Necessity doth sometimes enforce old Men to undertake a Journey in the Winter, which, if no urgent hast forceth, may be so ordered that at Noon and Night quiet rest may be always taken in such a place in which is plenty of Meat and Drink.
But if so be that an urgency of occasion requires a going on forward, whether one ride on Horseback, or in a Coach or Waggon, and that either the Snow render the way difficult, or some Wheel of the Waggon be by chance broken, and so the journying Person hindred from coming to the place aimed at in the appointed time, he is sometimes by this means constrained to turn aside to a poor Peasants lodging, or if his fortune be a little more favourable, he is necessitated to Inn in some poor Village, where he can neither meet with Wine or good Ale; he now that thus journieth may out of the poor Wine or Ale make himself better Wine or Ale, and the better provide for his health if he hath about him, such a magnet in some small Glass that attracteth Ice to it.
XLV. What profit those that sail in the Sea may have by this secret.
It may so happen that a Man taking Ship with hopes of arriving in a short space of time to the end of his Voyage, though he has some little of good Wine or Ale, may be enforced if the Wind prove contrary to stay longer upon the Sea; his good Wine therefore and his Ale being spent, he may make that small Beer in the Ship which the common Marriners drink of, better, and preserve his own health.
XLVI. How by the help of this secret the unprofitable Phlegm of Brandy made of Corn may be taken away, that so it may become equal to the spirit that is made of the lees of Wine.
To the effecting of this business there is required a greater Magnet, which may remove that Phlegm then needed to the Wine or Ale, because Brandy is of an hotter nature than Wine or Ale, which do more willingly let go their wateriness than adust Wine is wont to do.
XLVII. By what means the superfluous waterishness is to be taken away from the weaker or waterisher Vinegar, that so it may be made stronger.
The waterishness of the weaker or more aqueous sort of Vinegar doth suffer it self to be more easily extracted by the help of that Ice-attracting Magnet, and the rather because it, viz. the Vinegar puts on an Icy form much sooner than any other Drinks.
XLVIII. It may be quæried whether or no this bettering of Wine, Ale, Vinegar, Brandy, and other Drinks, and rendring them stronger and sweeter, may be done in great plenty, or whether it is to be accounted of as a curiosity onely?
For answer, verily it is a most excellent secret most aptly satisfying the curious inquiry of mortal Men, which the World as yet never knew, and yet it can effect such unheard of things, which it is not necessary that they should be divulged.