258 The Statural Hijlory 



aflent, did the round end of the Axel move in a box of brafs, and 

 were the places where the Cart refts on it, lined with brafs plates, 

 for then a fmall matter of oil (as 'tis in the oiling of fo//* - ) would 

 caufe the heavieft weight to be moved with great eafe : however 

 as they are, much lefs greafe ferves the turn ; and one of them 

 made of good tough iron, will laft a mans age, and iomtimes two, 

 whereas the wooden ones are frequently at reparations : nor does 

 there any inconveniency attend them that I could hear of, but that 

 the wheels have not fo much room to play to and fro on thefe, as 

 on the others of wood, and therefore not fo good where either 

 the ways or Cart-routs are deep. 



107. Their way in this Country to bring the com from the firaw, 

 is for the moft part by the flail, only in Come places when their 

 wheat is very fmutty, they have a way of whipping it firft, and then 

 threjbing it afterwards : their manner of whipping is ftriking the 

 corn by a handful at a time, againft a door fet on its edge ; and 

 when a fieaf is thus whipt, they bind it up again for the flail : 

 which way indeed is troublefom and tedious , but by this means 

 the fmut bags or balls are prefer ved unbroken, and by the ftrength 

 of a good wind, and care in the raying, moft part of them may 

 be gotten forth, and the wheat left clear. 



108. But before they threfh Rye, they fomtimes take care to 

 prefer ve fome of the flraw whole or unbroken, to ferve for flraw- 

 works ' which I fhould not have thought worth mentioning, but 

 that we have an Artift herein Oxford, the ingenious Robert Wife- 

 man, excellent for fuch matters, beyond all comparifon ; and yet 

 he modeftly owns, that he faw work in Italy that gave him a hint 

 for his Invention, but knows not whether that Artift (but believes 

 rather the contrary) ufes the fame procedure that he does or no : 

 However, if it muft not be allowed his Invention, yet becaufe he 

 has improved it to fo great an excellency, I cannot but let the World 

 know, that though heprofeffes nothing extraordinary in the dying 

 of his colours, yet by certain method, of firft fcraping the flraw, 

 and cutting it into fmall (quare pieces, none longer than the 20 th or 

 30 th part of an inch, he can lay them on wood, copper or filver (firft 

 prepared for the purpofe) in fuch order and manner, and that 

 with great expedition, that thereby y^ereprefents the ruins of Build- 

 ings, Profpecls of Cities, Churches, (yc. upon dreffmg or writing 

 Boxes, or Boxes for any other ufe. 



109. He 



