I Shall not trouble the Reader with any curious rules for shaping and fashioning of a Garden or Orchard; how long, broad, or high the Beds, Hedges, or Borders should be cōtrived; For every man may dispose it as his House or quantity of ground requires. And (to [Page 32] deale freely) I look on such work as things of more fa­cility then what I now am a­bout. Every Drawer or Em­broiderer, nay (almost) each Dancing-Master may pre­tend to such niceties; in re­gard they call for very small Invention, & lesse learning. I shall therefore speake to that which common sear­chers passe over, or never aymed at, being somewhat above their reach, who neg­lect the cause of what they find effected. Yet I shall be­gin with the ground, soile, or earth it selfe, as the Foun­dation of all; still confessing what light or assistance I had from those who im­ployed their hours this way as well as my selfe.

[Page 33] 2. Break up your ground,Tempe­ring the ground. and dung it at Michaelmas. In Januar. turn your ground three of four times, to min­gle your dnng and earth the better, rooting up the weeds at every time. Pro­ved by Mr. T. T.

3 In winter time,Fern to enrich ground. if you co­ver the ground which you meane to break up in the Spring, with good store of Fern, it keepeth down grass and weeds from springing up in winter, which would spend some part of the heart of the ground, and it doth also inrich the ground very much, for all manner of Roots and hearbs. By Mr. And. Hill. Ashes of Fern are excellent.

4. Quaere, Soot to enrich ground of enriching [Page 34] ground with Soot, which Mr. Stutfield (that married my Lord North's Brothers Daughter) assured me to have found true in pasture grounds, the same onely strewed thinly over.

5. Shavings of Horn strew­ed upon the ground,Shavings of horn to enrich ground. or first rotted in earth, and (after) that earth spread upon the ground, maketh a Garden ground very rich. Probatum at Bishops Hall, By H. P.

6. Onions & Baysalt sowen together,Onyons & Bay-salt. have prospered exceeding well.

7. The surest way to have your seeds to grow,Age of seeds. is to sow such as are not above one year old, T. T.

8. If hearbs be nipped with the fingers,Hearbs with great heads. or clipped, they [Page 35] will grow to have great heads. T. T.

9. Chuse such seeds as be heavy,Choice of seeds. & white with in, T. T.

10. Swines & Pidgeons dung are good for potherbs and sisted ashes laid about them,Dung for potheabs killeth Snails,To kill Snailes. T. T.

11. If you would have Gar­lick,Roots made large. parsnep, radish, turnep, carot, &c. to have a large root, tread down the tops often, else the sap will run into the leaves, T. T.

12. Take the cutting of a Vine from a branch that spreadeth most in the midst of the Tree,Chusing of a Vine cutting. and not from the lowest nor the highest branch, having five or six joynts from the old stock, and it would be a cubit long or more:Vine when to plant. plant it in [Page 36] Octob. or March. T. T.

13. Proine not your young Vines untill they have had three years growth.Young Vines to proine. T. T.

14. Every slip of a Bay tree will grow,Bayes to plant. strip off the great leaves, and set them in March when the sap begin­neth to rise. T. T.

15. Every plant of an El­dern will grow.Eldern to plant. T. T.

16. First,Leeks to grow great. put some good fat dung into water, and therein water your Leekes one night, and make your beds of good fat dung, that the dung may be a foot at the least in depth: then co­ver the bed with Fern, and set the Leekes with a great planting stick, and fill not the holes with earth, but water them once in two [Page 37] dayes and no more; after this maner of setting I have seen Leekes as great as the stemme of a spade. T. T.

17. Sow Lettice in August for Winter.Lettice to sowe. T. T.

18. After the Lettice is all blowen,Lettice seed how to gather. and some of the bolles begin to bear a white poff, then cut off the whole great stem, and lay it a dry­ing in the sun: and when it is dry, beat it up and down with thy fist upon a boord, & put altogether in a dish, & blow away softly all the dust.Lettice to grow great. T. T. And if you sow or set your lettice in the shade they will be very great.

19. When it hath bolles,Purslane seed to gather. cut it up, and lay all the hearb to dry in the shadow then beat it out. T. T.

[Page 38] 20. Strawberries which grow in woods,Wood Strawber­ries into Gardens. prosper best in Gardens: and if you will transplant them forth of one Garden into another then enrich the last ground by watering the same either with Sheeps dung,Watering of straw­berries. or Pid­geons dung infused in wa­ter; by Master Hill.

21. The muske and yellow Rose,Roses grassed upon what stock. and all those double and centiple Roses, may well be grafted in the bud upon the Sweet-brier. By Mr. Hill.

22. If you would have Pompions to grow excee­ding great,Pompions to grow great. first plant them in a rich mold, then trans­plant those sets into other fat mold, watring them now and then with the wa­ter [Page 39] wherein Pidgeons dung hath been infused, then take away all the hang-bies, maintaining only one or two main runners at the most, and so you shall have them grow to an huge big­nesse. Proved by Mr. Hill. You must nip off these side branches about blossoming time, with their flowers and fruits; and take heed you hurt not the heads of the main runners, for then your pompions will prove but dwindlings.

23. In winter time raise little hills about your Arti­chokes close to the leaves,Arti­chokes from frost. See this in Numb. 26. 58. because they are tender; and if any extream frosts should happen, they might [Page 40] otherwise be in danger to perish.

23.Musk rose to beare late. If you cut away the old branches of a Muske­rose, leaving onely the shoots of the next year to bear; these shootes will bring forth musk roses the next year, but after all o­ther musk-rose trees. By Mr. Hill.

25.Roots in their best strength. The roots of every tree and plant, are most full of sap when their tops or heads are most green and flourishing: and when the bark of the Tree will pill and loosen from the body, then will the rind also loo­sen from the root; and when the tops begin to wi­ther or stand at a stay, then doe the rootes likewise. [Page 41] And therefore that com­mon opinion, that rootes are best and of most force in Winter, is erroneous. So as if I should gather any roots, for the use of Physick or Surgery, I would gather them either at their first putting forth of leaves, or else between their first springing, & the springing up of their branches, when they begin to encline to­wards their flowring. By A. H.

26.Artichocks from frost. 23, 38. If every evening you lay a great colewort or cab­bage leaf upon the top of every Artichoke, this will defend the apple from the violence of the frost.Flowers or leaves gilded and growing. By Goodman the Gardiner.

27. A branch of Box or [Page 42] Rosemary will carry their leaves gilded a long time fair,Quae [...] of Isinglasse dissolved. notwithstanding the violence of rain, if you first moisten the leaves with the gum of Mastick, first dissol­ved in a hard egge accor­ding to art, and leafe-gold presently laid thereon. Do this in a Summers day, when all the dew is ascended, and when the Sun being hot, may presently harden the Mastick, and so bind down the gold fast unto it. Quaere, if Myrrhe and Benjamin will not do the like, dissol­ved as before.

28. Make gum water as strong as for Inke,Flowers candied as they grow but make it with Rose-water; then wet any growing flower therewith, about ten of the [Page 43] clock in a hot Summers day, and when the Sun shi­neth bright, bending the flower so as you may dip it all over therein, and then shake the flower well; or else you may wet the flow­er with a soft callaver pen­sill, then strew the fine sear­ced powder of double refi­ned sugar upon it: do this with a little box or searce, whose bottom consisteth of an open lawn, & having al­so a cover on the top; hold­ing a paper under each flower, to receive the sugar that falleth by: and in three houres it will candy, or har­den upon it; & so you may bid your friends after din­ner to a growing banquet: or else you maycut off these [Page 44] ers so prepared, and dry them after in dishes two or three dayes in the sun, or by a fire, or in a stove; and so they will last six or eight weeks, happily longer, if they be kept in a place where the gum may not re­lent. You may doe this also in Balme, Sage, or Borrage, as they grow.

29. I hold it for a most de­licate and pleasing thing to have a fair Gallery,A Garden within doors. great Chamber or other lodging, that openeth fully upon the East or West sun, to be in­wardly garnished with sweet Hearbs and Flowers, yea and Fruit if it were pos­sible For the performance whereof, I have thought of these courses following. [Page 45] First, you may have faire sweet marjerom, basil, car­nation, or rose-mary pots, &c. to stand loosely upon faire shelves, which pots you may let down at your pleasure in apt frames with a pulley from your Cham­ber window into your Garden, or you may place them upon shelves made without the room, there to receive the warme sun, or temperate raine at your pleasure, now and then when you see cause. In eve­ry window you may make square frames either of lead or of bords, well pitched within: fill them with some rich earth, and plant such flowers or hearbs therein as you like best; if hearbs you [Page 46] may keep them in the shape of green borders, or other forms. And if you plant them with Rosemary, you may maintain the same running up the transumes and movels of your win­dowes. And in the shady places of the room, you may prove if such shady plants as do grow abroad out of the Sun, will not also grow there: as sweet Bryars, Bayes, Germander, &c. But you must often set open your Casements, especially in the day time, which would be also many in number; be­cause flowers delight and prosper best in the open aire. You may also hang in the roof, and about the sides of this room, small [Page 47] pompions or Cowcombers, pricked full of Barley, first making holes for the Barley (quaere, what other seeds or flowers will grow in them and these will be over­grown with green spires,Barly growing without earth. so as the Pompion or Cow­comber will not appear. And these are Italian fancies hung up in their rooms to keep the flies from their Pictures: in Summer time, your chimny may be trim­ed with a fine bank of moss, which may be wrought in works being placed in earth, or with Orpin, or the white flower called Ever­lasting. And at either end, and in the middest place one of your flower or Rosemary pots, which you [Page 48] may once a week, or once every fortnight, expose now and then to the sunne and rain, if they will not grow by watering them with raiue water; or else, from platformes of lead o­ver your windows, raine may descend by smal pipes and so be conveyed to the roots of your hearbs or flowers that grow in your windowes. These pipes would have holes in the sides, for so much of them as is within the earth, and also holes in the bottome, to let out the water when you please in great showers And if you back the bor­ders growing in your win­dowes with loose frames to take off and on, within the [Page 49] inside of your windows, the Sun will reflect very strong­ly from them upon your flowers and hearbs. You may also plant Vines with­out the walls, which being let in at some quarrels, may run about the sides of your windows, and all over the sealing of your rooms. So may you do with Apricot trees, or other Plum trees, spreading them against the sides of your windowes. I would have all the pots wherein any hearbs or flowers are planted,Pots for flowers of a good fa­shion. See this also Numb. 56. to have large loose squares in the sides; and the bottoms so made, as they might be ta­ken out at ones pleasure, and fastned by little holes with wiers unto their pots, [Page 50] thereby to give fresh earth when need is to the roots, and to remove the old and spent earth, and so in your windowes: See more of this in Numb. 30.

30. To have Roses or Carnations growing in Winter,Roses or Carnati­ons in winter. place them in a Room that may some way be kept warm, either with a dry fire, or with the steam of hot water conveyed by a pipe fastened to the cover of a pot, that is kept see­thing over some idle fire, now and then exposing them in a warm day, from twelve to two, in the Sun, or to the rain if it happen to rain; or if it rain not in convenient time, set your pots having holes in the [Page 51] bottom in pans of rain wa­ter, & so moisten the roots.

I have known Master Jacob of the Glassehouse to have Carnations all the winter by the benefit of a room that was neare his glasse house fire; and I my self, by nipping off the branches of Carnations when they began first to spire, & so preventing the first bearing, have had flow­ers in Lent, by keeping the pots all night in a close room, and exposing them to the Sun in the day time, out at the windowes, when the wather was temperate: this may be added to the Garden (mentioned Nu. 20.) to grace it in winter, if the roome stand conveniently [Page 52] for the purpose.

31.Reviving of Carna­tions. You shall oftentimes preserve the life of a Carna­tion or Gilliflower growing in a pot, that is almost dead and withered, by breaking out the bottom of the pot, and covering the pot in good earth, & also the old stalks that spring from the roots; but every third or fourth year, it is good to slip and new set them.

32.Orchard of dwarf trees. If you make an Or­chard of dwarf-Trees, suf­fering none of them to grow above a yard high; then may you strain course Canvas over your Trees in the blooming time, especi­ally in the nights and cold mornings, to defend them from the frosts: And this [Page 53] Canvas being such as Pain­ters use, may after be sold with the losse onely of a penny upon the ell. You may use it onely for Apri­cots, and such like rare fruit whose blossoms are tender; or else to backward them after they be knit, if you would have them to beare late when all other Trees of that kind have done bear­ing. In this dwarf Orchard I would have the walks between the Trees either pavedwith brick, or gravel­ed, and the gravel born up with bricks, that the sun might make a strong re­flection upon the Trees, to make them bear the sooner. And to bring forth the better digested fruit, I [Page 54] would also have the plot so chosen out, that all easterly and northerly winds may be avoided by some de­fence. I would have it but a small Orchard; and if it were walled in, it were so much the better. Help this Orchard with the best artificial earths and waters that are.Uineyard to plant. I think a Vineyard may thus be planted, to bring forth a full, rich, and ripe Grape: or if you could happen upon a square pit of a yard deep, whose banks are sloaping▪ & whose earth have been philosophically prepared (as before Num. 10.) & that your Trees were bound sloaping to the sides of your Orchard, and back­ed with boards, or lead, for [Page 55] reflexion, that so your trees would prosper and beare most excellent fruit: And to keep your Trees low, when your stock is at such height as you would have it,Trees growing either high or lowe. nip off all the green bunds when they come first forth, which you finde in the top of the Tree, with your fingers; and so, as often as any ap­peare in the top, nip them off: and so they will spread but nor grow tall; even as by nipping off the side buds onely, you may make your Tree to grow streight and tall, without spreading, till you see cause: And thus with your fingers onely, and vvithout any toole, you may keep your young Trees grovving in [Page 56] what form you please.

33.Early fruit To have early fruit, you must have an especial care to plant or graffe such fruits, as are the earliest of all other, and then adde all artificial helps thereto.

34.Old trees recovered Two quarts of Oxe­bloud or Horse bloud for want thereof, tempered with a hat full of Pidgeons dung, or so much as will make it up into a soft paste, is a most excellent sub­stance to apply to the prin­cipal roots of any large tree, fastening the same about them, after the root of the Tree hath taken ayr a few dayes, first, by lying bare: and it will recover a Tree that is almost dead,Vines re­covered. and so likewise of a Vine. For this [Page 57] will make a decaying Tree or Vine to put forth both blossoms and fruits afresh. This must be done to the Tree about the midst of Fe­bruary, but apply it to the Vine about the 3d or 4th of March. This is of M. Nicholson Gardiner.

35. Get a load or two of fresh Horse dung,Ordering of the Musk-Mellon. such as is not above 8. or 10. dayes old, or not exceeding four­teen: lay it on a heap till it have gotten a great heat, & then make a bed thereof an ell long, and half a yard broad, and eighteen inches high, in some sunny place, treading every Lay down very hard as you lay it; then lay thereon three inches thick of fine black [Page 58] sifted mold; prick in at eve­ry three or four inches di­stance a Muske mellon seed, which hath first bin steeped twenty four hours in Milk: prick the top of your bed full of little forks of wood appearing some four or five inches above ground; upon these forks lay sticks, and upon the sticks so much straw in thicknesse, as may both keep out a reasonable showre of rain, and also the sun, & likewise defend the cold (some strain canvas slopewise onely over their beds) let your seeds rest so untill they appeare above ground, which will com­monly be in six or seven dayes. You must watch them carefully when they [Page 59] first appeare; for then you must give them an howers sunne in the morning, and another in the afternoon; then shall you have them shoot an inch and a halfe by the next morning; then strew more fine earth about each stalk of such plants as have shot highest, like a lit­tle hill to keep the Sun from the stalks: for if the Sun catch them, they perish; and therefore you shal often see the leaves fresh, when the stalks wither. Heighten your hills, as you shall per­ceive the stalk to shoot higher and higher. The plants must remain till they have gotten four leaves,The short­est way is to buy plants and set them. and then remove them, ta­king up earth and dung to­gether [Page 60] carefully about eve­ry root: make a hole fit for every of them good ground, placing them (if the ground serve) upon an high slope bank, which ly­eth aptly for the morning sun, if you may; let this bank be covered with field sand two inches thick all over, except neare about the plants (this ripeneth & enlargeth the fruit greatly) then cover each plant with a sugar pot, gilliflower pot, or such like, having a hole in the bottom; or else prick in two sticks acrosse, arch­wise, and upon them lay some great leaves to keep your plants from rain, sun and cold. After they have been planted a day or two, [Page 61] you may give them two houres sun in the morning, and two in the evening, to bring them forward, but, till they have stood 14. dayes, be sure to cover them from 12 to 4 in the afternoon every day, and all night long. These pots defend the cold, and keep out all worms from spoyl­ing your plants; and there­fore are much better then leaves. Note, that you must defend them in this manner in the day time, until your plants have gotten leaves broad enough to cover their stalks and roots, from all injury of weather; and then may you leave them to the hot Sun all the day long. [...] [Page 60] [...] [Page 61]

[Page 62] If there be cause, you must with rain water, wa­ter them now and then, but not wetting the leaves. And if by any exceeding cold, or moysture, your plants doe not shoot forward suffici­ently, but seem to stand at a stay, then take some blood and pidgeons dung tempered (as before in Num. 34.) apply the same to the roots of the young plant; leaving some earth betwixt the roots, and the same will make them to shoot out ve­ry speedily. Remember to plant three plants toge­ther ther in each place, being round, and a little deep, and of the bignesse of a round trencher. Now when they have shot out all [Page 63] their joynts (which you shall perceive when you see a knot at the very end of the shoot, which is some­what before the flowring time) then some do use to cover every knot, or joynt, with a spade or shovel full of fine and rich earth; and thereby each knot will root, and put forth a new shoote (quaere, of the same course in Pompions or Cowcumbers) by means whereof you shall have great increase of Mel­lons.Pompions and Cow­cumbers multiplied

When your Mellons are as big as Tennis Balls, then if you nip off at a joynt, all the shoots that are beyond them,Mellons to growe great. the Mellons will grow exceeding great; for [Page 64] then the sap doth not run any more at waste. But some hold, that you shall have greater Mellons though not so many, if you suffer their shoots to run on without earthing the knots; and then, when when you see your Mellons of the bigness of Tennis balls (as before) then nip off, at a joynt, all the shoots that are beyond the Mellons, but meddle not with the chief runner. This of Mr. Nicholson Gardi­ner. Lay your young Mel­lons upon Ridge-tiles, to keep them frō the ground, and for reflection.

36. Make a high bank, slopewise like a penthouse,Earlie straw­berries. that openeth to the Sun, and is by some means de­fended [Page 65] from all hurtfull winds: plant your Straw­berries therein, and water them with the infusion of some apt dung, now and then, when the weather is dry.

37. Bow down the bran­ches of Roses,Roses to bear late, and from frost. having buds upon them, into a vessel of wood pitched, standing within the ground, to keep them long upon the stalk, or to prevent frosts if you see cause.

38. Quaere, Early Ro­ses and Carnati­ons. What Pigeons dung and bloud, applyed to the rootes of Roses, or Carnations, will do, in the forwarding of their bea­ring.

39. Plant Roses,Early Roses. accor­ding to the manner set [Page 66] down for Strawberries before (Num: 36.) to have them before all others.

40. Make a Lay of sand, and a lay of carot rootes,Carots, parseneps, and Tur­neps, kept long. cutting away the toppes close to the root, with some of the small ends of the ca­rots; do this in October or Novemb: in dry weather: and about the last of De­cember where there is no frost, unpack them againe; and if you will then keep them longer, you must pare off the shooting at the up­per end of the root, and then lay them in sand. This out of Gardiners Kitchin-Garden, printed 1599. So of Parsneps and Turneps.

41. Quaere, Roses and flowers backward. If binding the bark somewhat hard with [Page 67] a packthred, or rather with Brawn-bands,Quaere, of doing thus after the rose is new budded. will not keep roses, and other flow­ers and fruits, long from blowing, by staying the sap from rising.

42. To have rootes pros­per and grow great,Roots long and great. you must trench your dung a­bout the depth of your root which you would sow; and if the root once get into the dung, then it forketh, and gathereth fi­bras, whereas otherwise it will grow wholly into a long, round, and fair root, of Mr. Andr. Hill

43. But if you desire to multiply your seed,Seeds to multiply. not respecting the rootes, then mix your dung first well rotted with good mold, [Page 68] and therein sow your seeds and they will encrase much: so as for seeds the dung must lye in the top, and for roots in the bot­tom By Mr. Andr. Hill

43. Gather your carot or parsnep seeds &c.Large Ca­rots, or parsneps. from the highest spiring brances, and out of some friends Garden, where you may be sure of the best; sow these seeds about March, or A­pril: and at drawing time choose the fairest roots of all other; cut off their tops somewhat low, and set them againe, and then let them seed the next yeare; then take the seedes from the highest toppes and sow them, and so shall you have most faire and large roots. [Page 69] This of Master Hunt, the good horseman.

44. Take off the tops as far as the green goeth,A new planting of carna­tions, wall­flowers, & stock gilli­flowers. viz. till you come to the wood, from Carnations, Gilliflow­ers, &c. slit them upward thorough the nethermost joynt, thrusting between the joyns some fine sear­ced earth, made first into pap; and with the same pap close the ends round about as big as a Walnut: make holes in your pots, and put in your tops so earthed; these do seldome or never faile. By Minisris Hill. Also, the old root is here preser­ved, and you may carry these tops thus earthed 100 miles in a box.Plants to carry far. Quaere, if this secret will not also extend [Page 70] to stock Gilliflowers, Wall­flowers, &c.

45. Cut off a bought from any tree; and two inches from the bottom,Branches to root. take a­way the bark round about, prick it into the ground, and it will grow. Quaere.

46. In the end of Fe­bruary or March,To kill Wormes. wet the ground first, and about eight or nine of the clocke at night, by candle-light, gather up all the Wormes in dishes, and so you may destroy them.

47. A Rich mold for a Garden:Rich mold See among the Trees. Numb: 29.

48. Set or sow Kernells in November,When to set or sow. Nuts in Fe­bruary, stones of fruit in March, all in the increase [Page 71] of the Moon.

49. Quaere, One plant upon ano­ther, or upon a tree. Of graffing ro­ses, the splicing way, and so of thyme, rosemary, hy­sope, &c. to be graffed in this manner, either one up­on another, or graffing them upon the boughes or branches of trees, if happi­ly they will take.

50. Whether the colour, sent,Colour, sent, or taste of a flower, al­tered. or tast, may be altered in a Flower or Hearb, by Art, see the Title, Trees and Plants, numb: 90.

51. Instead of privy hed­ges about a quarter,Fence of fruit trees. I com­mend a Fence made with lath or sticks, thinly placed and after graced with dwarf apple, and plumme Trees, spred abroad upon the stick.

[Page 72] 52. When you would have a strong and speedy White-thorne hedge about your garden,White-thorn hedge. set your plant high and sloping, and not flat, after the common man­ner. Prick in the cut­tings, with the slope side downward, that the rain may not get in between the Wood and the Bark. Weed these hedges twice every yeare, and as the sprowts doe grow of some length, let them be platted, or brayded upward from the ditch; defend them from Cattell with a dry or dead hedge.

53 Let Carnations or Gilliflowers shed their leaves,Carnation seed to gather. and leave the cods standing upon the root [Page 73] till the end of October, v [...]z. so long as you may for the danger of frost: then cut off the stems with the cods upon them; stick them up­right in some dry place in an upper roome, and so let them rest untill the Spring, then sow them. Your Car­nation seed will prove faire large pink, and beare in Carnation time; by S.

54. Your Coleflower seed will not ripen till Michael­mas, Coleflow re seed to gather & to plant. or a week after; let it stand so long or longer, if you feare not frost, before you gather the seeds, which grow in yellow cups; and being ripe, are also yellow themselves.

Be sure you gather the cups before the seedes be [Page 74] shed; put these seeds with their cups or cods in a box, but cover not the box, and keep the box in some place from the frost; prick them in about the full of the Moon in Aprill, when cold weather is spent: remove them when they have got­ten four leaves, and in the full of the Moon in any case. Remove some of them in severall moneths,Coleflow­er to bear late. and so you may save them grow­ing with Coleflowers till Christmas. Your ground cannot be too rich for them; the best removing is not till June and July, and those of least growth, are best to remove late, to bear in Winter. Cover each Coleflower in frosty wea­ther, [Page 75] every night with two of their great leaves, fastned in two places, with two woodden pricks. Do this also in cold gloomy dayes, when the sun shineth not.

55. Graft the branches of Carnations the splicing way,Divers carnations in one root. as in small twigges of Trees, placing upon each branch a severall coloured flower, but let the branches which you graft, be wood­dy enough. By S.

56. Cause large Carnati­on pot to be made,Stately pots for carnations As before Num. 29. viz. double in bignesse to the usuall pots, let them have ranks of sloping holes, of the bignesse of ones finger, each rank one inch distant from another. Set in the midst of the pot a Carna­tion, [Page 76] or a Lilly, and in eve­ry of the holes, a plant of thyme or hysop; keep the thyme or hysop as it grow­eth, even with clipping, or in the forme of frets or bor­ders, and set these pots up­on faire pillars in your Gar­den, to make a beautifull shew.Birds, beasts, pyramides &c. to grow speedily. Also, you may ei­ther of stone or wood, make Pyramides, losinges, circles, pentagons, or any forme of beast or fowle, in wood, or burnt clay, full of slope holes (as before) in Gilli­flower pots; these being planted with hearbes, will very speedily grow greene, according to the forme they are planted in: And in this manner may you in two yeares space, make a [Page 77] high pyramid of thyme, or rosemary. In hot weather, they would be shaded with some strained canvas from the sun,See after in Num. 84. and watered now and then by some artificiall meanes. Also, a fret or border may be cut out in wood or lead,Delicate frets or borders. and after placed in a Garden when the hysope or thyme sides are growne to some height to be let thorough the cuts,The wood may be laid in some oyle colour. and alwayes after kept by clipping, according to the worke of the border, or fret: let the earth settle well before you sow your seeds;Earth strength­ned. water with an infusi­on of dung, or good earth, because otherwise the earth within your molds will spend, and then your plants will decay.

[Page 78] 57. Sow English Annis seeds when the Moon is at the full in February,To sow Anniseeds in England. or any time between the full and the change: if frosts will not suffer you to take the full Moon, hatch them in­to the ground, with a rake stricken thick upon them: then strew new hors-dung thinly upon the ground, to defend the seedes from the frost. These will ri­pen about Bartholomewtide; then respecting the Moon as before, sow againe, and these seeds will be ripe soo­ner then those which were sowen in February. These seeds will also come up well, being self-sowen, only break up the ground a­bout them when they be­gin [Page 79] to ripen. That ground which you would sow in February, breake up about Michaelmas; let it lye and crumble all the Winter: then when you meane to sow, stir it up againe, that it may be mellow; for, the mellower the better. A black rich mellow ground is best, and they like well in a rich dunged ground: Proved by S.

58. Having well earthed your Artichocks, then strew upon them some fresh hors­dung,Artichocks from frosts one inch in thick­nesse, and so leave them all the winter: By 23. 56.

59.Oniō seeds ordered. Sow Onion seeds in February within eight dayes after the full at the farthest (but the neerer the [Page 80] full, the better, so all will go to seed, or head, and not grow to scallions: after you have sowed them, co­ver them as you did your Annis seeds, before in Num. 57. By S.

60. Sow the early Pease as neer Midsommer as the Moon will suffer,Early and late Pes­cods. if you would have them come a­bout six weekes after Mi­chaelmas: but if you would have them ripe in May, then sow them in the be­ginning of September, somewhat before or after, as the Moon will give you leave: at the full is good, or three dayes before the full, and till eight dayes af­ter the full, is also good: these will be ripe in May. [Page 81] Make your holes about one inch and a halfe deepe, wherein you set your pease; let the ground be rich, mel­low, and ordered, as before, (numb. 57.) in Annis seeds; beare them up with stickes, as they doe the Garden­pease; cover them after they be set with new hors­dung about halfe an inch thick, all over; and (if you may possibly) plant them so, as that they may be de­fended from the North, and Northeast, by reason of some hedge or wall. Quaere, of covering them with un| sleakt lime powdered, after they have been steeped in some apt liquor a conveni­ent time; by S.

61.Colianders to sow. Sow Coliander seeds [Page 82] in February, respecting the Moon as in Annis seedes, (Num: 57) but they need no dunging: By S.

62.Sap of Bri­ony, to gather. In Aprill make a deep overthwart cut or gash into a Briony root, taking away the earth first from it; put in a Goos-quill a little un­der the slit, sloping the quill at the end which you thrust into the root: but first make a hole with your knife to get in the quill, and so you may gather great store of the water of Briony, placing a Receiver under the quill; By S.

63.Roses to beare late. Quaere, If one may not prevent the early bud­ding of the Rose, by cross­hacking the bark (as in trees to kill mosse, or to [Page 83] stay their sap from rising.)

65.Roses and carnation multiplyed You may multiply many rootes from a pro­vince rose, and the double musk-rose, (quaere, of Car­nations) if you buy a graf­ted rose tree, that hath got­ten many sprowts from the place graffed, and setting the root so as the body may lye sloping neer the earth: then lay as many of the branches as you may conveniently into the earth, loosing every slip a little from the body, and pricking with an aule a­bout the joynt that is next the slip, from whence many sprowts will issue. And thus may you have great store of Province roses without graffing in the bud, [Page 84] because each of them stan­deth upon his owne roote; whereas the bud is maintai­ned from one Roote, whch also maintaineth many o­ther branches. By S. See before in numb. 53.

65.Good seeds to know. Put some of your seeds in a sawcer of faire water, set it a while upon a Chafingdish of Coales; and if they be good, they will sprowt in a short time, else not.

66. Quaere, Seeds to sprowt speedily. In what time seeds may be made to grow in earth, moystened with warme water now and then, and the same placed in a warme roome, over a Fornace, with a small tem­perate heate under the same.

[Page 85] 67. Remove a Plant of stock gilliflowers when it is a little woodded,Single flowers doubled. and not too greene, and water it presently; doe this three dayes after the full, and re­move it twice more before the change. Doe this in barren ground, and like­wise three dayes after the new full Moone, remove againe; and then remove once more before the change: Then at the third full Moon, viz. eight dayes after, remove againe, and set it in very rich ground, and this will make it to bring forth a double flower; but if your stock-gilliflow­ers once spindle, then you may not remove them. Al­so, you must shade your [Page 86] plant with boughs for three or foure dayes after the first removing; and so of Pinks, Roses, Daysies, Fea­therfew, &c. that grow single with long standing. In removing, breake not the least root. Make Tu­lipees double in this man­ner.Tulipee double. Some think by cutting them at every full Moone before they beare, to make them at length to beare double. Num: 71.

68. By sitting upon a hill late in an evening,Miseltoe to finde. neere a Wood, in a few nights a fire drake will appeare; marke where it lighteth, and there you shall finde an Oake with Misletoe there­in, at the Root whereof there is a Misell-childe, [Page 87] whereof many strange things are conceived.Missel child Beati qui non crediderunt.

69. Gather your Grapes at the full of the Moon,Grapes kept long. See after in Num. 82 and when they are full ripe, slip each bunch from the stocke whereupon it grew, and hang those bunches along by beames, in the roofe of a warme chamber, that doth not open to the East, or to the North, and these will keepe plump and fresh till our Lady day, or therea­bout: or else with every bunch, cut off some of the stock whereupon the stalke grew, and then hang up the bunches. Both these wayes be true; By S.

70. Make a [...]tle square or round hole in a Tree,Flowers in Trees. or [Page 88] in some great arme there of, of halfe an inch, or an inch deep, fill it with earth, sow therein some Rosemary seeds, Wall-flower, Carna­tion, or other seeds; and these will grow first in the earth, and after root in the sap of the Trees, and seeme in time as if they were graffed.

71. Remove both double and single stock-gilliflow­ers,Stock-gil­liflowers to conti­nue. when they are halfe a foot high, and then they will stand six or seaven yeares: whereas otherwise they will decay very spee­dily: See before, Num. 67.

72. If you remove any rooted plants of Hearbe or flower,To remove rooted plants. though it be some­what forward in the Sum­mer, [Page 89] so as you do it in the evening, after the heat is past; and plant it present­ly, and water it, there is no danger of the parching heat of the sun the next day. But in any case heave up the Earth with the Root carefully, so as you do not breake the least sprigge of any root; for then the sap goeth out of the Plant, and it perisheth. This way you may recover great Gilli­flower rootes, and others, without danger; by S.

73. Cut your Roses,Roses to bear twice. after they have done bearing, so soone as the Moone will give you leave, viz. the fourth, fift, or sixt day after the change, and so you shall have store of Roses againe [Page 90] about Michaelmas, or after. Take heed you cut no branch of a Rose so low, as that you leave no leading branches upon it: for that will hinder the bearing of the Roses exceedingly. It is also good in the after-said dayes after the change,Hedge and Arbour when to cut. to cut any Hedge, Arbour, &c. to make it grow the better: By S.

74. If you would have Peascods before all men,Early Peascods. sow the early pease in Au­gust, three dayes before the full Moon, or within six dayes after, and these will come very early; By S.

75. How to plant the Gelderland rose,Gilder­land roses. see among Trees and Plants, Numb: 119.

[Page 91] 76. How to have Onion seeds,Seeds full & plump. Annis seeds, and other seedes, to keepe full and plump, see among Trees: Numb: 135.

77. Sow at every wane before Midsommer,Radish & spinage. to have Radishes unseeded, and one under another; but at Midsommer wane so we Radish, Spynage, &c. but once, to grow till win­ter unseeded; Proved by Tomkins the Gardner.

78. The double Piony,Piony and Flower­deluce. and Flowerdeluce, will grow of their own seed. By Tomkins.

79. Lime beaten to pow­der,Seeds from devouring and mixed with corne before it be sowen, preven­teth Rookes, and other fowle, from devouring the [Page 92] same. By my Cousin Mathews of Wales; Quaere, If it do not also help to enrich.

80. Gather you Grapes, as before, Grapes kept long. Prove this in cheries, clusters of raisins, figs. num. 69. dry them in a stove, till the faint water be spent, and so you may keep them all the yeare for your table. Quaere, If they will not plump up againe at any time in warm water. Quaere, of drying all manner of ap­ples, plummes, peares, &c. this way, for lasting. Before numb. 69.

81. As soone as your Strawberries have done bearing,Strawber­ries large. cut them down to the ground; and as often as they spire, crop them, till towards the Spring, when you would have them to proceed towards bearing: [Page 93] now and then as you cut them, strew the fine pow­der of dryed Cow-dung (quaere of Pidgeons dung) upon them, and water them when there is cause.After in Num. 85. Field strawberries, this way, will grow two inches about in bignesse, as I am credibly enformed. Enrich Carnation pots this way.

82. To water your pyra­mides,Watering artificiall. pentagons, globes, beasts, &c. made of wood, or lead, and overgrowne with hearbes, as before in num. 56. let there be placed a long and large pipe of Lead, or tinne plate, reach­ing from the bottome to the top; let the bottome be so­dred up, and let it have di­vers holes in the sides, at a [Page 94] reasonable distance: then have an exceeding large funnell of tin plate, to let in to the pipe at your pleasure to receive so much raine as will water the same suffici­ently; and when it raineth not, you may also water thereby with some rain­water kept of purpose.

83. Quaere, If Pompions planted in large pots,Arbour aloft. will not grow and beare fruit: for then you may have an Arbour of them in an open tarras, leades, or gutter, ha­ving a frame to support the fruit. Enrich the earth; as before, Numb. 83. now and then, to nourish the plant the better.

84. Quaere, Musk-Mellon to prosper. If Musk-mel­lons will not grow, and [Page 95] beare in such pots, for so in a Leads or tarras, the sunne will shine shrongly upon them; and you may defend frosts and cold winds by streining of canvas: water the pots with raine water put into other pannes, wherein you may place these pots when you want raine.

85. cut you Roses when they are ready to bud in an apt time of the Moon,Roses late. and they will begin to bud, when other Roses have done bearing: this is an excellent secret, if frosts happen in budding time: for so may you have store of Roses, when others shall have few or none, and may then be sold at a high rate. [Page 96] This I proved the 18th. of March 1606. being a few dayes after the change, up­on divers standards at Bed­nal-green, being extreame­ly nipped with frosts, in budding time; and many of them did yeeld me great store of Roses, when the rest of my Garden did in a manner fail.

86.Store of Roses. Cut your Rose-stan­dards in the twelve dayes, and not before: so they will beare exceeding well. Pro­ved often by Garret the Apo­thecary, and Pigot the Gar­dener.

87.Flowers from frost. Towards Winter, new earth your Gilliflow­ers, Carnations; and such other flowers as you would defend from the violence [Page 197] of Winter; then whelme carnation pots that are bot­tomlesse upon them, or ha­ving a great hole in the bot­tom: and by this meanes, neither the sharp windes, nor the frost, can easily pearce to their roots. I hold this to be a good course for the defence of ArtichokesArtichocks from frost. in Winter.

88.Grapes kept. You may keep bun­ches of Grapes that are sound and well gathered, in stone pots, covering them carefully, with sand.

[Page 98] TO choose ground for a Hop-Garden, you must be sure it bee not a moorish or wet soyle (though such perhaps may content a wild Hop) but a dry ground, if it be rich, mellow, and gentle, is absolutely best. Yet a light mold (though never so rich) is unapt for this purpose, for the hea­viest ground will bear the greatest weight of Hops. Place your Garden so as the Sun may have free accesse to it, either all day, or warmest part of the day. It must be guar­ded also from the wind, either naturally defended by hills, which is best; or arti­ficially by Trees: but your Trees must stand aloofe, lest the shadow of them reach the Hops, or drop wet upon them, which will destroy all. About the end of March, or beginning of April, take your roots from some Garden where they are yearly cut, and where the hills are raised high (for there the roots will be greatest) let each root be nine or ten inches long, let there be three joynts in every root, and of the last yeer's springing; but be sure no wild hops cumber the ground, which cannot be di­stinguished by the root, but by the fruit, or stalk.

DOgs and cats applyed toDogs and carst to the roots. the roots of trees before the sap rise, have recovered many old decaying trees, shred them.

2. Divers waies for the enriching of a ground,Rich ground. whereof to make an Or­chard, see among Flowers. Numb. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

3. Gravelly ground is toGround enriched. [Page 100] be dunged with chalk, and chalky with gravell, for lack of dung. T. T.

4. Strip away the leaves form the boxen slippe,Box tree pranted. and winde not the stemme, but set it whole without wind­ing. T. T.

5.Bayes to plant. Every slip of a bay tree will grow: strip off the great leaves, and set them in March, when the sappe beginneth to rise.

6.Eldern to plant Every plant of an El­dern will grow. T. T.

7.Ground enriched. Sand enricheth a clay ground; and clay a sandy ground.

8.Poplar to grow. Every slip of the Poplar tree will grow.

9.Trees to bush in the top. All Trees which you would have to grow thick at the top, and to bush [Page 101] there, cut or proin them in May: for they spring more in June and July, than all the yeare before or after.

10.Cherries when to plant. Plant Cherries in Octo­ber, November, January, and February. T. T.

11.Quinces when to plant. Plant Quince Trees in October, November, Februa­ry, and March. T. T.

12.Hasels and pear trees when to plant. Set Hasells and Peare Trees in October, November, February, and March. T. T.

13.Apple cornels set. Set Apple cornells e­vermore the end that is next the root downward, five fingers breadth be­tween every cornell; moy­sten them often with water by sprinkling, and set the cornells in March. T. T.

14.Plum­stones set. Set plumstones in November, six or eight in­ches [Page 102] ches deep in the earth. T. T.

15.Pineapple corness set. Set the Pineapple cornel (first steeped in wa­ter three dayes) in October, November, February, and March, four inches deep.

16. Set Peach-stones the sharp end downward,Peach stones set. in November, four or five in­ches deep. T. T.

17.Springs & plants set Set springs and plants in harvest.

18.Branches to root in the ground. If a Plant put forth many stalkes or branches from the root, and you would have each branch to root, then bear up the earth about them to some reaso­nable height, either with tills or brickbats; and in that earth, every branch will root. (Quare, if your branch will root at any [Page 103] part but in a joynt, about the which also, with a great aule you must pricke many holes even to the wood,) This is a necessary secret in all such plants as be straight and stisse, and not apt to bow, or to be laid along within the earth. By Mr. Pointer.

19.O'd tree or vine recodered How to recover an old decaying tree or Vine, with bloud, and pigeons dung, see among the Flowers Numb. 34.

20.Orchard of dwarf trees. An Orchard of dwarf-trees, that may be defended from all frosts, see among the Flowers, Numb. 32.

21.Early fruit How to have early fruit, see among the Flowers Numb. 33.

[Page 104] 22.Fruit growing long. Plant Dwarse Trees, and when the fruit is al­most ripe, bow down their branches with their fruit upon them, into great ear­then pots, or pitched tubs, either with bottomes, or without bottomes, the pots or tubs standing in the Earth; then cover them with boards and earth from the sun, and the sap of the Tree will keep them grow­ing a long time, as I sup­pose. Prove this in greene fruit,Blossoms frō frests. ripefruit, and almost ripe fruit; also in the bloo­ming time, if you fear frosts bow downe the branches with the blossoms, as before to defend them in May, from the injury of the wea­ther: and by this help you [Page 105] may happily have Fruit, when others shall want.

23.Grapes growing long upon the Vine. Put a Vine branch through a basket in Decem­ber, chuse such a one as is like to beare grapes; fill the basket with earth, and when the Grapes are ripe, cut off the branch under the basket:Plums and Cherries growing long. keep the basket abroad, whilst the weather is warme; and within doors in cold weather, in a con­venient place: Prove this in plummes and cherries, &c.

24.Trees to prosper Make divers holes with a croe of iron, round about the bodies of your Trees; and about Alhallon­tide, pour Oxe bloud into the holes, cover them with earth, and this will make [Page 106] your trees to prosper well. Probatum in Apricot trees,Apricots to prosper By Mr. Andr. Hill. If you do this at the Spring, the smell of the bloud will of­fend you; and therefore this practice is best for the Winter season.

25. Plant the shoots of Sallow,Speedy woods. Willow, Alder, and of all swift growing trees, being of seven yeares growth, sloping off both the ends one way, and lay­ing the sloaped ends to­wards the ground, let them be of the length of a billet, bury them a reasonable depth in the ground, and they will put forth seven or eight branches, each of which will becom a tree in a short time. I take moyst [Page 107] grounds to be best for this purpose: thus you may have speedy growing woods.

26. To make any branch of a tree to root,Branches to root. see among the Flowers, numb. 45.

27. Mixe green Cow­dung and urine together,Trees frō Barking or canker. wash the trees with a brush so high as you think meet, once in two or three months, and it will keep the trees from barking with beasts, conies, &c. and the same doth also destroy the canker.

28. Take of the rich crust of one acre of ground,Rich mold for O­chard or Garden. and therewith you may make any Garden, or Or­chard ground, that is but a foot deep in goodnesse, of [Page 108] what depth you please to make the rootes of your trees to prosper the better.

29. In high grounds and sandy,Depth for trees. set Trees deepe: in low grounds, and watry, plant them shallow; the shallower the better. By Master Hill. But by Taverner, you must set your Trees so, that the rootes may spread in the upper crust, which is the fruitfull part of the earth. This crust in some grounds is two foot; in some three foot; in some one foot; and in some but halfe a foot deepe: see the reason more at large, in his booke, page 34.

30. Lop,Procining Of trees. top, and proin all Trees in January, in the wane of the Moone, and [Page 109] pare them over in March: so shall the bark cover his stock the sooner.

31. Slit the barke of all Trees that are bark bound,Trees baak­bound, helped. in February, or March, in the increase of the Moon.

32. Refuse to grasse,Ill wea­ther for Orchard works. plant, remove, lop, top, proin, to slit the barks of trees, or set or sow cornells, nuts or stones, in weather frosty or watry, and when the wind shall be East or North, or North-east. Yea, the best Oake felled under such a winde,Oak when not to be selled. will prove but wind-shaken timber.

33. Small Crabstock of three inches about,Bignesse of crabstock. or lesse, may be graffed.

34. Peare stocke,Bignesse of Pear stock and white thou ne. and white thorne stockes of the [Page 110] same scantling, all of them about the length of twelve or twenty four inches.

35. Wild cherry stocks,Bignesse of wild chery stocks. three, four, or five foot long and three inches about, lit­tle more, or lesse.

36. White plumstockes would be of the same big­nesse.White plum­stocks.

37. When the stocke is able to put forth in one yeare a shoot of a yard long,When a stock is to be graffed. then is it of strength suffici­ent to bear a Cions; for then it sheweth to like the ground well; otherwise, it will never prove a fair tree.

38. A Peare or Warden,White thorn no stock for peare or warden; good for a medlar. grasled upon a white thorn, will be small, hard, cap­pard, and spotted; but a Medlar may well be graf­ted [Page 111] upon a white thorne. Taverner.

39. The suckers of Quince trees,Suckers planted. and Filberds, will prove well being plan­ted. Taverner.

40. For Chestnuts and Wallnuts,Nuts set. set the nuts one­ly. Taverner.

FIrst, pave a square plot with brick, (and if it be covered with plaister of Paris, it is so much the better) making up sides of brick also plaistered likewise: let this be of a convenient depth, fill it with the best vegetable ♄ which you can get, that hath stood two yeares, or one at the least, quite within his owne Spheare: make contrition of the same; and be sure to avoid all ob­structions, imbibe it with Aqua coelestis in a true proportion, grind it once a day till it be dry: being dry, let it stand two or three days without any imbibition, y^t it may the better attract from all the hea­venly [Page 168] influence, continuing then also a Philosophical contrition every day (this grinding must also be used in the vegetable work where the ☿ of hearbs is used instead of aqua coelestis) during all the time of preparation: then plant what rare flowers, fruits, or seeds, you please therein. And (if my Theory of Nature deceive me not this ♄ so enriched from the heavens, without the help of any manner of soyl, marle, or compost (after one years revolution) will make the same to flourish and fructifie in a strange and admirable man­ner: yea, I am perswaded, that it will receive an Indian plant, and make all vegetables to prosper in the highest degree, and to bear their fruits in England, as natu­rally as they do in Spain, Italy, or elsewhere.

So likewise of that Walnut­tree, planted within the limits of the aforesaid Abby, which on [Page 169] St. Barnabias Eve standeth bare, and naked without leaves; and upon the day it self, richly clo­thed with his green vesture.

I could remember many Phi­losophical plants in England, were it not that the losse of Rip­ley's life, that renowned Alchy­mist, who suffered death (as the secret report goeth) for making a Pear-tree to fructifie in Winter, did command an altum silentium in these matters: but it was the denial of his medicine, and not the crime of conjuration, which was but colourably laid to his charge, that wrought his over­throw.

Nay, if the earth it self, after it hath thus conceived from the clouds, were then left to bring forth her own fruits and flowers in her own time, and no seeds or plants placed therein by the hand of man, it is held very probable (unlesse for the sin of our first Pa­rents, [Page 170] begun in them, and mighti­ly increased in us, the great God of Nature, even Natura naturans, should recall, or suspend those fructifying blessings which at the first he conferred upon his coe­lestial Creatures) that this hea­venly earth, so manured with the starres, would bring forth such strange and glorious plants, fruits and flowers, as none of all the Herbarists that ever wrote till this day, nor any other, unlesse Adam himselfe were alive againe, could either know, or give true and proper names unto these most ad­mirable simples.

Also, in the work of fructifica­tion, I think that Corn it self may be so philosophically prepared, only by imbibition in the Philo­sophers aqua vitae, that any bar­ren ground, so as it be in nature kindly for Corn, shall bring forth a rich crop, without any matter added to the ground, and so with [Page 171] a small or no charge, a man may sow yearly upon the same ground And he that knoweth how to lay his fallowes truely, whereby they may become pregnant from the heavens, and draw abundantly that coelestial and generative ver­tue into the Mataix of the earth; this man, no doubt, will prove the true and philosophical Hus­bandman, and goe beyond all the Countrey Coridons of the Land, though never so well acquainted with Virgils Georgicks, or with Master Bernhard Palisiy his conge­lative part of raine water, which he calleth the Vegetable salt of Na­ture: wherein though he observed more then either Varro, Columella, or any of the ancient Writers in this kind, did ever dream of; yet doth he come many degrees short of this heavenly mystery.

Now, to give you some taste of that fire which the Philosophers [Page 127] call the Stomach of the Ostrich, (without which the Philoso­phers true and perfect Aqua vitae can never be made) you must un­derstand, that it is an outward fire of Nature, which doth not onely keepe your Glasse, and the matter therein contained, in a true proportionable heat, fit for workmanship, without the helpe of any ordinary or material fire: but it is also an efficient and prin­cipal cause, by his powerful na­ture and pearcing quality, to stir up, alter and exalt, that inward fire that is inclosed within the Glasse in his owne proper earth. And therefore here, all the usual Chymical fires, with all their graduations, are utterly secluded; so as neither any naked fire, nor the heat of filings of Iron, of sand, of ashes, nor of Baln. Mar. though kept in a most exquisite manner, nor any of the fires en­gendered by putrefaction, as of [Page 173] dung and such like, no nor the heat of the Sun, or of a Lamp, or an Athanor (the last refuge of our wandring and illiterate Alchy­mists) have here any place at all. So that by this fire and furnace onely, a man may easily discern a mercenary workman (if he deale in vegetables onely from a second Philosopher; and if in any thing (as no doubt in many things) then here especially vulgaris ocu­lus caligat plurimum.

This fire is by nature generally offered unto all, and yet none but the children of Art have pow­er to apprehend it: for, being coe­lestial, it is not easily understood of an elemental braine; and being too subtile for the sense of the Eye, it is left onely to the search of a divine wit: and there I leave it for this time.

The physical use of this fire, is to divide a Coelum terrae, and then to stellifie the same with any [Page 174] animall or vegetable star, where­by in the end it may become a quintessence.

Here I had thought to have handled that crimson coloured salt of Nature, so farre exceeding all other salts, in a true, quick, and lively taste, which is drawne from the Philosophers earth, and worketh miraculous effects in mans body; and withall, to have examined that strange opinion which Doctor Quercitanus, an excellent Theorist in Nature, and a great Writer in these dayes doth. violently maintaine, in his dis­course upon Salt-peter.

But because it is impertinent to this subject, and that I have dis­coursed more at large thereon in my Abstract of Corn. Agrip. his Booke De occult. Philos. and for that Quercitanus doth shew him­selfe to be a true Lover of Hermes Houshold, I will not straine my wit, to write against any particu­lar [Page 175] person that professeth himselfe to be of that family; although both he, and some others, as great as himselfe, must give me leave, whensoever I shall be forced in that Booke to handle the practi­cal part of Nature, and her pro­cesse, happily to weaken some principles and positions, which both he and they have already published; excusing my selfe with that golden saying of Ar [...]isttle, [...]. Amicus So­crates, amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas. But I am affraid I have been too bold with vulgar wits, who take no pleasure to heare any man altius philosophari, that they can well understand; and therefore I have compiled this Book in plain termes, of such a Garden and Orchard as will better serve for common use, and fit their wits and conceits much better.