir it continually from top to bottom with an iron hook when it is very well mixed make tryal whether the colour please you or no by taking a little out of the pot If it be too faint adde some more Zaphara if too deep put in more glass and let it boil six hours Thus you may Colour Cyanus or sea-water another kind of Saphire Beat your calcined brass into very fine powder that you may scarce feel it for otherwise it will mix with the Crystal and make it courser the quantity cannot be defined for there are lighter and deeper of that kind for the most part for one pound one drachm will be sufficient How to counterfeit the colour of the Amethist To a pound of Crystal put a dram of that they call Manganess and so the colour is made If the Gem be great make it the paler if small make it deeper for they use such for rings and other uses To counterfeit the Topaze To every pound of glass adde a quarter of an ounce of crocus of Iron and three ounces of red-lead to make it of a brighter red First put in the lead then the crocus The Chrysolite When you have made a Topaze and would have a Chrysolite adde a little more Copper that it may have a little verdure for the Chrysolite differeth from the Topaze in nothing but that it hath a greater lustre So we are wont To counterfeit an Emerald This shall be the last for we must let our work be as quick as possible because the copper being heavy when it is mixed with the Crystal doth presently sink down to the bottom of the pots and so the Gems well be of too pale a colour Therefore thus you must do when you give the tincture to a Cianus you may easily turn it into Smaragde by adding crocus of iron in half the quantity of the copper or brass viz. if at first you put in a fourth part of copper Now you must adde an eighth part of crocus and as much copper After the colours are cast in let it boil six hours that the material may grow clear again for the casting in the colours will make them contract a cloudiness Afterwards let the fire decrease by degrees until the fornace be cold then take out the pots and break them wherein you shall find your counterfeit precious Stones CHAP. VI. How Gems may otherwise be made THe manner which I have set down is peculiar and usual to our Artificers and by them is also accounted a secret But I will set down another way which I had determined always to keep secret to my self for by it are made with less charge less time and less
the west-Indies is excellent against them for when I anointed their mouth and jaws with it they died in half an hour Balsame of the east is a present remedy against poyson by oyntments or the biting of a serpent saith Aetius In Arabia where it groweth there is no fear of poyson neither doth any one dye of their bitings for the fury of this deadly poyson is allayed by the feeding of the serpents upon this pretious Balsame But I have found nothing more excellent than the earth which is brought from the Isle of Malta for the least dust of it put into their mouths kills them presently I have tried the same vertue in Lithoxylon which Physitians use for the worms in children There is a stone called Chelonites the French name it Crapodina which they report to be found in the head of a great old Toad and if it can be gotten from him while he is alive it is soveraign against poyson they say it is taken from living Toads in a red cloth in which colour they are much delighted for whilst they sport and open themselves upon the scarlet the stone droppeth out of their head and falleth through a hole made in the middle into a box set under for the purpose else they will suck it up again But I never met with a faithful person who said that he found it nor could I ever find one though I have cut up many Nevertheless I will affirm this for truth that those stones which are pretended to be taken out of Toads are minerals for I remember at Rome I saw a broken piece of stone which was compacted of many of those stones some bigger some less which stuck on the back of it like limps on a rock But the vertue is certain if any swallow it down with poyson it will preserve him from the malignity of it for it runneth about with the poyson and assawageth the power of it that it becometh vain and of no force A most perfect oyl against poyson often tryed in repressing the violence of it Take three pound of old oyl put into it two handfulls of the flower of St Johns wort and let them macerate in it for two months in the sun Then strain out the flowers and put into the oyl two ounces of the flowers of the same herb and set it to boil in Balneo Mariae a quarter of a day Stop the bottle close that it may have no vent and set it a sunning for fifteen days In the moneth of July take three ounces of the seed stamp it gently and steep it in two glasses of the best white-wine with gentian tormentil white dittany zedoary and carline gathered in August red sanders long aristolochie of each two drams Let all these mecerate in the wine for three days then take them out and put them in the oyl and boil them gently in Balneo for six hours then strain them in a press Adde to the expression an ounce of saffron myrrhe aloes spikenard and rubarb all bruised and let them boil in it for a day in B. M. at last treacle and mithridate of each two ounces and let them also boil in it six hours as before then set it forty days in the sun It must be used thus In the plague-time or upon suspition of poyson anoint the stomach and wrists and the place about the heart and drink three drops of it in wine It will work wonders CHAP. X. Antidotes and preservatives against the Plague I Have spoken of poysons now I will of the plague being of the same nature and cured almost by the same Medicines I will set down onely them which in our time have been experimented by the Neapolitanes Sicilians and Venetians whilst the plague was spread amongst them to resist the contagion of that epidemical plague and preserve their bodies from infection A confection of Gillyflowers against the plague of wonderful operation Gather some clove-gilliflowers in the moneth of May of a red and lively colour because they are of the greater vertue pull them out of their husks and clip off the green â—nd then beat them in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle until they become so fine as they may hardly be felt In the mean while take three pound of sugar for one of the flowers melt it in a brass skillet and boil it with a little orange-flower water that may quickly be consumed When it is boiled sufficiently put in some whites of egges beaten enough to froth and clarifie it still stirring it and skimming off the froth with a spoon until all the dregs be taken out Then put in the due weight of flowers and stir it with a wooden slice till iâ— turn red when it is almost boiled adde thereunto two drachms of cloves beaten with a little musk the mixture of which will both add excite a sweet sent and plâ—asantness in the flowers Then put it into earthen pots and set it up if you add a little juyce of lemon it will make it of a more lively blood-colour We may also make Lozenges and round Cakes of it by pouring it on a cold marble If any would do iâ— after the best manner they must extract the colour of the flowers and boil their sugar in that infusion for so it will smell sweeter Some never bruise the flowers but cut them very small with sizers and candy them with sugar but they are not very pleasant to eat This confection is most grateful to the taste and by reason of the sent of the cloves very pleasant The vertues of it are these as I have found by experience it iâ— good for all diseases of the heart as fainting and trembling thereof for the megrum and poyson and the bitings of venimous creatures and especially against the infection of the plague There may be made a vinegar or infusion of it which being rub'd about the nostrils is good against contagious air and night-dews and all effects of melancholy Against the Plague Gather Ivy-berries in May and wilde Poppies before the sun rise lest they open In April gather goats rue dry them in the shade and make them into powder One drachm of it being drank in wine is excellent against infectious diseases The Bezoar stone brought from the west-Indies being hung about the neck nigh to the heart or four grains of it in powder being taken in wine is good against the plague and the infection of all pestilential feavors as I can testifie And taketh away soundings and exhilarateth the heart The water or oyl extracted from the seeds of Citron is a very strong Antidote against the plague Apparitius Hispanus his oyl is also approved against the same CHAP. XI Remedies for wounds and blows THere are some remedies for wounds and blows which shall not be omitted for I have found some of them to be of wonderful vertue The oyl of Hispanus for wounds and other things Take two pound of new wax four ounces of wax as many of linseed
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
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
the spots be gone See Another Take two ounces of Turpentine-Rosin Ceruss as much mingle them with the white of an Egg and stirring them well besmeer Linen-cloths with them And when you go to bed let them stick to the spots in the morning wash the place and do the same again till all the spots be gone If you please here is Another The distilled water of Pimpernel mingled with Camphire and laid to the Face will make women that desire to be beautiful have a cleer Skin very sightly to behold and will take off the spots Distil the Mulberry-Leaves let the water stand ten dayes in the Sun add to this Mercury sublimate Verdigrease artificial Chrysocolla called Borax and a good quantity of the Powder of Sea-Cockle-shells finely beaten Set it so many dayes in the Sun and then use it If you will rub off the wan colour of your cheeks do thus especially for women when they are in their courses Anoynt the place with Ceruss and Bean-flower mingled with Vinegar or yelks of Eggs mingled with Honey The same may be done with Bean-meal and Feny-Greek smeered on with Honey But we wipe away Black and blew marks thus If you wash the black and blew places with the juice of the Leaves and Roots of Thapsia made into Cakes in the Sun but one night they will be taken away Nero Caesar made his Face white from the strokes he had received in his Night-walks with Wax and Frankincense and the next day his Face was clear against all reports Or Oyl pressed from the Seeds of Flowers when it is thick will do it rarely Or the Root mingled with equal quantities of Frankincense and Wax but let it â—ay on but two hours at most then foment the place with Sea-water hot Also Wal-nuts bruised or smeered on will take away black and blew spots Vinegar or Honey anoynted will take away the same So doth Garlick rubbed on and brings black and blew to the right colour Or the Ashes of it burnt smeered on with Honey The juice of Mustard-Seed anoynted on but one night is good for the same or it is anoynted on with Honey or Suet or a Cerate If a Briony-root be made hollow and Oyl put into it and it be boyled in hot Embers if that be anoynted on it will blot out black and blew spots Marks that are noted upon Children by Women great with-child when they long exceedingly are taken away thus Let her first eat of that Flesh or Fruit her belly full then let her binde on that Flesh alive or the green Fruit to the part till it die or corrupt and they will be gone Or else let her wash the place with Aqua Fortis or Regia and the Skin grows very black so it will take the marks away Do it again For spots and beauty I will not omit Aelian's Experiment of a Lion which is a kinde of Locust For in some Membranes where the Testes are bound together under which there are some soft Carbuncles and tender that are called the Lions fat This will help people to make ill Faces look comely mingled with Oyl of Roses and made into an Oyntment it will make the Face look fair and shining CHAP. XXI How we may take off red Pimples BEcause red Pimples use to deform the Face and specially the whitest therefore to take them off use these Remedies I often to take off Pimples used Oyl of Paper namely extracting it from burnt Paper I shall shew the way elsewhere because I will not disturb the Order where I shall speak of the Extraction of Oyls and Waters Wherefore anoynting that on the red spots will soon blot them out For the same Rear Eggs are good twenty of them boyled hard cut in the middle and the yelks taken forth fill up the hollow places in the whites with Oyl of sweet Almonds and Turpentine-Rosin extract the Liquor in a Glass Vessel use it Another Beat two Eggs well together add as much juice of Lemmons and as much Mercury sublimate set it in the Sun and use it Another to polish the Face Take Sow-bread-Roots three parts cleansed Barley six parts Tartar calcined one part Roots of wilde Cucumers powdered two parts Wheat-Bran two handfuls let them all boyl in Water till a third part be consumed then wash your Face with it CHAP. XXII How Tetters may be taken from the Face or any other part of the Body RIng-worms will so deform the Face that nothing can do it more sometimes they run upon other parts of the Body as the Arm-pits and Thighs there drops forth of them a stinking water that will foul the cloths I found these Remedies Against Tetters Distil water from the Roots of Sowredock and add to every pound of these of Pompions and Salt-Peter half an ounce Tartar of white-Wine two ounces let them soak for some days then distil them and wash your Face in the morning therewith and at night smeer it with Oyl of Tartar and of Almonds mingled Oyl of Eggs is good also to anoynt them with Yet sometimes these Tetters are so fierce that no Remedies can cure them I shall set down Another that I have used with admirable success when they were inveterate In a Glass of sharp red-Wine boyl a drachm of Mercury sublimate then wash the place with it morning and evening let it dry of it self Do this three or four times and the Tetters will away and never come again Another Take Salt-Peter three ounces Oyl of bitter Almonds two pound of Squils half a pound one Lemmon without the Pills mingle them and let them ferment three days then with Chymical Instruments extract the Oyl and anoynt your Tetters therewith and they will be gone though they seem to turn to a Leprosie CHAP. XXIII How Warts may be taken away WArts use to possess the Fore-head Nose Hands and other open places so doth hard Flesh and other foulness of the skin women cannot endure them I found out Remedies against these deformities of the skin Against Warts The Ancients used the greater Spurge whose juice anoynted on with Salt takes them away and therefore they called it Warts-Herb There is also a kinde of Succory called Verrucaria from the effect for if one eat it but once in Sallets all the Warts will be gone from any part of the Body or if you swallow one drachm of the Seeds Another This one and so no more There is a kinde of Beetle that is Oyly in Summer you shall finde it in Dust and Sand in the way if you rub that on the Warts they will be presently gone and not be seen You may finde these and keep them for your use CHAP. XXIV To take away wrinkles from the Body MAny parts of the Body use to be wrinckled as the Hands Face Belly after Child-bearing and the like To contract the Skin therefore do thus For a wrinckled Forehead the Dregs of Linseed-Oyl is good or Lees of Oyl of Olives putting unto it a little Gum-Arabick
untwine themselves again put one of these into the mouth of each Glass to binder the Herbs from falling out when the Glasses are turned downwards Then thurst the necks through the holes of the Form into the Receivers which are placed underneath and admit them into their bellies fasten them together with linen bands that there may be noâ—vent and place the Receivers in dishes of water that the vapor may the sooner be condensed All things being thus provided expose them to most violent heat of Sun-beams they will presently dissolve them into vapors and slide down into the Receivers In the evening after Sun-set remove them and fill them with fresh Herbs The Herb Polygonum or Sparrows-tongue bruised and thus distilled is excellent for the inflammation of the eyes and other diseases Out of S. Johns-wort is drawn a water good against cramps if you wash the part affected with it and others also there are too long to rehearse The manner of Distilling this Figure expresseth CHAP. V. How to draw Oyl by Expression VVE have treated of Waters now we will speak of Oyls and next of Essences These require the industry of a most ingenious Artificer for many the most excellent Essences of things do remain in the Oyl as in the radical moysture so close that without the greatest Art wit cunning and pains they cannot be brought to light so that the whole Art of Distillation dependeth on this The cheifest means is by Expression which though it be different from the Art of Distillation yet because it is very necessary to it it will not be unnecessary to mention here The general way of it is this Take the Seeds out of which you would draw Oyl blanch them and strip them of their upper Coats either by rubbing them with your hands or picking them off with your nails When they are cleansed cast them into a Marble-Morter and beat them with a wodden Pestle then sprinkle them with Wine and change them into a Leaden-Morter set them on the fire and stir them with a wooden-Spoon When they begin to yield forth a little Oyliness take them from the fire and prepare in readiness two plates of Iron of a fingers thickness and a foot-square let them be smooth and plain on one side and heated so that you can scarce lay your finger on them or if you had rather that they may hiss a little when water is cast upon them wrap the Almonds in a linen-cloth being wetted squeeze them between these plates in a press save the Expression and then sprinkle more Wine on the pressed Almonds or Seeds allow them some time to inbibe it then set them on the fire stir them and squeeze them again as before until all their Oyl be drawn out Others put the Seeds when they are bruised and warmed into a bag that will not let the Oyl strain thorow and by twining two sticks about press them very hard and close then they draw the Oyl out of them when they are a little settled To draw Oyl out of Nutmegs Beat the Nutmegs very carefully in a Morter put them into a Skillet and warm them and then press out the Oyl which will presently congeal Wherefore to make it fluide and apter to penetrate distil it five or six times in a Retort and it will be as you desire or else cast some burning Sand into it and mix it and make it into Rolls which being put into the neck of a Retort and a fire kindled will the first time remain liquid To extract Oyl out of Citron-seed we must use the same means Blanch and cleanse them an Oyl of a Gold-colour will flow out they yield a fourth part and it is powerful Antidote against Poyson and Witchcraft and it is the best Menstruum to extract the sent out of Musk Civet and Amber and to make sweet Oyntments of because it not quickly grow rank Oyl of Poppy-Seed is extracted the same way and yields a third part of a Golden-colour and useful in dormitive Medicines Also thus is made Oyl of Coloquintida-Seeds The fairest yield a sixth part of a Golden-colour it killeth Worms and expelleth them from Children being rubbed on the mouth of their Stomach Also Oyl of Nattle-Seed An ounce and a half may be extracted out of a pound and a half of Seeds being picked and blanched it is very good to dye womens Hair of a Gold-colour Oyl of Eggs is made by another Art Take fifty or sixty Eggs boyl them till they be hard then peal them and take out the yelk and set them over warm Coals in a tinned Posnet till all their moysture be consumod still stirring them with a wooden-spattle then encrease the fire but stir them uncessantly lest they burn You will see the Oyl swet out when it is all come forth take away the fire and skim off the Oyl Or when the Oyl beginneth to swet out as I said put the Eggs into a press and squeeze then very hard they will yield more Oyl but not so good CHAP. VI. How to extract Oyl with Water NOw I will declare how to extract Oyl without Expression and first out of Spices Seeds Leaves Sticks or any thing else Oyl being to be drawn out onely by the violence of fire and very unapt to ascend because it is dense considering also That Aromatick Seeds are very subtile and delicate so that if they be used too roughly in the fire they will stink of smoak and burning therefore that they may endure a stronger fire and be secure from burning we must take the assistance of water Those kinde of Seeds as I said are endued with an Airy thin volatile Essence and by the propriety of their Nature elevated on high so that in Distillation they are easily carried upward accompanied with water and being condensed in the Cap of the Stillatory the oyly and the waterish vapours run down together into the Receiver Chuse your Seeds of a full ripeness neither too new not too old but of a mature age beat them and macerate them in four times their weight of water or so that the water may arise the breadth of four fingers above them then put them into a Brass-pot that they may endure the greater fire and kindle your Coals unto a vehement heat that the Water and Oyl may promiscuously ascend and flow down separate the Oyl from the Water as you may easily do As for example How to draw Oyl out of Cinnamon If you first distil Fountain-water twice or thrice you may extract a greater quantity of Oyl with it for being made more subtile and apt to penetrate it pierceth the Cinnamon and draweth the Oyl more forcibly out of its Retirements Therefore take CXXXV pound of Fountain-water distil it in a Glass-Alembick when forty pound is drawn distil that until fifteen flow out then cast away the rest and draw five out of those fiftteen This being done macerate one pound of Cinnamon in five of Water and distil them in a
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
Honey a Chrystal Liquor which you must strain out and stop the Pipkin again and bury it as before About a week after view it again and strain out the over-flowing water so the third and fourth time until all the Honey be converted into water which you may see by uncovering the Pipkin distil the Water according to Art and it will yield Water and Oyl easily enough Oyl of Camphire Beat Champhire very small and put it into common Aqua Fortis made of Salt-Peter and Coppress distilled and clarified set the Pot in a Bath or Stove for half a day and you will see a cleer bright Oyl swim on the top of the Water incline the Pot gently and pour it off and clarifie it in a Retort so shall you have a beautiful thin and sweet Oyl Oyl of Paper and Rags Rowl up your Paper like a Pyramide as Grocers do when they lap up any thing to lay by or send abroad clip the edges even and taking hold of the top of it with a pair of Pincers set it on fire with a Candle and while it flameth hold it downward over a broad dish half a finger distant from the bottom so that the smoak may hardly flie out and still as the fire consumes the Paper let your hand sink that may always keep the same distance from the Dish When it is quite burnt you will findâ— a yellow Oyl stinking of burning upon the bottom of the dish Gather it up and reserve it it is excellent to drive away freckles and pimples in womens faces being applied Almost in the same manner Oyl of Wheat Lay your Wheat plain upon a Marble-Morter being turned with the bottom upwards and cover it with a plate of Iron almost red hot and press it hard out of the sides there will be expressed an Oyl of a yellow colour and stinking of burning which is good for the same purposes that which is good to refresh decayed Spirits is prepared another way CHAP. XII How to extract Oyl by Descent THe way is common and vulgar to all for it is done by Ustulation but the Oyls are of a most offensive savor and can be used only in outward Medicines for they are not to be taken inwardly Prepare a Pipkin made of tough Clay and able to endure fire well vernished within that there may be no suspicion of running out let the bottom be full of holes set upon another earthen Pipkin whose mouth is large enough to receive the bottom of the upper Pipkin lute them close together Fill the Pipkin with slices of your VVood cover it and lute it Then dig a hole and set the Pipkins into it and fling in the Earth about it and tread it down close and throw Sand over it two inches thick make a gentle fire just over the Pipkin which you must encrease by degrees until the Pipkin have stood there a whole day After this remove the fire and when the heat is spent dig up the Pipkins and you will finde the Oyl strained down into the lower which you must distil again in a Retort to purifie it from filth To add something to the former invention I always do thus I make a Tressel with Legs of two foot in length There must a hole be bored in the Plank of it to receive the neck of the Limbeck Upon the Tressel fasten an Iron-plate to keep the VVod from burning Underneath about the middle of the Feet fasten a Board upon which the Receiver may stand and meet with the neck of the inversed Vessel which being filled with the materials to be stilled kindle a fire about it Therefore if you would extract Oyl out of Lignum Guaiacum fill it with the Dust of Lignum Guaiacum and lute it close with Straw-Mortar twice or thrice double when it is dried in the Sun put into the neck wire Strings and thrust it through the hole of the Tresse into the mouth of the Receiver and mortar them together Then kindle the fire on the Plate about the body of the Limbeck at some distance at first and by degrees nigher and hotter but let it not be red hot until you think it be all burned then remove the fire and let it rest a while until it be cold and you shall finde in the lower Vessel a black stinking burnt Oyl In this manner is Oyl drawn out of Juniper Cypress and Lignum Aloes but in this last you must use more Art and diligence and a gentle fire because it is mixed in Oyntments CHAP. XIII Of the Extraction of Essences VVE have delivered the several kindes of Extraction of Oyls now we are come to Quintessences the Extraction of which we will here declare The Paracelsians define a Quintessence to be the Form or Spirit or Vertue or Life separated from the dross and elementary impurities of the Body I call it the Life because it cannot be extracted out of the Bones Flesh Marrow Blood and other Members for wanting Life they want also the Quintessence I say Separated from elementary impurities because when the Quintessence is extracted there remaineth only a mass of Elements void of all power for the Power Vertue and Medicinable qualities are not the Elements but in their Essences which yet are Elements and contain the vertue of the Elements in them in the highest degree for being separated from the grosness of their bodies they become spiritual and put forth their power more effectually and strongly when they are freed from them then they could while they were clogged with the Elements They are small in bulk but great in operation The strength of Quintessences is not to be judged by the degrees of their qualities but of their operation for those which soonest and clearliest root out a disease are reckoned in the first degree So the essence of Juniper is reckoned the first degree of operation because it cureth the Leprosie by purging the Blood onely The essence of Ambar in the second because it expelleth poyson by purging the Heart Lungs and Members Antimony in the third because beside the former vertues it also purgeth the Body But Gold of it self alone hath all those vertues and reneweth the Body Wherefore the fourth degree and greatest power is attributed to it Bet how to extract these Essences is a very difficult work for they may be either Oyl or Salt or Water or of Extraction some by Sublimation others by Calcination others by Vinegar Wine Corrosive Waters and such like So that several kinde of menstruums are to be provided according to the nature and temper of things I will set down some Rules for the chusing of proper menstruums Let the menstrum be made of those things which are most agreeable to the things to be extracted and as simple as may but for Essences ought not to be compounded mixed or polluted with any thing be pure simple and immaculate But if there be a necessity of adding some thing let them be separated after extraction If the Essence
of any Metal be to be extracted by Corrosives separate the Salt from the Waters after the work is done and use those Salts only which will easily be taken out again Vitriol and Allom are very difficult to be separated by reason of their earthy substance Moreover use not a watry menstruum for a watry Essence nor an oyly menstruum for an oyly Essence because being of like natures they are not easily separated but watry Menstruums for oyly Essences and so on the contrary I will set before you some examples in Herb fat of Flesh and other things by which you may learn of your self how to perform it in the rest There are an infinite number of Essences and almost many ways of Extraction of them some I shall shew unto you whereof the first shall be How to extract the Essence out of Civet Musk Ambar and other Spices Take Oyl of Ben or of Almonds mix Musk Ambar Cinnamon and Zedoary well beaten in it put it in a Glass-bottle and set it in the Sun or in Balneo ten dayes then strain from it the Dregs and the Essence will be imbibed into the Oyl from which you may separate it in this manner Take Aqua Vitae and if it be an odoriferous Body fountain-Fountain-water three or four times distilled mix with the aforesaid Oyl and stir it about and so let it digest for six dayes then distil it over Cinders the hot Water and the Essence will ascend and the Oyl remain in the bottom without any sent Afterwards distil the Aqua Vitae and the Essence in Balneo until the VVater be evaporated and the Essence settle to the bottom in the form of an Oyl If you will do it with Aqua Vitae alone slice the Roots of Zedoary beat them and infuse them in so much Aqua Vitae as will cover them three fingers over in a Glass Bottle let them ferment for ten dayes according to Art then distil them over Cinders or in Sand until nothing but VVater run out yet have a care of burning it Take the distilled Liquor set it in Balneo and with a gentle fire let the Aqua Vitae evaporate and the Quintessence of Zedoaay will settle in the bottom in a liquid form Next To extract Essence out of Flesh. Out of three Capons I have oftentimes extracted an Essence in a small quantity but of great strength and nutriment wherewith I have recovered life and strength to sick persons whose Stomacks were quite decayed and they almost dead for want of nourishment having not been able to eat any things in three dayes Take Chickens or Hens or Capons pluck them and draw their Guts out beat them very well and let them boyl a whole day in a Glass-Vessel close stopt over warm Embers until the bones and flesh and all the substance be dissolved into Liquor then strain it into another Vessel through a Linen-cloth and fling away the Dregs for the remaining Bones are so herest of Flesh sent or any other quality that a Dog will not so much as smell to them which is an assured Argument that their goodness is boyled out Pour the strained Liquor into a Glass-bottle and dissolve it into vapor in a gentle Bath the Essence will remain in the bottom either hard or soft like an Oyntment as you please of a most admirable vertue and never sufficiently to be commended To extract Essences out of Salts Take Salt and calcine it according to Art if it be volatile burn it and grinde it very small lay the Powder upon a Marble in a moyst Cellar and set a Pan under it to receive it as it dissolveth let it ferment in that pan for a month then set it in Balneo and with a gentle fire let it distil cast away the sweet Water that comes from it and set that which remains in the bottom to ferment another month then distil out the sweet Water as before and do this while any sweet VVater will run from it keep it over the fire until the moysture be all consumed and then what remains settled in the bottom is the Quintessence of Salt which will scarcely arise to two ounces out of a pound To extract Essences out of Herbs Beat the Herbs and set them to ferment in dung for a month in a convenient Glass-Bottle then distil them in Balneo Again set them in dung for a week and distil them in Balneo again and thus macerate them so long as they will yield any Liquor then pour the distilled Water upon the Herbs again and distil them in this Circulation for six dayes which will make it of a more lively colour draw of the VVater by Balneum and the Essence must then be expressed out in a press ferment it in dung for five days and it will yield you the sent colour and vertues of the Herbs in perfection A way to extract The Essence of Aqua Vitae It is a thing bragged of by thousands but not effected by any I will not omit the description of it which I have found out together with a Friend of mine very knowing in Experiments by the assistance of Lulius Provide some rich generous old VVine bury it in dung for two months in large Bottles close stopt and luted that they may not have the least vent The whole business dependeth on this for if this be not carefully look to you will lose both your cost and your labour the month being past distil it in an ordinary Stillatory reserve the Spirits by themselves The Dregs and Faeces of the Wine must be buried again and the Spirits be distilled out as before and reserved by themselves Distil the Faeces until they settle like Honey or Pitch then pour on the phlegm upon them wash them and lay them to dry then put them into a Porters or Glass-makers Furnace and with a vehement fire burn them into white Ashes wet them with a little VVater and set them in the mouth of the Furnace that they may be converted into Salt There is no better mark to know the perfection of your work then by casting some of it on a red hot Plate of Iron if it melt and evaporate it is well done otherwise you must rectifie it Mix the Salt with water and put it into a Glass bottle with a long neck stop it with Cork and Parchment then set on the Head and kindle the fire the force of which will carry it up thorow all the stoppage into the Head and there it sticks to the sides like durt the VVater will remain quiet in the bottom in which you must again mingle the Salt and so by a continual Circulation draw it out of it self until it be divested of all its Grosness and obtain a more thin and subtile Essence CHAP. XIV What Magisteries are and the Extraction of them I Said That Quintessences do participate of the Nature of mixt Bodies on the contrary a Magistery taketh the temper of the Elements so that it neither extracteth the
tempered body and free from corruption in which there is nothing deficient nor superfluous so compact and close that it will not onely endure the fire without consumption but will become more bright and refined by it It will also lie under Ground thousands of yeers without contracting any rust neither will it foul the hands like other Metals or hath any ill sent or raste in it Wherefore say they being taken into our Bodies it must needs reduce the Elements and humors into a right temper allay the excessive and supply the defective take away all putrefaction refresh the natural heat purge the blood and encrease it and not onely cure all sicknesses but make us healthy long-lived and almost immortal Rainoldus Raimundus and other Physitians of the best esteem do attriâ—ute to Gold a power to corroborate and strengthen the Heart to dry up superfluities and ill humors to exhilarate and enliven the Spirits with its Splendor and Beauty to strengthen them with its Solidiry temper them with its Equality and preserve them from all diseases and expel Excrements by its Weight by which it confirmeth Youth resâ—oreth Strength retardeth old Age corroborateth the principal Parts openeth the Urinary Vessels and all other passages being stopt cureth the Falling-sickness Madness and Leprosie for which cause Osiander the Divine wore a Chain of Gold about his neck and also Melancholy and is most excellent against Poyson and Infections of the Plague We will now examine whether the old or new Physitians knew the way to prepare it aright to perform these admirable Effects Nicander doth mightily cry up for an Antidote against Poyson Fountain-water in which Gold hath been quenched supposing that it imparteth some of its Vertue to the Water in the extinction Dioscorides Paulus Aegineta and Aëtius affirm the same Avicenna saith That the filings of it helpeth Melancholy and is used also in Medicines for the shedding of the Hair in liquid Medicines or reduced into very fine Powder it is used in Collyriums or Medicines for the Eyes for the pain and trembling of the Heart and other passions of the Minde Pliny useth it burnt in an earthen Pipkin with a treble quantity of Salt whereby it will communicate its Vertue but remain entire and untouched it self He also makes a Decoction of it with Honey Marsilius Ficinus saith It is of a solid substance and therefore must be attenuated that it may penetrate the Body But he is ignorant of the way of it onely he adviseth to give it in cordial-Cordial-waters being beaten out into thin Leaves for so the Water will suck out the Vertue of it or else by extinguishing it in Wine There are some of Pliny's Scholars who would have the parts of a Hen laid in melted Gold until it consume it self for the parts of a Hen are Poyson to Gold Wherefore Ficinus mixeth Leaf-Gold in Capon-broath Thus far the Grecians Latines and Arabians have discoursed concerning the Extraction of the Tincture of Gold but they have erred far from the Truth for what a vanity is it to imagine that quenching it in Water can extract the Vertue of it or that the heat of Man's Body though it be liquified and be made potable can draw any thing from it when the force of the most vehement fire is ineffectual and cannot work upon it I have made trial of it in a most violent fire for the space of three months and at last I found it nothing abared in weight but much meliorated in colour and goodness so that the fire which consumeth other things doth make this more perfect How then can it be concocted by the heat of Man's Body which is scarce able to concoct Bread And how can it impart its Vertue by Extinction when neither Aqua Vitae nor any strong Waters can alter the colour or taste of it I will set down what I have seen The later learned Men and curious Inquirers into Nature affirm That the Magistery Secret and Quintessence of Gold consisteth in the Tincture so that the Vertue Power Life and Efficacy of it resideth in the Colour Wherefore it will be no small Secret to know how to extract the Tincture no small labor and pains for those who pretend to speak of it do it so intricately and obscurely that they rather seem to obscure it or not to understand it then to discover or teach it Know therefore that the Tincture cannot be extracted but by perfectly dissolving it in Strong Waters and that it cannot be dissolved as the work requireth in common Aqua Fortis or Royal Waters because the corrosive Salts in them are not perfectly and absolutely dissolved into Water Wherefore you must learn by continual solution and immistion so to distil them that the whole substance of the Salt may be melted which must be done by reiterating the Operation I have informed you what Salts are easie to be separated the which must onely be used in this Work After perfect solution cast in that Menstruum or Water which I have often mentioned for the Extraction of Essences or Colors I have with great joy beheld it attract to it self the Golden Yellow or Red-colour and a white dust settle down to the bottom We must then separate the Salt from the Menstruum dissolve it and let the liquor evaporate away and there will remain true potable Gold the right Tincture and that great Arcanum of Philosophers disguised with so many Riddles so thin that it will easily penetrate the Body and perform those wonders which Antiquity could only promise Tincture of Roses Cut Red Rose-Leaves with a pair of Shears into small pieces lay them in Aqua Vitae and they will presently dye it with a sanguine color After three hours change those Leaves and put in fresh ones until the water become very much coloured then strain it out and let the Liquor evaporate quite away and in the bottom will remain the Tincture of Roses The same may be done with Clove-Gilliflowers We may also do it another more perfect way without Aqua Vitae Fill a wide-mouthed Glass with Red-Rose Leaves set iâ— into a Leaden-Limbeck and fill it with other Roses then set on the Head and kindle the fire whereupon the vapours will arise and fall into the Glass of a sanguine-colour This is a new way of extracting Tinctures which may be used in any coloured Flowers So the Tinctures of Marigolds Violets Bugloss and Succory-Flowers If you extract them the former way the Tincture of Marygolds will be yellow of Bugloss Violets and Succory-Flowers Red because the colours of those Flowers is but thin and superficiary so that it expireth with a little heat and is red underneath Tincture of Orange-Flowers of an excellent sent Cut the Orange-Flowers into small pieces macerate them in Aqua Vitae and when the Water is turned yellow and Flowers have lost their sent change them and put in fresh until the Water become very sweet and well-coloured and somewhat thick then strain it and
let it evaporate it will leave behinde it a Tincture enriched with the sent and vertues of the Flowers Tincture of Coral Beat the Coral to Powder and with a vehement fire turn it into Salt add an equal quantity of Salt-Peter to it then extract the Salt with Aqua Vitae and it will bring out with it the Tincture of a wonderful vertue CHAP. XVI How to extract Salts SAlts do retain the greatest part of the Vertue of those things from whence they are extracted and therefore are used to season the sick persons meat and otherways because they have a penetrative quality It was a great Question among the Ancients Whether Salts retained the vertue of the things or whether they lost some in the fire and acquired others but it is row manifested by a thousand Experiments that the vertues do not onely remain in them but are made quicker and more efficacious Salt of Lemmons Distill the Lemmons with their Peels and Juice reserve the Water and dry the rest in the Sun if the season permit it or in an Oven Put them in a Pot close luted and calcine it in igne reverberationis Then dissolve the Powder in the Water and boyl them in a perfect Lye cleanse it with a Feather that the Dregs may settle to the bottom purifie it and let the Liquor evaporate so the Salt will remain in the bottom which is most excellent to break the Stone in the Bladder Salt of Pellitory of Spain Dry the Roots and burn it in a close luted pot for three dayes until it be reduced into white Ashes pour on its own Menstruum distil it and calcine iâ— again so the third time then cleanse it with a Feather boyl it in an earthen vernished Pipkin with the white of an Egg to clarifie the Salt at length a white grained Salt will appear Salt of Cumine Put the Roots Leave and Flowers in a close luted Vessel and dry them and put them into a Potters Furnace till they be burned to Ashes In the mean while distil the Roots Leaves and Flowers or if you please make a decoction of them and of that decoction a sharp Lye which being strained very clean through a Linen-cloth three or four times must be boyled to a Salt in a Glass-Vessel If you desire it very fine and white strow the Salt upon a Marble and set it in a moist place with a pan underneath to receive it as it dissolveth cleanse the filth still away and do this three times until it become of a Chrystal colour so reserve In this manner Sal Alchali is made Of Saxifrage It is made like the former if you season your meat with it it protecteth from all danger of poysoned bread or meat conserveth from the contagion of pestilential and infections Air. The same may be extracted out of other Alexiphatmacal Bodies which Princes may use at meals instead of ordinary Salt for they scarce differ in taste A Salt may be made of Thapsia very good to remove the Stone in the Bladder or Kidneys and to dissolve the Tartar or viscous Concrescency to kill the Worms and purge the Blood to provoke sweat by being often taken and is admirable in Venereal Diseases The Salt of Pimpernel being taken three days and the third month for a mans whole life-time secureth him from the Dropsie Pâ—hisick and Apoplexy It also preserveth from infection and pestiferous Air and helpeth digestion in a weak Stomack But it is to be observed That these Salts must not be eaten every day left they become too familiar to the Stomack and be taken for food There may be a Salt also extracted out of the filings of Lignum Guaiacum which is excellent in the French Pox being taken as the former By these you may learn to make other Salts CHAP. XVII Of Elixirs ELixirs are the Conservators of Bodies in the same condition wherein they finde them for their Vertue is to preserve from corruption not by meliorating their state but by continuing it and if by accident they cure any Diseases it is by reason of their tenuity They have a double Vertue to preserve from sickness and continue health not onely in Men but to preserve Plants also They imitate the qualities of Balsam and resort chiefly to the Heart Brain and principal Parts where the Spirits reside There are three kinds of Elixirs of Metals of Gems and of Plants as of Roots Herbs Flowers Seeds Woods Gums and such-like An Elixir differeth from Essences Tinctures and the rest because it is compounded of many things void of fatness therefore it cannot be an Oyl because it wanteth perspicuity and clearness not an Essence because it is a Compound not a Tincture but a mean between all and of a consistence most like to Water whence it had its name ab eliquesco to be dissolved or liquified To make Elixir of Pimpernel Dig up the Roots in a convenient time and macerate them in their Water putting some weight on them to depress them under Water when the Flowers are blown gather them and macerate them in the same manner in a peculiar Vessel the same must be done with the Seeds Then put them in an Alimbeck and draw out the Water and Oyl until the Foeces remain dry then separate the Oyl from the Water and circulate it in a Pelican for two months then take it out and reserve it for your use An Elixir of many things Many Compositions of Elixir are carried about which are erroneous and false to my knowledge and of so hard a work to extract the Oyl and Water that you will more probably lose your time and cost then gain any good by them for they are made for pomp and magnificence rather then for the benefit of man Besides I have found them often fail in the performance of what was promised from them and cannot be made according to those descriptions But here I will deliver one to you which will perform far more then is promised Take the Flowers of Sage Origanum Mugwort Savory Elder Sage-Leaves white Mint Rosemary Basil Marjoram Peniroyal Rose-buds the Roots of Betony Pellitory Snake-weed white Thistle Aristolochy Elder Cretan-Ditany Currants Pine-Apples Dates Citron-Pill of each an ounce and a half Ginger Cloves Nutmegs Zedoary Galangal white and long Pepper Juniper-berries Spikenard Mace Cubebs Parsley-seed Cardomoms Cinnamon Staechados Germander Granes Rose of Jerusalem Doronicum Ammoniac Opoponax Spodium Schaeinanthus Bdellium Mummy Sagapenum Champhire Mastick Frankincense Aloes Powder of Ebony Bole-Armenick Treacle Musk Galls Mithridate Lignum Aloes and Saffron of each three drachms of clarified Sugar thirteen pounds of Honey two I exclude Pearl Rubies Jacinths Saphires Emeraulds and Leaf-Gold from the Composition because as I have proved before they have no operation especially thus exhibited and therefore are used in Medicines by none but ignorant Physitians Reduce all these into Powder and put them into a Pelican or blinde Alimbeck with twelve pound of Aqua Vitae very well clarified as though
the whole work depended on it let it circulate in Balneo a whole month take off the yellow Oyl or Quintessence of all with a Silver-Spoon and add to it a drachm of Musk and Amber and set it by for your use in a Glass-bottle close stopt Distil the remainder and it will afford a yellow cleer water but you cannot extract the Oyl without a stink of burning I have very exactly extracted Oyl of Gums Roots and Seeds of the forementioned and mixing them together have effected strange things with them Most of their operations are against Poysons and Pestilential Contagions especially those that are apt to seize on the Spirits for a drop of it being anoynted on the Lips or Nostrils reviveth the Soul and keepeth it in perfect Senses at least six hours CHAP. XVIII Of a Clyssus and how it is made THat there may nothing be omitted I will now shew what a Clyssus is and how it may be made A Clyssus is the Extraction of the Spirits of every part of a Plant united in one common entity There are in a Plant the Root Leaf Flower Fruit and Seed and in every one of these parts there is a peculiar Nature The Operation is thus Dig the Roots when they are full of juice the Leaves when they are fresh and green the Flowers when they are blown the Fruit and Seeds in their due time Extract the Spirits or Essences out of all these by Distillation Maceration or Calcination or any other of the former wayes But when they are all extracted severally one in the form of Oyl another of Salt or Liquor then mix them all together so that the may be conjoyned and united in one body which is called a Clyssus Some mix them in Distillation in Vessels made for the purpose in this manner They put the Water Salt and Oyl in three several Curbicles of equal height and bigness and tying their three necks together and put them into one common Head which may be fit to receive them all close them lute them and kindle the fire under The heat will elevate the thinnest substance in all of them which will meet and mix in the Head and run down by the Nose or Spout into the Receiver so set them by for use This Congregation of Essences doth penetrate and search all the remote passages of the Body and is very useful in Physick CHAP. XIX How to get Oyl out of Salts I Have declared many ways of extracting Oyl now I will shew how to draw it out of Salts that they may be more penetrative and work more powerfully which can be done no other way They seem to have some kinde of fat in them yet will not burn so that it cannot be called a perfect Oyl How to extract Oyl of Tartar Burn the Tartar and reduce it into a Salt as I shewed before then lay it on a Marble in a moyst place and in a few days it will turn to Oyl and run down into a dish which you must set underneath to receive it Thus you may easily make it into Salt Beat the Tartar into Powder and mix an equal quantity of Salt-Peter with it when they are mixt in Iron Mortar set them in the fire until they be quite burned grind the remaining Foeces and dissolve them in a Lye strain it and let the Lye evaporate away and the Salt will settle to the bottom then boyl some Eggs hard take ouâ— the yelks and fill up their place with Salt and in a little time it will dissolve into Oyl Oyl of Sal Sodae Dissolve the Salt in Water and strain it through a cloth then dry it lay it on a Marble and set it in a moyst place and it will run down in an Oyl So The famous Oyl of Talk is extracted onely by the vehement heat of fire yet I knew not at first what it was useful for But I perceive it is much accounted of by women in their Fâ—cus Beat it into fine Powder in an Iron-Morter and put it into a very strong thick Pot fasten the cover on with wire plaiâ—â—er it with Potters Clay and set it in the Sun for three days then thrust it into a Potters Furnace where the flames are most violent After three or four days take it out break open the Pot and if you finde it not sufficiently calcined make it up and set it in again When it is burned perfectly white lay it on a Marble and place it in a moyst room or in a hole dug in the earth and there let it stand for a good while until it dissolve into Oyl then reserve it in a Glass-bottle So also is made Red Oyl of Sulphur Grinde live Sulphur into a small Powder and mix it with an equal quantity of the former Oyl of Tartar boyl it three hours in a Glass-bottle and when it is dissolved strain it through a Linnen-cloth into another Glass and set it over a Gentle fire till it thicken like clotted blood and so dry Then powder it and lay it on a Marble in a moist Cellar there it will dissolve and run down into the under-placed dish Set this Liquor being first strained thorow a cloth in a Glass-bottle over warm Ashes until the moysture be consumed and there will remain a red Oyl of Sulphur Oyl of Myrrh Boyl some Eggs hard cut them in the middle take out the yelks and fill their places with Myrrh powdered and seirced lay them in an earthen Pan upon long cross-sticks that the Eggs may not imbibe the Oyl again and shut them in a moist Cellar so the Oyl will drop down into the Pan. CHAP. XX. Of Aqua Fortis NOw I will recite those Distillations which draw out neither Water nor Oyl but a middle between both for the terrene parts are forced up turned into Water by the vehemency of the fire from whence they do acquire so great a heat that corrode and burn most violently They are extracted onely in igne reverberationis and with great care and labour How to draw Aqua Fortis or Oyl out of Salt It is a piece of Art discovered to very few Take Pit-Salt put into a Glass-Retort treble luted over and dried set it in igne reverberationis where the flames do struggle most violently the first time you will get but little moysture Break the Retort and remove the Foeces into another and pour the extracted Water into them and distill them again the second time thou wilt get more Do the same a third time and so to the tenth until the Salt be all turned into Liquor which is a most precious Jewel and worth thy labor Some quench hot Bricks in the liquified Salt and then distil them with a most intense fire as in Oyl of Bricks A Water for the Separation of Silver Take Salt-Peter and Alom in equal quantity beat them in a Morter and put them into a Glass-Retort luted over three double when it is well dried set it in the circulating-fire that is which
Sanders and Lignum Aloes an ounce of Spikenard let these all be grossly beaten and boyled in a vernished earthen Pipkin over a gentle fire for the space of an hour then let them cool Strain them through a Linen-cloth and set it up in a Glass close stopt But tye up the Cinnamon Cloves Lignum Aloes and Sanders in a thin Linen-cloth and so put them into the pot and boyl them as I said before and afterwards take out the bundle for after the boyling of the water the remaining dust may be formed into Pills and made into Cakes which may be used in perfuming as I shall teach hereafter This Water is made divers ways but I have set down the best yet in the boyling it will turn coloured and become red so that Hankerchiefs or white Linen if they be wetted in it are stained although they are made wonderfully sweet which maketh many forbear the use of it Wherefore if we would have Aqua Nansa clarified Take the former Water and put it into a Glass-Retort and set it in Balneo over a gentle fire the VVater will become clear and almost of the same sent onely a little weaker keep the Water and lay aside the rest of the Foeces for sweet Cakes CHAP. II. To make sweet Water by Infusion NOw I will teach how to make perfumed Liquors and what Liquors they are which will receive odors best for VVater is unapt to keep sent Oyl is better and VVine we may assign the reason out of Theophrastus for VVater is thin â—oid of taste or sent and so fine that it can gather no sent and those Liquors which are thick savory and have a strong sent VVine although it be not sweet of it self yet being placed nigh any odour it will draw it because it is full of heat which doth attract VVater being cold by Nature can neither attract nor receive nor keep any sent for it is so fine slender and thin that the odour flieth out again and vanisheth away as if there were no foundation whereon it could fix and settle as there is in VVine and Oyl who are more tenacious of sent because they are of a denser and callous Body Oyl is the best preserver and keeper of sent because it is not changeable wherefore Perfumers steep their perfumes in Oyl that it may suck out their sweetness We use Wine to extract the sent of Flowers and especially Aqua Vitae for Wine unless distilled infecteth the Water too much with his own senâ— Musk Water This VVater setteth off all others and maketh them richer wherefore it is first to be made Take the best Aqua Vitae and put into it some Grains of Musk Amber and Civet and set them in the hot Sun for some dayes but stop the Vessel very close and lute it for that will very much add to the frangrancy of it A drop of this put into any other water will presently make it smell most pleasantly of Musk. You may do the same with Rose-water and Fountain-water often distilled that it may obtain a thinness and heat which is very necessary for the extraction of Essences Water of Jasmine Musk-Roses Gilliflowers Violets and Lillies is extracted the same way for these Flowers send forth but a thin odour which dwelleth not in the substance of them but onely lieth scattered on the superficies so that if they remain too long on the fire or in their Menstruum their sweetness degenerateth from its former pleasantness and is washed off by the mixture of the stinking ill-savoured part of their substance VVherefore we must lay their Leaves onely in the best Aqua Vitae that is the Leaves of Lillies Jasmine Musk-Roses and the rest hanging them on a threed that when the VVater hath sucked out their odour we may pluck them out because their odour lieth onely on their superficies so that if they should remain long in the Aqua Vitae it would penetrate too deep into them and draw out a sent which would not onely destroy their former sweetness but taint them with an ill savour which accompanieth those inward parts After these Leaves are taken out supply them with fresh until you perceive their sent is also extracted But take out the Violets and the Gilliflowers sooner then the rest lest they colour the VVater This VVater being mixt with others taketh away the scurvy sent of the VVine A sweet compounded Water Take a great Glass-Receiver and fill the third part almost of it with Aqua Vitae put into it Lavender-Flowers Jasmine Roses Orange and Lemmon-Flowers Then add Roots of Iris Cypress Sanders Cinnamon Storax Labdanum Cloves Nutmegs Calamus Aromaticus with a little Musk Amber and Civet Fill the Glass and stop it well But after you have filled the Glass with the Flowers they will wither and sink down wherefore fill it up with more Set it in a very hot Sun or in Balneo until their sweetness be all extracted Then strain out the Water and one drop of it in Rose-water or of Myrtle-Flowers will perfume it all with a most fragrant smell CHAP. III. How to make sweet Oyls HOw to extract Oyl out of Spices and sweet things is declared before now I will shew how to draw sents out of other things with Oyl or as I said before to make Oyl the ground in which odours may be kept and preserved a long time which is done either by imbibing the Oyl with odors or the Almonds out of which we afterwards express the Oyl How to make Oyl of Ben which is the sweetest Oyl of all used by the Genois take an ounce of Ben a drachm of Amber as much Musk half a drachm of Civet put them in a Glass-bottle well stopt and set it in the Sun for twenty days then you may use it But be sure that it be close stopt for the Nature of odors being volatile and fugitive it quickly decayeth loseth his fragrancy and smelleth dully A way to make odoriferous Oyl of Flowers it is a common thing but very commodious for Perfumers and may be used for other things he that knoweth how to use it rightly and properly will finde it an Oyl very profitable to him Blanch your Almonds and bruise them and lay them between two rows of Flowers When the Flowers have lost their sent and fade remove them and add fresh ones Do this so long as the Flowers are in season when they are past squeeze out the Oyl with a press and it will be most odoriferous You may draw a sent with this way out of those Flowers from whom you cannot draw sweet Water Oyl of Jasmine Violets Musk-Roses Lillies Crows-foot Gilliflowers Roses and Orange-Flowers and of others being made this way smelleth most fragrantly Oyl of Amber Musk and Civet may be thus made also Cut the Almonds being blanched from the top to the bottom into seven or eight slices and enclose them in a Leaden Box with these perfumes for six days until they have imbibed the sent then press
and gives force to the rest to burn vehemently If it be in great corns pown it well and seirce it fine to seven parts of this add two parts of Colophonia three of Salt-Peter one of Brimstone pown them all together and mingle them sprinkling on of Naphtha or of liquid pitch Kitram moystning them so long until the powder pressed in your hand will stay together When these are well mingled make trial by them if it burn too vehemently add more Colophonia Salt-Peter and Brimstone but if but weakly more Gun-powder This mixture must be wrapt in straw or linen-rags or put into coffins made of the same things and binde it as close as you can with straw or little cords round about then dip it into scalding pitch and so let it dry then wrap it again with straw and smeer it over with pitch to keep it safe from water and that it may not break asunder by the violence of the fire When it is well dried and a little hole made in it put in Gun-powder and put fire to it and when it begins to burn stay but very little and cast it into the water It will by its weight fall to the bottom and the flames will strive with the water and drive them far from it so it will appear to burn above and is obscured with a black smoak that you will think you see the sulphureous waters at Puteoli burning there Being then made lighter by many turnings and windings it will seem to ascend to the superficies of the water which is a most pleasant sight for you will think that the water burns and you shall see two contrary Element fighting together yet to unite friendly until the matter be spent Others wrap in cloth nothing but Gun-powder a whole handful and this they binde in with cords then they dip it in melted scalding pitch and bound very fast and wrapt in many linen rags they make a small hole through it and they place this in the Centre of the Ball we even now spake of that when it comes to the superficies of the water the fire taking hold on the Powder within breaks the Ball in pieces and with a mighty noise wounds all those that stand neer it Some make it Otherwise They make a Composition of Brimstone Colophonia Salt-Peter Vernish and to this they add a fourth part of Gun-powder and they add Venice-Turpentine-Rofin Oyl of liquid Vernish Petroleum Linseed Oyl and the best refined Aqua Vitae with these they wet and sprinkle the dry Powders I have seen this take fire more vehemently and to cast the flames farther To do The same Take Mastick one part Frankincense two Grains of Vernish Brimstone Camphire Gun-powder of each three parts of Colophonia six Salt-Peter refined nine pown them all together and fift them onely pown the Camphire mingled with the Salt for that onely will not be powdered strew them all about upon an earthen dish with a large mouth and sprinkle them with Naphtha or Vernish or Linseed Oyl and mingle them with your hands Take out part of the Powder and put it into a hollow Cane and try it whether it will burn to your minde and if it burn too weak put in more Gun-powder if too vehemently more Colophonia always trying if it be as it should be For to these Compositions we add the same things to blunt the vehement burning of the Salt-Peter and the Gun-powder Then make Coffins of Canvas like Balls and fill them with your Composition and stuff it in well and binde them well with cords round about Then melt Brimstone and let there be in it one fourth part of Gun-powder stir them together with a wooden stick and lute the Ball over with that liquor that it may be well fenced and crusted Then with a wooden prick make a hole in it in the middle to the Centre and fill that with powder and so put in fire and it will burn under water it may also be shot forth of brass Engines I will shew you how to make Balls and Pots to be cast forth of Ships The Ancients write That Alexander the Great found out this Composition of Fires to burn Bridges Gates Ships and the like but it will work now more vehemently by reason of the Gun-powder added Take Gun-powder Salt-Peter Brimstone Pitch Pine-Tree-Gum Vernish in Grains Frankincense of each alike Camphire one half beat all these and mingle them Then take Oyl of Peter liquid Vernish Rosinous Turpentine equal parts and with these being liquid mingle all together and fill Pots with them to be cast among Ships and enemies or if you make a Ball of these binde it hard about the head of a hammer whose sharp-tooth'd end must be a foot long and the handle three foot If at a Sea-fight any one with a light Boat strike this into a Ship of the enemies with one blow he shall raise a mighty fire that neither water nor any other thing will put out CHAP. VII How Balls are made of Metals that will cast forth fire and Iron wedges I Shall shew you how to make brittle Balls of Metal that being filled with Gun-powder and all the places of vent stopt with the violence of the flame will flie into many pieces and strike through those they meet with and on all sides they will pierce through those who are not onely unarmed but armed men and these are to be used in besieging of Cities for cast amongst multitudes they will wound abundance The danger is seen among Herds of Cattle Make then Balls that will cast pieces of Iron a great way off Let a Ball of Metal be made a hand-breadth diameter half a finger thick the Metal is made of Brass three parts Tin one part to make it so brittle that by force of fire it may flie in small pieces To make the Ball more easily make it of two half circles for the charge is the less and let them joyn together like a box or let them screw one within another let it be equally thick that it may break in all parts alike Then with a Nail drove through the middle let it be fastened the better together a finger thick that it may break in all parts before it do in the joynts Then make a little Pipe as big as a finger and as long as ones hand that it may come to the Centre of the Ball and so stick forth beyond the Superficies like a Pyramis the Basis outward the Point inward sodder it fast to the Ball. The nail as I said must come forth on both sides and to this fasten wires that runs through iron piles that have a large hole through them that every wire may have thirty of them that when the ball is broken by force of the fire the wires of iron may break also and the piles of iron may be thrown about a great way with such force that they may seem to be shot forth Guns and Ordnance Lastly let the Ball be filled
with the best Gunpowder onely but the pipe with that mixture that burns more gently that when fire is put to it you may hold it so long in your hand until that slow composition may come to the centre and then throw it amongst the enemies for it will break in a thousand pieces and the iron wires and pieces of iron and parts of the Ball will fly far and strike so violently that they will go into planks or a wall a hand depth These are cast in by Souldiers when Cities are besiged for one may wound two hundred men and then it is worse to wound then to kill them as experience in wars shews But when you will fill the pipes hold one in your hand without a Ball full of the composition and try it how long it will burn that you may learn to know the time to cast them lest you kill your self and your friends I shall teach you how with the same Balls Troops of Horsemen may be put into confusion There are made some of these sorts of Balls that are greater about a foot in bigness bound with the same wire but fuller of iron piles namely with a thousand of them These are cast amongst Troops of Horsemen or into Cities besieged or into ships with slings or iron guns which they call Petrels and divers ways for if they be armed with iron pieces when they break they are cast forth so with the violence of the fire that they will strike through armed men and horses and so fright the horses with a huge noise that they cannot be ruled by bridle nor spurs but will break their ranks They have four holes made through them and they are filled with this said mixture that being fired they may be cast amongst Troops of Horsemen and they will cast their flames so far with a noise and cracking that the flames will seem like to thunder and lightning CHAP. VIII How in plain ground and under waters mines may be presently digged TO dig Mines to overthrow Cities and Forts there is required great cost time and pains and they can hardly be made but the enemy will discover it I shall shew how to make them in that champion ground where both armies are to meet with little labour and in short time To make Mines in plain grounds where the Armies are to meet If you would do this in sight of the enemy for they know not what you do I shall first teach how A little before night or in the twilight where the meeting shall be or passage or standing there may pits be made of three foot depth and the one pit may be distant from the other about ten foot There fit your Balls about a foot in bigness that you may fill the whole plain with them then dig trenches from one to the other that through them cotton matches may pass well through earthen pipes or hollow caâ—es but fire the Balls at three or four places then bury them and make the ground even leaving a space to give fire to them all at once Then at the time of war when the enemy stands upon the ground then remove at your pleasure or counterfeit that you fly from them and cast in fire at the open place and the whole ground will presently burn with fire and make a cruel and terrible slaughter amongst them for you shall see their limbs fly into the air and others fall dead pierced through burnt with the horrible flames thereof that scarce one man shall scape You shall make your Match thus In a new Test let the best Aqua vitae boyl with gunpowder till it grow thick and be like pap put your matches into it and role them in the mixture take the Test from the fire and strew on as much gunpowder as they will receive and set them to dry in the Sun put this into a hollow cane and fill it full of gunpowder or take one part refined salt-peter brimstone half as much and let it boyl in a new earthen pot with oyl of linseed put in your Match and wet them well all over with that liquor take them away and dry them in the Sun But if you will make Mines under the Water use this rare invention You shall make your Mines where the enemies Galleys or Ships come to ride you shall upon a plain place fit many beams or pieces of timber fastned cross-wise and thrust through or like nets according to the quantity in the divisions you shall make fit circles of wood and fasten them and fill them with gunpowder the beams must be made hollow and be filled with match and powder that you may set fire to the round circles with great diligence and cunning smeer over the circles and the beams with pitch and cover them well with it that the water may not enter and the powder take wet for so your labour will be lost and you must leave a place to put fire in then sink your engine with weights to the bottom of the water and cover it with stones mud and weeds a little before the enemy come Let a Scout keep watch that when their Ships or Galleys ride over the place that the snare is laid for fire being put to it the sea will part and be cast up into the air and drown'd the Ships or will tear them in a thousand pieces that there is nothing more wonderful to be seen or done I have tried this in waters and ponds and it performed more then I imagined it would CHAP. IX What things are good to extinguish the fire I Have spoken of kindling fires but now I shall shew how to quench them and by the way what things obnoxious to the fire will endure it and remain But first I will relate what our Ancestours have left concerning this business Vitruvious saith That the Larch-tree-wood will not burn or kindle by it self but like a stone in the furnace will make no coles but burn very slowly He saith the reason is That there is in it very little air or fire but much water and earth and that it is very solid and hath no pores that the fire can enter at He relates how this is known When Caesar commanded the Citizens about the Alps to bring him in provision those that were secure in a Castle of wood refused to obey his commands Caesar bade make bundles of wood and to light torches and lay these to the Castle when the matter took fire the flame flew exceeding high and he supposed the Castle would have fallen down but when all was burnt the Castle was not touched Whence Pliny writes The Larch-tree will neither burn to coles nor is otherwise consumed by fire then stones are But this is most false For seeing it is rosiny and oyly it presently takes fire and burns and being one fired is hard to put out Wherefore I admire that this error should spread so far and that the Town Larignum so called from the abundance of
be made softer now I will shew the tempering of it how it may be made to cut sharper For the temper of it is divers for divers uses For Iron requires several tempers if it be to cut Bread or Wood or Stone or Iron that is of divers liquors and divers ways of firing it and the time of quenching it in these Liquors for on these doth the business depend When the Iron is sparkling red hot that it can be no hotter that it twinkles they call it Silver and then it must not be quenched for it would be consumed But if it be of a yellow or red colour they call it Gold or Rose-colour and then quenched in Liquors it grows the harder this colour requires them to quench it But observe That if all the Iron be tempered the colour must be blew or Violet colour as the edge of a Sword Rasor or Lancet for in these the temper will be lost if they are made hot again Then you must observe the second colours namely when the Iron is quenched and so plunged in grows hard The last is Ash colour and after this if it be quenched it will be the least of all made hard For example The temper of a Knife to cut Bread I have seen many ingenious men that laboured for this temper who having Knives fit to cut all hard substances yet they could scarce fall upon a temper to cut Bread for the Table I fulfilled their desire with such a temper Wherefore to cut Bread let the Steel be softly tempered thus Heat gently Steel that when it s broken seems to be made of very small grains and let it be excellent well purged from Iron then strike it with a Hammer to make a Knife of it then work it with the File and frame it like a Knife and polish it with the Wheel then put it into the Fire till it appear Violet-colour Rub it over with Sope that it may have a better colour from the Fire then take it from the Fire and anoynt the edge of it with a Linen-cloth dipt in Oyl of Oâ—ives until it grow cold so you shall soften the hardness of the Steel by the gentleness of the Oyl and a moderate heat Not much differs from this The temper of Iron for Wood. Something harder temper is fit to cut wood but it must be gentle also therefore let your Iron come to the same Violet-colour and then plunge it into waters take it out and when it appears Ash-colour cast it into cold water Nor is there much difference in The temper for Instruments to let blood It is quenched in Oyl and grows hard because it is tender and subtile for should it be quenched in water it would be wrested and broken The temper of Iron for a Sythe After that the Iron is made into a Sythe let it grow hot to the colour of Gold and then quench it in Oyl or smeer it with Tallow because it is subtile Iron and should it be quenched in waters it would either crumble or be wrested CHAP. IV. How for all mixtures Iron may be tempered most hard NOw I will shew some ways whereby Iron may be made extream hard for that Iron that must be used for an Instrument to hammer and polish and fit other Iron must be much harder then that The temper of Iron for Files It must be made of the best Steel and excellently tempered that it may polish and fit other Iron as it should be Take Ox hoofs and put them into an Oven to dry that they may be powdered fine mingle well one part of this with as much common Salt bearen Glass and â—himney-foot and beat them together and lay them up for your use in a wooden Vessel hanging in the smoak for the Salt will melt with any moisture of the place or Air. The powder being prepared make your Iron like to a file then cut it chequerwise and crosswayes with a sharp edged tool having made the Iron tender and soft as I said then make an Iron chest fit to lay up your files in and put them into it strewing on the powders by course that they may be covered all over then put on the cover and lute well the chinks with clay and raw that the smoak of the powder may not breath out and then lay a heap of burning coals all over it that it may be red-hot about an hour when you think the powder to be burnt and consumed take the chest out from the coals with Iron pinchers and plunge the files into very cold water and so they will become extream hard This is the usual temper for files for we fear not if the files should be wrested by cold waters But I shall teach you to temper them excellently Another way Take the pith out of Goats horns and dry it and powder it then lay your files in a little Chest strewed over with this Powder and do as you did before Yet observe this That two files supernumerary must be laid in so that you may take them forth at pleasure and when you think the Chest covered with burning coals hath taken in the force of the Powder take out one of the supernumerary Files and temper it and break it and if you finde it to be very finely grain'd within and to be pure Steel according to your desire take the Chest from the fire and temper them all the same way or else if it be not to your minde let them stay in longer and resting a little while take out the out the other supernumerary File and try it till you have found it perfect So we may Temper Knives to be most hard Take a new Ox hoof heat it and strike it with a Hammer on the side for the pith will come forth dry it in an Oven and as I said put it into a pot alwayes putting in two supernumeraries that may be taken forth to try if they be come to be pure Steel and doing the same as before they will be most hard I will shew How an Habergeon or Coat of Arms is to be tempered Take soft Iron Armour of small price and put it into a pot strewing upon it the Powders abovesaid cover it and lute it over that it have no vent and make a good Fire about it then at the time fit take the Pot with iron pinchers and striking the Pot with a Hammer quench the whole Herness red hot in the foresaid water for so it becomes most hard that it will easily resist the strokes of Poniards The quantity of the Powder is that if the Harness be ten or twelve pounds weight lay on two pounds and a half of Powder that the Powder may stick all over wet the Armour in water and rowl it in the Powder and lay it in the pot by courses But because it is most hard lest the rings of a Coat of Male should be broken and flie in pieces there must be strength added to the hardness Workmen call it a
their wings they fall down that they may take no hurt by falling Those that are so killed with fear of death grow very tender So old Pigeons that by chance had fallen into deep pits when they had long laboured struggling with their fluttering wings above the waters to save themselves from drowning with strugling and fear of death they grew very tender and by this accident we have learned that when we would have them very tender we purposely drive them in Horace in Serm saith almost the same How a Cock may grow tender if you must suddenly set him before your friends and cannot help it If that a guest do come by chance at night and if the cock be tough not fit to eat drown'd him alive in Muscadel out right and he will soon come to be tender meat We use to hang up Turkies alives by the bills at the sadle-bow when we ride and these being thus rack't and tossed with great pains at the journeys end you shall find them dead and very tender CHAP. II. How flesh may grow tender by secret propriety SOme things there are that by secret propriety make flesh tender I shall record two prodigious miracles of Nature One that hung on a fig-tree Cocks flesh grows tender and so short that it is wonderful Another that wild Cocks bound to a fig-tree will grow tame and stand immoveable Plutarch in his Symposiacks gives the reason why the Sacrifices of Cooks hung to a Fig-tree did presently grow tender and short when the Cook of Aristian amongst other meats offered to Hercules a tender dunghil-Cock newly slain that was extream short Aristio gives the reason of this tenderness to be the Fig-tree and he maintaned that these killed though they be hard will grow tender if they be hanged up on a Fig-tree It is certain as we may judge by sight that the Fig-tree sends forth a vehement and strong vapour This also confirms that which is commonly spoken of Bulls that the fiercest of them bound to a Fig-tree will grow tame presently and will endure to be touched with your hand and to bear the yoke and they puff out all their anger and lay aside their courage that thus fails them for so forcible is the acrimony of the vapour of that Tree that though the Bull rage never so much yet this will tame him For the Fig-tree is more full of Milky juice then other Trees are so that the Wood Boughs Figs are almost all full of it wherefore when it is burnt the smoke it sends forth doth bite and tear one very much and a lixivium made of them burnt is very detergent and cleansing also Cheese is curdled with Fig-tree milk that comes forth of the Tree if you cut the green bark Some would have the heat to be the cause that the Milk curds by the juice of the Fig-tree cast in which melts the watry substance of the humour wherefore the Fig-tree sends forth a hot and sharp vapour and that is digesting and dries and concocts the flesh of Birds so that they grow tender So Ox flesh may be made tender If you put the stalks of wilde Fig-trees into the pot wherein Ox flesh is boil'd they will be boil'd much the sooner by reason of the wood Pliny I gave you the reason of it before from Antipathy The Egyptians alluding to this when they would describe a man that was punished to the height they painted a Bull tied to a wilde Fig-tree For when he rores if he be bound to a wilde Fig-tree he will presently grow tame If we will have Pulse grow tender because I see that there is great antipathy between Pulse and Choke fitch that destroys and strangles them Some call this Lions Herbe for as a Lion doth with great rage and furiously kill Cattle and Sheep so doth choke fitch all Pulse wherefore this Herbe put to Pulse when they boil will make them boil the sooner But To make meats boil the sooner All kinds of Docks though they be dry and juiceless will do it that all flesh will grow tender and become fit to eat Wherefore the Antients always fed on it that it might digest the meat in their stomacks and loose their bellies Also the root of wilde Nettles boil'd with flesh will make them tender Pliny CHAP. III. How Flesh may be made tender otherwise THere be other ways to make flesh tender First if flesh killed be hung in the open Air for they will grow tender as beginning to corrupt but they must not stay there so long till they corrupt indeed Wherefore you must know their quality which will keep longest and which not For example Peacocks Partridge Pheasants to be made tender Isaac saith That a Peacock killed will be kept two days and three in winter that the hard flesh of it may grow soft Haliabas hangs them up three days hanging stones to their feet Savanrola hangs them up ten days without weights Simeon Sethi saith That Patridge newly killed are not to be eat but after a day or two that they may lose their hardness Pheasants in Summer hung up two days and three days in winter after they are killed will be fit meat Arnoleus And to avoid tediousness the same must be done with other flesh The like That Birds may grow tender If you hang those in Moon-light that were killed in the night they will grow more tender by boiling For the Moon hath great vertue to make flesh tender for it is but a kind of corruption Therefore wood cut by Moon-light will sooner grow rotten and fruit sooner grow ripe Daphnis the Physitian in Athenaus CHAP. IV. How Shell-creatures may grow more tender BEfore I end to speak of ways to make flesh more tender It will not be amiss to make Crabs tender and by another way then I shew'd before How we may make Crab-fish tender shel'd At Rome they do so and it becomes pleasant and excellent meat for Noble mens Tables I speak of those Crabs bred in fresh waters For at Venice I have eaten them that bred naturally tender in salt-waters they call them commonly Mollecas but they are not so sweet as they are made at Rome and they ask a Julius apiece The way is in the Moneths of June July August and September the Crabs use to cast their shels and put off their old coat at that time fisher-men search about the banks of Rivers where they find their holes and caves half stopt and by that they know the time is come to cast their shells for the more their shells grow tender the more they shut up their holes They grow tender first about the feet and by degrees it ascends over their whole bodies When they have taken them they bring them home and put them every one in several earthen pots and they put in water that it may cover half their bodies and so they let them remain eight or ten days changing the water every day and their shells will grow more tender every day
much because these Cattle feed on binding meats as on the Oak Mastick Olive-boughs and Turpentine-tree But in such places where Cattle eat Scammony black Hellebore Perwincle or Mercury all their milk subverts the belly and stomack such as is reported to be in the mountains of Justinâ—â— for Goats that eat black Hellebore that is given them when the yong leaves come first out their milk drank will make one vomit and causeth loathing and nauseating of the stomack Dioscorides Also there is found Honey that is venemous That which is made in Sardinia for there the Bees feed on Wormwood At Heraclia in Pontus some times of the year by a property of the flowers there Honey is made that they which eat it grow mad and sweat exceedingly Dioscorides There are Eggs laid that stink When there are no fruits nor herbs to be seen then Hens feed on dung and so do other Birds that lay Eggs. But then those raste best that feed on fat things and eat Wheat Millet and Panick but such as eat Wormwood their Eggs are bitter CHAP. VIII How Animals may be boiled rosted and baked all at once I Have thus far spoken to please the palate Now I shall represent some merry conceits to delight the guests Namely How a Hog may be rosted and boiled all at once Athenaeus in his ninth Book of Dipnosophistae Dalachampius translates it more elegantly saying There was a Hog brought to us that was half of it well rosted and half of it was soft boil'd in water and the Cook had used great industry to provide it that it should not be seen in what part he was stuck for he was killed with a small wound under his shoulder and the blood was so let out all his intestines were well washed with wine and hanging him by the heels he again poured wine on him and rosted him with much Pepper He filled half the Hog with much Barley-flouer kneaded together with Wine and Barley and he put him into an Oven setting a brass platter under him and he took care to rost him so leasurely that he should neither burn nor be taken up raw for when his skin seemed somewhat dry he conjectured the rest was rosted He took away the Barley-meal and set him on the Table So A Capon may be boil'd and rosted Put a Capon well pulled and his guts taken out into a silver dish and fill the one half of him with broth and put him into an Oven for the upper part will be rosted by the heat of the Oven and the under part will be boiled Nor will it be less pleasant to behold A Lamprey fried boilâ—d and rosted all at once Before you boil your Lamprey take out his bones to make it more graceful for his flesh is full of bones which you shall do with two little sticks held in both hands and fastning the Lamprey in the middle you shall cut his back-bone in the middle then his head and end of his tail about which the bones are heaped by reason of the bones pulled out being cut off and his entrails taken forth put him on a spit and wrap about three or four times with fillets all the parts that are to be rosted and fried strewing upon the one Pepper and the fillets must be made wet in Parsley Saffron Mint Fennel and sweet wine or with water and salt or broth for the rosted parts for the fried parts with Oyl and so let him be turned always moystning the fillets with strewing on the decoction of Origanum When part of it is rosted take it from the fire and it will be gallant meat set it before your guests CHAP. IX Of divers ways to dress Pullets I Shall here set down divers ways to dress Chickens that will be very pleasant for the guests So that A boiled Peacock may seem to be alive Kill a Peacock either by thrusting a quill into his brain from above or else cut his throat as you do for yong kids that the blood may come forth then cut his skin gently from his throat unto his tail and being cut pull it off with his feathers from his whole body to his head cut off that with the skin and legs and keep it Rost the Peacock on a spit his body being strffed with spices and sweet herbs sticking first on his brest cloves and wrapping his neck in a white linnen cloth wet it always with water that it may never dry when the Peacock is rosted and taken from the spit put him into his own skin again and that he may seem to stand upon his feet you shall thrust small iron wires made on purpose through his legs and set fast on a board that they may rot be discerned and through his body to his head and tail Some put Camphire in his mouth and when he is set on the table they cast in fire Platira shews that the same may be done with Pheasants Geese Capons and other Birds and we observe these things amongst our Guests But it will be a more rare sight to see A Goose rosted alive A little before our times a Goose was wont to be brought to the Table of the King of Arragon that was rosted alive as I have heard by old men of credit And when I went to try it my company were so hasty that we eat him up before he was quite rosted He was alive and the upper part of him on the outside was excellent well rosted The rule to do it is thus Take a Duck or a Goose or some such luâ—â—y creature but the Goose is best for this purpose pull all the feathers from his body leaving his head and his neck Then make a fire round about him not too narrow left the smoke choke him or the fire should rost him too soon not too wide lest he escape unrosted Within-side set everywhere little pots full of water and put Salt and Meum to them Let the goose be smeered all over with Suet and well larded that he may be the better meat and rost the better put fire about but make no too much hast when he begins to rost he will walk about and cannot get forth for the fire stops him when he is weary he quencheth his thirst by drinking the water by cooling his heart and the rest of his internal parts The force of the Medicament loosneth and cleanseth his belly so that he grows empty and when he is very hot it rosts his inward parts Continually moysten his head and heart with a spunge But when you see him run mad up and down and to stumble his heart then wants moysture wherefore take him away and set him on the Table to your Guests who will cry as you pull off his parts and you shall almost eat him up before he is dead If you would set on the Table A yong Pigeon with his bones pulled out you shall take out his bones thus Put a yong Pigeon his entrails taken forth and well wash'd for
to them they supposing it is a Deer indeed will entertain him and draw neer to him and will not flie away and embrace him as much as one would do a Friend come from a long journey but by this great friendliness they get nothing but nets and snares Catching of Bustards Bustards of all Birds are thought to be most in love with Horses and it appears because they cannot endure other living creatures but when they see a Horse they will presently flie to him with great joy and come neer to him If a man put on a horse skin he may catch as many as he please for they will come neer for love of the horse So almost are The Polypi or Pourcontrels taken The Polypi take delight in the Olive tree and they are oft-times found fastned with their claws about the body of it sometimes also they are found clapping about the Fig-tree that grows neer the Sea and eating the Figs saith Clearchus Wherefore Fishers let down an Olive-bough into the Sea where the Polypi use to be In short space without any labour they draw up as many Polypi as they will Opian handsomely describes it thus The Polypus doth love the Olive tree And by the speckled leaves t is wonder he Is catch'd Again He is enraged for the Olive-bough The wary Fisher doth by this know how To catch this Fish for he doth binde about A piece of Lead an Olive-branch throughout The Fish lays hold and will not let it go He loves it and it proves his overthrow CHAP. IV. What noises will allure Birds NOt onely love but noises and Musick will draw them and each creature delights in some special noise First The Dolphin loves the Harp And with this Musick is he most delighted as also with the sound of the Organs Hence Herodotus first and others from him report that Arion was carried to Tenarus on a Dolphins back for when the men of Corinth cast him into the Sea he begged that he might have his Harp with him and might sing one song as he was thrown in But a Dolphin took him and brought him to Tenarus Opian A Wolf is charmed by a Minstrel or Flute A Minstrel at Pythiocara when he sang and played very pleasantly he made the Wolves tame Aelian Horses delight in the Musick of the Flute The Horses of Lybia are so taken with the noise of the Flute that they will grow tractable for mans use thereby and not be obstinate Shepherds make a Shepherds Pipe of Rhododaphne and by piping on this they will so delight Horses that they will run after them and when the Shepherds play on the Horses will â—â—and still and weep for joy Euripides saith that Shepherds provoke Mares to take Horse by playing on a Pipe and the Horses are so provoked to back the Mares Stags and Bores are taken with a Pipe It is a common saying among the Tyrtheni that Bores and Stags are taken most with them by Musick which so comes to pass Nets being pitchâ—d and all things made ready for to ensnare them a man that can play well on the Flute goes through dales and hills and woods and plays as he goes neer their haunts they listen exceedingly after it and are easily taken by it for they are so ravished that they forget where they are And thus by delight they fall into the snare and are taken Aelian The Pastinaca is taken by dancing and Musick When the Fisherman sees the Pastinaca or Ray swimming he leaps ridiculously in his Boat and begins to play on the Pipe the Pastinaca is much taken with it and so comes to the top of the water and another lays hold of him with his Engine Grampels by Musick are enticed on land Fishermen catch Grampels by Musick some lie hid others begin to play with the Pipe when the Grampels hear the Musick they presently come forth of their holes as if they had been charmed and they are so ravished that they will come out of the waters These go back and play on the Pipe the others run and catch them on dry Land CHAP. V. Fishes are allured by light in the night AMongst the many Arts to deceive Animals Light is one for at night when some Fish rest Fishermen carrying Light in their Boats draw these Fish to them and so strike them with a three-forked Spear or catch them alive Which Opian knew Either at noon or when the Sun doth set Are Fishes caught or else in the dark night By burning torches taken in the Net For whilst they take such pleasure in the Light The Fisherman doth strike them with his dart Or else doth catch them then by some such Art Many men have been much troubled how to make a Fire or Light under Water that Fishes seeing it afar off might swim to it I have done it thus I made a Pillar of Brass or Lead three or four foot diameter it was sharp or pyramidal below that it might sink the better into the deep and it was bound about with iron hoops that being sunk by its weight it might be drawn under the water I set on the top a Pipe that was fifteen or twenty foot long and one foot broad The middle of this Pillar had many open windows five or six and these were Glass-windows well polished and fitted to them and the joynts were well glued wiht Pitch that no water could come in I sunk the Pillar by its weight in a place fit for it but the mouth of the Pipe stood at least two foot above water then I let down a lighted Candle into the belly of the Pillar by the Pipe with a cord and it was so provided that what motion soever it had it should always stand upright The Light passed through the windows into the waters and by reflection made a Light that might be seen under water very far to this Light abundance of Fish came and I catched them with Nets CHAP. VI. That by Looking-Glasses many Creatures are brought together IF Females be wanting Looking-Glasses may serve to make reflexion of themselves so these Creatures deluded by their own pictures are drawn thither Also Liquors may serve in stead of Glasses The Cuttle is taken with a Glass Glasses put into wood are let down by a cord by the Fishermen into the waters and as they flote they are drawn by degrees the Cuttle seeing himself in it casts himself at his own image and laying fast hold of the wood with his claws whilst he looks upon his own picture as enamored by it he is circumvented by the Net and taken A Jackdaw is taken with a Looking-Glass Jackdaws love themselves the Fowler following to take them invents such wayes for where he sees they flock there he sets a Bason full of Oyl the curious Bird coming thither sits on the brim of the Vessel looking down to see her own Picture and because she thinks that she sees another Jackdaw she hastens to flee down and so falls into the
himself Fishes 〈…〉 saith Pliny by the Root the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 called round Birth-wort called also the venome of the Earth This Root they bruise and mingle it with Lime and cast itin to the Sea the Fishes come to it with great delight and are presently killed and float on the waters Dioscorides saith that broad leaved Tiâ—hymal bruised and strewed in the waters kills Fish We use now 〈…〉 Roots of it and with a weight let them down to the bottom of the waters that will be infected by them and kill the Fish presently But in the Sea 〈◊〉 shall sooner kill them thus Mingle Oriental Galls two drâ—chms 〈◊〉 Cheese one ounce Bean-meal three ounces with Aqua Vitae make pelleâ—s of these as big as Chick-peason Cast them into the Sea in the morning before Sun rise after three hours come to the place again and you shall finde all those that tasted of it 〈◊〉 drunk or dead and to appear either on the top or bottom of the Sea which you shall take up with a pole and a hook fastened to it or Fish speer The Aqua Vitae is added because it soon flies to the head The Oriental Galls are poyson that astonisheth them the Bean-meal is not of great concernment This bait invites them and the Cheese smells so that they sent it at a distance CHAP. XI Of other Experiments for hunting NOw I will add some Experiments that seem to be requisite that you may use for necessity when you please To change a Dogs colour Since white Dogs are seldom fit for hunting because they are seen afar off a way is found to change his colour that will be done if you boyl quick Iâ—me with Litharge and paint 〈◊〉 Dog with it 〈…〉 him black That a Dog may not go from you Democrites saith a Dog will never 〈◊〉 from you if you smeer him with Butter from head to tail and give him Butter to â—ick Also 〈…〉 you if you have the secondine of a Bitch close in a 〈…〉 â—mell to it If you â—ould not have Your Dog to bark If you have a Bitches second Membrane or Hares hairs or Dung or Vervain about you In Nilus there is a black stone found that a Dog will not bark 〈◊〉 he see it you must also carry a Dogs Tongue undâ—â— your great 〈◊〉 within your shooe or the dry heart of a dog about you Sextus Or the hair of 〈◊〉 or the Dung Pliny Or cut off the tail of a yong 〈◊〉 and put it under 〈…〉 or 〈◊〉 the Dog a Frog to eat in a piece of meat All these things are to â—â—ep Dogs from barking Nigidius saith that Dogs will all day 〈◊〉 from him who pulls off a tâ—â—k from a Sow and carrieth it a while about him Opâ—an If of 〈…〉 you takes And wâ—â—r it 〈…〉 dogs will 〈◊〉 for sake As frighted they will flie and 〈…〉 Bark at you though they barked much before That a Dog may not run If you anoynt him with Oyl under the shoulders he cannot run To make a Hawke 〈…〉 You shall animate your Hawk against 〈◊〉 prey thaâ— he may assail and flee at great Birds When you hawk wet the Hawks meat with Wine If it be a Buzzard add a little Vinegar to it when you would have him 〈◊〉 a give him three bits of flesh wet in wine or pour Wine in at his mouth with a yong Pidgeon so let him flie To make Partridge more bold to fight Give then 〈…〉 with their meat Pliny That dung-hill 〈◊〉 fight the better Give them Garlick to eat soon before theâ— fight whence in the old Comedy a Cock ready and earnest to fight is wittily called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fed with Garlick 〈◊〉 a Bird may not the high Take out the Feathers of 〈…〉 that make him flie upwards so he will whirl about and flie downward If you will have That a Bird shall not flie cut the upper and lower nerves of his Wings and it will not hurt him yet he cannot flie out of your Bird-cages or places you keep them in THE SIXTEENTH BOOK OF Natural Magick Wherein are handled secret and undiscovered Notes THE PROEME I Make two sorts of secret marks which they vulgarly call Syfers one of visible marks and is worthy of a treatise by it self another of secret marks whereof 〈…〉 tempted to say something in this present Volume 〈◊〉 what are the consequâ—â—â— thereof for the use of great Men and Princes that 〈…〉 than 〈…〉 man that knows the invention I shall set down plainly some examples 〈…〉 consequences of them must 〈◊〉 faithfully concealed lest by growing 〈◊〉 amongst ordinary people they be disrespecteâ—â— This is that I shall publish CHAP. I. How 〈…〉 in diver◠〈…〉 be reâ—â— THere are many anâ— almost infinit 〈◊〉 write things of necessity that the Charactâ—â— shall not 〈…〉 â—ou dip them into waters or put them neer the 〈…〉 them over 〈…〉 are read by dipping them into waters Therefore If you desire that letters not 〈…〉 are 〈◊〉 may be hiâ—â— Let Vitriol soak in boyling water when 〈…〉 strain it 〈◊〉 till the water grow clear with that liquor write 〈…〉 are dry they 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 Moreover grindâ— burnt straw 〈…〉 â—â—egar and 〈◊〉 will write 〈◊〉 the spaces between the foâ—â—er liâ—â—s describâ—â— large Then 〈…〉 Galls in white Wine wet a spunge in the liquor 〈◊〉 when you have need 〈…〉 and weâ— the letters so long until the native black 〈◊〉 disappear but the former colour that was not seen may 〈…〉 I will 〈◊〉 in what liquors paper must be soaked to make letters 〈◊〉 be see 〈…〉 said Dissolve Vitriol 〈…〉 then powder Galls finely and soak them inâ—â—ter let them stay there twenty four hours filtre them through 〈◊〉 cloth 〈…〉 that may make the water clear and make letters upon 〈…〉 to have concealed send it to your Friend absent when you would have 〈◊〉 appear dip them in the first liquor and the letters â—ill presenâ—â—y be seen That diâ—â—â—ng 〈◊〉 lineâ—â—â— water 〈◊〉 may appear Dissolve Alom in water and 〈…〉 linen 〈◊〉 napkins and the like for when they are dry they will 〈…〉 When you will have them visible 〈…〉 linen 〈…〉 to be darkned but only where the Alom 〈…〉 that you may read them 〈…〉 are dissolved those parts will admit water 〈◊〉 White 〈…〉 Litharge is first powdered and cast into an earthen pot that hath water and vinegar mix'd boyl it and strain it and keep it then write letters with Citron Lemons juce these are added to them when they begin to dry If you dip them in the liquor kept they will appear clearly and very white If womens brests or hands be wet in it and you sprinkle the said water upon them they will grow white as Milk Use it If at any time you want 〈◊〉 if you please A stone dipped in vinegar will shew the letters Make letters with Goats far upon a stone when they are dry they will not be seen If the stone be dipâ— into 〈◊〉 they presently
and draw your lines upon the lines of the letters you see through We may Open letters and shut them without suspition We use to seal letters putting paper upon them which goes through the letter on one side and wax is put on the other side where it comes forth and there it is sealed You shall open the letter thus Break away that part of the paper that is put upon the place where it passeth through the letter and the hole is the letter opens presently read it and shut it again and put the paper torn off in its proper place first anoynting the crack with gum-traganth dissolved in water for the paper will be so glewed that it will be stronger there then elsewhere press it with a small weight till it grow dry the fraud cannot be discovered because the glew is white and is not known from the colour of the paper CHAP. XII How you may spâ—ak at a great distance THere are many way how we may speak at a very great distance with our friends that are absent or when they are in prison or shut up in Cities and this is done with safety and without any suspition as I shall shew Two things are declared here either to do it by open voice reâ—uplicated or else by a Trunk We may With open voyce shew some things to those that are confederate with us It is wonderful that as the Light so the Voyce is reverberated with equal Angles I shall shew how this may be done by a glass It is almost grown common how to speak through right or circular walls The voice passing from the mouth goes through the Air if it goes about a wall that is uniform it passeth uncorrupted but if it be at liberty it is beaten back by the wall it meets with in the way and is heard as we see in an Eccho I through a circular building that was very long and smooth spake words to my friend that heard them round the wall and the words came entire to his ears but one standing in the middle heard not any noise and yet I heard again what my friend answered to me In the morning whenas I walked by the sea shore I heard above a mile what my friends talked in a Boat the sea was very calm and scarce moved and the words came clearly to me carried on the plain superficies of the water I hear that at Mantua and other places a great Gallery is built wherein one speaking in the corner is heard by another that knows the business standing in another corner but those that stand in the middle perceive nothing of it But more exactly and clearly To signifie to friends all things by a Trunk Let the pipe be of Earth but lead is better or of any matter well closed that the voice may not get forth in the long passage for whatever you speak at one end the voice without any difference as it came forth of the speakers mouth comes so to the ears of him that hearkneth and I doubt not but this may be done some miles off The voyce not divided or scattered goes whole a long way I have tried it for above two hundred paces when I had no other convenience and the words were heard so clear and open as the speaker uttered them Upon this it came into my mind to intercept words spoken by the way with leaden pipes and to hold them so long as I pleased close in that when I opened the hole the words should break forth I perceive that the sound goes by degrees and that being carried through a pipe it may be shut up in the middle and if a very long Trunk should take away the convenience of it that many winding pipes might shut it up in a close place I read that Albertus made an Artificial head that spake at a set time I might hope to do the same by this invention yet I never tried this farther then I have said yet I have heard by my friends that lovers have spoke a long time through a leaden pipe from their Houses that stood far asunder CHAP. XIII By night we may make signs by fire and with dust by day IT remains to shew whether we can make signs in the night by fire and in the day by dust to declare our business That may fall out two ways For by fire of a sudden we shew to our confederate friends or when we please by certain numbers of Torches we represent letters fit to demonstrate what our purpose is that those that are far off seeing and observing the motions may perceive our intent The first way we read that Medea promised to the Argonauts that if she killed Pelias she would signifie so much unto them by night with fire from a watch-Tower and by day with smoke When therefore the business was effected as she would have it she counterfeited that she must pay her vows to the Moon by making a fire by lighting Torches in the open Air from the top of the place as she had promised and when the Argonauts understood it this way they invaded the Kings palace and killing the guard they made her to enjoy her wishes We read also that Maga having possession of Paretonium agreed with the watch that at night in the evening and again in the morning beâ—imes they should set up the light that was for confederacy and by that means signs were made that the messenger came as far as Clius Also to friends that live out of the City by fire we may signifie our revenew and the quality of provision It is apparent that Annibal as Polybius writes when the people of Agrigentum were besieged by the Romans by many and frequent fires by night did shew forth the intolerable famine of his Army and for that cause many of his Souldiers for want of victuals fell off to the enemy Also the Grecians compacted with Sinon that by night when the Trojans were asleep those that came to Troy should have a token when he should open the Trojan Horse to let forth the Souldiers that were within Whence Virgil When the Kings fleet lift up the flames just then Did Sinon let forth all the Grecian men Also by Torches letters may be signified as we find it in the Manuscript of Polybius Tops of buildings or Towers are very fit to set up the Torches on Let the letters be divided into two or three parts if there may be eleven or seven parts of each If they be seven the first letters are shew'd by single Torches the second by double ones the third by three Torches The number may be also divided into four parts but in representing them we must observe the variety of motion For one Torch once lifted up shall signifie A the same lifted up twice B thrice C so seven times the last of the first order G after that two once H so many twice I thrice signifies L and so of the rest of the same order Then Q by the
some hours and so let it stand and stir it not Now I will shew How a foil is put upon a Concave Glass But it is more laborious to lay a foil on a Concave-Glass Prepare then a foil of the bigness of your Glass that you shall lay upon the Convex superficies and holding it fast with a finger of your left hand upon the Centre with your right hand you shall fit the foil round about and shall extend it on the said superficies until it become of the same form with that convex superficies and stick every where even unto it Then of moist Gyp shall you prepare a form of the Glass namely by pouring Gyp upon the Convex superficies and when the Gyp is dry you have the form Upon the form extend a foil of Tin and let it agree perfectly with the form every where because the form and the foil are made after the same superficies strew quick-silver upon the foil and as I said make it stick by means of a Hares foot The Artists call this Avâ—vare put paper upon it and pressing this upon the Glass take away the paper when you know it sticks fast take away your hand and lay on a weight and after â—â—ke it away but with a careful balancing of your hand lest it take wind and that the quick silver may all stick fast every where Now remains how To terminate Convex-Glasses Make Glass Balls but of pure Glass and without bladders as much as you can as the receivers for distillations and from the hollow iron that it is blown in by let this liquid moisture be projected namely of Antimony and Lead but the Antimony must be melted twice or thrice and purged and cast Colophonia in So stir the mixture in the hollow vessel and what remains cast forth and so in Germany they make Convex-Glasses CHAP. XXIII How Metal Looking-Glasses are made BUt Metal-Glasses are made another way Wherefore if a Parabolical-Glass be to be made draw a Parabolical line upon a brass or wooden Table what is without it must be filed away that it may be equal smooth and polished fasten it upon an Axis in the middle and fit it with Instruments that may be fitly turned about let there be clay with straw under it made up with dung that the Table being turned about it may receive a Concave form exactly then let it dry strew ashes upon it and plaister clay above that of a convenient thickness let it dry by the fire or if you will by heat of the Sun take it off for it will easily part from the ashes unite them together that as much space may be between both forms as you think fit for the thickness of the Glass when it is dry cover it with this leaving an open orifice on the top and some breathing places that the Air may breathe forth at it Then make such a mixture let them be put into a new pot that will endure the fire and lute it well within that it may hold the faster let it dry well and do this twice or thrice over set it to the fire and melt in it two pounds of Tartar and as many of white Arsenick when you see them fume pour in fifty pounds of old brass often used and let it melt six or seven times that it may be pure and cleansed then adde twenty five pounds of English Pewter and let them melt together draw forth some little of the mixture with some Iron and try it whether it be brittle or hard if it be brittle put in more Brass if too hard put in Pewter or else let it boil that some part of the Pewter may evaporate when it is come to the temper it should be cast upon it two ounces of Borax and let it alone till it dissolve into smoke then cast it into your Mold and let it cool When it is cool rub it with a Pumice-stone then with powder of Emril When you see that the superficies is perfectly polished and equal rub it over with Tripolis Lastly make it bright and shining with burnt Tin most adde a third part of Pewter to the Brass that the mass may be the harder and become more perspicuous THE EIGHTEENTH BOOK OF Natural Magick Treating of things heavy and light THE PROEME MAny miracles worth relating and to be contemplated do offer themselves when I begin to describe heavy and light and these things may be applied to very necessary and profitable uses and if any man shall more deeply consider these things he may invent many new things that may be employed for very profitable ends Next after these follow wind Instruments that are almost from the same reason CHAP. I. That heavy things do not descend in the same degree of gravity nor light things ascend BEfore I shall come to what I intend to demonstrate I must premise somethings necessary and set down some actions without the knowledge whereof we can make no proof nor demonstration I call that heavy that descends to the Centre and I say it is so much the heavior the sooner it descends contrarily that is light that ascends from the Centre and the lighter that ascends soonest I say that bodies yield one to the other and do not penetrate one the other as wine and water and other liquors Moreover this action must be premised that there is no body that is heavy in its own kind as water in the element of water or Air in Air. Also vacuum is so abhorred by Nature that the world would sooner be pulled asunder than any vacuity can be admitted and from this repugnancy of vacuum proceeds almost the cause of all wonderful things which it may be I shall shew in a Book on this Subject It is the force of vacuum that makes heavy things ascend and light things descend contrary to the rule of Nature so necessary it is that there can be nothing in the world without a Body Therefore these things being premised I shall descend to somethings And first a most heavy body shut up in a vessel whose mouth is turned downwards into some liquor that is heavior or of the same kind I say it will not descend Let the vessel turned with the mouth downwards be A B filled with water the mouth of it beneath must be put into a broad mouth'd vessel C D full of water be it with the same liquor or with another that is heavior I say the water will not descend out of the vessel A B. For should the water contained in the vessel A B descend it must needs be heavior than the water contain'd in the broad mouth'd vessel C D which I said was of the same kind or heavior if then it should fall down it would be against the first action The same would fall out if both vessels were filled with wine or water For if the water contained in the vessel A B should descend into the place of C D there would remain vacuity in A being there is
descend down to the water beneath and be set under it but fastned that it take no air let the vessel above be made hot by the Sun or fire for the air that is contained in the vessel rarefies and breathes forth whereupon we shall see the water rise into bubbles when the Sun is gone and the vessel grows cold the air is condensed and because the air included cannot fill up the vacuity the water is called in and ascends thither CHAP. IV. A discription of water Hour-glasses wherein Wind or Water-Instruments for to shew the Hours are described THe Antients had Hour-Dials made by water and Water-Dials were usual and famous Heron of Alexandria writ Books of Water-Dials but they are lost I have writ a Book of them and that this part may not be deficient I shall shew two that are made by contraries one by blowing in the air the other by sucking it out This shall be the first A Water-Dial Take a vessel of Glass like a Urinal it is described by the letters AB On the top is A where there is a very small hole that the point of a needle can scarce enter it at the bottom neer the mouth let there be set a staff EF that in the middle hath a firm Pillar going up to the very top of the vessel let the Pillar be divided with the Hour-lines Let there be also a wooden or earthen vessel GH full of water Upon the superficies of that water place the Glass vessel AB that by its weight will press toward the bottom but the air included within the vessel keeps it from going down then open the little hole A whereby the air going forth by degrees the vessel will gradually descend also Then make by another Dial the marks on the staff CD which descending will afterwards shew the Hourmarks When therefore the vessel goes to the bottom of the wooden vessel the Dial is done and it is the last Hour But when you would have your Dial go again you must have a crooked empty pipe OK the upper mouth K must be stopt with the finger K so K being stopt with the finger that the air may not enter sink it under the water that it may come within the vessel AB then put your mouth to K and blow into it for that will raise the vessel upward and it will come to its former place and work again I shall also describe for my minds sake Another Water-Dial contrary to the former namely by sucking in the air Let there be a Glass vessel like to a Urinal as I said AB and being empty set fast on it the vessel CD that it cannot sink down then fill it with water as far as B Let there be a hole neer the top E wherefore sucking the air by the hole E the water comes into the vessel AB from the vessel CD and will rise as high as FG when therefore AB is full of water stop the hole E that no air enter and the water will fall down again In the top of the vessel AB let there be another very small hole that the air may come in by degrees and so much as there comes in of air so much water will go forth On the superficies of the vessel make Hour-lines that may snew the Hours marked 1 2 3 c. or if you will let the Still fastned to a Cork swim on the top of the water and that will shew the Hours marked on the outside of the vessel CHAP. V. A description of Vessels casting forth water by reason of Air. NOw I will describe some Fountains or Vessels that by reason of air cast forth water and though Heron ingeniously described some yet will I set down some others that are artifically found out by me and other men Here is described A Fountain that casts forth water by compression of the Air Let there be a vessel of water-work close every where AB make a hole through the middle and let a little pipe CD go up from the bottom of the water-work vessel D so far from the bottom that the water may run forth Upon the superficies of the Tympanum let there be C a very little hole with a cover to it or let it have as the Greeks call it Smerismation to shut and open it handsomely and in the upper surface of the Tympanum bore the basis quite through with a little pipe which enters into the hollow of the Tympanum and having in the hole beneath a broad piece of leather or brass that the air coming in may not go back wherefore pour in water at E that it may be three fingers above the bottom then blow in air as vehemently as you can when it is well pressed in shut the mouth then opening the mouth A the water will fly up aloft until the air be weak I at Venice made a Tympanum with pipes of Glass and when the water was cast forth very far the Lord Estens much admired it to see the water fly so high and no visible thing to force it I also made another place neer this Fountain that let in light and when the air was extenuated so long as any light lasted the Fountain threw out water which was a thing of much admiration and yet but little labor To confirm this there is An Artifice whereby a hand-Gun may shoot a bullet without fire For by the air onely pressed is the blast made Let there be a hand Gun that is made hollow and very smooth which may be done with a round instrument of lead and with Emril-powder beaten rubbing all the parts with it Then you must have a round Instrument that is exactly plained on all parts that may perfectly go in at the mouth of the wind Gun and so fill it that no air may come forth let it be all smeer'd with oyl for the oyl by its grossness hinders any air to come forth So this lead Bullet being put into the Guns mouth and thrust down with great force and dexterity then presently take away your hands but you must first shut the little hole that is in the bottom of the hole and the bullet and little stick will fall to the bottom and by the violence of the air pressed together it will cast out the Bullet a great way and the stick too which is very strange Also I will make A Vessel wherewith as you drink the liquor shall be sprinkled about your face Make a vessel of Pewter or Silver like to a Urinal then make another vessel in the fashion of a Tunnel or a round Pyramis let their mouths be equal and joyn'd perfectly together for they must be of the same bredth let the spire of it be distant from the bottom of the Urinal a fingers breadth and let it be open then pour water into the vessel and fill the Urinal unto the hole of the spire end and fill the Tunnel to the top and the rest of the Urinal will be empty
brass Cauldron that will hold much water fill it with salt water after that the Urinals and putting on their caps when fire is put under both the Urinals will drop and the cap that contains others by its pipe will drop out water also for the vapors rising from the Cauldron of hot water will make the Urinals drop and the cap will drop withal But if at Sea the commodity of such a vessel cannot be had We may Distil salt water otherwise though but little Dioscorides shews the old way of distillation we may that way distil sea water in ships which Pliny shews also Fleeces of wool extended about the ship are made wet by the vapors rising from the Sea and sweet water is pressed out of them But let us see whiter Salt water may be made fresh another way Aristotle saith it and Solomon before him That all Rivers came from the Sea and return to the Sea for by the secret passages under ground the waters that are sent forth leave their earthly and dry parts mixed with the earth and they come forth pure and sweet He saith The cause why the salt water comes not forth is because it is ponderous and settles and therefore onely hot-hot-waters of salt-salt-waters can run forth for they have a lightness that oversways the weight of the salt for what is hot is lightest Adde that waters running through the earth are much strained and therefore the heavior and thicker they are the more do they continually sink down and are left behind and the lighter they are the more pure do they come forth and are severed For as Salt is heavy so sweet water is light and so it comes that they are sweet waters that run forth This is the very cause why salt-water when it moves and is changed is made the sweeter for motion makes it lighter and purer Let us see now if we can imitate Nature Fill then great vessels with earth and set them so one above another that one may drean into another and thus salt-water dreaning through many vessels may leave the salt behinde I tried it through ten vessels and it remain'd still salt My friend said that he made it sweet through twenty vessels Yet thus I thought to warn you of that all earth is not fit for this use Solinus saith That sea-water strain'd through clay will grow sweet and it is proved that the salt is taken away if you strain it often through thin sand of a River Earth that lies in covered places and under roots is naught for that is commonly salt as also where Cattle are sâ—alled which Columella saith is naught for Trees for that it makes salt-water what is strain'd from it Black earth is naught for it makes the waters sharp but clay grounds make sweet waters Paxamus Anaxagoras said That the saltness of the sea came from the Rivers running through salt places and communicating that quality to the sea Some approve River-gravel for this use and their reason is because always sweet waters are found by the shores and they say this happens because they are strain'd through the sand and so grow fresh coming from the salt-sea for the sweet water that is found neer the sea is not of the sea but such water as comes from the tops of hills through the secret channels of the earth thither For waters that drean forth sweet are sweet though they lye even with the sea and in plain places as Apuila where the waters drean not from the hills they are salt So on the shores of Africa But Aristotle brings an experiment from a vessel of wax for if one make a Ball of wax that is hollow and shall dip it into the sea it being of a sufficient thickness to contain he shall finde it full of fresh water because the corpulent saltness cannot get in through the pores of the wax And Pliny by letting down little nets into the sea and hollow balls of wax or empty vessels stopt saith they will draw in fresh water for sea-water strain'd through clay will grow fresh But I have found this to be false For I have made pots of clay as fine and well as I could and let them down into salt-water and after some days I found salt-water in them Also if it were true it is of no use when as to sweeten one pound of water a thousand Balls of wax a day were not sufficient But for this many vessels might be invented of porous wood and stones A vessel of Ivy that parts as I said wine from water will not part salt from water if it drean through it But stones are brought from Portingal made into vessels into which sea water put will drean forth sweet if not the first yet the second time they use it to break the stone also for that many pumex and porous stones may be tried Leo Baptista Albertus saith That an earthen pot well stopt and put into the sea will fill with potable water But I have tried all earthen vessels and I always found salt-water Aristotle in his Problems saith It may be done Another way If salt-water cannot be drank cold yet hot and cool again it is better to drink It is because a thing useth to change from contrary to contrary and salt-water is contrary to fresh and when it is boil'd the salt part is boil'd off and when it is cold stays at the bottom This I tried and found it false and more salt for by heat the thin vapors of the water that are sweet exhale and the salt stay behinde and in lesser water the same quantity of salt makes it salter as I said in my distillations I wonder such a wise man would relate such falsities Florentinus borrowing it from him saith If water be not good nor poâ—able but ill let it be boiled till a tenth part of it be consumed then purge it and it will be good For sea-water so boil'd will grow sweet Let me see whether it can be made so Another way and that in great quantity There is a thing that being cast into large vessels filled with sea-water by fastning the salt will make it fall to the bottom or by curdling it and so it frees the water from it Wherefore we must think on things that have a stiptick quality the Antients tried this the Moderns have effected it Pliny Nitrous of bitter waters if you put Barley-flower dried to them they are tempered that you may drink of them in two hours therefore is Barley-flower put into wine sacks and elswhere Those that go to the Red-sea through the Desarts make nitrous and salt and bitter waters fit to drink in two hours by putting in of Barley-meal and they eat Barley-meal The like force hath the Chalk of the Rhodes and our Clay Also Cooks with Catlings and Meal of Wheat will take salt out of very salt meaâ— I tried this oft but found it false yet some of the saltness was taken away Pliny If you must drink ill