To make Iron have the colour of Brasse.
First, polish it well, rub it after with aqua fortis, wherein the filings of brasse are dissolved: the like may bee done with Roman vitrioll dissolved in vineger and faire water, of each a like quantity.
To make wood or bone red for ever.
Take the powder of Brazill, mingle it well with milke, but so, that it be very red, and put therein, either wood or bone, letting it lye in eight dayes, and it will looke red for ever.
How with one Candle to make as great a light, as otherwise of two or three of the same bignesse.
Cause a round and double glasse to be made, of a large size, and in fashion like a globe, but with a great round hole in the top, and in the concave part of the uppermost glasse, place a candle in a loose socket, and at the same hole or pipe which must be made at the side thereof, fill the same with spirit of wine, or some other cleere distilled water that will not putrifie, and this one candle will give a great and wonderfull light, somewhat resembling the sunne beames.
A Cement for broken Glasses.
Beate the whitest Fish glew with a hammer, till it begin to waxe cleere, then cut the same into very small pieces, suffering the same to dissolve on a gentle fire, in a leaded pan, with a few drops of aqua vitæ, then let some other that standeth by, hold both the pieces that are to bee cemented, over a chafingdish of coles, till they be warme: and during their heat, lay on the dissolved glew with a fine pensill; then binde the glasse with wyre or threed, and let it rest till it be cold.
An admirable secret of representing the very forme of Plants, by their ashes, philosophically prepared, spoken of by Quertitanus and Angelus salæ.
Take saith hee, the salt both the fixed and the volatill also. Take the very spirit, and the phlegme of any herbs, but let them all be rightly prepared; dissolve them, and coagulate them, upon which if you put the water stilled from May dew, or else the proper water of the herbe you would have appear, close them all very well in a glasse for the purpose, and by the heat of embers, or the naturall heat of ones body, at the bottome of the glasse, the very forme and Idæa thereof will be represented: which will suddenly vanish away, the heat being withdrawne from the bottome of the glasse. As I will not argue the impossibility of this experiment, so I would be loth to employ mine endeavours, untill I were expert therein.