Of invisible JVriting.
his head, wiih good ink, he writ letters, that contained what he menat to have done:he kept this fellow at home with him, un ii his hair was grown again ; when tlmwas done,he ienc him away to Ar,stager at , bidding him fay, when he c:me to him,that he should do unto him, in shaving eft his uair, as he did before : When (he ser-vant came to arist agorae, toMiletum,he laid what his Master bad him lay to Aristocratshe fuppoi.ng the bu.mcis not to be idle, did what he was ordered, and lo re-n themessage. The Antiencs found out these inventions, to fend messengers with. Yetthat can be nolafe way, to (have off the hair, and to write letters upon the bead, forthe head will easily sweat, and put them out. And if the skin be pricked with aneedle , this will not avoid the iufpitl n, if he that wears the writing, be laid boldon by the way : for then is there most diligent search : for fear and necessity will makemen watchful, and they are never satisfied, till they have searched every place.Sometimes they try men by fair promises, sometimes they fright them with threats •and if these will not do, they termini and u riure them, to make them confess j andif this will nor do, that letters may not be secretly conveyed , not onely their hoseand (hoocs use to be searched, their clothes pluckc off, and the learns rh-t, but theywill learch their very guts; so saris it from keeping any secret upon the head, thatshall not be look’d for. But I can lend Letters, and write so, that itcanbeunder-stoodby none, bur those that the letters are design d for. And he that carrieththem never so far off, if he should be taken by the way , and examined by torments*he can confess nothing, because he knows nothing of it, and the Letter shall al-ways remain secret. Nor will length of time, or sweat in travel, blot out the Let-ters ; nor is it any matter if the messenger pass through Rivers, Seas,or Rain ; for wtcwill not hurt them. What good Princes may get by this , I leave to your cogita-tions ; for they have mast need of this , when they would declare any thing to theirfriends, that are besieged t and oft-times upon one message, may the victory of a Ci-ty or Army depend. The invention of the Ancients* was partly good* and partlybad. They writ Letters on his head, which he could nOt read ; nor wonld wateror sweat, wash them off, because they were printed into the head : and when thehair grew out , they could not be seen. And that the messenger might be ig-norant what was writ upon his head, they took occasion for it, faying, he had a painin his eyes, that they would cure : and thus he knew not the craft they used. Burthis fraud seems not very secure, for one that should suspect it might shave off thehair, and find out the secret. Moreover, if the messenger were to be sent sud-denly, how could he stay a mone, h, rill his hair were grown again ? andwhenhi;skin was prickt for to make the Tetters, he must needs suspect something, But leeus fee
How Hestiam could make the Letters oh his head indelible*
He wounded the skin with the point of a needle, or opened i: with a rafos, and castin the powder of Colophonia burnt; for lowe use to make the names of Masters,Upon the faces of bond slaves, that they shall never come forth* and in time they willlook green. Also
Letters may be made between the skin^ thai are indelible , upon any part.
You may soon doitthu:: Let Cantharides steep a whole day in strong water, bacsooner is it done in water of separation - then make the letters with aPen-knife, orfit instrument, upon the upper skin of the Arm,or any other part; the flesh hurr Withthe moysture, will rife in blisters, and be exulcerated; so by the force of this corro-ding water, will these always remain the prints of white letters, and they will neverbe b oued rut. And this is bett done by Hestiam secret, because the letters couldnot be read under the hair, whereas white letters, like milk, would be seen. Butwould we have them stay onely for some time, and not always, We may do it manyways. If you make letters with Aqua fertu^ihn hath eaten silver or brass, they willappear many days, Soitmay be done with oyl of Honey. Nowlwill&ew
How A man may carry letters that Are indelible And invisible^ And Unknown to him ; andhew to make them vifible when need is* *