The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

PHYSIOLOGICAL RETMAINS. 457
such other silver vessels 1 And if it do not endure The first, means to make the glass more crystallthe fire, yet whether by some mixture of iron it line. Tilhe second, to make it more strono; for
may not be made more fixed' For if it be in falls, and for fire, though it come not to the de.beauty and all the uses aforesaid equal to silver, gree to be malleable. The third, to make it
it were a thing of singular profit to the state, and coloured by tinctures, comparable to or exceeding
to all particular persons, to change silver plate or precious stones. The fourth, to make a compound
vessel into the compound stuff, being a kind of body of glass and galletyle; that is, to have the
silver electre, and to turn the rest into coin. It colour milky like a chalcedon, being a stuff bemay be also questioned, whether the compound tween a porcelane and a glass.
stuff'will receive gilding as well as silver, and For the first, it is good first to know exactly
with equal lustre l It is to be noted, that the the several materials whereof the glass in use is
common allay of silver coin is brass, which doth made; window-glass, Normandy and Burgundy,
discolour more, and is not so neat as tin. ale-house glass, English drinking-glass: and
The drownings of metals within other metals, then thereupon to consider what the reason is of
in such sort as they can never rise again, is a the coarseness or clearness; and from thence to
thing of great profit. For if a quantity of silver rise to a consideration how to make some additacan be so buried in gold, as it will never be ments to the coarser materials, to raise them to
reduced again, neither by fire, nor parting waters, the whiteness and crystalline splendour of the
nor other ways: and also that it serves all uses as finest.
well as pure gold, it is in"effect all one as if so For the second, we see pebbles, and some other
much silver were turned into gold; only the stones, will cut as fine as crystal, which, if they
weight will discover it; yet that taketh off but will melt, may be a mixture for glass, and may
half of the profit; for gold is not fully double make it more tough and more crystalline. Besides,
weight to silver, but gold is twelve times price to we see metals will vitrify; and perhaps some
silver. portion of the glass of metal vitrified, mixed in
The burial must be by one of these two ways, the pot of ordinary glass-metal, will make the
either by the smallness of the proportion, as per- whole mass more tough.
haps fifty to one, which will be but sixpence For the third, it were good to have of coloured
gains in fifty shillings; or it must be holpen by window-glass, such as is coloured in the pot, and
somewhat which may fix the silver, never to be not by coloursrestored or vapoured away, when it is incorpo- It is to be known of what stuff galletyle in
rated into such a mass of gold; for the less quan- made, and how the colours in it are varied; ano
tity is ever the harder to sever: and for this thereupon to consider how to make the mixture of
purpose iron is the likest, or coppel stuff, upon glass-metal and them, whereof I have seen the
which the fire hath no power of consumption. example.
The making of gold seemeth a thing scarcely Inquire what be the stones that do easiliest melt,
possible; because gold is the heaviest of metals, Of them take half a pound, and of iron a pound
and to add matter is impossible: and, again, to and half, and an ounce of brimstone, and see
drive metals into a narrower room than their natu- whether they will incorporate, being whole, with
ral extent beareth, is a condensation hardly to be a strong fire. If not, try the same quantities calexpected. But to make silver seemeth more easy, cined: and if they will incorporate, make a plate
because both quicksilver and lead are weightier of them, and burnish it as they do iron.
than silver: so as there needeth only fixing, and Take a pound and a half of brass, and half a
not condensing. The degeee unto this, that is pound of iron; two ounces of the calaminai
already known, is infusing of quicksilver in a stone, an ounce and a half of brimstone, an ounce
parchment, or otherwise, in the midst of molten of lead; calcine them, and see what body they
lead when it cooleth; for this stupefieth the quick- make; and if they incorporate, make a plate of it
silver that it runneth no more. This trial is to be burnished.
advanced three ways. First, by iterating the Take of copper an ounce and a half, of tin an
melting of the lead, to see whether it will not ounce, and melt them together, and make a plats
make the quicksilver harderand harder. Secondly, of them burnished.
to put realgar hot into the midst of the quicksilver, Take of copper an ounce and a half, of tin an
whereby it may be condensed, as well from within ounce, of glass-metal half an ounce; stir them
as without. Thirdly, to try it in the midst of well in the boiling, and if they incorporate, make
molten iron, or molten steel, which is a body more a plate of them burnished.
likely to fix the quicksilver than lead. It may be Take of copper a pound and a half, tin four
also tried, by incorporating powder of steel, or ounces, brass two ounces; make a plate ot them
coppel dust, by pouncing, into the quicksilver, burnished.
and so to proceed to the stupefying. Take of silver two ounces, tin half an ounce
Upon glass foul things would be put in proof. make a little say-cup of it, and burnish it.
VOL. II.-58 2 Q