T) F S E R P E N T S. 95 



This Asbeftos, or Matter out of which this wonderful Cloth . . . 

 Is made, is a Foffil, a mineral ftony Subftance, of a whltifh Co- 

 lour, and woolly Texture (call'd Salamander s-Wool) the downy 

 Fibres, feparable into fliort Filaments of Threads, capable of be- 

 ing fpun, and move into a fort of Cloth, which will endure the 

 Fire without confuming. When foul, inflead of washing, they 

 throw it into the Fire, which cleanfes without burning it. Whole 

 Webs and Coats, Napkins, Handkerchiefs, Towels, have beea 

 made of it ; which were fo far from being confumed by Fire, that 

 they were only cleanfed from their Drofs, and came out purified 

 into a Sfreater Luftre than if wafh'd with Warer. 



Its principal ufe, " according to Pli9iy *, was for making of 

 Shrouds, in which the Corps of their Kings were ufually burnt, 

 left their royal Afhes fhould be blended with common Du'ft. 

 The Princes of ^artary ufe it to this day in burning the Dead -j-, 

 Nero had a Napkin or Towel made of it. The Brachmam a- 

 mong the Indians, are faid to make Clothes of it. The Wicks 

 for their perpetual Candles were made of \\.%\ and fome to this 

 day ufe it for Lamp- Wicks. 



The Emperor Conjlantine ordered an incombuftible fort of 

 Linnen to be made of hap'n Amianthus, the growth of Cyprus, 

 that might burn in his Lamps, which were in his Baths at Rome. 

 The Commentator on St. Augujlin fays, that he faw feveraL 

 Lamps at Paris, which would never be confumed : and at a Feaft 

 at Louvain, there was a Napkin thrown into the Fire, which was. 

 reftored to the Owner clearer and brighter than if it had beea 

 rinfed in Water |f. 



The incombujiibk Paper is made of this lanuginous Mineral, 

 viz. Asbejline-Stone, which will bear burning without being in- 

 jured. Whoever would be further informed about this wonderfulc 

 incombuftible Stone, may perufe Dr. Bruckman, ProfefTor at 

 Brunjwick, who has publifti'd a natural Hijlory of the AsbeJloSy. 

 or incoinbuftible Paper ; and what is moft rernarkable, has printed, 

 four Copies of his Book on this Paper, which are depofited in the- 

 Library of Wolfembuttle. The manner of making this extraor-. 

 dinary Paper is defcribed by Mr. Lloyd, in Philojbph. Tranfa3ions, 

 N'^. 166. 



N.B. 



* Book xix. cap I. f Thilof. TranfaB. % Dr. Lifter. 



j|_ Ludovicusyive.'y in his Scholia — de Civitate Dei. Pa»cirol. Hifteriarerum deftrdit. 



