162 NATURAL HISTORY. 



not made under a fit figure of heaven. Fourthly, it 

 may be applied to the weapon, though the party hurt 

 be at great distance. Fifthly, it seemeth the imagina 

 tion of the party to be cured is not needful to concur ; 

 for it may be done without the knowledge of the party 

 wounded : and thus much hath been tried, that the 

 ointment (for experiment s sake) hath been wiped off 

 the weapon, without the knowledge of the party hurt, 

 and presently the party hurt hath been in great rage 

 of pain, till the weapon was re-anointed. Sixthly, it 

 is affirmed that if you cannot get the weapon, yet if 

 you put an instrument of iron or Avood, resembling 

 the weapon, into the wound, whereby it bleedeth, the 

 anointing of that instrument will serve and work the 

 effect. This I doubt should be a device to keep this 

 strange form of cure in request and use ; because many 

 times you cannot come by the weapon itself. Seventh 

 ly, the wound must be at first washed clean with white 

 wine, or the party s own water; and then bound up 

 close in fine linen, and no more dressing renewed till it 

 be whole. Eighthly, the sword itself must be wrapped 

 up close, as far as the ointment goeth, that it taketh 

 no wind. Ninthly, the ointment, if you wipe it off 

 from the sword and keep it, will serve again ; and 

 rather increase in virtue than diminish. Tenthly, it 

 will cure in far shorter time than ointments of wounds 

 commonly do. Lastly, it will cure a beast, as well as 

 a man ; which I like best of all the rest, because it sub- 

 jecteth the matter to an easy trial. 



Experiment solitary touching secret proprieties. 



999. I would have men know, that though I repre 

 hend the easy passing over of the causes of things, by 



