Mathematicall recreations. Or a collection of sundrie problemes, extracted out of the ancient and moderne philosophers, as secrets in nature, and experiments in arithmeticke, geometrie, cosmographie, horolographie, astronomie, navigation, musicke, opticks, architecture, staticke, machanicks, chimestrie, waterworkes, fireworks, &c. ... Most of which were written first in Greeke and Latine, lately compiled in French, by Henry Van Etten Gent. And now delivered in the English tongue, with the examinations, corrections, and augmentations.

Of recreative fires.

[ 1] PHilostrates saith, that if wine in a Platter bee placed upon a receiver of burning Coles, to exhale the spirit of it, and be inclosed within a Cupboard or such like place, so that the Ayre may not goe in, nor out, and so being shut up for 30. yeares: he that shall open it, having a wax Candle lighted, and shall put it into the Cupboard; there will appeare unto him the figure of many cleare starres.

[ 2] If Aquavitae have Camphere dissolved in it; and be evaporated in a close Chamber, where there is but a Charcole fire, the first that enters into the Chamber with a Candle lighted, will be extreamely astonished, for all the Chamber will seeme to be full of fire very subtile, but it will be of little continuance.

[ 3] Candles which are deceitfull are made of halfe Powder, covered over with Tallow; and the other halfe is made of cleane Tallow, or Waxe, with an ordinary weeke; this Candle being lighted and the upper halfe consumed, the Powder will take fire, not without great noyse and astonishment to those which are ig∣norant of the cause.

[ 4] A dozen or twenty small Serpents placed se∣cretly under a Candlesticke that is indifferent big, which may have a hole passe through the socket of it to the Candle, through which a peece of primer may be placed, and setting a small Candle in the socket to burne according

to a time limited: which Candlesticke may bee set on a side Table without suspition to any; then when the Candle is burned, that it fires the primer, that immediatly will fire all the Serpents, which overthrowing the Candlestick will flye here and there, intermixing them∣selves, sometimes in the Ayre, sometimes in the Planching, one amongst another, like the craw∣ling of Serpents, continuing for a pretty while in this posture, and in extinguishing every one will give his report like a Pistoll; This will not a little astonish some, thinking the house will bee fired, though the whole powder together makes not an ounce, and hath no strength to doe such an effect.