Qentury IV. 



71 



Sweeten the Fruit prefently j Which is Nothing but the Smooth Diflri 

 button of the Sfir/tt into the Parts.- For the Unequall Diflribution of the 

 S fir its maketh the Harrtfhnefs But this Hard Rowling is between Conco- 

 ction, and a Simple Maturation 5 Therefore, ifyoufhould i?flW<? them but 

 gently, perhaps twice a day • And continue it fome feven dayes, it is like 

 they would mature more finely, and like unto the Natural! Maturation* 



Take an Apple h and cut out a Peece of the Top, and cover it,to fee whe 

 therthat Solution of Continuity will not haftena Maturation: We fee that 

 where a Waffle, or a Flie, or a Worm hath bitten, in a Grape, or any Fruit, 

 will fweeten halfily. 



Take an 4ffle, &c, and prick it with 2! Pin full of Holes, not deep, and 

 fmear it a little with Sack, or Cinnamon Water, or Spirit of wine, every day 

 for ten dayes, to fee if the Viriuall Heat of the Wine, or Strong Waters, will 

 not Mature it. 



In thefe Trialls aljo, as wasufedinthe firft, jet another of the fame Fruits 

 by, to Compare them: And try them, by their Yellownefs, and by their 

 Sweetnefs. 



The World hath been much abufed by the Opinion of Ma- 

 king of Gold : The Work it felf I judge to be poflible; But the 

 Meanes (hitherto propounded) to efFed ir, are, in the Pra&ice, 

 full of Errour and Impofture* And in the Theory, full of un- 

 found Imaginations. For to fay, thztNature hath ah Intenti- 

 on ro make all Metals Ooli: And rhatjflhe were delivcredtfrom 

 Impediments , (he would performe her own work .- And 

 that, if the Crudities, Impurities, and Leprofities of Metals were 

 cured, they would become Gold • And that a little Quantity of 

 the Medicine, in the Work of Vrojeclion, will turn a Sea of the 

 Bafer Mesatt into Gold, by Multiplying : All thefe are but 

 dreames: And fo are many other Grounds of Alcbymy. And to 

 help the Matter, the Alcbymijis call in likewifc many Vanities, 

 out of Aerology : Natural! lAagick • Superfluous Interpretati- 

 ons of Scriptures-. Auricular Traditions- Faigned Teftirnonies 

 of Ancient Authors . and the like. It is true, on the other fide, 

 they have broughtto light not & few profitable Experiments, and 

 thereby made the World fome amends. But we, when we {hall 

 come to handle the Vcrfion and Tranfmutation of Bodies ? And the 

 Experiments concerning Metalls, and Mineralls: will lay open 

 thetrueWayesandPaflagesof Nature, which may lead to this 

 great effect And we commend the wit of the Cbinefes y wh« 

 defpair of Making of Gold, but are Mad upon the Making of 

 Siher : For certain it is* that it is more difficult to make Gold, 

 (which is the raoft Ponderous and Materiate amongft Metalls) 

 of other Metalls, lefs Ponderous, and llefs Materiate than {nnk 

 rverfa) to make Siher of Lead, or §^ck-Siher : Both which 

 are more Ponderous than Silver 1 So that they need rather a fur- 

 ther 



