258 The Ss(\atural Hi/lory 
affent, did the round end of the Axel move in a box of brafs^ and 
were the places where the Cart refts on it, lined with brafs plates^ 
for then a fniall matter of oil (as 'tis in the oiling of beli^) would 
caufe the heavieft weight to be moved with great eafe : however 
as they are, much lefs greafe ferves the turn ; and one of them 
made of good tough iro;?, will laft a mans <7^e, and {omtimes 
whereas the wooden ones are frequently at reparations : nor does 
there any inconveniency attend t/^em that I could hear of, but that 
the wheels have not fo much room to play to and fio on thefi^ as 
on the ethers of wooJ^ and therefore not fo good where either 
the ways or Cart-routs are deep. 
107. Their way in this Country to bring the corn from the ftraw^ 
is for the moft part by the flail^ only in fome places when their 
wheat is very fmutty^ they have a way of whipping itfirft, and then 
threjbing it afterwards : their manner of whipping is ftriking the 
corn by a handful at a time, againft a dcor fet on its edge ; and 
when a fieaf is thus whipt^ they bind it up again for the flail : 
which way indeed is troublefom and tedious , but by this means 
the fmut bags or balls are prefer ved unbroken, and by the ftrength 
of a good wind, and care in the raying^ moft part of them may 
be gotten forth, and the wheathk clear. 
108. But before they thredi i^je, they fomtimes take care to 
preferve fome of ihtftraw whole or unbroken, to ferve for ftraw- 
works : which I Hiould not have thought worth mentioning, but 
that we have an Artifi here in Oxford^ the ingenious Robert Wife- 
man^ excellent for fuch matters, beyond all comparifon ; and yet 
he modeftly owns, that he faw work in Italy that gave him a hint 
for his Invention^ but knows not whether that Artifi (but believes 
rather the contrary) ufes the fame procedure that he does or no : 
However, if it muft not be allowed his Invention^ yet becaufe ht 
has improved it to fo great an excellency^ I cannot but let the World 
know, that though he/ro/^y nothing extraordinary in the dying 
of his colours^ yet by certain method^ of firft fcraping the jiraw^ 
and cutting it into fmall fquare pieces^ none longer than the 20^*^ or 
30^*^ part of an inch^ he can lay them on wood^ copper or filver (firft 
prepared for the purpofe) in fuch order and manner, and that 
with gvtzt expedition^ that thereby ^ereprefents the ruins Build- 
ings^ Profj^e£^s of Cities^ Churcbes^ isrc upon dreffmg or writing 
Boxes^ or Boxes for any other ufe. 
109. He 
