2H, Natural Magick , Doo^ l.

it, yet it could not work in them. So we meddle soft and hard things together,that they may go down more pleasantly. Sometimes there is so little in a receit,thacthe heat of the body wastes it before it can work ; here then is required a greaterquantity : for, this doth not hinder the working , but gives the natural heat some-what to feed upon, that in the meafc space the receit may have fit time to work. Asfor example: If we would catch birds by bringing them to sleep, here wemust taketheNutMethella, which is os that force,as to cause sleep and heaviness of brain •and let this be the ground of our mixtion: then to make it more lively in work-ing, put thereto the juice of black Poppie, and the dregs of wine: If it be toohard, and we would have it more liquid, that so it may fill out the pulse or otherbaites>hich we lay for them; put thereto the juice of Mandrakes, and Hemlock,and an Ox gall: and that it may not be bitter or unsavoury, put hony, cheese orfloure amongst it,that so it may be fitter to be eaten: and when orce the bitds havetasted of it, they lie down to sleep on the ground, and cannot flie, but may be ta-ken with hands. The like must be observed in other things.

Chap. XIX.

How to find out the jufi weight of a mixture •

W E must also have a special care to know the right ministringof a compound,andhow to find out the just proportion of weight therein; for the goodness of theoperation cf things, consists chiefly in the due proportion and measure of them.*And unless the mixtion be every way perfect, it availeth little in working. Where-fore the Aotients were wont to observe not only in compounds,but also in Simplesdue weight and measure ; and their experience hath left it unto us. If then theubastowest thy pains in this faculty, first thou must find out the weight of a simpleMedicine, how much of it would serve such a purpose as thou intendest ; and tothat, thou must proportionabiy frame thy compound, observing a due proportion,both in the whole and every part thereof. Isot thy chief Simple, the ground of thymixture, be half the weight, and the other ingredients altogether must be the otherhalf; but how much of each of these other ingredients , that thou must gather bythy own conjectures So then,thy whole compound must be but as much as if it wereonely a simple receit; for we do not compound things, to make the receit grea-ter, either in quantity or in vertue , but only because it should be more speedy inoperation: It must also be considered, that the weights of mixtures and medicinesmust vary proportionabiy, as the Countries and Climates vary : for this alters theiroperation, as we shewed before. Thou must therefore work advisedly 5 and as theoperation of the Simples altereth, so thou must alter their weight, by putting to,and taking from , and wittily fitting all things, that they may effect that whichthou wouldest. This is the reason, why In our experiments which we have setdown hereafter, we have described the parts thereof by their several weights: andlest the divers names of weighrs should hinder thy working, we have used thoseweights and names which Cornelius (fielfius used before us: for so it is fittest for allmens satisfaction.

Chap.XX.

How to prepare Simples .

H Aving (hewed the way how to compound and find cut the just weight of ctircomposition, it now remains we teach hew to prepare Simples; which is amatter chiefly necessary for this work ; and greatest skill is seen in it. For the ope-rations of Simples, do not so much corsist in themselves, as in the preparing ofthem; without which preparation, they work little or nothing at all. There bemany wayes to prepare Simples, to make them fitter for certain uses. The most it-fual wayes are, Steeping, Boiling,Burning,Powning,Resolvirginto ashes, Distil-ling, Drying, and such like, To macerate or steep any thing, is to drench ard to