Section 71

cff. Wherefore, that they may be ftrong,fmall,aDd not to be bended in the ra .you (hall thus temper them : Of Mowers Syihes make wire,or or the belt Steel, and mike Hooks thereof, fmaU and fine : heat them not red-hot in the Fire ; for that vviil devour them : but lay them on a plate of red hot Iron. When they grow red, call them into the watenwhen they arc cold,take them out and dry them. I hen make the pliteof Iron hot again , and lay on the Hooks the lecond time ; and when an A(h colour,, or that they commonly call Berotinus, appears, plunge them into the water again, that they may be hrong : for elfe they would be brittle. So you may make
falters extream hard,
Jilbertnt^hiixxi whom others have it , faith , That Iron is made more ftrong,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 Radifh , and Horfe-Radifh , and Worms, I found it alwayes lofter, till it became like Lead : and it was falfe , as the reft of his Receits are. But thus fhall you make Steel excream hard , that with that onely, and no other mixture, you may make suiters very hard : Divide the Steel into very lmall pieces like Dice , and let them touch one the other , binding Iron wires over them, faftning all with an Iron wire : put them into the Fire till they grow red hot, and fparkle, at leaft fifteen times, and wrap them in thefe powders that are made of black Borax one part, Oyfter (hells,Cuttle-bones,of each two parts : then ttrike them with a Hammer, that they may all unite together , and make C ulcers , or Knives,or what you will :for they will beextream hard. For this is the moft excellent fort of Steel , that onely tempered with waters, is made moft hard. There is ano- ther, but not fo good ; and unlefs it be well tempered , it alwayes grows worfc. It is this:
To temper a Graver to cut Marble,
Make your Graver of the beft Steel , let it be red hot in the Fire , till it be red or Rofc coloured ; dip it into water, then take it away, and obfervc the fecond colour* When it is yellow as Gold, cad it into the water. So almoft is
%A Tool made to cut Iron, When the fame red Rofe colour appears, plunge it into the water, or fome fharp li- quor that we (hall (hew ; and you muft obfervc the fecond yellow colour, or wheat colour, and then catt it into the water. Thefc arc the beft
Tempers for Swords,
Swords muft be tough, left whilft we fhould make a thruft, they fhould break • alf©j they muft have a fharp edge, that when we cut , they may cot oft what we cut. The way is thus : Temper the body ot it with Oyl and Butter , to make it tough ; and temper the edge with (harp things , that they may be ftrong to cut : and this is done, either with wooden Pipes, or woollen Cloths, wet with Liquor : ufc it wittily and cunningly.
Cm a p. VI.
Of the temper of a Tool jha&cut a forphjr Marble Stent*
OUr Anceftors knew well to temper their Tools , wherewith they could cafily cur a Porphyr Stone , as infinite Works teftifie that were left to us : but the way was (hewed by none,and is wholly concealed; which is a mighty difgrace to Our t imes, when we neglect fucb rare and ufeful Inventions , and make no account of them. That we might be freed from this difhonour, with great care, and pains, and coft,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 laft,by Gods great bieffing, 1 found a far greater paffagefor to come to thefe things, and what exceeds this. And I will not be grieved to telatc what I f©und out by chance, whilft I made trial of thefe
things,.
^io Natural Maqick. 2>00^ija
things. Tbebufinefs confined in thefc difficulties. If the temper of the Graver was too ftrong and ftubborn,with the vehement blow of the Hammer it flew in piecesrbnt if it was foft, k bowed, and would not touch the (tone : wherefore it was to be moft ftrong and tough, that it might neither yield to the ftroke, nor flie alunder. More- over, the juice or water the Iron muft be tempered in, muft be cleer and pure : for if it be troubled * the colours coming from heat could not be difecrned : and fo the time to plunge the Tools in would not be known, on which the whole Art depends. So then,clcer and purified juices will fhew the time of the temper. The colours muft be chiefly regarded : for they fhew the time to plunge it in and take it out • and be- caufe that the Iron muft be made moft hard and tough , therefore the colour muft be a middle colour between filvcr 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 j and when it appears a Violet-colour, dip it into the liquor again , left the heat , yet re- maining in the Tool , may again fpoil the temper : yet this we muft chiefly regard, that the liquors into which the Iron is plunged, be extream cold ; for if they be hot, they will work the lefs : and you muft 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 fome other that is frefh and cold ; and let this in the mean time, fwirn in fome glazed Veffcl of cold water, that it may foon grow cold , and you fhall have it moft cold for your work. Yet thefe arc
lo t •wa»B-» stilsitf ^> _r»i!' { ' it jsoj 4t? rnrijfrH c Oiiw *:i*i>i ^diiii
The hardefi tempers of Iron,
If you quench red-hot Iron in diftilled Vinegar , it will grow hard. The fame will happen, if you do it into diftilled Urine, by reafon of the Salt it contains in it. If yoii temper it with dew , that in the month of May is found on Vetches Leaves , it will grow moft hard. For what iscolle&ed above them, is fait ; as I taught elfewhere out of Theophrafttu. Vinegar, in which Salt Ammoniac is diflblved , will make a moft ftrong temper : but if you temper Iron with Salt of Urine and ^alt-Peter dif- lblved in water, it will be very hard ; or if you powder Salt-Perer and Salt Ammo- niac , and fhut t hem up in a Glafs Vcflel with a long aeck, in dung, or moift places, till they reiblve into water, and quench the red-hot Iron in the water, you fhall do better. Alfo, Iron dipped into a liquor of quick Lime, and the Salt of Soda purified! with a Spunge, will become extream hard. All thefe are excellent things , and will do the work: yet I fhall fhew you fome that are far better.
lo temper Iron to cm Porphjr Marble, Take the fugitive fervant , once received , and then exalted agiin , and fhut it in a glazed Veffel, till it confume in Fire or water ; fo the Iron Tool will grow hard,that you may eafily have your defire : but if it be tco hard , that it be too brittle , add more liquor, or elfe more Metal : yet take care of this alone,whilft you have found themeafureof your work : for the Iron will grow ftrong and tough. The fame alfo will be happily petformed by the foul moyfture of the Serpent Python , and by the wafting thereof : for the fair gives force,and the fat toughnefs. And thefc are the beft and choiccft that I have tried in this kinde.
Cha*. Vlt How to grave a Torphjr Marble without an Iron tool.
SOme have attempted to do this without any Graver, but with ftrong and forcible water; and this A rgument moved them to it : When they faw Vinegar and (harp juices to fwell into bubbles, being caft upon Marble,and to corrode it,they fuppofed that if they fhonld draw very ftrong fharp liquor from fliarp and corroding things , they might do the fame work without labour. At laft, thus they did it : Take a little Mercury fublimate,and a little Salt Ammoniac;diftil thefe as I fhewed in Glafs Stills: then take a little Verdigreafc, Tin calcined, and of thefire-ftone , powder all thefe mihS4l
Of tempering Steel. f
the diftiiled liquor again upon the Foeces, and diftil it again, and do it again the third time : then keep the liquor in a Vcflel well ttopt. When you go about your work, imeer the Porphyr Marble with Goats met , onely touch not thofe parts you mean to have engraved : youtnult make a ledge about it , that whea you pour on your water , it may not run eft here and there ; and the liquor poured on will eat moft ftrongly : when it ceafethto eat , cart ic away, and pour on frefh j and do this fo often, till you have graved it (o much as you pieafe, and yon have done.
Chap. VIII. How Iron may be made hot in the fire to be made tradable for works.
M\ny feek mcft diligently , how by a fecret Art Iron may befo tempered, that it may neither break, nor be (hot through with Guns. But ihele men do not take care of what they have before them, and leek for what they have not ; for would they confidcr whilft the Iron heats, the thing they feek for fo eargerlv, is before their eyes I fay therefore , That the rcafon why Swords break and Hie in pieces , and brctts of Iron are fhot through with Guns, is , becaufe there arc flaws in the Iron, and it cleaves in divers places , and the parts are ill united ; and becaufe theie clefts are fcarcc vifible this is the cauie that whenthey are bended or rtricken they break: for if you mark well, whenever Knives or Swords break in pieces, you fhall al wa>es hnde theie craks and Barnes, and the folid parts are not broken; and being bended, refilt. Buc when I fought for ihecaufe of theie flaws, I found at la(f, that in Smiths Shops, where Iron is made hot, they heap up coals over the Iron, and the retufe of coal* ; fa\ ing, The iron will not beat fo eaiiiy, if feme rubbifh of the coals and duff be not heaped over it : and with this trumpcry-duft , there are always rci-gled fmall florec, chalk, and other things gathered together in pieces ; which, whenthev meet in the fire , they caufc many knots omwarcly, or cavities inward- ly, and crack ,rhat ihe pars cannot well fallen together. Whence, thtu^h the bn- fineft be trivial and of iimll regard , yet this is the caufe of fo great inconveniences thatfollow. Wherefore, to avoid this impediment, I thought on this courfe to be taken: Ic*ft my roals into a wpoden bowltull of water: for they will fwim on the r»- drv them ; and thofe I ufefor my wotks. What a ble fling of God this profitable Invenrion i> ! for thus m-n make Swords, Knives, Bucklers, Coats of Male, and all forts of Armour fo perfect, that ir were long and tedious to relate : for I have feea Iron brelts, that fcarce weighed above twelve pound, to be Musker -proof. And if we fhould add the temper to them, they would come to far greater effects.
Chap. IX.
How "DamcukKnives may be made,
NOw whilft I fer down thefe Operations very pleafant, namely, bow Damask Knives may be made to recover their marks that are worn out , and how the fame marks may be made upon other Knives. If then we would
%enew the waved marks of Datnatl^ Knives that are worn out, poYiih a Po*Mird , ' wr rd or Knife , very well with Powder of Emril and Oyl , and then cleanfe it with Cnalk, that no parr may be dark, but that it may glifter all over : then wet it all with juice of Lemmons mmoled with Tanners water, that is made with Vitriol : for when k is dry, > he marks will all be feen in their places, and wave as they did before. And if you will
M Me marltt wtth VamoikJCniveSy And that fo acurately, thar vou can fcarce know them from Damask Knives : Polifla a Knife very well , as I faid, and Icowrc it with Chalk : then ttir with your bands,
Chalk
yi Natural Magick. Soo^i}.
Ckalk mingled with water . and touching it with your fingers , iub the edge of the Sword that was polifhed , andycufhall make maik; as v,ou pleafe : when yon have do»e,dry them at the fire or Sumthen you mutt have a water ready wherein Vitriol is diflolved, andlmeer that upon it : for when the Chalk i? gone, it will dyeic with a black colour. After a little Hay, wet it in water, and wafh it off : where the Chalk Was, there will be no ftain ; and you will be glad to fee the fuccefs. You may with Chalk make the waving Lines running up aed down. If any enc defires
lo dr aw forth Vama^k^S'eelfor rvork^
You may do it thus : for without Art it is not to be done. Too much heat makes it crumble,and cold is ftubbormbut by An,of broken Swords Knives may be made very handfomely ; and Wheels and Tables, that Silver and Gold wire are drawn through, and made even by,to be ufed for weaving : Put it gently to the fire,that it may grow hot to a Golden colour ; but put under the fire for afhes, Gip caldned, and wet with water : for without Gip, when you hammer it, it will fwell into bubbles, and will flic and com: to be drofs and rcfufc.
Chap. X.
How ptlifbed Iron may be preserved from ruft.
T T is fo profirable to preferve Iron from ruft, that many hive laboured how to do it wiih cafe. Plmy frith, That Iron is preferved fromruft,by Cerufs,Gip,and liquid I itch B n he fhiws not how Ccrufs may be made : Yet thofe that know how to make Oyl of Cerufs without Vinegar, Iron being fmeered therewith , is eafily pre- fer vedtromrull. Some anoynt the Iron with Deer sfuet, and fokeep it free ftomtult; but I ute the fat fubnance in the Hoofs of Oxen,
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THE
■7
THE
FOURTEENTH BOOK
O F
Natural Magick :
I ftiall {hew fome choice things in the Art of Cookery,
Thb Proem 1.
THe fak* Art hath fome choice Secret s, that may make Banquets more dainty And full of admiration : Tbefe I purpofe to reveal, not that fo J might invite Gluttons and Pa- rajites to Luxury, but that with fmallcofi and expense, I might pet forth the curiofi ties of t/irt, and may give oceajton to others thereby to invent greater matters by tbefe. the Art confifis about eating and drinking. Ifhallfirft fpeak of Meats, then of Drinks ; and by the way IjhaH not omit fome merry pafs- times , that I may recreate the Gue[ts, not enely with Banquet sy but aifo with Mirth and Delights.
Chap. I. How Flefh may be made tender.
Shall begin with Flefh, and Anew how ic may be made tender, that Gluttons much dcfire. I (lull do ic divers ways; Some that proceed froth che kind of their death ; others from the fecrec properties of things : and they will grow fo tender, that they will aloioft refolve into broth. Then how whileft the creatures are yet alive , they may be made tender. For ex~ le:
How to make Sheeps fiejh tender.
The Flefh of creatores killed by their enemies , efpecialiy fuch as they hate and fear, will be very tender. Zoroafierla his Cjeoponicks faith , that Sheep killed by Wolves, and bicren, their fLfh will be more tender , and fo the fweeter. Plutarch in Sympofacie gives the caufe of ir. Sheeps Flefh,be faiih,bitten by a Wolf becomes the fweeter, becaufe the Wolfe by biting, makes the Flefh more flaggy and tender. For the breath of the Wolfe is fo hot , that the hardeft bones will confume in his ftomach, and melt; and for this caufe, thofe things will the fodner corrupt, that the Wolfe bites. And both Hunters and Cooks can tefti x , that creatures killed divers ways , are div erfly affe&ed. Some of thefe are killed at one blow, that with ©neftroke they lye for dead: yet others are hardly killed ac many blow?. And which is more wonderful, fome by a wound given with the Iron weapon, have im- printed fuch a quality upon the creature , that ic prefently corrupted, and would not keep fweet one day • and others have killed them as fuddtnly , yet no fuch quality renaain'd in the flefh that was killed , and ic would lift feme time. Moreover, that a certain vertne , when creatures are fliin or dye , comes forth to their skins, and hair, and nails, Homer was not ignorant of , who writing ©f skins and thongs ; A thong faith he of an ox flain by force, for the ?kins of thofe creatures are toucher and flronger, when they dy not by old age or of difeafes, but are flain. On che contrary, filch as dye by rhe bitings of Beads , their hoofs will grow black, and their hairs fall off, and their skins will wither and flag. Thus far Tlutarcb, But I think thefe things