Fleta minor the laws of art and nature, in knowing, judging, assaying, fining, refining and inlarging the bodies of confin'd metals : in two parts : the first contains assays of Lazarus Erckern, chief prover, or assay-master general of the empire of Germany, in V. books, orinally written by him in the Teutonick language and now translated into English ; the second contains essays on metallick words, as a dictionary to many pleasing discourses, by Sir John Pettus ... ; illustrated with 44 sculptures.

DE D DI

DEAD, T. Todt, Todter (from whence we have our word Tclod or Clod) and Gesterbeu, L. Mortuus, Defunctus. See Dissolution.

DECLINATION, T. Nidersichbiegn, L. Deorsum se flectere, and is almost the same with Precipitation; for which Gramarians use the Word Declination, Declension, or going from one Case to another, and in the Vulgar sence, a man is said to decline in his Fortune, when he falls from Pro∣sperity to Adversity: but in the Metalick sence, it it to fall from the top to the bottom, by which means the Metal is bet∣ter than when it was at the top; and 'tis often seen that adver∣sity makes Men better and of more use (as Metals are) by being Cast down; a Phraise often used in this Book. See Precipitation.

DEFT, (l. 1. &c.) an English Saxon Word, therefore I re∣tain it; signifying fair, clean, neat (quasi sine defectu) or with∣out defect, on the contrary undeft is unclean, &c. (Skin∣ner.)

DELINEATE (l. 2.) or to Describe a thing by certain Lines or Figures.

DIAMETER (l. 1.) is a certain straight Line, drawn through the Center of a Figure, and of both sides bounded in the compass of it, cutting or dividing the Figure into two equal parts.

DISHES (l. 1. &c.) T. Schueffels, L. Discus, A. Dishes, and these are of various sorts and shapes, but the most useful about

Metals are made of Pewter, Iron or Clay, for I do not here write of Epicurean Dishes, but of Dishes or Bowls that are certain measures in Mines, which are filled with Oar, by the Labour of the Miners, whereof a certain number are paid as a duty to the King, others as a duty to the Church, and the rest to the Proprietors, and according to the number of Dishes delivered, so the Miners are paid; and then they may eat the Fruit of their Labour in other Dishes. See Utensils and VVardens.

DISSOLVING (l. 2. &c.) that is, a metal easy to be loosed from such other metals as are fixt or intermixt; and thence Death is called a Dissolution, when the Soul is loosened from its Terrestral part, and becomes a Coelestial Metal, and from hence the word Dead is oft used in Erckern.

DISTILLATION (l. 2. &c.) is a drawing of a Liquor made thin with heat, into a Receiver, by Alembicks, Retorts, &c. and is mentioned by our Author, though of little use to Refiners, who deal with hotter fires and harder substances.

DRAGGONS-BLOOD, L. Sanguis Draconis (l. 2. c. 13.) our Author useth it for Lutings. Dr. Salmon saith, It is the product of a Tree, red like Blood, or the colour of a Dragon, and comes to us from America, and by boyling con∣densated: but Pliny (l. 36. c. 7.) saith, That the Indians make it of the substance of a Dragon, crush't and squiez'd with the weight of an Elephant, falling upon a Dragon, that hath suck't him to Death, whereby the Dragons and Elephants Blood are mingled together; and of this the Indians make a Colour like Cinnabar, so as though they bear one name, they are of diffe∣rent Natures, and which it is that Erckern means, I leave it to others; for the Blood of the Ox, &c. we see in other of his Experiments is used in Luting and Cements: there is also an Herb growing plentifully in England, called Dragons Blood, which is much used to tinge Colours, and hath a Restringent qua∣lity, and so may be used with Clay in Lutings.

DRAM (l. 1. &c.) T. Quintlein, L. Drachma. See VVeight.

DREGS, T. Trussen vapfen, L. Faex, from whence we use the Word Feces.

DRIVE or Driving, T. Abtreiben, L. Abigere, Depellere. l. 3. c. 25.) signifieth the forcing of metal to cast its dross up∣wards, as the feces downwards, l. 3. c. 25. & 26. and in many other places used.

DROSS. T. Treusen. L. Faex. A. the scum of metals: see Dreggs, Feces, Scorias, Lees, Slacks, &c. so it seems Dregs is the purge or settlement at the bottom of melted Metals, and Dross the vomiting the crude matter upwards.

DRY, T. Abdoerren and Treigen maken, L. Siccare (l. 3. c. 26.) See Ovens.

DUCCATES. See Money.

DUKE-GOLD. See Money.

DULCIFICATION, T. Susz, L. Dulcis, or reducing the ill Tasts or Scents of Metal to sweet and pleasing; and thence the Pouders often are called both Sugars and Salts, as they are different by Extraction, and the perfuming of them called Hedi∣chra, and these are dispersed in our Author, and are called Sac∣charia Auri, or the Sugar of Gold.

DUNG, T. Tingen, L. Sturcus, and of these Horse-Dung and Ox-Dung, and some other Dungs are a chief Ingredient to Lutings (used by our Author l. 2. c. 20. &c.) and the Dung of Creatures are not only used in this Art, but in almost all other Arts and Sciences; by Chimists called Ignis Sapientum, or the Wise-man's Fire (Howel) and though it be in contempt amongst Ladies (and the less Learned Inquirers into Nature) yet certainly the Heathens had them in such Veneration, that they Sacrificed to most of their Idol Gods, upon the account of Stercorary Virtues in them: and therefore the Translators of our Bible into Latine, instead of Idols calls them Dij Stercora∣rij (Junius and Trem.) of which I apprehend this reason: viz. that the several uses which they made of Dung, either for Me∣dicine or Manuring their grounds, might be propitious to them: and I have read it from some Traveller of note, That among

the Indians it was usual, that when they intended Homage to their Superiors, or welcome to their Friends, they did evacuate their Dung into their Hand, and so daub it on the Face of whom they intended to honour or pleasure, and was ever accepted by them, as the first and best of their Welcoming Ceremonies: for Agricola tells us of Mans-Dung made as sweet as Civit. But to return nearer home, when I remained in London, during the great Plague in 1666. Dr. Glisson (famous in his time) being my old Friend and Acquaintance, perswaded me to take a piece of his constant Antidote, which was only the Dung of one that had dyed of the Plague, dryed, and so kept in a foraminous Box, for the best Antidotical Perfume; but I thank God I esca∣ped without it: and let us but consider of the great Virtue of the Dung of Geese, Ducks, Peacocks, Dogs (generally known and used) it were worth the while to make a Collection of them, from Johnson's Natural History of Quadrupedes, &c. and it may very well compleat a large Book of those useful Experiments; especially if a little variety from Pliny be admitted: so I will conclude with this Direction, That Stone-Horse-Dung is of certain and known Virtues in curing scaldings, scorchings or burnings by hot Metals, if quickly applied to the part grieved.

DUCCATE, T. Duckat. L. ducalis aureus. A certain Gold Coin which was first coyn'd in Rome, Anno 547. and afterwards it began to be used in other Places, and so called because it had the Image of a Duke (that is, some eminent Leader of an Army, à ducendo) and worth about 6 s. 8d. En∣glish, now 9 s. (Holiock) This Coyn was held formerly the best Gold, but now it is much adulterated, so as Goldsmiths are ve∣ry careful in receiving them.

DUST. T. Staub. L. Pulvis. See Pouder, Ashes, Pulve∣rising.