* 



164 A DISCOURSE 



BOOK II. famous and monstrous Oak, growing at Epping, in Essex, (blown down,) 

 '"^"^'''"^'^ raised itself, and withstood that hurricane. These, amongst many others, 

 are the infirmities to which forest- trees are subject whilst they are 

 standing : and when they are felled, they are liable to the worm, 

 especially if cut before the sap be perfectly at rest : — to prevent or cure 

 it in the timber, I commend this secret as the most approved : 



Let common yellow sulphur be put into a glass cucurbit, upon which 

 pour so much of the strongest aqua-fortis, as may cover it three fingers 

 deep : distil this to dryness, which is done by two or three rectifications. 

 Let the sulphur remaining in the bottom (being of a blackish or sad red 

 colour) be laid on a marble, or put into a glass, where it will easily 

 dissolve into oil : with this anoint what is either infected, or to be pre- 

 served of timber. It is a great and excellent arcanum for tinging the 

 Avood with no unpleasant colour, by no art to be washed out ; and such 

 a preservative of all manner of woods, nay, of many other things, as 

 ropes, cables, fishing-nets, masts of ships, &c. that it defends them from 

 putrefaction, either in waters under or above the earth, in the snow, ice, 

 air, winter, or summer. It were superfluous to describe the process of 

 the aqua-fortis ; it shall be sufficient to let you know, that our common 

 copperas makes this aqua-fortis well enough for our purpose, being drawn 

 over by a retort : and for sulphur, the island of St. Christopher's yields 

 enough (which hardly needs any refining) to furnish the whole world. — 

 This , secret, for the curious, I thought fit not to omit ; though three or 

 four anointings with linseed-oil has proved very effectual, and is more 

 compendious. It was experimented in a WalnQt-table, where it de- 

 stroyed millions of worms immediately, and is to be practised for tables, 

 tubes, mathematical instruments, boxes, bedsteads, chairs, rarities, &c. 

 Oil of walnuts will doubtless do the same, is sweeter, and a better, 

 varnish ; but above all is commended oil of cedar ^ or that of Juniper ; 

 whilst oil of spike does the cure as effectually as any. 



But after all these sweeping plagues and destructions inflicted on 

 • 1706. trees, braving all human remedies, such frosts, as not many years * since 



f Sic ex cedro oleum, quod cedreum dicitur, nascitur ; quo reliquae res cum sunt unctse, 

 uti etiam libri, a tineis et a carie non Iseduntur. — Vitruv. 



