The secretes of the reuerende Maister Alexis of Piemount Containyng excellent remedies against diuers diseases, woundes, and other accidents, with the manner to make distillations, parfumes, confitures, diynges, colours, fusions and meltynges. ... Translated out of Frenche into Englishe, by Wyllyam Warde.

THE Secretes of the reuerende Master Alexis of Piemount.

THE SIXTE BOOKE.

☞To sublime Quicke Syluer, that is to saye, to make common sublyme, that Goldsmithes, Alebemistes, and Gentil wemen do vse, and that men vse in many thinges concerninge Phisycke.

TAke a pounde of Quicke Syluer, and put it in some ves∣sell of wood with a little Vyn∣aygre, and Salte Peter, than braye it, and mortifie it well with a wodden pestell. Than take halfe a pounde of commen salt, foure vnces of Salt Peter, and let all this be well brayed, and put vpon the Quicke Syluer in the same vessell of woode, styringe well all together, puttinge to it twoo pounde of Roche Alome burned. Incorporate well all this together, and put it in a violle, or some potte, luted and clayed a finger higher then the substaunce within is. Then put it, and dispone it, in a panne or scillet, v∣pon sisted ashes: than set the saied panne on the furnes, settinge the Limbecke vpon the violle or potte luted, and then the recipient, to receaue that distelleth out, as men do in all maner of distillations. Make to it at the fyrste a slowe fyre, vntyll all the moysture be drawen out, whiche you shall take out of the recipient, and kepe well, for it will be good for many thinges, and specially for to mortifie other Quicke Syluer, to make other sub¦lime. This doen, make your fyer greater, and continue it so, vntyll you see Mercury or Quicke Syluer, to be sublimed thorowly whyte, that is to saye, that it be ry∣sen

aboue al the substance, and made as it were a white cake. And if you will make it higher, that is to say, vn∣to the necke and brimme of the violle or pot, then take a sheete of paper, and wrappe it rounde about the violle or potte, that is to saye, aboute the body of it that is vn∣couered aboue the furneis: then encrease your fyre, and make it greater, and this white cake wyll rise by little and little, and will cleaue to the brimme of the pot, re∣maininge there lyke a little be••••e of white sublime, then let it coole. Than take of the recipient, and lyfte vp the Limbecke, makinge the pot cleane without side, to the intent that whan you break it, there fal no filth among the saied sublyme. This done, breake the violle or potte and in takinge of the sublime, you must kepe it from the smoke, and in this sorte you may make a loafe or cake of a hundred, or two hundred pounde, or as muche as you wyll, kepinge alwaies the proportion of the quantitie of the thinges, accordinge to the weighte here aboue written. The lees that remayneth in the bottome of the sayd potte or violl, may be stamped and dissolued in boi∣linge water, and than straine it, and lette it seeth, and than drie thorowlye: there will remaine in the bottome a salte, whiche will be of the nature of the Salt Peter, of the common salte, and of the Alome that you did put in. And the sayde salte will be very good to make other newe sublime, with other Quick Siluer, and vinaiger: or elles in steade of Vynaigre you maye take the fore∣said water that distilleth in the sublimation, and so shal you make it very perfitte. And you muste note, that the saied sublime, made with Roche Alome, is better for gentilwomen, that wil paint their faces with sublime. But I counsaile theim, that in steade of sublime, they vse some of the waters that I haue spoken of in the bookes before. For Goldesmithes, Alkemistes, and for manye thinges required in Phisicke, it is better to put in rawe Vitriole, in steade of burned Alome: but this is very euil and hurtful for gentlewemen: for, the mooste part of them that make sublime, make it with Vitriole

partly because it is made with lesse cost, and partly be∣cause it is profitabler for many thinges, thē made with Alome, whiche is almdost for nothinge but for gentle∣wemen. There be some naughty personnes that putte Arsenic Cristallyne to distille with Quicke Syluer, a thinge practised of to many men. Wherefore it is good and profitable to admonyshe euerye man that he take heede, for certainely, in respecte of a little gayne, they make them selues worthy to be burned quicke: for besi∣des that men se oftentimes, that by suche sublyme we∣men haue theyr faces swollen withall, like a bladder blowe••, also it may happen that in Phisicke they hurte or kyll men The sayde sublime made with Alome and Vitriole, may easely be sublimed a newe, that is to say, for euery pounde of this sublime, to putte to it halfe a pound of common white salte, or burned Alome, or vn∣sleaked lime, in settinge this to sublime, as before: the whiche wyll sublime it selfe much soner, and will waxe fayrer, the oftener you sublime it. The Alchemistes, fo∣lowynge the preceptes of Geber, of Saynte Thomas, and other Philosophers, go aboute and spende tyme to sublime it diuers times for to make it firme, amonge whom there be that sublime it a hundreth times, and o∣ther some two hundreth tymes, and yet at thende bring it to none effect: and that cometh, because that alwayes they put in, in subliminge the saied lecs, that is to saye, the salte, alome, or vitriole, as we haue saied. And seing that the nature of the fyre is to fix and make firme thin∣ges that sone flit awaye, the oftener the saied sublime cometh to the fyre, the more doth it fasten at euery time, but that part that is fastened, is alwaies mingled with the saied lees, and so is lost: Therfore they which made the saied sublimation, not consideringe the reasons and causes why suche a thinge happeneth, founde that by little and little theyr sublime was diminished, and (per∣aduenture) thought it hadde flowen awaye, or els con∣sumed in the fyre, rather than to beleue that it remay∣ned in the saied lees, from the whiche it can in no wyse

be separated. Nowe mindinge philosophicallye to pro∣cede in the fasteninge or fixinge the saied sublyme, you must fyrste sublime it three or foure times, with com∣mon salte, burned Alome, lime, or Talchum, as is saied to the intent that in this wise it may be mondified, and clensed from all earthy and vncleane substaunce, that it conteyneth, and frome the superfluous moisture, whereof it is full. It is mondified and made cleane of the earthy substaunce, because the earth sublimeth not, but remayneth in the bottome of the viole or pot, clea∣uinge with the grounes, whiche is the Salte, Alome, or Vttriole that is put in it, the whiche thinges we call here lees or dregges, because they remaine in the bot∣tome, as the lees of wine, or of Oyle doeth. Also it is pourged of the aquositie, or superfluous moisture, two maner of wayes. The fyrste is, because that with the same, or distilled water, wherwith it was watered, as we haue saied before, the moisture or watrinesse of the saied Quick siluer distilleth out in a vapour. The other is, because of the ofte subliminge it, the nature of the fyre is annexed vnto it, whiche diminisheth it, the whi∣che two thinges are the principall cause whye it faste∣neth. And so are they the onelye partes that make the perfyt fixion or fasteninge, accordinge as they are suffi∣ciently ioyned with the thinges that you wyl fasten or fixe. And here we meane no other thinge, by the thynge fixed or fastened, but that the fyre hath made suche a de∣coction, that it danisheth not awaye, or is lightly caried awaye with the wynde, and that all the substaunce re∣mayneth in the bottome, and consumeth no more.

Therefore, after you haue sublimed it three or foure tymes, and that it is well pourged of the carthye sub∣staunce, and of the superfluous moisture, as is afore∣sayed, you shall set it to sublime a parte by it selfe, with∣oute any grownes or lees, and shall sublime it so often, vntyll all remayne fixed to the bottome of the violle or potte, and that it flye not awaye nor diminishe for anye greate fyre that you make.

But if you wyll make it in lesse space, and easier, ob∣serue this rule, whiche is certayne and infallible.

Whan you haue sublimed it three or foure times, or oftener, you shall adde to it the fourth part of fine siluer calcined and burned, as we wyll afterwarde declare: than after you haue mixed it well together, set it to sub∣lyme: and whan it is sublimed, mingle that whiche is rysen vp, with that that remaineth in the bottome, then sublime it again, and so, so often that it ryse vp no more but remayne in the bottome for al the vehemence of the fyre, and so shall it be perfit, very white, cleane, fusible, and penetratiue or pearsinge. And he that would make a good quantitie of it, and is not hable to putte to it as muche fyne siluer, as the fourth part of it, he may make it in this maner folowinge. After he hath sublimed it three or foure times, with the grownes or lees, as is a∣foresaied, let him kepe it by it selfe, and take a little of it that is to saye, as muche as for to ioyne or put with the fourth part of fyne syluer, that he should put to it, as in example. If he haue but half an vnce of Syluer, let him take an vnce of the sayde sublime, and whan he hath mixed it together, let him sublime it as often as before, vntyll all remayne fixed in the bottome, and he shall haue two vnces, or little lesse of sublime fixed: for the fyre in dryenge it, and making the decoction, cateth and consumeth some parte of it, besyde that consumeth in stampinge, and in the vyole or potte. Than let him take these two vnces fixed, or as muche as is of it, with three times as muche of sublime not fixed, that was kepte, and then let him mingle all together, and sublime it as oft as before, vntil al be fixed. And if he wil make more of it, let him take agayne three partes of the other sub∣lyme: and so shall he make it as often and as muche as he wyll, whiche is muche better then to make it all at once, for by this meanes is volatile fixum, and fixum vola∣tile oftener made, whiche is that, that the philosophers esteme moost, and is also more fusible, more pearsynge, and of greater vertue. In this operation consisteth all

all the secrete, and the greatest maistry of the Philoso∣phers, and cheiflye of Geber, who maketh the mooste part of his worke in this manner of subliminge and fi∣ringe often times, and onely keepeth the thinge secrete that must be sublimed, the which thinge because he wil hide it from theim that be not worthye to knowe it (as hym selfe affirmeth) he calleth it Quick Syluer, but he meaneth another thinge, althoughe in effecte the same thinge declareth that it is but quick syluer, but brought from his nature vnto a perfecter degre, as for example. Dowe, is meale, not in his fyrst essence and being, but is redact and made of the baker, into a more estimable nature, and nerer to perfection. No man ought to hope to attayne to this high knowledge, by his owne wytte, but onely by the grace and gifte of God, who (as all the Philosophers saye) Cui vult largitur, & subtrabit.

☞To make Cinabrium, and thereof to make loaues of a hundreth or two hundreth poundes, as great as a man list as those are that come oute of Almayne, whiche secrete hath not before this tyme bene knowen of anye in Italy.

ALl those that delight in secretes, and principally in thinges belonginge to metalles, knowe howe to dresse Cina∣brium, but in a small quantitie, as a pound or two at a time, and not past. In Germanye, and some partes of Fraunce, there be that make it in great lompes, or masses, and send it so into Italye, and ouer all the worlde, and yet kepe it meruelous secret to them selues, without publishinge it vnto manye men. Therefore we will also communicate this secrete (al∣though it consist in a small thinge) to the glory of God, and the profite of the common welth, reachinge here in a breife manner, to make it in as great a quantitie as a man will. Take of Quicke Syluer nine partes, Brim∣stone citrine two partes, yet many men put thre partes

of Brimstone, for the nine partes of quick siluer, other foure, and some as muche of the one as of the other. But whan it is for to paynte with, there cannot be to much Brimstone, for there commeth the liuelier colour of it, and for other thinges it is better that for one poūd of Quicke Siluer, there be but three or foure vnces of Brimstone. Putte then the Brimstone in some large panne, meltinge it with a slowe or small fyre: & whan it is molten, take the Quicke Syluer in a linnen cloth, in your lefte hande, and wringe it little and little into the saied Brimstone (whiche must fyrste be taken from the fyre) and mingle it with a sticke, to thende the quick syluer maye incorporate it selfe well with the Brym∣stone, not ceasinge to styrre it, and to loose it alwayes from the panne, vntyll all be well cooled, and you shall haue a blacke mixture, whiche shall be neither lyke the Brimstone, nor quick syluer. Stampe this mixtion, and bray it well, and sifte it, and of this poulder you maye make what quantitie you will, puttinge it in a greate panne. Nowe yf you wyll dresse the Cinabrium, you shall take a violle of glasse as great as you will, yet see not∣withstandinge that ye fyll the saied violle but a quar∣ter full with the substaunce that you shall putte in it. And after hauynge well luted and clayed the violle, with a claye or paste made with white claye, and the shearinge of cloth (whiche men call Lutum sapientiae, as we will shewe you hereafter howe to make it perfectly) and whan it is well dried, putte in as muche of the said poulder, as wyll fill a quarter of the sayed violle, or lesse, and without closynge vppe the mouth of the saied vessell of glasse, ye shall set it vppon a greate furneis, if you haue muche substaunce, than make vnder it a flighte and slowe fyre, the space of two or three houres, and afterwarde somewhat greater. But for to make a greate quantitie of it, you muste euer and anone, putte in of the saied poulder, leauynge so styll the saied vessell of glasse vppon the fyre to sublyme: then take a sticke made meete for the purpose, that maye reache to the

bottome of the saied vessell, and be more then a hande∣full withoute, and haue also vppon the sticke a rounde lumpe of the sayed Lutum sapientiae, to the intente that the sayed sticke so being put into the viol, it maye close the mouth of it, and that whan the sticke riseth vp, the piece of Lutum sapientiae, maye also rise withall, and o∣pen the mouth of the saied violle. You muste haue also made readye, and settled, a fonnell (suche as they fyll hogges heades of wyne withall) whiche muste haue al∣wayes the necke of it within the mouthe of the vyolle, and that the sticke maye go thorough the myddle of the funnell, that by that meanes, it maye stoppe the strayte of the funnell, with the mouthe of the violle.

All these thinges thus set in order, you muste keepe the saied poulder nyghe vnto the fyre, to the intente that it maye be hoate: for if you shoulde putte it in colde, vppon the hoate that is in the Violle, you should make colde, and lette the sublimation of the Cinabrium.

Nowe, whan the fyrste poulder hath bene on the fyre, the space of fyue houres, and that it is thoroughlye, or partelye sublimed, lyfte vppe the sticke a little, that is in the potte, and so open the mouth of it, in lyftinge vp the rounde piece of claye that stopped it, and putte in three or foure sponefulles of the saied poulder that you kepte warme, then lette downe the sticke, with the rounde buttonne of claye, that it maye close the vyolle, as before.

And you muste vnderstande, that the sayed sticke is not put into the violle for anye other cause, but to kepe that the sayed poulder whiche is in the bottomme, be∣ginninge to sublyme, shoulde not cleaue rounde about the mouth of the violle, for than it woulde stoppe it so, that you coulde putte none other poulder into it, nor make the loaues soo greate, as is sayed: and herein consysteth the whole Secrete to make the loues great. For if you woulde putte in all the substaunce at once, that is to saye, a hundrethe, or twoo hundreth pounde of substaunce, you shoulde make the masse, or lumpe

so great, that it woulde neuer be broughte to perfecti∣on, and muste make so greate a fyre to it, that rather it woulde melte both the vessell, and also marre the fur∣neis, than the matter or substaunce woulde sublyme.

But in puttinge it in thus by little and little, the sticke beinge in the middle, all the substaunce sublimeth, ba∣keth, and waxeth redde, and by little and little, sticketh to the highest parte of the vessell, then, in puttinge to it agayne newe poulder, it descendeth to the bottom, and there findinge all thinges hote, with that that it is hote it self, and in a smal quantitie it sublimeth, baketh, and waxeth redde incontinent, incorporatinge it selfe with the fyrste. So in puttinge in, by little and little newe hote poulder, and keping alwayes the fyre in one state, you shal make as great a quantitie of it as you wil, and shal haue very great loaues of fayre Cinabrium, the whi∣che wyll haue onely a hole in the middle, whiche is the space where the sticke went thorow. Finally, you may put to it newe poulder in takinge awaye the sticke all together, and closing the mouth, and than make a fire: for this last poulder wyll lykewise sublyme, and wyll make a bottome to the lofe of Cinabrium, Moreouer, note and vnderstande, that the great fyre, that is to say, long continued and kept, hurteth not, and now and then you must moue, and lifte vp and downe the sayde sticke, to the intent that the Cinabrium cleaue not to it, and stoppe so the mouth of the vessell, that you can putte no more freshe poulder to it, as is sayed. This is the sure, and perfecte waye and meane howe to make Cinabrium in as greate loaues as you will, whiche hytherto hath not bene knowen in Italye. You maye do the like in pottes of potters claye white, soo that they be well luted and clayed ouer, that they maye endure the fyre, and not breake.

☞To fyne and renewe Borax.

BORAX was called of the auncient writers Chrisocolla, and was both na∣turall and artificiall, as Plini, Dios∣corides, and other write, and men did vse of it in Phisicke, and also to sow∣der Gold and Syluer, and other me∣talles, as men vse yet nowe a dayes: for the nature of it is to melte, and to resolue quickely anye souderynge. It is vsed in worke also for to make a bodye, that is to saye, to gather together the fylynge of Golde and siluer, and in all other thinges, wherein a man hath neede of a quicke and sodayne foundinge or meltinge. Moreouer, gentlewemen helpe theim selues also muche with it to make theim fayre: for it maketh the skinne very white, fine, and cleane, without daun∣ger of any poyson, or of hurtinge the teeth, or fleshe.

The auncient men of olde time had of it grene, where∣of nowe a dayes is none founde, nor yet anye man ma∣keth it. Marye, we haue that is very white, and alsoo somewhat blacke, whiche peraduenture a man may say is like theyr grene. The white is in little longe pieces, with certayne synewes or veines all a longe, so like vn¦to Roche Alome, that many are deceiued, or deceiue o∣ther with it: For whan a man setteth the saied Borar vpon the fyre, it boyleth, and swelleth vp in all poyntes like Alome, and so remayneth white, and full of hoales lyke a sponge, and easy to be broken with your handes, euen as Roche Alome burned. But subtyle and craftye marchauntes knowe Borax from Alome thre maner of wayes. The fyrste is, that Alome put in a mans mouth is eygre and sharpe of taste, and restraintife, but Borax hath no maner of taste, but a dead and vnsauery guste, as a meane betwene the sauour of Oyle, and whaye of Mylke. Therefore they that wyl deceaue other, and fal∣sifye the true Borax, take little pieces of rawe Rocfe Alome, and kepe them in Oyle of Almondes, in whay, or in mylke. Some other put to it also honny, or sugre, for to moderate the eygernesse of the Alome, with the

swetenesse of it. Other there be, that melte all the saied thinges on the fyre, and than set theim to coole in some colde place, vntyl all be waxen into yee, or little stones, and puttinge to it Salte Peter, Sal alcali, Tartre, A∣lome de fece, and suche lyke thinges, and make little sto∣nes somewhat lyke vnto Borarx but fyrste they differ in fourme and fashion, for the true Borax is alwayes longe in fourme, and the stones where Alome is a∣monge, are neuer broughte into anye fourme, but in∣to little square stones. Furthermore, thei differre in the seconde sorte, and that is this: That Alome beynge burned, maketh a greater lumpe, then when it is raw: but the true Borax is broughte and reduced into a ve∣rye small quantitie, and this is an euidente signe to knowe it. The thyrde, whiche is of moost importaunce and the sureste, is, that the matter wherein the Alome is, will not souder in no manner of wise, and wyll not melte neither, so well as the Borax will. I saye, it will not melte so well, because that where any Salt Peter, Tartre, and Sal alcali is, there the matter will melte, at the leaste in some parte: for all the saied thinges helpe to the foundinge of metalles. The Salte Peter, whan there is a good quantitie of it, is knowen incontinente vppon the fyre, for it maketh the boylinge wateryshe, and casteth aboute, as it were lyttle sparkes of fyre.

The other thinges made with the foresayed mixions, dyuers tymes, in whaye, milke, or in water, and con∣geled into lyttle pebbles, make certayne stones, but they be alwayes salte, to brighte, and to violente to melte: for whan a manne wyll souder anye worke of Golde, or thinne Syluer with it, it causeth the worke to melte together, and where as there is Sugre, it leaueth the Golde and Syluer spotted. Men make o∣ther mixtures, whiche are verye good for to souder, or to melte, whiche neuerthelesse are differente frome the Borax in fourme and sauoure, of the whiche we wyll make mention hereafter.

Nowe, for to retourne to the true Borax of oure

tyme, men bringe vs certayne barrels full, of a kind of grease, ful of certayne litle pebbles, which is called the dowe or paste of Borare. Vnto this daye menne haue broughte it oute of Alexandria, where it was alsoo of olde tyme made: and therefore is it that the aunciente Arabian Anthones, whiche haue wrytten of thynges concernynge mettalles, called the Borax Nitrum Alex∣andrinum. And within these fewe yeares, they haue be∣gonne to brynge it frome the Weste partes, yet I can not tell whether it be made there, or elles paraduen∣ture it be broughte latelye oute of the Indes. There was within these fewe yeares soo greate lacke of it in Italye, that it was solde at the leaste, for a crowne an vnce, of that, that was made into stones. And nowe, within this twoo yeare, there is come suche hahoun∣daunce oute of the Weste partes, that the pounde is worth but a crowne and a halfe, and lesse.

The waye howe to make it (whiche is vsed in the saied West partes) is thus. In Mines, where Golde and Syluer, or Copper is gotten, is found a kynde of water, whiche (as I my selfe haue seene and proued by experience) is of it selfe verye neete and excellente for to souder or to founde with. And also I knowe a place in Germanye, where there is a greate veyne of suche wa∣ter, whiche notwithstandinge, the paysauntes knowe not of. Nowe, they take this water, with the earth that is vnderneath it, or on the sydes, and boyle it a certaine tyme, and than strayne it, and so leauinge it, it conge∣leth into lyttle pebbles, euen like vnto Salte Peter.

And therefore yf a man shoulde keepe theim longe soo, thei would not continue, but would resolue by litle and litle: Also for to make them better, and to preserue thē, and norishe them in their owne nature and kynde, they take the groundes or dregges that is left of the said wa¦ter, & earth, putting to it barrows grease, or the grease of some other beast: than they goo to the mine, where they make a greate hole in the grounde, in the bottome wherof they lay a ranck of the said grease, & vpon that a

rancke of the sayde little pebble stones, and than again another of grease, and so consequently as much as they wyll, but so that the laste rancke be of grease, or of the saied dowe or paste, and so they leaue it open and vnco∣uered, the space of certayne moneths: yet many of them do all this within theyr houses, in the earth, or in great vesselles. Than, whan they wyll sell it, or sende it out of the countrey, they take the sayed paste or dowe, with the stones and all, with a fyre panne or some like thing, and fyll barelles and tonnes of it.* 1.1 This is the same that commeth vnto vs, whiche we call dowe or paste of Bo∣rax. It is sent also from the countreye where Borax is made, or little stones of the sayed paste, so renewed and fined as I will shewe you. About thyrty yeare ago they sent muche more of this Borax, fyned and renewed, than they did of the paste, because that in Italye they coulde not dresse nor make it, nor bringe it into little stones, wherefore it was not put in vre, but of certayne wemen in distillations, for to paint them selues with. Since there hath ben one in Venise that began to dresse it, and after him a woman whom he had taught. These two gat a greate somme of money, and the sayd secrete was longe betwene them two onely, althoughe it was desyred of euery man longe before. Finally, it is nowe come so farre forwarde, that many men in Venyse can dresse it, but one maketh it farre better, then another, and peraduenture very fewe haue the perfection of dres¦synge it, with suche adnauniage that he loose nothinge of the substaunce, and to make as muche of it as is pos∣sible perfectly, as I will shewe you hereafter folowing. Now, you muste take fyrst of the sayd paste, that is not mouldy, vinewed, or putrified, for than it is a sign that it shoulde be olde, and of many yeares, and thereby the little stones shoulde be diminished, loste, or decayed. Yet neuerthelesse this is of no great importaunce: for it is better to assay with your finger within the past, to se yf it be full of the sayed pebbles, for the worlde beynge all together geuen to gayne, and full of deception and

fraude, they that make it, put sometime very fewe peb∣bles in the saied grease, for to haue more substaunce: and besyde this, they that bye it to sell agayne, take out also a good quantitie of the saied pebbles: wherefore it is necessary to be circumspecte, to the intente that dili∣gence maye surmounte, or at the leaste discouer the gile and deceate. Fynallye, if you will fine and renewe the sayed Borax from suche paste or dowe, do thus. Take water luke warme, that is to saye, for twoo pounde of paste, halfe a payle full, whiche you shall put into some earthen vessell, puttinge the paste into it, than with youre hande fraye and styrre it in sonder, as you wolde temper leauen for to kneade, after this, strayne out the saied water well thoroughe a straynoure, and take the little stones that remaine in the saied vessell, that is to say, those that be of the bignesse of a Walnut, or beane, and put them in a vessell, sprinklinge them with Oyle Olyue, as thoughe it were a salade, but the Oyle must be white: and if you haue none good, take common oyle and set it in the sunne, purginge it well, and annointe the saied stones with it, minglinge them well together with your hande. Afterward put them in a litle bagge, and mixe them well together againe, as men do confi∣tures, this doen, putte theim in little boxes, and keepe theim, and thus shall you haue the best Borax that can be possible. If you will renew and multiplie it, do thus. Take the same water that was strayned out, and put it in a kettle vpon a small fyre, keepinge the fyre alwayes in one estate, than scymme it with an yron ladle, and put also with the scumme, the ordure and filth that shal be in the bottome: but take good heede, that in seething it flie not awaye. Continue thus dooinge vntyll it be well sodden, whiche is knowen thus: put a little vpon your nayle and if it renne not, it is ynough sodden, or els you may proue it vpon a paper, as men do Syrops, and if it byde still, it is sodden, or wette a stringe in the sayed water, and holde it betwixte youre fingers, than plucke it oute by the ende, and if you feele it roughe, it

is sodden. Then take the kettle from the fyre, and co∣uer it with some couer fytte for it, that there fall no or∣dure or fylth in it: this doen, burie the kettle in wheate branne, and close it well rounde aboute, coueringe it with clothes or other thinges, so that it be wel stopped. You maye bury it, or hyde it in a hote dungehyll, and leaue it there the space of eight or ten dayes, and after∣warde vncouer it, and you shall finde cruste vpon it, the whiche you shall take and put in on one syde, and you shall finde in the sayed kettle, as it were little pieces of yce, whiche you shall take oute, and put in another ves∣sell, wasshinge them with cole and freshe water, than drye them vpon a table in the shadowe, and lette those stones whiche at the firste time remayned in the stray∣noure, be mingled with the saied pieces of yce. Than take Alome de fece, that is white, foure pounde, in thre payles full of water, three vnces of Salte Peter, than boyle this with a small fyre, and scymme it, as you dyd the other, in prouinge it vpon your nayle, or vpon pa∣per, if it bee sodden, as before. This doen, take it from the fyre, and let it rest, and whan it is cleare, take a litle payle full and a halfe of it, and set it on the fyre in ano∣ther cleane kettle. And whan you see that it will boyle, put in the sayed cruste, and that it be of tenne pounde, and make it seeth as the other did, essayinge vpon your nayle or paper, as you did before. Than put it in a little virkin, and lay two stickes a crosse, with foure cordes, wherevnto you shall tie a little leade, to the intent they may stretche well, and without touchinge the bottome, by foure fingers, and that to the ende the Borax maye sticke and cleaue to it, and than burie it as before. This must not be put int the bagge, but anoint the same that you finde stickinge vpon the cordes with a feather, and the other that remayneth stil in the vessel, you shal sprin¦kle as it were a salade. The clere that you shal take out of it, must be of the biggenesse of a hasell nut or beane: and the other will be lesse, you shall put into the water that remaineth, whiche water you shall set on the fire,

makinge it seeth, and doinge as before, and so continue vntill all the water be conuerted and tourned into Bo∣rax, so that nothinge be loste. And remember (at the be∣ginninge whan you dissolue in luke warme water, as we haue sayed before) to put to it the bignesse of a ciche pease of the ruen of a Hare, for that will make all the o∣ther partes of the Borax to cleaue and take together.

☞A good and easye waye to make Aqua fortis, better then any other.

TAke Roche Alome and Vitriole, or salte peter, or elles all three together, of eche of theim lyke quantitie, that is wel calcined and burned, and well brayed. And if you will haue it stronger, put as muche salte Peter a parte, as of Alome and Vi∣triole together: put all this in some potte or violle, well luted and clayed ouer, and in the recipient or receptorie two vnces of well water, for euerye pounde of the said substaunces. Let the receiptorye be in freshe water, and alwayes wette aboue with some wette linnen cloth, so that it be neuer drye. And by this meanes the exhalati∣ons or fumes wil better mingle them selues with their water, and will not sticke or cleaue to the recipiente. This doen, take the potte or violle luted, and trimme it so that the mouth hange downewarde, ioyning it with the recipiente, without a Limbecke, luting and claiyng well the ioynctes and sides with flowre, and the whites of Egges: and dispose and order it in suche maner, that the fyre come not to the recipient. And at the beginning put a fewe hote coales vnder the bottome of the vyolle or potte, vntyll the matter loose and dissolue it self, and passe his fyrste furye. This doen, couer it with coales, and the fyre muste be verye highe: and for to do beste, there muste be lyttle walles of bricke to holde vp the greate coales, in great quantitie vpon the sayed potte. Whan you haue made this greate fyre, the space of three or foure, or sixe houres, all wyll be made.

Than let it coole, and take out the water, whiche is ve∣ry good and perfit, and kepe it in a vessell of glasse well stopped with waxe.

☞The true and perfyte practise to caste medalles, and all other workemanshyppe, as well in brasse, as in gold, Syluer, Copper, Leade, Tynne, as of Crystall, Glasse, and Marble.

FIrste of all, you muste haue alwayes the earth or sande ready, wherin you wyll fashion and fourme your work: but because there be dyuers sortes, and euerye man dresseth it as he can gette it, and as he hathe skill in ma∣kinge it, we will put here some of the surest and most parfitest, and of diuers kyndes, to thend that if a man can not get or make the one, he may euer∣more haue recourse to the other. And vnderstande, that all these that we will put here, may be set a worke eche of them by them selues, or mixed one with another, or all together, for they are good euery waye. The boun∣ty and perfection of eche of these earthes for to cast anye mettall in, consisteth in these thinges, that is to wytte: that first and chieflie it be fine and smal, and in no wise roughe, or full of grommels, to the intent that all thin∣ges maye easely take print. Secondly, that they receiue the metall well, and that they neither cleaue, breake, chappe, or waxe into a cruste. They must also be tempe∣red with a water called Magistra, (of the whiche we wil speake afterwarde) to the intente that beynge drie, thei maye be harder, and holde faster together. Thyrdelye, that they maye continue, and serue at diuers foundin∣ges and meltinges, to the intente that whan you wyll caste many medalles, or other thinges all of one sorte, ye neede not at euerye time make newe mouldes. Also you must vnderstand, that for metalles that are soft, as Leade, and Tynne, all earth, so it be good, wyll suffise:

Prouided alwayes, that it be fine and small, and well tempered with the sayed Magistra, as I wil declare here after.

☞The fyrste earth to caste in a moulde all maner of fu∣sible mater.

TAke Emerill, that men burnishe swordes or armoure with, and braye it very small, in flaming it, as wee will shewe you after∣warde, and temper it, or reduce it into dow or paste, with the saied Magistra, as I wyll tell you hereafter, and so dressinge it, you shall make a very good earth, whiche will continue for manye foun∣dinges and meltinges, so that it be well gouerned and tempered, and the more it is occupied, the better it wyll waxe: Prouided, that it be alwayes brayed a newe, and than watered and tempered with the Magistra.

¶The second earth or sande.

TAke pieces of those vesselles, or pottes of earth that are made in Valentia in Italie, or other that glassemakers vse to keepe their molten glasse in the furnesse, and if you maye onely get the bottoms, or the pieces from the middle to the lower: moste parte of them, it shall be the better, in takinge a∣waye the glasse that is rounde about them, if not, take them as you maye. Than take Goldsmithes crosettes, or meltinge pottes, newe, and breake theim in pieces, and that the weight of the sayed crosettes be as muche as the pieces of the saied vesselles before. All these thin∣ges beinge fyrste beaten and stamped in a morter, let them be well brayed after vpon a Porphire stone, with water, as men braye colours, and hauinge made theim verye fine and small, by seethinge them againe on the fire, as we will after declare, kepe them in little goates leather bagges, or in some cloose boxes, to the ende that

because of theyr finenesse they flie not, and vanisshe a∣waye in the ayre.

☞The thirde earth, or sande.

TAke the filinge of yron, sande, or yron oore, or the sparkes that flie from hoate yron whan it is beaten, or elles all together: but that it be pure without any earth or fylth: than putte it in an yron panne, or in some other vessel that wyll endure the fyre, sprinklinge it with stronge Vinaigre, and keping it on the fyre the space of eighte houres, after this tem∣per it agayne in Vinaygre, and then incense, and heate it in the fyre, brayinge and renewinge it diuers times, as the other. And keepe it in leather bagges, or in boxes well stopped.

☞The fourth earth or sande.

TAke pieces of a pommeise stone made hote in the fyre, and quenched in Vynaygre foure times. Than take. ii. partes of the sparkes of yron bray∣ed and stamped, & one part of the pommeise stone Mingle al together, and putte it in the fire, and braye it often times, and so kepe it as the other.

❀The fyft earth, and the most parfyt.

TAke mutton bones, but if you take those of the heade, they will be better, if not, take of what part so euer it be, and burne thē vpon the coales or in some furneis, vntil they waxe very white: than stampe them, and sifte them. This doen, you shall put the poulder in some yron panne, or other thinge, amonge the coales, so that it may burne well, than put to it a good handfull of tallowe, styringe it with some yron, in suche wise, that all the tallowe maye be bur∣ned with the saied poulder, leauynge it soo on the fyre

yet halfe an howre. Than take it oute and braye it, and burne it agayne, sprinklynge, and brayinge it often tymes as you dyd the other, vntill it be verye fine and small, and than shall it be perfit, and will serue for many foundinges or meltinges.

❀The syxte earth.

TAke Cuttle bones, and burne them in the fyre, vntyll they be very white, and vse thē in all thinges as you didde the mutton bo∣nes, and than keepe it as afore. Fynallye, there is also earth made of the ashes of Vy∣nes, of strawe, of burned paper, of horse dunge, dryed and burned, of bricke stamped, of Boale, or of redde earthe, or other lyke thinges that remayne in the fyre without meltinge, wherein men printe verye well all maner of metall, the whiche also neither breake, cleaue in sonder, nor chappe, as is aforesayed.

☞A goodlye waye and maner howe to make all these earthes verye fyne, and small, and almooste impalpable.

TAke whiche of these foresaied earthes you will, or anye other, and after you haue well stamped it, and syfted it, drye it in a kettle by the fyre, or in a fryenge panne, or other vessell, vn∣tyll it be verye whoate: than take it frome the fyre, and stampe it well, as before, with water or Vynaigre, heate it agayne, and braye it stylle with water, or Vynaygre, and neuer drye: doyng so fiue or sixe times. Fynallye you shall putte it in a vessell of white earthe, well leaded, and powre into it as muche cleare water as wyll surmounte it foure fyngars high: than styrre it with a lyttle cleane sticke, and lette it reste the space of an Aue Maria. Afterwarde poure the sayed water

finely and wisely into some other vessell that is cleane: And vpon the sayed earth that remayneth in the fyrste vessell, you shall powre other water, and styre it as be∣fore: than powre the same with the other fyrste powred out, and thus do so often, vntil that with the water, you haue poured out all the finest and smalleste parte of the same earth. And if there remaine yet in the firste vessell anye parte of grosse earth, braye it a new, and than put it with the other. This doen, you shall let all the same fyne and small earth, whiche you poured into the other vessell, go downe to the bottome: and than powre oute fayer and softely the water, and let the poulder dry that remayneth in the bottome, the whiche afterwarde you shall braye well once agayne, and passe it thorow a fyne sieue or sarce of Silke, if you thinke good, and you shall haue a poulder, suche as there is not the like, whiche you muste keepe, as the other before, in leather bagges, or in boxes of woode well stopped, pastynge or glewing the sides, to the intente that the poulder flie not awaye, for it is a substaunce almoost as fyne and as subtyle as the ayre.

☞To make a water called Magistra, wherewith the sayed earthes to make mouldes is tempered, and moy∣sted agayne at euery castinge and foundinge.

TO cause that the sayed earth be faste and firme, and that beinge fashioned and drye, it maye holde together, and not fal agayne into poulder, you muste make this water, whiche is called la Magistra, whiche is a worde, not knowen frome whence it is deducted, as the Philosophers haue forged and geuen names to certayne waters, accordinge to the effecte that they serue for, as they haue doen of this wa∣ter. And it seemeth that they meante by this, the same thinge that we vnderstande by the meane or waye, or suche a thinge, that is a meane or way to kepe together

or to dissolue, or to do some like thinge: thus it is made. They take common salt, the whiche they wrappe in a linnen cloth wette in water, or other licour, and being so lapped vp, it is layde in the middle of the embers in a furneis, or in some other lyke place, to the intente that with a••payre of bellowes they maye geue it alwayes a greate fyre, or elles thei put it in some croset, or other small vessell, iuted and clayed, blowing it wel the space of an houre, than they let it coole. And he that will not blowe it alwayes, as is aforesayde, let hym laye it in the middes of hote coales, and yet couer it well with fyre, and whan it is coole agayne, be must stampe it, and put it in a pot well leaded, and put to it as muche water as wyll couer it, foure or sixe fingars high: than muste he set it on the fyre, and styrringe it, he shall make all the saied salte to dissolue. This doen, it must coole agayne, and he strained or passed thoroughe a felte twise: and this is done for to moist or baine the sayed earthes, and to make them holde together, as we will declare after∣warde. Also you maye make this Magistra with the whi∣tes of Egges, beaten with a sticke of a figge tree, vntil they be conuerted and tourned in a froth or scumme, then let them rest the space of a nighte, and in the mor∣ninge poure oute the water that is founde vnder the froth. With this water is the saied earth moysted and hayned, and it appeareth that it is better then other: for it maketh it faster and firmer, and cleaner, nor cleaueth so sone vnto the thinges caste in the mouldes: therefore some put a little of this water of whites of Egges, with the other Magistra made of salte. Other put to it a lyttle water of Gomme Arabick, addinge in all thinges iud∣gement, experience, and industry.

☞To make Lutum sapientiae verye parfytie.

TAke of the beste white potters earth that you can get, for in one place there is better than in another, that is to saye, of that whiche can best endure the fyre, as suche as they make pottes of in Padua, and likewise in Germany: for it is of such per∣fection, that the pottes whiche be made of it, and wher∣in they dresse their meate, may also serue to found me∣talles in. Take then of the beste, and specially if it must serue for a thinge that hath neede to be longe vppon a great fyre, otherwise, take suche as you can get. There is founde of it, that is of a graye colour, as the common sorte is, and also there is white, that men vse in some place of Vicence, whiche is like loaues of Gipsum, or plai∣ster, and is called of the Italians Florette de Chio. We here in Englande vppon the vse thereof, maye geue it what name we wyll. Potters vse of it in Venise, for to white the dishes, and other thinges, before they vernish or pollish them. There is also founde of it that is redde, as in Apulia, where there is greate quantitie, and that they call Boale, and is the very same that some Apoti∣caries do sell for Boale Armenick, and the Venitians vse of it, for to paynt redde the forefrontes of their hou∣ses, with lime, bricke, and Vermillion, coueringe it af∣terwarde with Oyle of line. This redde earth is the fattest, and the clammiest of all the rest, and therefore it cleaueth soonest by the fyre, if it be not tempered with some other substaunce. And because that all the sayed earthes be to fatte, the one more than the other, there∣fore men put to them some leane substaunce. Nowe, if you take of that of ashe colour, whiche is most commen, and the lest fatty, you may compose and make it in this maner. Take of the saied earth foure partes, of cloth-makers floxe or shearing, one part, ashes that haue ser∣ued in a buck, or other, half a part, drie horse donge, or the donge of an Asse, one part. If you will make it par∣fiter, put to it a fewe stamped brickes, and sparkes of yron: let all these thinges be well stamped, and sifted, that is to saye: the earth, the ashes, the horse donge, the

brickes, and the sparkes of yron: than mingle all toge∣ther, and make it into earth, and make a bedde thereof, vpon the whiche you shall caste by little and little, the floxe, as equally as you can. This doen, powre to it wa∣ter, styringe it well fyrste with a sticke, and than with a pallet broade at the ende. And whan all is well incor∣porated together, as you woulde haue it, laye it vppon some great borde, and beat it wel, and that a good space with some great staffe, or other instrument ofyron, min¦glinge and stearinge it well, for the lenger you beate it, the better it is. By this meane you shall haue a verye good claye for to lute or clay, and ioyne violles, flagons of glasse to still with, and bottels of gourdes for stilling and other great thinges, as furnesses and suche like, as we will declare afterwarde. But he that will make it with more ease, let him put the earth only, the flox, and the horse donge, with a fewe ashes. Some put no horse donge to it, and some no floxe, according to the purpose that they make it for. For to stop and close vp the mou∣thes of stillinge glasses, or violles, to thintent they take no vent on the fyre, the sayed clay wil be very good: ne∣uerthelesse men put to it two partes of quicke lime, and the whites of Egges, and then it wyl be surer to let no∣thinge vent out but the glasse it self. All kinde of clay or earth would be kept moist, and redy dressed for him that will occupy it continually, but it muste not be kepte to watery nor yet lefte to drye, for than it woulde serue for nothinge, seinge that after it is once hardened, a man can not dresse it anye more to do any good withal. And whan you put water to it, it is mollified by little and little aboue, and is as it were a sauce, but within remayneth harde, and if you put to much water to it, you marre it vtterlye. Therefore, whan you see that it beginneth to waxe drye, feede it a newe little and little with water, styringe it tyll it be well, and so shall you make it perfecte.

❀ Certayne thinges, whiche he that will take in hande any foundinge or castinge of metalles, must alwayes haue readye, and in ordre.

BEcause that instrumentes and mea∣nes, be those that make all thinges come oute of the workemans hande with a perfection, therfore, to the in∣tente that whan the tyme is come to beginne a worke, you be not vnfur∣nyshed, or sustayne domage for lacke of thinges necessary: Fyrst, let your coales be of strong woode, yonge and drye, your crosettes or melting pot∣tes without cleftes or chappes, and of graye coloure, which commonlie are better than the blacke, or white. you muste haue a little burde to geue it vent ouer the mouth of the croset, whiche is vncouered for certayne causes: a cane or reede to blowe awaye the ordure and fylth out of the croset, a thinge easier than with a payre of bellowes: an yron with a hoke, for to take the coales out of the croset or meltinge potte, and likewise a payre of tonges: a presse of woode to kepe faste and sure the fourmes or mouldes in pouringe in the mettal: two lit∣tle tables or more of walnut tree woode, or boxe, or of some other harde and massiue woode, or elles of copper made very euen and equall on euery side, for to tourne the mouldes, and to keepe theim steddye: two pieces of wolle, or more, to the intente, that if in fasteninge the mouldes in the presse, they be not equall and euen with out syde, these pieces may fil vp the empty place: a com∣passe and a rule for to parte and deuide the casting holes and pipe wherin the mettal must runne: an yron made like a scrapinge knife or rasoure, sharpe at the end, and edged at the sydes, suche as gilters do vse to make euen the castinge holes, or pipes of mouldes, the which wyll serue to make the breathinge hooles and pipes that the vapoure goeth out at whan the worke is made, and ha∣uinge no suche instrument, you may make them with

a knife, as handsomely as you can. You must also haue readye a little oyle, and turpentine in a dyshe, with a li∣tle paper, or some piece of linnen cloth to wette in the sayed oyle and turpentine, and to burne it, for to par∣fume the fourmes and mouldes whan they be well wi∣ped, to the intente the metall maye runne the better. And because that sometime such parfume filleth vp the holownesse and engrauing of the worke, you must haue a hares foote to wipe awaye the superfluitie of it, and also for to swepe together the dust, to thintent it fall not whan you will caste anye thinge in the mouldes. And than must you haue a brushe, or rubber of latin wyer, and one of sylke, suche as men make cleane combes with, for to rubbe and pollishe the worke, before it is fourmed and fashioned, to the intente to pollishe it and dresse a newe, as neede shall be, whan the worke is caste.

☞The maner or order that a man ought to kepe, wh••re ••e wyll cast or founde medalles, or any other thinge.

FIrste, you shall laye the medalle or o∣ther worke that you wyll caste, in a dyshe with stronge Vynaigre, Salte, and burned straw: than rubbe it well with your hande, vntill it be cleane: lykewise with a rubber, or brushe. This doen, washe it in freshe water, and wipe it with a linnen cloth. After this, laye vpon a table of hard wood, or of copper well pollyshed, half the moulde or fourme, that is to say, the female. And let the myddle parte, that is to saye, that whiche is ioyned to the other, be layed vpwarde vpon the table, in whiche thinges thus layed, you shall lay youre medalles, or the thinge you will fourme or fashion, and let it be cleane, as we haue saied, orderinge it in suche sorte, if there be but one, that it be iuste and directlye agaynste the con∣duyte or pype, and as lowe in the frame as it maye, to

the intente that the pipe or cundite may be the longer, and that it may haue metall ynough. If there be more than one, you shal order and set them on the sydes of the fourme or frame, and leaue place in the middle for to make the hole or pipe, to powre the metall in. And yf there be more then two, you muste beware that one re∣ceaue not the mettall of another, but make to euery one his little pipe or condite, whiche maye aunswere and come iustly to the pipe or hole in the middle. Then take one of the sayed fine earthes, wel sifted thorough a fine sarce, and whan you haue wel brayed it, put it in a plat¦ter, or great dishe, to the intente that in handelinge it, there go nothinge out, and you shall moiste it little and little, with the water called Magistra, mixinge it well with your handes, and rubbinge it so longe betweene your handes, that wringinge it with your fiste, it holde and cleaue together, but you must note, that I speake of moistinge it, and not of thorowe wettinge it, for it may not wete your hande in pressinge it, nor cleaue vnto your hande like past, but tha it onely holde together a little more or lesse then drye flower or meale, and being so wronge in your hand, it may breake in pieces whan you touche it with your fingar. And hauinge thus bro∣ught it to a fourme, lay it handsomely vpon the medals in the fourme or mould, with thendes of your fingars, and than with your hand wringe it, and presse it harde downe, not sparinge to presse it well, in puttinge vpon it the other little table, and pressing it down with your handes, as hard as you can, yea with all your might.

Than with a cutting yron with a right and euen edge, and with a ruler made iuste and euen by line the saied fourmes with the earth, cutting away handsomely, the earth that passeth ouer the saied mouldes, and so laye them vpon one of the pieces of wolle, and then the litle flat table, then you shal take with both your handes the two little tables, aboue and beneth, and holding theim fast together, turne handsomly y^• mouldes vpside down, and taking of the table, you shal se vnder the medals, in

lyftinge it vp, yf there be any earth entred in, if ther be, you muste take it awaye with the hares fote. Then, set¦ting the other part of the fourme or mould in his place, you shall fill it with the same earth, pressinge it well, as before, and makinge it euen and equall with the yron. Afterwarde, with the poynt of the yron, you shall lifte vp a little, at one of the corners, halfe the moulde or fourme, and take it of fayer and softly with your hand, and take out the medalles nimbly, touchinge them a li∣tle round about, with the point of a small penne or quil, if at the first they will not come oute, turninge downe∣ward that part of the mould wherin they did sticke whā you opened it. And if yet they will not come oute, strike them a crosse with the point of a knife, vntill, that tur∣ninge downewarde the mouldes, they come out. And if in case they be not wel printed, according to your mind, you may put theim agayne into theyr place, and presse theim againe: and hauinge set on both sides the twoo pieces of wolle, and the tables, close theim in the presse. Fynallye, with the saied shaue, or sharp yron, make the sayed pypes or conduites holowe, compassinge theim with your compasse, and rule, in suche sorte, that they come iuste and equally: than shall you trimme them so agaynste the fyre for to drye, tourning theim sometime, vntyll they be well dried. Then with a matche or wyke tempered or wette in Oyle, and Turpentyne, and be∣inge set on fire, smoke it, and if there remain any super∣fluous thinge, wipe it away with the hares foot. Then ioyne them together agayne, and hauing layde to them the wolle, and tables, wringe them a little in the presse, and in the meane time hauing made ready and molten the metall (yf it be syluer, or white copper, it is knowen by the shininge of it, and clearnesse in the melting pot: and if it be tinne, by castinge into it a stone, or some pa∣per, and that it burne it) you shall cast it, and the thinge shall go well, withoute anye other helpe or ayde, for to make it runne, sauynge that after the tynne is molten, put in a little, that is to saye, a twentith part of sublimatā

in respecte of the whole quantitie, and one ••••ghte parte of Antimonium: for besyde that these thinges make it runne well, they harden it and make it sownde well.

Then the mouldes beynge colde, take out handsomelye the medalles: and whan you will caste other, you muste parfume and smoke the mouldes agayn: and then presse them, and so cast your thinges as before, and do it as of∣ten as you thinke good. And if you see that the mouldes be not broken, and that you will kepe them for another tyme, you maye laye them in a drie place, and they wyll kepe well. Finallye, the sayde earth taken oute of the mouldes, brayed and sifted, will be alwayes better to serue your tourne. The medalles so caste, are sodden a∣gaine afterwarde, and waxe white, so that they be not of Tynne. Also you maye geue to all these medalles what colours you will, as we wil declare more at large hereafter.

☞To make a white, to blaunche and make white me∣dalles, or other thinges newlye molten, and also for to renewe medalles of olde syluer.

TAke the medalles, or other thinges newly foun¦ded or molten, or elles the olde ones that you will renewe, and laye theim vppon the coales, tourninge theim often, vntill they waxe of a graye coloure, than rubbe them with a brush of copper wyer, puttinge them afterwarde in this white coloure folowinge. Take salte water of the sea, or common wa∣ter salted, with a handfull of baye salte, wherin you shal put the lees of white wine, and Roche Alome rawe.

Boyle all this in a panne leaded: and if the worke be of copper, made white by anye sophistical substaunce, you shall put to it these thinges folowinge, that is to saye, Syluer heaten, or Siluerfoile, the weight of a Spanish Reall, Sal Armoniacke, waying three times as much, Salte Peter the weighte of flue Realles. All the sayed thinges beynge put in some potte of earth, with a couer

hauinge a••••ole in the middes, set them in the middle of the fyre, coueringe it with ashes and coales vp to the necke, and leaue it there so, vntill all the humoures be breathed out, then let all coole againe, and beate it into poulder very small. This doen, take an vnce of this sub¦stance, or somewhat more or lesse, and boile it in the saied white confection of the Salt water, onelye halfe a quarter of an howre, puttinge in the medalles, or other workes. Then poure out this water with the medalles into cleere and luke warme water, and after rubbe the medalles with the Tartre or lees, and other thinges that remayne in the potte: and hauinge wasshed theim well with freshe water, wype them drie.

¶To gylt yron with water.

TAke well, riuer, or conduite water, and for thre pounde of the same, take two of Roche Alome, an vnce of Romaine Vitriolle, the weight of a ponny of Verdegrese, thre vnces of Sal gemma an vnce of Orpimente, and let all botle together: and whan you se it boyle, put in lees called Tartre, and bay salte, of eche of them halfe an vnce, and whan it hath sodden a little while, take it from the fire, and paint the yron with all, than hauinge set it in the fyre to heate, burnishe it, and it is doen.

❀ The lyke another waye

TAke Oyle of line foure vnces, Tartre or wyne lees two vnces, the yelkes of egges hard rosted and stamped, two vnces, Aleo cicotrinum, an vnce Saffron a quarter of a dragme. Boile all these thinges together in a new earthen potte a good space, and if the oyle of line couer not all the saied substaunces put in more water vntil there be sufficient, then anoint your yron with this mixtion, hauing fyrst burnished it, and so shall you make it of the colour of golde.

☞To gylte yron with golde foile, and water, or elles with golde mixte with Quicke Syluer, as goldsmythes are wont to gilte siluer.

TAke Romayne vitriole an vnce, roche, Alome, two vnces, salte Armoniack an vnce: all these thinges beyng well beaten in poulder, and boi∣led in common water, take your yron wel bur∣nished, and wette it with the sayed water, rubbinge it well: than lay on your goldefoyle, and let it drye by the fyre. This doen, burnishe it with stone Hematite, as men are wont to do, and it wyll be verye fayre. If you will gilt with golde mixt with quicke syluer, as golde∣smithes vse to gilte syluer, you shall adde to the saied water, a dragme or Verdigreese, half an vnce of Subli∣matum, and let it boyle al together, than put your yron to boyle in the saied water: but if it be so greate that it can not go in, rubbe it with the saied boylinge water, and heate it, that it maye receiue the Amalgama of the quicke syluer and the gold, the which Amalgama we haue taughte you to make in the fift boke, in the chapiter of minglinge or mixinge golde. And whan you haue hea∣ted the yron, gylt it with the same golde so mixed with the quicke syluer, and smoke or fume it at the fyre with a lampe, or with Brimstone, as goldsmithes commonly do, or rather with waxe, wherof we wil hereafter shew you a very good maner and waye, and better then that is vsed in Germany, or in any place where it hath hi∣therto ben vsed.

¶To die or coloure into the colour of brasse, or also to gylte Syluer, whiche sheweth better, and continueth longer.

IT is a thinge most certaine, that gold set vpon white yron or syluer, sheweth not so fayre as v∣pon brasse: for as sone as it beginneth to weare a litle, men may see the whitenesse of the yron

or syluer, whiche is not so soone secne vpon anye redde coloure. Therefore many practiciens, whan they wyll gylte anye woode, or other thinge, laye the bottome or grounde (not of redde, as the most part do) but of yelow to the intente that the golde shall not so soone appeare worne, as vpon the redde, and more vpon the white.

The sayed yellow can not be laide vpon yron or syluer: but leauing all this aside, whan you will gilt syluer, or geue a colour of brasse vnto yron, you shall do after this maner. Take verdet, or Verdegrise, Vitriol of Almain, and salt Armoniacke, at your discretion, but let the Vi∣triole be of a greater quantitie than the other thinges: put all this well beaten in poulder into stronge Vinai∣ger, letting it boile halfe an houre. And when you haue taken it from the fyre, while the substaunces be yet boi∣linge, you shall put in your yron that you will coloure, coueringe well the pot with his couer, and with cloth vpon it that it vent not out, and so let it coole, and you shall haue your yron well coloured, of a brasen coloure, and thus maye you gilte it with quicke syluer, as yf it were brasse. Esteme this as a goodly secrete, and also profitable.

☞A water or colour to laye vnder Diamondes, as well true as counterfeite, that is to saye, made of white Sa∣phyres, as we wyll declare afterwarde.

TAke the smoke of a candell, gathered together in the bottome of a basen, and make it into a dowe with a little oyle of Masticke: than putte the saied mixtion vnder the Diamonde in the ringe, where you wyll set it.

☞To counterfayte a Diamonde, with a white Saphyre.

THis secrete is knowen well ynough of the Iewellars, that vse almoost all one maner indifferent good: but we (after we haue de∣scribed theyr fashion) will shewe you a way far better. They take a Saphire of a good white coloure, and set it in the fire in a goldsmithes cro¦set amonge the fylinge of yron, or of golde, thinking be∣cause it is of great value, that it is better for such a pur∣pose, but yet the fylinge of yron is a great deale better. They let this fylinge or rubbysh of yron become almost redde, without meltinge it, and cast theyr Saphire into it, leauing it therein a prety while. And after they haue taken it out, if the white colour like a Diamond do not like them, they cast it in agayne, and so often, tyll they se it be to their fantasie, than they set it in a ringe, and colour it as before. Nowe here foloweth another waye a great deale better. Take white smalte well beaten in poulder, and mingle it with the sayed filinge of Golde, or yron, but so that there be as muche smalte as filinge, then take a little other smalte withoute fylynge, and make it into dowe, with your spettle, and in this dowe wrappe your Saphire, and let it dry well at the fyre.

This doen, tye it at the ende of a small and fine wyer, and leaue the other ende so longe that you maye plucke it out whan you will. Afterwarde couer it with the said filinges, and leaue it so on the fyre a certaine space, vn∣tyll the filinge be very hote, as is aforesayd, but so that in no case it melt: than plucke out once youre Saphire, to se if the colour please you, if not put him in agayne vntill it be fayre to your minde.

☞To ingrosse thinne Ballesses to set in ringes.

IF you haue Ballesses as thinne as paper, dresse them of what greatnes or largenesse you wyll, and take a piece of fine Cristall coloured lyke a Balles: then take a great graine of Mastick, the whiche you shall sticke vpon the pointe of a knife, and

heate it well agayne the fyre, and sodaynlye it wil caste out a little droppe like the teare of a mans eye, hauing a lustre like a pearle, with the whiche droppe, glewe on the saied Balles vpon the Cristall, and feare not that it will gather to a lumpe, or hinder the colour: Then pol∣lishe it, and geue it a lustre, and so set it in golde, and it will be very fayer, and seeme to be veryly a Balles.

☞To make Rubies of twoo pieces, and Emeraudes, as they make them at Mylan.

TAke the drop or teare of Masticke, wher∣of we haue spoken in the Chapiter be∣fore, and if you will make Emeraudes, you shall coloure it with Spanish grene tempered and mingled with Oyle, put∣tinge to it a little waxe, if neede be, and if it be to thicke, temper it with water: But if you will make Rubies, take Gomme Arabicke, Alom succarine, rawe Roche Alome, as much of the one as of the other, and let it boyle all together in common water: than put into the sayd water some Brasill cutte small, and let it seeth, puttinge to it some Alome Catine so called, be∣cause it is boyled in a caudron, of the whiche the more there is, the darcker it will be: then take the droppe of Masticke abouesaid, and colour it with the saied redde. This doen, take two pieces of Cristal, dressed and trim¦med with the whele, of what fashion and greatnes you will, so that the piece whiche you will laye vppermoste, be not so greate as the other vnderneth, that is to saye, the one dressed vpon the other, as the nayle vpon the fin¦ger, iust on euery side. After this lay that vnderneth, v∣pon a little fire pan, or some other instrumente of yron on the coales, that the saied Cristall may be verye hote, and than touche it vpon with the saied redde droppe or teare, whiche you shall take vppon the ende of a sticke: but it must be so hote that it may droppe downe the bet∣ter: and whan you see that the sayde piece of Cristall is

coloured ynoughe, you shall take the other lesser piece, that muste be set aboue, whiche lykewise must be hote, and set it vpon the saied droppe, and it wyll congluti∣nat•• and glew together the two pieces of Cristal, with¦out causinge any thicknesse or let vnto the lustre of the Rubie, the whiche will be cleare and brighte on euerye syde. Afterward set it in your ringe, settinge to the Ru∣by the redde leafe, and the grene to the Emerauldes, as we will teach you hereafter how to make the said leaues for all kinde of stones, as well fine, as artificiall.

❀ To make a paste or dowe for precious stones, as Emeraul¦des, Rubies, Saphyrs, and such like, which be but of one piece, well coloured within and without.

TAke potters lead burned, iii. vnces, and put it in as much water as will couer it a finger or two highe: then stirre it with your finger, letting it go down to the bottome. Afterward poure out the water, whiche wyll serue for to wette within side the earthen pot leaded, to thintent that the matter cleaue not to the sydes of it, wherin you put all the substaunce. Than take other .iij vnces of Vermillion dried, and mingle it with the sayd leade, then an vnce of Cristall calcined and burned, or elles of a Calcidoine stone, with .xiiij. or .xvj. carattes at the moost, of Rubricke, or sparkes of Copper. All these thinges well stamped, and mingled together, you shall put in a pot of earth leaded, well wette within with the said water of the lead: then couer it, and set it in a glasse makers furneis, by the space of thre or foure dayes, and you shall haue a very fayre paste or dowe, the which you may cause to be dressed with the wheele, as you wil. At Venise men bye the stone for a grote or sixe pence at the moost. And for to make yellow stones, you shal put to it the rust or rubbishe of yron. And to make Rubies, put to it Cynople or redde leade: and in those that be of co∣lours, you shall folowe the order that we wyl teach you hereafter.

❀ To make Emerauldes, and other stones or Iewelles.

TAke Sal alcali, and dissolue it in water, distillinge it thorough a felt, and drye it, then dissolue it a∣gayne, and drie it so three times, afterward beat it into poulder: then take fine Cristall; and cause an Apoticarye to stampe and sift it for you, as they do Cristall prepared. Then take two vnces and a halfe of the saied Cristal, of Sal alcali, two vnces, Spanish grene an vnce, fyrste tempered and stieped in Vinaygre, and than strained. The sayd thre poulders, you shal put in a vessell, as in a newe earthen pot leaded, the whiche pot you shall lute and clay ouer, and couer it that it take no vent, then leaue it so clayed and luted the space of three dayes, the longar the better, vntill all be thorowe drye. Afterwarde, you shall putte it in a potters furneis, the space of .xxiiij. houres. Then take the sayde compositi∣on, and dresse it as men do fyne stones, and you shall haue them excellent. And if you wyll haue Rubies, put Cinople to it, in steade of Spanishe greene. If you wyll haue Saphirs, put to it Lapis Lasuli, But if you wil haue Iacinthes, you muste put in Corall in steade of greene Verderame, as is before sayed.

❀ To calcine or burne Crystall and the calcidoyne stone, to put in the saied mixtions of precious stones.

TAke Tartre calcined and burned an vnce, and dis∣solue it in a dishe full of cleare water, then strayne it out, and take the pieces of Cristall, or Calcidoin stone, and heate them vpon the fyre in an yron ladle or fyre panne: than quenche them in the water that is in the dyshe: take theim oute, and heate theim agayne, and quenche theim as before in the same water, doinge so syxe or seuen tymes, and they shall be verye well cal∣cined and burned. Then beat them fynely into poulder and put it into the sayd mixtion. Neuertheles remēber, that if you wil make Emerauldes, you must beat y^e said

substaunces to poulder in a brafen morter: but if you will make Rubies: or other, you muste stampe theim in an yron morter, and beware that they touche not the brasse,

☞A water to harden the saied stones.

BEcause that all the saied artificiall stones are commonlye bryttle, for to harden them, do as foloweth. Take little pieces of Calamita, and calcine them as you didde the Cristall: then beate them into poulder, and putte it in a moyste place, vntill it be turned and dissolued into water, with y^e whiche you shal knede Vitriole Almaine, or Romayne, raw, without making it redde: then make thereof a softe paste or dow, or elles a syroppe, whiche you shall still in a glasse or Viol with a croked necke, or in an vrinal, and with the water that commeth of it, you shall knede barly flower, makinge a harde past, in the whiche you shall wrappe your masse of stones, made as is before said, or the stones self, whan they be dressed and fashioned with the whele: then put them, so wrapped in the same paste, into an ouen with a bache of breade, and take them out with the breade. And whan you haue taken of the paste, you shall finde your stones harde, as if they were naturall. If you se it be neede, you may couer theim with the sayd paste, and bake them againe in the ouen, and than shall you haue them parfite and harde.

☞To calcine fyne syluer.

SEinge that we are entered into the matter of calcininge, we will shewe you the calci∣nation of fine syluer, and than of Talcum, as we haue promised before. There be diuers wayes of calcininge syluer, wherof we wil

put here three of the best. Take fine syluer beaten very fine and thinne, then cut it in pieces as bigge as a Spa¦nishe ryall, or more or lesse, for it maketh no great mat∣ter: then take a croset, or an erthen potte, and lay in the bottome of it a rancke of common salte, not white, nor prepared or trimmed to eate, but euen as it cometh out of the salines or salt panne, and it must be stamped very small. Vpon this salt you shall laye likewise a rancke of the sayd pieces of syluer, and then another of salte, and another of siluer, and so consequently as longe as your syluer lasteth, in such sorte, that the last rancke may be of salte, and that good and thicke: then couer all this with a paper, lutinge and clayinge well the croset, or little earthen potte, and leauinge a little hole in the co∣ueringe the biggenesse of a goose quill. And whan it is drie, couer it ouer, and rounde aboute, with coales and embers, and leaue it in suche a fyre, at the least three or foure houres: then hauing taken it out, and all beyng coole, open the croset, and take out the pieces of Syluer one after another, makinge theim cleane that the salte stick not vpon them. And if you perceiue that they be so brittle that you may break them with your finger, like a crust of bread, it is done & made: if not, put them again into the croset or pot, setting them in the fyre as before. And to make it perfitly, you ought to do this thre tymes or more. This doen, make your siluer into poulder, and wash it in a dishfull of hote water, & let it sincke to the bottom. After, straine out the water so handsomly, that you lose no part of y^e said poulder: or to auoid al daūgers passe it thorow a felt: this doen, put other hote water to it, & straine it out as before, so often tyll you may know by the tast of the water, that al the salt is purged away. Than shal your syluer be well calcined, & diminished of the weight, dried, and become frō his nature into a mas∣sif part, and somwhat like vnto gold. Thus wil it serue you for diuers thinges, if you can dresse it wel. The like is done with Talcum, in steade of common salt: but than you nede not wasshe it in hote water. Some calcyne it

with salte, or Talcum twelue or .xv. times, and more, to the intent to haue it more massiue and sounder, and more commodious to take colour. It maye be also doen in this manner, that is to saye, to melte the syluer in a Goldsmithes meltinge pot, and for euerye vnce of the same, to put in a pound or more of Brimstone stamped, and that little and little. True it is, that so it wyll con∣sume more than by the salte, or Talcum, but it shall be farre better if the Brimstone be fyrst purged in stronge lye (that is to saye, made with stronge ashes, and quicke lime, or such lyke thinges.) Nowe let vs come to the o∣ther maners of calcininge syluer.

☞The second maner of Calcininge syluer.

TAke Aqua fortis seperatiua, made with Salt peter and Alome, as we haue before declared, then take fine siluer, fyled or pollished, or beaten into leaues, or made in small pieces, or graines, that is to saye, of the sayd syluer one parte, and of aqua fortis, thre partes, and haue the saied water in a violl: then put in the saied syluer, and you shall se it will inconti∣nent beginne to boyle, and that the bottome of the viol will be hote if the water be good. Let it so boyle, vntyll it boyle nor eate no more, holdinge styl the violl in your hande, or settinge it in some place farre from the fyre. But if the water be not stronge, you must set it a lyttle to the fyre, holdinge styll the violl in youre hande vpon the embers, or elles you may set it vpon a fewe asshes, or vpon some little furneis. And whan it hath lefte boy∣linge, and eaten all the syluer, you shall se the water waxe greene, so that there shall remaine no syluer in the bottome, if that the water were well calcined and burned: for than it would make as it were white lyme at the bottome, or if there were any golde in the syluer, it would make it descende to the bottome in little round pieces, like pearles, or like sande. Nowe, after that the sayd syluer is dissolued, and eaten of the sayd aqua fortis,

you shall take another violl bigger, or an vrinal, or ear∣then pot half full or more of well or riuer water, wher∣into you haue dissolued, and haue in a readines a good handfull of common white salte: then let the saied wa∣ter be strayned two or three tymes. This doen, you shal poure the aqua fortis whiche dissolued the syluer into the salte water, leauing it so the space of .iiij. or six houres: then shal you finde at the bottome as it were a bedde of herbes or greene rushes, whiche shall be the syluer dis∣solued, and the salt aqua fortis, and also a part of the com∣mon salt that you did put in. Afterwarde distill the said water by a felt, and take the syluer that is so discended to the bottome, and put it in a croset, coueringe it well, to thintent there fall no ordure nor fylth into it: than bury and couer it ouer and ouer in hote burninge em∣bers, coueringe it wel also with fyre, that it may burne the space of .iij. houres or more. Finally, let it coole wel agayne, and poure the siluer oute of the croset, into a dishefull of hote water, stirring it a little together with your fingar, and than let it rest: and after poure out fayr and softly the said water, and put in other, doing as be∣fore, vntill the water waxe no more salt. This doen, let the syluer drye, whiche shall be very well calcined for to serue your turne in any thinge that you will.

☞The thirde maner of calcining syluer.

YOu shal mixe together into dowe or paste called Amalgama, one part of siluer leaues, with thre or four partes of quick siluer, as we haue declared in the fift boke, in the chapter of the maner how to bray gold: then bray this Amalgama, or paste, with co∣mon salt, and set it to the fyre vntill the quick syluer be vanished awaye, afterward wash it with hote water, so much and so often, that the water be no more salt, then shall you haue your syluer calcined. After this, if you thinke good, you maye braye it againe with other salt, without other quick siluer: and then put it to the fire in

a croset, three or foure houres, and washe it againe, as is aforesayde.

To calcine Talcum quickly out of hande.

BEcause that Talcum is a thing of so great importaunce, and so muche desyred of all good wittes, menne haue founde diuers wayes to calcine it, the whiche teache vs that we must put to it twise as much salt peter as common salte, or rawe Tartre with the Talcum, and then put all this in a furneis cer∣tayne dayes, and then to seperate the salte or Tartre, with hote water. Other heate it vppon the coales, and quenche it in pysse, and do it often times. Other ther be that wrappe it in litle white pieces of wollen cloth, and put it in the midees of a great fyre, the space of halfe an houre, or more, and than they finde it thorowly molten and all in a light piece, and full of hooles like a sponge, not much differing from burned Alome. All the whiche wayes, to say the trueth, are nothing worth, nor do not perfectly calcine it, where they corrupt the nature of the Tartre, and make it become lyke vnto quicke lyme, or Alome, or elles of little strength. Nowe, for to calcine it out of hand and perfectly, you shal take the Talcum rawe and made into little leaues, or stamped as wel as is pos∣sible, and than put it in a croset, or in a fyre pan among the hote coles. And whan it is very hote, or rather redde hote, you shal put to it drop by drop, distilled Vineaigre wherein Tartre hath ben dissolued, and put therevnto the thirde part of Aqua vite, pouring it by little and lit∣tle vpon the hote lees or Tartre, that is to say, thre vn∣ces of Vynaigre for euery pound of Talcum: then take it from the fire, and you shal find it fayr and wel calcined. Finally, you shal washe it with hote water, to thintent to seperate the lees or Tartre from it. It is calcined al∣so, beinge made in leaues as thin as is possible, layinge them by ranckes or beddes, with little flat pieces of syl∣uer,

in a croset luted and clayed, than put them in a fur∣neis where glasse or bricke is made, by the space of four or fiue dayes. The like is doen also with little pieces of Tynne.

☞An excellent and very easy waye to gilte yron, cop∣per, and syluer, to make it seeme lyke massyue golde.

FIrst if you wil gilt siluer, or iron, you must geue it the colour of copper, as we haue aforesaid? than take beaten gold, which you shal mixe with quick syluer, and make Amalgama or paste thereof, as is said before, and shal put the said Amalgama in a litle dishe, vpon the whiche you shal poure the iuyce of a frute called Cu∣cumis asininus, such a quantitie that it maye be aboue the sayd substaunces a fingar high. Kepe this gold thus pre¦pared and trimmed, and couer it, to thintent there fall no filth nor ordure into it, which you may vse and occu¦py whan you wil. Afterward, the thinges that you wil gilt, must be very cleane, and well polished, then with a pensell you shall geue them of the said gold so prepared with quick syluer, and as it were dissolued, rubbynge it well all aboute. If you wyll not do so, you maye gylte after the common maner of goldsmithes: yet notwith∣standinge with golde made into Amalgama, or mixed as is aforesayed, chafinge the worke that you will gylte with Aqua fortis, as they do. Then make the quicke syl∣uer vanishe away, as the goldsmithes of Italy comon∣ly do, that is to say, with a lampe of line seed Oyle, and with Brimstone, and make afterwarde a gylt vpon the worke, that is lyke Saffron. But I counsell you to vse this maner in the chapiter folowinge, whiche is partly the same that the goldsmithes do vse, in Fraunce and elles where, but it is muche amended, and this is it.

☞A parfyt maner and waye to gilte, and to make the quick syluer to vanish away from the thinge gylted.

PVt in a pan the rubbish or scumme of copper, and the filinge of yron, then poure vpon it stronge Vynaigre not distilled, as much as wil couer it two or three fingars high. Let it boyle so the space of an houre, then poure out the said Vineaigre, and put in other, letting it boile as before, and do thus foure or six times. Afterward make the sayd Vynaigres put together, to euaporate or drye vp, or elles make it distill oute, for to haue one vynaigre of it, whiche will be good for manye thinges. This doen, you shal put vnto the sayd poulder remaining at the bottome, the eight parte of Almayne Vitriole, and as muche of Ferrerum of Spaine, and the half of an eight parte of salte Armoniacke, with a little Brimstone: then into a little molten waxe with a little Oyle of line, or Oyle Olyue, you shal put little and lit∣tle the saied poulders well mingled together. Fynallye take that whiche you haue couered with the saied Amal∣gama of golde and quick syluer, and with a pensyll couer and lay it ouer well with the sayed waxe so mixed, than put it, so cyred, in the middes of hote burninge coales, and let it burne and consume all the waxe. This doen, you shall haue suche a gylt, that it shall be like massiue golde. And at the ende you may pollish it with brusshes of copper wyre and colde water, or you may burnishe it as you wyll.

The ende of the Secretes of Dom Alexis of Piemount.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Alexis spea¦keth of Ita∣ly, and not the transla∣tour of En∣gland.