558 
The five andthirtieth Booke 
therewith, ic hardenéth them againft the violence of fire. I have faid alreadie,that they werewont G 
in oldtime to vernifh their images with bitumen: it hath ben ufed in mortar alfo in {lead cf lime, 
and with that kind of cement were the walls of Babylon laid, and the ftones fodercd togither. 
Iron-fmiths alfo have much ufe of bitumen, and namely, in fanguining or colouring theititon- 
worke sand nailers efpecially about their naileheads; many other wayes likewife it ferveth their 
turne. he hy 
Astouching Alume, which we take to be acertaine falt fubftance or liquor iffuing out of the 
earth, there is no leffe ufe thereofthan of bitumen, and the emploiment is not much unlike. OF 
alume there be many kinds : in the Ifland Cypreffe there is found alume which'they call VVhite; 
and another named Blacke: and albeit the diftin@ion in the colour bee but fmall, yetitis occu- 
pied to farre different ufes; for the cleare alume which they name the white, is proper for ta:co- 
lour wooll with any bright cinéture ; contrariwife, the blacke ferveth forfad, darke, and browne 
colours. The forefaid blacke alume is occupied much by goldfniths, to purge and purifie their 
gold: and yet all thefe alumes the one as well as the ozher, be engendred of water 8¢/flimie mud, 
thatisto fay, of a ceftaine {weat that the earth naturally doth yeeld: itis fufferedto runand ga- 
ther togither into a place during winter ; and in the heat of the fummer, itfermenteth andtaketh - 
the perieGion :that which commeth fooneftto concoction and ripenefie, the fame is alwaies 
the whiteft and pureft. As touching the mines of alume, they grow naturally in Spaine, Agypt, 
Arnienia, Macedonie, Pontus, and Affricke,which be all countries of the continent:in the 
Iflands likewife it is found, namely in Sardinia, Melos,Lipara, and Strongyle. The beft fimply is 
that which commeth out of Agypt, andin the next place isthat accounted of Mclos. Infum, . 
alume may be reduced into two principall kinds ;for either it is pure and cleare, or els thicke and 
erofle: As for the former kind, itmay beknowne whether it be good and naturall, if it be bright 
like water,and white as milke, not offenfiveto their hands thatrub it,& yet participating infome 
fortof a fierie heat; this they call Phormion: but in cafe it befophifticat,you may foon findit by 
the juice of a pomegranats for that which is true and in the rightkind, is nofooner mixed there- 
with, but it waxeth blacke, The fecond fort is ofa pale colour,and befides naturally rugged in the 
hatid and lightly i will ftainelike gall nuts; which isthe reafon that the Greeks call it Parapho- 
ron. The vertues of the cleare alume, be aftringent,hardning, and fretting : if ibe tempered with 
honey, it healeth the cankers or fores in the mouth: wheals anditch it likewife cureth in any part 
of the bodie: butthisinunétion muftbe ufedin abaine;andregard ought tobe had of itinthe 
proportion ;namely, that there be two third parts of honey to one of alume. The rankefmell of - 
acthe arme-holes it doth allay, and repreffeth fweat andthe ftinke thereof: itis taken in pills, for 
* Some take 
this for alume 
de plume: o- 
thers,for the 
SUS, 
' the obftrudtions and fchirrhofities of the fpleene :and in that fort, itdriveth away an itch & fen- 
deth forth corrupt bloud by urine: made into an unguent with Sal-nitre and Nigella Romana, 
ithealeth the bleach or fcabs. Ofalume thatis thicke, hard,and maiflive,there is one kind which 
the Greeks call * Schiftos, and the nature thereof isto cleave along into certaine filaments or 
threads like haires, of a greyifb colour; which isthe reafonthat fome have given it ratherthe 
name of Trichitis :howfoever it benamed,it commeth of a certaine marquefit ftone,wherupon 
ftone Anian- alfo they call it Chalcitis ;fo as it may be counted a verie fweat of the faid ftone, gathered togither 
orcongealedinroafome. Thiskind of alume is exiccative; howbeit,not fo good as the other _ 
to repreffe any offenfive humors in the bodie: but furely itis fingular for the ears, either infuled, 
or applied as aliniment : it helpethalfo the fores of the mouth, ifa man let it mele togither with 
the {pitcle or moifture of the mouth: foreyefalves likewife it ferveth fitly among other ingredi- 
ents; and is verie appropriat forthe accidents befalling to the fecret parts of either fex, aswell 
men as women: but before it bee ufed, it would be boiled upon a pan over the fire, untillit give 
over co melt, There isanother fort of alume, that is weaker in operation, which the Greeks call 
Strongyle: and this likewile is found of two forts; the one is hollowandlight in maner of mufh- 
roms, eafie robee melted in any kind of liquor ; and thisis alrogither rejeéted as good for no- 
thing: theother is hollow alfo andlightin manner ofa pumith ftone, fullof holes too, butre- - 
fembling the pipes rather of {punges; the fame is round in forme, and enclining toa whiteco- M 
Joursacertaine unctuofitie or fattineffe it carrieth with it, apt to breakeand crumble, andyet 
withoutfand, neitherwill it colour and flaine the fingers blackein the handling: this muft bee 
calcined by it felfe npon'cleare burning coles, untill {uch time as itbee reduced into afhes. But 
‘would you know the beft and principal] alume of all the forts that are ? It isthat (no doubr) 
which ; 
| 
