The Hiflory of Life and Death. 



Dcjtc ration prohibiting of Defecation : and In-teneration of that nhich 

 is defecated and dried,, 



The Hiflory. 



Ire and ftrong Heats dry fame things , and melt others. 



Limus u t hie durefcit, &h<ecut Cera liquefcit , Uno eodemque Igne. 

 How this CUy is hardned , and how this Wax is melted , with one and the 

 ^fame thing,Fire\\t diyeth £arth,Stones,Wood,Cloth,znd Skjns, whatfoever 

 is not Lique fable ; and it melteth Metals , Wax, Gams, Butter, Tallow, aid the like. 



Notwuhltanding^ven in thofe things, which the Fire melteth, if it be very vehement 

 aod continuetb,it doth at laft dry them. For Metal in a ftrong Fire {Gold only except- 

 ed) the volatile part being gone forth,will become leffe ponderous,and more brittle: and 

 thofe Oily, and fat fubftances,in the like FirejN\\\ burne up,and be dried,and parched. 



Aire ,efpecially of en Aire, doth manifeftly dry, but not melt as High-wayes,md the 

 upper part of the Earth, moiftned with fhowers, are dryed; linnen Clothes^ wafhed, if 

 they be hanged out in the Aire , are likewifc dried ; Herbs, and Leaves, and Flowers, 

 laid forth in the fhade,are dryed. But much more fuddenly doth the Air this ; If it be 

 eicher inlightned with the Sun-beams (fo that they caufe not putrefaction J Or if the 

 hire be llirred; as when the Winds bloweth ; Or in %oomes of en, in all fides. 



Age molt of all.but yet flowed of all, drieth; as in all bodies , which ( if they be not 

 prevented by putrefaction) are dry with Age. But Age is nothing of it felfe ; being 

 onely the rrieafufe of time : That which caufeth the Effcdt , is the native Sprit of bo- 

 dies, which l'ucketh up the moil-lure of the body, and then , together with it ; fiyeth 

 forth ; and the Aire ambient,wh\ch multiplieth it felfe,upon the native ffirhs, and jui- 

 ces of the body,and preyeth upon them. 



Cold, of all things,m.}ft properly, drtethjox Drying is not caufed,butby Contraction; 

 Now Contrail ion is the proper worke of Cold. Butbecaufc we Men have Heat in a 

 high Degree , namely that of Fire ; but fold in a very low degree , no other than that 

 oiWinttr; Or perhaps of Ice , oxoiSnow, or of Nitre: therefore the Drying caufed 

 j by Cold, is but weak , and eafily refolved. Notwithstanding we fee the Surf act of the 

 Earth, to be more dryed by Frofl , or by March winds, than by the Sttnne- feeing the 

 fame w*W,both licketh up the moifture.and aftedteth with Coldneffe. 



Smoke is a Dryer ; as in Bacon,ind Neates tongttes,w\\\c\\ are hanged up in chimneys: 

 & perfumes of Olibanum,ox Lignum Aloes, & the like ,dry the Brain,znd cure Catarrhs. 



Salt, after fome reafonable continuance , dryeth ; not only on the out-fide,but in the 

 in-fide alfo ; as in Flefh and Fifh faked , which if they have continued any long time, 

 have a manifefthardnffe within. _ 



Hot (jttmmes, applied to the skin, dry, and wrinkle it : and fome Aftringent waters, 

 alfo doe the lame. 



Spirit of ftrong wines , imitateth the Fire in 'Drying : For it will both potch an Eggc, 

 put into it; and toait Bread. 



Towders dry like Sponges, by Drinking up the Moiflure , as it is in Sand , throwne 

 upon Lines, new written. Alio Smosthneffe, and Politenejfe , of Bodies (which fuflfer 

 not the Vapour of Moifture, to goe in by the Pores,) Drie by accident , becaufe it ex- 

 pofeth it to the tAire ; As it is leen in Trectom Stones , LookJ»g-GlaJfes , and Blades 

 of Swords; Upon which if you breath, you fhall fee at firft a little Mitt; But foon after 

 it vanifheth, like a Cloud. And thus much for Defecation, or 'Drying. 



They ufe at this day,in the Baft parts of G erm any, Garners,\n Vaults underground: 

 where in they keep Wheat and other Grains; Laying a good quantity of Straw, both un- 

 der the Gr*ins,w\ about them.to fave them from the Danknefs of the Vault : By which 

 device they keep their Grains 20 or 30 years. And this doth not only preferve them from 

 Fuftineffe,but (that which pertaines more to the prefent Inquiftion) preferves them alfo 

 in chat GreennetTe, that they are fit, and ferviceable to make "Bread. The fame is repor- 

 ted, to have been in ufe, in Cappadocia, and Thracia,\nd fome parts of Spain. 



The placing of Garners, on the Tops of HoufeS , with Windowes towards the Eaft, 

 and North,is very commodious. Some alfo make two Sollars; An Upper, and a Lower. 

 And the upper Sollar hath an hole in it; thorow which the Graine continually defcen- 

 deth, like Sand man Hour-glaffe ; And after afewdayes, they throw itupagaine 

 with Shovels : That fo it may be in continual Motion, Now it is to be noted, 



C 3 that 



