A Difconrfe of Foreft-Trees. 33 



rind taken off, and then the white bark flit over-twhart, no far- 

 ther then to the body of the Tree : Moreover, that this reottitd 

 be made only in that part of the /'^D^which refpeds the Sonth- 

 tpeli^ or between thofe quarters^ becaule (fays he) little, or no 

 lap rifeth from the Northern. 



In thisjlit, by the help of your kp^fi to open it, he direfts that 

 a leaf of the tree be inferred, firft fitted to the dimenlions of the 

 flit,from which the fap will diflill in manner o£filtration:takG away 

 the leaf, and the bark^w'iW clofe again, a little earth being clapped 

 to the flit : Thus the Knight for any Tree : But we have already 

 Ihew'd how the Birch is to be treated ; Faften therefore a Bottle^ 

 or fbme fuch convenient Vejfel appendant : this does the effeft bet- 

 ter then perforation or tapping : Out of this aperture will extil a 

 limpid and clear water, retaining an obfcure fmack both of the 

 tajtg and odor of the Tree ^ and which (as I am credibly inform'd} 

 will in the fpace of twelve or fourteen days preponderate, and out- 

 weigh the whole Tree it felf, bodj/ and roots ^ which if it be con- 

 ftant, andjtf happen likewife in other Trees, is not only ftupendi- 

 ous , but an experiment worthy the confideration of our pro- 

 foundeft Philofophers : an exfola aquafiunt Arbores .<? whether wa- 

 ter only be the principle of Vegetables, and confequently of Trees : 

 For evident it is, that we know of no Tree which does more co- 

 pioufly attraft, be it that fo much celebrated Jf^/ri^ of the World 

 (as they call it) inform of water (as fome) or a certain jpecifque li- 

 quor richly impregnated with this Balftmical property : That there 

 is fuch a Magnes in this fimple Tree as does manifeftly draw to it 

 fclf Hotnm occult , and wonderful virtue , is notorious 5 nor is 

 conceivable, indeed, the difference between the efficacy of that 

 liquor which diftills from the bole or parts of the Tree neerer to the 

 Root, ( where Sir Hugh would celebrate the Incifon ) and that 

 which weeps out from the more fublime Branches : But I refer 

 thefe difquifitions to the learned 5 efpecially, as mention'd by that 

 incomparable Philojbpher, and my mofk noble Friend, the honoura- 

 ble M'. Bojile, inh'is fecond part of the ufefulnefs of Natural Phi lo- 

 fophy : Seh, 1 . Ejfay 3''. where he fpeaks of the Manna del Corpo, 

 Or Trunk-manna , as well as of that Liquor from the bough fo 

 of the Sura which the Coco-trees afford i and that Polonian fe- 

 crct of the Liquor of the Wall-nut-tree root , with an encourage- 

 ment of more frequent Experiments to educe Saccharine fub- 

 ftances upon thefe occafions ; But the Bookhexng publifli'd fb long 

 fince this Difconrfe was ready, I have only here the liberty to re- 

 fer the Reader to one of the befl Entertainments in the world. 



4. In the mean time, the liquor of th\s Tree is efteem'd moft 

 powerful for the diflblving of the Stone in the bladder : Hel- 

 mont fhews how to make a Beer of the water ; but the Wine is a 

 moft rich Ctfr^/ii/, curing (as I am told) Confumptions, and fuch 

 interiour difeafes as accompany the Stone in the Bladder or Reins : 

 This Wine, exquifitely made, is fo ftrong, that the common fort of 

 fione-hottles cannot prefer ve the jJ'/r/Yj, fo fubrile they are and z'*?- 

 latile--)and yet it is gentle,and very harmlefs in operation within the 



G Body, 



