Of OXFOH^V^SHiliR yt 
will flrike fire, and therefore by a very fir name called Pyrites^ tin- 
der which, genu^ may be reckon'd not only Fjrites ftridly taken, 
but Flints^ Pebbles, Sand^ and whatever elfe by any quick and 
fudden attrition may have its parts kindled into fparks : of which 
as many as I find eminent in their kind, or are fit for ufes,, as 
briefly as may be. 
1 1 . And amongft them (as T think moft due) for the preroga- 
tive of its colour, I affign the fir ft place to the Pyrites aureus, or 
golden fire-ftone, whereof they find great plenty in digging of 
Wells about Banbury ?,x\& Cleydon^ and fomwhere in the River at 
Clifton near Dorchefter : Some of them are taken up in greai"^iinps 
(and are therefore alfo called Brajl lump') of uncertain form, 
whereof I had very rich ones out of the Well of one Boreman of 
Cleydon- But thofe from Clifton aforefaid feem ' to be laminated^ 
and fome of them fhot into angles like Brijiol Viamants^ and are 
mentioned by Aldrovaryd^ % which he calls, Pyrites cumfluorihus 
adnafcentihu^-, and cujus partes coh<£rent tanquam lafilli angulofi. 
Thefe flrike fire in great plenty, and for that reafon formerly have 
been much ufed for Carabines ^.nd Piftols^ whil'fl Wheel-locks were 
in faflfion ; and are alfo very weighty, and perhaps hold, metal^ 
which , were it not for the too great proportion of fulphur 
(whence fuch Minerals, faith the Learned WiUps ^ , have chiefly 
their concretion) that carryeth it away while it melteth in the 
Crucible, by over volatilizing it, which the Mine-men therefore 
term the Robber^ might otherwife be procured with advantage to 
th^ ovener. 
12. kt Apon Rowant^ Nettlebed^ and Henly, and indeed all 
along the Chiltern Country, they have another fort of Marcha-- 
fite^ within fide of a golden, and without of a darkifli rufly co- 
lour, and therefore at fome of the afore-mentioned places called 
commonly Crow -iron \ this fort, if broken and laid in the air, or 
any other moift place, diffolves into a fait that taftes like ink-^ and 
is no queftion the Pyrites of Kentmannu6 ^, which for that reafon 
he terms atramentiparens. And fuch a one is the Pyrites found at 
North-Leigh^ brought me thence by my worthy Friend Dr. Pet- 
rot, which not only like the former gave the taft of ink, but ex- 
posed to the fir awhile, became cover'd with a white downy fait 
of the very fame taft, which 1 take to be fuch a natural atrammturft 
^ Li^- cap yt De Ferment, cap. 9. / Tit. 2. cap.de SuccU efflarefcentt^ut'. 
alhunti 
