Section 89

Another Water-Vialy
contrary to the former , namely, by fucking in the air. Let there be a Glafs veffel, like to a Urinal as I faid A B , and being empty fet faff on it the veffel C D, that it cannot fink down : then fill it with wa- ter, as far as B : Let there be a hole neer the top, E, wherefore fucking the air by the hole £. the wa- ter comes into the veffel A B from the veffel C D, and will rife as high as F G : when therefore A B is full of water , Hop the hole £, that no air enter, and the water will fall down again: In the top of the veflel A B, let there be another very fmall hole, that the air may come in by degrees, and fo much as there comes in of air, fo ranch water will go forth. On the fuperficies of the veffel , make Hour-lines that may (hew the Hours marked, 1,2, 3>&c. or if you will let the Still faftned to a Cork fwim on the top of the water , and that will (hew the Hours marked on the outfide of the veffel.
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Chap. V.
tA defcription of Vejfels cafiing forth water by reason of Air,
NOw T will defcribe fome Fountains, cr Veffels, that by reafon of air caff forth water : and though Heron iogenioufly defcribed fome, yet will I fet down feme others that arc artifically found out by me and other men. Here is deicribed
A
Of Tneumattc^Experiments. ^
A Fountain that cajts Icrth water by comprefflon of the Air%
Let there be a veflel of water- work clofe every where, A B, make a hole tl rough the middle, and let a Little pipe CD go up from the bottom of the water-work veflel D, fo fir from the bottom that the water may run forth. Upon the fupcrficies of the Tympanum let there be C a very little hole with a cover to it, or let it have as the Greeks call it, Smerifmation, to fhut and open it haadfomely, and in the upper fur- face of the Tympanum , bore the bafis quite through with a little pipe, which enters into the hollow of the Tympanum , and having in the hole beneath a broad piece of leather or brafs, that the air coming in may not go back : wherefore pour in water at E, that it may be three fingers above the bottom; then blow in air as vehemently as you can : when it is well prcfied in, (hut the mouth.; then opening the mouth A, the water will fly up aloft, until the air be weak. I at Venice made a Tvmpanum with pipes of Glafs, and when the water was call forth very far, the Lord tfiens much admired it, to fee the water flyio high, and no vifible thing to force it. I alio made another place neer this Fountain, that let in light , and when the air was extenua- ted , fo long as any light lafted the Fountain threw out water , which was a thing of much admiration, and yet but little labor. To confirm this, there is
An Artifice whereby a hand-Cjun may jhoot a bullet without fire, For by the air oncly prcfled is the blaft made. Let there be a hand Gun that is made hollowand very fmooth, which may be done with a round inftrum;r>c of lead , and with Emril-powder beaten, rubbing all the parts with it. Then you muft have a round Inftrument that is exa&ly plained on all parts, that may perfectly go in at the mouth of the wind Gun, and fo fill it that no ait may come forth : let it be all fmcer'd with oyl , for the oyl by its grofsnefs hinders any air to come forth. So this lead Bullet being put into the Guns mouth, and thruft down with great force and dexte- rity, then prefently take away your hands (but you muft firft (hut the little hole that is in the bottom of the hole) and the bullet and little ftick will fall to the bot- tom, and by the violence of the air prefled together it will caft out the Bullet a grcac way, and the ftick too, which is very ftrange. Alfo I will make
A Ve(fel, wherewith at jou drinks the liquor [hall be {printed about your face. Make a veflel of Pewter, or Silver, like to a Urinal ; then snake another veflel in the faftuonof a Tunnel, or around Pyramis : let their mouths be equal, and joyn'd pcrfe&ly together , for they muft be of the fame bredth : let the fpire of it be di- ftant from the bottom of the Urinal a fingers breadth , and let it be open : then pour water into the veflel, and fill the Urinal unto the hole of the fpire end, and fill the Tunnel to the top, and the reft of the Urinal will be empty , becaufe the air hath no place to get forth ; when therefore any man drinks , when the water is drank upas far as the hole of the fpire end, by the air prefled within , is the water thruft violent- ly forth, and flies in the face of him that drinks. Alfo there is a vcffel that no man can drink out of it , but he who knows the art. Make an earthen or metal veflel, in form of a Bottle or Flagon , and make it full of holes from the neck to the middle of the belly : From the bottom let a pipe afcend by the handle of the vcffel, and the handle being round about it, let it come above the brims of the vcffel, empty : under the handle in a place not feen, make a little hole, that any man holding the veflel by the handle , may with his finger ftop and unftop this hole when he pleafe : under the brim of the veflel, where you fet it to your mouth , let there be another fecret hole. Then pour water into the veflel: if now any man put the bottle to his mouth, and raifeth it to drink, the water will run forth at the neck that is open, and at the belly ; but he that knows the trick, taking the veflel by the handle, (huts the hole with his thumb, and not moving the veffel, he dtawstheair with his mouth, for the water follows the air, and fo he drinks it all up ; but if any man fuck, and (hut not the hole,the water will not follow.
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5P4- Natural Magick. $00^19.
Chap. VI. That we may ttfe the Air in mxny Arts,
^"VjTE may ufe Air in many Artifices, I fhall fet down fome, that I may give a hint to ot hers to invent more. And chiefly
How wind may be made in a chamber^ that guefts may almaft freeze9 Make a deep pit, and put in afufficient quantity of river or running water ; let the pit be dofeftopt, onely let a pipe convey it through the walls, that it maybe brought into the chamber. Let the water be let down into the pit by a kind of Tunnel, left the air mould come forth at the place where it goes in : by the water is the tir of the pit expelled, and comes by the pipe into the chamber , that not onely thofe that fleep there, butfuch as convcrfe there are extream cold, and benummed. I will flicw
Hew Air may fervefor Bellows^
I faw this at Rome. Make a little cellar that's clofe on all fide?, pour in by a Tunnel from above, a quantity of water ; on the top of the wall let there be a little hole, at which the air may break forth with violence ; for it will come fo forcibly ,that it will kindle afire, and fervefor bellows for Brafs and Iron-melting furnaces} the Tunnel being fo made, that when need is, it may be turned, and water may be put in.
THE
39*
THE
TWENTIETH BOOK
O F
Natural Magick :
The Chaos, wherein the Experiments are fet down without any Claffical Order..
Thi Proem i.
1 Determined at the beginning of my Book^ to write Experiments , that are contained in aU "Hatural Sciences , but by my bufmefs that called me off , my rr.ind was hindred , fo that I could not accomplifh what I intended. Since therefore 1 could not do what Iwonldy 1 mufi be willing to do what lean. Therefore I (hut up in this Beo^ thofe Experiments that could be included in no flaJf's> which were fo diver fe and various ^ that they could not m^kt 'Ap as what. ! had overpajfed ; and if God pleafey I will another time give you a more perfect Book. Now you mufi refi content with thefe.
Chap. I.
How Sea-water miy bt made potable,
T isnofmall commodity to mankinde, if Sea-water may be made potable. In long voyages , as to the Indies it is of great concernment : For whilft Sea men, by reafen of tem- pers are forced to flay longer at Sea than they would, for want of water they fall into great danger of their lives. Gal- leys are forced all moft every ten days to put in for f re Cfo wa- ter , and therefore they cannot long wander in enemies coun- tries, nor go far, for enemies flop their paffages. Moreover, in fea Towns andlflinds, when they want water, as in our days, in the lfl:nd Malta, and in the Syrfes, Souldiers and Inhabitants endured much hardnefs , and Hifiories relate many fuch things. Hence I thought it neceffa- ry to fearch curioufl/, whether Sea- water might be made potable. But it is impoifi- ble to finde out any thing for this , how it may be done, unlefs we firfftinde out the caufe of its faknefs , and what cur Anceftors have faid concerning that matter ; efpe- cially fince Arifiotle faith, That the fait may eafily be taken from the Sea , btcaufe the fea is not fait of its own Nature , but by the Sun that heats the water, which draws out of it , cold and dry earthly exhalations to the top of it , and thefe being there burnt caufe it tobefak, when the moift fubtile parts arc refclved into thin vapors. We therefore imitating Nature, byraifingthe thin parts by Chymical IrsHrwrients, may eafily make it fweer. Fcr fo the Nature of the Sea, makes fwcet waters for the Rivers. There are alfo veins of the Sea, in the deep parts of the earth , that are heated by the Sun, and the vapours are elevated to the tops of the heigheft Moun- tains, where by the cold iuperficies they meet with , they congeal into drops ; and dropping down by the vaulted roots of Caves » they run forth in open firearm. We firft fill a hollow viflel like a great Ball, with Sea-water, it muft have a long neck, and a cap upon it, that live coles being put under, the water may refolvc into thin va-
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2fi6 Natural Magick. $00^20.
pors,and fill til vacuities, being carryed aloft : this ill fented grGffoefs,when it comes to touch the coldnefs of the head or cap, and meets with the Glafs, gathers like dew about the skirts of it • and fo running down the arches of the cap, it turns to water, and a pipe being opened that pertains to it , it runs forth largely , and the receiver Hands to receive it as it drops : fo will fweet water come, from fait, and the fait tar- rycth at the bottom of the vcffel , and three pound of fait water , will give two pounds of frefh water ; but if the cap of the limbeck be of Lead, it will afford more water, yet not fo good.For Galen faith, That water that runs through pipes of Lcad,if it be drank, will caufe an excoriation of the inteft ines. But I found a way
How to get a greater quantity of frefh water, when we difiil fait water, Mike a cap of earth, like to aPyramis^aUfull of holes, thatthrough the holes, Uri- nals of Earth or Glafs may be brought in. Let their mouths flick forth , well lured that the vapor may not exhale 5 the cap after the fafhion of the limbeck, mull have its pipe at the bottom running round, and let it drop forth at the nofe of ir. Set this upon a brafs Cauldron, that will hold much water ; fill it with fait water , after that the Urinals ; and putting on their caps, when fire is put under, both the Urinals will drop, and the cap that contains others, by its pipe will drop out water alfo: for the vapors rifing from the Cauldron of hot water, will make the Urinals drop, and the cap will drop withal. But if at Sea the commodity of fuch a veffel cannot be had. We may
Dtftil fait water oiherwife, though but little. Diofcor ides fhews the old way of difiillation ; we may that way difiil fea water in (hips , which Pliny fhews alio,. Fleeces of wool extended about the (hip, are made wet by the vapors rifing from the Sea , and fwect water is prefled out of them. But let us fee, whiter
Salt water may be made frefh another way, Arifiotle faith it, tnd Solomon before him, That all Rivers came from the Sra, and re- turn to the Sea ; for by the fecret paffages under ground , the waters thit are fent forth , leave their earthly and dry parts mixed with the earth , and they come forth pure and fwecc. He faith, The caufe why the fait water comes not forth, is, becaufe it is ponderous , and fettles, and therefore onely hot-waters of falt-waters, can run forth, for iheyhave a lightnefs that oveifways the weight of the fait \ for what is hor, is lighted : Adde, that waters running through the earth are much (trained., and therefore theheavior and thicker they are , the more do they continually fink down, and are left behind ; and rhc lighter they are, the more pure do they come forth and are fevered. For as Salt is heavy , fo fweet water is light ; and fo it c--mes, that they are fweet waters that run forth. This is the very aufe why falt-witer , when it moves and is changed, i; made the fweerer, for motion makes it lighter and purer. Let U5 fee now if we can imitate Nature : Fill then great veflels with earth , and fet them fo one above another, that one may drean into another; and thus falt-watcr dreaning through many vefleis, may leave the fait behicde. I tried it through ten veneis, and it remain'd flill fait : My friend /aid, that he made it fweet through twen- ty vtffeis. Yet thus I thought to warn you of, that all earth is not fit for this ufe. SoImh» faith, That fea-water flrain'd through clay will grow fweet ; and it is proved that the fait is taken away , if you Krain it often through thin fand of a River. Earth that lies in covered places, and under root?, is naught, for that is commonly fait ;ts alfo where Cattle are flailed, which Columella faith is aaugbt for Trees, for that it mikes falt-waier , what is ftrain'd from ir. Black earth is naught , for ir makes the waters (harp, but clay grounds mike fweet waters. Paxavms, Anaxagorai laid, That the faltnefs of the fea came from the Rivers, running through fait places, and communicating that quality to the lea. Some approve River-gravel for this ufe, and their reafon is , becaufe always fweet waters are found by the Chores , and they fay this happens, becaufe they are ftrain'd through the fand, and fo grow frefh coming from the falt-fea : for the fwect water that is found neer the fea , is not of the fea, but fu:h water as comes from the tops of hills , through the fecret channels of the
earth,
The Qbaos. ■rj1
earth, thither. For waters that drcan forth fweet , arc fweet though they lye even with thefea, and iD plain places ; as t/ffuila, where the waters drean not f.cm the hills, they are fair. So on the fhores of Africa. But Ariftotle brings an experiment from a veffel of wax ; for if one make a Ball of wax that is hollow, and fiull dip it into thefea, it beingofafufficientthicknefs n^main , he fh>!l finds it fulloffrefh water, becaulcthe corpulent faknefs cannot ^t in through the pores of the wax. And by letting down little nets into thefea, and hollow balls of wax, or emp- ty veffels ftopt, faith, they will draw in frefh water ; for fea- water firain'd through clay will grow frefla. But I have found this to befaifc. For I have made pots of clay, as fine and well as I could, and let them down into fait- water , and after feme days I found falt-water in them. Alfo, if it were true, it is of no ufe, when as to fwceten one pound of water, a thouiand Balls of wax a day were not fufficienr. Buc for this many veffels might be invented of porous wood and Hones. A veffel of Ivy, that parts,as*I faid, wine from water, will not part fait from water if it drean through it. But ftones are brought from Portingal , made into veffels, into which fea water put will drean forth fweet , if not the firtt, yet the fecond time , they ufe it to break the ftone ; alfo, for that many pumex and porous ftones may be tried. Leo Baptfta Alberttu hithy That an earthen pot wellftopr, and put into the fea, will fill with potable water. But I have tried all earthen veffels, and I always found falt-water. Arsjtotle in his Problems, faith, Tt may be done