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-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-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
their Shells distil all at a gentle fire add to the water a little Camphire and Borax put into a glazed vessel two yong naked Pigeons with their guts taken forth and put in as much Milk as will cover them and add one ounce of Borax Turpentine three ounces Caâ—phire one ounce five whites of Eggs put on the cover and distil them for it is fat things that make the Face soft I shall say more when I come to speak of making the hands white and soft the reason is the same for both CHAP. XII How to make the face clear and shining like silver THe face is not onely made clear but white as silver by those things that I said were white as silver yet not exactly as silver but they shine as clear as silver There is an herb commonly called Argentaria or Argentina or wilde Tansey whose leaves are green above but on the backside they shine of a silver colour the distilled water of it is drank by women against spots in their faces and to make them white as silver The snails that are found in moist places and leave behind them as they creep a silver cord Dioscorides saith will cure the spots in the face women much desire them for they put them in a still and draw out water from them that polisheth the skin exceedingly and makes it contract a silver gloss And the seashell-fish like an ear whose shell is of a silver colour within or pearl colour and many kinds of shells that being steeped in vinegar will grow pure casting off the outward crust as the Oystershel doth that brings forth pearl There are also shells we call the Mothers of pearl that inwardly are shining and of a silver colour like pearls all which women use for their art of beautifying themselves for they make the face smooth and to shine as white as silver But pearls do it best of all things when they are dissolved in sharp juyces and soaked in rotten dung till they send forth a clear oyl that is the best thing to beautifie the face as I shall shew elsewhere For the same use is a glass-stone used that shines like silver But no better water is prepared then from Talk or Quick-silver as I shall shew in that which follows CHAP. XIII How to dissolve Talk for to beautifie women THough I shall speak in a work on purpose more at large how Talk may be dissolved into water or oyl We shall here onely set down how it may be fitted for womens use Of all such ways as are used I shall set forth such as I have tried to be good Beat Talk in a mortar of metal then put it into a pot of the strongest clay and cover it and bind it in with strong iron wyer lute it well all cover and stop the joynts that nothing breathe out and set it in the Sun to dry Then put this stone in an oven that flames strongly or in some other place where the fire is most vehement When the fire of the oven is out take it forth and break the vessel and if it be well calcined it is enough Otherwise do the same again until the calx of it be as white as it ought to be When the calcined body of it is white as it must be grind it on a porphyry-stone and put it into a little bag or upon a marble in a very moist place or deep well or cistern and let it lie there long and with much moisture it will drop forth at last It will more easily and perfectly dissolve into water if it were burnt long enough and turned into a calx For the parts being turn'd to lime and made exceeding dry by force of fire they attract moisture It is also done Another way that is good Calcine the Talk and put it in an earthen pot and set it in the hottest part of a potters oven to stay there six days When the Talk is thus turn'd to a calx put it into a gourd-glass which you shall first make clean and make a hole at the bottom of it and setting a vessel under it you shall have the moisture of it drop forth and the calx will resolve into water put this into a glass vial and let the water evaporate in Balâ—eo take the sediment out for your use I use also Another way Put snails in an earthen vessel in the open air that they may be kept hungry three days and pine for want of meat and be purged then take a silver Loadstone or Talk most finely powdred mingle it with the white of an egge and make an ointment anoint the earthen vessel with it and put the snails into it for they will eat up all the Talk When they have eaten all and voided their excrements bruise the snails with their shells and putting them into a retott draw out their moisture with a gentle fire the humour that drops forth will exceedingly adorn the face CHAP. XIV The preparation of Sublimate I Said that there was nothing better than quick-silver for womens paints and to cleanse their faces and make them shine Wherefore I shall set down many ways to Prepare it that you may have the use of it to your desire Take one ounce and half of pure quick-silver not falsified with lead for if there be lead mingled with it all your labour is lost How it must be purged and known I taught elsewhere Mingle this with half a pound of Mercury sublimate and put it into a marble mortar and with a new wooden pestle stir it well turning it round about First it will be black in six hours it will grow white if you cease not to beat it Then adde one ounce and half of white salt always turning it about with the pâ—stle for the more you grind it the perfecter it will be When it is very well ground it must be washt Sprinkle boiling clear water into the mortar and stir it and then stay a while until the muddy part may sink down and the filth that was lighter and swims on the top laying the vessel on one side pour out the water gently and pour in fresh do this five or six times in the same manner until the pure and onely powder remain without dregs make little cakes of it and dry it in the sun Some whilst they bruise it sprinkle water on lest the powder by grinding should be made so small that it should fly away into the air The chief business is to purge it and grind it well that it be not troubled when it is strain'd forth that which is gone to the bottom and so part of it be lost some open a hole in the belly of a pot that when it is settled the hole being opened the water with the dregs may run forth Others to sublimate adde a third part of quick-silver and grind it in a wooden mortar and in the â—â—an while they chew four grains of mastick in their mouths and they spit the clammy spittle
out of their mouths into the mortar until it be white as I said then they boil it in one pound of the distilled water of Bryony-root till it be consumed then they put a linnen cloth to receive it at the mouth of the vessel and so they strain it forth and set it in the sun they make â—roches of it with gum Traganth others to sublimate add a sixth part of quick-silver bruising it round about then they adde camphir borax and ceruss half as much and mingle all together The principal matter is it is the best way to sprinkle it with water whilst you grind it lest by grinding it the powder become so light that it fly away also when the water is poured on all the filth will come on the top and more easily be poured off then when the sublimate is washed it is left to settle down then again pouring off the former water they pour on fresh and they wash it oft till they see it is enough and no black swims on the top But there is no better as we said than Water of quick-silver But some will not away with quick-silver by reason of the hurt it commonly doth to the teeth but they use other water Yet there is no better water then that which is extracted from quick-silver it is so clear and transparent and the face anointed with it shines like silver it draws the skin handsome and makes it soft by and by and I never saw a better the manner was shewed before CHAP. XV. How white-lead is prepared for the face BEcause sublimate is so dangerous there is a private way to do it with ceruss but not the usual way that women may have their desire without hurting their skin or their teeth I am now come to the business of ceruss Take of swines grease well washed and cleansed in common water at least ten times put it in to a lye of sweet water and after fifteen days into a pot or earthen vessel with a broad mouth pouring in the sharpest vinegar put in your swines grease that the vinegar may swim three fingers above it then fasten a plate of lead on the mouth of the pot well luting the joynts with linnen cloths that the vinegar may not evaporate Every fifteen days take off the cover and see how it is if the lead be dissolved and scrape the cover of all that hangs upon it and put in the cover anoint it all about and let it stand so long till all the rest be performed as I said before and the whole lead be turned to ceruss Ceruss must be washt thus Pour water into a vessel put the ceruss into it stir it up and down that what dregs there is may swim on the top the ceruss is heavy and will sink to the bottom Pour forth what swims above in the vessel and pour on fresh water and do this so often until the pure ceruss be found without dregs dry it and lay it up If you will do it Another way Take two handfuls of cleansed barley let it steep all night in fair water then dry it on a linnen cloth spread abroad in the sun When it is dried poun it in a marble mortar when it is bruised put it into a glazed vessel which is full of vinegar and cast upon this four whole eggs with their shells then stop the vessel with a plate of lead that is arched or not very even and let there be no place that gives vent Set it half in the sand and let it stand in the open sun after ten days take off the covering of the vessel that you stopt it with strike down the ceruss that is in it with a feather and scrape it off then take the eggs out and put in new and do as you did and after so many days scrape it off until the whole plate be consumed Let down the ceruss you have stricken off into a vessel full of water bound up in a linnen cloth that is clean and moderately fine and stir it in the water carrying it about here and there until the muddy part of it run forth and the sediment remain in the cloth let the water settle and strain it and pour it forth changing the water so long until no dregs remain Lastly strain forth the water and lay up the powder when it is dry This alone with fountain water will make the face white mingled with the white of an egge and will make it shine Some Another way wash ceruss and make it pure Mingle hards of hemp with whites of eggs well stirr'd role up the ceruss in the middle of it and wrapping a cloth about it boil it one hour in a new earthen pot putting water to it as it boils take off the skum then take it from the fire and if any Lead be sunk down cast it forth afterwards make Troches of it with Gum-Traganth that it may keep the better Some bid boyl in water of white Lillies Ceruss very finely powdered tied up in a skin and fastned in a Linen-cloth over it to the handle of the Vessel The manner of boyling is the same as I first shewed Then pour it forth into an earthen dish and strain it gently from all its moysture dry it fifteen days in the Sun and keep it CHAP. XVI The best Sopes for women I Shewed in particulars how you might procure whiteness lustre and softness to the Face now shall I speak of waters made of these that will at the same time make if it be first rub'd clean The Face white clear ruddy and soft These I speak of can do it being composed together and distilled Take Ceruss ready washed one ounce half as much Mercury sublimate Gum-Traganth as much Tartar one ounce powder all these and put them into a young Pigeon washed and unbowelled and sow them in put it into a new Earthen Pot full of water distilled by a Retort boyl it till the flesh part from the bones then distil it when you go to bed wash you Face and in the morning wash it with Fountain-water so you shall have it white clear soft and well-coloured Also you may do it Another way Bruise three pound of Bean-Cods the shells add two pounds of Honey and one of Rosin of Turpentine put them into a Vessel and close it that nothing vent forth and let it ferment eight days in dung then add four pound of Asses milk and in the Vessel draw forth Oyl at the fire use this water morning and evening If you will have Another way do it thus Distil all these severally Elder-flowers and Flowers of wilde Roses Broom Honey-snâ—kles Solomons-seal and Briony-Roots sowre Grapes and Sarcocolla mingle equal parts of each or distil them again and set them in the Sun This will be the best I shall shew Another for the same Pull of a Hens Feathers without water take out her Entrals cut her in pieces let infuse one night in white-Wine in the morning wash her in
softness remains which is onely given to fat Hands To make the Hands as white as Milk Take things that are Milk-White as Almonds Pine-Kernels Melon and Gourd-Seeds and the like Therefore bruise bitter Almonds Pine-Kernels and Crums of Bread then make Cakes of them with Barley-water wherein Gum Traganth hath been soaked You may use this for Sope when you wash your Hands for they scowre them and make them white I For the same use oft-times bitter Almonds half a pound put them in hot water to blanch them then beat them in a Marble-Morter Afterwards take the lesser Dragons two ounces Deers Suet and Honey of each as much mingle them all in an earthen Pot with a large mouth set them at the fire and let them be stirred gently with a wooden-stick that they mingle well put it up in Boxes for your use If you will have Your hands white wash fresh Butter nine times in sweet water and last of all in sweet-sented Rose-water to take off the ill smell and that it may look as white as Snow then mingle white wax with it and a good quantity of Oyl of sweet Almonds Then wash your gloves in Greek-Wine as the manner is and smeer on the foresaid mixture put on these when you go to bed that all night they may grow soft by the help of fat things Then take Peach-Kernels with the skins picked off Seeds of Gourds Melons white Poppy Barley-meal of each one ounce and half the juice of two Lemmons rosted in the Embers mingle these with as much Honey as will make them thick as an Oyntment and to make them smell well you may add a little Musk or Civet when you go to bed but in the morning wash them with fountain-Fountain-water and for Sope use the Lees of Oyl of Nuts well pressed forth or Lees of Oyl-Olive Others use this Liniment onely Press the Cream out of Lemmon-Seeds with two ounces of it mingle one ounce of Oyl of Tartar and as much Oyl of Almonds When at night you go to bed wash your Hands in Fountain-water dry them and anoynt them with this Liniment and put on your Gloves Take Another For one weeks-time infuse the Marrow of Ox-bones in cold water but change the water four or five times a day and for every pound of Marrow take six excellent Apples and cut them in the middle and cast forth the Seeds and Core then beat them small in a Marble-Morter and put them into a new Morter that they may smell the sweeter adding a few Cloves Cinnamon Spikenard let them boyl in Rose-water When they are all very soft take them forth and strain them and again add a sharp Lixivium and let them boyl at a gentle fire until all the water be washed Then set them up in a Glass-Vessel for your use or make them into morsels That which follows is good For the same Make a hole in a Lemmon and put into it Sugar-Candy and Butter and cover it with the Cover wet Hards of Hemp and wrap it up in and boyl it in hot Embers and that it grow soft by rosting when you go to Bed anoynt your hands with it and put on your Gloves CHAP. XXVIII How to correct the ill sent of the Arm-pits THe stink of the Arm-holes makes some women very hateful especially those that are sat and fleshy To cure this we may use such kinde of Experiments The Ancients against the stink of the Arm-pits used liquid Allome with Myrrh to anoynt them or the Secrets and Arm-holes were strewed with the dry Leaves of Myttles in powder The Roots of Artichoaks smeered on doth not onely cure the ill sent of the Arm-pits but of the whole Body also But Zenocrates promiseth by Experiment That the faultiness of the Arm-pits will pass forth by urine if you take one ounce of the pith of the Root boyled in three Lemina's of Muskadel to thirds and after bathing fasting or after meat drink a cup thereof But I am content with this I dissolve Allome in waters and I wash the Feet and Arm-pits with it and let them dry so in some days we shall correct the strong smell of those parts But it will be done more effectually thus Pown Lytharge of Gold or Silver and boyl it in Vinegar and if you wash those parts well with it you shall keep them a long time sweet and it is a Remedy that there is none better CHAP. XXIX How the Matrix ovar-widened in Child-birth may be made narrower TRotula saith we may honestly speak of this because Conception is sometimes hindred by it if the Matrix be too open and therefore it is fit to lend help for such an impedient For some women have it stand wide-open by reason of their hard labour in Child-birth and if their Husbands be not content with it that the men may not abhor the women it is thus remedied Take Dragons-Blood Bole-Armeniac Pomegranate-shells white of an Egg Mastick Galls of each one ounce powder them and make them all up with hot water Put some of this Confection into the hole that goes into the Matrix Or Galls Sumach Plantain great Comfrey Allome Chamaelaea take equal parts of them all and boyl them in Rain-water and foment the Privities Or beat sowre Galls very finely mingle a little of the Powder of Cloves with them Let them boyl in sharp red Wine wet a woollen cloth in it and apply to the part Or thus may you restrain that part of common whores with Galls Gums whites of Eggs Dragons Blood Acacia Plantain Hypocistis Balanstia Mastick Cypress-nuts Grape-skins Akorn-cups Or in that hollow part where the Glans breaks forth and gaping shews the Nucleus with Mastick and Terra Lemnia If all these be boyled in red Wine or Vinegar and the Matrix be often wet therewith it will come very close and be much straighter Or else powder all these and cast them in through a Reed or make a fume under them Great Comfrey will be excellent for this purpose for flesh boyl'd with it will grow together And the other also if it be boyl'd will very well glew together fresh Wounds The Decoction of Ladies Mantle or the juice or distilled water of it cast into the Matrix will so contract it that Whores can scarce be known from Maids or if they sit in the Decoction of it especially if we mingle other astringent things with it and wet the Secrets therewith The distilled water of Starwort being often injected into the Matrix will make one scarce know which is corrupted and which is not But if you will have A woman deflowred made a virgin again Make little Pills thus Of burnt Allome Mastick with a little Vitriol and Orpiment make them into very fine Powder that you can scarce feel them when you have made them Pills with Rain-water press them close with your fingers and let them dry being pressed thin and lay them on the Mouth of the Matrix where it was first broken open change it every
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-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-salt-waters They must be fresh gathered and then drenched either in brine or else in sea-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-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
How the defects of wine may be managed and restored OUr forefathers found out many remedies to preserve wine and in our dayes we have taken no less pains For wine is easily corrupted and takes to it self many strange qualities Paxamus saith wine either grows sowre or dead about the Solstices and when the seven stars set or when the dog star causeth heat and when it is extream cold or hot or rainy or windy or when it thunders We shall shew remedies for all these First we shall lay down out of Africanus the signs to know wines that will last or will corrupt When you have put your wine into a vessel after some time change the vessel and look well on the Lees for thence shall you know what the wine is proving it by smelling to it whether it corrupt or weevils breed in it these are signs it putrifies Others take wine out of the middle of the vessel they heat it and when it is cold they taste of it and they judge of the wine by the favour some by the smell of the cover a strong taste is the best sign a watry the worst sharpness of duration weakness of corrupting The signs must be taken at the times to be feared we mentioned But to come to the remedies we shall shew how To mend weak wine The wine will be weak when it begins to breath forth that force of heat fot when the soul of it is breathed forth the wine grows immediately sowre vineger is the carcasse of wine Then we may presently prevent it by adding aqua vitae to it for by that it may put on a new soul the measure will be the fourth part of a pound for a vessel Another remedy will be That wine may not grow hot In the Summer Solstice wine grows hot by the hot weather and is spoiled then put quick-silver into a glass-viol well stopt and hang it in the middle of the vessel and the coldness of it will keep the wine from heating The quantity is two pound for great vessels for when the air is hot the external heat draws forth the inward heat and when that is gone it is spoiled We That wine may not exhale use this remedy The vessel being full we pour oyle upon it and cover it for oyle keeps the spirits from evaporating which I see is now used for all liquors that they may not be perverted Wines sometimes are troubled But To clear wines Fronto bids us do thus Cast three whites of egges into a large earthen dish and beat them that they may froth put some white salt to them that they may be exceeding white and pour them into a vessel full of wine for salt and the white of an egge will make all thick liquors clear but as many Dolia or such measures as there are in the vessel so many whites of egges must you have to be mingled again with so many ounces of salt but you must stir the mixture with a stick and in four dayes it will grow clear Also it is done That wines may not corrupt I said that salt keeps all things from corrupting wherefore for every Dolium powder one ounce of Allome and put it into the wine vessel with the wine for it will keep it from corrupting The same is done if you put in one ounce of common salt or half one half the other Also brimstone hinders putrefaction Wherefore if you shall adde to eight ounces of Allome or of Salt four ounces of brimstone you shall do well The Antients were wont to peserve wine by adding Salt or sea-sea-water to it and it would continue along time Columella teacheth thus when the winds are quiet you must take water out of the deep sea when it is very calm and boyl it to thirds adding to it if you please some spices There are many ordinary things but we let them pass CHAP. XXIV How Oyl may be made of divers things IT is an excellent thing to shew the diversity of ways to make Oyl That if Olives should ever be scarce yet we might know how to draw Oyl from many kinds of fruits and seeds And some of these ways that came from the Antients yet onely the best and such as are our inventions Wherefore to begin We say that Oyl may be made of Ricinus call'd Cicinum Dioscorides makes it thus Let ripe Ricini as many as you please wither in the hot Sun and be laid upon hurdles let them be so long in the Sun till the outward shell break and fall off Take the flesh of them and bruise it in a morter diligently then put it into a Caldron glazed with Tin that is full of water put fire under and boil them and when they have yielded their inbred juyce take the vessel from the fire and with a shell skim off the Oyl on the top and keep it But in Egypt where the custom of it is more common for they cleanse the Ricini and put them into a Mill and being well grownd they press them in a press through a basket Pliny saith They must be boiled in water and the Oyl that swims on the top must be taken off But in Egypt where there is plenty of it without fire and water sprinkled with Salt it is ill for to eat but good for Candles But we collected them in September for then is the time to gather them with it parts from a prickly cover and a coat that holds the seed in it it is easily cleansed in a hot Caldron The weight of Oyl is half as much as the seed but it must be twice knocked and twice pressed Palladius shews how Oyl of Mastick is made gather many Grains of the Mastick-tree and let them lye in a heap for a day and a night Then put a basket full of those Berries into any vessel and pouring hot water thereto tread them and press them forth Then from that humour that runs forth of them the Oyl of Mastick that swims on the top is poured off But remember lest the cold might hold it there to pour hot water often on For thus we see it made with us and all the Country of Surrentum also so is made Oyl of Turpentine as Damageron teacheth The fruit of Turpentine is grownd in a Mill as the Olives are and is pressed out and so it sends forth Oyl The kernels serve to feed hogs and to burn Likewise Oyl of Bays Boil Bay-berries in water the shels yield a certain fat it is forced out by crushing them in the hands then gather the Oyl into horns Palladius almost as Dioscorides in January boil many Bay-berries that are ripe and full in hot water and when they have boy'ld long the watry oyl that swims on the top that comes from them you shall gently pour off into vessels driving it easily with feathers The Indians make as it is said Oyl of Sesamon It is made as we said before it sends forth excellent Oyl abundantly There is made Oyl of
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
either white or black or brown The white is made of Crude Parâ—er washed in Rose-water or other sweet Water and adding Musk Amber Civet and such-like it will smell at a good distance CHAP. VII How to make sweet Compounds THere may be made divers kindes of sweet Compounds of which are made Beads which some use to reckon their Prayers by and others to trim their clothes with also wash-Balls to cleanse and sweeten the hands And first How to make sweet Balls with small charge which yet shall seem to be very costly and sweet Take one ounce of Cyprian Powder and Benjamin of the best mixture which is brought out of Turky half an ounce of Cloves a sufficient quantity of Illyrian Iris. First melt some Gum Tragacantha in Rose-water then with the former powder make it into a Mass and rowl it up in little Balls bore them thorow and fix every one on a several tent upon the Table then take four Grains of Musk dissolve it in Rose-water and wash the outside of the Balls with it then let them dry afterwards wet them again for three or four times so will they cast forth a most pleasant sent round about which they will not quickly lose But if you would bestow more cost and have a greater sent I will shew How to make them another way Take one ounce of Storax of Amber half one a fourth part of Labdanum cleansed one drachm of Lignum aloes and Cinnamon an eighth part of Musk. Beat the Gum Storax and Amber in a Brass Morter with an Iron Pestle being both hot when these are well mixed cast in the other powders and mix them all together at last add the Musk and before they grow cold from what you please of them I will add also Another Compound very necessary in a time of Plague which will not onely refresh the Brains with its sweet odour but will preserve it against infection Take three ounces of Labdanum as much Storax one of Bejamin an ounce and a half of Cloves an ounce of Sanders three of Champhire one of Lignum Aloes Calamus Aromaticus and juice of Valerian a drachm of Amber mix all these in the juice of Balm rose-Rose-water and Storax dissolved But to wash the Face and Hands I will set down a most Noble Composition Of washing Balls or Musk-Balls Take the fat of a Goat and purifie it in this manner Boyl a Lye with the Pills of Citron in a Brass Kettle let the fat remain in it for an hour then strain it thorow a Linen-cloth into cold water and it will be purified Make the Lye of two parts of the Ashes of the Ceruss-Tree one of Lime and half a Porringer of Alom mingle them and put them in a wooden Bowl with two holes in the bottom stopt with Straw then pour in water that it may cover them three fingers over and strain it out thorow the holes when the first is run out add another quantity of water and so the third time whilst the water doth receive any saltness Keep these several runnings asunder and add some of the second third unto the first while a new Egg will swim in it for if it sink and go to the bottom it will be too weak therefore add some of the first running If it swim on the top and lie upon the surface of the Water put in some of the second and third running until it descend so that scarce any part of it be seen above the Water Heat twenty pound of this Water in a Brass Kettle and put into it two of the fat then strain it out into broad Platters and expose it to the hot Sun mixing it often every day When it is grown hard make Pomanders of it and reserve them You may thus perfume them Put two pound of the Pomanders into a Bowl and with a VVooden Spoon mix it with Rose-water till it be very soft when it hath stood still a while and is grown hard add more water and set it in the Sun do this for ten days Then take half a drachm of Musk somewhat less Civet and as much of Cinnamon well beaten mix them and if you add a little Rose-powder it will smell much sweeter then judge of it by your nose If the sent be too weak add more of the Perfumes if too strong more of the Soap How to make Soap and multiply it Since we are fallen upon the discourse of Soap we will not pass it over this Take Soap Geta and reduce it into a small Powder set it on the fire in a Brass Kettle full of Lye of a moderate strength so that in three hundred pound of Lye you may put fourscore of Soap When the Water beginneth to boyl up in bubbles stir it with a wooden Ladle and if the Lye do fail in the boyling add new When the Water is evaporated take the Kettle from the fire and cast in six pound of ordinary Salt well beaten and with an Iron Ladle empty it out and let it cool all night In the mean time prepare a brine so sharp that it will bear an Egg. In the morning cut the Soap into slices and put it into a broad Vessel and pour the brine on it there let it stand one quarter of a day and it will become very hard If you put some Sal Alchali into the brine it will make it much harder CHAP. VIII How to make sweet Perfumes IT remaineth that we speak of Perfumes for they are very necessary for the senting of Skins Clothes and Powders and to enrich Noble mens Chambers with sweet odors in Winter they are made either of Waters or Powders How to make Perfumes of Waters Take four parts of Storax three of Benjamin of Labdanum Lignum Aloes and Cinnamon one an eighth part of Cloves a little Musk and Amber Beat them all grossly and put them in a Brass Pot with an ounce and a half of rose-Rose-water Set the Pot over the fire or hot Ashes that it may be hot but not boyl it will cast forth a pleasant odor when the Water is consumed put in more You may also add what you have reserved in the making Aqua Nanfa for it will send out a very sweet fume Another way Take three parts of Cloves two of Benjamin one of Lignum Aloes as much Cinnamon Orange-Pill and Sanders an eight part of Nutmeg Beat them and put them into a pot and pour into them some Orange-flower-water Lavender and Myrtle-water and so heat it Another way Express and strain the juice of Lemmon into which put Storax Camphire Lignum Aloes and empty Musk-Cods macerate them all in Balneo for a week in a Glass-Bottle close stopt When you would perfume your Chamber cast a drop of this Liquor into a Brass Pot full of Rose-water and let it heat over warm Ashes it will smell most pleasantly Excellent Pomanders for perfuming Take out of the Decoction for Aqua Nanfa Lignum Aloes Sanders Cinnamon and Cloves and of the
the very first cause to these inferiours deriving her force into them like as it were a cord platted together and stretched along from heaven to earth in such sort as if either end of this cord be touched it will wag the whole therefore we may rightly call this knitting together of things a chain or link and rings for it agrees fitly with the rings of Plato and with Homers golden chain which he being the first author of all divine inventions hath signified to the wise under the shadow of a fable wherein he feigneth that all the gods and goddesses have made a golden chain which they hanged above in heaven and it reacheth down to the very earth But the truth of Christianity holdeth that the Souls do not proceed from the Spirit but even immediately from God himself These things a Magician being well acquainted withal doth match heaven and earth together as the Husband-man plants Elmes by his Vines or to speak more plainly he marries and couples together these inferiour things by their wonderful gifts and powers which they have received from their superiours and by this means he being as it were the servant of Nature doth bewray her hidden secrets and bring them to light so far as he hath found them true by his own daily experience that so all men may love and praise and honour the Almighty power of God who hath thus wonderfully framed and disposed all things CHAP. VII Of Sympathy and Antipathy and that by them we may know and find out the vertues of things BY reason of the hidden and secret properties of things there is in all kinds of creatures a certain compassion as I may call it which the Greeks call Sympathy and Antipathy but we term it more familiarly their consent and their disagreement For some things are joyned together as it were in a mutual league and some other things are at variance and discord among themselves or they have something in them which is a terror and destruction to each other whereof there can be rendred no probable reason neither will any wise man seek after any other cause hereof but only this That it is the pleasure of Nature to see it should be so that she would have nothing to be without his like and that amongst all the secrets of Nature there is nothing but hath some hidden and special property and moreover that by this their Consent and Disagreement we might gather many helps for the uses and necessities of men for when once we find one thing at variance with another presently we may conjecture and in trial so it will prove that one of them may be used as a fit remedy against the harms of the other and surely many things which former ages have by this means found out they have commended to their posterity as by their writings may appear There is deadly hatred and open enmity betwixt Coleworts and the Vine for whereas the Vine windes it self with her tendrels about every thing else she shuns Coleworts only if once she come neer them she turns her self another way as if she were told that her enemy were at hand and when Coleworts is seething if you put never so little wine unto it it will neither boil nor keep the colour By the example of which experiment Aâ—drocides found out a remedy against wine namely that Coleworts are good against drunkennesse as Theophrastus saith in as much as the Vine cannot away with the savour of Coleworts And this herbe is at enmity with Cyclamine or Sow-bread for when they are put together if either of them be green it will dry up the other now this Sow-bread being put into wine doth encrease drunkennesse whereas Coleworts is a remedy against drunkennesse as we said before Ivy as it is the bane of all Trees so it is most hurtful and the greatest enemy to the Vine and therefore Ivy also is good against drunkennesse There is likewise a wonderful enmity betwixt Cane and Fern so that one of them destroyes the other Hence it is that a Fern root powned doth loose and shake out the darts from a wounded body that were shot or cast out of Canes and if you would not have Cane grow in a place do but plow up the ground with a little Fern upon the Plough-shear and Cane will never grow there Strangle-tare or Choke-weed desires to grow amongst Pulse and especially among Beans and Fetches but it choaks them all and thence Dioscorides gathers That if it be put amongst Pulse set to seethe it will make them seethe quickly Hemlock and Rue are at enmity they strive each against other Rue must not be handled or gathered with a bare hand for then it will cause Ulcers to arise but if you do chance to touch it with your bare hand and so cause it to swell or itch anoint it with the juice of Hemlock Much Rue being eaten becometh poison but the juice of Hemlock expels it so that one poison poisoneth another and likewise Rue is good against Hemlock being drunken as Dioscorides saith A wilde Bull being tyed to a Fig-tree waxeth tame and gentle as Zoroaster saith who compiled a book called Geoponica out of the choice writings of the Antients Hence it was found out that the stalks of a wilde Fig-tree if they be put to Beef as it is boiling make it boil very quickly as Pliny writeth and Dioscorides ministreth young figs that are full of milky juice together with a portion of water and vinegar as a remedy against a draught of Bulls blood The Elephant is afraid of a Ram or an engine of war so called for as soon as ever he seeth it he waxeth meek and his fury ceaseth hence the Romans by these engines put to flight the Elephants of Pyrrhus King of the Epyrotes and so got a great victory Such a contrariety is there betwixt the Elephants members and that kind of Lepry which makes the skin of a man like the skin of an Elephant and they are a present remedy against that disease The Ape of all other things cannot abide a Snail now the Ape is a drunken beast for they are wont to take an Ape by making him drunk and a Snail well washed is a remedy against drunkennesse A man is at deadly hatred with a Serpent for if he do but see a Serpent presently he is sore dismaid and if a woman with child meet a Serpent her fruit becometh abortive hence it is that when a woman is in very sore travel if she do but smell the fume of an Adders hackle it will presently either drive out or destroy her child but it is better to anoint the mouth of the womb in such a case with the fat of an Adder The sight of a Wolfe is so hurtful to a man that if he spie a man first he takes his voice from him and though he would fain cry out yet he cannot speak but if he perceive that the man hath first espied him he
good thing cometh certainly from the power of the Sun and if we receive any good from any thing else yet the Sun must perfect and finish it Heraclitus calls the Sun the Fountain of heavenly light Orpheus calls it the light of life Plato calls it a heavenly Fire an everliving Creature a star that hath a Soul the greatest and the daily star and the natural Philosophers call it the very heart of heaven And Plotinus shews that in antient times the Sun was honoured in stead of God Neither yet is the Moon lesse powerful but what with her own force and what with the force of the Sun which she borrows she works much by reason of her neernesse to these inferiours Albumasar said That all things had their vertue from the Sun and the Moon and Hermes the learned said that the Sun and the Moon are the life of all things living The Moon is nighest to the Earth of all Planets she rules moist bodies and she hath such affinity with these inferiours that as well things that have souls as they that have none do feel in themselves her waxing and her waining The Seas and Flouds Rivers and Springs do rise and fall do run sometimes swifter sometimes flower as she rules them The surges of the Sea are tost to and fro by continual succession no other cause whereof the Antients could find but the Moon only neither is there any other apparent reason of the ebbing and flowing thereof Living creatures are much at her beck and receive from her great encrease for when she is at the full as Lucilius saith she feeds Oysters Crabs Shelfish and such like which her warm light doth temper kindly in the night season but when she is but the half or the quarter light then she withdraws her nourishment and they wastâ— In like manner Cucumbers Gourds Pompons and such like as have store of 〈◊〉 juice feel the state of the Moon for they wax as she doth and when she 〈◊〉 they waste as Athenaeus writes Likewise the very stems of plants do follow the state of the heavens witnesse the Husband-man who finds it by experience in his graffing and skilful Husbandmen have found the course and season of the year and the monethly race of the Moon so necessary for plants that they have supposed this knowledge to be one chief part of Husbandry So also when the Moon passeth through those signs of the Zodiak which are most peculiar to the earth if you then plant trees they will be strongly rooted in the earth if you plant them when she passeth through the signs of the Air then the tree so planted will be plentiful in branches and leaves and encreaseth more upward then downward But of all other the most pregnant sign hereof is found in the Pome-granate which will bring forth fruit just so many years as many daies as the Moon is old when you plant it And it is a report also that Garlick if it be set when the Moon is beneath the earth and be also plucked up at such a time it will lose its strong savour All cut and lopped Woods as Timber and Fewel are full of much moisture at the new of the Moon and by reason of that moisture they wax soft and so the worm eats them and they wither away And therefore Democritus counselleth and Vitruvius is also of the same minde to cut or lop trees in the waining of the Moon that being cut in season they may last long without rottennesse And that which is more as her age varies so her effects vary according to her age for in her first quarter she maketh hot and moist but especially moist from thence all moist things grow and receive their humidity in that time from that time to the full of the Moon she gives heat and moisture equally as may be seen in Trees and Minerals from that time to the half Moon decaying she is hot and moist but especially hot because she is fuller of light thence the fishes at that time commonly are wont to swim in the top of the water and that the Moon is in this age warm appears by this that it doth extend and enlarge moist bodies and thereby the moisture encreasing it causeth rottennesse and maketh them wither and wâ—â—te away But in her last quarter when she loseth all her light then she is meerly hot and the wises of Chaldea hold that this state of heaven is best of all other So they report that there is a Moon-herb having round twirled leaves of a blewish colour which is well acquainted with the age of the Moon for when the Moon waxeth this herb every day of her age brings forth a leaf and when she waineth the same herb loseth for every day a leaf These variable effects of the Moon we may see more at large and more usually in tame creatures and in plants where we have daily sight and experience thereof The Pismire that little creature hath a sense of the change of the Plantes for she worketh by night about the full of the Moon but she resteth all the space betwixt the old and the new Moon The inwards of mice answer the Moons proportion for they encrease with her and with her they also shrink away If we cut our hair or pair our nailes before the new Moon they will grow again but slowly if at or about the new Moon they will grow again quickly The eyes of Cats are also acquainted with the alterations of the Moon so that they are sometimes broader as the light is lesse and narrower when the light of the Moon is greater The Beetle marketh the ages and seasons of the Planets for he gathering dung out of the mixen rounds it up together and covereth it with earth for eight and twenty daies hiding it so long as the Moon goeth about the Zodiak and when the new Moon cometh he openeth that round ball of dirt and thence yields a young Beetle Onions alone of all other herbs which is most wonderful feels the changeable state of the Planets but quite contrary to their change frameth it self for when the Moon waineth the Onions encrease and when she waxeth they decay for which cause the Priests of Egypt would not eat Onions as Plutark writes in his fourth Commentary upon Hesiode That kinde of spurge which is called Helioscopium because it follows the Sun disposeth of her leaves as the Sun rules them for when the Sun riseth she openeth them as being desirous that the morning should see them rise and shutteth them when the Sun setteth as desiring to have her flower covered and concealed from the night So many other herbs follow the Sun as the herb Turn-sole 〈◊〉 when the Sun riseth she holds down her head all day long that the Sun may never so much as writhe any of her there is such love as it were betwixt them and she stoops still the same way which the Sun goeth so do the flowers of Succory and of Mallows
Rose-bush with earth a foot above the root of it and there pour in wam water upon it whilst the slippe beginneth to shoot up and before any blossom appeareth Likewise if you would have A Vine to bring forth before her time you must take nitre and pown it and mix it with water so that it be made of the thicknesse of hony and as soon as you have pruned the Vine lay good store of your nitre upon the Vine-buds and so shall your buds shoot forth within nine days after But to procure the Grapes to be timely ripe you must take the mother of the wine before it is become sowre and lay the same upon the root of the plants when you set them for at that time it is best so to use them as Tarentinus and Florentinus both affirm Moreover if you would have any thing to bud forth very timely Theophrastus saith you may procure it by setting the same Into the Sea-onion for if a Fig-tree be set but neer it it will cause the speedy ripening of Figs. And to be brief there is nothing set in the Sea-onion but will more easily and speedily shoot forth by reason of the strong inward heat which that herb is endued withal Democritus sheweth another means whereby you may cause The Fig-tree to bring forth hasty Figs namely by applying the same with pepper and oyle and Pigeons dung Florentinus would have the duâ—g and the oyle to be laid upon the Figs when they be raw and green Palladius counselleth that when the Figs begin to wax somewhat red you should then besmear them with the juice of a long Onion mixed with pepper and oyle and so the Figs will be the sooner ripened Our practice is this when the Figs begin to wax ripe we take a wooden needle and anoint it over with oyle and so thrust it through both ends of the Figs whereby in few dayes the fruit is ripened Others effect this by heaping up a great many Rams horns about the root of the Tree Pliny shews How to make Coleworts branch before their time and this is by laying good store of Sea-grasse about it held up with little props or else by laying upon it black nitre as much as you can take up with three fingers or thereabouts for this will hasten the ripening thereof We may also cause Parsley to come up before his time Pliny saith that if you sprinkle hot water upon it as it begins to grow it will shoot up very swiftly And Palladius saith that if you pour vineger upon it by little and little it will grow up or else if you cherish it with warm water as soon as ever it is sown But the mind of man is so bold to enter into the very secret bowels of Nature by the diligent search of experience that it hath devised to bring forth Parsley exceeding timely It grows up easily of it self for within fifty or fourty daies it is wont to appear out of the earth as Theophrastus and others affirm as by their writings may be seen Our Country-men call it Petroselinum In the practising of this experiment you must shew your self a painful workman for if you fail or commit never so small an error herein you will misse of your purpose You must take Parsley seeds that are not fully one year old in the beginning of Summer you must dip them in the vineger suffering them to lie a while in some warm place then wrap up the seeds in some small loose earth which for this purpose you have before meddled with the ashes of burned bean-straw there you must bedew them oftentimes with a little warm water and cover them with some cloth that the heat get not from them so will they in short time appear out of the earth then remove the cloth away and water them still and thereby the stalk will grow up in length to the great admiration of the beholders But in any case you must be painful and very diligent for I have assayed it and by reason of some error and negligence I obtained not my desire howbeit many of my friends having made diligent trial hereof found it to be a very true experiment Likewise may Lentiles be hastened in their growth if they be smeared over with dry Ox-dung a little before they are sown but they had need lie in that dung four or five daies before they be cast into the ground So Melons may be hastened in their fruit for if in the Winter-time you lay a parcel of earth in mixens that are made of hot dung and in the same earth sow Melon-seeds the heat of the dung will cause them soon to sprout forth you must keep them warm with some covering from the snow and the cold of the night and afterward when the Air is more calm you must plant them in some other place for by this means we have hastened the fruit hereof And by this same device of preventing their seed-time we may cause Cucumbers to hasten their fruit But Theophrastus setteth down another practice Cucumber-roots if they be carefully lookt into will live long Therefore if a man cut off a Cucumber close by the ground after it hath brought forth fruit and then cover the roots over with earth the very same roots the year following will bring forth very timely fruit even before others that were most seasonably sown Theophrastus also sets down another way Of hastening Cucumbers and that is by macerating the seed before it be sown or else by supplying it with continual moisture after it is sown So also we may procure Pease or Vitches to be timely ripe If we sow them before their ordinary season in Barley time as Florentinus sheweth But Theophrastus saith this may be done by macerating them in the water before seed-time but especially if you macerate them shales and all for there is but a little of it will turn to putrefaction and the shale feeds the kernel well at the first howsoever afterward it turn to nothing The same Theophrastus sheweth also How the Rape-root may be hastened in growth If the Gardner saith he do hide the same in an heap of earth it will cause it to bring forth very timely fruit the year following There may other fruits also be timely ripened as A Quince may be hastened in ripening if you daily bedew them with continual moisture as Palladius sheweth And Democritus saith you may have Roses growing in the moneth of January if you water the slip twice a day in the Summer-time We may likewise procure that Gourds shall bring forth very timely by underpropping and holding up their young tender sprigs In like manner we may cause The forward Fig-tree to hasten her fruit by renting or scarifying the body of the Tree that the milky juice may there swell and find issue out of it that when the superfluous humor is gone forth that which is left behind may be the more easily concocted and so the fruit will be sooner ripened
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
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
brine as the Quintiles affirm for if you preserve either Gourds or Cucumbers in brine they will last long So Apples and Myrtles may be preserved by lapping them up in Sea-weed one by one so that they may be covered all over with it and not touch one another as Apuleius sheweth If you have no Sea-weed then you must lay them up close in Coffers Aristotle is of opinion that the fruits of the Myrtle-tree need not to be lapped up in Sea-weed thereby to keep them from falling off from the Tree because they will stick on of themselves till they be thoroughly ripe but the blades of them are preserved by wrapping Sea-weed about them and the vapour of the Sea-weed thus wrapped about the blades will keep the juice of the fruit from being changed to any further maturity and cause it to continue long at one stay and this is by reason of the saltness of the Sea-weed whereby it doth intercept and dry up that moisture which should be derived into the fruit to ripen it We may learn also to preserve Olives in brine to have them good a year after Marcus Cato saith that those kinds of Olives which are called Orchites may be well preserved if they be laid up in brine while they are green or else if they be powned with Mâ—stick Columella saith that the Olives which are called Orchites and those which are called Pansiae and the little round Olive called Radiolus are to be knocked and beaten and so cast into brine and then to be taken out of the brine and squeezed and so cast into a vessel together with the blanched seeds of Mastick and Fennel then take a good quantity of new wine and half so much strong brine or pickle and put it into the vessel and so the fruit will be preserved Or else you may cast your Olives whole into a vessel and put in strong brine amongst them till the vessel be brim-full and so take them out for your uses when occasion serveth There are a certain kind of black Olives called also Orchites which Cato saith are thus to be preserved When they be dry cast them into salt and there let them lie for the space of two dayes afterward take them forth and shake off the salt and set them in the Sun two dayes together and so they will be preserved Marcus Varro reports the very same experiment out of Cato Columella saith while Olives be yet black and unripe you must tuck them off the Tree with your hand in a fair Sun-shining day and cull out the sound ones from those that have any blemish and into every peck and and an half of Olives put a quart and somewhat more of whole salt then put them into wicker baskets and there let them lie in salt thirty dayes together that the Lees or dregs may be still dropping forth afterward put them into some trey or such like vessel that you may wipe away the salt with a spunge and when you have done so barrel them up into a Hogs-head full of new wine or else of sodden wine and by this means they will be long preserved Didymus teacheth to make condite or preserved Olives on this manner When Olives are almost ripe you must gather them with their stalks and all then wash or steep them a whole day in cold water and afterward lay them a drying upon wicker Lattises handling them very gently then put them in the bottom of a vessel and cast good store of salt amongst them and into five pecks of Olives you must put in four gallons and two quarts of brine and two pints and a half of vineger And when you have filled up the vessel shake them together that the liquor may swim on the pot Columella Palladius and divers others do cast the Olives into sea-Sea-water and there steep them seven dayes together and when they have taken them forth they condite them with brine and so put them up into some other vessel CHAP. XII That things may be specially well preserved in Oyl and Lees of Oyl OYl and especially Lees of Oyl do excellently conserve things defending them both from the injuries of the Air and of Animals Cato doth in short enumerate the faculties of Lees of Oyl he subacts the Barn-flores with Lees of Oyl that Mice may not eat his Corn. That also He may preserve his Grain in his Garner he dawbes the Pavement and Walls thereof with clay confected with Lees of Oyl That also Moths may not eat his clothes he be sprinkles them with Lees of Oyl as also that Seed Corn lying in the fields may be kept from erosion by Animals if it be steeped in Oyl lees as also Whetstones Shoes Brazen-vessels from rust all Woodden-houshold-stuff Potters-vessels and the like The same Cato also saith That Myrtle branches may be preserued with their Berries on in Lees of Oyl Bind these or any of the like Nature into bundles put them into a vessel of Oyl-lees so that the Oyl cover them then cover the vessel Didymus saith That roses may be kept in Oyl-lees fresh and vigorous if they be covered over with this liquor If you would preserve Figtree-branches with their fruits in Oyl-lees bundle them up with their leaves and all and put them in a vessel of Oyl-lees as we said of Myrtle but if you would keep dry Figs from corruption lay them up in a Potters vessel wet with Lees of Oyl decocted Olives may be preserved in Oyl for when they have lost their colour they may be gathered with their stalks preserved in Oyl and a year after they will represent their green colour and if you besprinkle them with common salt they will pass for new ones CHAP. XIII How Apples may belong conserved in Sawdust with leafs and Chaff or straw THe Ancients have invented many Trees whose fruits may be long preserved in their own saw dust because of its dryness Now every fruit is best kept in its own leaves dust and the like as we have said of Olives which are best kept in Oyl Grapes in wine c. Orenges may be kept in Cedar-dust As Palladius asserts who avers that many have experienced it in the like manner Quinces may be long kept in dust because as Democritus avers the dryness of the dust preserves them from putrefaction they may be also kept long in Wooll fine Tow or the like in Chests The fruits of the Fir-tree may be long kept in dust Many diffuse the saw-dust of the Poplar or Fir-tree amongst their fruits for their preservation Apuleius saith You may lay them involved in fine Tow into a vimineous basket and they will keep Pomegranates may be kept from putrefaction in Oak-dust Columella would have the dust first steeped in vinegar and then they laid in it Mago would have us first strew a new potters vessel with the dust then lay in the apples then strew another layer of dust and another of apples till the vessel be full which we must
meal Do this thrice or four times and so you may increase it continually and this must be done in a stove that the dewy spirit may be fostered I thought good to tell you also before that you must not prick the lump lest the generative blast should breath forth and flie into the air for so you will lose your labour and there must not want presently a dewy vapour which being carried into the air and made to drop may moisten the lump so you will rejoice at the wonderful increase but you must be cunning in the manual application Pray do not destroy by your negligence what was invented by the careful ingenuity of those that tried it CHAP. XX. How we may long endure hunger and thirst THe Antients had some compositions to drive away hunger and thirst and they were very necessary both in times of Famine and in wars Pliny saith some things being but tasted will abate hunger and thirst and preserve our forces as Butter Licoris Hippace and elsewhere Scythia first produced that root which is called Scythia and about Baeotia it grows very sweet And another that is excellent against Convulsions also it is a high commendation of it that such as have it in their mouths fell nor hunger nor thirst Hippace amongst them doth the same which effects the same in horses also And they report that with these two herbs the Scythians will fast twelve dayes and live without drink also all which he translated out of Theophrastus first book The Scythian Hippace is sweet also and some call it Dulcis it grows by Maeotis Amongst other properties it quencheth thirst also if it be held in the mouth For which cause both with both with that and with the other called equestris men say the Scythians will endure hunger and thirst twelve dayes Hence it appears that Pliny translated all this out of Theophrastus But I think he erred for Hippace signifies Cheese made of Mares milk and is no herb Theodorus translated it Equestrem as it were a root like Licoris fit to drive away hunger and thirst For Hippocrates saith the Scythian shepherds eat Hippace but that is Mares Cheese and elsewhere The Scythians pour Mares milk into hollow vessels of wood and shake it and that froths with churming and the fat of it they call butter which swims on the top that which is heavy sinks to the bottom they separate this and dry it when it is dry they call it Hippace the reason is because Mares milk nourisheth exceedingly and is as good as Cows milk Dioscorides The west Indians use another composition also To endure hunger and thirst Of the herb called Tobacco namely of the juice thereof and the ashes of Cockle shells they make little balls and dry them in the shade and as they travel for three or four dayes they will hold one of them between their under lip and their teeth and this they suck continually and swallow down what they suck and so all the day they feel neither hunger thirst nor weariness but we will teach another composition which Heron mentions and it was called The Epimenidian composition to endure hunger and thirst For it was a medicament that nourished much and abated thirst and this was the food the besiegers of Cities and the besieged also lived on It was called the Epimenidian composition from the Sea-onion called Epimendium that is one of the ingredients of that composition it was made thus The squil was boiled and washt with water and dryed and then cut into very small pieces then mingle sesamum a fift part poppy a fifteenth part make all these up with honey as the best to make up the mass to mitigate it divide the whole as into great Olives and take one of these about two of the clock another about ten and they felt no hurt by hunger that used it There is another composition of the same that hath of Athenian sesamum half a Sextarius of honey a half part of oyle a Cotyle and a Chaenice of sweet Almonds mundified the sesamum and Almonds must be dried and ground and winowed then the squil must have the outsides taken off and the roots and leaves must be cut into small pieces and put into a morter and bruised till they be well mollified then you must make up the squils with the like quantity of honey and of oyle and put all into a pot and set them in cold and stir them well with a wooden ladle till they be well mingled when the lump is firm it is good to cut it into little morsels and he that eats one in the morning another at night hath meat enough This medicament is good for an Army for it is sweet and so fills a man and quencheth thirst we had this in an old Scholiast a Manuscript upon the book of Heron in the Vatican Library I saw the same composition in Philo in his fifth book of wars where he describes such like other things CHAP. XXI Of what fruits wines may be made NOw we shall speak of fruits of which wines may be made And first our Ancestors did do thus but they had two wayes for some were for Physicks which are found plentifully in Physick books others again were for ordinary use and they were divers and almost infinite according as the differences of places and Nations are for what is granted to one is denyed to another First Wine of Dates Pliny saith that in the East they make wine of Dates and he reckons up fifty kinds of Dates and as many different wines from them Cariotae are the chief full of juice of which are made the principal wines in the East they are naught for the head and thence they have their name The best are found in Judaea chiefly about Jericho yet those of Archelaiis are well esteemed and of Phaselis and of Libias valleyes of the same Country The chiefest property they have is this they are full of a white fat juice and very sweet tasting like wine with honey The wine will make one drunk and the fruit also eaten largely Dioscorides teacheth thus Put ripe Dates called Chydeae into a pitcher with a hole at bottom and stopt with a pitched reed shut the hole with linnen and to fourty Sextarii pour on three gallons of water If you would not have it so sweet five gallons will be sufficient to pour on after ten dayes take away the reed with the linnen take the thick sweet wine and set it up Also wine is made Of Figs. Sotion relates it thus Some make wine of green figs filling half the vessel with them and the other half to the brim they fill with fair water and they try still by tasting for when it tasts like wine they strain it and use it It is made faith Dioscorides of ripe figs and it is called Catorchites or Sycites Chelidonian or Phaenician figs called Caricae are steeped in a pot with a hole in the bottom with a pitched reed
and the hole stopt with flax to fourty Sextarii you must pour on three gallons of water and if you will not have the wine so sweet pour on five gallons and it will do After ten dayes the liquor is taken and again the third time also the same measure of water wherein the figs were infused is poured on and in the like manner after four or five dayes it is drawn off Some to six Amphorae thereof adde ten Sextarii of salt that it may not early corrupt others put Fennel and Thyme in the bottom and the Caricae on the top and so in order till the vessel be full also men make Wine of Pears which from the Greek word for Pears is called Apyres and from the Latin Piery Palladius saith it was thus They are bruised and put in a very course bag of Canvas and pressed with weights or in a Press It lasts in the Winter but in Summer comes it sowrer Dioscorides will not have the Pears too ripe the same way is made Wine of Pomegranates Sotion makes wine of the grains of the Pomegranate taking away what is in the middle of the grains Palladius put the ripe grains well purged into a Date pail and press them out with a scrue press then boil them gently to half when it is cold put it into vessels that are pitched or plaistered with Gipsum Some do not boil the juice but to every Sextarius they mingle one pound of honey and put all in the said vessels and keep it There is made Wine of the Lote-tree fruit There is a kind of Lote without any inward kernel which is as hard as a bone in the other kind wine is pressed also out of it like Mead that will not last above ten dayes Nepos saith the same from Pliny Athenaus from Polybius Wine is made of the Lote steeped in water and bruised very pleasant to the taste as the best Mead is it is drunk pure without water also but it will not last above ten dayes wherefore they make but little for use to last onely so long Vineger is made also of it And yet not much or good enough yet there is made Wine of Myrtles berries and Cornels Out of Sotion who of the berries of Myrtles and Cornels when they are fresh pounded and pressed our made wine Now I shall shew how we may make Wine of Corn. Drink is made of Corn. Dioscorides teacheth to make Beer of Barley also a drink is made of Barley called Curmi they use that drink oft-times for wine the like drinks are wont to be made of Wheat In Hiberia toward the west and in Britany whence Pliny of Corn drink is made Beer in Egypt called Zythum in Spain Caelia and Ceria Beer in France and other Provinces In Aristotles book of drunkenness those that drink wine made of Barley till they be drunk fall upon their backs they call that wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but those that are drunk with any other kind of drinks fall any way on the right or left hand forward or backward but those that drink Pinum fall onely upon their backs Wine made of Barley they call Brytum Sophocles in Triptolemo and Aeschylus in Lycurgo But Hellanicus saith that Brytum is made in Farms out of roots Hecateus saith that the Egyptians grinde Barley to make drink and that the Macedonians drink Brytum made of Barley and Parabia made of Millet and Rice saith Athenaeus Also wine is made of Rice for saith Aelianus when an Elephant fights in war they give him not onely wine of grapes but of Rice also Now the same drink is made in the Northern Climates of Corn and they call it Biera but they put hops to it for it cannot be made without Barley and Wheat are infused in the decoction of it We see that of Barley and Wheat steeped in water a drink is made that tastes like wine and of them I have made the best aqua vitae But these drinks of old were Physical rather then to use as wine But I shall shew how some drinks that are so like wine in taste that you would think they were wine indeed And first Wine of Honey To nine vessels of water put eighteen pounds of Honey into brass Caldrons covered with Tin and let them boil a long time stirring all with wooden ladles and wiping away the froth that riseth with little brushes pour it out put it into a wine vessel then take two pounds of red wine Tartar and boil them in water till they be dissolved to which add an eighth part of a vessel of vineger that the loathsome and unpleasing taste of the sweetnesse of Honey may be lost let these be mingled then pour on two vessels of the best wine then let it settle after some days strain it through a hair-cloth strainer or one of cloth to cleanse it from the filth and excrements A liquor will run from this that will serve for sparing and to abate charge in a family and it is good to drink in health and sickness cover it close and drink it I shall shew you another way to make Wine of Raisins Pour into a brass Caldron seven vessels of water put in two pounds of Raisins let them boil till they be wasted in the water and the water be sweet as Mead if your kettle be too small do it at several times then take your kettle from the fire and when the liquor grows cold strain it gently forth put up the strained liquor in a wine vessel and pour into it a measure of the sharpest red wine vineger to abate the sweetnesse of the Raisins then add nine pound of Tartar finely powdered unto it and pouring on a fourth part of the best wine stop the vessel close when it is full after one week use it Another Wine of Quinces Put into brass Caldrons glazed with Tin a vessel of new wine and put thereto about fifty wild Quinces namely such as are full of streeks and wrinkled take out their kernels cut the Quinces in peices like as you do Rape Roots boil all at a gentle fire when they have boild a while take them off and let them cool pound the Quinces in a morter with a wooden pestle press them out with a press put the juice pressed forth of them the new wine and set it up in a glazed earthen vessel for a whole year When wine is scarce and you have occasion to use this put â—nto a vessel four parts of water two of new wine and one fourth part of the aforesaid mixture cover the vessel and let it boil and when it is clear use it Of all these an amphora of vineger a pound of honey as much Tartar in powder let them boil a while in a pot glazed with Nitre and mingle them and for every vessel of water pour on an Amphora of wine and cover all and after twenty dayes use it or take honey one pound as much red wine Tartar half
a pound of Raisins two Amphoras of Vineger let them boil in a pot adde wine also to them and it will be for drink I shall adde the Northern drink Wine called Metheglin The drink in Pannonia Poland and England is more pleasant and wholesome then many wines are it is made of twenty pound of good honey and of water one hundred and twenty pound skimming it till all comes to eighty pound which being cold and tunned up into a wine vessel put in leaven of bread six ounces or as much as will serve to make it work and purifie it self and withal put into a bag that hangs and may be put into the liquor and not touch the bottom of Cinnamon granes of Paradise Pepper Ginger Cloves two drams one hand full of Elder flowers let them stand in a wine Cellar all the Winter in Summer set them fourty dayes in the Sun till they taste like wine and the unpleasant taste of the honey be gone But it will be more pleasant if you add a third part of wine CHAP. XXII How vineger may be made divers wayes and of what AFter wine it follows to speak of vineger First how our forefathers made it then how of late years that it may be made extream sowre which is not only good for a family but is necessary for many Arts. Also there are some Countries where wine and so vineger is scarce Therefore in those places divers men have used their wits to make it wherefore to begin we say that Vineger may be made of the Fig-tree Out of Columella A green fig must be taken very betimes and also if it have rained and the figs fall to the earth beaten down with showres gather those figs and put them up in Hogs-heads or Amphora and let them ferment there then when it grows sharp and hath sent out some liquor what vineger there is strain it out diligently and pour it into a sweet pitched vessel This yields the best sharp vineger and it will never grow musty or hoary if it be not set in too moist a place Some to make more quantity mingle water with the figs and then they adde to them the ripest new figs and they â—et them consume in that liquor until it tast sharp enough like vineger then they strain all through rushy baskets or withie bags and they boil this vineger till they have taken off all the froth and filth from it Then they adde some terrefied salt and that hinders worms and other vermine to breed in it Cassianus makes it thus Put into a vessel old figs terresied Barley and the internal parts of Citrons Stir it often and diligently and when they are putrified and soaked strain them out and use them Apuleius They make vineger of figs wet upon the Trees and cast into water to putrifie Dioscorides The liquor of figs steeped grows sharp as vineger and is used for it There is made also Vineger of Dates To Date wine we speak of some adde water and receive it again and they do this three four five or six times and at last it grows sowre From the same Pliny teacheth to make Vineger of honey You must wash your honey vessels or hives in water with this decoction is made the most wholesome vineger Palladius teacheth the way to make Vineger of Pears wild Pears are such as are sharp and ripe are kept three dayes in a heap then they are put into a vessel and fountain or river water is put to them the vessel is left covered thirty dayes then as much vineger as is taken out for use so much water is put in to repair it Cassianus makes Vineger of Peaches Put soft delicate Peaches into a vessel and adde parched Barley to them let them putrifie for one day then strain them out and use it We may from Cassianus make Vineger without wine If you boil Gypsum and sea-sea-water and then mingle it with River water and use it being strained But if you will Turn wine into vineger and contrarily vineger into wine Cassianus hath it He puts Beet roots bruised into wine it will be vineger when three hours are over But if he would restore it again as it was he puts in Cabbage roots So also To make the same We may do it another way and quickly Cast into wine Salt Pepper and sowre leaven mingle them and they will soon make it vineger But to do it more quickly quench in it often a red hot brick or piece of steel also provide for that unripe Medlars Cornels Mulberries and Plums But Sotion shews to make Sharp vineger of new wine Dry the mother of wine of grapes at the Sun and put them into new wine adding a few sowre grapes thereto and it will make sharp vineger that will be for use after seven dayes or put in pellitory of Spain and it will be sharp Moreover if you boil a fourth or fifth part of vineger at the fire put that to the rest and set all eight days in the Sun you shall have most sharp and pleasant wine The roots of old grass and Raisins and the leaves of a wild Pear-tree bruised and the root of the bramble and whey of milk burnt Acorns Prunes rosted and the decoctions of Chiches and pot-sheards red hot all of these put severally into vineger will make it tart Apuleius teacheth To double the quantity of vineger Take a good measure of Vineger about a Metreta and to that adde one Metreta of Sea-water boiled to half mingle them and set them aside in a vessel Some steep Barley and strain it and of that juice they mingle one Metreta and they stir them together and they cast in torrefied salt when it is yet hot a good quantity then they cover the vessel and let it stand eight dayes But I use to make it thus Vineger of clusters of grapes pressed forth After the Vintage we cast in the clusters when the wine is pressed forth into a wooden vessel and we pour upon them a quantity of water and it will be vineger when a week is over Moreover we cut the tendrels from Vines and bruise them and put water to them and it will be vineger Also thus Ill wine is turned to vineger When the bunches of grapes are pressed forth lay them between two wooden bowls not very thick together let them grow hot for four days then pour on them so much naughty wine as may cover them let them alone 24 hours then strain them into another wooden bowl and after so many hours put them into another bowl and do so til it be turned into most sharp white vineger and if you would make more of the same clusters pour on upon them some sharp vineger and let them alone till they be extream sharp and sowre then take that out and pour on ill wine and do as you did Lastly press those clusters out in a press and you shall recover as great quantity as of the wine that was spent CHAP. XXIII
and be first throughly boiled it turneth into Lead This experiment is observed by Dioscorides who saith That if you take Antimony and burn it exceedingly in the fire it is converted into Lead Galen sheweth another experiment concerning Lead namely How to procure Lead to become heavier then of it self it is For whereas he had found by his experience that Lead hath in it self an aethereal or airy substance he brings this experiment Of all the Mettals saith he that I have been acquainted with only Lead is encreased both in bigness and also in weight for if you lay it up in sellars or such other places of receipt that are under the ground wherein there is a turbulent and gross foggy air so that whatsoever is laid up in such rooms shall straightways gather filth and soil it will be greater and weightier then before it was Yea even the very clamps of Lead which have been fastened into carved Images to knit their parts more strongly together especially those that have been fastened about their feet have been divers times found to have waxed bigger and some of those clamps have been seen to swell so much that whereas in the making of such Images the leaden plates and pins were made level with the Images themselves yet afterwards they have been so swoln as that they have stood forth like hillocks and knobs very unevenly out of the Christal stones whereof the Images were made This Lead is a Mettal that hath in it great store of quick-silver as may appear by this because it is a very easie mastery To extract Quick-silver out of Lead Let your Lead be filed into very small dust and to every two pounds of Lâ—ad thus beaten into powder you must put one ounce of Salt-Peter and one ounce of ordinary common Salt and one ounce of Antimony Let all these be well beaten and powned together and put into a sieve and when they are well sifted put them into a vessel made of glass and you must fence and plaister the glass round about on the outward side with thick loam tempered with chopt straw and it must be laid on very fast and that it may stick upon the vessel the better your glass must not be smooth but full of rigoles as if it were wrested or writhen When your vessel is thus prepared you must settle and apply it to a reflexed fire that is to a fire made in such a place as will reflect and beat back the heat of it with great vehemency to the best advantage and underneath your vessels neck you must place a large pan or some other such vessel of great capacity and receipt which must be half full of cold water then close up all very fast and sure and let your fire burn but a little and give but a small heat for the space of two hours afterward make it greater so that the vessel may be throughly heated by it even to be red hot then set a blower on work and let him not leave off to blow for the space of four whole hours together and you shall see the quick-silver drop down into the vessel that is half full of water being flighted as it were out of the Mettal by the vehement force of the fire Commonly the quick-silver will stick to the sides of the vessels neck and therefore you must give the neck of the vessel a little jolt or blow with your hand that so the quick-silver may fall downward into the water-vessel By this practice I have extracted oftentimes out of every pound of Mettal almost an whole ounce of quick-silver yea sometimes more then an ounce when I have been very diligent and laborious in performing the work Another experiment I have seen which drew me into great admiration Lead converted into quick-silver A counterfeiting practice which is the chief cause that all the quick-silver almost which is usually to be had is but bastard stuff and meerly counterfeit yet it is bought and sold for currant by reason of the neer likeness that it hath with the best Let there be one pound of Lead melted in an earthen vessel and then put unto it also one pound of that Tinny mettal which is usually called by the name of Marchasite and when they are both melted together you must stirre them up and down and temper them to a perfect medley with a wooden ladle In the mean space you must have four pounds of quick-silver warmed in another vessel standing by to cast in upon that compounded Mettal for unless your quick-silver be warm it will not close nor agree well with your Mettals then temper your quick-silver and your Mettal together for a while and presently after cast it into cold water so shall it not congeal into any hard lump but flote on the top of the water and be very quick and lively The onely blemish it hath and that which onely may be excepted against it is this that it is somewhat pale and wan and not all things so nimble and lively as the true quick-silver is but is more slow and slimy drawing as it were a tail after it as other viscous and slimy things are wont to do But put it into a vessel of glass and lay it up for a while for the longer you keep it the quicker and nimbler it will be CHAP. III. Of Brass and how to transform it into a worthier Mettal WE will now alledge certain experiments concerning Brass which though they are but slight and trivial yet we will not omit to speak of them because we would fain satisfie the humour of those who have a great desire to read of and be acquainted with such matters And here we are to speak of such things as are good to stain the bodies of Mettals with some other colour then naturally they are endued withal Yet I must needs confess that these are but fained and counterfeit colourings such as will not last and stick by their bodies for ever neither yet are they able to abide any trial but as soon as ever they come to the touchstone they may easily be discerned to be but counterfeits Howbeit as they are not greatly to be desired because they are but deceivable yet notwithstanding they are not utterly to be rejected as things of no value And because there are very few Books extant which Treat of any Argument of like kind as this is but they are full of such experiments and sleights as here offer themselves to be handled by us for they are very common things and in every mans mouth therefore we will in this place speak onely of those things which are easily to be gotten and yet carry with them a very goodly shew insomuch that the best and sharpest censure may be deluded and mistaken by the beautiful gloss that is cast upon them and it may gravel the quickest and skilfullest judgement to define upon the suddain whether they are true or counterfeit Yet let them be esteemed no better then they deserve
made of most fine beards of corn and it will fill the whole vessel that the eye can behold nothing more pleasant The same is made of gold with aqua regia CHAP. VI. Of Silver I Shall teach how to give silver a tincture that it may shew like to pure gold and after that how it may be turned to true gold To give Silver a Gold-colour Burn burnt brass with stibium and melted with half silver it will have the perfect colour of gold and mingle it with gold it will be the better colour We boil brass thus I know not any one that hath taught it you shall do it after this manner melt brass in a crucible with as much stibium when they are both melted put in as muâ—h stibium as before and pour it out on a plain Marble-stone that it may cool there and be fit to beat into plates Then shall you make two bricks hollow that the plates may be fitly laid in there when you have fitted them let them be closed fast together and bound with iron bands and well luted when they are dried put them in a glass fornace and let them stand therein a week to burn exactly take them out and use them And To tincture Silver into gold you must do thus Make first such a tart lye put quick lime into a pot whose bottom is full of many small holes put a piece of wood or tilesheard upon it then by degrees pour in the powder and hot water and by the narrow holes at the bottom let it drain into a clean earthen vessel under it do this again to make it exceeding tart Powder stibium and put into this that it may evaporate into the thin air let it boil at an easie fire for when it boils the water will be of a purple colour then strain it into a clean vessel through a linnen cloth again pour on the lye on the powders that remain and let it boil so long at the fire till the water seems of a bloody colour no more Then boil the lye that is colour'd putting fire under till the water be all exhaled but the powder that remains being dry with the oyl of Tartar dried and dissolved must be cast again upon plates made of equal parts of gold and silver within an earthen crucible cover it so long with coles and renew your work till it be perfectly like to gold Also I can make the same Otherwise If I mingle the congealed quick-silver that I speak of with a cap with a third part of silver you shall find the silver to be of a golden colour you shall melt this with the same quantity of gold and put it into a pot pour on it very sharp vinegar and let it boil a quarter of a day and the colour will be augmented Put this to the utmost trial of gold that is with common salt and powder of bricks yet adding Vitriol and so shall you have refined gold We can also extract Gold out of Silver And not so little but it will pay your cost and afford you much gain The way is thiâ— Put the fine filings of Iron into a Crucible that will endure fire till it grow red hot and melt then take artificial Chrysocolla such as Goldsmiths use to soder with and red Arsenick and by degrees strew them in when you have done this cast in an equal part of Silver and let it be exquisitely purged by a strong vessel made of Ashes all the dregs of the Gold being now removed cast it into water of separation and the Gold will fall to the bottom of the vessel take it there is nothing of many things that I have found more true more gainful or more hard spare no labour and do it as you should lest you lose your labour or otherwise let the thin filings of Iron oak for a day in sea-water let it dry and let it be red hot in the fire so long in a â—rucible till it run then cast in an equal quantity of silver with half brass let it be projected into a hollow place then purge it exactly in an ash vessel for the Iron being excluded and its dregs put it into water of separation and gather what falls to the bottom and it will be excellent Gold May be it will be profitable to Fix Cinnaber He that desires it I think he must do thus break the Cinnaber into pieces as big as Wall-nuts and put them into a glass vessel that is of the same bigness and the pieces must be mingled with thrice the weight of silver and laid by courses and the vessel must be luted and suffer it to dry or set it in the Sun then cover it with ashes and let it boil so long on a gentle fire till it become of a lead colour and break not which will not be unless you tend it constantly till you come so far Then purge it with a double quantity of lead and when it is purged if it be put to all tryals it will stand the stronger and be more heavy and of more vertue the more easie fire you use the better will the business be effected but so shall we try to repair silver and revive it when it is spoil'd Let sublimate quick-silver boil in distil'd vinegar then mingle quick-silver and in a glass retort let the quick-silver evaporate in a hot fire and fall into the receiver keep it If you be skilful you shall find but little of the weight lost Others do it with the Regulus of Antimony But otherwise you shall do it sooner and more gainfully thus Put the broken pieces of Cinnaber as big as dice into a long linnen bag hanging equally from the pot sides then pour on the sharpest venegar with alom and tartar double as much quick lime four parts and as much of oaken ashes as it is usual to be made or you must make some Let it boil a whole day take it out and boil it in oyl be diligent about it and let it stay there twenty four hours take the pieces of Cinnaber out of the oyl and meer them with the white of an egge beaten and role it with a third part of the filings of silver put it into the bottom of a convenient vessel and lute it well with the best earth as I said set it to the fire three days and at last increase the fire that it may almost melt and run take it off and wash it from its faeces that are left at the last proof of silver and bring it to be true and natural Also it will be pleasant From fixt Cinnaber to draw out a silver beard If you put it into the same vessel and make a gentle fire under silver that is pure not mixed with lead will become hairy like a wood that there is nothing more pleasant to behold CHAP. VII Of Operations necessary for use I Thought fit to set down some Operations which are generally thought fit for our works and if you know them
not you will not easily obtain your deâ—â—re I have set them down here that you might not be put to seek them elswhere First To draw forth the life of Tinne The filings of Tinne must be put into a pot of earth with equal part of salt-peter you shall set on the top of this seven as many other earthen pots with holes bored in them and stop these holes well with clay set above this a glass vessel with the mouth downwards or with an open pipe with a vessel under it put fire to it and you shall hear it make a noise when it is hot the life flies away in the fâ—me and you shall find it in the hollow pots and in the bottom of the glased vessel compacted together If you bore an earthen vessel on the side you may do it something more easily by degrees and you shall stop it So also From Stibium we may extract it Stibium that Druggists call Antimony is grownd small in hand-mills then let a new crucible of earth be made red hot in a cole fire cast into it presently by degrees Stibium twice as muâ—h Tartar four parts of salt-peter finely powdred when the fume riseth cover it with a cover lest the fume rising evaporate then take it off and cast in more till all the powder be burnt then let it stand a little at the fire take it off and let it cool and skim off the dregs on the top and you shall find at the bottom what the Chymists call the Regulus it is like Lead and easily changed into it For saith Dioscorides should it burn a little more it turns to Lead Now I will shew how one may draw a more noble Metal To the out-side As foolish Chymists say for they think that by their impostures they do draw forth the parts lying in the middle and that the internal parts are the basest of all but they erre exceedingly For they eat onely the outward parts in the superficies that are the weakest and a little quick-silver is drawn forth which I approve not For they corrode all things that their Medicament enters the harder parts are left and are polished and whitened may be they are perswaded of this by the medals of the Antients that were within all brass but outwardly seemed like pure silver but those were sodered together and beaten with hammers and then stamp'd Yet it is very must to do it as they did and I think it cannot be done But the things that polish are these common Salt Alom Vitriol quick Brimstone Tartar and for Gold onely Verdigrease and Salt Ammoniack When you would go about it you must powder part of them and put them into a vessel with the metal The crucible must be luted with clay and covered there must be left but a very small hole for perspiration then set it in a gentle fire and let it burn and blow not lest the metal melt when the powders are burnt they will sink down which you shall know by the smoke then take off the cover and look into them But men make the Metal red hot and then when it is hot they drench it in or otherwise they put it in vinegar till it become well cleansed and when you have wrapt the work in linnenrags that was well luted cast it into an earthen vessel of vinegar and boil it long take it out and cast it into urine let it boil in salt and vinegar till no filth almost rise and the foul spots of the ingredients be gone and if you find it not exceeding white do the same again till you come to perfection Or else proceed otherwise by order Let your work boil in an earthen pot of water with salt alom and tartar when the whole superficies is grown white let it alone a while then let them boil three hours with equal parts of brimstone salt-peter and salt that it may hang in the middle of them and not touch the sides of the vessel take it out and rub it with sand till the fume of the sulphur be removed again let it boil again as at first and so it will wax white that it will endure the fire and not be rejected for counterfeit you shall find it profitable if you do it well and you will rejoyce if you do not abuse it to your own ruine CHAP. VIII How to make a Metal more weighty IT is a question amongst Chymists and such as are addicted to those studies how it might be that silver might equal gold in weight and every metal might exceed its own weight That may be also made gold without any detriment to the stamp or engraving and silver may increase and decreasâ— in its weight if so be it be made into some vessel I have undertaken here to teach how to do that easily that others do with great difficulty Take this rule to do it by that The weight of a Golden vessel may increase without hurting the mark if the magnitude do not equal the weight You shall rub gold with thin silver with your hands or fingers until it may dâ—ink it in and make up the weight you would have it sticking on the superficies Then prepare a strong lixivium of brimstone and quick lime and cast it with the gold into an earthen pot with a wide mouth put a small fire uâ—der and let them boil so long till you see that they have gain'd their colour then take it out and you shall have it Or else draw forth of the velks of eggs and the litharge of gold water with a strong fire and quench red hot gold in it and you have it Another that is excellent You shall bring silver to powder either with aqua fortis or calx the calx is afterwards washt with water to wash away the salt wet a golden vessel or plate with water or spittle that the quantity of the powder you need may stick on the outward superficies yet put it not on the edges for the fraud will be easily discovered by rubbing it on the touch stone Then powder finely salt one third part brick as much vitriol made red two parts take a brick and make a hole in it as big as the vessel is in the bottom whereof strew alâ—m de plume then again pour on the powder with your work till you have filled the hole then cover the hole with another brick and fasten it with an Iron pin and lute the joynts well with clay let this dry and let it stand in a reverberating fire about a quarter of a day and when it is cold open it and you shall find the gold all of a silver colour and more weighty without any hurt to the stamp Now to bring it to its former colour do thus Take Verdi rease four parts Salammoniack two parts salt-peter a half part as much brick alom a fourth part mingle these with the waters and wash the vessel with it then with iron tongs put it upon burning coles that it
you must often take it out from the fire and order it rightly till it be according to your desire I have before told you how to make flour of Tinne for the purpose I will adde somewhat more indeed no secret nor very necessary but that nothing may be omitted by us in this work viz. How to make a Jacinth beautiful enough and not much unlike a true one Put lead into a hard earthen pot and set it on the fire in a glass-makers fornace there let it remain for some days till the lead be vitrified and it will be of the colour of a Jacinth To counterfeit an Emerald You may do this almost in the same manner and it will resemble the colour of a pleasant green corn Dissolve silver with strong water then casting into the water some plates of Copper as I told you it will cleave to them Gather it together and dry it and set it into a glass-makers fornace in an earthen pot within a few days it will become an Emerald To do the same with other metals I will leave to the trial of others it is enough for me to have found out and discovered the way To counterfeit Carbuncles This we do with Orpin and use it in some ornaments for they are brittle and of a most flagrant colour have much of the scarlet blush and cast forth red sparkles Take four ounces of Orpin and grinde it small then put it into a glass vessel whose bottom you must fortifie against the force of the fire with mortar made with straw and stop the mouth of it gently The fire being kindled the smoke flieth up and the thinnest part of the material will rise to the top and you will see it stick to the sides of the glass and the neck it will grow bigger by degrees and new parts still flying up will make it grow thicker and like boyling water gather into bubbles which at last will encrease so big that they will fall down Some will stick in the neck of the glass all of a most flagrant colour but brittle and small Break the glass and take off with a sharp point of a knife those red congealed bubbles which stick to the glass and use them If you would make one great one of those little bubbles lay a great many little ones upon a piece of glass and melt them and they will run into one a most pleasant sight to see CHAP. VIII Of making smalt or Ennamel AFter Gems we will endevour to make Smalt or Ennamel It is a work almost of the same nature and of the same mixture and colours this onely difference is between them that in Gems the glass is transparent in this it is more dense and solid In antient times they made their Checker or Mosaique work of it and Gold-smiths do use it in colouring and enammeling gold It is Tinne that gives it a body and solidity To make white Enammel Take two ounces of Lead ashes four of Tinne and make it into a body with double the quantity of glass role it into round balls and set it on a gentle fire all night take heed it stick not to the sides of the pot but stir it about with an iron spattle and when it is melted increase the fire and the business is done To make black Smalt To a pound of glass you must adde a drachm of Manganess for so it will be of the colour of a Lyon then adde a drachm of Zaphara and the mixture will turn black make often tryal if it be of a dark purple or violet-colour for the Tin that giveth it the body will make it blacker To make Smalt of a deep yellow You may put to every pound of Crystal a little Crocus Martis and three ounces of Jalloline as they call it which engravers use at last Lead and Tin But if you desire To make Smalt of a paler yellow Instead of Jalloline adde Jaletto and you will have your desire To make green Smalt Adde burned Copper and so it will be of a deeper colour but if you desire it a paler adde the flakes of Copper which flie off while the smith hammereth it being red hot To make red Smalt Adde the rust of iron very finely beaten but when you would make Smalt dark on one side and transparent on the other Make your Pastils of earth and double as much glass set it a whole night in the fire of reverberation and let it melt in a convenient vessel stirring it with an iron rod so you shall perceive both transparent and opacous parts in the same little Orb. So To make Smalt of the colour of an Amethist It is done with nothing but Manganess and if you would have it of a deeper colour adde more of the body that is of the flower of Lead and Tin To make Smalt of skie-colour It may be effected with Zaphara by adding somewhat more of the body To make speckled Smalt which being full of small specks shall seem to be compounded of a great many lice very pleasant to behold The opacous Smalt being made pour it upon marble and then presently sprinkle some Crocus upon it or drop some pale colour in specks all over it and you shall have your desire To make Smalt of two colours cast Smalt first of one colour upon a marble as before and presently after some of another colour upon that then with an iron rod press them close and joyn them together To make the best kind of Smalt such as Goldsmiths use to every pot allow two roles of Sal Soda and some sand of which glass is made and it will be much more perfect CHAP. IX To make Smalt of a clear rose-colour THe most skilful glass-makers do labour very much in colouring Smalt of a rose-colour which is commonly called Rossiclere seeing that in former times they did it most beautifully and artificially I will set down what both I my self have dore in it and what I have received from other friends I have performed the best I could to shew others an opportune way of making better The manner is this cast ten pounds of Crystal in a pot and when you know it to be well melted adde a pound of the best red lead by half at a time stirring it with an iron rod as fast as you can for the weight of it will make it sink to the bottom when it is well mixed take it out of the pot with iron instruments fit for the purpose and cast it into water do this thrice then mix with it five ounces of Tin calcined and Cinnabaris of a most bright colour and so stirring them about for three hours let them stand a while When this is done adde moreover three ounces of vitrified Tin and beat them together without any intermission and you will see a most lively rose-colour in the glass which you may use in enamelling Gold To make Glass of Tin Set a pound of Tinne in a strong earthen pot into the fire
a wonderful Oyl which helpeth concoction and taketh away the inclinations to vomit it is thus made Pour half a Pint of the best Oyl into a brass Pot tinned within and of a wide mouth then take fifteen pound of Romane-Mint and beat it in a Marble-Morter with a VVooden-Pestle until it come to the form of an Oyntment add as much more Mint and VVormwood and put them into the Oâ—l mingle them and stir them well but cover the Pot lest any durt should fall in and let them stand three dayes and infuse then set them on a gentle fire and boyl them five hours for fifteen dayes together until the Oyl have extracted all the vertue of the infused Herbs then strain them through a Linen-cloth in a press or with your hands till the Oyl be run cleer out then take new Herbs beat them and put them into the strained Oyl boyl it again and strain it again do the same the third time and as often as you renew it observe the same course until the Oyl have contracted a green colour but you must separate the juice from the Oyl very carefully for if the least drop do remain in it the Oyl will have but small operation and the whole intent is lost A certain sign of perfect decoction and of the juice being consumed will be if a drop of it being cast upon a plate of iron red-hot do not hiss At last Take a pound of Cinnamon half a pound of Nutmegs as much Mastick and Spikenard and a third part of Cloves poun them severally and being well seirced put them into the Oyl and mix them with a VVooden-stick Then pour it all into an Earthen Vessel glazed within with a long Neck that it may easily be shut and stoot close but let it be of so great a capacity that the third part of it may remain empty Let it stand fifteen days in the Sun alwayes moving and shaking it three or four times in a day So set it up for your use CHAP. VII That a Woman may conceive THere are many Medicines to cause Conception spread abroad because they are much desired by Great Persons The Ancients did applaud Sage very much for this purpose And in Coptus after great Plagues the Egyptians that survived forced the Women to drink the juice of it to make them conceive and bring forth often Salt also helpeth Generation for it doth not only heighten the Pleasures of Venus but also causeth Fruitfulness The Egyptians when their Dogs are backward in Copulation make them more eager by giving them Salt-meats It is an Argument also of it That Ships in the Sea as Plutarch witnesseth are alwayes full of an innumerable company of Mice And some affirm That Female-Mice will conceive without a Male onely by licking Salt And Fish-wives are insatiably leacherous and alwayes full of Children Hence the Poets feigned venus to be born of Salt or the Sea The Egyptian Priests saith the same Author did most Religiously abstain from Salt and Salt-meats because they did excite to lust and cause erection A remedy to procure conception This I have tryed and found the best when a womans courses are just past let her take a new-laid egge boil it and mix a grain of musk with it and sup it up when she goes to bed Next morning take some old beans at least five years old and boil them for a good space in a new pipkin and let the woman when she ariseth out of her bed receive the fume into her privities as it were through a tunnel for the space of an hour then let her sup up two eggs and go to bed again and wipe off the moisture with warm clothes then let her enjoy her husband and rest a while afterwards take the whites of two eggs and mix them with Bole-armenick and Sanguisâ—draconis and dip some flax into it and apply it to the reins but because it will hardly stick on swathe it on from falling a while after let her arise and at night renew the plaister But when she goeth to sleep let her hold ginger in her mouth This she must do nine days CHAP. VIII Remedies against the Pox. SInce this disease hath raged so cruelly amongst men there have been invented a multitude of most excellent remedies to oppose it And although many have set out several of them yet I will be contented with this one only which we may use not onely in this disease but almost in all other and I have seen many experiences of it It is easily made and as easily taken Take a pound of lingnum Guaiacum half a pound of Sarsaperilla beaten small five ounces of the stalks and leaves of Sena one handful of Agrimony and Horse-tail a drachm of Cinnamon and as much cloves and one nutmeg Poun them all and put them into a vessel which containeth twenty gallons of Greek wine let it stand a day and then let the patient drink it at meals and at his pleasure for it purgeth away by degrees all maladies beside the French-pox If the patient groweth weak with purging let him intermit some days In the summer time leave out the cinnamon and the nutmeg I have used it against continual head-aches deafness hoarsness and many other diseases A preservation against the Pox which a man may use after unclean women Take a drachm of hartwort and gentian two scruples of sanders and lignum-aloes half a drachm of powder of coral spodium and harts horn burnt a handful of sowthistle scordium betony scabious and tormentil as much of roses two pieces of Guaiacum two scales of copper a drachm and a half of Mercury precipitate a pint of malmesey a quart of the waters of sowthistle and scabious mix the wine and waters and lay the Guaiacum in it a day and then the rest then boil them till half be consumed strain them and lay a linnen-cloth soaking in the expression a whole night then dry it in the shade do this thrice and after copulation wash your yard in it and lay some of the linnen on and keep it close CHAP. IX Antidotes against Poyson IT is the common opinion of all Physitians that those herbs stones or any other thing which being put into a Serpents mouth doth kill him is an Antidote against his poyson We read in Dioscorides of the herb Alkanet which is very efficacious against the poyson of Serpents and being chewed and spit out upon a Serpent killeth him Upon this I thrust half a drachm of treacle or mithridate mixt with Aqua vitae into a vipers mouth and she died within half an hour I made a water-serpent swallow the same but she received no hurt by it onely lay a small time â—â—upified wherefore I pressed some oyl out of the seeds of citron and orange or lemons and dropt it into the serpents mouth and she died presently Moreover a drachm of the juice of Angelica-roots will kill a serpent The Balsame as they call it which is brought from
two ounces of rosemary-flowers and bay-berries as many of betony of chamomil-flowers or the oyl of it three ounces of cinnamon an ounce and a half as much of St Johns wort or the oyl of it two ounces of old oyl Dry the flowers and herbs in the shade and when they are withered beat them and seirce them through a sieve Melt the wax on the fire then pour in the oyls next the powders still stirring them with a stick At length pour it on a marble and cut it into small slices and put it into a glass retort stop it close with straw-mortar and set it on the fire with his receiver stop the joynts and give the inclosed no vent lest the virtue flye out and vanish away First by a gentle fire draw out a water then encreasing it and changing the glass draw a red oyl stop them close and keep them for use the qualities of it are heating by anointing the neck it cureth all creeks that are bred by cold it healeth wounds helpeth the contraction of the nerves caused by cold it moâ—lifieth cold gouts and taketh away the trembling of the hands It may be drank for the Sciatica taken in wine it helpeth the quinsie by anointing the reins of the back and the belly or by drinking the water or oyl in wine it will break the stone and bring it down and asswageth poyson For deafness you must steep some wool in it and stop the ears with it anoint the belly and back in any pain there Being drunk in vinegar it cureth the falling sickness and restoreth lost memory it provoketh the menstrues in women by anointing their privities with it or by drinking some drops of it in wine taken in the same manner it provoketh appetite being taken early in the morning and is good against the bitings of Scorpions Drink it going to bed or when you arise in the morning and it will cure a â—â—inking breath For cold aches Oyl of Herns is excellent to allay and remove all cold aches the gout sciatica griefs of the sinews convulsions pain in the joynts cold defluctions and other diseases of moisture and cold In the Diomedian Isles now called Tremiâ—y in the Adriatique Sea there are birds commonly called Hearns who breed there and continue there and are to be found nowhere else they are a kind of Duck feeding on fish which they catch in the night they are not to be eaten though they be very fat because they savour of the rankness of fish Kill these birds and pluck off their feathers draw them and hang them up by the feet there will drop from them a certain black yellowish oyl very offensive to the nose being of a noisome fishy smell This oyl being applied to any place as much as you can endure will do the effects before mentioned and more but it is very hurtful for any hot maladies There is a water also For old Sores Take lime unkilled and dissolve it in water stir it three or four times in a day then when it is settled and cleared strain it and keep it wet a linnen cloth in it and apply it to a wound or sore and it cureth them I will not omit The vertues of Tobacco Out of the seeds of it is expressed an oyl three ounces out of a pound which allays the cruel tortures of the gout the juyce clarified and boiled into a syrup and taken in the morning maketh the voyce tunable clear and loud very convenient for singing Masters If you bruise the leaves and extract the juyce it killeth lice in childrens heads being rubbed thereon The leaves cure rotten Sores and Ulcers running on the legs being applied unto them The juyce of this herb doth also presently take away and asswage the pain in the codds which happeneth to them who swimming do chance to touch their codds CHAP. XII Of a secret Medicine for wounds THere are certain Potions called Vulnerary Potions because being drunk they cure wounds and it seemeth an admirable thing how those Potions should penetrate to the wounds These are Vulnerary Potions Take Pirole Comfrey Aristolochy Featherfew of each a handful of Agrimony two boil them in the best new Wine digest them in horse-dung Or take two handfuls of Pirole of Sanicle and Sowe-bread one of Ladies Mantel half one Boil them in two measures of Wine and drink it morning and evening Binde the herbs which you have boiled upon the wound having mixt a little salt with them and in the mean while use no other Medicine The Weapon-Salve Given heretofore to Maximilian the Emperor by Paracelsus experimented by him and always very much accounted of by him while he lived It was given to me by a noble man of his Court If the Weapon that wounded him or any stick dipt in his blood be brought it will cure the wound though the Patient be never so far off Take of the moss growing upon a dead man his scull which hath laid unburied two ounces as much of the fat of a man half an ounce of Mummy and man his blood of linseed oyl turpentine and bole-armenick an ounce bray them all together in a mortar and keep them in a long streight glass Dip the Weapon into the oyntment and so leave it Let the Patient in the morning wash the wound with his own water and without adding any thing else tye it up close and he shall be cured without any pain CHAP. XIII How to counterfeit infirmities IT hath been no small advantage to some to have counterfeited sicknesses that they might escape the hands of their enemies or redeem themselves for a small ransom or avoid tortures invented by former ages and used by these latter I will first teach you How to counterfeit a bloody Flux Amphiretus Acantius being taken by Pirates and carried to Lemnos was kept in chains in hope that his ransom would bring them a great sum of money He abstained from meat and drank Minium mixt with salt water Therefore when he went to stool the Pirates thought he was fallen into a bloody Flux and took off his irons lest he should dye and with him their hopes of his ransom He being loose escaped in the night got into a Fisher-boat and arrived safe at Acantum so saith Poliaenus Indian Figs which stain the hands like ripe Mulberries if they be eaten cause the urine to be like blood which hath put many into a fright fearing they should dye presently The fruit of the Mulberry or Hoggs blood boiled and eaten maketh the excrements seem bloody Red Madder maketh the urine red saith Dioscorides We may read also that if you hold it long in your hand it will colour your urine I will teach you also To make any one look pale Cumine taken in drink causeth paleness so it is reported That the Followers of Portius Latro that famous Master of Rhetorick endeavored to imitate that colour which he had contracted by study And Julius Vindex that assertor of liberty from Nero made
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-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
Retort or Alembick First a Milky water will flow out with Oyl next cleer Water cast the Water in over the Oyl and separate them as we shall teach you Of a pound of Cinnamon you will scarce receive a drachm of Oyl How to draw a greater quantity of Oyl out of Cinnamon I do use to do it in this manner to the wonder of the best and subtillest Artists Provide a Descendatory out of the Bath the making of which I will shew hereafter and put your Cinnamon being grossly beaten into a Glass-Retort set it in its proper place and put water into the Bath the heat of the fire by degrees will draw a little water in many days receive it careful and pour it again into the Cinnamon that it may re-imbibe its own water so let it remain a while afterwards kindle the fire and you shall receive a little Water and Oyl Do this third and fourth time and you will gain an incredible quanity You may try the same in other things Oyl of Cloves may be extracted in the same manner To every pound of Cloves you must add ten of Water distil them as before so shall you have both Water and Oyl It will yield a twelfth part The Oyl is good for Medicines and the VVater for Sawces So also is made Liquid Oyl of Nutmegs If you bruise them and put them with the VVater into a Vessel and distil them as before they will yield a sixth part Oyl of Mace and Pepper is drawn in the same manner much stronger but in less quantity Oyl of Aniseed may be thus extracted an ounce out of a pound It congealeth in VVinter like Camphire or Snow in the Summer it dissolveth Let the Seeds be macerated in the VVater for ten days at least for the longer they lie there the more Oyl they will yield Oyl of Fennel is extracted in the same quantity when the Seeds are ripe and fresh they have most Oyl for they yield as much more Oyl of Coriander yieldeth but a small quantity and is of very hard extraction there is scarce one drachm drawn out of a pound new Seeds yield most And to be short in the same manner are extracted the Oyls out of the Seeds of Carrot Angelica Marjoram Rue Rosemary Parsely Smallage and Dill and such-like Oyl of Rosemary and Lavender-flowers and such-others which being dried afford no Oyl may be thus extracted Put the Flowers into a Receiver and set it close stopt in the hot Sun for a month there will they dissolve into Liquor and flie up to the sides of the Glass then being condensed again fall down and macerate in themselves at a fit time add VVater to them and distil them as the former so shall you draw forth with the VVater a most excellent sweet Oyl Oyl of Juniper and Cypress-Wood may de drawn out by the same Art if you macerate the dust of them in their own or in Fountain-water for a month and distil them in the same manner the Oyl will come out by drops with the water of a strong sent and excellent vertue These I have tried the rest I leave to thee CHAP. VII How to separate Oyl from Water VVHen we extract Oyls they run down into the Receiver together with the VVater wherefore they must be separated left the flegm being mixed with the Oyl do weaken the vertue of it that it may obtain its full vigour it must be purified by Distillation and Separation for being put into a Retort or broad Still over a gentle fire the VVater will run out the remaining Liquor will be clear Oyl This work of Separation is very laborious yet there are very artificial Vessels invented by the help of which all the VVater may be drawn off and the flegm onely pure Oyl will remain Prepare a Glass-Vessel let it be broad and grow narrower by degrees downwards until it come to a point like unto a Tunnel Put the distilled VVater which consisteth of the flegmatick VVater and Oyl into this Vessel let it stand a while the Oyl will swim on the top and the VVater will sink down to the bottom But stop the mouth of it with your finger so that removing it away the VVater may first run out and the Oyl sink down by degrees VVhen it is descended into the narrow part so that the Oyl becometh next to your finger stop the hole and let the Orifice be but half open for the VVater to pass out when it is all run out empty the Oyl into another small Vessel There is another very ingenious Instrument found out for to separate Oyl with a great belly and a narrow neck which a little nose in the middle Pour the Oyl mixed with Water into the Vessel the Water will possess the bottom the Oyl the neck Drop Water gently into it until the Oyl ascend up unto the nose then encline the Vessel downward and the Oyl will run out pure and unmix'd When you have emptied out some drop in more Water until the Oyl be raised again unto the nose then stop it down and pour out the rest of the Oyl But if the Oyl settle to the bottom and the Water swim on the top as it often hapneth filtrate it into a broad dish or any other Vessel with a cotten-cloth the Water will run out and the Oyl will remain in the bottom very pure CHAP. VIII How to make an Instrument to extract Oyl in a greater quantity and without danger of burning VVE may with several sorts of Instruments use several kindes of Extractions among the rest I found out one whereby you may draw Oyl with any the most vehement fire without any danger of burning and a greater quantity then by any other and it is fit for many other uses also Prepare a Vessel in the form of an Egg of the capacity of half an ordinary Barrel let the mouth of it be of a convenient bigness to receive in your arm when there shall occasion to wash it or to fill it with several sorts and degrees of things to be distilled Let it be tinned within then set a brass head upon it of a foot high with a hole in the bottom fit to receive the neck of the lower Vessel and stop the mouth of it exactly Out of the top of the head there must arise a pipe of Brass fifteen or twenty foot long bended into several angles that it may take up less room and be more convenient to be carried The other end of this Pipe must be fastened into the belly of another Vessel which must be of less capacity then the former but of the same figure Fix a head upon this also with a Pipe of the same length and bended like the former whose lower end shall be received into another straight Pipe which passing through the middle of a Barrel at last falls into the Receiver The manner of using it is this Put your Leaves Stalks or Seeds being beaten small into the Brass-pot and
Spirits nor the Tincture but a certain mean between both A Magistery therefore is what can be extracted out of things without separation of the Elements Essences do oftentimes keep the colour of the Bodies out of which they are extracted Tinctures always do it Magisteries never The means of extracting Magisteries is various according to the diversity of Natures in things I will set down for an example and pattern How to extract a Magistery of Gems Coral and Pearl Beat the Gems and set them in igne reverberationis till they be calcined mix them with an equal quantity of Salt-Peter and dissolve them in Aqua Vitae pour out that which is liquified and let the remainder of the Powder be calcined better then lay it in Aqua Vitae again and do this till it be all dissolved Set this water in a hot Furnace until the moysture be all evaporated and what shall remain in the bottom is the Magistery of Gems Pearls must be dissolved in Vinegar and if possible in juice of Lemmons You may augment the strength of the Vinegar by those things which as I shewed you in Aqua Vitae do quicken the Vertue of it that is it s own Salt being dissolved and macerated in Balneo or in Fimo for a month then distil the Menstruum and in the bottom will remain the Magistery of Pearls Of Charabes I will deliver to you the way that I use for the Paracelsians do either conceal it or not know it Beat your Gum very small and dissolve it in Aqua Vitae when it is liquified pour that out and put in fresh let them macerate for a month and when all is dissolved mix the waters all together and let it evaporate over a fire so in the bottom will remain the Magistery of Charabe It will take away scars in the Face and cure the Vertigo The Magistery of Guaiacum is an excellent Remedy against the Pox and is thus extracted Take the shavings of Lignum Guaiacum or the dust of it which Turners work off for the File by continual Frication heats it and exhausteth the best Spirits Lay it in clarified Aqua Vitae a whole day when the water hath contracted a red colour which will be when it hath sucked out the oyliness and substance of it strain it out and pour in fresh Then stir it about until the water become coloured again strain that out also and put in as much more until the water do not alter its colour any more Then strain it in a press and distil the juice through Linen-cloth and then boyl it till the moysture be consumed the Oyl or Gum or Magistery will remain of a bright colour and most sweet sent which you would think impossible to reside in such Wood. You may extract the same in a shorter time but it will not be of the same value for if you lay the dust of Guaiacum in distilled Fountain-water boyl it for half a day strain it distil it thorow a cloth and let the moisture evaporate over a fire the same Gum will settle in the bottom You must chuse the most Gummy Wood which being held neer a Candle will sweat out a kinde of Oyl The Magistery of Lignum Aloes Take the shavings of the Wood worked off as the former with a Turners wheel lay it in Aqua Vitae till it colour it then strain it out and let the moysture evaporate over a fire and in the bottom of the Glass you will finde a most odoriâ—erous Oyl excellent to be used in sweet Oyntments The Magistery of Wine commonly called the Spirit of Wine I will first set down the Paracelsian way of extracting it and afterwards my own because we cannot use that in our Countries Pour some strong generous good Wine into a Glass-Bottle so that it may fill two parts of it stop the mouth of it very exactly either with Hermitis Sigillum or a strong Glue which I shall hereafter describe unto you and so set it in Fimo three or four months with an unintermâ—tted fire In the Winter set it out in the Frost for a month and let it freeze the Spirit or Magistery will retire into the Centre because its fiery Essence maketh it uncapable of conglaciation Break the Vessel cast away the congealed part and reserve the liquid which being circulated in a Pelican for a month will yield you what you seek for My way is to put the aforesaid Wine into a round Glass-Vessel let it ferment in Fimo conglaciate it as I shall shew you and then breaking the Vessel to reserve the unfrozen liquor in which you will finde a great deal of vertue but if you desire to have it better you may perfect it by Circulation CHAP. XV. How to extract Tinctures A Tincture is the purest and most active part of a coloured body extracted the noblest Essence in a Compound It is extracted out of Gems Flowers Roots Seed and such-like It differeth from a Quint essence in this that it especially draweth the colour of the Body from whence it is extracted and requireth Arâ— and Cunning and diligent Attendance more then labour It is separated by Distillation clear from any oyliness or matter free from the commiâ—â—ion of other Elements or any impure substance it imitateth the clearness and perspicuity of the Air and in that brightness represents the colour of the Gem or Flower from whence it was drawn of so pure a substance that in many yeers it will not have any dregs in it but will continue in a perpetual cleerness subtilty and strength After the exâ—ractiâ—n the matter remaineth discoloured and useless for any thing I will present some examples to you how to extract the Tincture out of Metals and Flowers c. How to draw out the Tincture of Gold If the Vertues of this never-sufficiently-praised Metal were known as well for the health of the Body as the conveniency of mens living it would be adored with a greater devotion then it is already The Apes of wise Nature cunning Inquirers in Experiments perceiving a certain Glory and Brightness in Gold and an attractive or magnetick Vertue if I may so say which at first sight draws every mans eye to look upon its Majesty and Beauty and tempts our hands to touch and handle it and even our mindes to desire it so that even Infants do rejoyce and laugh at the sight of it and reach their arms out after it and catch it and will by no means part from it presently conjectured that there was some extraordinary Vertue in it for the health of man Astrologers seeing it contend with the Sun in Beams Brightness and Glory and to have a Praerogative of Majesty among Metals like the Sun among the Stars do therefore set it down for a Cordial and a Destroyer of Melancholy and all the ill Companions of it Refiners say That the Elements are so proportionably mixt in the Composition of it so pure and compacted that they account it a most exactly
VVater will ascend which is proper onely to Tin for in no other Metal the Air remaineth last but in Tin the VVater is first elevated next the Fire last of all the Earth Of Iron is made a dark ruddish Oyl Of Quick-silver a white Oyl the Fire settleth to the bottom the Earth and Water are elevated and so of the rest How to separate the Elements in Herbs In Herbs there is alwayes one Element which reigneth in chief Take the Leaves of Sage bruise them macerate them in Fimo and then distil them the Fire will first ascend until the colours be changed next the VVater then a part of the Earth the other part will remain in the bottom not being volatile but fixed Set the VVater in the Sun six dayes then put it in Balneo the VVater will ascend first then the colour will alter and the Fire ascendeth next till the taste be changed at length a part of the Earth the rest being mix'd with the Air tarrieth behinde in the Bottom In VVater-Plants the Air ariseth first next the VVater and Fire How to finde out the Vertues of Plants There are no surer Searchers out of the Vertues of the Plants then our Hands and Eyes the Taste is more fallible for if in Distillation the hottest parts evaporate first we may conclude that it consisteth of hot and thin parts and so of the rest You may easily know by the separation of the Elements whether a Plant have more of â—ire or VVater or Earth by weighing the Plant first then afterward when the VVater and Oyl are extracted weighing the Foeces and by their proportion you may judge of the degrees of each Element in the Composition of it and from thence of their Qualities But the narrow limits of this Book will not give me leave to expatiate farther on this Subject Wherefore I will leave the Discourse of it to a particular Treatise which I intend to set out at large on this matter How to extract Gum out of Plants There are some Plants out of which we may extract Gum some Plants I say because many have none in them and nothing can give more then it hath Fennel and all other kindes of it Opoponax and such-like Herbs are full of it Nature is the best Director in extracting them for when the Sun shines very hot and the Stalks of these Plants are swelled with sap by reason of the continual encrease of their juice they open themselves in little clefts like a Woman when her labour approacheth and thence doth the Plant bring forth as it were in travel that Noble Liquor which partly by the heat of the Sun partly by a natural Inclination grows clammy and is condensed into a hard Body Hence we may learn How to extract Gum out of Opoponax In the Summer Solstice gather the Roots in the night-time that the heat of the Sun may not exhaust the moysture slice it long wayes and put it into a well vernished earthen Pipkin then set it upside down in a descending Furnace with a Receiver underneath to catch the falling-Liquor make a Fire about the upper part of the Vessel which will drive down a Noble Gum which must be purged in other Vessels and may be meliorated by Diâ—â—illation The same may be effected on Sagapene wâ—ose Roots must be gathered at the same time and sliced and being put into a Vessel with a gentle fire will drop out a glutinous Liquor into the Receiver which being clarified will harden like Gum and is kept for Medicinal uses How to extract Gum out of Fennel Gather the stalks of Fennel when it is in its vigor and the Flowers begin to blow about the full of the Moon for then they are more succulent slice them into pieces of a hand-long and put them into a Glass-Tub of a hand in wideress and a handful and a half in length fill it full and set the bottom of it being full of little holes into a Tunnel fit to receive it and the lower part of the Tunnel into a Receiver Then make a gentle fire about the Tub at a handful distance which may beat upon the stalkes on every side with its heat like the Sun-beams The Tub thus growing hot will exclude some drops which flying from the violence of the heat slide down thorow the hoâ—es of the bottom into the Tunnel and from thence into the Receiver where they will condense into Gum participating of the Nature of Fennel of no contemptible vertues THE ELEVENTH BOOK OF Natural Magick Of Perfuming THE PROEME AFter Distillation we proceed to Unguents and sweet smells it is an Art next of kin to the other for it provides odors of the same things compounds and mingles Unguents that they may send forth pleasant sents every way very far This Art is Noble and much set by by Kings and great Men. For it teacheth to make Waters Oyls Powders March-panes Fumes and to make sweet Skins that shall hold their sent a long time and may be bought for little money not the common and ordinary way but such as are rare and known to very few CHAP. I. Of perfuming Waters I Have in the former Book shewed how sweet Waters may be distilled out of Flowers and other things as the place dedicated to Distillation did require here now I will teach how to compound sweet Waters and Flowers that may cast forth odoriferous sents as first To make a most sweet perfumed Water Take three pound of Damask-Roses as much of Musk and Red-Roses two of the Flowers of Orange as many of Myrtle half a pound of Garden-Claver an ounce and a half of Cloves three Nutmegs ten Lillies put all these in an Alimbeck in the nose of which you must fasten of Musk three parts of Amber one of Civet half a one tied up together in a clout and put the Nose into the Receiver and tie them close with a cloth dip'd in Bran and the white of an Egg mixed set a gentle fire under it until it be all distilled Another Take two pound of rose-Rose-water of Lavender half one of Certan-Wine thirteen drachms of the Flowers of Gilliflowers Roses Rosemary Jasmine the Leaves of Marjoram wilde Betony Savory Fennel and Basil gentle half a pound an ounce of Lemmon-peel a drachm of Cinnamon Benjamin Storax and Nutmegs mix them and put them in a Glass and set them out in the Sun for four dayes then distil them with a gentle fire and unless you put Musk in the Nose of the Alimbeck tie it up in a rag hang it by a thread in the Water whilst it standeth sunning for a month Set it in the Sun to take away the scurvy savor of the distilling if by chance it conceive any Aqua Nanfa Take four pound of Rose-water two of Orange-Flowers one of Myrtle three ounces of sweet Trifoil one of Lavender add to these two ounces of Benjamin one of Storax the quantity of a Bean of Labdanum as much Mace and Cloves a drachm of Cinnamon
them and they will yield a most sweet Oyl and yet perhaps not make the Musk much worse CHAP. IV. How to extract Water and Oyl out of sweet Gums by Infusion VVE may extract sweet VVaters by another Art that we spoke of before out of Gums by Infusion and Expression as for example A sweet Water of Storax Benjamin and Labdanum which affordeth a most sweet savour and is thus extracted Infuse Storax or Benjamin being bruised in as much Rose-water as will cover them two fingers over set them in Balneo or a warm place for a week then distil them in Balneo and you will have a very pleasant Water from them which you must expose to the hot Sun that if there should remain any stink of the smoak in it it may be taken away We may also put Gums into Glass-Vessels and make a slow fire under it there will sweet out a very little water but of sweet savour and the Gum will settle to the bottom which will be useful for other things To extract Oyl of Benjamin Storax and other things We may do this by beating and mixing these Gums with Oyl of Almonds or of Ben and macerating them in Balneo for a month then draw out the Oyl either by a Retort or by Expression which is better it will yield a most fragrant odour that you can hardly perceive whether it were drawn out of the Gums themselves by a Retort Ben called in Latine Glans Unguentaria is used in precious Oyntments in stead of Oyl Pliny calleth it Morobolane So also Martial What not in Virgil nor in Homer's found Is of sweet Oyl and Acorn the compound It is without any sent and therefore fitter to receive them and when it doth receive them to reserve them for it never groweth rank CHAP. V. How to perfume Skins NOw we will discourse of the perfuming of Skins which is performed several ways either by sweet Waters or rubbing them with Oyls or laying them in Flowers so that they may attract their odor And first How to wash Skins that they may lose the sent of the Beasts and of Flesh. The manner is this First wash them in Greek-Wine and let them lie wet for some hours then dry them and if the sent continueth in them still wash them again that being taken away wash them in sweet Waters Take four parts of Rose-water three of Myrtle or Orange-Flowers two of sweet Trifoli one of Lavender half one mix them and put them into a wide mouthed earthen Vessel and steep the Skins in them for a day Then take them out and hang them up in the shade to dry but when they are almost dry stretch and smooth them with your hands that they may not be wrinkled Do this thrice over till they savour of the sweet Waters and lose their own stink Next How to perfume Skins with Flowers They must first be rub'd over with Oyl for as I have told you that is the foundation of all sents both to attract them and retain them in a greasie body It may be done with common Oyl but better with Oyl of Ben because it is without any sent of his own best of all with the Oyl of Eggs which I have taught before how to make The manner is thus Anoynt your Gloves or Skins with a Spunge on the inward side and especially in the Seams when that is done you may thus make them attract the sent of any Flowers Violets and Gilliflowers blow first in the Spring gather them in the morning and lay them on both sides of your Skins for a day When they grow dry sooner or later fling them away and lay on new stirring or moving them thrice or four times in a day lest they make the Skins damp and grow musty When these Flowers are past lay on Orange-flowers and Roses in the same manner and last of all Jasmine which will continue until Winter I mean Garden-Jasmine for it flourisheth two or three months Thus your Skins or Gloves will become very sweet in a yeers space The odour will quickly fade and die but if you do the same the second time it will continue much longer and preserve their pleasantness It very much preserveth their fragrancy to keep them in a close place in either a Wooden or Leaden Box but if you lay them among Linen it will suck out their odour and dull their sent How to perfume Skins If you add Musk Amber and Civet to the aforesaid Skins they will smell much more sweet and gratefully Or take four parts of Western Balsam one of Musk as much Amber and rub it on your Gloves with a Spunge and they will smell very sweet I will add one more excellent Composition Take eight parts of Iris one of Sander two of Benjamin four of Rose-Powder one and a half of Lignum Aloes half a one of Cinnamon or rather less soften them all with rose-Rose-water and Gum-Tragacanth and grinde them on a Porphyretick Marble then anoynt your Gloves with it in a Spunge and take three Grains of Musk two of Amber one of Civet mingle them and rub them also on How to take the sent out of Gloves If you repent your self of perfuming them or would make sport with any one boyl a little Rose-water or â—qua Vitae and while they be hot put the Gloves in and let them remain there awhile This will take away their sent and if you steep other Gloves in it and dry them they will imbibe it CHAP. VI. How to make sweet Powders NOw we come to making sweet Powders which are either Simple or Compound they are used in stuffing sweet Bags in perfuming Skins and Compositions Learn therefore How to make Cyprian Powder Take Moss of the Oak which smelleth like Musk gather it clean in December January or February wash it five or six times in sweet Water that it may be very clean then lay it in the Sun and dry it Afterwards Steep it in Rose-water for two dayes and dry it in the Sun again This you must iterate oftentimes for the more you wash it the sweeter it will smell When it is dried grinde it into Powder in a Brass-Morter and seirce it then put it into the ceive and cover it make a fire and set some sweet waters to boyl over it or cast on some perfumed Cakes and let the fume arise up into the ceive The more often you do this the stronger and more lasting sent will be imbibed by the Powder When you perceive it to have attained a sufficient odour take one pound of the Powder a little Musk and Civet powdered and a sufficient quantity of Sanders and Roses beat them in a Brass-Morter first putting in the Musk and then by degrees casting in the Powder so mingle them well At last put the Powders into a Glass close stopt that the sent may not transpire and grow dull There are several Compositions of this Powder which would be too tedioâ— to recount It may be made
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
Return Taking it out of the Water shake it up and down in Vinegar that it may be polished and the colour be made perspicuous then make red hot a plate of Iron and lay part of the Coat of Male or all of it upon the same when it shews an Ash-colour workmen call it Berotinum cast it again into the water and that hardness abated and will it yield to the stroke more easily so of a base Coat of Male you shall have one that will resist all blows By the mixture of Sharp things iron is made hard and brittle but unless strengh be added it will flie in pieces with every blow therefore it is needful to learn perfectly how to add strength to it CHAP. V. Liquors that will temper Iron to be exceeding hard I Said that by Antipathy Iron is hardened and softened by Sympathy it delights in fat things and the pores are opened by it and it grows soft but on the contrary astringent things and cold that shut up the pores by a contrary quality make it extreme hard they seem therefore to do it yet we must not omit such things as do it by their property If you would have A Saw tempered to saw Iron Make your Saw of the best Steel and arm it well that it be not wrested by extinguishing it Then make a wooden Pipe as long as the Iron of the Saw that may contain a liquor made of Water Alon and Piss Plunge in the red hot Iron and take it out and observe the colours when it comes to be violet put all into the liquor till it grow cold Yet I will not conceal that it may be done by a Brass wire bent like a bow and with Powder of Emril and Oyl for you shall cut Iron like Wood. Also there are tempered Fish-hooks to become extream hard The Hook serves for a part to catch Fish for it must be small and strong if it be great the Fish will see it and will not swallow it if it be too small it will break with great weight and motion if it be soft it will be made straight and the Fish will get off Wherefore that they may be strâ—ng small and not to be bended in the mouth you shall thus temper them Of Mowers Sythes make wire or of the best Steel and make Hooks thereof small and fine heat them not red-hot in the Fire for that will devour them but lay them on a plate of red hot Iron When they grow red cast them into the water when they are cold take them out and dry them Then make the plate of Iron hot again and lay on the Hooks the second time and when an Ash colour or that they commonly call Berotinus appears plunge them into the water again that they may be strong for else they would be brittle So you may make Culters extream hard Albertus from whom others have it saith That Iron is made more strong if it be tempered with juice of Radish and Water of Earth-worms three or four times But I when I had often tempered it with juice of Radish and Horse-Radish and Worms I found it alwayes softer till it became like Lead and it was false as the rest of his Receits are But thus shall you make Steel extream hard that with that onely and no other mixture you may make Culters very hard Divide the Steel into very small pieces like Dice and let them touch one the other binding Iron wires over them fastning all with an Iron wire put them into the Fire till they grow red hot and sparkle at least fifteen times and wrap them in these powders that are made of black Borax one part Oyster-shells Cuttle-bones of each two parts then strike them with a Hammer that they may all unite together and make Culters or Knives or what you will for they will be extream hard For this is the most excellent sort of Steel that onely tempered with waters is made most hard There is another but not so good and unless it be well tempered it alwayes grows worse It is this To temper a Graver to cut Marble Make your Graver of the best Steel let it be red hot in the Fire till it be red or Rose coloured dip it into water then take it away and observe the second colour When it is yellow as Gold cast it into the water So almost is A Tool made to cut Iron When the same red Rose colour appears plunge it into the water or some sharp liquor that we shall shew and you must observe the second yellow colour or wheat colour and then cast it into the water These are the best Tempers for Swords Swords must be tough lest whilst we should make a thrust they should break also they must have a sharp edge that when we cut they may cut off what we cut The way is thus Temper the body of it with Oyl and Butter to make it tough and temper the edge with sharp things that they may be strong to cut and this is done either with wooden Pipes or woollen Cloths wet with Liquor use it wittily and cunningly CHAP. VI. Of the temper of a Tool shall cut a Porphyr Marble Stone OUr Ancestors knew well to temper their Tools wherewith they could easily cut a Porphyr Stone as infinite Works testifie that were left to us but the way was shewed by none and is wholly concealed which is a mighty disgrace to our times when we neglect such rare and useful Inventions and make no account of them That we might be freed from this dishonour with great care and pains and cost I made trial of all things came to my hand or I could think of by divers wayes and experiments that I might attain unto it at last by Gods great blessing I found a far greater passage for to come to these things and what exceeds this And I will not be grieved to relate what I found out by chance whilst I made trial of these things The business consiâ—ed in these difficulties If the temper of the Graver was too strong and stubborn with the vehement blow of the Hammer it flew in piece but if it was soft it bowed and would not touch the stone wherefore it was to be most strong and tough that it might neither yield to the stroke nor flie asunder Moreover the juice or water the Iron must be tempered in muâ— be cleer and pure for if it be troubled the colours coming from heat could not be discerned and so the time to plunge the Tools in would not be known on which the whole Art depends So then cleer and purified juices will shew the time of the temper The colours must be chiefly regarded for they shew the time to plunge it in and take it out and because that the Iron must be made most hard and tough therefore the colour must be a middle colour between silver and gold and when this colour is come plunge the whole edge of the Tool into the
liquor and after a little time take it out and when it appears a Violet-colour dip it into the liquor again lest the heat yet remaining in the Tool may again spoil the temper yet this we must chiefly regard that the liquors into which the Iron is plunged be extream cold for if they be hot they will work the less and you must never dip an Iron into water that other Iron hath been dipt in before for when it is grown hot it will do nothing but dip it into some other that is fresh and cold and let this in the mean time swim in some glazed Vessel of cold water that it may soon grow cold and you shall have it most cold for your work Yet these are The hardest tempers of Iron If you quench red-hot Iron in distilled Vinegar it will grow hard The same will happen if you do it into distilled Urine by reason of the Salt it contains in it If you temper it with dew that in the month of May is found on Verches Leaves it will grow most hard For what is collected above them is salt as I taught elsewhere out of Theophrastus Vinegar in which Salt Ammoniac is dissolved will make a most strong temper but if you temper Iron with Salt of Urine and Salt-Peter dissolved in water it will be very hard or if you powder Salt-Peter and Salt Ammoniac and shut them up in a Glass Vessel with a long neck in dung or moist places till they resolve into water and quench the red-hot Iron in the water you shall do better Also Iron dipped into a liquor of quick Lime and the Salt of Soda purified with a Spunge will become extream hard All these are excellent things and will do the work yet I shall shew you some that are far better To temper Iron to cut Porphyr Marble Take the fugitive servant once received and then exalted again and shut it in a glazed Vessel till it consume in Fire or water so the Iron Tool will grow hard that you may easily have your desire but if it be too hard that it be too brittle add more liquor or else more Metal yet take care of this alone whilst you have found the measure of your work for the Iron will grow strong and tough The same also will be happily performed by the foul moysture of the Serpent Python and by the wasting thereof for the salt gives force and the fat roughness And these are the best and choicest that I have tried in this kinde CHAP. VII How to grave a Porphyr Marble without an Iron tool SOme have attempted to do this without any Graver but with strong and forcible water and this Argument moved them to it When they saw Vinegar and sharp juices to swell into bubbles being cast upon Marble and to corrode it they supposed that if they should draw very strong sharp liquor from sharp and corroding things they might do the same work without labour At last thus they did it Take a little Mercury sublimate and a little Salt Ammoniac distil these as I shewed in Glass Stills then take a little Verdigrease Tin calcined and of the fire-stone powder all these with Sal Gemmae and common Salt and Salt Ammoniac and distil them and pour the distilled liquor again upon the Foeces and distil it again and do it again the third time then keep the liquor in a Vessel well stopt When you go about your work smeer the Porphyr Marble with Goats suet onely touch not those parts you mean to have engraved you must make a ledge about it that when you pour on your water it may not run off here and there and the liquor poured on will eat most strongly when it ceaseth to eat cast it away and pour on fresh and do this so often till you have graved it so much as you please and you have done CHAP. VIII How Iron may be made hot in the fire to be made tractable for works MAny seek most diligently how by a secret Art Iron may be so tempered that it may neither break not be shot through with Guns But these men do not take care of what they have before them and seek for what they have not for would they consider whilst the Iron heats the thing they seek for so eargerly is before their eyes I say therefore That the reason why Swords break and flie in pieces and brests of Iron are shot through with Guns is because there are flaws in the Iron and it cleaves in divers places and the parts are ill united and because these clefts are scarce visible this is the cause that when they are bended or stricken they break for if you mark well whenever Knives or Swords break in pieces you shall alwayes finde these craks and flames and the solid parts are not broken and being bended resist But when I sought for the cause of these flaws I found at last that in Smiths Shops where Iron is made hot they heap up coals over the Iron and the refuse of coals saying The Iron will not heat so easily if some rubbish of the coals and dust be not heaped over it and with this trumpery-cust there are always mingled small stones chalk and other things gathered together in pieces which when they meet in the fire they cause many knots outwardly or cavities in wardly and cracks that the parts cannot well fasten together Whence though the business be trivial and of small regard yet this is the cause of so great inconveniences that follow Wherefore to avoid this impediment I thought on this course to be taken I cast my coals into a wooden bowl full of water for they will swim on the top but the filth and bricks will fall to the bottom those that swim I take out and dry them and those I use for my works What a blessing of God this profitable Invention is for thus men make Swords Knives Bucklers Coats of Male and all sorts of Armour so perfect that it were long and tedious to relate for I have seen Iron brests that scarce weighed above twelve pound to be Musket-proof And if we should add the temper to them they would come to far greater effects CHAP. IX How Damask Knives may be made NOw whilst I set down these Operations very pleasant namely how Damask Knives may be made to recover their marks that are worn out and how the same marks may be made upon other Knives If then we would Renew the waved marks of Damask Knives that are worn out polish a Poniard Sword or Knite very well with Powder of Emril and Oyl and then cleanse it with Chalk that no part may be dark but that it may glister all over then wet it all with juice of Lemmons mingled with Tanners water that is made with Vitriol for when it is dry the marks will all be seen in their places and wave as they did before And if you will Make marks with Damask Knives And that so acurately
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
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
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
him but if he let his ears down he is easily slain Aristotle and Pliny from him When they raise their ears they hear quickly when they let them fall they are afraid and not to go over all Creatures that have large right up open ears I say those that have such ears they raise them and direct them forward when they would hear afar off and they are of most perfect hearing I shall shew now by the contrary that such Creatures which have short small ears and not so visible are of dull hearing Great part of Fishes want ears and such as have onely holes and no ears must needs hear more deafly for the outward ears are made by Nature that the sounds might be conveyed to the ears by them Adrianus Consul of Rome is a most clear witness of this who having this sense hurt made hollow catches to hear better by and these he fastned to his ears looking forward And Aristotle saith That Horses Asses Dogs and other Creatures that have great ears do always stir them about and turn them to hear noise Nature teaching them the use of those parts and we finde that they hear less that have their ears cut off wherefore it is fit that the Form of the Instrument for hearing be large hollow and open and with screws inwardly For the first if the sound should come in directly it would hurt the sence for the second the voice coming in by windings is beaten by the turnings in the ears and is thereby multiplied as we see in an Eccho The sea-Periwinkle is an argument to prove it which being held to the eare makes a light noise Now it remains to speak of what matter it must be made I think of porous Wood for the holes and pores are passable every way and being filled with air they sound with every small stroke and amongst the porous Wood is the Ivy and especially the tree called Smilax or Woodbind for a Dish made with Ivy will let out the water as I said Wherefore Pliny speaking of the Woodbind saith It is proper to this matter that being set to the ears it will make a small noise And in another place I said that the Woodbind-Ivy would sound if set to the ear Therefore fit your Instrument to put into your ear as Spectacles are fitted to the eyes CHAP. VI. How by some Impostures we may augment weight I Have set down some Impostures here that such as handle with wicked men may take heed that they be not deceived As To augment the weight of Oyl water is mingled with the Oyl that the fraud may not be known let it be done with troubled waters as with the decoction of Wood Rapes Asphodills that it may the harder be discerned from it Or else they put the choisest Gumtragant into water for two days then they bray it in a Mortar always putting water to it to melt the Gum adde these to the Oyl dropping forth and they will be turn'd to Oyl By the like fraud almost Silk is made to weigh more They put it upon the vapour that riseth from boiling water and this makes it swell with moisture and grow heavier Others bray one ounce of Gum Arabick and being well passed through a sieve they mingle it with the decoction of Honey they dissolve this mixture into water and wet the Silk with it and then let it dry Others keep it in the green leaves of Walnut-tree If you will Increase the quantity of Honey Adde to it the Meal of Chestnuts of Millet and that augments it and it cannot be known So you may Increase the weight of Wax Adde to the Wax Bean-meal excellent well beaten and this will burn in Candles without any excrement for it increaseth the weight and bigness and the fraâ—d is scarce discerned So you may Augment Sope. If you mingle the Ashes of Oxens shank-bones well burnt it Potters ovens or white Brimstone For you shall augment the weight and quantity without and distinction of it If you would Counterfeit Pepper You may gather green Juniper-berries and let them dry till they shrivel then mix them with grains of Pepper Others gather great black Vetches and first they boil them with wilde Pepper for swelling in the water when they come to be dried they become wrinkled I did sophisticate them so that I deceived in sport the best Apothecaries and afterwards I did in mirth discover the fraud Take the Berries of the ripe red Sanguinaria these when they are dried will be so shriveled and like to Pepper that any man almost may be deceived by it unless he tasts of it So we may Increase the weight of Wheat By setting a vessel of Wood within it full of water or vinegar For as Pliny saith It will drink it in CHAP. VII Of the Harp and many wonderful properties thereof THe Harp hath some properties in it and things worthy to be observed which I shall propound here First I shall mention some wonderful effects that the Antients speak of then how they may be done or how the Antients did then Since Musick is now more Adorned and Noble than it was amongst the Antients for then it was more rude and imperfect and yet in our days it doth not perform those operations It is certain that Musical Tunes can do much with men and there is no heart so hard and cruel but convenient and sweet harmony will make it yield and on the otherside harsh Musick will vex and harden a mans minde Musaeus discovers that Verse and Songs are a most delightful thing to Mortal man and the Platonists say That all things living are charmed by Musick and there are many effects observed of it Drums sound in the wars to provoke those that are slow to fight and we read that the Antients did such like things One Timotheus a Musician as oft he he pleased would play a Phrygian Tune and so enrage the mind of Alexander that he râ—n presently to the wars and when he would do otherwise he changed his tune and took off all his courage making him lasie and would then draw him being grown effeminate to Banquets and Feasts And Plutarch saith That when he heard Antigenida playing Melodies with a Pipe that they called Harmatii he was so inflamed that he rose in his Arms and laid hold of him that sat next to him Cicero reports That Pythagoras made a yong man more calm by a slower tune who was a Tancomonite and was whitled with wine and mad for a whore and spurred forward by a Phrygian tune for being a corrival he sought to set the house on fire where the whore was And the same Author saith If yong men are provoked by the sound of Flutes to commit any wickedness if the Piper play but a slower tune they are called off again for by the gravity of the Musick their petulant fury is alayed Empedocles when one set upon his Host that provoked him with reproaches and ill language turned the burden of his
Larch-wood compassed about with fire should suffer no hurt Moreover I read that liquid Alom as the Ancients report will stand out against fire For wood smeered with Alom and Verdignease whether they be posts or beams so they have a crust made about them will not burn with fire Aâ—â—â—â—laus the General for Mithridates made trial of it in a wooden Tower against 〈◊〉 which he attempted in vain to set on fire which I find observed by 〈◊〉 in his Annals But this liquid Alom is yet unknown to many learned men our Alum wants this property But many say that vinegar prevails against fire Plutarch saith That nothing will sooner quench fire them vinegar for of all things it most puts out the flame by its extreamity of cold Poliâ—â—â—â— reports 〈◊〉 when he was besieged by his enemies poured out of brazen vessels melted lead upon the engines that were set to scale the place and by this were the engines dissolved but the enemies poured vinegar upon it and by that they quenched the lead and all things else that fell from the walls and so they found vinegar to be the fittest to quench fire and an excellent experiment if things be wet with it Pliny prayseth the white of an egge to quench it saying that the white of an egge is so strong that if wood be wet with it it will not burn nor yet any garment Hieron to cover scaling engines used the raw hides of beasts new killed as having force to resist fire and the joynts of wood they fenced with chalk or with ashes tempered with blood or clay molded with hair or straw and with sea-weeds wet in vinegar for so they were safe from fire Carchedonius was the first that taught men to cover engins and rams with green hides I have heard by men of credit that when houses were on fire by a peculiar property the menstruons clothes of a woman that had her courses the first time cast over the planks would presently put out the fire Thick and muscilaginous juyces are good against fire as of Marsh-mallows Therefore Albertus writ not very absurdly that if a man anoint his hands with juyce of Marsh-mallows the white of an egge and vinegar with alom He may handle fire without hurt And it is a thing that hath much truth in it But I think that quick-silver killed in vinegar and the white of an egge and smeered on can preserve any thing from fire CHAP. X. Of divers compositions for fire I Shall speak of divers compositions for fire to be used for divers uses But men say M. Gracchus was Author of this invention To make a fiery composition that the Sun may kindle It consists of these things Oyl of Rosinous Turpentine of Quick-silver otherwise then I shewed in distilling of Juniper of Naphtha Linseed Colophonia Camphire let there be Pitch Salt-peter and Ducks-grease double to them all Aqua vitae refined from all flegm Pound them all and mingle them put them up in a glazed vessel and let them ferment two moneths in horse-dung always renewing the dung and mingling them together After the set time put it into a retort and distil it thicken the liquor either with Pigeons-dung finely sifted or with gunpowder that it may be like pap Wood that is smeered over with this mixture and set in the summer Sun will fire of it self Pigeons-dung easily takes fire by the Sun beams Galen reports That in Mysia a part of Asia a house was so set on fire Pigeons-dung was cast forth and touched a window that was neer as it came to touch the wood that was newly smeered with rosin when it was corrupted and grew hot and vapoured at Midsummer by heat of the Sun it fired the rosin and the window then other places smeered with Rosin took fire and by degrees part of the house began to take hold and when once the covering of the house began to flame it soon laid hold of the whole house because it hath a mighty force to inflame all Ducks-grease is very prevalent in fire-works and Physitians praise it extremely that it is most subtile penetrating and hot it makes other things penetrate and as it is most subtile and hot so it takes fire vehemently and burns I shall shew how to distil A most scalding Oyl When I would prepare the most excellent compositions of burning oyl I distilled common oyl in a retort but with great labour yet what was distilled was thin combustible and ready to fire that once kindled it was not to be put out and it would draw the flame at a great distance and hardly let it go But oyl of Linseed is stronger than it for if you distil it often it will have such a wonderful force to take fire that it can hardly be shut up in a vessel but it will draw the fire to it and the glass being opened it is so thin that it will fly into the Air and if the light of a candle or of fire touch it the Air takes fire and the oyl fired by it will cast the flame afar off so vehemently that it is almost impossible to quench it It must be distilled with great cunning lest the vessel over-heat it should take fire within Moreover Fire that is quenched with oyl is kindled with water It is thus made I said that Naphtha will burn in water and that Camphire is a kind of it Wherefore if you mingle brimstone with it or other things that will retain fire if you cast in oyl or mud it will quench it but it revives and flames more if you cast in water Livy relates That some old women in their plays lighting Torches made of these things passed over Tyber that it seemed a miracle to the beholders I said it was the property of Bitumen to take fire from water and to be quenched with oyl Dioscorides saith That the Thracian stone is bred in a certain River of Scythia the name of it is Pontus it hath the Force of Jet they say it is enflamed by water and quenched with oyl like as Bitumen Nicander speaks of this stone thus If that the Thracian stone be burnt in fire And wet with water the flame will aspire But oyl will quench it Thracian shepherds bring This stone from th' River Pontus Poets sing Torches that will not be put out by the winds They are made with brimstone for that is hardly put out if once kindled Wherefore Torches made with wax and brimstone may be carried safely through winds and tempests These are good for Armies to march by or for other necessary things Others use such They boil the wick of the Torches in Salt-peter and water when it is dried they wet them with brimstone and Aqua vitae of this mixture then they make their Candles with brimstone and then with half Camphire and Turpentine two parts Colophonia three of Wax of this they make four Candles and put them together in the middle that is empty they cast in quick-brimstone
and they will forcibly resist all things Or thus Boil wicks of Hemp or Cotton in water with Salt-peter take them out and dry them then melt in a brass pot equal parts of brimstone gunpowder and wax when they are melted put in your wicks to drink up part of the mixture take them out and to what is left in the kettle add Gunpowder Brimstone and Turpentine of each a like quantity of which mixture make your Torches and joyn them together Also there is made A cord that set on fire shall neither smoke nor smell When Souldiers or Hunters go secretly by day or night they use sometimes to make a Match that being lighted will neither smell near hand nor far off nor make any smoke for wild Beasts if the Match smell will sent it and run to the tops of the Mountains Take a new earthen pot and put into it a new cord so handsomely that the whole pot may be filled so laid in rounds that no more can go in cover it and lute it well three or four times that it may have no vent for the whole business depends on this Then make a fire round about it by degrees that first it may grow hot then very hot and lastly red hot and if sometimes the smoke come forth stop the chinks with clay still then heaped up under the coles let it grew cold of it self and opening the Pot you shall finde the Cord black like a cole Light this Cord and it will neither smoke nor smell CHAP. XI Fire-compositions for Festival days I Have shewed you Terrible and Monstrous fire-works it is fit to shew you some to use at Solemn Times not so much for use as to give you occasion to find out higher matters I shall shew then how to make one That when a man comes into his Chamber the whole Air way take fire Take a great quantity of the best refined Aqua vitae and put Camphire into it cut small for it will soon dissolve in it when it is dissolved shut the Windows and Chamber-doors that the vapour that exhales may not get forth when the vessel is full with water let it boil with coles put under without any flame that all the water may resolve into smoke and fill the Chamber and it will be so thin that you can scarce perceive it Let some man enter into the Chamber with a lighted Candle in his hand and the Air by the Candle light will take fire all about and the whole Chamber will be in a flame like an Oven and will much terrifie one that goes in If you dissolve in the water a little Musk or Amber-greese after the flame you shall smell a curious sent Also there is made Exceeding burning water Thus Take old strong black Wine put into it quick Lime Tartar Salt and quick-Brimstone draw out the water of them with a glass retort This will burn exceedingly and never cease till it be all consumed If you put it into a vessel with a very large mouth and put flame neer it it will presently take fire if when it is on fire you cast it against a wall or by night out at the window you shall see the Air full of sparks and kindled with fires It will burn held in your hands and yet will not scald you Distil it once again and it will burn the less But if you take equal parts of quick Lime and Salt and shall mingle them with common Oyl and make little Balls and cast them into the belly of the retort at the neck and then shall draw forth the Oyl by a vehement fire and mingling this Oyl again with Salt and quick Lime shall distill them again and shall do the same four times an Oyl will come forth that will burn wonderfully that some deservedly call it infernal Oyl A Solemn Pleasant fire is made for the Theater If Camphire be dissolved in Aqua vitae and with that Fillets Papers or Parchments be smeered and being dried again be lighted and shall fall from a loft as they fall lighted through the Air you shall see Serpents with great delight But if you dessire To cast flame a great way Do thus Beat Colophonia Frankincense or Amber finely and hold them in the palm of your hand and put a lighted Candle between your fingers and as you throw the Powder into the Air let it pass through the flame of the Candle for the flame will fly up high If you will have that Many Candles shall be lighted presently on Festival Days as I hear they are wont to do amongst the Turks You shall boil Brimstone and Orpiment with Oyl and in them let thred boil when it is dry bind it to the wicks of Candles and let them pass through for when one head is lighted the flame will run to them all and set them on fire Some call it Hermes his Oyntment Any man may Eating in the dark cast sparkles out of his mouth It is pleasant for the Spectators and it is thus Let a man eat Sugar-candy for as he breaks it with his teeth sparkles will seem to fly out of his mouth as if one should rub a fire-brand CHAP. XII Of some Experiments of Fires I Will set down some Experiments that are without the ranks of the rest I held it better to conceal them but they may give you occasion to think on greater matters by them If you will That Bullets from Brass Guns may enter deeper you may easily try this against a wall or plank set up Let the Ball rather go into the hollow of it streight then wide but wet it in Oyl before you put it in and so cast it in this Bullet shot off by force of fire will go in twice as far as otherwise The reason is easie for the Oyl takes away the occasion of the Airs breathing forth for all vents being stopt the flames striving within cast forth the Bullet with more violence as we shall shew more at large So also will the Bullets of Brass Guns penetrate with more force and if you lard the Bullets they will penetrate through Arms of proof I can also by a cunning Artifice Shoot a man through with a Bullet and no place shall be seen where it went in or came forth The minde of man is so cunning that it hath invented a way to shoot a man quite through with a Bullet and yet no mark of the Bullet shall appear though all the inward parts be bruised and beaten through Consider that what things are heavy are solid and so subtile that they will penetrate and leave no marks where they entred or came out and they will do the same though they be united as if they were disjoynted and every part will act by it self alone as it would do being united I have said thus to take away all occasions from ignorant and wicked people to do mischief I saw A Gun discharge often and yet no more powder was put in Famous Souldiers use