154? NATURAL HISTORY. 



beer, and stirred with it : for it may be that the 

 grosser part of the beer will cleave to the milk : the 

 doubt is, whether the milk will sever well again ; 

 which is soon tried. And it is usual in clarifying 

 hippocras to put in milk ; which after severeth and 

 cariieth with it the grosser parts of the hippocras, 

 as hath been said elsewhere. Also for the better 

 clarification by percolation, when they tun new 

 beer, they use to let it pass through a strainer, 

 and it is like the finer the strainer is, the clearer 

 it will be. 



Experiments in consort touching maturation, and the 

 accelerating thereof. And first, touching the matu 

 ration and quickening of drinks. And next, touching 

 the maturation of fruits. 



The accelerating of maturation we will now 

 inquire of. And of maturation itself. It is of three 

 natures. The maturation of fruits, the maturation 

 of drinks, and the maturation of impostumes and 

 ulcers. This last we refer to another place, where 

 we shall handle experiments medicinal. There be 

 also other maturations, as of metals, &c. whereof we 

 will speak as occasion serveth. But we will begin 

 with that of drinks, because it hath such affinity 

 with the clarification of liquors. 



312. For the maturation of drinks, it is wrought 

 by the congregation of the spirits together, whereby 

 they digest more perfectly the grosser parts : and it 

 is effected partly by the same means that clarifica 

 tion is, whereof we spake before; but then note, 



