The Mysteryes of Nature and Art / Conteined in foure severall Tretises, The first of water workes, The second of Fyer workes, The third of Drawing, Colouring, Painting, and Engraving, The fourth of divers Experiments, as wel serviceable as delightful: partly Collected, and partly of the Authors Peculiar Practice, and Invention

by John Bate

To soder on iron.

Set your joynt of iron as close as you can, then lay them so in a glowing fire; then take of Venice glasse in fine powder, and the iron being red-hot, cast the powder thereon, and it shall soder of it selfe. If you clap it in clay, it will be the surer way.

To gild on iron or steele.

Take one ounce of argall, three drammes of vermileon, and two drams of bol armeniack, with as much aqua vitæ, then work and grinde them all together on a stone, with linseed oyle; having so done, put thereto lapis calaminaris as big as a hazell nut, and grinde therewith in the end three or foure drops of varnish; take it off the stone, and strain it through a linnen cloth into a stone pot, (for it must bee as thick as hony) then strike over your iron therewith, and let it dry, and then lay your gold or silver on, as you would do upon the varnish.

A varnish like gold, for tin, silver, or copper.

Take small pots well leaded, then put therein six ounces of linseed oyle, one ounce of mastick, one ounce of aloes epaticum; make them altogether in fine powder, and then put it into your sayd pot, and cover it with such another; yet in the bottom of the uppermost pot make a small hole, wherein put a small stick with a broad end beneath to stir the other pot withall, and when the pots are set just together, close them all about with good clay, and couer them all over also, leaving the hole open above to stir the other pot with the stick; set it over the fire, and stir it as often as it seetheth, and when you will gild, pollish your metall over first, and then strike this over the metall, and let it dry in the Sunne.

To lay Gold on Iron, or other mettall.

Take liquid Varnish l.1. Turpentine, & oyle of Lynseed, of each an ounce: mixe them all together: with this ground you may gild on any mettall, first striking it upon the mettall, and afterward lay on the gold or silver. When it is dry, polish it.

To make Ice that will melt in fire, but not dissolve in Water.

Take strong water made with saltpeter, allum, and oyle of tartar, of each, one pound. Infuse them together, then put into them a little aqua ardens, and it will presently coagulate them, and turne them into ice.