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.
CHAP. III.
Of the Concentration of Vegetables.
We have already taught in the two foregoing Chapters by what means Wine and Corn are to be by an Artificial condensation reduced into a narrow compass, and brought to be a gainful Merchandice. It now remains to shew the way conducing to a condensation of the Virtues lying hid in Herbs, Bushes, Shrubs, and Trees: (which Vegetables do most plentifully abound in most places and yield no profit) that so even out of them as well as from Wine and Corn may be reaped a very great profit. No body is ignorant of this, viz. That there is nothing more vile and of less esteem than the Grass (or Herbs) of the Field, and Briars or Bushes, and Shrubs, and lofty Trees too, especially when being at a good distance from Men’s dwellings they cannot be applied to any use, and upon this account are they not valued at all, nor by reason of their distance profitable to any, but there they grow and perish in those vast woods and desart places. And this is to be seen in those most huge Woods of Germany, such as are the Ingriones, the Wood Ardenne, the Ottonicane, Hercinian, Semane, and Bohemian Woods, and the woods of other Countries, in which woods there rots and is spoiled above ten times more wood than men make use of.