Natural Magick. ‘Book 1 6.

Chap, III.

How Letters rub d with dnfl may be seen.

N Ow I will use another artifice,that Letters rubbed with dust nay be read, thatwere before invisible, which I read was used by the Ancients: wherefore do

thus :

Th.it Letters rubbed with mill-dust may be read.

That as in paper , so on some unseen parrs of the Body, Letters written may lie hid,and be opened when need is ; write secretly on your Back or Arms,or other Limbs,with Vinegar or Urine, and dry it that nothing may appear: now, to have it read,rub it over with soot or burnt paper ; for so the Letters will shine forth. Or,

Otherwise ,

If you make Letters with Fat, Tallow or any other fatty substance, or with Gum,or Milk of a Fig-tree, and strew them with the dust of cole or burnt paper, they willappear. It may be by this craft, as Polyanue the Greek faith , Attaint used the im-printed inscription in a Beast for a sacrifice. He, to raise the valour of his Souidiers,to make them fight valiantly with their Enemies, the French, that were far more innumber - supposing it would be no little advantage to put them in hopes before-hand of the assurance of the victory, invented a trivial business • but otherwise pro-fitable , with the Priest that was to offer the sacrifice. Before the day they were tofight, he prepares for the victory: for Sudintee the Soothsayer, being to offer sacrifice,pray’d unto the gods, and cuts the Sacrifice in two. But the King used powder-ed Gum , and from the right to the left side, he drew these words : Regie Vitttria,The Victory is the King’s : and when the Entrails were drawn forth , he thrust hisband into the hottest and most ipungy place, and wiped clean the inscription. Butthe Augur, changing the other parts, and doing his Office, turns the part wherethis inscription was contained, Regie Vittoria. This matter was no sooner publish-ed , but the Souidiers generally rejoyced, and shouted exceedingly, to shew howready they were to fight ; lo going on with a cettain assurance of the Victory, anddepending on 'his promise from the gods, they sought contagiously , and subduedthe French. But to the matter Milk of the Fig-tree will do the same , if it bewritten on white paper, and afterwards lent from a friend, be rubbed with cole-duststrewed upon ir, and made clean again, so will the Letters presently appear black.Phny faith, the Milk of Tithynals will do the like , to make the Letters, and duststrewed on them to feowretbem: and thus women, as he fays, had rather speak withAdulterer-, then by Letters. Ovid confirms this, admonishing Maids in his ArttAmandi t ho'N they may safely write to their Sweet-heans.

sprite with new CMtls, it's fase> unseen, but read-i The writing with cole-dust laid on fuH-right :

Adoyjl flax will write as if that none had been ,And letters on your paper past the fight.

Also there i; an Art that one would not imagine, to write upon Cbrystal : for,being all transparent,no man will dream of it, and the letters may lie hid within.Do it thus:

That letters may appear upon Chryftal by strewing en ef fine dust.

Dissolve Gum Arabick in water, or Gum Traganth, that it may be deer ; and whenir is well dissolved, it will not foul the Crystal, if you write upon it, or upon a Copot Glass; for whenthe Letters are dry,they are invisible. No man will imagine thefraud, if a Cup be sent 10 one in prison, or a Glass full of wine : when he would seethe letters, rub burnt straw or paper upon it, and the letters will presently be seen.Hercis another secret, That