CHAP. II.
Treateth of Corn: Shewing what means it is to be Concentred, and Condensated by, so as to be Exported in great Quantities into other Countries, whereby both Gain and Moneys may be thereof made.
I have instructed you in the foregoing Chapter, after what manner such Wines as are of a mean price, may by the help of Concentration be conveniently transported out of one Country into others more remote, where no Wines grow, and produce good profit. The which Artifice may be of most great benefit to the Inhabitants of such Countries as abound in Wine, and want sometimes Chapmen or Merchants for the same.
’Tis very well known to every one, that in most places of Germany (but especially in Franconia, and in the other Countries adjoining) Corn is so exceedingly plenty, and of so vile a price, that the inhabitants know not what to do therewith; and for that reason it lies and rots in their Barns and Granaries, the exceeding abundance thereof either hindring the sale of the same, or the great costs and charges of Carriage hinder the Transportation of it into the lower Countries of Germany, where ’tis dear enough.
Hence comes it to pass, that the miserable Inhabitants have indeed Wine and Corn enough, but want Moneys to pay the Tributes due to the Magistrate; so that tho’ they have such plenty of the Divine Gifts, and so much Riches, yet for all that they are in great penury and want, in that they cannot sell off so much as to pay their Family’s expence, viz. Men-servants and Maid-servants wages, or so much as to sustain them. Verily, this is a punishment from the hand of God, and a singular one too, by which he corrects us ungrateful men. In time of the Wars, when a huge Scarcity pinched the Inhabitants of Germany, then the common outcry went up to Heaven, and promised largely an amendment of life; but when the War was over, and all quiet, and a most wisht-for Peace returning, then all men generally became worser, and more wicked, tho’ the goodness and bounty of God had bestowed on them such a great plenty of things so exceeding necessary: And now such great Fulness being enjoyed, they now gape after Money too, and murmur against God, as the Israelites did, who loathing, as ’twere, the plentiful abundance of things necessary, murmured at Moses.
The reason why Corn is so exceeding plenty, is this:
After the making of Peace, and sending away the Souldiers, many Commanders being weary of warfare, and abounding with Money and Horses, bought (or rather squeez’d out) of the poor Inhabitants, every where destitute of Money, most notable Farms, for a very mean price, and did set themselves with the utmost of their Industry to till the Earth, which had lain fallow a long time; which Lands became so fruitful that it even amazed all men. The poor Inhabitants too, who now had gotten a little Money, they also set their hands to the Plough, and used even the utmost of their endeavours in the tillage of the Earth: From hence it came to pass, that they were so furnished with such a vast deal of Corn in a few years space, that they knew not at all what to do therewith. As for carrying it into far distant Countries, the troublesomeness and charges of the Carriage were too great an hindrance: To lay it up in the Granaries, that the Air will not suffer them to do, tho’ in the time of Joseph such a thing was done in Egypt, where the Air being Nitrous, dry, and not so easily subject to corrupting, as ours is, preserved the Corn from Corruption.
What I have here written, hath proceeded forth from a good mind and sincere intention, and I hope ’twill do more good than hurt. I know that the eyes of many will be opened to see what a Babylonish Confusion the present World is in; I pray God to be an helper to the Good, and to be a reducer of the Wicked from the course of their Impiety, into the Right way.
The Process of Concentrating Corn is this:
In the first place, you are to make a Malt of your Barly, Wheat, Oats, Spelt, or any other kind of Grain or Corn, the which dry either in the Sun or in the Air, or else in an Oven heated a little, and not to be scorched and parched as it were after the Brewers custom; for so the sharp fume of the wood would stick thereunto, and make it black and bitter, and it may easily be conjectured, that there would be no good come of it, for by this means the smoak of the wood would stick on to the Corn and the Sprouts it has thrust forth, and are moistened, and so would make the Ale that is boil’d thereoutof unwholsome, and of an ungrateful bitter flavour: But now such Malt as is dried in the Air, Sun, or in a warm Stove or Oven, has no such ungrateful taste as comes from the smoak of the wood, but remains sweet and pleasant.
NB. Else you may do thus; The Corn, after it hath sprouted and hath been thrown abroad on some Floor, open to the air, and thereby been a little freed of some of its moisture, may be dried purely and quickly too in the Brewers great Coppers, in which they are wont to boil their Ale or Beer, provided it be continually stirred about with some wooden stick without ceasing, that it may be all over hot, and so become dry. But yet you must have a care that your fire be not too strong under your Copper wherein you dry your Malt, and so burn the Corn, and make it taste untowardly; this done, the dried Malt is to be ground as other Malt which is used to make Ale withal is wont to be, but yet so, that it be not too finely ground nor too grosly; for if it be too gross, and the Grains be unbroken, the water cannot sufficiently get out the Virtues and Juice in the boiling, but that the best part will remain in the boiled Grains, and so be thrown away on the Beasts in their nutriment; but if it be ground too small, it will run into heaps, and hinder the straining out of the Ale; therefore a mean is to be observed, and care taken that no errour be committed, by either excess or defect. The Malt being on this wise prepared, every one may boil his Ale according to his custom, and so much thereof as his Vessels, Coppers, and Coolers will admit of: Some do pour boiling water on their Malt, and mix them both by stirring them well together, and then let them settle for some time that the water may take into it self the strength of the same; then they draw out that water by a Tap, and pour on more, and repeat the Infusions so often, until the water can get out no more sweetness, and there remain nothing but the insipid Husks, the which are nourishment for Cattel.
NB. Othersome that have no Vessels to extract the Virtue out of the Malt in, by boiling water, do put the prepared Malt in wooden Vessels or Tubs, and pour thereon warm water or cold, and stir it very well about, and leave it so for some hours, that the Malt may be macerated; then do they put it in a Copper, and pour thereunto so much water as may keep the Malt from burning to in the boiling; and having boiled it for half an hour, they pour it out upon a bed of straw, fitted for that purpose, and placed over a Cooler, and so strain the Ale: This Labour of pouring on, boiling, and straining, is so oft repeated, till the water sucks no more sweetness out of the malt. This manner of boiling Ale is used by those only who want store of Vessels, and pretty large ones: The former way is not only better and more commodious, but likewise more fit for the boiling of a greater quantity of Ale.
NB. This is to be observed in this place, when the best and first Juice or Extraction is drawn out of the Vessel by a Tap, and fresh boiling water poured a second time on the malt in the Copper, and again drawn off by the Tap, those two waters in which the chiefest Virtue of the malt is, may be boiled and thickened by little and little in a plain or flat Copper. The third and fourth pouring on are indeed as yet good, but yet not fat enough, and seeing they are not very strong, are not worth the boiling away, for they won’t quit the costs of the Fire, and therefore are to be applied to some other uses. Now when a man is about this work, he may so order his boilings, as to have several of them one after another; and then those pourings on, viz. the second and third, remaining of the first course of boiling may be poured on the second course of boiling, in the stead of bare water: And so is it to be handled, that alwaies the first and second pouring on (and which contain in them the chiefest Virtues of the malt) may be boiled to the consistency of Honey in a Copper made for that purpose, of Evaporation; and the third and fourth pouring on may be alwaies kept for the next following course of boiling, and be poured on the malt in the room of bare water, and so are to be condensed by evaporation in a Copper, as the first and second pouring on were done withal in the first course of the boiling; and so always the 3d. and 4th. pouring on of the former course of boiling, is to be the first and second in the next following course of boiling; and this way of proceeding draws out of the malt its best and chiefest Virtues, and lessens the charge of the boiling: For the Costs would be far greater, if the third and fourth pouring on were to be boiled off per se.
NB. The Coppers and Pans necessary for the thus reducing these extracted Juices to the consistency of Honey, are already described, where mention is made of the Concentration of Wines. He that can’t well enough understand me, may take the pains to come and see my Furnaces, Coppers, and other Instruments appertaining to this work; as likewise the manual Operation, for I cannot help him any other way. And as for a larger description of these things, my time will not permit me at this instant to make it. The Juices being condensate, are to be drawn out of the Copper by a Tap fastened therein, or laved out, and being cool, put them up in Barrels, and shut them up tight, that the external air may not get thereinto; for thus may you keep them uncorrupt, even as long as you please.
NB. In your boiling them you must be very diligent that the Juices be not burnt to, by the overmuchness of your Fire, or that by being heat too hot, they boil not over; all which may be prevented by Registers (as the Chymists call them) destinated for the regulating of the Fire. This is a most compendious way of extracting the Virtues out of Corn, and of reducing them into a narrow room, the which if you order according to Art, that nothing of your Juices be spilt or lost, 8 Barrels of Malt will yield you one full of Juice, and which contains all the Virtues that were in those eight Barrels; the residue serves to fatten Beasts withal.
NB. He who knows how to convert those remains to his use, in another kind of way will do better, and extract thereoutof so much as he is constrained to lay out in buying his Corn, insomuch that he can have his Juices as it were even gratis. But of these things more hereafter.
As touching these Juices, they comprehend in them the whole Virtue of the Corn, out of which you may when you please boil Ale, make Adust or Brandy-wine or bake spiced Cakes; for if it be used to them instead of Honey, it makes them much the sweeter. These Juices therefore are to be prepared in those places in which Corn is sold at a very mean rate, and which cannot be exported to foreign parts, and is there in such great plenty, as that the Country-men know not what to do therewith, but there it lies in great Stacks and rots. Farther, they are yet prepared with greater benefit and more gain where the plenty and cheapness of wood is, the which yields no small encrease and addition to the Gains.
But that the nature and condition of this Labour may be the better understood, the following Computation will shew. Suppose I take 8 Barrels full of Corn and bring them into Malt, then boil it into Ale after the aforesaid way, and condense it into a Juice, wherewithal I fill one Barrel: This one Barrel now is far more commodious to be carried into foreign places either by Waggon or by Ship, than those 8 barrels, and will bring me double or treble the profit that 8 Medimni (a Measure containing some six bushels, or the eight barrels) of Corn. Why? because the greatest labour is already over, and there remains but very little to boil the Ale out of the Juice, as the following Example will demonstrate.
I buy me eight barrels in that place where Corn and Wood are to be had at a mean rate, and there passeth some River or other by the place, as the Mhene in Franconia, Nicer in Suevia, Visurgis in Hassia, and the Dukedome of Brunswick, Albis in Saxony and Misnia; for in all these places there is abundance of Corn, and store of Wood, and the price of each, mean enough in conscience. If now one Medimnus (or six bushels) of Corn be esteemed at the price of one Imperial, eight Medimni will yield eight Imperials; the Wood will cost one Imperial, the Labour one Florin: The juice out of the 8 barrels of Corn may be put in a Fir-Cask, as they use to do with Honey, that so in paying the carriage, it may not be accompted for Wine or Ale, but some dry Goods, and so valued by the hundred, as other dry Wares are priced; so then the Barrel will cost the Carriage by Water to some of the Maritine or Sea-coast Cities, two Florins. Now if we sum up all these Expences upon the Corn, Carriage, Fire, and Labour, they come to 12 Florins or 8 Imperials. But now, out of that one Barrel of Juice there may be made eight Barrels of the best Ale, and if you will have it somewhat smaller, then ’twill make 10 or 12, according as you boil your Ale to a stronger or weaker degree. However, this is certain, that one Barrel of Corn will yield more than a Barrel of good Ale; so that out of one Barrel of Corn may be made one and an half of strong Ale. Now then, if one of those Barrels of Ale yield three Imperials, the eight Barrels, which cost the buying, and reducing into one Barrel, and the transporting it, eight Imperials, may there be sold for 24 Imperials; from which the eight being subtracted, the remainder of the Gains is 16 Imperials, which verily is enough upon those 8 Barrels.
But put case the Corn were dearer, and the Carriage of the Juices to those places did cost more, and that those 8 Barrels of Corn, or one Barrel of Juice, did yield (besides all the costs) only 8 Imperials profit, yet would this be profit enough, and may well content a Man. I forbear to mention the other benefits and profits arising over and above besides this Gains; for by this kind of way is saved and made vendible that Corn which would else be spoiled: Besides in a plentiful time the mean-prized Corn may be bought up, concentrated and kept till a scarcity come. Nor is there any cause of fear that it will be devoured by the Mice and Rats, or be spoiled with lying, or wax mouldy, or be any other way corrupted.
Nay more, it occupies less room than the Corn would; for where one Barrel of Juice lies, there should have lain eight Barrels of Corn.
Besides, the Magistrates and Subjects may by this means reap much profit and help. The Magistrate may be satisfied by taking Corn of the Inhabitants instead of tribute. The Subjects may by the benefit of this Medium satisfie the Magistrate, and there will not need the selling his Cattle, or Sheep in the Fold, or to borrow Money upon use, and to give his Wife and Children for pledges. For there is requisite no other labour than that the Magistrate appoint a place to boil his Ale, in which the Corn may be malted, boiled and thickned into Juices. As for Wood, that he has himself and needs not lay out a farthing upon that. So now, by this means may a Country be brought to that degree of happiness as never to want Money, Corn, or any other necessary things. For where the Juices can be but brought to the Sea-towns many thousand Barrels full may be sold to those Magistrates and Merchants which send their Ships into the East and West-Indies; in which Countries may be made good Ale at any time of the Year, even in the midst of Summer, or in the Dog-daies themselves, if you have but Hops and Water at hand; the which is far better and more profitable.
For in the room of this one Barrel of Juice, there must have been stowed 8 Barrels, and yet that sometimes turns sour too, and is spoiled, the which never betides these Juices. Now such Ale prepared of the Juices by means of Hops and Water are much wholsomer than the common Ales are, because that the Fire hath consumed all the Crudities; in the boiling of the Juices or hath corrected them, and this every one will readily believe or assent unto.
Nay more, these Juices may (and that with very great profit too) be sent into those places wherein (by reason of the abundance of People there) Corn and Ale is much esteemed, as in Holland, and the bordering Countries. If the Ale-brewers could but once get such Juices, without doubt they would not be at the costs to brew it out of the Corn, for they would not need so much time to brew in, nor such Coppers, nor so many Mens help, all which they must necessarily have in the common way of brewing. In these Juices, there is much sparing of Fuel, (the which makes the common way of brewing Ale, more costly,) and of Men’s labour which doth likewise prove chargable. Nor are we silently to pass over that great benefit which they have hereby, for that good Ale and such as will not sour may be made without any danger even in the midst of the Dog-days. Every one knows what it is to brew Ale (then,) and that the brewing is at other times sufficiently troublesome, viz. so to order it as to prevent the danger of souring. But now this brewing (that I mention) is void of all this kind of fear of souring; whereas the usual kind of brewings do for the most part (in the Summer season) become sour either in the straining it through the Grains, or by standing in the Coolers: but these labours are in our brewing already dispatched, and that in those places where the charges of Labourers, Wood, and Room fit for boiling it in, are not so great.
This work therefore is of mighty profit both to the buyer and seller: For the seller can afford his Corn at a reasonable rate. And the buyer need not be at any other charges in brewing good and wholsome Ale at any time of the Year save only the hire of one man that may prepare or sit the Juices, and Hops, and Water for the boiling, and set it a-working or fermenting and pour it into the Vessels. Whereas on the contrary in the common brewing of Ale there needs many mens help, huge Coppers, and wooden Flats and a great deal of room to brew in, and store of Fire which is sufficiently dear in some Countries; all which are avoided in the brewing with the Juices. Do but consider I pray what a notable and profitable thing this would be in great Cities, and especially in those places where Houses, Fuel, and Mens labour are very dear, if such kinds of Juices were set to sale; that so every Master of a Family might buy up some Barrels of this Juice, and dissolve them at his own home with Water and Hops, in a small Copper according to his pleasure, and make the said Juices into Ale, as fat or as lean or small; and as bitter or as sweet as he listeth; and then put it up in his own purified and well cleansed Vessels, and he and his, drink thereof all the whole year; and if need be, might make either Physick-drink or Spiced-ale. And would it not be much better than the buying such Ales of the Brewers, which are sometimes either too new or too stale, and oft-times acid, impure, not well boiled, and stinking, and instead of Hops have Aloes, Xanthium or Burr, Henbane and such like Herbs put in them. For in some places, the Brewers use such kinds of Herbs and the like hurtful things, instead of Hops, to make their Ale bitter, and to save a few charges in the making their drink. Therefore all such as use to drink of such kind of Beer are never wont to be in compleat health; and especially in watery and moist places they are for the most part afflicted with the Scurvy, Melancholly, &c. which is the usual fruits of such kind of Drinks, for they obstruct the internal parts of the body and the principal members, and stir up such Diseases. But our Ales that are made of the Juices and good Hops do not only not stir up such Distempers, but do even (by their purity and clearness) resist them, and preserve men from them; but especially if such Juices be made of such Malt as has not a smatch of the smoke of Wood, but is dried in the Air, and which are so handled in the fermentation or working of them as that all the defilements settle to the bottom; for then will you have such Ale, as doth both in wholesomness and sweetness exceed such Wines as are infected with, or have a tang of, Sulphur, or that grow in a soil abounding with Chalk. They dull not the head, they do not cause windiness, they puff not up the body after the manner of other Ale; they do not stop the Urine but provoke it, and keep the Belly soluble: They are Medicinal without the addition of Physical Herbs, are sweet and wholsome, and of an excellent tast, and such as the like of them cannot be made without this medium or way.
Such Ales deserve a peculiar praise, and many would there be who would drink of Ales often, could they but get such: and would leave off the drinking troubled, unwholsome, and sulphured Wines. For my own part I will make use of such kind of Ale, and Wine, in my own house for the sustaining of mine own Family.
I could mention much more concerning such Ales if the time would permit me, but I have spoken enough already. And as for what remains unwritten here, may be gotten out of, (or understood by) the things here described. I question not but that good (or provident) Masters of Families will set about this business of preparing these Juices, and of sending them into such places where they may be sold to Ships that are bound for far Countries, and so mightily enrich those Countries with store of Money that abound with Corn.
Besides, the Brewers of Ale or Beer that are in great Cities will not disdain such an excellent Art, but will themselves buy such Juices at a considerable rate.
Princes, Nobles, and great Cities, will also provide (or buy up) great quantities of such Juices, and lay them up in their Forts and Castles, and in their Store houses as a good Treasure, that so they may have it to use in time of necessity. Nor will good (or provident) Housholders neglect to furnish themselves therewith, that so they may have wherewithal to sustain them and theirs in a time of scarcity.
In the time of Wars, eminent Captains and other Military chieftains will take care to have them, and carry them into their strong holds, and there loosen them (or put a proportionable quantity of Water to them) and turn them into good Ale; as for Water, there’s to be found (enough) of that every where, and so need not store up that, and as for Hops that is easie enough to be bought.
So then, there will be a notable benefit by this Artifice to strong Holds and Castles, and such fenced Places as fear a Siege. Briefly, Words cannot express the benefit and profit which will redound to all places, by these Juices, in times both of Peace and War.
Therefore every Magistrate who has a care of his Subjects health and preservation, will worthily and with his utmost diligence carefully provide for the having such prepared Juices, that so in times of necessity they may be at hand for use.
But now, some may object and say; I perceive and well see that this Artifice is good and profitable, but ’tis not so easie a matter for every one to purchase himself Coppers requisite for this work? To such I answer. ’Tis not so needful that every one should furnish himself with such (utensils); if there be in every City but one man only that is imployed thereabouts, who may buy off his Neighbours Corn and pay them their Money for the same, ’tis sufficient. And if others also betake themselves thereunto, there will be the more Money gotten, and the Country made the richer; neither is any reason to fear or doubt, but that, if he shall bring eight thousand Barrels of Corn condensed into a thousand Barrels of Juice unto the Cities on the Sea coast, he will sell it off for ready money. Will a thousand Barrels (think you) be sufficient (or be a drug) in some populous City wherein are daily drunk some thousands of barrels of Ale? Verily he that shall expose to sale in such a like City many thousand Barrels, would not stay long there, but would be loaden (or furnished) with ready Money for the same, by those who knew the Art of making Ale with such Juices.
I do verily believe that it would be altogether much better to sell Corn after such a manner, and so to have profit by it, than let it perish with lying; which is a great sin before God, and a shameful disgraceful thing before Men.
But further, It may be objected and said. If this Artifice of making Ale were set up in those places, in which there is wont to be a certain Tribute paid the Magistrates for every Barrel (of Ale,) it would not be allowed of, because by this means the Tribute or Customs due to the Magistrates would be diminished. This inconvenience is easily prevented, if the Magistrate impose the same Tribute of Ale on the Juices. For by this means the Tributes or Customs would not be at all diminished, but be equally as profitable upon the Juices, as upon Ale. The like may be done with the condensate Juices of Wine.
So then ’tis clearly evident, that there cannot possibly arise any detriment from these Juices, but rather infinite profits and commodity. And therefore every Magistrate should seriously cause his Subjects to make these kind of Juices of such Corn as they cannot sell, and instead of spoiling it get riches by it. Certainly this would be far better, and far more profitable for such Subjects as are very poor and go miserably tattered and naked, and have nothing to help themselves (of which sort there are not a few.) Verily there would be no want of any thing, but the Subjects as well as their Rulers would have enough: And for this reason have I willingly undergone this trouble and this labour in manifesting and laying open this Artifice.
And although I am not to expect any reward from any body for manifesting a thing of so much concernment (for this is an unthankful World) yet have I obeyed the will of God and have out of a Christian love benefited my Neighbour, and in this well-doing do I rest, no ways doubting but that God the rewarder of every good (action) will recompense in another place, this my well-doing which I bestow upon the World.
Farther, I can in a kind of a Prophetical manner predict, that if regard be had of this my wholsome Doctrine and Admonition, many Countries will in a very short time recover their former happiness, and both the highest and lowest will live in a prosperous condition; but especially those who first set upon this business afore it becomes common, will get great riches. Now then, whosoever they be that by the help and benefit of this way shall get the blessing of God, let them not forget the poor, but bestow that blessing on the cherrishing and comforting poor Orphans and Widows, to the Honour of God. For the Treasures and Riches in this temporal Life cannot be better laid out, and laid up, than in distributing them amongst the poor. For by that means there’s no fear of being spoiled of them by Thieves and Robbers; And more, in the Life to come, they shall be recompensed with a ten-fold reward.