Observations on the Epiftle
• to the Reader.
Oncerning otfr Authour, and this work , J find no other mention of /z/z», than a bare naming him by Garfo zzz his Book della dot-
’N" trina univerfalc , and by Bor- netius dc fuificicntia , Pag. 141. Neither could I ever find by firift inquiry that the other piece promt fed in the Epiftle Dedi¬catory, and the Preface,concerning Chymical matters * was ever publijbed, neither have/ read in any Spagyrical writers quotations drawn thence, 1therefore I may eafily conclude, that it never came to light-* and it is no wonder he found no incouragement by this Book, to put forth that* fince this kinde pi learning moft ufeful to mankind, was accounted fordid and below the fpeculation of men living in thofe times •* who wholly bufied their fubtile wits, either in contemplations ufelefs , or indeter¬minable, moft of whofe notions were bare ^oyo^ocyjca. But our moft learned Bacon, a man /man of a moft fnLlime , and piercing intellect, in bis incomparable Novum organum, bath fully confuted & [hewed the vanity & in effica¬cy of that other way, and hath more wifely fub- fiituted another more effective and operative, for the more fofid promotion of Arts and Set. cnees. This way of tifeful learning hath been more experimently followed by fome parti¬cular perfons, but not ttniverfally throughout. Put now tis like to make a confiderable progrefs, being defigned by that moft noble and honourable company of the Kings fociety at Grcfham- College ; which by the indulgence of His facred Majefty, reftored to his people, for the promotion of all virtuous undertakings, weekly convene to this very end and purpofe, and daily bring in materials for this fair Edifice.
One part of this defign this prefent Book containsy wherein is fet forth truly and plainly, the whole bufinefs of makingand colouring glafs, which from his youth our Author had learned of able and diiggent perfons, or what experi¬ence, or the fire had taught him, and in many he tells you the time and places of his tryal and invention, with all the circumflances there-unto belonging.
Art of GlaP. Our Englifh word Glaft is the fame with the Dutch, and is deriv'd front from the Latine , Glaftum, pfo/W; by remo¬ving the loft fyllable* is plainly Glafs ; now it appears that Glaftum was called Vitrum, by Csfar in his Commentaries, lib. 5. Where he faith* omncs Britanni fe vitro in- ficiunt, all the Britans colour themfelves with G/afs* Sc Mela, lib. 3. cap. 6. Britanni vi¬tro corpora infedi,and Vitruvius,tvooll 'died, with Glafs* for fo the learned Turncbus re- (lores thefe places* where ’[was anciently read Ultrum for Vitrum^wf that Vitrum is Ifatis, appears by thefe words of Vitruvius, they colour for want of Indico Chalk from Selinutia Vitro, with Glafs, which the Greeks call Ifacis, as alfo by a Treadle of Apuleius dc herbis, not published * but is in the hands of Doctor Merrick Caufabon, larger and more correct than thofe that are publifbed*he thus* Herbam Ifatis alii Aogigneme pro¬phets Apcfion Itali alutam alii herbam vi- trum, which is to be written* Ifatis alii An- gionen Prophets Arofion Itali ruram alii herbam vitrum. Salmatius ever fafly puts Guaftum for Glaftum, becaufe the Britans continually call it Guadum , The which call a Blew colour Glafs. And Pliny, lib. 2 2.chap. 1 • nitnefletb the fame in thefe words * fimile plantagini Glaftum in Gallia Vocatur QUO
Britan- / Britannorum conjugcs nurufque toto cor- pore obi it a? quibufdam in facris nudx in- ccdunt. The Britilh women cover their bo¬dies with Glaftum,#* in fome Feftivalsgo nak¬ed. And Cambdcn/tf his Britannia, this is the herb we term Woad, and it gives a Blewtjb colour, which the Britans at this day call Glafs. The reafon why Glaftum acquired this name Vitrum, or Glafs, might be,becaufe all glafs hath Naturally (as this Author and experience teacheth ) fomewhat of llewifbnefs in it. Vitrum comes frornNsfuns as AratrumowdRutrum come from Aratum & rutum,Hie laft fyllable being changed into trum, fo Ifcodurus, lib. 16. cap. 15. Quod yilui pcrfpicuitate transluceat, becaufe it is tranfparent to the fight '.for in other metalls, whatfoever is contained within is hid, but in Glafs all liquors, and things within appear the fame as without, hence it is that many tranfpa¬rent bodies are call'd Vitrca , as the humour of the eye, the Sea, Rivers, Waters by Pbyftci- ans, Horace, O\sid,and Boeth, and Apuleius ofafpring. I
Glafs is one of the fruits of the fire. which is moft true, for it is a thing wholy of Art, not of Nature, and not to be produced without ftrong fires. 1 have heard a lingular
Epiftle co chcRcader. 209 Arcifts merrily to this purpofe fay, that their profeflion would be the Iasi in the world.: for when God fhould con fume with fire the tlni- verfe, that then all things therein would Vi- trifie and turn to glafs. Which would be true upon fuppofition of a proportionable mixture of jit Salts,and Sand or Stones.
’Tis mich like all fore of mineral or middle mineral. 1 find A uthors differ much about referring Glafs to it's Species. Agri- cola, lib. 12. de Mctallis, maketb it a con¬crete juyce, Vincent Belluafenfis, lib. II.' calls it a (lone, Fallopius reckons it amongft the Media mincralia, and the workmen, when it is in a (late op fufion cad it metall. But to me it feems neither of thefe, which this gene- rail Argument fufiiciently evinceth,that all the forementioned are natural concretes , but Glafs is a compound made by Art, a product of the fire, and never found in the bowels of the earth, as all the others are.
wherefore as factitious words of Art are excluded out of the predicaments by the Lo ’i- cians,p is Glafs to be excluded out oF the for¬mer Species. Neither is it more to be call’d a metall, concrete juyce, than Beer or Malt, Barley, or Lime, a Stone, or Brick, Earth, &c. But to this argument Faliop, thus replies, by asking of what Glass we speak, whether of that which is in it's own Mine, and it's own stone, or else of true Glass, and now extracted from the stone ? if of this purified, he saith 'tis no more Artificial, than a metall is extracted from it's Mineral, and purified. But if we under stand it of that which is the first stone, then he saith that as metall in the Mine and proper stone, so glass having it's existence in the stone, whence 'tis educed, is natural. To whom I answer, that Glass is never found in that form in any Mine, but onely Sand, and Stones which are the Materials of it. But of Metalls 'tis far otherwise, which nature hath perfectly formed into a certain Species in pro¬per veins, though sometimes they are by the fire forced out of the veins, and Earth or stones wherein they in smaller pay ticks and Atoms lay hid. And with this difference too, that fire onely produceth or rather discovereth Metalls by it's innate energie of separating heterogene¬ous bodies and congregating home gene ous: But in Glass 'tis far otherwise, for that is made by uniting and mixing different parts of salt and sand. which Fallopius to admiration denies, saying, that 'tis false that Glass is made of Ashes,and he adds, that although Glass men add ashes brought from Alexandria, or from other Epillle to the Reader. 21 r Other places* yet he faith that afhes is added inftead of Nitre which the Antients ufed* that they might more eafily extract Glafs from the Metalline (lone. Fet we may not fay that afhes is mixed with the Adetall to make Glafs* but that 'tis onely put into the furnaces where Glafs is melted, that Glafs may be more eafily educed from the fmalle (I and inmoft particles of the Glafs-ft one, that is* of it s proper Me¬tall •, fo far he. But this //range opinion is eafily confuted• for if Glafs were extruded, from the jlones onely* then the weight of the Metall muß needs be far lefs than the flones alone* but in truth the weight of the Metall far furpafletli that weight* for 100 weight of Sand yields a- bone 150 of Metall • befides* the Salts compo- fing Glafs are the most fixed falts * which the fire cannot raife with the moft vehement heat. Again in old windows of French Glafs* in that part which lies towards the air* you may manifeftlydifeern* nay* pick out pieces of fait, eafily difeovering their nature to the taflt- furthermore in the fineft Glafjes* wherein the fait is moft purified, and in a greater propor¬tion of fait to the fand* yon fhall find that fuch Glafles {landing long in fubterraneous and moi ft places will fall to pieces* the union of the fait and fand decaying. And this is tberea- P 2 fori /o# of that faying , that Venice Glafies will break with pot fon, which is true of fome Mi¬neral , but not of Vegetable or animal poyfon. All which manifeft ly evince that fait remains in the Glafs in fpecie. Acid hereunto that ex¬periment of Htlmont, Cap. de terra, who thus faith, Si vitri pollinem pluri alkali quis colliquaverit ac humido loco expo- fuerit, rcpcrict mox toturn vitrum rcfolvi inaquam,cui fi afiundatur Chryfulea, ad¬dito quantum faturando alkali fuffecerir, inveniet ftatim in fundo arenam federe co- dem ponderc qux prius faciendo vitro aptabatur. If you melt fine flour of Glafs with good fiore of Sandever, and fet them in a moift place, you fhall foon find all the Glafs refolved into water, where unto if you pour as much Aqua-fortis, as will fuffice to faturate the Sandever, you ft) al I find the fand prefent- ly fettle to the bottom in the fame weight which was put in at firft.
And in this experiment the fait is imbi¬bed, and taken up by the Sandever, and Aqua Regis, and fo the component parts analyfed into their former principles, which were before con- fufed in the compound.
A fecond general argument is this, that though the faid concrete juyces Bones and Glafs, Glass, may have fusion in the fire, yet neither all stones,nor all concrete juyces, Metalls,nor Semimetalls have fusion, such are Talc and
English Spaud,sal Armoniack,Tincal, &c. Reckoned amongst concrete juyces; nor Dia¬monds, Cats-eyes, Agate, Jaspers, nor most other pretious stones, nor Marble; Nor many other stones wherewith the inside of these furnaces are built. Neither can Mercuric amongst Metalls be said to melt, nor amongst the middle Minerals Orpiment; and though most of them have fusion, yet none of them have ductilitie, but Metalls onely, and they one- ly too, when they have received a great degree of cold; for when they are red hot the parti¬
cles of them stick not together, nor are so Tenacious as Glass is, which onely whilst it is red hot, will with small force of the breath re¬ceive any fashion or figure, and by blowing form a cavity, none whereof any of the afore¬said bodies will do; besides metall poured out,
when melted, will run into many small globali, or pieces, but glass sticks together in a lump even in the furnace it self, when the pots are broken. And this quality of ductility, and te¬nacity, I make to be the essential difference of glass from all other bodies; nay from all other substances, which have gotten the nameP 3 of/ of glafs, as Vitrum Antimonii, Mofcovie glafs, and bricks or other fiones vitrified, nei¬ther whereof will bear this tryal. which ra¬ther have their denomination from their tran¬sparency, (as Vitriolum too hath a Vitro) than from their intrinfecal nature and pro¬perties. But to floor ten this eomparifon, I fhall here fet down the proprieties of glafs* whereby any one way eafily difference it from all other bodies.
1 'Tis a concrete of fait and fand or fiones.
2 ’Tis Artificial.
3 Jr melts in a (Irong fire.
3 When melted tis tenacious and (licks to-gether.
4 It waffs not nor conf times in the fire.
5 'Tif the la.sk effefl of the fire.
6 When melted it cleaves to Iron, &c.
7 'Tis duClile whilfi red hot, and fafbion- able into any form, but not malleable, and may be blown into a hollownefs.
8 Breaks being thin without annealing.
Q '1 is friable when cold, which made our proverb, As hritie as glafs.
TO 'Tis diaphanous either hot or cold.
I I Tis
11 'Tis flexible and hath in tbreeds mo turn re&itutionis.
12 Cold and wet difunites and breaks it* efpecially if the liquors be faltifh* and the glafs fuddainly heated.
13 Jt onely receives fculpture* and cutting* from a Diamond or Emery flone.
14 'Tis both coloured and made Diaphanous as pretiow flones.
15 Aqua fortis, Aqua Regis, and Mercu¬ry, diffolve it not as they do Metalls.
15 Acid juyces nor any other thing extract either colour * taH * or any other quality from it.
16 It receives polifhing.
17 It lofeth nor weight* nor fubftance, with the tongeft and moft frequent ufe.
18 Gives fufion to other Met alls and foftens
them.
19 Receives ad variety of colours made of Met ads both externady and internally * and therefore more fit for Painting than any 0- ther thing.
2 a '7 is the moft plyable and fafbiona'de thing in the world* and be ft retains the form given.
21 It may be melted but twill never be calcined.
P 4 22 An
216 Obfcrvations on the
22 An open glafs fill'd with water in the
Summer will gather drops cf water on the out- fde, fo far as the water reacheth} and a mans breath blown upon will manifeflly moifien it.
23 Little balls as big as a Nut fill'd with
Mcrcury, or water, or any liquor, and thrown into the fire, as alfo drops of green glafs broken fly afiunder with a very loud & mofi fkarp noife.
24 wine Beer nor other liquors will make them mufiy, nor change their colour nor rufi them.
25 It may b e cemented as Stones and Metals. 26. A drinking Glafs fill'd,in part with water
( Being rub d on the brim with the finger witted.) yields Mufical notes , higher or- lower, accord¬ing as ’tis more or lefs full , and makes tl.eli- quour frisk- and leap.
Aptiquiry of Glafs.
C
" Oncoming He Antiquity of Glafs cur Author here fetcheth it from Job Clap. 28.V.17.M7.0 intl.is Q h pter from v.i^.tolhe so'1, compares wifucm to tie chotceft things,and in this 17^ v. faith,Gold and Glafs fhall not Le equalled to ir .So our Author from the Vul¬gar latino trarllation, H?e Sc-ptuagint,Hic- rrm,Seres,Elias in ro Mtnclatcrc.Hicron. Pineda, Biblia Tigurina, & Syriac,but la- einth in the Arabiek erai flation.
Cryftall, Chaldee, Sanies, Arias Men- tanu%/tanus, Forstorus. The Hebrews whom Ni¬cetas follows, and the King of Spains edi¬tion, and so the English translation.
A stone more pretions than gold, as Pagninus from Rabbi Levi Kimhi.
A Looking glass, as the Thargum ren¬ders it; perhaps hecause in that time or age Looking-glasses were first invented and high¬ly valued, being made of precious materials, and so Muncer reads it.
Glass of Crystall, Vitrum Crystallinum, Complutensis.
A Beril,as Vatablus.
A Diamond, Rabbi Abral am, Rabbi Mardooai, Pagnin, Cajetan, the Italian, Sparnsh, French, High and Low Dutch.
A Pyropus or Carbuncle, or some such neat and precious Gemm, as others, so Pineda: But both these are the same name of one stone which the Ancients gave to such a gemm as Would shine by night, but there's none such in
nature, & the later writers take the Ruby for it. The reason of this difference in the tran¬
slators, is, because the Original word Ze- chuchih comes from the root Zacac which sig-nisies to purifie, to cleanse, to shine, to he white, and transparent. The same word is applied to Frarkincense, Exod. 30. 34, and
is si8/is rendred by the Septuagint , Pellucid, Hence 'tis manifeft why fo many rendrings of the text* jince the word in general fignifietb onely what's tranfparcnt and beautiful, there¬fore the tranflators might apply the word to any thing which was of price and value* for fo the text requires* and tranfparcnt too * for fo the word requires. But it feems to be neither Diamond, Carbuncle, nor Iacinth, for thofe are mentioned in Aarons Brcft-platc, Exod. 28. and this word here not to be found in that Chapter. Nor Glafs nor Cryftal, be-caufe twould feem incongruous , that thofe of fo mean a value fhould be brought into compa- rifon* the former being made of Materials ve¬ry common* and the latter could not but be vul¬gar. Bcfidcs* ‘tis probable this word fubjoyned to Gold, was added after it for amplification. Add hereunto* that Glafs is no where mention¬ed in the Old Teftament, though frequently in the New by S. Paul, 5. I Ames, and in the Revelation. And indeed who can idhigine that a thing fit for fo many illuftrations, and comparifons * and of fo common ufe* could be paft cd by in filence* if known* by the Scripture fo full of elegancies in this kind 2 And there¬fore 1 judge ft meet to keep the general word* and not to confine the fenfe to one pretions and
, tratiz
tranfpareut (lone, or thing, -but to extend it wider to all things that have thofe two pro¬perties in them. But too much of this in mclfc alien;!.
Ariftophancs feems to be the prfl that men-tions this word focA®', now rendered Glafs ; for in Nubibus, A 61. 2. Seen. 1. he brings in Sthrepfiades abnfing Socrates, and teaching him a new way to pay old debts,viz.by placing a fairtranlparent Hone told by the Druggifts, and from which they ftrike fire, betwixt the Sun and the acculation brought in wri¬ting againft him , for the Sun would foon medt away the letters of the accufation, which (lone Socrates readily cal I d u«X©-'. Whereon the Scholiaft thus, Druggifts (old precious ftoncs as well as Medicament?. I And that the Antients call'd y/lov, (the j fame with xfi-aX<J> ) Cryftall. That Ho- ■; mer knew not the name, and that with him j and the Antients, the word Eledrum was nfed, the Scholiaft there teflifeth, though he himfelf clearly defcriles our Glafs in thefe
I words. We properly call that Glafs which ’j being melted by fire from a certain herb burnt to prepare certain vcffcls. Hcfichius
II hath not the word VetX©-', in this f *nfe ftut Hy a - len,HyaIon, Hyalocn,fhining nw/ Diapha¬nous. nous. The Etymologist hath it in this sense and fetcheth the Etymon from, to rain, from the likeness it hath to ice (which is congeled rain or water) in consistence and Dia-
phaneity, and in this sense, as some Glass from glaciesice. Aristotle hath two Problems of Glass, first,Why we see through it,Sect. 2. 61.se- condly, Why it cannot be bended. Now if these Problems were Aristotels (as learned men doubt whether they are or no) then this seems to be the most Antient piece of Antiqui¬ty for Glass. For neither in the Antient Greek Poets nor Orators shall you find any mention of Glass, though a thing so fit for the purpose, as was above said. And note the ambiguity of the word for Cry¬
stal was so call'd as the Scholiast above, and Hugo Grorius, and these names are wont to be mixed by reason of the likeness of the things, and Gorræus saith, that, a certain kind of Yellow Amber, and transparent as Glass, was call'd by some Hyalus. The first then amongst the Greeks, that without question have mentioned Glass are Alex. Aphrod. who thu saith, As the Floridness of a colour is seen through Glass, and yet more clearly, lib. 1.
Probl. Glasses in the winter in vehement and sudden heat coming upon them,break, Epiftlc to the Reader. 2it and again, to break the Body of the Glafs. And Lucian mentions very large drinking veffels of Glafs. And Plutarch in his Sym- pofiack, faith, that fire of Tamarisk wood is fittclb to form Glafs.
That the Egyptians were skilfull in this Art, appears by Flavius Vopifcus, quoted by Marcel. Donatus, in thefe words, Alexan¬dria a City rich, fruitful, wherein no body lives idle , fome Blow elafs, others make Paper, Though Richer in his Oedipus, writing of the Egyptian Arts, mentions not this.
Lucretius among# the Latinc Poets, is the firft I find mention Glafs , whofe Kerfes I fhall add, becaufe they give his account of its tranfparency.
nifi re cl a foramina tranant
Qualia funt vitri,1.4. 602, 603. and again, Atque aliudper ligna,aliud tranfire per Aurum, Argentoq-, foras, aliud vitroq-, meare. 1.6. v.1 989,990.
But downwards all the other Poets.
This Art was unknown to America , and all Ada,except Sidon,and China, who of late have learned to make it very perfpicuous of Rice* but very brittle, and therefore not to be compared as yet with ours* though it come neer it. Atlas Cinicus, pag. 6.
But to decide this controller fie * tis manifeft that Glafs could not be unknown to the Anti¬ents, and muß needs be as Antient as Pot- terie it felf* or the Art of making Bricks, for fcarcely can a Kill of Bricks be burnt* or A Batch of Pottery ware be made* but fome of the Bricks, and ware will be at leaft fuperfi- daily turn d to Glafs. And therefore without doubt twas known at the building of the 7o«w of Babel, arid as long before as that Art was ufed* and liliewife by the Egyptians : for ivhen the children of Ifracl were in capti¬vity * we read that making of Bricks was a great part of their bondage. And of this na¬ture muft that Foflil Glafs be* whereof Ferant Imperatili,'ih. 25. cap. 7. thus faith* Glafs like to thè Arttucial is found under the earth in places where great fires have been * neither whereof fi ruck yield fparks of fire. Other Glafles are found in round clots like fire- ftones, flowing in the breaking* and tranfparcnt with greenefs* which in fhew refemble Colo- phoniA , and thefe drück fparkle like fire- fiones. from which notwithftanding they are different/different as well in their Vegetation proper to fire-stones, as also in shining,and much quicke melting, proper to Glass. Of these said Glasses some are brittle, others solid, the brittle or crumbling, put in the fire, swell, and take the shape of white pumice-stone, and afterwards
the shining of Artificial Glass: But those which are continued and solid, by a small change from the fire, pass from blackness to white Artificial Glass. This Fossil Glass is wrought by the Americans to make holes, and cut in stead of Iron. So far he. And happily of this sort of Glass, was a piece thereof, which I lighted on at S. Albans, an antient garrison of the Romans, which I struck off from a Ro¬man Brick, 'tis of the same colour and sub¬
stance with what appears in ours at this da And no doubt but this Glass was more fre¬
quent in their Brick than ours, for they temper¬ed their earth two years together, and so it wrought more firm,and close; besides,they burnt them better. And this vitrification of earth made into Bricks, is not onely at the first burn¬ing of them, but also as Imperatus observes might be from great fires, to wit such as are in lime-Kils,and Potters Kits, such as were most Antient in Asia and Africa, for in those the Bricks 2 24 Obfcrvations on the Bricks ufuady Vitri fie. But 7 have not heard nor feen any of them Vitrified in the firing of houfes built therewith. For it feems that onely a fire made with layers of dried crude Bricks burnt in the fire, can produce this effeff, or elfe by the way of Reverberation in furnaces where moft vehement clofe #* continued fires are made.
This Glafs lay long, in the earth, though Hclmont affirms that Glafs there diflolves, pe¬trifies and turns to water, in few years, which though true in our finer Cryftal, as to the faline part, yet feems not fo of Glafs in general.
As for the way mentioned by our Author found out by Merchants, it feems not very cre¬dible, fince the continual burning of Kilt in Spiin and Egypt, for Birillia and Polve- rinCj and of Kelp, and other Materials for green Glafs with us, in greater quantities \than the faid Merchants did to drefs their provi- fion, and confequently a ftronger and more lad¬ing heat raifed thereby,did never produce Glafs in any place or time whatfoever, nay the ftrong and clofe beat of the calcar, cannot produce it ; Perhaps thofe that refine Metalls from the Ore, whereof Tuozlcam was the inventor or Anci¬
ent Chy mills, could not but both in their fur¬naces and from their Metalls long wrought upon by the fire, objerve Glafs alfo.
Epiftle to the Reader. a 2 $ Among ft thofe C by mi ft s, the moft antient feem to be Egyptian Princes, who all from Hermes Trifmegiftus downwards profefled this art Endeavouring at an univerfal Medi¬cine, but not the fuppofed tranfmutation of Me* tads, as Kircher in his Alchymia Hiero¬glyph. affirms. Now this attempt could not be without great fires and furnaces , which mull at fome time or other run into Glafs, and their materialls alfo mu(l do the like.
So that it plainly appears by what hath been faid, Glafs muft be known from great antiquity. But the art of making and working Glafs feems by what hath been faid to be of later invention, and the firft place mentioned for the making of it to be Sidon in Syria, which was enobledfor Glafs-houfes and making of Glafs,as PlinJ.>6. cap. 2 6. And that Glafs was made in the time of Tiberius (the firft we read of amongfl the Romans) 'tis apparent by the bifiory of the man whom Plin. relates he put to death for ma- king Glafs malleable,of which hereafter.
Of thcuic of Glafs.
IN Domeftick affairs it makes drinking vef- fels,infinite in fafbion, colour, I argue, the Romer for Rheniih wine, for Stfk,Claret, Q Beer, Beer* plain* moulded, coloured in whole or in part* Bottles and other veffels to keep Wine* Beer* Spirits* Oyls* Powders, wherein jou may fee their Fermentations, feparations* and what¬soever other changes nature in time worl eth in any liquours, the clearnefs and goodnefs of them. Befides difhes to keep and to ferve up fweet- meats* glafles to meafure time * /leek-flones for Linnen* Ornaments for /Indies * and Prej/es* windows to keep us warm and dry, and to admit Light into our dwellings, which pafs ing through coloured Glafs, it tingeth with the fame colour whatfoever lyeth in cppofitton to the Sun. And lafily Looking-glafles, the delight and kufinefsof Narciflus and hi s followers.
In Phyfick , Convex Speftacles for aged per fins* and Concave Glares for fuch as are Purblind* and cannot fee unlefs the ob/eR be placed neer their eyes* contrary to the former* befldes Cupping-glafles* Urinals* and to draw Womens-breatfs, in preferving the eyes of En-gravers* and Jewellers* when they work fome fmall and accurate work* and alfo for delight, m Magnifying,to make artificial eyes > for Or¬nament, Diminifbing* Dilating* Lengthning, and Multiplying Ob'eRs, and variously chang¬ing their figure, and Situation, and by various placing of them to work aflomjhmcnt and fear in /in the Vulgar beholder, 4f you may fee in Schottus Opticks, Citopticks , Citop- trocaufttcks, Citoptrographicks , Diop- tricks,44^ Tclelcopicks, who hath there col. letted out of Kircher, Porta, and other Au¬thors whatfoever is rare and admirable.
In Aftronomle, what (Irange wonders and dijcoveries have thofe Teleicopes wrought, invented by Gilileo or Schciner {for they both contend about it ) and fince exceedingly promoted by Sir Paul Neal an honour to the Englifh Gentry, and the moft learned HLIge¬nius, the incomparable Hevclius, and by Eu- ftlchio Divini at Rome ? The ufe wtoereof hath made the Dottrine of the Heavens very clear, daily detecting new Stars and new Worlds, things wholly unknown to the ancients, befides their ufe by Sea and Land, for Sea-men, Souldiers^ and all other Perfons, to difeern, and disling.uifb things at diftance, Hereunto add that excellent Sphear of Glafs, whereof Claudian Writ that witty Epigram, which take Engltfhed by M. Randolph.
love faw the Heavens fram'd in a little glafs And laughing , to the Gods thefe words did pafs,
a Comes/Comes the power of Mortal cares fo far ?
In brittle Orbs, my labours aded arc, The ftatutes of the Poles,the Fates of things, The laws of Gods the Syracufian brings Hither by Art ; Spirits inclos’d attend Their feveral Sphears, and with fet moti¬
ons bend The living work; each year the feigned Sun, Each month returns the counterfeited Moon, And viewing now' her world,bold induftry, Grows proud, to know the Heavens her fubjed be, Believe Sabnonius, bath falfe thunders thrown, For a poor hand is natures Rival grown.
The reafon of this Fabrick , why made of glafs Card. in his Book of Subtilties gives at In Pbilofopby the Doctrine of Reflections, and RefraXions, to difeover the effects, and af¬fections of air and water, and other liqueurs, and their various motions, in Tubes and Syphons. Experiments of a vacuum with Mercury, as alfo infinite experiments of ra¬refaction and eondenfation , in Thcrmof- topts,rz? the HydraulickSjtftf^ Pneumaticks, in the Florentine and Roman experiments, and also the Magdeburgical, which gave oc¬casion to that rare invention of M. Boyle, whereby he hath demonstrated so many rare conclusions, and tryed so many singular experi¬ments, which have made him famous here to all natives, as also to all forein Embassa- dours and learned men abroad.
Neither may I omit Burning-glasses, nor those for the admission of species into a darkned room, whereby hath been taught the true nature of vision by Plempius and Scheiner, and also by other Glasses the demonstration of the gene¬ration of the Rain-bow by Des-Cartes.
Neither may I forget those Beads, Bracelets, Pendants, and other top, which have procured us good store of Gold from Guiney, adorning the Noses, Ears, Lips, Rists and Legs of that nation.
Glass also affords us Ornaments for our houses and Churches, wherein all natural and artificial things are set out, to the life, in most glorious and Oriental colours.
We shall conclude with that Triangular Glass call'd the fools Paradise, though fit for the wits of wiser men, which representeth so lively Red, Blew,and Green, that no colours can com¬pare with them. AQn d shall relate out of Ta-3 gaultius
230 Obfcrvarions[onthe gaul tius in what great account the wife ft nation accounted the Ctinefes had of them, Rice ius the Jefuitc fell jiefe at the City Tanian in China, cf a moft dangerous ft chiefs , But his friend Chimaifo performed fo good effices to him, that within a moneth ( which time he ftai'd there) he recovered his ftrength fo well that be feemd fbonger than he had lee» before.
Rictius recompenfed his friends civilities fimengft ether prefents with a Triangular C/aft, wherewith he was much delighted, and to add feme tfate to the Glafs , he put it in a Silver cafe, and fafined Cold chains to the buttons at the end of it, writing an elegant Encomium cn it, whereby he endeavoured to prove that this Gem was a fragment of that matter whereof the heavens are made. Thefe Ornaments caufed many to defire it , for not long after one is faid to have offered fie hundred Crowns for it. But he then refufed to fell it, though he much defired to do fo for i>is reafon onely, Iecaufe be wjss not ignorant that fuch a Glafs was a prefent for the King, find he feared the buyer would prevent Ric- cius by feeding it to him, and that the novel¬ty being jaffed '/would be lefs efieemed by that Bmpercur. But afterwards when he knew shat fuch a gift had been preferred to the King, Epiftle to the Reader. 251 And having fomewhat encreafed the price* he fold it * and with that fum paid many debts* and thereby obliged bis fociety.
Concerning the malleability of Glafs* where¬on the Chymijls build the pojjibility of making their Elixir, take their weak foundation from Pliny, lib. 36. cap. 26. They report, faith he* chat when Tiberius was Empcrour, there was invented fuch a temperament of Glafs that it became flexible, and that the whole fhop of the Artificer was dcmoli- fhed, left the prices fhould be abated of the metalls of Brafs, Silver and Gold, and this report was more common than cer¬tain. Now Pliny liv'd in the time of Vc- fpatian, who was the third Emperour from Tiberius, fo that it appears this report conti¬nued long. Many after him relate the fame* though with fome difference. Dion Calfl'JS, lib. 57. thus, At that time when a very great Portico at Rome inclin'd to one fide, a certain Architect ( whofe name is un-known , becaufe (Afar through envy for¬bid it to be regiflred ) ftrangely fee it up¬right, and lo firm'd the foundations on eve¬ry fide, that it became immoveable; Tibe¬rius having pai d him banifhed him the City, but he returning (as a applicant) co the Prince, wittingly let fall a cup made of Glafs, and when it was broken remade it with bis hands, hopng thereby to obtain pardon ; but for this very thing he was commanded tobe puttodeath. Ilidorus affirms that the Emperour in a chafe hurl d it upon the Pavement, which the Artifi took up being batter'd, and folded like a veftel of Brafs, he then took a Hammer out of his Bofom, and mended the Glafs, which being done the Emperour faid to the Artifi , doth any one chc know this way of making Glafs? when he had denyed it with an oath, Caefar commanded his head to le cut off, left this being known, Gold fhould be efleemed as dirt, and the prices of all metalls fhould be aba¬ted. And indeed if veftels of Glafs did not break they would le better than Gold or Sil¬ver. Thefe three grave Authours, pancirol- Jus and others follow, onely telling it as a hear-fay-, but Matheiuis, Goclcnius, Va¬lentis, Quatriami, Libavius, and all the tribe of the C bymiffs, after t it with great con¬fidence, ajfirmirg that it was done by the vertue $F the Elixir-, but for all this confidence of theirs, Pliny onely relates this fiory with a ft runt,fM report, and with a fa ma, the report fTM, anti thirdly, crebrior quam ctrtior, more common than certain. Which thrice re-petition of such like words, sufficiently argue bis small belief of the story. It had been e¬
nough to have introduced this improbable re¬lation the usual way with a ferunt, and bereby sufficiently have provided for his reputatio but he superadds de proprio, fama crebrior, &c. which at most proves onely that some small credit was by Come few given to it, but
ex vi verborum a disbelief in the wiser sort. For what can such words as these (they say such a thing, but the report is most un¬certain) import,but a diffidence in the relator?
And 'twas but a fama, no Naturalist, Poet, nor Historian deliver it, no record of the per-son,nor unusual punishment, which is strange, when their Books abound with observations of whatsoever rarely happened. And is it pro¬
bable that the Emperour himself should not lay up this Glass as a secret in his choicest Ar¬chives, and have transmitted it down to his successors, as a thing worth the keeping, being the first of that nature ever made in the world, and perhaps the last, the Artist being
put to death? And yet within a sew years all this most rare invention, and strange punish¬ment vanish into a report onely. All then was but vox populi and Romani too, nay, of th cruelty of a Nero too, all which might eafily keep up this Fable. Bat why did Pliny then relate it • Surely, to pleafe and follow hie genius, which was to commit to writing what' foever was rare in Art and Nature, as hif ne¬phew in his Epiftles , and this prefent work witnefs. Now on this account he might take occafion,in a thing perhaps he judged not impof- fible, to commend that prefent age ( fhould af¬ter times produce any fuch effeX,) and fo a- (cribe the invention thereof to his own nation. Befides 'twas but fuch a temperament of Glafs that rendred it flexible. And is it cre¬dible that after ages foould not light orit, efpecially in a thing fib commonly praXifed, and whereto fo few, but two matterials onely are re-quired ? Or what means , fame, by the under-valuing of Gold and Silver 2 I confefs I fee no inconvenience to the Emperour , nor his Gold and Silvers value, by this invention, but many ways advantage, nor any force of confe- quence in Cx’fars words. But fo much of Pli lyes testimony. And what foal I the bor¬rowers from him gain more reputation than the firft relator gave it 2 S trely no, efpecially fince they have made fuch a commentary on P.'inv; text the words will not bear, and have with additional! moulded it into a formal re¬
lation. lation. Pliny faith,m fltxibile efltt, that it might Ie flexible. Dion comments, tl e man remade a broken Glafs, One degree to mal¬leability, lut Ifldotus cimpletes it faying, with a Hammer he mended it. Hereby you may fee the degrees Low this opinion came into the world, and by what frange pieemgs varia¬tions and interpret aliens, it hath lecn foment¬ed to make that feem credible to after ages^ which Pliny relates a vulgar tradition, ad¬ding thereto a cenfure of uncertainty. Which the C by mi ft s to keep up the opinion of their Omnipotent Philofcphersftene, emir, and turn Plinys flexibility Ho malleability. As if there were no difference betwixt flexible and malleable, whereas all bodies are in ftme de¬gree, or other flexible, though none but me¬talls malleable. A green flick, Mufeovie • Glafs, and infinite other things will biw very mueh, whereon the Hammer , notwithftanding, ! hath no eft eft as to dilatation, and formation into thin plates, fuch as things call'd properly malleable have. And that Glafs is infime de- s) gree flexible of it’s felf ’tis apparent, for fine ' Cryftall G laßes made ve. y thin, and well an¬neal ed, will bear fime fmall, yet viftble lend- I ing. And J lave lad Tubes made twelve foot leng and longer for lie Mercurial tx- I périment, Observations on the periment, which being filled therewith would bend exceedingly. So that I am prone to think that if there were any thing at all in this nar¬rative of Pliny it might be this, That where. as their Glass before this time was most brittle, as being made of Salt-peter, and the art of annealing it (not mentioned by Pliny) unknow and consequently must break with the smallest
force; Now this Artist might invent and shew such Glass as might accidentally bear a fals,o greater force, than what was formerly made, by making it of Kali, and superadding the wa of annealing it. Which might give occasion to fame, whereof Virgil, parva metu primo mox sese attollit in auras, to add some cir¬cumstances (which is most common with the vulvar) and so to form this story related by Pliny.
Now as to the possibility of making Glass malleable, I find not one argument, besides this report, unless by the Chymists who prove it per Circulum, reasoning from their Elixir to Glass, and from Glass to the Elixir. And surely 'twere more feasible to make the one than the other. For in the making of the E¬lixir the production is tale ens ex non tali ente, there being no resistence, and incapacity in the matter ex qua. But in Glass quite other- otherwise, for 'tis of it's own nature the most brittle thing in the world, and to make it malleable a quality quite contrary to it's na¬ture must be introduced. Besides diaphaneity is a property not communicated to any thing malleable, and who would call that Glass, that were not transparent? As well may one name that Gold which is not ponderous nor
malleable, as that Glass which is malleable and not transparent. Add hereunto, that the nature of malleability consists in a close and throughout adhæsion of parts to parts, and a capacity to the change of figure in the minu¬test parts. Both which are inconsistent with the nature of Glass. For the matterials of Glass, Sand, and Salts, have such figures as seem incapable of such adhæsion in every part one to another. For all salts have their determinate figure which they keep too, in their greatest solutions and actions of the fire upon
them, unless a total destruction be wrought upon them, as many instances might evince, and that figure is various according to the Salts, Salt¬peter, and all Alcalizate-salts are pointed, and by their pungency, and caustickness seem to be made up of infinite sharp pointed needles. And at for Sand the figure thereof is various, nay, infinite, as it appears in Microscopes.
Now how can any man imagine that fuch va¬riety of figures in Sand can fo comply with the determinate figures of Salt as to touch one an¬other in minimis, which is necejary to make it milleible? whereas to make it Glafs 'tis enough that thofe two touch one another at certain points onely, whereby fuch an union is formed, which is necefiary to denominate Glafs, but wholly incompatible with m llleibility. And this union is that w’ricb makes tn Glafs Pores, from whence comes it's diaphaneity as you have heard from Lucrct. Befides fome thing faid before, declares that they both remain the fame in the compound they were before. I (ball conclude this argument* and fay, that I conceive that nothing but the E- Jixir wll perform this effeft, and that both of them will come into the world together.