Section 79

As if from divers farts a letter were
Brought with a donfful wing quite through the Air.
Alio in old Monuments and Hiltories it is declared, that there was a King of Egypt, whofe name was Marrhesy who bred up a tame Rook , and this he made ufe of for a winged mcflenger, fo oft as he had need : for, as if fhe bad reafon , (he would carry the Letter where fhe was directed ; for fhe was fo crafty, as to be inftru&ed whither to fly, and where to flay , or reft at any time. Mans wit hath invented thefeflhifts, to avoid danger ; but by the fame craft is he wounded fomctimes , as it were with his own weapons. When the Chriftians with an Army befieged Ptolemais, when Saladint had appointed a Pigeon to be fent thus with Letters to the befieged, to wifh them to be conftant, and expect his coming fuddenly j the Chriftians catch'd her, and tied a contrary letter to her , and fent her away : whence it fell out, that they defpalriogof relief, yielded ihemfelves : fo there can be no certain fecurity in humane affairs, but there may be fraud in all things. Themiftitu faith, That amongft Animal :, Pigeons have the beft memory* as having a clear and refined mind. Where- fore, though all other Animals make haft to their yong ones, when they are taken from them, yet none of them carried far, can comeback, becaufe their memory fails. I have fcen the tryal with Pigeons. When my fervant came from my Farm, he brought home feme yong Pigeons taken from their dams , and he wrapt them up in a cloak as we Went ; and when we came home at night , they were fhut up in the houfe; but when the morning came, they flew out of the windows ; and difcover- ing the counrry afar off, they took upon the wing, and flew all home again. Where- fore in Gsnefis 9 Hjah fent forth a Pigeon, which returned j but the Raven returned not For the Raven wants memory. I remember in Tlittarchs works , what is worth relating that I read there, That by the Pigeon fent forth of the Ark, in Dene aliens flood, wis fhewed, that the waters were funk down, and the ftortns paft. Animals that have newly brought forth yong ones, will do the fame.
Chap. VHI.
How Meffengen may be fenty whofhaR neither know that the J carry letter nor can they
found about them.
OUr Anceftors had another Art,that could not be difcovcred,invented by ftrange crafr. Herodottu mentions it from Heftum, who was the Author of it. He b iing born in Afia, when of noble place, when Darin* ruled , when he was with the King in Perfia,and would privately write to Arijlagoras to fall from him , fearing left if he fhouldnot do it cunningly, he fhould be difcovered, and be in great danger, he invented this way. He fhavedoff his fervants hair of his head, asthoughhe m:am to cure him , who for a long time had been troubled with fore eyes : and on
his
Uf invtjwle IV ruing. y±p
his head, with good ink, he writ letters, that contained what he fflenatto have doner he kept this tellow at home with him, un il his hair was grown again ; when true was done, he lent him away to Ar that he (hould do unto him, in (having tff nis hair, as he did before : When the fer- vant came to Anfiagorai. toMileiUm^hc iaid what his Matter bad him lay voAriftsgcrM: he fuppo. ng the bu .neis not to be idle, did what he was ordered, and lo read the meflage. The Amients found cut vhefc inventions, to fend mefl^noers with. Yer. that can be no fate way, to (have eff the hair, and to write letters upon the head, for the head will eaftly fweat, and put them out. And if the skin be pricked with a needle , this will not avoid the iufjphti n, if he that we^rs the writing , be laid bold on by the way : for then i> there molt diligent fearch : for fear and ncccfliry will make men watch.ul, and they are never latisfied, till they have iearched every place. Sometimes they try men by fair promifes, fometimes they fright them with threats ; and if thete will not do, they term :rit and torture them, to make them confefs : and if this will not do, that letters may not be fecreily conveyed, not oriely their hofe and fhooes ufe to be fearched, their clothes pluckt off, and the feams ript, but they will fearch their very guts ; fo tar is it from keeping any fecret upon the head , that {hall not be look'd fcr. But I can (end Letters, and write io, that itcanbeunder- ftoodby cone) but thofe that the letters aredefign'd for* And he thac carrieth them never fo far off, if hefhould be taken by the way , and examined by torments, he can confefs nothing , becaufehe knows nothing of it , and the Letter (hall al- ways remain fecret. Nor will length of time , or iweat in travel , blot out the Let- ters ; nor is it any matter if the meflengcr pafs through Rivers, Seas ,or Rain ; for wee* will not hurt them. What good Princes may get by this , I leave to your cogita- tions ; for they have melt need of this , when they would declare any thing to their friend?, that are befieged t and oft-times upon one meflage, may the victory of a Ci- ty or Army depend. The invention of thcAmiems, was partly good) and partly bad. They writ Letters on his bead, which he could not read ; nor would water or fweat, wafh them off, becaufc they were printed into the head : and when the bair grew cut , they conld not be feen. And that the meflengcr might be ig- norant what was writ upon his head, they took occafion for it, faying, he had a pain in his eyes , that they would cure : and thus he knew not the craft they ufed. Buc this fraud fecms not vefyfecure, for one that fhould fufpe&k might fhaveoff the hair , and find out the fecret. Moreover , if the meflenger were to be fent fud- denly, now could he flay a moneth , till his hair were grown again? and when his skin was prickt for to make the Letters, he muft needs fufpect fomething. But Ice us fee
How Hefiiaus could make the Letters on his head indelible*
He wound:d the skin with the point of a needle, or opened it with a rafof , and caft in the powder of Colophonia burnt ; for to we ufe to make the names of Matters, upon the faces of bond -flaves , that they (ball never come forth, and in time they will look green. Alfo
Letters may be made between the that are indelible, upon any fart. You may foon do it thus: Let Cantharides fteepa whole day in ttrong water, buc fooner i fit inftrument, upon the upper skin of the Arm, or any other part ; the flefh hurt with the moytture, will rife in Witters, and be exulcerated; fo by the force of thiscorro- dinf water, will there always remain the prints of white letters, and they will sever be b o ted cut. And this is bett done by Heftttus fecret, becaufe the letters could not be read under the hair , whereas white letters , like milk, would be feen. Buc would we have rhrm ttay onely for fome time, and not always , we may do it many ways. If you mike letters with Aejuafortisftbtt hath eaten filver or brafs, they will appear many day % So it may be done with oy 1 of Honey. How I will (hew
How a man may carry Utters that are indelible and invtpble, and unknown to him • and how to make them vtfib;e when need is* Vofi)
-jflo Natural Magick. 2>00^ 16.
You may do it thus: by writing letters on the rmflengers back, that he may not know of, having firli given him an Opiat to make him deep fcundly , then write, and let them dry in • when he awakes, fend him away, the letters dried on will not be teen: The Antients knew thif. Ovid faith it:
Write on his bach^for paper, [ojoufloxll Better csncealyour purpofejrom them all.
But let us fee whether we can write on the flefh with any liquour , that parting through Rivers and Rain, the letters may not be blotted out with any moyfture, and then bv ftrewin which &all be vifible onely, by being wet with Come humour , and no man can find om, unlefs he know the fecret. If you write with water, wherein Vitriol is diiTol- ved, with a deco&ion op Galls, it will be feen. If it be made very fharp,it will pierce the skin, and the letters will be delible : we may do the fame with the oyl of it. Salt Ammoniac with quick Lime, crSope,wili make a blew colour. If they be rubbed with oyl or Litharge, they will appear white , with Aqua vttt, or its equal, diltilled vinegar, and water and Salt.
Cm a p. IX.
How (fharatters mxy be made, that at fet days (hall vanish from the paper,
1 Shall attempt to fhew how letters maybe written on paper, or in other matter, that (hall diiappear at fet times : and other letters fhall be made invifible, that at a time certain fhall appear, not onely ufefulfor fecret marks, but for other purpofes neceffary for our lives. Letters that decay and vanifh , may be made two ways, ei- ther with Aquafortis, that eats the paper, or feme decaying liquors , that will vanifh with any light touch, and leave the place where they were, without any fpor. I fhall teach
How letters are mjde> that eat the paper.
If you mingle oyl of Vitriol with common ink or any other black colour, in few days by corroding the paper, or the ink it felf , the letters will vanifh, or in a moneth, as you put in more or lets of the oyl ; and rbiis you may try before you fend away your letter : If you would have it woik more flowly, add but a little oyl ; if fafter , put in more: ycu may, when it is tootfrong, put feme water to it.The fame is performed, if you mix a ftrong lye , they call it the Capital, with your ink ; forfirft they will be yellow, and then they will vanifh. The fame is done by oyl of Tartar,or Salt Aikali, or Soda, and ftrong water of feparation of Gold ; for thefe corrode the letters, and the paper, that nothing of the letter? will appear. If you defire to know
How letters way ire made, that will f eon vanifh } Make them with the ftrongeft Aqua vita, or ufe Camphir and burnt ftraws : for the letters in time, will decay and vanifh ; the tin&ure will fall erf, when the glurrnoYis matter is gone. Make a powder of a very fine touch-ltonc ;for the Sandy- ftonfifwiil fooncr decay, that no letter fhall be fcen. Alio it is done
Another way :
Infufe the fmall filings of fteel in water of feparation ; take a treble quantity of this, and add thereto liquid Pitch, or Soot of Turpentine, to make it the blacker, and co- ver the veffel : grind this on a Porphy re-ffone, write, and they will vanifh and fall a- way This fecret I thought not fie to overpafs, becaufe it is the principal thing to be confidered, to make try aloft-time s ; for if it flay long on the paper, add more ftrong water to it and if you be careful, no mark of the writing will remain. You (hall do it like to this, another way. If it be good lb to counterfeit : Take Chry focolla, Sale Ammoniac, and Alom, all alike ; powder them all , and put them into a Cru- cible,
k Of invifible Writing. 551
ciblc , and make a flrenglyeof quick-lime, and laying a linnen cloth overche mouth of the veflel, that muft receive it,ttrain it ; boil it a little, mingle this with your ink, they wiir remain a while , but in fliort time the letters will vanifh away. Set it up for yon ufe. But contrarily,if you will
That invtftble letters after fome time, (hall become vijible tnd faew themfelves • I will give you fome examples , that you may invent more thereby your felf. If you write with juiceof Citrons or Oranges, on Copper of Brafs, and leave this fo for twenty days, the letters will appear green upon the place the fame may be done many other ways, namely, by dhTolving lak Ammoniac in wa- ter, and writing with it upon Brafs,the place will fooner appear of vcrdigreefe-colonr.
Chap. X.
How we may take off letters that are written upon the paper.
IF we woold take letters from off the paper , or that fnch as are blotted out might appear again , we mutt ufe this art. As, if we would
Take letters off the paper,
or from parchment : Take Aqua fortis, that is it that parts gold from filver : with a penfil wipe fome of this upon the letters, it will prefently wipe off letters , written with Gall and Copras. If you ufe Aqua fortify wherein fait Ammoniac is diflblved, it will be fooner done. But printed letters are harder taken out , becaufe that ink bath neither Galls nor Copras: Or rub it with fait Alkali and Sulphur, making little balls cf them , and that will eat them out , that nothing (hall be feen. But if you defire to write any thing in the place you have made clean ; firft, wet the place with water, wherein A lorn is diffoived, for the ink will not run about. If you defire
To renew letters decayed, or to read fuch as are vanifhed : Boil Galls in wine, and with a fpunge wipe over the letters, the letters will prefently be feen, when they are once wet thus, and be well coloured as they were at firft.
Chap. XI. How to counterfeit a feal And writing.
T T may be of great ufe when places arebefieged, and in Armies, and affairs of great men, to know how to open letters, that are fealed with the Generals Seal , and fisned with his Name, to know what is contained within , and to feal them again, writing others that are contrary to them, and the like. I will (hew how
To counterfeit the Seal.
Melt Sulphur, and caft it into powder of Cerufr , while it is me'ted ; put this mixture upon the Seal, bur fence it about with paper or wax, or chalk, and prefs it down ; when it is cold, take it off, and in that (hall yon have the print of the Seal. I will do it another way. Fill an earthen pot with Vinegar , call Vitriol into it , and a good deal of Verdigreefe j let it bubble on the fire, put plates of iron into it ; after a fttort time take them out, and from the out-fide with your knife, (crape off a kind of raft it hath contracted , that is durty as it were, and put this into a di(h under it : again, put them into the earthen pot, and fcrape more off when you take them c ut ; do this fo often, till you have fome quantity of this durty fub^ance : caft quick-filver into this, and make a mixture ; and while it is foft and ter.dr ^liy it on the Seal, and prefs it down, and let it remain in the open Air , for it will grow fo hard , that you may almoft feal with it5 for it will become even like to a Metal. It may be alio done another wty : Take the filings of fteel, and put them in an earthen Crucible at a
ftrong
Tfil Natural Magick. Hoot^id.
ftroogfircs putfuch things to it, as will haften the melting of ic : when it is melted, caftit into forae hollow place.,pcwnd it in a brais Mortar,tor it will be eafily done:do k To three or four times ; then powder it, and mingle quick-filver with it , 'and let it boil in a glazed vtffel fix hours , till it be well mingled ; then prefs the leal upon it, and let it cool, and it will become exceeding hard. It is pcffible
To makf a great Semi left, 'fit (hould happen that wc want a lefferfeal, we rruft do thus: Take Ifinglafs, and • dilfolvc it in water ; anoynr the figure with oyl, that it may not flick to the glcw ; compafs the feal abeut with wax, that the matter run nor about ; put the Ifinglafs to the fire, and melt it, pour it upon the feal ; after three hour?, when it is cold, take it away, and let it dry, for the feal when it is dry, will be drawn lefs equally. If you will
Imitate the fo m of a -writing,