Of Bitumine. chap. 20.
GLew is slimie gleab of the earth, and gleaming and gendering, namelye in marreis ground. And (as Isidore sayeth, lib. 16. cap. 2. it is a manner of gleaming earth, and is founde beside the lake As∣phalti in Iudea. The kinde thereof is burning and of firie kind, and holdeth so fast, and is so clongie, that it is not broke with water nor with yron, but onelye with menstruall bloud, and it is good to ioyning of ships. Of this Glew is men∣tion made in Plat. in this manner. As∣phaltis glew of Iudea is hot and drie in the third degrée,* 1.1 and is earth of blacke coulour, and is heauie and stinking. And some men meane, that it is earth gende∣red of the foame of the dead sea, and is made hard as earth, and hath vertue of drawing, and sodering, and fastening, and consuming, and is full good to heale and cloase, and to sowder woundes, and Botches, if it bée beate to powder and put in a dry wound, though the wounde be full long and full wide. Also it is good to helpe the passions of the mother, that pearceth and thirleth the spiritual mem∣bers, if it be put vppon coales, & the stin∣king smoake therof be drawen in at the nose and at the mouth. Also it helpeth flu∣matike men, and sléeping Litergicis, that haue the sléeping euill: For it purgeth well fleame out of the head, as Platea. sayth.
(* 1.2Bytume••, a kinde of naturall lime or claie, clammie like Pitch, in olde time vsed in stéed of Morteir, and in Lampes to burne in stéede of Oile, being of the nature of Brimstone, it is a good siment for earthen pots and cups.)