bake-houses, and kitchens, where are made divers drinks, breads, and
meats, rare and of special effects. Wines we have of grapes; and
drinks of other juice of fruits, of grains, and of roots; and of
mixtures with honey, sugar, manna, and fruits dried, and decocted; Also
of the tears or woundings of trees; and of the pulp of canes. And these
drinks are of several ages, some to the age or last of forty years. We
have drinks also brewed with several herbs, and roots, and spices; yea
with several fleshes, and white-meats; whereof some of the drinks are
such, as they are in effect meat and drink both: so that divers,
especially in age, do desire to live with them, with little or no meat
or bread. And above all, we strive to have drink of extreme thin
parts, to insinuate into the body, and yet without all biting,
sharpness, or fretting; insomuch as some of them put upon the back of
your hand will, with a little stay, pass through to the palm, and yet
taste mild to the mouth. We have also waters which we ripen in that
fashion, as they become nourishing; so that they are indeed excellent
drink; and many will use no other. Breads we have of several grains,
roots, and kernels; yea and some of flesh and fish dried; with divers
kinds of leavenings and seasonings: so that some do extremely move
appetites; some do nourish so, as divers do live of them, without any
other meat; who live very long. So for meats, we have some of them so
beaten and made tender and mortified,' yet without all corrupting, as a
weak heat of the stomach will turn them into good chylus; as well as a
strong heat would meat otherwise prepared. We have some meats also and
breads and drinks, which taken by men enable them to fast long after;
and some other, that used make the very flesh of men's bodies sensibly'
more hard and tough and their strength far greater than otherwise it
would be.
"We have dispensatories, or shops of medicines. Wherein you may easily
think, if we have such variety of plants and living creatures more than
you have in Europe, (for we know what you have,) the simples, drugs,
and ingredients of medicines, must likewise be in so much the greater
variety. We have them likewise of divers ages, and long fermentations.
And for their preparations, we have not only all manner of exquisite
distillations and separations, and especially by gentle heats and
percolations through divers strainers, yea and substances; but also
exact forms of composition, whereby they incorporate almost, as they
were natural simples.
"We have also divers mechanical arts, which you have not; and stuffs
made by them; as papers, linen, silks, tissues; dainty works of
feathers of wonderful lustre; excellent dies, and, many others; and
shops likewise, as well for such as are not brought into vulgar use
amongst us as for those that are. For you must know that of the things
before recited, many of them are grown into use throughout the kingdom;
but yet, if they did flow from our invention, we have of them also for
patterns and principals.
"We have also furnaces of great diversities, and that keep great
diversity of heats; fierce and quick; strong and constant; soft and
mild; blown, quiet; dry, moist; and the like. But above all, we have
heats, in imitation of the Sun's and heavenly bodies' heats, that pass
divers inequalities, and (as it were) orbs, progresses, and returns,
whereby we produce admirable effects. Besides, we have heats of dungs;
and of bellies and maws of living creatures, and of their bloods and
bodies; and of hays and herbs laid up moist; of lime unquenched; and
such like. Instruments also which generate heat only by motion. And
farther, places for strong insulations; and again, places under the
earth, which by nature, or art, yield heat. These divers heats we use,
as the nature of the operation, which we intend, requireth.
"We have also perspective-houses, where we make demonstrations of all
lights and radiations; and of all colours: and out of things uncoloured
and transparent, we can represent unto you all several colours; not in
rain-bows, (as it is in gems, and prisms,) but of themselves single.
We represent also all multiplications of light, which we carry to great
distance, and make so sharp as to discern small points and lines. Also
all colourations of light; all delusions and deceits of the sight, in
figures, magnitudes, motions, colours all demonstrations of shadows.
We find also divers means, yet unknown to you, of producing of light
originally from divers bodies. We procure means of seeing objects afar
off; as in the heaven and remote places; and represent things near as
afar off; and things afar off as near; making feigned distances. We
have also helps for the sight, far above spectacles and glasses in use.
We have also glasses and means to see small and minute bodies perfectly
and distinctly; as the shapes and colours of small flies and worms,
grains and flaws in gems, which cannot otherwise be seen, observations
in urine and blood not otherwise to be seen. We make artificial
rain-bows, halo's, and circles about light. We represent also all
manner of reflexions, refractions, and multiplications of visual beams
of objects.
"We have also precious stones of all kinds, many of them of great
beauty, and to you unknown; crystals likewise; and glasses of divers
kinds; and amongst them some of metals vitrificated, and other
materials besides those of which you make glass. Also a number of
fossils, and imperfect minerals, which you have not. Likewise
loadstones of prodigious virtue; and other rare stones, both natural
and artificial.
"We have also sound-houses, where we practise and demonstrate all
sounds, and their generation. We have harmonies which you have not, of
quarter-sounds, and lesser slides of sounds. Divers instruments of
music likewise to you unknown, some sweeter than any you have, together
with bells and rings that are dainty and sweet. We represent small
sounds as great and deep; likewise great sounds extenuate and sharp; we
make divers tremblings and warblings of sounds, which in their original
are entire. We represent and imitate all articulate sounds and
letters, and the voices and notes of beasts and birds. We have certain
helps which set to the ear do further the hearing greatly. We have also
divers strange and artificial echoes, reflecting the voice many times,
and as it were tossing it: and some that give back the voice louder
than it came, some shriller, and some deeper; yea, some rendering the
voice differing in the letters or articulate sound from that they
receive. We have also means to convey sounds in trunks and pipes, in
strange lines and distances.
"We have also perfume-houses; wherewith we join also practices of
taste. We multiply smells, which may seem strange. We imitate smells,
making all smells to breathe outs of other mixtures than those that
give them. We make divers imitations of taste likewise, so that they
will deceive any man's taste. And in this house we contain also a
confiture-house; where we make all sweet-meats, dry and moist; and
divers pleasant wines, milks, broths, and sallets; in far greater
variety than you have.
"We have also engine-houses, where are prepared engines and instruments
for all sorts of motions. There we imitate and practise to make
swifter motions than any you have, either out of your muskets or any
engine that you have: and to make them and multiply them more easily,
and with small force, by wheels and other means: and to make them
stronger and more violent than yours are; exceeding your greatest
cannons and basilisks. We represent also ordnance and instruments of
war, and engines of all kinds: and likewise new mixtures and
compositions of gun-powder, wild-fires burning in water, and
unquenchable. Also fireworks of all variety both for pleasure and use.
We imitate also flights of birds; we have some degrees of flying in the
air. We have ships and boats for going under water, and brooking of
seas; also swimming-girdles and supporters. We have divers curious
clocks, and other like motions of return: and some perpetual motions.
We imitate also motions of living creatures, by images, of men, beasts,
birds, fishes, and serpents. We have also a great number of other
various motions, strange for equality, fineness, and subtilty.
"We have also a mathematical house, where are represented all
instruments, as well of geometry as astronomy, exquisitely made.
"We have also houses of deceits of the senses; where we represent all
manner of feats of juggling, false apparitions, impostures, and
illusions; and their fallacies. And surely you will easily believe
that we that have so many things truly natural which induce admiration,
could in a world of particulars deceive the senses, if we would
disguise those things and labour to make them seem more miraculous. But
we do hate all impostures, and lies; insomuch as we have severely
forbidden it to all our fellows, under pain of ignominy and fines, that
they do not show any natural work or thing, adorned or swelling; but
only pure as it is, and without all affectation of strangeness.
"These are (my son) the riches of Salomon's House.
"For the several employments and offices of our fellows; we have twelve
that sail into foreign countries, under the names of other nations,
(for our own we conceal); who bring us the books, and abstracts, and
patterns of experiments of all other parts. These we call Merchants of
Light.
"We have three that collect the experiments which are in all books.
These we call Depredators.
"We have three that collect the experiments of all mechanical arts; and
also of liberal sciences; and also of practices which are not brought
into arts. These we call Mystery-men.
"We have three that try new experiments, such as themselves think good.
These we call Pioneers or Miners.
"We have three that draw the experiments of the former four into titles
and tables, to give the better light for the drawing of observations
and axioms out of them. These we call Compilers.
"We have three that bend themselves, looking into the experiments of
their fellows, and cast about how to draw out of them things of use and
practise for man's life, and knowledge, as well for works as for plain
demonstration of causes, means of natural divinations, and the easy and
clear discovery of the virtues and parts of bodies. These we call
Dowry-men or Benefactors.
"Then after divers meetings and consults of our whole number, to
consider of the former labours and collections, we have three that take
care, out of them, to direct new experiments, of a higher light, more
penetrating into nature than the former. These we call Lamps.
"We have three others that do execute the experiments so directed, and
report them. These we call Inoculators.
"Lastly, we have three that raise the former discoveries by experiments
into greater observations, axioms, and aphorisms. These we call
Interpreters of Nature.
"We have also, as you must think, novices and apprentices, that the
succession of the former employed men do not fail; besides, a great
number of servants and attendants, men and women. And this we do also:
we have consultations, which of the inventions and experiences which we
have discovered shall be published, and which not: and take all an oath
of secrecy, for the concealing of those which we think fit to keep
secret: though some of those we do reveal sometimes to the state and
some not.
"For our ordinances and rites: we have two very long and fair
galleries: in one of these we place patterns and samples of all manner
of the more rare and excellent inventions in the other we place the
statues of all principal inventors. There we have the statue of your
Columbus, that discovered the West Indies: also the inventor of ships:
your monk that was the inventor of ordnance and of gunpowder: the
inventor of music: the inventor of letters: the inventor of printing:
the inventor of observations of astronomy: the inventor of works in
metal: the inventor of glass: the inventor of silk of the worm: the
inventor of wine: the inventor of corn and bread: the inventor of
sugars: and all these, by more certain tradition than you have. Then
have we divers inventors of our own, of excellent works; which since
you have not seen, it were too long to make descriptions of them; and
besides, in the right understanding of those descriptions you might
easily err. For upon every invention of value, we erect a statue to
the inventor, and give him a liberal and honourable reward. These
statues are some of brass; some of marble and touch-stone; some of
cedar and other special woods gilt and adorned; some of iron; some of
silver; some of gold.
"We have certain hymns and services, which we say daily, of Lord and
thanks to God for his marvellous works: and forms of prayers, imploring
his aid and blessing for the illumination of our labours, and the
turning of them into good and holy uses.
"Lastly, we have circuits or visits of divers principal cities of the
kingdom; where, as it cometh to pass, we do publish such new profitable
inventions as we think good. And we do also declare natural
divinations of diseases, plagues, swarms-of hurtful creatures,
scarcity, tempests, earthquakes, great inundations, comets, temperature
of the year, and divers other things; and we give counsel thereupon,
what the people shall do for the prevention and remedy of them."
And when he had said this, he stood up; and I, as I had been taught,
kneeled down, and he laid his right hand upon my head, and said; "God
bless thee, my son; and God bless this relation, which I have made. I
give thee leave to publish it for the good of other nations; for we
here are in God's bosom, a land unknown." And so he left me; having
assigned a value of about two thousand ducats, for a bounty to me and
my fellows. For they give great largesses where they come upon all
occasions.
[The rest was not perfected.]