Section 90

Another way,
If falt-wtter cannot be drank cold, yet hot, and cool again, it is better to drink. It isbecaufeathingufeth to change from contrary to contrary, and falt-water is con- trary to frefli , and when it is boil'd , the fait part is boiL'd off, and when it is cold ftays at the bottom. Thi« I tried and found it falfe , and more fait, for by heartbc thin vapors of the water that are fweet exhale , and the fait flay behinde j and in kffer water, the fame quamity of fait makes it falter, as 1 faid in my diftillations. I wonder fuch a wife man would relate fuch falfities. Florentir.ua borrowing it from him, faith, If water be not good nor potable, but ill, let it be boiled, till a tenth pare of it beconfomed,then purge it, and it will be good, For fsa grow fweet. Let me fee whether it can be made fo
Another way,
and that in great quantity. There is a thing that being cad into large veffels filled with fea-water,by faftningthefaltwillmakekfallto the bottom, or by curdling it, and foit frees the water from it. Wherefore we muft think on things that have a ftiptick quality, the Antients tried this, the Moderns have effected it. 'Pliny. Ni- tretu of bitter waters ; if you put Barley-flower dried to them, they are tempered, that you may drink of them in two hours : therefore is Barlev-flower put into wine facks, and eifwbere. Thofe that go to the Red-fea through the Dsfarts, make nitrous, and fait, and bitter waters fit to drink in two hours,by putting in of Barley- meal, and they eat Barley-meal. The like force hath the Chalk of the Rhodes, and our Clay. Alfo, Cooks with Catlings, and Meal of Whear, will take fait cut of very fait meat. I tried this oft but found it falfe, yetfomeof tfiefaltnefs was taken away. Fltny. If you muft drink ill waters, ftrew in powder of Penniroyal. Leo Baptijla Alberttu, when they take up the water of Nilus muddy , if they do but rub the edge of the veffel with an Almond , it prefently srews clear : 1 tried this to, and found it falfe : when common fait is caft into Aquafortis, that parts Gold from Silver, the Silver will prefently defcend. We fee alfo, that in the making of that they call read Alac, caft- ing but Alom into Lye , the fait and colour will prefently precipitate to the bottom, and nothing will remain but dear water. We fee that milk will curdle with many Herbs, which we fpeak of elfewhere. We (hall ufe therefore for this purpofe, coa- gulaters and aftringents. Cooks fay, That a Spunge put into a pot of falt-water, will draw the fait to it ; but preffed forth again, and caft in once more will take it all our. So wood wrapt abom with fillets of linnen, and put into the pot , will draw the fait to it. Others binde in a clont Wheat-meal, and put it into the pot, and draw forth
398 Natural Magick. ©00^10.
the fait. Palladim where he fpeaks of feafoning of wines, faith, The G reeks bid men keep iea-water chat is clean , and taken out of the calm fea the year before , whofc Nature is that in this time , it will lofe its faltncfs or bitternefs, andfmellfwcet by age. It remains to fhew
ft
How fweet witters may be mended* Lea Baptifia faith, If you place a glazed veffel full of fait, and well ftopt with lime, putting oyl under that no water may penetrate into it , that it may hang in the mid- dle cf the waters of a Ciftern ; theie waters will in no time corrupt. Others adde alfo Quick-filver. If water begin to corrupt, caft in fait to purge them { and if fait be wanting , put in feme fca-water, for fo at Venice they draw water from St 'Hicolas Well , for Marriners that go long voyages , becaufe it ftands fo neer the fea, and fair, lyes hid in it,by communicating with thofe waters. We read in Scriptiire, that EU- z,em did this , who at Jericho or Paleftina, caft in fait into a Fountain , and made it potable water, which was before bitter and corrupt. If water breeds worms caft in quick Lime, and they will dye. When we would make wine clear, beat the white of an Egge , and the troubled wine will defcend, if you put it in. Others caft in the duft that is on the catlings of fmall nuts, and the Spaniards caft in Gyp, to make it clear and all thefe we may ufe in waters.
Chap. II. Hew to maif water of Air.
IF all other means fail , we may make water of air onely by changing it into air, as Nature doth ; for (he makes water of air or vapors : Therefore when we want, wa- ter we may mike it of air,and do as Nature doth. We know when the Sun heats the earth, it draws forth the thinneft vapors , and carrieth them on high, to that region cf the air where the cold is, thofe vapors are condenfed into drops, and fall down in Rain. Alio we fee in fummcr , that in Glafs veffels well rinced , and that are full of cold water, the air by coming to the outermoft fuperficies, will prefently clow'd the the Glafs, and make it lcfe'uscleannei's • a little after it will be all in a dew and fwell jnto bubbles , and by degrees thefe will turn to drops, and fall down, which have no other reafoo for them; but becaufe the cold air fticking to the Glafs, grows thick, and is changed into water. We fee alfo in Chambers at Venice, wherethere windows are made of GlaiV, whenagrofs andthkk vapor fticks to the Glafs within, and a cold vapor prevails without , that within will turn to dew , and drop down. Again, in winter, in Brafs GunSjWhich are always very cold,.and are kept in Cellars, and vaulted places, where men alfo ufe to be, that the air will grow thick, and light- ing upon the cold fuperficies of them , they will be all of a dew, and drop with wa» ter. But to fay no mcie : Make a large round veffel of Brafs, and put into it Salt- peter, unrefined , what will fill ic ; men call it Solazzo mingled with Ice : for thefe two mixed , as I faid in this Book , make a mighty cold, and by fhaking them, with the wondeful force of the cold, they gather air about the veffel , and it will prefently drop into a veffel underneath. A deligent Artift will adde more, that be may get a greater quantity of water. It fufficeth that I have (hewed the way.
Chap. III.
How one ma] fo alter his face that not fo much as his friends fn all know him.
£ Uch s? are taken prifoners , cr Hint up dofe and defire to efcape , and fuch as do bufinefs for grear men , as fpies , and others that would not be known , it is of great mcrr.ent for them to know how to change their Countenances : I will teach ihem to do it fo exaftly , that their friends and wives (hall not know them. Great men do not a little perfons, have done great matters, and lovers have ferved their Miftrcffcs, and Parents
have
The Qhaos. £99
hive not fafpe&ed ic. Ulifes attempting to know what the Trojans did, clothed in counterfeit garments, and his face changed, did all he would, and was not difcovcr- ed. Homer,
With many {cats he did transform his fact, In Jervants clothe sy as from a beggars race. He went to Troy, - — -
And when he defircd to know what 'Penelope and her filters did, he transformed hitn- leif again. I (ball fhew how this may be done many ways •> by changing the Gar ments, Hair, Countenance, Scars, Swellings; we may fo change our Faces, thac in fome places it may rife in bunches, in other places it may fink down. And firft,
How tody: the Flcfb.
But to begin with the colouring of the Fkfh. The Flefh may be dyed to laft fo long, or to be foon wafhed out. If you will have it foon waftAlofF, Steep the (hells of Walnuts, and of Pomegranates in Vinegar, four or five days ; then prefs them forth by a Prefs, and dye the face ; for it will make your face as black as an Ethiopian, and this will laft fome days. Oyl of honey makes a yellow colour, and red, and it will laft fourteen days or more. The fame of Brimftonc will difcolour the face, that it will (hew fickly, as if one had long kept his bed, but it will be foon gone. But if you will have it laft many days firm, and very hardly to come off : Ufe water of De- part, that fepcrates Gold from Silver , made of Salt-Peter and Vitriol , and efpecially if it have firft corroded any Silver ; this will laft twenty days, until the skin be chan- ged. Bat if you will
Change the Hair,
I taught elfewhere bow ro do this : yet I will take the pains to do it again. Oyl of honey dyes the Hair of the head and beard , of a yellow or red colour ; and this will hold a raoneth. But if ihey be hoary, white, or yellow , we may dye them black with a ftrong Lixivium , wherein Litharg is boiled. Alfo, it will notably alter the Conntcnance,
To adde or take off Hairy
An Unguent ufedin Stoves and Hot-houfes , is good for that purpofe, made of Or- piment and quick Lime ; for this will prefently make the part bald, fo the eyelids and eyebrows being made fmooth, will ftrangely metamorphife a man. We can al- fo make the Hair grow fuddenly , with water of honey, and the fat of an eel and horfe, as I faid. One may thus
Make his face fwelledrfreffed down, orfuH of fears , Nothing doth more deform the vifage then the flinging of Bees. We can make fears With cauflick Herbs, by applying them, and letting them Jye on for a little time. Tu- mours and Cavities are made by ufingto the part milk of Tithymal, as to ti e Mouth, Nofe, Eyes, efpecially where the skin is off , that by this remedy alor.e the face is deformed; fo you may do the Cods and Tcfticles : water of Cantharides fmeered on, doth prefently caufe bladders and humours. Turbith beaten, and boiled, and anointed on, makes all fwell where it toucheth, chiefly the Teftides. The powder of the Yew, doth fo exulccratc the skin, that the people will think the man is moft miferable, and in a fad condition. The remedy is the juyce of the Poplar, orthe oyl of Poplar. The fume of Brimflone and burnt ftraw , will difcolour the face , as Hypocrites do , who by fuch means alter their countenance. Mingle together the feces of Aquafortis one ounce, Pickle and Cnrcuma,of each one drachm, with Oyl to the form of an unguent, and anoint your face, it will make it black. When ycu will wafh it with cold water, it will come to its former completion. Ccmedians and Tragedians, when they A & on the Stage, they fmecr their faces with lees of Oyl to change them , that fuch as are their acquantance may not know them. Becauic the flinging of Bees, Wafps, Hornets, do fo change the face, making the Nofe, Month*
^oo Natural Magick. Hoodie.
and other parts to ftand awry s and to be fuHof fwellings and deprefltons: If any * manwafh bis skin with the deco&ion of Hornets or Waips, the place will fofwell, that it will mike men fufpc£t fomc difeafe , yet it is without pain. The remedy is ' Theriot drank, or fmeered on the part : and this is the fraud that falfe women nfe to counterfeit themfelves to be with child. Beat together OyUees , coles of a Vine and Pomegranate-Pills ; and mingle them, and if yon touch your face with this lini- ment, youfhall make it exceeding black : but the juyceof fowrc Gripes or Milk willwafhitofF.
Chap. IV.
Thatftwet v. ay mcvealor.c.
TKe Antients lay, that the ftones called Prcchites and Afiroites , laid upon fome other plain Hone, will move of themfelves, if you put Vinegar to them. The way fhall be this : let a plain well polifhcd, on the outward fuperhcies,Porphyr Mar- ble ftone, lye beneath ;lay upon this the HoneTrochitesor Aftroites, whofe outward fuperhcics is made fmoothalfoj then put to them a little vinegar or juyceof Le- mons, prefently of themfelves will the Trochite?, as well as the Aftroites, withonc any thing moving them, go to the declining fupernaes : and it is very pleafant to fee this. Cardan faith, That inch ftones have a\hin moifiure in them, which by the force of the vinegar, is turned into a vapor; and when it cannot get forth , it tumbles the ftone up and down : There is the beginning of a thin vapor, but it ccmes not forth , becaufe it is credible that the phages are very narrow : I fhould think that air is fhut up in the veins of it , for it is probable , where you (hall fee lubftacces of divers colours. Wherefore vinegar, becaufe it is fubtile of parts, goes in, and drives out the air, which pa fling out by the vinegar , moves the ftone. Yet I have found that all ftones will move themfelves,that are mingled of divers ftone?, 8c have divers open psflages in their veins.For the vinegar entring ia at the joynts, forcetb the Hone to move it felf. The Alabaftcr ftone, called vulgarly Lodognium, moves excellently, for it is difiinguifhed by divers veins, and varieties of ftones ; and I have feen a piece, not onely of one pound, but of four pounds to move it felf, and it was like a Tor- tois ; and when the Hone began to move, it feemed like aTortois crawling. That kinde of Marble moves by it felf with vinegar, which is called Brocadello , which is compounded of divers and mingled parts. A lfo with vinegar doth that fpotted Msr 1c walk, which is ipctted with red, yellow, and brown fpots \ they call it the Lowfie Hone, and it makes the beholders to wonder at it. 1 muft tell you this be- fore I leave off, becaufe I would omit nothing. If the Marble be fpotted underneath, and be above all of one colour and hard, or beneath all of one colour and hard, and above of divers colours; when vinegar ispooredon, or any (harp liquor , it runs prcfentJy to the declining part; femetimes in circles, fometimcs by jumps , and fomctimes haliily moving it felf.
Chap. V.
Hot» an lnjlrument may be made, that we may hear by it a great way.
TN my Opticks I (hewed you Spectacles , wherewith one might fee very fat. Now A 1 will try to make an lnftromenr, wherewith we may hear many miles ; and I will learch out a wood , wherewith that may be performed better and with more eafe. Therefore to finde out the form of this Inftrument, we muft confider the cars of all living Cr:atnrcs, that bear beft. For this is confirmed in the Principles of Natural Philofophy, that When any new things are to be invented, Nature mnft be fearched,' and followed. Therefore to confider of Animals, that have the quickeft hearing, we muft thick of thofe that are the moft fearful ; For Nature takes care for their fafe- ty, that as they have no great Hrength, yet they might exceed ochers in healing, and fave themfelves by flight ; as the Hare5CoDcy, Hart, the Afs, Ox, and the like. Tfcefe
Creatures
The Qhaos. $ot
Creatures have great ears and always open toward their foreheads ; and the open pafl'ses are to carry the found from the place whence it ccmes. Hires therefore have long ears Ihnoingup high. Pollux. But Ttfiiu calls the Hire, Auritum% becaufe ofir. great ears , and qukkneisof hearing. Tbe Greeks call the Hare Lagos frcm the s'reat ears ; for La in ccmpofiuon augment, and Os Ggnifies an ear, and k was fit that a fearful creature fhould hear well, that it might perceive dangers farther c ff, and take care for it fcifintime. The Egyptians .thought the Hare io quick of hear- ing , that it was their Hiercglyphick for hearing. The Ccney is of the fame Nature, and hath the famekindeof cars. Cows have great hairy eirs: (he can hear a Bull rore when he fecks to Bull a Cow,thir:y furlongs cff,as giving this token ot his love. o£lian. A Hart hath greater and longer ears , as it is a tearful Creature : If he holds his ears right up, he perceives fharply , and nofnares can take him ; but if he let his ears down, he i eafily Gain, thrift otle^r.d Pliny, from him. When they rai'.e their cars, they hear quickly ; when they let ilum fall , the are afuid: and not to go over all Creatures that have large right up ppen ears , 1 fay thofe th it have fuch ear^ they raii'e them and direft them forward, when they would hear afar eff, and they' are of moll perfeft hearing. I (hall ft^w now by the coft! rary , that fuch Creatures which have fhort fmall cars, and not lovifible, are of dull hearing. Great part of Fifhes want ears , and fuch as have onely holes and no ear?, mul needs hear more deafly; for the outward ears arc made by Nature, that the founds might be con- veyed to the ears by them. Adriarmt Conful of Rome, is a mod clear wknefs cf this , who having this fenfe hurt, made hollow catches to hear better by ; and thefe he faltned to his ears , looking forward. And Ariftetle faith, That Horfes, Affes^ Do°s, and other Creatures that have great ears, do always ftir them about, and turn thtm to hear noife, Nature teaching them the ufe of thole parts; and wefindethat they hear lefs that have their ears cut cfT : wherefore it is fit, that the Form o, the In- fhument for hearing, be large, hollow, and open, and with ferews inwardly. For the fir \ if the found (nould come in directly , it would hurt the fence ; for the fecond, the voi e coming in by windings', is beaten by the turnings in the cars, and is there- by multiplied , as we fee in an Eccho. The fea-Periwinkle is an argument to prove it, which being held to the earc makes a light noife. Now it remains to fpeakof what mittet it mull be made. I think of porous Wood, for the holes and pores are psffable everv way; and being filled with air, they found with every fma.ll flroke : andamongftthe porous Wood, iuhe Ivy , and efpecially the tree called Smilax or Woodbind , for a Difh mad? with Ivy, will let out the water, as I faid. Wherefore ?//»? fpeakingof the Woodbind, faith, It is proper to this matter, that being fet to the cars, it will make a fmall noife. And in another place, I faid that the Woodbind- Ivy would found, if fet to the ear. Therefore fit ycur Inllrument to put into your car, as SpcSaclesare fitted to the eyes.