VIRGINIA compared to PERSIA.

BUT to illustrate this with another argument: Let us compare this felicity-teeming Virginia, as it is scituated from 31 degrees of Latitude to 40. with other Countries, seated in the same degrees which opens us a method of observing what Commodities Nati­o [...]s so planted abound with, which found wee shall discover in this excellent Virgin a disposition ingrafted by Nature to be Mother of all those excellencies, and to be equall (if not superior) as well in all their noble Staples, as in nearenesse to their particular enricher the perpetually au [...]picious Sunne. And this to whom Virginia owes the publication and portract of her incomparable beauty; Mr. Har­riot the noble Mathematician delivers us by a happy instance in fin­ding out for her [...] noble Sister of the same Latitude, the most glori­ous Persia, innobled as much by this comparison as in her Empire. And those who have travelled and viewed Persia, unanimously re­late wonders of her admirable fertility in all sorts of Graine and Fruits, with an unexpressible abundance of Silke and Wines: In which this her rich-bosomed Sister claimes an equality in her plen­ [...]y of Mulberries, Silke, and Gums, Vines, Maiz, Rice, and all sorts of Graine: onely as a fuller-dowryed Sister she merits a priority in fertility, pleasure, health, and temperature, a Virgin Countrey, [...]o preserved by Nature out of a desire to show mankinde fallen in­to the Old age of the Creation, what a brow of fertility and beau­ty she was adorned with when the World was vigorous and youth­full, and she her selfe was unwounded with the Plough-shares, and unweakened by her numerous future teemings.

Another eye-witnesse of this Victorious Empire, delivers to me­mory that Covazan in a Province of that Countrey [...] is so incom­parably fruitfull, that Dearths are never knowne, nor Famine ever suspected in it, that in one onely City called E [...]y, there is such an in­estimable store of Silke [...] that there might be bought in one day in that City as much Silke as will lode three thousand Camells. And he is little conversant with experience or History, who is ignorant that the abundance of Silke Native to that Countrey and Climate, [Page 11] is almost the sole Staple of that mighty Empire, by which never-to-be exhausted Treasure of Silkes the sinewes and vitalls of the Persi­an Empire, the Sophy to the generall good of Christendome, keepes both the hornes of the Ottoman Moone from compleating their am­bitious Circle. And if the English East India Company of Mer­chants were not wrong-byassed by the factions and sinister ambiti­on of some men in Authority amongst them, a great part of that wealthy Staple might be transported into England, and by that meanes dispersed over all parts of Europe to the enriching and ho­nour of this Nation.

The digression upon this Parallell hath diverted me from amplia­tion upon the publick benefit, which may devolve into this repub­lick by the Olive, which being genuine to the Vine, will by a hap­py consent of nature indisputably flourish in a vast abundance, and by a transportation into the warmer Regions, where the heate or scarcity of Cattle causeth a like indigence of Butter, will be a Sta­ple of inestimable value, and of no smaller conducement to our owne shipping, into those provinces neere the Equinox, or in those voyages where the doubling of the Line either putrifies, or makes it of a taste little pleasing or agreeable to the palate.

VIRGINIA compared to CHINA.

BUt to leave Persia and descend to a more wealthy and powerful parallell, the richest and mightiest Empire in the World lies in the same latitude and climate with our fortunate Virginia; namely China, divided from it onely by the Southsea, and (which will bee a part of another discourse) not of any long distance from it, agreeing with it in multitude of Staples. China is stored with an infinite number of Mulberry trees to feede Silkewormes with, and vends silke in such a vast proportion, that in one onely City Lempo, which some call Liempo, the Portugeses, have with no small admiration, observed that one hundred and sixty thousand pound weight of silk hath beene caried out in one Shippe in the onely space of three Mo­neths.

Into Cambula the chiefe City of Tartary (as Authors of great [Page 12] repute and credit, and one who was personally there, reports) there comes [...]very day from China, a thousand waggons laden with silke. Nor is China lesse happy in its multitude of navigable Rivers, in its wonderfull fertility of all sorts of graine, Maiz, Rice, &c. of which it receiveth every yeere three or foure most plentifull Harvests. Ri­vers stored with an incredible quantity of Fish and Fowle, enriched and ennobled with numerous Mines of Gold, Silver, Brasse, Iron, and other Mettalls, Quicksilver, Nitre, Allum, Pretious stones, Pearles, Muske, Cotton, Sugars, Rubarb, China Root, vast propor­tions of Flax, Furres extraordinary rich. To this happinesse of soile and situation, they associate an equall felicity of parts and industry, by which they pretermit not one span of ground which they assign not to particular and profitable uses, and by an ingenious division of the ground according to the quality of the soyle, designe the dri­er part for wheat and barly, That which is more visited with an im­proving moysture, to Rice and Sugar; As [...]ents and Mountaines to groves of P [...]nes and Chestnuts, betweene which are planted Maiz Panicle, and all kinde of Pulse. In other proper places are Mulber­ry Groves, Gardens, Orchards, Flax, and in a word no spot of ground misimployed from its proper advantage.

And that Virginia is parallell in neerenesse of Staples, as well as neighbourhood to the sunne, to that celebrated Empire, what mul­titudes of Fi [...]h to satisfie the most voluptuous of wishes, can China glory in which Virginia may not in justice boast of? What Fowles can she make oftentation of, in which Virginia can be esteemed in­feriour? Can China, insolent with her prosperity, solely lay clay [...]e to a more singular honour for her affluence in Maiz and other grain, for the maintenance and luxury of her plenty-wanton Inhabitants, without an open injury to her equall, to her Mayden sister, to our incomparable Virginia? Are her Mulberries springing from a vo­luntary bounty of Nature lesse numerous or usefull then those to which China hath added all the assistance which could be expected from advantages of tra [...]splantation, or an industrious people? If China will descend to particulars, to compare Quantity and Quali­ty of Fish and Fowle, Let her shew us Turkies of 50 pound weight, Let her instance an example of one hundred and fifty Fowle, to re­ward the labour of three charges of shot and powder, Let he [...] pub­lish a president so worthy of admiration (and which will not admit [Page 13] beliefe in those bosomes where the eye cannot be witnesse of the a­ction [...] of five thousand fish taken at one draught neere Cape Charls [...] at the entry into Chesapeak Bay, and which swells the wonder greater, not one fish under the measure of two feet in length. What Fleets come yeerely upon the coasts of New found Land, and New England for Fish, with an incredible re [...]rne? Yet tis a most assu­red truth, that if they would make experiment upon the South of Cape Cod, and from thence to the coast of this happy Countrey, they would find Fish of a greater delicacy, and as full handed plen­ty, which though Foraigners know not, yet if our owne Planters would make use of it, would yield them a Revenue which cannot admit of any diminution, whilest there are Ebbes and Flouds, Ri­vers feed and receive the Ocean, or Nature fayles in (the Elementall Originall of all things) Waters.

There wants nothing but industrious spirits and incouragement, to make a rich Staple of this commodity; and would the Virgini­ans but make Salt pits, in which they have a greater convenience of Tides (that part of the Universe by reason of a full influence of the Moone upon the almost limitlesse Atlantick causing the most spacious Fluxes and Refluxes, that any shore of the other divisions in the World is sensible of) to leave their pits full of Salt­water, and more friendly and warme Sunbeames to concoct it into Salt, then Rochel, or any parts of Europe. Yet notwithstanding these advantages which prefer Virginia before Rochel, the French King rayses a large proportion of his Revenues out of that Staple yearly, with which he supplyes a great part of Christendome.

And if from this Staple the miserable French can procure a sub­sistence, some of them a comfortable livelyhood, notwithstanding all the private oppressions of their grinding Landlords, the Publick Tallies, Subsidies, Aides, Imposts, and other hard Titles of a [...]thori­zed Rapine. What shall wee imagine the freeborne English in a Countrey where he owes no Rent to any but to God and Nature, where he has Land to satisfie his desires in its extent, his wishes in its fertility, where free-quarter is a word onely un [...]erstood by Re­port, may expect of profit and content both in this Staple of Salt, in that of Wines made in those Countries, where either the Spa­nish insolence and exactions, the French extortions, or the Turkish Imperiall Robberi [...]s, though in the highest degrees of exorbitance, [Page 14] are not of force so to disincourage the Inhabitants from attendance upon the Vineyard, which notwithstanding all those Horse-leaches of Imposition, returnes them such a profit a [...] make them keepe a middle path betweene the ascent of Riches, and precipice of Pover­ty.

Nor would it be such a long intervall (Salt being first made) be­twixt the undertaking of this Fishing, and the bringing it to per­fection; for if every servant were enjoyned to practise Rowing, to be taught to handle Sailes, and trimme a Vessell, a worke easily pra­ctised, and suddainely learned, the pleasantnesse of Weather in fish­ing season, the delicacy of the Fish, of which they usually feede themselves with the best, the encouragement of some share in the profit, and their understanding what their owne benefit may bee when their freedome gives them an equallity, will make them wil­ling and able Fisher-men and Seamen.

To adde further to this, if wee consider the abundance, largenesse, and peculiar excellency o [...] the S [...]urgeon in that Countrey, it will not fall into the least of scruples, but that one species will bee of an invaluable profit to the buyer, or if wee repeate to our thoughts the singular plenty of Herrings and Mackarell, in goodnesse and great­nesse much exceeding what ever of that kinde these our Seas pro­duce, a very ordinary unders [...]anding may at the first inspection per­ceive that it will be no great difficulty to out-labour and out-vye the Hollander in that his almost onely Staple: Which wee may also sell at a cheaper Market then in common estimation [...] if wee revolve the Salt to be our owne, which they buy from France, or fetch from the Isle of May, and that the very fraight of Passengers (of which allured by this improvement, and the publick approbation, there will be constant multitudes) in our owne Sh [...]ppes will at the least defray 3 [...] fourths of the charges.

I should not unwillingly heare (though I dispaire ever to know it for a certainety) that China did exceede us in fishing; for were it granted, wee should not imagine those watry Inhabitants so cir­cumscribed and limited to one part of the Ocean especially the same Climate and Latitude, inviting them as not to visit our opposite shore of Southwest Virginia in as great variety and plenty.

And to the more curious and able Persons I shall offer what singu­lar object it were of variety and plenty, if they would take the ad­vantage [Page 15] of some tides and seasons, when the resort of fish is grea­test to stoppe the Returne of them out of some Creeke perpetually flowing with Salt by Sl [...]ces, or such other invention: Heere would those great ones generate and produce till even they laboured with their owne Multitude, if permitted to increase two or three yeares, who might with very small charge be maintained, and yearely ren­der to the proprietar an Ocean of Fish in a narrow confine of Wa­ter.

Nor were it unworthy the labour to make an experiment whe­ther the S [...]urgion himselfe might not receive a kinde of Domestica­tion in that narrow circumscript on, especially if wee let it descend into our thoughts, that (by small perforations in the sluces he perpe­tually admits a Renovation and change of salt Water) he may re­ceive the s [...]me benefit of Liberty, namely variety of Water, which he delights in when unconfined, and admitting the Originall Bree­der not to thrive well by such imprisoning, yet Customes ascending as high as Nature in the Breed, would make that Familiar to them, which peradventure might have been offensive to the first Spawner, and should they delight (as in some seasons of the yeare Fishes doe vary their Resorts) at any time in fresh water; A large Pond dig­ged neare having either Springs to feede it, or Raines to fill it, might by communication of a Sluce receive both them and Salmon, when they seeke aft [...]r the Freshes.

And that Fishes may be unwilded, and become Domestick, Histo­ry will sufficiently informe us, wherein are delivered Reports of some who growne more particularly intelligent, were distingu [...]sht by names, a [...]d understood themselves so called: and Martiall in one of his Epigrams to Caesar, (I meane Domi [...]ian) tells the Prince speaking of Fishes so instructed, Quid quod nomen habe [...]t & ad Ma­gistri Nomen quis (que) sui venit cita [...]s? And further, Ma [...]m (que) lambit, a thing, which though a Poet, and consequently bold, ev [...]n to untruths, yet he durst never have obtruded upon Caesar, whom himselfe makes a party in the experiment.

And to adde something to what hath formerly beene delivered of Balsomes and Colours, why from the Livers and most unctuous parts of those more delicate Fishes, may not curiosity finde a means to extract an Oyle, which (if it be not Medicinall, though I am en­clined by severall Reasons to belie [...]e the affirmative) may notwith­standing [Page 16] artificially distilled after its first extraction prove a delica­cy for the Tables of Princes and Great Ones, especially for Sauces, and other Confections which Luxury hath found out for the irrita­tion of dull and retreating appetites. But I cannot believe it to be deprived of its particular virtue in Physicall operations, and the in­dustrious conclusions of our Ancestors have by such probations discovered many rich Mysteries of Nature; whilst wee either glut­ted with our owne plenty of Receipts, or out of a too fond a Re­verence wee pay to antiquity acquiesc [...] in their prescriptions, as in the ne plus ultra, the Hercules Pillars of Wisedome, beyond which there were no passage, or else feare every innovation brings in­conveniences in his Traine, which opinion if it had possessed those our Ancestors, the World had continued in ignorance, and must for ever have layne sick of an incurable folly in the Fooles Hospitalls.

For what concernes the Flax of China, that wee may not lose the smallest circumstance of Parallell with Virginia, Nature her selfe hath enriched this her bosome Favourite with a voluntary plant [...] which by art, industry, and transplantation may be multi­plyed and improved to a degree of as plentifull, but more excel­lent Nature: Which because of its accession to the quallity of Silke, wee entitle Silke Grasse: Of this Queene Eliz [...]beth had a substantiall and rich peece of Grograine made and presented to Her. Of this Mr. Porey in his discovery of the great River Chamonoak, to the South of Iames River delivers a Relation of infinite Quan­tity, covering the Surface of a Vast Forest of Pine-trees, being 60. miles in length.

It had beene wished that the injun [...]tion given to every Plan­ter to set so many thousand Plants of this kinde had been effectu­ally prosecuted: The intermission wher [...]of hath beene a prejudice not easily imaginable: Nor is it yet too late to effect it, and in all probability by transplantation it may thrive beyond comparison larger, and the skinne of it growne more tender and delicate, may arrive to some equali [...]y with the labou [...] of the Silke-worme, if it be managed by such Rules of Nature best sute with its production.

For Hempe there is a naturall kinde of Hempe, a sp [...]cies of Flagg in that Countrey, from which being boyled you may strippe a long and fine skinne, not onely proper for Cordage, but the finer sort singularly usefull for Linnen; of this two hundred weight hath [Page 17] beene sent into E [...]gland, of which hath beene made excellent Cor­dage, and very good Linnen. This, by observation of the soile it growes in, and transplanted into Grounds of like, but richer pro­perty, would together with tht Silke-grasse make a Staple of admi­rable Returne and Profit; Provided every Planter had an injuncti­on for this, as well as the former to sow or set a convenient propor­tion, to which his owne profit (quickned with the imposition of a mulct in case of neglect) would easily invite him. And by this meanes would Virginia not onely furnish her owne people, but sup­ply other Nations with Stuffes and Linnen.

To the Brasse of China, wee shall oppose the Virginian Copper (or Gold, for yet it is doubtfull) for by a concurrent Relation of all the Indians, justified to severall English of Quality, particular­ly to the Earle of Southampton [...] in Mr. Poryes Narrative [...] to Sir Wil­liam B [...]rkely, all seconding Mr. Heriots Report, that within ten dayes West toward the setting of the Sunne, the Natives of that Countrey gathered a kinde of a Red Sand falling with a streame is­suing from a Mountaine, which being washed in a sive, and set up­on the fire speedily, melts and becomes some Copper, which they shew us, but as they say much softer. We shall only suppose it to be Copper, contrary to the opinion of divers knowing men, who ap­prehend it for a Richer Metall; but melting with such ease two parts in five turning to a Solid Metall, the other three parts being peradventure not any thing of the Oare, but onely such Rubbidge, as joyned to the Oare in rouling, and this falling meerely from the superficies of the Mountaine, yet a Rich Copper; what eye enlight­ned with the smallest beame of Reason, will not conclude it for an extraordintry accession of Wealth to this Countrey? and why may not the intralls of this Minerall be Gold, since the skinne and crust of it is Copper? Nature her selfe oftentimes dealing after the mode of divers great men, delighting to lay an unregarded outside over her Richest Linings.

To proceed in continuation of our comparison with China, if it abound more in visible Silver (of which with our abundance of Staples may quickly put us into a [...]ondition of entring into com­pletion with) yet cannot Virginia in all probability be destitute of that Metall: For besides divers conjectures grounded upon na­turall cir [...]umstances: Mr. Gage in his Relation of the Indies, assures [Page 18] us that the Spanyards have found out a rich Silver Mine on the back side of Florida Westward, in 34 degrees of Latitude, and the far­ther they extend their search Northward, the more Rich and Pure the Mines discovered improve themselves.

Nor shall wee plead inferiority in Pearles with China or Persia, since Mr. Heriot assure [...] us of a large quantity of Pearles found a­mongst the Natives, spoyled by their ignorance in boring of them, and defacing their orientall lustre, by exposing them to the fire. These were found amongst the Indians at Roanoak, and the Relati­ons of the Natives on all hands unanimously concur that the South and West of this opulent Countrey was stored with such abundance and variety, that the Indians used to make and adorne Babies with them: And one of the English had collected a Bracelet of very o­rientall Pearle, to the number of five thousand, which were all lost in the Returne to England.

If China suppose a merit of precedency in Muske, Virginia may justly oppose them with her Mu [...]k Rat, or Muscassus, which in all probability cannot but be the same; for it is a tradition recei­ved into the Number of truhts, that the Confection of their Muske in that Countrey is bruizing and burying a certaine Creature to pu­ [...]refaction, of which this Odour is effected, and it is very open to conjecture that this Musk-R [...]t or Musc [...]ssus, whose flesh and skinne are extraordin [...]ry redolent [...]nd durant, and of which there is an in­finite plenty, by such order may be brought to the same perfection. Neither is it so improbable th [...]t this Odour should proceed from putrefaction, which is naturally an abhorrence to the Nosthrill: for if you apply too neare to the substance of the Muske, there is an oc­cult subolency of such a putrefactive originall. Neither are all ex­cretions of Nature in themselves offensive to the sense of smelling, for the Fluxe of the Civet-Cat is accounted am [...]ngst our most sov [...] ­raigne Per [...]umes: And this exp [...]rimented will be a Staple of noble use, and no lesse benefit.

Nor shall wee yeeld the Laurell of preeminence in Richnesse of Furres to China, if the Furres of Beavers, Otters, Martines, and a­bove all Black Foxes (which are upon some part of this Continent) may pretend any title to Richnesse: And yet have wee beene hi­therto so supinely negligent to permit the Dutch and the French to carry away most of this pretious Commodity, to trade in our Ri­vers, [Page 19] under-sell us, and which discovers either an [...]mplacable malice or insatiable avarice, trade with those Indians (of whom wee have no reason to nourish any great confidence) for Muskets and Pow­der.

To conclude, what ever else China may presume to boast of: Whether Nitre, Allum, Quicksilver, Rhubarb, and China Root, of which some wee have already discovered: If wee consider the pa­rallell in Latitude, the equality of temperate Climate, the parity in soile, and its fertility, the similitude in brave Navigable Rivers, the unanimous congruity and consent in divers knowne Commodities, wee shall have an ample basis to ground conjectu [...]es upon, that what ever singularity of Nature that Nation may im [...]gine her selfe Victorious over others [...] will be found equall in this Garden of the World, this aemulous Rivall of China, Virginia: And the Chine­ses may with as great justice deny the Europ [...]ans the benefit of both eyes, as boast that they precede in any thing except Antiquity of habitation and a long experienced industry, this great Luminary of the new World Virginia.

What ever other commodities, the Novelty of inhabiting this a­morous Virgin hath made it appeare defective in as Sugar, [...]ndigo, Cotton, Ginger, and other advantageous Staples, wee shall appeale to all who have seene this unexampled Countrey; (we meane Roa­noak, and the more Southerne parts, and those Cou [...]tries towards the fertile Mangoack) whether it be guilty of any contrariety, di­stemper, or extremity which might hinder their production. The Sunne, which in other Countre [...]s makes his visit in Flames and Droughts, heere casts his auspicious Beames, and by an innocent and complementall warmth, courts the bosome of this his particu­lar favo [...]rite, hastening and disposing its wombe for ripe producti­ons, which salute him in an absolute perfection. Winter Snowes, Frosts, and other excesses, are heere only remembred, never known. The purling Springs and wanton Rivers every where kissing the happy soyle into a perpetuall verdure, into an unwearied fertility: no obstructions in your expectations, attempt and hope them, pro­secute and enjoy them.

Nor have we in design to lay any imputation upon the Barbadoes, which already aboundeth to admiration, with the Staples last men­tioned, yet it will become our charity to wish the Country as health­ [...]ll, [Page 20] as it is fruitfull; that it may answer the expectation and merit of its most industrious and publicke spirited Planters, who have gi­ven a brave example to all, by the effects of their industry and un­wearied constancy. From a thing almo [...]t lost to memory, (at the least to reputation) they have raysed the honour of that Island, to be a subject of admiration for wealth and Staple, and that so little a cir­cumference of Ground should be able to vent the value of two hun­dred and fifty thousand pound yeerely, as some Merchants have maintayned, not only addes to the weight and measure of their just estimation, but increases the favourable wishes of all [...]overs of indu­stry, that they had a larger proportion of ground to improve upon.

And if an invincible sloth doth not possesse us in Virginia, (wee meane the South) why should not wee rayse an equall or greater profit upon as fertile and convenient a soile? especially if we consider [...]he populousnesse of the place, has so raysed the price of Land there, which we have heere gratis, where number of inhabitants doe so little take from our abundance, that they adde to our wealth, securi­ty and plenty, and the sole meanes to increase and improve upon Staples.

We have made it apparant that what ever China hath of Staple or delicacy, is produced or producible in this above-example Virgin. But to shew that even China her selfe must in some thi [...]gs give place to this more happy Mayden, T [...]rra sigillata, or Lemnia, (as peculiar an income to the Grand Signiors Treasury, as that of Salt is to the French Kings) and of which China can no way boast, is native to this Countrey; Vines are eyther not naturall, neglected, or not un­derstood by the Chineses [...] but in this incomparable soyle the Grape presents it selfe every where to your delighted prospect. And what [...]hadow can there be of scruple that Wines well cultivated, and issu­ing from a rich Grape, will not be as commodious a Staple to that voluptuous and gluttonous Nation, who wanton away their wealth in banqnets, as the Wines of France and Spain are to the more Nor­therne and lesse abstenious Nations of Europe?

There [...]eeds no objection be made against this Staple; for the Southwest part of Virginia being once discovered, the Sea laid open and that passage compleat in all its numbers [...] the pleasure of the commerce, the richnesse of returnes, and the extraordinary quickne [...] of the profit, will invite so many to come over and plant that com­modious [Page 21] quarter of Virginia, that as we shall never labour with too numerous a multitude of inhabitants, so we shall not have any great occasion to complaine of the paucity of Planters.

Nor is Tobacco in those Indian seas (especially cured as in Virgi­nia, and of that strength and excellency) a commodity of inconside­rable commerce, particularly if wee call to minde what gayne there is by the exchange for Indian commodities, so that any ordinary un­derstanding may comprehend that although Tobacco should yeeld but three pence the pound in India, yet by way of barter with those Nations where the returne quadruples the value in England, the gaynes gotten by it might be very considerable.

But if we may beleeve Printed Relations (and the person delive­ring it so cleerely, is, in my opinion [...] worthy of all credit) Tobacco from Surat to Moco yeeld ten for one profit, returned in Eastridge feathers to England, you have six to one profit; but this is for those Planters who are so infected with that disease of the Countrey, that they cannot admit of any other Staple, though more gainefull and lesse laborious. Yet is not Tobacco without its vertues: for the Spa­niard hath found out, besides the use of it in smoke, (or the smoky use) that the juice thereof (when greene) applyed to any wound cut, sore, and without a [...]y distinction, whether greene, festered, or cankered, will heale it speedily, and almost miraculously; the leafe bruised or stamped, and applied to any bite or sting of a venemous quality, to any wound made by a poyso [...]ed arrow, the green leafe heated in hot ashes, and layd upon any part of the body afflicted with aches, will worke effects answerable to the most powerfull operations of Nature.

The Benefi [...] and part of the Silke-worme mystery treated of.

BUT to show to the World that wee may equall the best of the Westerne Kingdomes in this noble mystery of Nature the Silke-worme: That France and Italy are much below this Mignon of Glory and Profit, the universally advantageous Virginia, wee shall [...]pon those in [...]allible demonstrations of Nature, make evident, ha­ving [Page 22] the clew of truth, reason, and modesty to direct us.

It will not be denied by any, whose forehead is not too brazen, that no Countrey is so proper for adventitions as its owne Native Commodities, the seeds of things suffer a deterioration by changing the propriety of that soile which was geniall to them, and the ex­act order of Nature suffers a diminution, if wee imagine any other Climate or Region more proper for the perfection of any thing, then where it is originally produced.

Tellier aff [...]rmes that this mystery of the Silke-worme hath not been experimented in Europe above a thousand yeares [...] being trans­mitted to our Climate out of the Asiatick World, in so much that Italy hath not beene above 200 yeares enriched with this industri­ous Creature, France received it from Italy, and it is observed, that the warmer the Region, by so much larger and stronger encrease and texture receive they from the labour of this admirable and na­turall Weaver. France being of a colder temper then Italy, their Wo [...]mes are weaker, in the more Northerne part of that Kingdome from one ounce of seed they profit five or sixe pound of Silke in­crease, worth at the least [...]os. per pound, in Languedock, and the warmer Provinces the same quantity is increased to 7 [...] 8, or 9l. but in Brescia, of Calabria seede, they use usually to make eleaven or twelve pound of Silke from the same originall proportion.

The poore people in both those Kingdomes buy their Mulberry leaves to feede this profitable and ind [...]strious Spinner, and the very charge of those leaves amounts to a full halfe of all other their ex­pences.

The Nobility of Italy and France (the Grand Duke of Tuscany himselfe, descending into a part of this profit) make up a considera­ble part of their R [...]venue from their Trees, the Leav [...]s of every one being valu [...]d according to their goodnesse and quality, from five shillings to twenty and upwards, so that divers make an income of three, four, five, sometimes a thousand pound, from the sole profit of their Mulberry trees.

The Grand Duke from the sale of his, rayses an income [...]mm [...] ­xibus a [...]nis of sixty thousand Ducats,

Yet divers Gentlemen in Italy make a larger increase of profit, by setting out their Mulberry trees to necessito [...]s people, fo [...] hal [...]e the gaine arising from the worme so [...]d. Those poo [...]e con [...]ibute [Page 23] their seed, employ their labour, and are at all expences in bringing the silke to perfection; yet notwithstanding when completed, the Gentleman who sets out his Trees, divides the moyety of the entire profit, for the hire of his Leaves only, yet are these people, maugre this difficulty, comfortable gayners.

And the same Tellier is bold to affirme, that non obstante the disa­greeablenesse of the Country to that worme, in the Kingdome of France from the sole revenue now of Silke, arises a greater intrade then from their Corne, Oyle and Woad put together, which grow in that Kingdome in vast proportions. And another French Author affirmeth, that the benefit of the Silke worme, (of which France hath had no triall till within these fifty yeeres) ariseth to four Milli­ons per annum, sterling, and this he pretends to have all circumstan­ces of truth and certainty, drawne from an exact computation to confirme it.

If France (an almost improper Countrey for this improvement) can rayse within the verge of fifty yeeres, so large and numerous a revenue, what shall we imagine Italy (a warmer Region, and by much more convenient, although not altogether Native, for this in­riching creature) may meerely upon this Staple returne in their Treasury, having besides the advantage of Climate, a hundred and fifty yeeres precedency in the mystery, and their seed more strong, better fed, and lesse subject to diseases and casualties?

But Virginia a Countrey which Nature hath no lesse particularly assigned for the production, food, and perfection of this Creature then Persia or China, stored naturally with infinites of Mul­berry-trees, some so large that the leaves thereof have by French­men beene esteemed worth 5l. in which the indigenall and naturall Worme hath beene found as bigge as Wallnuts; and the using in the South thereof in admirable plenty and excellence; if this mystery were but duly followed, and industriously promoved, might be a Magazine for all the Westerne World, and singly in her selfe out­vy France, Spaine, and Italy, in all their advantages collected.

Heere the Leaves are onely sold by nature, who requires no other satisfaction then industry to make use of her bounty. Timber to e­rect their Fabricks is provided, and costs no more then preparing a benevolent Sunne, and a Serene Sky, contributing their indulgence to its perfection. No narrow assignation of Ground (richer then [Page 24] the most fertile France or Italy can pretend to, or boast of) to plant those Trees on, if not neare enough to the setled Plantations; in briefe, all the conveniences imaginable to assist and advance this to the Noblest Commerce in the World, if neglect and sloth make us not ingratefull to our selves, and nature, by abusing our selves, by not using her bounty.

To further this happy designe, let us descend into an unequall comparison: Let us compare our most incomparable Virginia, where the Mulberry and the Worme are aboriginall to Italy, where they are onely adventitious: Let us imagine our owne Worme of that strength and greatnesse onely equall to those of Brescia and I­taly, where the usuall ofcome from sixe ounces of seede is 72, ot at least 60 pound weight of Silke, and adhearing to this Parallell; let us see the apparency in the profit.

A man and a boy, if their hands be not sleeping in their pockets, will feede as many Wormes as come of sixe or eight ounces of seed till they be past their foure first sicknesses, and within some 14 dayes of spinning: Indeed the last 14 dayes require a more extraordinary diligence and attendance, a more frequent and carefull feeding, be­cause in that time they conceive, gather, and store up the disposing matter from whence the Silke comes, which by an incomprehensi­ble mystery of Nature, they after as it were vomit out of their mouthes, and spinne out of their bowells. At this more particu­lar season, there is a necessity of adding the labour of three or foure helpes more (to which Women or Children are as proper as Men) which is an inconsiderable accession considering the gaine arising from it.

That you may know the reason why Women, Children, lame and impotent persons are as fitting to attend the last fourteene dayes, as Men, will appeare by their labour, which is nothing but to feede them within doores, cleanse, dry, and perfume their lodgings, with some strengthning but not overstrong odour.

And as one skilfull in this noble mystery is sufficient for the em­ploying, overseeing, and directing hundreds under him, so (the skill being rather experimentally to be taught, then built upon long and ambiguous precepts) he may bee able to perfect all those under him within the five or six weeekes time of their imployment in the full understanding the mystery. And the better to incourage both [Page 25] the teacher and learner of the mystery, the master should be invited by reward to be liberall in communicating his knowledge, and those under his instruction encouraged by arguments of honour and profit proposed to the best proficient, would disperse seeds of emulation and diligence, since every one would imploy himselfe seriously to engrosse and appropriate to himselfe the reputation and advantage in the victory.

And in boyes and children, disputations frequently set on foot, with some slight distinction of merit, would make all that are inge­niously disposed, quicken their observation and diligence, to gaine the credit of prelation. Though to take off all disincouragement or despayre, from those lesse apprehensive and docible, in this noble and gainefull Trade of Silke, there is no such absolute necessity layd upon them to be supersticiously and precisely curious in observing the Booke Rules, and written Precepts, that upon the omission or unpunctuall observation of any of those Precepts in hatching, lod­ging, feeding, and tending of the Silke-wormes, wee should ima­gine such minute deviations might occasion an improsperity or gene­rall failing: for wee will admit something may be wanting either in materialls, accommodation, or precisenesse of knowledge; yet may the worke (a higher and irresistible cause not interrupting it) prosper and succeede, notwithstanding such defect, to the great con­tentment and gaine of them which keepe them.

Let us imagine it to be granted that the indigency of the person improving the incommodiousnesse of the place, or want of House­roome, which the Bookes exactly tye us to, be in many things pre­terregular (though such a supposition may fall upon any other part of the World more justly then Virginia, where all materialls and convenien [...]y answer our exactest wishes) yet will dayly examples confirme us, that in Languedoc, Provence, and other parts of France, and as many in Spaine and Italy, amongst the common sort of that exaction tyred people, that one poore low-rooft Cottage, and one Roome in it is all the house extent they have to take their sleepe in, dresse their miserable dyet, and serve themselves of for use and re­tirement; yet does this industrious Creature (such are the blessings with which God rewards the sweat of Industry) thrive as happily (and sometimes answer labour with a greater felicity) as those which the curiosity of Richer persons fit with all commodiousnesse [Page 34] of Chamber feeding, and attending, which is a speaking encou­ragement that no man should despaire, but reposing a cheerefull confidence in the blessing of the Almighty, with this R [...]solution, that what ever mean [...]s, what ever curiosity, art, or precept, may contribute towards the preparing and facilitation of a worke, yet the end, the event must depend on his eternall goodnesse to crowne it, and all our labours projected with never so great a Talent of humane wisdome and experience, must conclude with this never fai­ling truth: That except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it: Except the Lord keepe the City, the Watch­man watches but in vaine. Wee must therefore lift up our hearts and eyes with thankefullnesse u [...]to the Hills, unto the Mountaine of Israel, and Rock of David, from whence those streames of blessings must acknowledge their sole, their originall Fountaine, which may serve as an admonition, that neither the whole, nor any part of the work [...] should be begunne without applying our devotions to him: Let it therefore be the Morning Omen to the worke, and the Eve­ning auspice, Lord prosper the worke of our hands, prosper g [...]o [...] Lord our handy workes. After the Reposall of this confidence in God; let him apply himselfe with his greatest industry and ability, with this comfort and assurance, that he cannot but make a conside­rable returne: Though wee should be much injurious to Art (the noble right hand and Midwife to Nature) if wee should deny a more promising probability of a riper and fuller gaine the more cu­rious and observant he is in following all the approved experiments, Rules, directions, and precepts thereunto belonging.

But the chiefest aime and intention of those Rules are to illustrate the perfection of this Art, and to informe your knowledge, and bet­ter your future experience and preventionall care, if any misadven­ture arrive, or miscarriage in the Silke [...]wormes, or if they prosper not equally this yeare with the last; for by inspection upon them you may understand the cause and reason of such misadventure, and with it the remedy; and this also takes away all dispaire or disin­couragement for men, commonly men till they are convinced in the naturall ca [...]se of a disaster or failing attribute, all such mischances to Nature, or else impu [...]e the non-thriving to their owne misfortune by a ridiculous opinion that they are not ordained to be fortunate in this or that Mystery, so freequently does Fortune incurre the blame [Page 35] of humane neglect or ignorance.

Besides wee are to imprint in our knowledge, that no Rules can have so much of generality and exactnesse, which will not admit of deviations arising from some particular and variable circumstances. Wee must not therefore conforme the nature of the C [...]imate to our Rules, but our Rules to it, in which wee must resume to your deli­beration how, and in what one Climate differs from another, how the constitution of this yeare varie [...] from the next, or the precedent, the immediocrities of heate, cold, drought, and moisture, serenity, or mists, &c. The manner of their lodgings, the quality of the winde to be admitted or excluded: To temper a season inclining to a preternaturall coolenesse with an artificiall heate, to refresh and infrigidate the Aire in times of immoderate heate, by admitting the cooling Aire and Windes proceeding from a cooler Q [...]arter, and this to be observed with a more particular care; when they spinne their Silke, that Creature then being very obnoxious to be stifled with too much heat.

There must be likewise a providentiall regard in a moist season, that the Mulberry leaves be carefully dryed after their gathering, before they be administred for food to the Silke-worme: But if the season pertake more of drought it will be wisedome to let the leaves lye and shade a little after their gathering, that they may have them coole and refreshing, and in seasons of temperature and con­tinued droughts, it may be very requisite to water the Roots of the Mulberry-tree, which will be a refreshing to the leaves, and this is usually practised in Spaine; especially if the Mulberry-tree be sea­ted in a hot or dry ground, which otherwise must not be so prescri­bed without particular caution.

Nor is it below our consideration to weigh the condition of the place in which the Mulberry is planted, if in a sower foule or wet soile to collect what inconvenience that food may bring unto your worme, and therefore if your necessity will admit it to avoyd such wholly, if not to use them with such qualifications as may make them least offensive.

After having regard to the nature of the ground your Tree re­ceives its juce from, the quality of the season, in which you gather them; it falls next to your consideration to compare the kinde and nature of the Tree, together with the kinde and nature of their [Page 28] seed, worme, and silke, and directing your selfe by an exact obser­vation of particular circumstances, so to make exceptions, and to or­der every thing with judgement and discretion thereafter, that your Bookes and experience may by that meanes walke hand in hand to­gether.

But time and observations will affoord you many experiments, out of which perhaps some more rules of Art may be framed, in di­vers particulars, more consenting to the Country and Climate of Virginia. Which finding, after good triall thereupon made, it will become the reputation of a good Patriot in generall, and a good Ma­ster of a family in particular, to digest them into such a regular or­der and method, that the publication thereof may be a common be­nefit to all, and a private memoriall to particulars.

For since in Persia and China it does not fall under likelihood, that they can oblige themselves to observe all particulars in its stri­ctest limitation, where such an infinite quantity of silke passeth through the hands of the people, it is very agreeable to reason that in a Climate of the same nature and parallell, namely Virginia, there may be rules found out of far l [...]sse brevity, and more pertinency, then have yet been considered or published.

And yet where all these Rules are curiously observed, they make not onely in Spaine and Italy, but in the colder parts of France a far greater gaine (the quantity of adventure and time considered) by thus chargeably feeding of Silk-wormes, then by any other com­modity whatsoever.

But to avoid that inconvenience of fetching leaves a far off, or attending the growth of your owne Mulberries, or that necessity which makes the poorer sort of our owne miserable people to lodge them in that Roome which is their Kitchin, their Chamber, th [...]ir all. With what ease and conveniency may there be a house set up in the middle of a Grove of Mulberries, naturally growing, where the Silkewormes, in a dry Cabinet of Boords, after the maner of Sicily, may be kept (described more largely in the Bookes which treat of this Silkeworme, then can bee expected in this paper) set up with stones in it, in case the Countrey and season require it, eyther to cor­rect the ill sents, or (if so be they are seated in cold, moyst, or shady plac [...]s, of which your owne sense and experience will quickly ac­quaint yo [...]) to give the ayre a temper and qualification, which if not [Page 29] prevented, may destroy your worke by killing the Silkeworme.

And this Lodge built for them, the season of the yeere will in­vite your selfe and family (I meane such part of your family as you assigne to this worke) to lodge there also, the time being at the most but six weekes, and for the first moneth, one third of your fa­mily will be sufficient to feed them, but the last 14. dayes; the o­ther 2. thirds will be requisit that the wormes may bee more often and plentifully fed the well feeding at that time contributing much to their strength and perfection, and consequently to the improving your expected silke, both in quantity and quality.

That all may be invited and courted to this undertaking, in this glorious Countrey, N [...]ture hath left us destitute of no materialls. To erect these slight silken lodgings, will be no more expences, then your labour; nor is that any greater, then to cut out some posts and studdes, fit them, and set them up, then to cleave and saw out small quarters, rafters, plankes, pales, and boards, to make and set up the sides of the house, in stead of more substantiall walls, and to cover the roofe in stead of Tile. For the effecting of all which with the lesser trouble, that Countrey affords abundance of Woods, which will runne out, slit, and cleave into long lengths and br [...]adths, which by the directnesse of the Ground will rive in a manner, as if they had beene sawen for the worke. All which must be so close layd, joyned, and nayled together, the one still lapt over the other, that no Winde or Raine may penetrate therein to offend that laborious Creature, and this may easily be prevented, if such chinkes and open places as you shall discover bee stopped up with Lome, Clay, and Lime, of which materialls in those Countreyes you will finde no want. And to this purpose the Indian Mats, and the like things may be made good use of in this way, which will be sure to keepe out Winde and perhaps Raine: But to these things your owne inventions, pro re nata, will abundantly furnish you with matter of preventing casualties: Nor will it bee unseasonable to repeat the extraordinary convenience of Saw-mills, which in this case will be in a high degree serviceable to you, and of [...]his the whole Colony will be beneficially sensible in boards, Plankes, hou­sing, Silk-worm-lodgings, Timber, shipping, and all particular kinde of uses.

And this once erected, with what speed may such a house be clap­ped [Page 39] up together, with a few nailes one lopping over another, either long like a Bowling-Alley, that the functions of the Family may be distinct, and no offensive heat or sent disturbe the Worme in his curious operations.

Or being in doubt of surprisall, some Families going into the Woods together may equally joyne together, and those woodden houses (still observing that the Roomes where the wormes are may be set end and end together, that so the Kitchins and their lodgings may be still the two extreames) may be cast into the forme of a Fort which pall [...]sadoed, and your house sentinelled by halfe a dozen of good Dogges, wilbe a sufficient defence against all the Natives of the Countrey.

And this may be in case they worke not in common, which if by compact they agree upon, the Lodging for the wormes may be cast in the middle of such a circle, the Timber houses round about sha­ding them from over much heat, wind or moisture, and the necessary fires there made, will throughly cleere the ayre of all vapours and mists which may disorder this innocent Spinner. The Silke Har­vest ready, and the encrease brought to a just estimation: The Co­habitors may according to the agreement made betwixt them, re­turne with their Dividends, and this removall into the Woods will have the same nature of content which the Citizens take in a time of vacation and City wearinesse (Citizens being never so weary as when they have no worke) to visit the delights of the Countrey, though with different ends; since these in their Voyages of plea­sure expend, the other both save and encrease their stock and trea­sure. These Boards (the worke ended) being taken downe are ser­viceable for seaven yeares together, and easily erected or renewed.

I am not altogether of advice, that the Indians be hired to assist you in these Remoter Workes, as sensible how apt they and the Divell t [...]eir Tutor may be to embrace an occasion of being treache­rous; but if they could be brought to worke by Parties (well watched and Spyes amongst themselves set over them) in the mid­dest of our most populous Plantations, with their Wives and Chil­dren, who will easily runne through this curious, but not heavy la­bour, and may be sufficient pawnes for the Indian fidelity, if cun­ningly divided, they would be very serviceable in this kinde for a small Reward, and peradventure might be made great use of for [Page 38] this worke heereafter by undertaking it themselves, which may be manifested for these Reasons.

• 1. First, the Indian is naturally curious and very ingenious, which they shew in all their works and imitations: the only thing that frights them from bringing any work to perfection, is the la­bour attending it.
• 2. But to feed his curiosity, there is nothing in the world more p [...] then this cu [...]ious atome of Nature the Silkeworme: to see th [...] [...]taught Artist spin out his transparent bowels, labour such a monument out of his owne intralls, as may be the shame, the blush of Artists, such a Robe that Solomon in all his glory might con [...]esse the meannesse of his apparell, in relation to the workemen, cannot but bring them to admiration; and that thos [...] spi [...]i [...]s whose t [...]oughts are of a higher wing then ordinary, may bee convinced of a divine power of the hand of God in the Creation: which gaynd upon him, it will not be impossible to drive him to an acknowledgement of Redemption, if private ends or any other respect then that to Gods glory, possesse not those who should cover a multitude of sinnes, by winning a soule to his Creator, and forcing him from the jawes of his Destroyer.
• 3. In this curiosity there is little or no labour (a thing which they abhorre) their women and children will bee sufficient to goe through with it: and if they could but be brought to it, our Trade with them f [...]r silke would be of greater consequence, then all their Furs or other commodities put together.
• 4. By this meanes it were possible to fasten Clo [...]hs upon them, which if once it were effected, that which Mr. Bullocke excellent patly calls, The Universall not of Nature, Ambition would cement them to a more orderly course of life, and one still striving to ou [...]vie the other in bravery of habits: there would be no labour under Hea­ven like this, to reduce them to civility, the toyle thereof being in­c [...]nsiderable, and the profit great to him in respect of his now tri­fling Merchandise: and to us by trading with them, might bee re­turned for 5 [...]. the pound at the most in commodities.
• 5. By this means would he be brought to plant great quantities of Mulberry trees round about his Plantation, which according to his constant inconstancy, evermore shifting, would necessarily, our [...]wne numbers increasing, fall into our hands and possession, or if he [Page 32] should against the tide of his nature abide by them, yet a very incon­siderable tri [...]le would buy the propriety from him.
• 6. The Silkeworme harvest lighting at such a season of the year, wherein he by improvidence hath wasted all his Bread-corne, at which time he usually retires into the Woods to seeke a thinne s [...]bsistence, by the allurement of this great profit he would undo [...]b­tedly stay at his Plantation, and allow us a share in his increase of Silke, for such provision of Maiz as would maintaine him, and [...]his would be a large accession of profit to the English.
• 7. Admitting Virginia in its whole extent from Cape Henry South­ward (as a worke so easily comp [...]ssed, and such profit ensuing there­upon, especially to the Weroances or Reguli [...], who have many Wives, Slaves, and Children, would hardly faile from being a uni­versall labour) to containe in all thirty thousand people, of which the [...]ourth part or more men, if this Staple be followed by them, and our vigilance preventing any Traffick of other Nations with them, it will yeeld the C [...]lony of course a trade with them worth cleare a hundred thousand pound per annum.

Neither doe I comprehend a sufficient Reason why in so happy a Climate as that of Virginia; there may not be a double Silke Har­vest: This I am sure of, that there are s [...]cre [...]s in Nature of retarda­tion as well as acceleration of Springs, and both being industriously brought to the experiment, the acceleration anteceeding the first Spring, and the retardation postvening the latter by three weekes, (which may easily be effected by election and distinction of ground to plant in) and at the latter end of the Harvest the seeds being dis­posed and ripened for production, will without doubt produce an effect answerable to the most inestimable profit intended by it.

That the election of Ground may doe this, wee may see by free­quent examples betwixt things well cultivated, and that which is never transplanted from its first wildnesse, and there are many pre­sidents round about us, where in one and the same Towne, one and the same fruit have oftentimes three Weekes distance of time be­twixt their unequall maturity; the naturall warmenesse or coldnes of the Ground occasioning the advance or procrastination of fruits according to its severall disposition.

Nor can such a course be any interruption to Harvest or Vintage, both comming much after the season of the Silke [...]worme, though [Page 33] I should (in submission to better judgement) conceive that with transplantation of trees (such as they would have come later then ordinary, for that purpose being loosed from the Ground neare upon the ascent of their sap would spring for that season ac­cordi [...]g to [...]heir expectation later then is usuall, and the next yeare its novelty of ground having made it wanton will come much ear­lier, and more improved then those whose fixure to the place of it [...] first pull [...]lation keepes it selfe to its former constancy, and by this meanes the later Harvest would not be at the most three Weekes time a [...]ter the (usuall) income of the first.

And without doubt the Chineses and Persian could not vend such vast quantities of Silke, with which they fa [...]shion so huge a part of the World with one single Harvest, which though wee are at present ignorant of, yet what should discourage us from delive­ring such conjectures to a tryall, since the examen of it is not with­out probability, nor the discovery without an extraordinary cer­tainety of profit?

Those who will object that notwithstanding [...]00 years practice I [...]aly hath not discovered this mystery, or if discovered, found it destitute of successe, may be pleased to receive this Answer: That there is an immense disproportion betwixt the happyest Region of Italy, and the South of the excellent Virginia. Italy (and that an­nually [...] is subject much to inclemency of Winters, in respect of our more temperate Maid [...]n, where Snows and black Swans are alike Prodigies; the cold th [...]re is rather like a Phletomy to tame the Ple­thorick abundance of Springs, then dead it: Nor are the Srpings of Italy so early as ours in that Climate, and the Mulberry shooting forth later then all other Trees by much, may by this meanes of transplantation and heat of soile, be equall with the first, and by that early apparence give day-light to this and other more abstruse Magnalia.

I have insisted so much the longer upon this Mystery of the Silk-worme, because (if it were handled by a better pen, judgement, and ability) it is every way noble and sublime, so much worthy the knowledge, not onely for the benefit (which is extraordinary rich how ever) but for the admiration of Nature, who hath ab [...]evi­ated all the Volums of her other Miracles into this her little, but exact Epitome, like that Artist who contracted the whole body [Page 34] of Iliads and Odysses into a Nutshell.

B [...]sides what wee have sayd of Silke wee shall find the Indian profitable to himselfe, and as in the Staple of Win [...]s, of which when he has r [...]c [...]ived [...]he whole knowledge, wee cannot make the l [...]st tittle of doubt, but he will with all eagernesse prosecute it: First, because it concernes his belly, to which no peop [...]e under H [...]a­v [...] are more indulgent; and secondly, his Wife and Children who plant his Corne may take the charge of the Vineyard with not much more lab [...]ur. But that which turnes to our advantage is, that the Indian communicating the knowledge of the Grape to his Neighbours, and they transmitting it all along as far as New Spain, will stir up the Spanish jealousie to interdict all Viti-culture a­mongst them, and as far as the extent of his power can fathome to prosecute severely all such Natives as shall make it a subject of their indu [...]try to the prejudice of Spaine. This must of necessity make strong combinations and leagues against the Spanish Tyranny, which though they are not of themselves able to shake off, yet will the Spanyard feare to extend himselfe further (except in such strength as at present his condition denies him) knowing the Indi­ans untingu [...]shable thirst of Revenge [...] and his laying hold of all opportunities to put it in execution, with all the powers of his un­derstanding cruelty and malice.

And thus shall the Spanyard in case he attempts our supplantati­on be constantly discovered by the siding Indian, and if there be a necessity to prevent his malice, by turning his designe upon his owne head, infinite occasion of intelligence may wee have from the enraged Native, how to attaque him in his strongest security, where either the distance or impassability of the way will make him con­fident and carelesse.

Further use may be made of the Native in fishing after Pearle, to which if wee allure him by a constant Trade with him for them, his owne profit will quickly enlighten his desire of more, and that desire quicken his industry.

That Virginia affordes multitude of Pearles, Mr. Lane is suffici­ent to give publick information, where he tells us a Relation deli­vered to him of a W [...]roance, who had so great quantity of Pearle, and did so ordinarily take the same, as that not onely his owne skinnes that he weareth, and the better sort of his Gentlemen and [Page 35] Followers are set with the sayd Pearle; but also his beds and hou­ses are garnished with them, and that he hat [...] such quantity of them that it is wonder to see: These are Mr. Lanes words exactly.

Nor is there any difficulty in the discovery of this, or ingrossing the Trade; especially since wee are the Masters of the Countrey, and if any other Nation should attempt to partake in the benefit of our Trade, the strength of Virginia is at present such as may repell by violence, all Forraigne incroachments upon their trade and livelyhood.

The Indians unanimously consent that twenty two mil [...]s beyond [...]he Falls, is a Rocke of Chrystall, and this they evidence by their a [...]rowes very many whereof are headed with it. And that 3 dayes journey from thence, is a Rock [...] or Hill of Silver Oare. Beyond which, over a ledge of Hills, by a concurrent Relation of all the In­dians, is the Sea, which can be no other but that Sea which washes the shore of China, &c.

That this report of a great Sea Southwest, beyond the Mountains, cannot have the least of fiction or confederacy, since all the Indians from Canada to Florida, doe unjarringly agree in the Rela [...]ion, is obvious to the meanest apprehension.

The discovery whereof, if we fall upon it by degrees, will bee a worke of no long time or difficulty, but the unexpressible profit and glory of the action, will rayse the noble head of this above example Countrey to such a high Zenith of wealth, power, and lustre, that it will be reputed a very remarkable degree of felicity to any Nation which shall reach to such a Verticall point of glory, as to bee repu­ted but our second in these most noble considerations.

By this meanes what wealth can there be in those richest provin­ces of the World, in those Countries which Nature created for her Cabinets of excellency, which we shall not discover? What disco­ver without a power of Appropriation? What opulency does Chi­na teeme with which shall not be made our owne by the Midwi [...]y, by the Juno Lucina of this virtuall pass [...]ge? This by a happy trans­migration [...] by an innocent Magick will convert that Countrey, (which by a swelling denomination, yet without no [...] some preten [...]e of Reason its Natives call by a Title signifying all under He [...]ven) into our Maid of admiration and envy Virginia. Her Silke-worm shall spinne for Carolana, her Cloth of Gold be weaved for Roa­noak. [Page 36] The English name shall keepe company with the Sunne, and those Nations who owe him a particular adoration shall honour it as the next thing sacred. The Easterne Nations oppressed with the slavery of those illustrious horseleeches their princes, will come un­der our shadow, and by a thicke repayre to our most glorious and happy Mayden, live with us in that liberty, which Nature in their Creation intended to the noblest of his creatures Mankind. And by this recourse all those curiosities of Art, in which those Easterne Nations transcend Europe, will bee conveyed to us with their per­sons. Cattell and Horse in which they abound, will bee sold to us for nothing [...] for European trifles, whilest the more necessary Staples of this ou [...] W [...]st [...]rne Wor [...]d, will be sold at advantages not conve­nient to be mentioned. The voyage short, easie, rich, and pleasant. No doubling of the Line, no calentures, scurvies [...] or other long-pas­sage dis [...]ases, to affright or distast the laborious Seaman: whereas now the enfe [...]bling and destroying of Mariners is almost an unavoi­dable consequence of those long and dangerous, rather circumferen­ces, then voyages.

But lest we should sing a Paean before a Victory, it will not bee unworthy our labour to discourse what meanes m [...]y be used in this Discovery. Which if it should misse in its prosecution, (for which fayling there is not the least shadow of probability) yet might car­ry a vast profit to recompence all your paynes and expences.

That it must not bee attempted at the first heat, but must have more recourses then one to the fire of a Triall, will bee made appa­rent by these reasons.

First, the inconveniency or non feysibility of carrying so much provision as will serve the Discoverers, whose number, in my opi­nion, cannot bee lower then two hundred, if wee le [...] slide into our deliberation the many unknowne Nations, through whose territo­ries we are to make our passage, and which by common esti­mation, are much more numerous in the Inland, then Marine Countreyes.

Next, admit wee undertake and compasse it with such a number, yet the discovery not being capable of secresie amongst such a mul­titude of unde [...]takers, the publick resentment of such a felicity ap­proaching, not suff [...]ring people to be silent: wee should have this ar [...]ive to the Spanyards knowledge, who will roule all stones under [Page 37] Heaven to dispossesse or prepossesse, and indeed the danger his Peru, Chili and Philippines, by s [...]ch seating, may lie obnoxious to, will adde spurres to his inclination to prevent us, which till wee bee in in a condition to resist, may be effected with our absolute ruine.

The safest way therefore is, by degrees to steale upon the design, and take our way thither, by ceasing of places of advantage, very frequently found in that Contry, which we may progressionaly for­tifie at every twenty or five and twenty miles distance, and to these places we may constantly send supplies of victualls and ammuniti­on, not only for the men there Garrisond, but for our owne recep­tion and maintenance in the Discovery: and these men standing continu [...]lly upon their guard, may (I meane those most remote) by conference with the Indians, discover with much ease, of what di­stance, what accesse, what harbours, what frequentation, and by what people the neighbour Sea consists of; to take with them ex­ [...]mplars of all Mineralls, Drugges, Dies, Colours, Birds and Beasts, drawne to the life in colours, which (by an invitation of reward) will be a surer meanes of discovery, (if any such be) then by multi­tudes of people, whose number commonly (as in the ex [...]mple of Fernando Soto in Florida) hastens no other discovery, but that of unavoydable famine, and being usually, either through necessity, or a disordred maner of living irregular and ungoverned, fright the in­habitants from all commerce and conference or else make them join in a confederacy to abuse and remove them by t [...]lling their unwel­come Company, golden lies, and miracles of Countreys farther di­stant, where they are likely to find small satisfaction for their co­vetousnes or hunger.

Reason and experience will condemne us of folly, if wee shoul [...] refuse to profit by commendable examples, though proceeding from Enemies or Friends suspected: It will be therefore an incitement irreproveable to commend to our owne imitation the Custome which the industrious Spanyard practiseth in his designe of disco­veries: Every one of the associates carry a little horne about their necks in such journeys, by which mean [...]s if the errour of the night or thickenesse of the Woods occasion any separation betw [...]xt them, or an Ambuscado of Enemies make the passage doubtfull, by win­ding of that Horne, presently notice is given to the rest, who upon receiving the sound give the first winder notice of their residence, [Page 38] to which they may repaire, or testifie their apprehension and readi­nesse to prevent all hostile stratagems.

The same indefatigable Nation in their passage over Rivers, pre­sently make themselves light Canoas after the Indian mode, with which entring themselves and swimming their Horses (whose heads they keepe above water by a coller fastened to the Boat) they over­come difficulties of currents, which to any other but those seem [...] insuperable, and indeed their labour in this kinde show them of ad­mirable Resolution and Constancy.

Though wee may entertaine grounds of hope and confidence, that this discovery of the South Sea may be m [...]de without any tedi­ous Land-jou [...]ney, since it is certaine that from the great confluence of Waters in the Gulfe of S [...]. Laurence, foure mighty Rivers receive their sourse, the first whereof pouring it selfe North into Canada, another running Eastward into the Sea called Hunsons River, the third running W [...]stward into the Maine are already discovered, but the fourth upon which wee have reason to fixe high expectation bending Southward to Florida, washes all the backside of Virginia, and may in all probability discharge it selfe into the South Ocean, which if it suit with our conjectures, Virginia will have by that meanes a double accession of security and convenience.

For our security it will be a naturall bar betwixt us and the jea­lous Spanyard, who if he shou [...]d injustly continue the possession of ou [...] Florida, which is indisputably English; yet thus dividided from us by a vast R [...]ver full of Islands, and places convenient to command the Channell fortified and maintained by our Nation, he is too full of providence and caution to attaque us, if once in so good a posture.

For the conveniency which sufficiently speakes it selfe the ease of transportation by water, and all in our owne Chanell, the saving of Land charges, and probability of a more speedy passage, are prespi­cuous arguments to commend it.

And to confirme the probabilities of this passage by the Lake the more strongly, the Indians of Canada confessed to Iames Cartier that i [...] is but a Moneths sayling, from thence to go to a Land where Cynanon and Cloves are gathered [...] Others told the same person, that from the place where they left their Pinnace, there is a River which goeth South-West, from whence there is a w [...]ole Moneths [Page 39] sayling to go to a certaine Land, where there is neither Ice nor Snow seene, where the [...]nhabitants doe continually War one against the other, where there is great store of Orenges, Almonds, Nuts, and Apples, with many other sorts of Fruits. What ev [...]r beliefe o­ther men bestow upon this Relation, I know not; but tru [...]ly in such a generall concordance of Reports, whe [...]e there can be no roome left for confederacy or designe, to be perswaded of the t [...]uth therein, cannot have any vitious tincture of facility or cred [...]lity.

But it is time to remit these high and noble atchievements to the prosecution of those who have more power and ability [...] who may give such [...] discovery the honour of their names, and tr [...]nsfer a per­petuall illustrious memory to posterity, we shall onely suppose it fai [...]ible and hope the effects will answer such supposition.

Which if it should faile, why may not Virginia in her future fe­licity of silke be a new China and Persia to Europe? why may not all the spicery of the East flourish with an equall successe in this our most justly tempered Climate? already can Virginia boast of Cina­mon, which if transplanted might not be inferiour unto any? why may not the Cloves perfume Virginia with as aromatick redolency as the Philipine Gardens.

Our aire is more serene, better tempered then theirs, nor have we any more sense of Winter to hinder the ascent of sap then the Mo­luccians, if it be any thing more harsh in cold, yet is it but a check to a peradventure too forward Spring. What multitude of flo­wers have our lat [...] Gardens in England seen non native to this soyle or Climate? Fruits thought solely proper to Italy and Spaine flou­rish here to the envy of those Countties, who see often times the Colonies in a happier degree of prosperity then the Mother, for Fruit and Flowers.

But these designements must be the Daughters of time, curiosity and industry, to whom away may be made passabl [...], and easie, by that uncabinetting and deciphring of Nature, Garden Philosophy [...] what harsh disposition in the World will not be lenified and refined by these curious conclusions? Di [...]clesian could postpose the science of governing Mankinde to the knowledge of managing his Scions, to see those Plants grow up, which his own laureld hand had set, watred and attended, and accordingly flourish, was in a manner the production of so many Children, who in this have the advantage, [Page 40] that their florescence is not subject to selfe-deprivation, give them but an acceptable ground [...] a boun [...]eous Aire, and an arriding Sunne and [...]hey answer the most exact d [...]sires of the Setter or Ingraf­ter; but Children, let them have all the Auxiliares of a full For­tune, warmth of education, and heat of encouragement, by some private disease of the genius, by some secret malignity in nature, or its right hand custome, seldome or neuer thrive according to the wishes of the Parent, they are either too ranke with insolence, too much parched with rashnesse, or withered with infamy and luxury, that those which planted them instead of delight in that which they esteemed their Masterpeece, have nothing but a Spring of indigna­tion, or an Autumn of Melancholly to answer their expectation, and are so far from contentment at their groweth that they would have reckoned it amongst the Smiles of their Fortunes, that no warmth of theirs had contributed to their production, no indulgence to their continuance and edu [...]ation.

These allurements are for those whose delights onely are interest­ed and denoted to this reti [...]ed activity; but those who looke further will finde (that which is rarely or never contingent to other con­tentments) this pleasure to be attended with an inestimable p [...]ofit, and one of the most certaine returnes in nature: But this fertility-labouring Countrey, especial [...]y in its Southerne beauties, in its Roa­noak excellencies, like to a Princesse, all compos'd of Bounty, suf­fers no addresse to be made unsatisfied. Gentle Winters to court your seed, warme Springs to marry them to perfect Masculine ripe­nesse, nothing but ingratitude and indiligence to delay or divert its liberality, hitherto (like those confined Virgins in a barbarous Se­ [...]aglio) it hath suffered the imputation or injury of sterility by a non-complacency in i [...]s Savage Amourists, the abundance of perfe­ction having put them into a satiety or incapacicy of enjoyment.

The tru [...]h of this being abundantly manifest, an apparent profit and delight inviting the able and industrious; necessity must be the next Argument to those whose Poverty can pleade no excuse for their indiligence; yet this laborious necessity is not so ingra [...]efull as in England, and in other more thick-peopled Countries, what e­ver you sweat for in this bounteous Region, is crowned with a re­compence amazing your expectation; such things as make pover­ty and life wearisome, contempt of, or impossibility of any melio­ration [Page 41] to their condition are things heere never charged upon hone [...]t indigence, or denyed to a commendable industry, nor can they pal­liate their sleepe and sloth with a pretence of wanting materialls to worke upon, or plead that such things as should employ them must be first had out of England, since there is enough abundantly and na­turally in that unpresidented Countrey to employ their industry, to enrich their labour.

Though Silke-grasse is unquestionably a Staple which will bee Neighbour to the profit of the Silke-worme, though the naturall Hempe-flagge may be a Merchandize in time equal to English Flax, though the Sar [...]aparilla be an extraordinary vendible Commodity, though Pipestaves be so beneficiall, that with not many drops an extraordinary workeman may make his labour worth sixty pounds per annum.

Though he has fish there, and in such abundance that the attend­ing diligently upon two seasons, onely returnes him a Reward of one hundred pound sterling in Sturgion, Salmon, Herings, Mac­krell: Pot-ashes a rich and never decaying Staple, &c. Yet since against this an objection may be made what course they may take for their provisionall subsistence. Those who apprehend such doubts will be pleased to receive this answer, in which if they are sensible of Reason they cannot faile to receive satisfaction.

There is no man will ever be denyed the loane of Corne for his house-spending, and seed till the Harvest; if he be a single man he may prepare as much ground if cleared, and set as large quantitie of Corne for his owne spending and repayment of what borrow­ed, in two dayes space as will abundantly suffice him twelve Moneths.

Admit there be no cleared Ground, yet if he but unbarke the Trees one foot round after the Indian mode to prevent the shade oc­casioned by the leaves, which such unbarking quite destroyes, the Corne (set betwix [...] those Trees) will thrive and prosper exceed­ingly, [...]nd their ground thus prepared will last seaven or more yeares successively, and this worke cannot last him above five dayes at the longest.

If he have a Family, his Wife and Children will be able to beare part in that labour, and many others.

For Provision of flesh, if he can use his peece he may, even at his [Page 42] labour in the Woods, have opportunity of killing Venison, Hares, Wild-fo [...]le (in their season innumerable) and Fish, of which the Rivers are all times plentifully furnished, and of great delicacy; if in all this abundance he is yet apprehensive of Famine, wee shall refer him to the number of those who are afraid to be starved for meat in a Cooks shop.

Besides what a small summe of money will buy your Cattell, and Swine in Virginia? Whose feeding co [...]ts them nothing but thankes to God, who has spread that superfici [...]s of that noble Countrey with perpetuall friut and verdure. Poultry in infinite variety and plenty, the [...]orbearance of whose encrease for a small terme of years will make them so numerous, that they may alwayes have a full table.

The W [...]st Indie Potatoe (by much more delicate and large then what wee have heere growing) besides that it is a food excellently delicious and strongly nourishing, fixes himselfe wherever planted, with such an irradicable fertility [...] that being set it eternally grows: of this an extraordinary pleasing and strong drinke may bee com­posed.

Nor is the M [...]iz lesse commendable for bread then malting, of both which in its use it affordeth a peculiar goodnesse and conveni­ence: And I am much to learne how a poore man can in justice com­plaine of want, when he is as it were besieged with such plenty: This for provision may abundantly satisfie, but if he can be content [...]o forbeare debauches and profusenesse for t [...]e first three yeares he may by any of the meanes aforesaid arrive to such a condition of thriving, that he may allow himselfe a large latitud [...] of expences (that first three yeares once expired) without much empairing his fortunes.

But since all men either by constitution of age, oppression of yeare [...], or different education, are unable or improper for the Fish­net or Hatchet, I shall offer them a way which may be lesse labori­ous and peradventure more gainefull; yet before I descend to this, I must take leave by digression to enlarge something which I have already hinted on, namely the benefit of transplantation.

The removing and transposition of Wild Plants, doth with an experimented happinesse wonderfully mitigate and engentile their le [...]e noble natu [...]e; w [...]ethe [...] (as an Authour delivers it very elegant­ly) [Page 43] it be b [...] reason that the nature of Plants, as o [...] men, is desirous of Novelty and peregrination, or because that at their parting from their former grounds they leave there that ranke wildnesse virule [...] ­cy and ill quality from the Forest, where is first rooted the grate [...]ull novelty and allurement of a well cultivated s [...]yle makes it [...]ceive a new by exiling it from the old savagenesse and in [...]omestication of its first seat and nature.

Since then the r [...]moving of wild Plants addes so much to their improvement and melioration confirmed by naturall Reason and unerring experience: Why may not the diligent labour by remove­all and transposing this excellent Staple of Silke grasse, make it thrive equally in greatnesse and goodnesse, there needes no more art to be used then th [...]t of comparing the soile (transplantations into worse grounds being naturally improsperous) and though there ap­pe [...]re now somewhat of trouble (though nothing of lab [...]ur) in peeling the silky skinne of, yet that it may be broken as Flaxe or cleared by some Instrument (the Commodity richly rewarding the nobility of any invention) to this purpose; time and further exp [...] ­rience will no doubt to the publick enric [...]ing of the Colony and this Nation make apparent. In this any one which is not sworne [...] servant to ease and sloth, may with a small toile reape a considerable profit.

Next, what will not those Vines produce if well husbanded af­ter their transplantation, and in this most delightfull labour the gain is so appare [...]t that almost the blindest judgement may perceive it.

Orenges, Lemons, Pine-aples, Plantanes, Peaches, Apricocks [...] Peares, Aples, in a word all sort of excellent Fruits will grow there in full perfection; you may sleepe whilst they are growing, after their setting or engrafting, there needes no more labour but your prayers, that they may prosper, and now and then an eye to pre­vent their casualties, wounds or diseases.

Sugars, Indigos, Cotton, and Ginger, require a greater industry; but if wee consider the difference betwixt the two Climates of Barbadoes and Virginia, the immoderate heate of the first and the exact temper of the other, the labour though it may require as fre­quent handling, yet is by much lesse toylesome.

In a word, if a man be yet timerous of a thriving condition in [Page 44] this Countrey; I shall with his pardon believe him, dis [...]rustfull of Gods providence; or if he be so vitiously disposed as to hope after a Land where he may enjoy an undisturbed plenty without the sweat of his browes, the Maps are so extreamely deficient in the description of such a Countrey, that I must desire him to looke for a new World and Kingdome, for such an easie accommodation.

If any make an Objection why this Countrey stored with all these Riches, furnished with all these Staples, hath so long held downe her head in the lownesse of a desperate condition? Why being capable to crowne her browes with Garlands of Roses and plenty, she sate desolate amongst the W [...]llowes of neglect and poverty? Let them but recall their Memory, how by the prevai­lency of Gon [...]amore the Co [...]poration was dissolved, their patent cancelled, to which if wee adde the cooperation of the Indian treachery in their first massacre, they will cease their wonder at its lan­guishing condition. and convert it to a full admiration, how that Colony could ever raise her endangered head out of those Gulfes of distraction, in which the Gold of Spaine, the dis [...]ncouragement of the Court, the discontent of the better sort of Planters, and the de­sperate negligence of the more inconsiderable had in humane opi­nion irrecoverably involved her.

But the incomparable Virgin hath rai [...]ed her dejected head, clea­red her enclouded reputation, and now like the Eldest Daughter of Nature expresseth a priority in her Dowry; her browes encircled with opulency to be believed by no other triall but that of expe­perience her unwounded wombe full of all those Treasuries which indeere Provinces to respect of glory, and may with as great justice as any Countrey the Sunne honours with his eye-beames, entitle her selfe to an affinity with Eden, to an absolute perfection above all but Paradize.

And this those Gentlemen to whom she vouchsafes the honour of her Embraces, when by the blessings of God upon their labours sated with the beauty of their Cornefield, they shall retire into their Groves checkered with Vines, Olives, Mirtles, from thence dilate themselves into their Walkes covered in a manner, paved with O­renges and Lemmons, whence surfeited with variety, they incline to repose in their Gardens upon nothing lesse perfumed then Rose [...] and Gilly-flowers. When they shall see their numerous Heards [Page 45] wanton with the luxury of their Pasture, confesse a narrownesse in their B [...]rnes to receive their Corne, in bosomes to expresse fully their thankefulnesse to the Almighty Authour of these bles­sings, will chearefully confesse: Whilst the Incomparable Ro [...] ­noak like a Queene of the Ocean, encircled with an hundred atten­dant Islands, and the most Majestick Carolana shall in such an am­ple and noble gratitude by her improvement repay her Adventu­rers and Creditors with an Interest so far transcending the Princi­pall.

A valuation of the Commodities growing and [...]o be ha [...] in Virginia: valued in the year, 1621.

And since those Times improved in all more or lesse, in some ⅓, in others ½, in many double, and in some treble.

IRon, ten pounds the Tun.

Silke Coddes, two shillings six pence the pound.

Raw silk, 13s. 4d. the pound, now at 25s. and 28. per pound.

Silke grasse to be used for Cordage, 6d. the pound: but we hope it will serve for many better uses, and so yeeld a far greater rate, wherof there can never be too much planted. Of this Q. Elizabeth had a silke Gowne made.

Hemp, from 10s. to 22s. the hundred,

Flax, from 22s, to 30s. the hundred.

Cordage, from 20s. to 24s. the hundred.

Cotton wooll, 8d. the pound.

Hard pitch, 5s. the hundred.

Tarre, 5s. the hundred.

Turpentine, 12s. the hundred.

Rozen, 5s. the hundred.

Madde [...] crop, 40s. the hundred: course madder, 25s. the hundred.

Woad, from 12s. to 20 the hundred.

Annice seeds, 40s. the hundred.

Powder Sugar, Panels, Muscavadoes and whites, 25s. 40. and 3l. the hundred.

[Page 46]Sturgeon, and Caveare, 2s it is in goodnesse.

Salt, 30s. the weight.

Mastick, 3s. the pound.

Salsa Perilla wild, 5 l. the hundred.

Salsa Perilla domestick, 10l. the hundred.

Red earth Allenagra, 3s. the hundred.

Red Allum, called Carthagena Allum, 10s. the hundred.

Roach Allum, called Romish Allum, 10s. the hundred.

Berry graine, 2s. 6d the pound: the powder of graine, 9s. the pound: it groweth on trees like Holly berries.

Masts for shipping, from 10s. to 3 l. a peece.

Pot-ashes, from 12s. the hundred, to 14. now 40. and 35s. the hundred.

Sope-ashes, from 6s. to 8s. the hundred.

Clapboord watered, 30s. the hundred.

Pipe staves, 4l. the thousand.

Rape-seed oyle, 10l. the tun, the cakes of it feed Kine fat in the Winter.

Oyle of Walnuts, 12 l. the tun.

Linseed oyle, 10l. the tun.

Saffron, 20s. the pound.

Honey, 2s. the gallon.

Waxe, 4l. the hundred.

Shomacke, 7s. the hundred, whereof great plenty in Virginia, and good quantity will be vented in England.

Fustick yong, 8s. the hundred.

Fustick old, 6s. the hundred, according to the sample.

Sweet Gums, Roots, Woods, Berries for Dies and Drugs, send of all sorts as much as you can, every sort by it selfe, there being great quantities of those things in Virginia, which after proof made, may be heere valued to their worth. And particularly, we have great hope of the Pocoon root, that it will prove better then Madder.

Sables, from 8s. the payre, to 20s. a payre.

Otter skins, from 3s. to 5s. a piece.

Luzernes, from 2s. to 10 a piece.

Martins the best, 4s. a piece.

Wild Cats, [...]8d. a piece.

Fox skins, 6d. a piece.

[Page 47]Muske Rats skins, 2s. a dozen: the cods of them will serve for good perfumes.

Bever skins that are full growne, in season, are worth 7s. a piece.

Bever skins, not in season, to allow two skins for one, and of the lesser, three for one.

Old Bever skins in Mantles, gloves or cap [...], the more worne, the better, so they be full of fur, the pound weight is 6s.

The new Bevers skins are not to bee bought by the pound, be­cause they are thicke and heavy Leather, and not so good for use as the old.

Pearles of all sorts that ye can find: Ambergreece as much as you can get: Cristall Rocke: send as much as you can, and any sort of Minerall stones, or earth that weighs very heavy.

Preserve the Walnut trees to make oile of, & cut them not down: so also preserve your Mulberry and Chestnut trees very carefully.

In the month of June, bore holes in divers sorts of Trees, wherby you shall see what gums they yield, and let them bee well dried in the Sun every day, and send them home in very dry caske.

T [...]e best soyle and order [...]or planting the Mulberry.

FOr the soyle it must bee chosen in particular much like that of the Vines, inclining rather to dry then moyst, light then heavy, sandy then clayie; for those which opiniona [...]e themselves that a fat ground is inconvenient t [...] Mulberries [...] as supplying leaves of too grosse and unsubtile aliment; The Objection is pritty, but under pardon scarcely solid, neither am I capable of any reason to the contrary, why a rich soyle should not emit the growing Trees with a greater maturation and bignesse, then a leane Plantation, where the tender Plants are even starved with the sparenesse of di­stributive moysture and aliment: Yet to prevent the too grosse substance of the leafe after the tree by the advantage of a rich nou­rishment, hath arrived to a competent greatnesse; the order which wee shall prescribe in their planting will admit the Plough amongst them, where cultivation will easily take off the soyle from all exuberancy of fullsome ranknesse. The soyle which is full of Springs, Lakes, Rivers, or (which i [...] worst of all) Marshes, is par­ticularly to be avoyded.

The manner of implanting them would require a distance of [...]oure fathomes or more, which in Virginia where wee labour not under a penury of ground, may bee something more spaciously en­larged; the Reasons why this extent of distance are: First, the intermixture of spreading Branches, where by their contingency they violate and [...]utually wound themselves will bee avoyded. [Page 6] Next, the Sunne hath a more unimpeached immi [...]ion and distri [...]u­tion of his Beames, with which this tree is most particularly de­lighted. Lastly, this largenesse of intervalls permits a free passage for the Plough [...] to take off all luxur [...]ancy of ranknesse, which too much inspissates the leafes, which must feede this admirable Crea­ture.

But of such Graines as may with lea [...]t impairement bee sowen under the Mulberry trees, Oats and Pease are the most proper, which during the [...]ollection of the leaves may with very small detriment bee tr [...]dden upon (the season commonly falling in A­pril and May, when their blades are backward) nay the very com­pressure of the Earth makes them afterwards arise more strongly.

I approve much more of interplanting the Vine; but (which I conceive the most convenient for Virginia is) the setting of the In­dian Potato hath the most inestimable benefit; the Potato having such a happy multiplica [...]ion of and in it selfe, that whilst there is but a string of the Root left behinde in the earth, the species will bee renewed. Besides the excellency of the food, whether for man, or (where such a vast abundance may soone introduce a satie­ty) Cattle will bring alone with it an inestimable advantage; whereas Corne may too strongly impoverish a Ground, and th [...] Vine it selfe when it comes to its ripest excellency, will want th [...] compleat comfort of the Sunne beames to give fruit a well con­cocted maturity, the Mulber [...]y like an Ambitious Grandee, en­grossing all that favour to himselfe by his prevalency of height and greatnesse.

Nor should wee bee too curious to plant the trees one over a­gainst the other exactly opposite; but [...] still observing for beauties [...]ake to set them in a right line) rather one against the Intervall of the other, that so the Sunne may have no interposition from any A [...]gle, to warme, comfort, and enrich this tree, which aides the pro­duction of so many incomprehensible Miracles.

The order for collection of the Leaves.

THe order to bee observed for collecting the leaves should bee precisely insisted upon, that the trees may bee of longer and [Page 7] [...]ourishing duration, and the food of a more curious and unsoyled nourishment: It is a truth not to bee denyed, that the dis [...]eaving of trees is extreamely prejudiciall, and in some irrecoverably dead­ly; the reason is their extraordinary scorching, by being left with­out any shade of protection: But the M [...]lberry being (as it were) destin [...]d to this worke which it naturally supporteth, more inpre­judicially endures this [...]emper of di [...]leaving then any other trees whatsoever. But for the obviation of this inconvenience, it will bee absolutely necessary for our Master of the silkeworme [...] to have such a proportionable number of trees, that the halfe may alter­nately repose unpluckt every second yeare. This diligently put into practice will make your trees contin [...]e verdant and vigorous for many Generations.

To gath [...]r them with both hands leafe after leafe, i [...] confessedly the most proper, but yet withall the most expencefull; for the multitude of hands which such a circumstantiall labour would ex­act.

The other way of gathering them with stripping them from th [...] branches, is without doubt extreamely nocent to the tree, and worm: to the tree by unbarking, wounding and perishing its bran­ches. Nor is it lesse de [...]rimentall to the Worme seeing this disor­derly collection corrupts and sullies the leaves, which this delicate nice Creature perceiving, either rejects them, or sickens upon their reception by bruising the leaves, and expressing that which is the life of i [...]s substance, the juice, and this commonly with un­washt hands, which leave the ill odour unremoveable upon them.

The remov [...]ll of these inconveniences is easily effected by follow­ing the course they practice in some parts of Spaine, which is by clipping the leaves from the branches with a sharpe in [...]trument, like a Taylors sheares; by this way you disleave many stalkes at once, which falling into a cleane sheete spread under that tree for the purpose, seperating afterwards the leaves also [...] such as are [...]ound from unsound, such as peradventure have much of the stalke, from those which are nothing but leafe, (the stalke being hurtfull to this tender Creature) and a [...]ministred to them the Sunny side of the leafe upward is the most commendable practise of gathering and f [...]eding that hath hitherto been delivered.

[Page 8]The leaves of the old Mulberry are to bee much prefer'd before those which are not come to an absolute perfection; the age of perfection in the Mulberry, we reckon to be accomplished in seven or eight yeares, as to soundnesse of nourishment; not that they grow not after, but by that time it is growne powerfull to concoct such succulency as might before over master it.

The trees disleaved must by a diligent hand be pruned immediat­ly after the last collection; what ever is broken, wounded, or made unprofitable must bee carefully cut off. The extreames of all the branches must be top'd a little with a sh [...]rpe pruning knife, which is an invitation to nature to send forth the next yeare more vigo­rously. But whether it be in gathering the leaves, or pruning the trees, it must bee our principall care that they be intirely beared, the omission of which, by not taking all the leaves off, turnes back the liberallity of the repeating Spring. This observation hath been grounded upon practise, made so successefull by experience, that it hath been found, that trees after such culture and disleaving, have within a month attired themselves with such a n [...]w border of leaves, that the former imbalding them hath been impercep­tible.

Which induces me to believe a former assertion, that it is possible to have a second silke harvest by this meanes, and why not equall with the first, I know not, since the seed is more youthfull and vi­gorous then that of the yeare preceding growne feeble by its con­tinuance.

The raines if they fall about the time this noble creature drawes unto her perfection and period, is by much more strangely prejudi­ciall, then when they are in the greatest of their feeding, the wet leaves occasioning them many desperate diseases: the usuall way of prevention is to have a provision of leaves before hand, when there is any jealousie of rainy weather; but this provision must be laid in a cleane dry place which is fresh aired, and that we may re­move all dangers of contracting too much heat, to be turned often, which course, although the Raine should not oppresse us, yet is it of great conveniency, not so much out of apprehension to be nece­ssitated as for the quality of the food, it being much better after fourteen or fifteen houres resting in a place cleane and drie, then [Page 9] when fresh from the tree. But if you are surprized by an unexpe­cted season of wet, take those Mulberries which you intend to lop the next yeare, (and the Mulberry would be lop'd every ten or twelve yeare, which revives and strengthens the tree with a new youth) and cut their branches which hung up in a drie corner, ei­ther of your house or barne, or any other coverture in airy places, will soone have their leaves drie, better condition'd, a [...]d of more efficacy then any leaves set to a fire, which is too suddaine, or to winnowing by a winde artificiall and unnaturall.

The Mulberries chiefe profit consisting in the leafe, we must be carefull to lose nothing of this revenue; which considered [...] wee should delay the disheading or lopping of them till the Wormes have done feeding, which would be about the latter end of M [...]y, or the beginning of Iune [...] and although by the disbranching of them in such a season, we cannot expect such large returning shoots as those which were cut in February or March, the dist [...]nce of time being materiall in their growth, yet the profit of the leaves being double, very well answer such inequality. The Mu [...]berry be­ing of so franke and plyable a disposition, that notwithstanding its amputation in unseasonable Moone and weather, no injuries shall [...]inder him from Regermination.

Yet are not these advantages (no necessity obstructing them) to be omitted by any which are not enemies to their owne profit. The Mulberries in the increase of the Moone [...] pouled, or lopt, bring forth their young shoo [...]s long without spreading Branches; in the Wa [...]e short, with many little Branches crossing the principall. To reconcile this (the election of the time being in our power) the Mulberries seated in leane grounds, are most prop [...]rly disheaded in the new Moone [...] those which are planted in rich ground, in the last qua [...]ter; so will those in the leane soyle [...]it shoots as long as the ba [...]rennesse of the place will affo [...]d them: and those of the fatter, through the benefit of the [...] seat, conveniently regaine that which they would not easily have done, cut in the increase; For those a­spiring branches, were they not r [...]strained by the counte [...] shoots who participate with them in nou [...]ishment wou [...]d by reason of their unweldy length, be forced to bend downewa [...]ds to the defor­ming of the tree from the shape of a Mulberry into that of a Palme-tree, [Page 10] which is not to bee feared in the rest, by reason of the leane­nesse of the ground, forbidding all abundance of shooting: Wee have provided for the feeding of this little and great Artificer, let us now expresse an equall care in his lodging.

The lodging of the Silke Wormes.

TIS a vanity to expect emolument from this mysterious Crea­ture, if wee sort him not with a lodging proper and agreeable to his nature, who can with no lesse disprofit bee ill accommoda­ted in his habitation, then in his nourishment; who to show a par­ticular affinity with the noblest of Creatures, Man, makes his af­fection of habitation equall to his. Spaciousnesse, pleasure, health­fullnesse, distance from off [...]nsive vapours, damps and humidities, warmth in the extreames of colds, coolenesse in the extreames of warmth. Wh [...]t ever wee naturally desire and abhorre, does this Creature by the prosperity or infelicity of his labours show a most experimentall resentment of.

His station therefore must bee in the meane twixt the top and bottome of a foundation, the first being too much obnoxious to heats or windes, the second to colds and Damps. The Platforme therefore of your building his station must be so contrived, as to have his Basis three or foure foot above the g [...]ound, nor ascending within an equall distance of the Tiles. A Fab [...]ick (saith D [...] Serres) of seven fathome in length, three in breadth, and two in height, will entertaine with ease the Wormes enlivened from ten ounces of seed: this proportion may be raised according to your seed. In VIRGINIA these may be of very sudden erection; Nature hath furnished that excellent Countrey with materials, to invite all who have the desire to attempt it.

That the aire and winde (if coole and dry) may have free pas­sage to r [...]fresh these laborious spinners, who near upon the per­fection of their worke are upon the point of stifling [...] (the season, and the abu [...]d [...]ce of the silke wherewith th [...]y are filled, both coo­perating thereunto) W [...]e must h [...]ve window [...]s opening to all An­gles to receive u [...]susp [...]ted inf [...]igidations in extreamities of heat, and warming [...]ranspirations in immoderate colds; Yet with this [Page 11] Proviso, that these windowes bee fit not onely to receive any fa­vourable aire, but to expell all noxious vapours; and because this Creature loveth any thing that is white and luminous, it will sort excellently well with his disposition and safety, to parget or pla­ster the inside of the hous [...] very well and smooth, both to satisfie the eye and preserve him from the danger of Rats, which cannot clime [...]p such a wall, though a principall care ought to bee used that the severall stations on which they are lodged, bee re­mote from all fixures to walls, which might give Rats and Mice advantage.

To build the Scaffolds containing these Wormes: Many Pillers of Carpenters worke directly squared, shall bee perpendicularly erected, from the ground to the seeling, to support the Tables which crossing the pillars upon little joynts sixteene inches distant one from the other (except that from the g [...]ound which must bee 36 inches.) Upon these Tables doe wee lay our Wormes, but their boards must not bee equall in breadth, every table as it exceeds in height, being to bee narrower then the next below by foure inches, and the highest approaching the seeling to bee narrowest of all. This Pyramidicall forme is of most beauty and safety to the Wormes; when wandring upon the Edges from one end of the Scaffold to another, seeking a fit place to vomit their silke, they fall in such a precipice from the higher scaffold to the ground [...] that they break th [...]mselves in pieces: But by this means fal [...]ing but from one scaffold to another, the smallnesse of the distance contri­butes to their preservation. The breadth of the most lowest [...]able shall bee limited even to this proportion, that easily of one side a ma [...] with his hand may reach the middle to attend the Wormes; as for the ascending scaffolds their continuall diminution makes the serving of them of greater easinesse.

A Roome of any capacity will admit severall of these scaf­folds (distinct from the wall for reason before recited of R [...]ts) and also that the attender may come on either side of the scaffold, such space being alwayes to bee left betweene their po [...]ition [...]

[...]hese scaffolds must bee made of an unsuspect [...]d fi [...]menesse, to prev [...]nt the falling downe of any part of it, or the whole either by [...] ladder which the Keeper ascends, or the weight of the Worms [Page 12] thems [...]lves, when once growne great and h [...]vy.

To s [...]nd these se [...]ffolds some m [...]ke boa [...]ds [...]bout them, [...]s it were by Ga [...]leries [...] othe [...]s have their getting up to them by little staires app [...]opriated to this; others by formes [...] I approve of none more convenient then a light ladder which fi [...]all, and poss [...]sses but one place.

The timber fittest to employ in the tablure of this scaffolding is usually firre or such light wood: In VIRGINIA I apprehend none fitter then Cedar or Cypresse, because of their delicious o­dours.

Wee have already spoken of such meanes as may refr [...]sh the overheated worme; rests now to del [...]ver an experiment to warme the Aire, this Crea [...]ure b [...]ing no l [...]e Enemy to cold in the begin­ning of his apprentissage, then to heate when hee is ready to goe out [...]f this World M [...]st [...]r workem [...]n.

Aft [...]r having built your house for worms; let there be a hole pier­ [...]d through your wall, where you must make an Oven, the mouth whereof must be on the out side of the house: Then before you make it off, take pots like flower pots, bu [...] such as will i [...]dure the fire, and lay them with the mouth side of these p [...]ts tending inwards towards the house, and the bottome within the Oven, lay these t [...]us sidelong at an equall distance and worke up the Oven with the pots incorporate thereunto [...] This done you may make a fire in the Oven, which by the benefit of the p [...]ts conveyes a [...]l the heate to you without any inconveni [...]nce of smoake. To make this heate the more agreeable to the Wo [...]m [...]s, and to keepe the house in a temperate and inoff [...]nsive warmth, you may put into these pot [...] branches of Rosemary, Time, Ros [...]s, [...]uniper, &c.

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The elec [...]ion and use of the seed of the Silke-Worme.

THere is a great deale of Reason, that we should be curio [...]s in the election of ou [...] seed; and tis not more Poetick then Philo­sophick, that of HORACE:

What can we expect of generosity in that which has a dispositi­on to degenerate before produced: of all the seeds proper for the v [...]vifying this animall, there is none more excellent [...] as yet arri­ved to our knowledge, then that of Spaine: this De [...]erres [...]ffir­meth, though he seeme to be in a kinde of haesitation, whether that of Calabria march not in a higher degree of reputation, as yielding more abundance, and of equall hardnesse with the Cod of Spaine; yet this is certaine in nature and reason, that seed transported into other colder Regions, can no way lay claime to a parity of thriving with that continued in its owne Climate; and I doubt not but if the South of VIRGINIA, where the Silke-worme is aboriginally native, were duely inquired after, the Seed of that would hav [...] a particular excellency, to which all the Europaean Nations must give the glory, the right hand of preheminence.

But leaving this to the scrutiny wh [...]ch shall be made by time, and experience, we must grant the prime opinion to the Spanish, which however it thrive in France for foure yeares, yet afterwards it degenerates extreamely, so that it must [...]very foure yeares be renew'd, for within that circle it s [...]f [...]s a manifest d [...]clension in goodnesse. Comming from Spaine it is of a dark taw [...]y colour, after ce [...]taine generations, gray.

To prove whether the seed be dead or not, you must exp [...]iment it upon your naile, that which br [...]aks in cracking, c [...]sting [...]orth [...]u­mor and moisture, you may assuredly esteem for good, the other is to be rejected. The smallnesse of the Spanish se [...]d increases the number of Wormes, for which it deserves a p [...]r [...]icular prae [...] ­tion.

No seed of above a yeare old is any further profitable, till you [Page 18] put them to Hat [...]h, you may preserve them in Boxes thrust amongst woollen clo [...]thes in a Trunke or Chest, and let the Cha [...]ber where such Trunkes or Chests are, be now and then aired with a fire, to the intent they being rather warme then cold, may be prae­disposed for a hasty production when the season of the yeare shall invite you to put it into practise.

To imbibe or steep the seed of Silke-wormes in the most gene­rous Wine you can procure, is an experiment that hath alwayes an­swered with a happy successe; for this not onely discriminates betwixt the good and bad, (the good alwaies subsiding, and the o­ther floating) but addes legitimation and strength to the approved ones, making them come forth free and fortified, and causeth them to hatch almost all at one time. After the good are taken out, they must be set to drie in the Sunne, or before the fire, layd upon very clean paper, covered with white linnen, or smooth paper, lest the [...]eat might bring it prejudice.

The vivification of the Seed.

THE Spring being come, and the Mulberries budding, it will be seasonable to put them to hatching, which (all other wayes omitted, as the keeping them in a Boxe, in ones pocket, between a womans Breasts, &c.) sorts best with Reason and convenience, performed thus [...] viz. That the seed removed from its first vessell, shall be committed into a Box lined with Cotton, over which you must put a white paper, which must seperate the seed from the Cotton, the [...] cover the seeds (being not above halfe an inch thick) with a little b [...]d of Tow, over which Tow you are to lay a paper pierced very thick with small holes, much about the bignesse of the tag of a point; over this paper you shall lay some Mulberry leaves. And this is the preparative to hatch them.

To bring them forth, lay your Boxe so prepared between two Pillowes, which moderately warmed with a Pa [...] every two houres [...] and after the first three and foure dayes visiting the Box at every such warming, to the end to seperate such as you shall see hatched, who will not faile to creep through the Tow, and pierced paper to the Mulberry leaves, to which they will cleave: which to remove, [Page 19] you must draw them out of the Boxe by taking hold of the Mu [...]ber­ry leave [...] with a needle, and removing them and the Wormes adherent into a bigger Boxe or sieve; with paper at the bottomes, distinguish those of a hasty production from those of a more slow, that the worke may arise more equall. These thus brought forth must by gradations be accustomed to indure the coolenesse of the Spring, diminishing dayly something from his accidentall warm­nesse: the first foure daies let them in the sieve covered with cleane linnen continue upon the bed, the curtaines closely drawne, then removed into a warme chamber, close from all penetrations, layd upon ranks close together, that they may give and receive mutuall warmth, allowing them a larger proportion of roome, as they in­crease in body.

But the most assured way to preserve the Wormes untill their second change in warmth and security from Vermine, dust, or o­ther hostilities of nature, is by a great Presse or Cubbord made with many stages, parget [...]ed or pasted for the agreeablenesse of the odou [...] with Oxe dung, made of firre, or mats, and to draw out at will seperately, equally distant foure inches, compassed round about with Linnen tackt to the doores, with paper w [...]ndowes on the sides and formost doore, to admit or exclude aire after the exigency of the occasion; and heere vacant places being left at first to enlarge them, as they increase in growth may they bee distinguished accor­ding to the Dates of their first appearance upon the Mulberry, re­jecting all that seed, which is not enlivened before the fifth day, as unprofitable for working by confusion of times, and uselesse by their weaknesse.

Foure times doth this excellent Artist change his skinne, which is the cause of his so many sicknesses. The first sicknesse arriving within [...]ight dayes from the beginning of his life, is knowne by these symptomes; the head growes bigge and white, and hee hides hims [...]lf [...] under the leaves: To administer any food were need­less [...]; but that they are not all sick at one instant, so that some must bee giv [...]n to nourish them which have not arrived to, or past over their sicknesse, which you shall know by their change of colour and creeping upon fresh leaves.

The second sicknesse arising within eight dayes, or thereabouts, [Page 20] from thence is knowne by the sa [...] accidentalls, and must have the same applications, onely now they would bee removed into new, cleane, and more spacious places: The third is in all like the two other, though something more dangerous; heere you must care­fully prevent the accession of all cold ayres whatsoever: It may happen that some of these Wormes may grow yellow, which is almost incurable in themselves, and deadly contagious to all the rest; these must bee carefully selected from the rest and ejected. Remove, enlarge & cleanse as before. Eight or ten dayes after appears the 4. change or sicknes, & now the recovered Worms being increased to their full growth, must be removed, enlarged, & cleansed, as before.

At appoynted houres morning and evening must this Worme be [...] fed from their hatching to their fi [...]st change or sickness [...]; from the second change to the third or fourth, they must bee fed three times the day at the least, taking this for an assured maxime, that after the recovery from their last siknesse, The very cloying of them with leaves [...] even to the satiety of their appetite, accelerates them to the perfection of their taske; for these curious Vessells will the sooner discharge themselves of their precious inclosed sub­stance, by how much they are the sooner replenished. Nor is there any prodigall improvidence in this; for it hath beene obser­ved that Wormes have eaten neare as much in eight dayes when more sparingly distributed, as in foure when liberally handed to them; so that by such wary dispensation they save no leaves, and lose foure dayes in point of time.

But a particular eye of care must bee had to the quality of the leaves you feede with. No goodnesse of a selected tree being ca­pable to secure it selfe against accidentall diseases arising from the unnaturallnesse of seasons, wherein by extreames of drought or moisture, mildewes, heat drops, and other distempers, all the leaves oftentimes becomming yellowish, spotted, or speckled, declare the nature of that food highly unwholesome and pernicious: Such as grow out of the Sunne in the interior umbragious parts of thick trees are almost as dangerous: No [...] are the leaves of the second Spring which shoot afresh on trees already disleaved of lesse guilt, through the inequality of their Ages [...] One banquet of those gives the last repast that your Wormes shall have neede of, a fluxe thence [Page 21] arising killing them, and easing you of further trouble, if yo [...] ac­count it so to be vigilant over your owne profit.

The m [...]st agreeable to all Wormes is to bee fed with leaves of their owne age, and by this the feeble Creature shall meete with tender leaves, then growne strong with leaves, f [...]ll growne corres­pondent to both their complexions. The fault of the wet leaves may bee corrected by patience, attending the serener season; but of dry leaves you ought at no time (if you regard your owne pro­fit with a sober providence) to bee unprovided, and the way how to prepare hath beene already delivered in this Treatise.

Th [...]se precious creatures exact no great expence or laborious care during the first three or foure weekes, b [...]ing satisfied with lit­tle, as most agreeeble to the tendernesse and smallnesse of bodies, and are very well entertained with the leaves of the succours or other branches, from whence for the profit of the tree on [...] should necessarily cut them. At the beginning we go to gather leaves with Hankerchiefs, then with little baskets, lastly with sacks & maunds, as growing to a bignesse to re [...]uire it, and a perfection to discern it.

That the Gatherers of these leaves should handle them with pure and washt hands, wee have already decla [...]ed absolutely neces­sary: But the Governour of these chast and magnific [...]nt Crea­tures must bee Master of an exact purity. The smell of Tobacco is deadly to them: Let his obs [...]rvance forbeare it: Let him have a watchfull eye, that none of an offensive smell approach them; all ill breathings upon them [...] whether contracted by fulsome foode or nature make this innocently noble Creature express [...] her r [...]sent­ment by her owne death, or sicknesse. Let him pu [...]ifie the rankn [...]sse of his owne breath (when fasting) with good Wine ere he ap­proach them [...] with the odour whereof the worme is highly ch [...]ri­shed. Let the Lodging be swept every day, and preserved so by sprinkling the flou [...]e with vinegar, and afterwards strawing it wi [...]h Lavender, Sp [...]ke, Rosemary, Time, and such like of well comfor­ting Odours. To these we may sometim [...]s adde a p [...]rfume compo­sed of Frankincense, Benio [...]n, Storax, and o [...]her quickning aroma­ticks bu [...]ned in the lodging.

Let the Tables be oft [...]n made cleane and shift [...]d, by often, I meane every [...]ird o [...] fou [...]th day a [...] the fur [...]hest, at which time the [Page 22] litter begins to bee offensive to this curious natured Creature; espe­cially with the increase of the heate, let his diligence increase, that no uncleanesse (at that time more then ordinary maligne) cut him from the benefit of his labours.

The litter must not bee taken away by degrees to the trouble of our curious Creature, but all at once; which may bee [...]ffected, if you leave at the end of each Scaffold an empty station to place the adjoyning Wormes on, whose left station being made cleane is fitted for the next neighbourhood, and thus may all bee removed and shifted by degrees, and a vacan [...] table at the other end of the scaffold r [...]maines to begin againe (as afore) within two, three, or foure dayes at the longest. And thus without carrying far, the Wormes shall bee removed with ease and security, not once laying the finger upon their tender bodies; for giving them fresh leaves at the time of their replacing, the Worme wil [...] fasten to the leafe, and the leafe may bee removed with his precious burthen, with no lesse safety then convenience.

It will bee requisite to dispose the tables in such a fashion that they may bee seperately taken from the scaffold like tills out of drawers; for this the easiest and lesse nocent way of cleansing, as preventing the falling of any stench upon the lower [...]ables, and by which they are more suddenly discharged of their filth and ordure, meerely by striking them gently on the floore, which done, let them bee swept and brushed perfectly well; Let the tables on which you put your Wormes after their first sicknesse bee sprinkled with Vinegar or Wine, then rubbed over with sweete Hearbes to delight and encourage them to labour. Some have made tryall [...] which hath succeeded happily of the smell of Garlick and Onions to refresh them; I dare not absolutely assent to this experiment; but it is cleare as Su [...]e-shine, that the Worme not onely rejoyces in agreeable odours, but is succoured thereby in his greatest [...]ala­dies: of which we now intend to discourse.

The causes of extraordinary maladies in Wormes, and their [...]re.

THe extreames of colds and heates, the too sparing, or too a­bundant administration of victualls in their severall ages, and a maligne disposition of the leaves are the principle causes of all extraordinary maladies which afflict this Creature. If the in [...]le­mency of Cold hath benummed or diseased this innocent Artist, the stove or oven formerly mentioned will recover it (the stopping of all windowes, and other admissories of aire cooperating [...]) To the greater complement of the c [...]re, let the lodging bee perfumed with redolent G [...]mmes, with Wine, strong Vinegar, or Aqua vi­tae: If on the contrary, the torrid violence of heate have wasted the strength of this suddaine and excellent spinner: The fresh aire admitted at the doo [...]es and windowes some brave artificiall Fannes or Ventalls to raise this breath, if too little, or at the last the expo­sing them upon their tables out of their lodgings to enjoy an un­controuled and liberall communion of the aire, some halfe an houre before Sunne rising are the proper meanes of their recovery. Those which by a wastfull liberality of their keeper in the t [...]ndernesse of their age have injured themselves with over fe [...]ding, must bee cu­red by a two dayes abstinence, and for some two succeeding dayes dieted with a moderation. Those who famished by the negligenc [...] of their keeper are almost languishing to death, mus [...] bee restored by giving them meate in slender proportion, but frequently repea­ted, by such a dyet regaining their forfeited appetite. Those which by having fed on yellow spotted, or too yong leaves have con­tracted a fl [...]xe, and from thence a jaundice and spotted colour, i [...] companied with black bruisings, must upon the first inspection bee immediately [...]emoved into seperate chambers, that the change of ayre and dyet may labour for their almost desperate cure, and to prevent a contagion, which from thence would universally domi­neere. But such Wormes which as an accession to this last disease you should behold bathed on the belly by a certain humour flowing in that part of their bodies, are as incurable, good for nothing but to repast your Poultry.

[Page 24]Indeed excepting this last inexpugnable malady perfumes and change of chambers are generally conducing to overcome all di­seases and to res [...]ore a new health and vigour. But this noble Creature is by nature sufficiently priviledged from these diseases, if the unskilfullnesse or negligence of the keeper did not violate this priviledge, and by that violation increase his owne trouble.

Nor is this care of the keeper to bee onely limited to the day, the night too must require a part of his vigilance; Mice and Rats then take advantage, and grieved that any Creature should labour for man without their participation or obstruction devoure them by Troopes, and the Cat her selfe enters in [...]o a league with these her usuall prey [...] to prey upon these poore things, whose innocency and excellency makes them the more obnoxious to their cruell ava­rice. To remedy this, the house must not bee without continuall Lampes, Bells, and other vaine terrours to affright them: The keeper himselfe also, or his Depu [...]y must fr [...]quently walke round about his little A [...]my. And left the Oyle (which occas [...]ons divers indispositions, if it fall but in a drop upon these nice A [...]sts) might bee prejudiciall, the Lamp [...]s should bee affixed on the wall, and the portable lights with which hee visits his curious charge of Waxe, Tallow, firre [...]tree, or any other of inn [...]xious, but illumi­native substance.

These things well observed, within seaven or eight da [...]es at the most, succeeding their fourth and l [...]st exuviall sickness [...]; The W [...]rmes dispose themselves to pay the expence of their Diet. To make preparation for them, there must bee accommodations of r [...] necessary for these Wormes to [...] up to vomit their silke, and fasten their Webs by. To assemble these Wormes (the terme assigned to this worke) the most proper matters are Rosemary, cutting of Vines [...]oots, of Chestn [...]s, Okes, Osiers, Sallowes, Elmes Ashes, and in generall of all flexible shrubs, not having a­ny disagreeing od [...]ur. The feet of these rods [...]v [...]ned for the bet­ [...]r fixure shall bee joyned at 15 inches distant to the table below, [...]nd th [...] t [...]p [...] of them arch [...]d together at that above [...] Which Epi­t [...]all A [...]phitheater is Mast [...]r of as much beauty as those of the CAESARS in the greate [...] volume of their lustre and magnifice [...]ce; the upper part of the Arch must bee plent [...]ully interwoven with [Page 25] sprigs of Lavender, Spike, Thyme, and shrubs delectable to the smell. By this intermixture the Wormes shall have ample sat [...]s­faction to their restlesse curiosity, where firmly to fasten their rich matter, having an election of such delectation of Perfumes, & varie­ty of shoots: But these twigs must by no means be green, the moi­sture extreamly offending the Cattell, and not suddenly withering, if the aire be moyst.

The Wormes being removed to these Amphitheatrall Trophies, you may easily discover their gratefull inclination to spinne, by their bignesse of body, brightnesse, and clearenesse of belly and neck, neglect of meat, and irregular wandring through the Troope; and a [...]ttle af [...]er to fulfill these promises they ascend their branches to vomit, or rather spinne out their silky substance. Here you must diminish their Ordinary, dayly, for they will in short time have united themselves to those shoots or twigs, quite forsaking the ta­ble. Those Wormes which clime not before the others union to the branches are of a latter hatching; and to prevent all unseaso­nable intertextures in generall, to the retarding and perishing of the whole worke, must be assembled two other tables arched as these, that they may worke together at one time.

The knowledge (when these Wormes have perfected their Cod [...] or bottoms) may be obtained by an eare that is but the leastwaies curious, these creatures making both a pleasant humming in fee­ding and continuing it in fashioning their bottoms, give that noise and their compleated worke over both together. That which falls next is the propagation of the seed to be preserved till the next Harvest.

The Propagation of the Silke Worme seed.

HAppy creature, which livest onely to doe mankinde service [...] and dyest when thou hast accomplished i [...]! Miracle of Nature! a Worme shut up in his owne monument, breakes through his silky grave, transformed into a Butterflye [...] employes ten dayes to erect himselfe a s [...]pulchre, and an equall proportion of time to leave it [...] disimpri [...]oning himselfe from his owne interment, by perforation of his bottome, he returnes to the view of Mankinde in the figure [Page 26] of a Butterflye, with wings, as if he had already try [...]ph'd over his Mortality; which done, he and his co-triumphall Females, coupling together perpetuate their species by dissolution of their bodies; and that which compleats the miracle, may arise from the long abstinence of this living three and twenty dayes imprisoned without any sustenance or fruition of that which he takes a particu­lar delight in, day light.

Removing your branches from the Tables, and your silke-balls or bottomes from the Branches 5 dayes after the worke is perfect­ed, the B [...]lls are then to be made election of, for such seed as you wil preserve for the year following. Bonoeill, & De Serres do both agree that there should be proportioned 200 Balls for one ounce of seed, the Balls M [...]le and Female (the description of which here­after.) But whereas Bonoeill is of opinion that a hundred double or trebble Bottomes which two or three Wormes have spunne and made up in common, will produce so many Wormes as Bottoms: I demand his pardon if I accede rather to the judgement of D [...] Serres: for from every double or triple Bottome there comes forth but one Butterflye, though it hath more within: the Reason is, it being not probable that they should be all ripe together, that which is most mature by perforation of the Balls, [...]xposes the other to the assault of the aire, which giving them cold, they dye imper­fect.

To distinguish the sexes.

THE Male of the worme, when grown great, is knowne from the Female, by a wrinkled head [...] and a great appea [...]ance of eyes; the Female hath the head round without any such appea­rance. In the Bottomes o [...] Balls the M [...]le is k [...]owne, as having work [...]d himselfe into a Bottome, long slender, and by much shar­per at one end then the other: the Bottomes of the Female are big­ger, softer, [...]ound at one end, halfe poynted at the other.

The Sex in those Butterflyes is thus distinguished: the Male is lesser of body then the Fem [...]le, stirring the wings more often and more strongly. Selecting then two hundred bottomes (male & female included in the number) you must passe a thread through the first and outward [Page 27] Downe, called the Sleave of the Ball (using a wary hand that you pierce not into the silke, lest the cold getting in you should quite abortive your Wormes) of which you must make severall connexi­ons composed of an equall number of both Sexes; these (to pre­vent Rats and Mice) must be hang'd upon some hooke in a chamber of [...]iddle temper, but something inclining to coolenesse, yet how­ever not subject to moysture, that the Butterflyes may come out with the more facility,

Having pierced through their confinement, though nature her selfe infu [...]es in them disposed applications to finde out their oppo­site Sexes, it will be necessary to couple such as yet are disjoyned: all which, after you shall perceive them in conjuncture, must bee s [...]t either upon Say, Piropus, Tammey, Chamlet, the Backside of old Velvet, in generall vpon any stuffe which has no woolly Downe, wherein the graine may be lost, or where it may get betweene the threads, as is linnen) hang'd upon the wall close by their Balls, or in defect of such stuffe, take Walnut-tree leaves one handfull, or mo [...]e as you shall see occasion, tye them by dozens backsides toge­ther, ha [...]g them at severall nailes or pinnes, and set the coupled Buterflies thereon. Take the Chamlet, or other stuffes, receiving the seed, and rub it gently between your hands, and the seed will come out with great facility.

The principall time of the Butterflyes issuing out from the Cod, is in the morning about eight of the Clock: the seed collected must be put into a Boxe very cleane pasted with paper, to exclude all aire or dust, kept in a Chest in a drye temperate place where it may be preserved till the Spring following, avoyding to make a­ny continuall fires in such Chambe [...]s, lest the warmth untimely hatch the Wormes, which being brought forth at such a season must perish for want of food.

The Spaniard takes commonly the double and triple Balls for seed, not that he conceites every double Ball should produce two Butterflyes, or which is a conceit of more fondnesse, Male and Fe­male: but because the multiplicity of creatures spinning their silk in common, make the worke so confused that they cannot well winde it off, which makes them be put in the ranke of the pierced ones for sleave [...] and I must ingeniously acknowledge my selfe to [Page 28] a [...]ede to his opinion; for these d [...]le and triple balls a [...]e not u [...] ­apt [...]or this pu [...]pose since they com [...]on [...]y, as D [...] Serres observes, come rather from a lustinesse and supplenesse of the Worme [...] then any naturall debility: Which su [...]e are so much fitter to bee culled out, that the best balls m [...]y bee made into silke, which will easily winde and the seede of these which is fully as proper for seed [...] but lesse apt for silke: neither doe I know why they should not bee pre­ferred, since the Spanish seed [...]oc [...]eding from these double and triple Balls carries a particular [...]eminence above the rest [...] which if wee shall make [...]se of, the us [...] is the same with others, except that they must bee clipped at the smaller end with the poynt of a p [...]ire of scissors, with [...] regard that you cut not cleane through the bo [...]tome, which would by admission of wind destroy the Worm, and this they doe that the Butte [...]flies [...] if more then one, may finde an easie passage; the best bottomes (if you will preserve them) for Graine, are great, hard, weighty, and of carnation or flesh co­lour.

The balls preserved for seed being made choice of, the next thing wee are to fall upon is, how to winde off the bottomes de­signed for silke: Which would bee of much more advantage for pu [...]ity and plenty of silke, and facility of labour if they could immediately bee wound off. The silke so fresh [...]y taken unwinding without any losse or violence: But this delayed, the Gumme, by which the Worme fastens her threads becomming dry, doth so harden the bottome, that without difficulty and losse, the winding cannot bee [...]ccomplished.

This expeditious winding prevents the enclosed Worme of her full metamorphose into a Butterflye [...] and the bottome from perfo­ration: But then where shall wee finde so many workemen if the designe were generall, as could in seven or eight dayes winde off so many millions of bottomes? Not excluding therefore such as can have that conveniency, the next best course to kill the Butter­flyes in those bottomes which wee cannot winde off, is by expo­sing and laying them in the Sunne, the heate of which in its owne worke stifles this Creature: But let this bee two or three daye [...] successively (not all at one exposure, lest your silke be burned in­stead of stifling its spinner) two houres before, and two houres af­ternoone [Page 29] each day respectively. Let the bottomes, spread upon sheets be turned often, that the heate may destroy equally, no one excepted from this sharpe insolation; but this must not bee done with a rude hand, which instead of turning them may bruise the Worme, the slimy matter of whose body, being thus bruised, is very pr [...]judiciall both for staining the silke, and gluing it so toge­ther, that no Artist can ever unwinde them.

Removing them therefore oftentimes during such sunning with a gentle hand, wrap them thus warmed in sheets, and let them lye in a fresh dry chamber.

But if the Sunne should faile, an Oven of such moderate heate as is usuall after two houres drawing the bread, or heated to such a degree of warmth (laying it over with boards, and the bottomes in sacks upon those boards, there remaining each time an houre and a halfe, repeating it till your experience by opening the most suspected bottome finde the inclosed Worme consumed) will bee of equall operation.

But that which is the best and least practised course is this: Take your bottomes, and fill such a Furnace or Copper as your Brew­ers use, halfe full of Water: Within three fingers breadth of this boyling water, lay a lid or planke or board within the Copper, bo­red through as thick with holes as a Cullender, and so fit to the side of the Furnace, that it by no meanes may sinke into the water: Upon this cover lay a thin Carpet of Darnix, or the like, and upon the Carpet the silke bottomes, which must bee often stirred, with care not to use too much violence. The mouth of the Copper, except when you stir the bottomes, must bee constantly covered, that the h [...]are may smother the Wormes: Your Wormes being dead, lay your bottomes in some roome, where there is aire to dry their moysture. This is an assured (though not vulgar) experiment, and by it your silke becomes as easie in the winding, and as pure in colour and substance, as if it had beene spunne the same mo­ment the Worme had given it perfection.

To winde off the Silke from the Cod or Bottome.

THe winding off the silke from the Cod or bottome, is thus [...]f­fected: fill a Caldron full of very faire water and set it upon a Furnace, heate it to such a degree that [...] water becomes bubbled, [Page 30] as though there were small Pearles in the middle, being ready to seeth; then cast in your Cods or bottomes, still stirring them up and downe with broome or other small bushes, if you shall see that the heate is not capable to make your bottomes winde, aug­ment your fire, otherwise abate it.

The bottomes winding the threads will take hold of the broome or brushes; draw those threads so affixed the length of halfe a yard and more out with your fingers, till all the grossenesse of the bottome b [...]e wound off, which cutting off and laying aside, take all the thr [...]ads of your bottomes united into one and according to the bignesse of thread you intend to make (as whether sowing or stitching) chose the number, not letting the other threads fall into the water againe, which must bee reserved to succeede) which you must runne through an Wyer Ring, appoynted for to ranke the threads which (as you may see in the draught or Picture) must be fastened upon the fore part of a piece of wood set directly upon a forme before the round or circle, which wee call a Bobin, in the top of which piece in a little space that there is, are fastned two Bobins, distant from one another two fingers; from this wyer ring the thread must bee drawne and crossed upon the bobins, whose onely use there is to twist the silke through a ring which is fastned in the middest of a staffe; above the Bobins you must continue the draught of your thread; this staffe which moves with the wheele is called a Lincet set a crosse beneath the wheeles [...] from that Ring you must fasten your thread upon the wheele it selfe, which must bee still turned till the skeyne of silke bee wound up, the Repre­sentation see in the next figure.

Observe, when any thread discontinues, his bottome being wound off, to repaire your number from another bottome, this you shall perceive when your full number of bottomes stir not altoge­ther.

Bee sure that you artificially cut the knots which will bee in your threads, that your silke may bee more pure and uniforme.

Those which cast Gumme Arabick in the water under pretence to make the silke winde more pure and glossey, are but impostours, it being a meere cheate to make the silke weigh the heavier.

Basins, or Caldrons, wherein you put your bottoms to winde, if [Page 31] of Lead re [...]ore the silke more pure then those of Copper, this Met­tall being subject to a rubiginous quality, from which Lead is who­ly exempt. Let the wheeles be large for the better speeding of the worke that two skeines may be wound off together. That the fire of the Furnace may be pure, and without smoake, let it be made of Charcoale.

The difficulty of their winding may be mollified by sope, put in the Basin or Caldron; the old Cods or bottoms hardened by time, will have the naturall Gumme which glues their threads dissolved, and the silke come off much more easie.

Those bottomes of silke preserved for seed, and pierced by the Butterflyes, may be made of good use, if washing them in water you throwe them into a Caldron ready to boyle, with sope in it, which must be dissolved before the bottomes are cast in: thus let them boyle a quarter of an houre, or thereabouts, which done, take them out, wash them in cleane water and d [...]ye them; being d [...]yed you must beat them with a round st [...]ffe of a good bignesse upon a stone or some block which is better, which will make them be­come white, and smooth as wooll. The way to spinne them after is this.

They must with the fingers be pul'd one from one another, and opened as wooll uses to be in such preparations, let it then bee put on a Distaffe and spunne as small as you can, or please.

Treatise of the Vine.

THat the use of the Vine is really intended by nature for VIR­GINIA, those infinite store of [...]rap [...]s which c [...]owne the forehead of that happy Country are so m [...]ny sp [...]king testimonies: But what fate hath hitheto diverted our English there inhabiting from the publick undertaking a Commodity of so inestimable be­nefit, I doe not say for a publick Staple (though it would bee as rich as any other one species of Traffick whatsoever) but even from private Vineyards, where they might sit under their owne Vine, drinke of their owne Grapes, satisfie even the most irregular de [...]ire of their voluptuous appetites, and all this de suo, without entring [Page 32] into the Merchants bookes for Wines, peradventure adulterate, without paying the sweat of their browes for the exudation of the Grape. I dare not determinately judge, lest I might bee forced to ascribe it either to a strange nonchalency or sluggishnesse to their owne profit, or which is worse an inveterate contempt of all other wayes of improvement (of what ever returne) in compari­son of Fume of [...]obacco [...]

But that they may not bee ignorant of the profit of the Vine, they will bee pleased to know that the Vine requires (once plan­ted) little more labour then the Hoppe. To attend upon foure A­crees of Hops is the ordinary undertaking of one man in ENG­LAND, who besides this, neglects not many other labours. If one man in VIRGINIA bee not sufficient to doe as much as another in ENGLAND, [...] shall either imagine him to bee lame or idle; nor let them object to me the heat of the Countrey; if the mid-dayes be hotter, the mornings are much colder, and the Labourer in VIRGINIA hath this advantage of being full of bread to satiety, whereas oftentimes the Hireling in ENGLAND having a family to feed, and sometimes no imployment, comes to worke with a famish'd body [...] and courage, [...]ives meerly de die in diem, with as little hopes of ever changing the copy of his fortune, as renew­ing the lease of his Cottage with his Landlord: those are but leane encouragements. In VIRGINIA the meanest servant (if he have any spirit) is still in expectation of improving his condition, and without any presumption may cherish his hopes, which promise him (his time expired) a present happinesse and future possibility of a Fortune equall, if not outgoing his Master, the encouragement being greater, the care lesse, and his provisionall subsistence by much better: why the Laborer in VIRGINI [...] should not be (I do not say superiour) but equall in strength of body and resolution of minde, to the miserable day-Hireling in ENGLAND, needs an OEDIPUS to unriddle.

By this I hope it granted, that the VIRGINIAN may without any extraordinary efforts of sweat and spirit [...], [...]abour equally with those of ENGLAND, and upon this accompt I shall assigne a Vig­nard of four Acres to his tillage, an easie taske; let us compute the profit with the labour, and see what may be the proceed of this proportion well husbanded.

[Page 33]That an acre of Vines in VIRGINIA (when once growne to perfection) will yield an equall increase to a common Acre of Vines in FRANCE, there being as great a difference between the soyles as the Acres, and much greater) will I believe be denyed by none, who pretend to modes [...]y or reason: yet the Acre of Vines in FRANCE, one with another, very few excepted, will yield y [...]arely ten or twelve Muyds of Wine, a measure containing seventy two gallons (a very famous Frenchman LIEBAULT, is my Au­thor:) what the common Acre, or Arpent, is in FRANCE, the same man informes us: an Arpent (the common Arpent or Acre of FRANCE) is 100 Pole in the square, the Pole being longer then ours by eighteen inches; so that one French Acre yields three Tun of Wine and upwards; Our Acre being near upon 50 Pole more, we doubt not of profit equall.

The excellent VIRGINIA will pardon me, if for dilucidation of an argument, I make her pure and unexhausted browes descend to weare a Gyrlond of fertility equall to that laborious and over-teeming Mother, the French Kingdome, nay to her common Vine­yards: yet let us compute the profit arising from the foure acres, be­ing but one mans labour, we shall finde the product even by that estimate, to be twelve Tunne of Wine, as the recompence of his particular toyle: let us imagine this but at ten pounds the Tunne, and the profits of this single person amounts to 120 pounds per annum.

Here they will object the dearenesse or difficulty of Caske; but this objection must be made by those who know not VIRGINIA, where there is such an excellent convenience, and abundance of pe­culiarly proper Timber, that the Winter will afford the other La­bourers together with our Vigneron leasure, to cleave Pipe- [...]taves sufficient for private use of Caske, and to sell to the publique; one man (during that little season) being easily able to make foure thousand.

But our acre being a third part bigger, the soyle ½ better, why we may not promise to our selves this profit, is an incredulity in ENGLAND, worth a brand of misunderstanding, in SPAINE would deserve the Inquisition.

What soyle is most proper for the Vine.

HEE which will goe to plant the Vine without the twinne con­sideration of the qualyty of the soyle, and the disposition of the aire, hath much affinity with him who goes to Sea without Lead or Compa [...]se: the one seldome attaines his Port, nor the other his Harvest.

The quality of the ground whereon the Vine thrives best, is a fine small Mould, of a subsistance rather inclining to a gentle light­nesse, then a churlish stubbornesse: they which would not have it to be very fat, are ignorant that while the Vine is yong, the soyle wh [...]re you plant may be imployed to other tillage, and by such expence of its native richnesse, reduced to that which they com­mend so highly, mediocrity: But if the fatnesse of the ground transmit a rich and never-failing sap into the nascent Vine [...] making it grow speedy and st [...]ongly, if the Vine participate of this fat­nesse, which it may be they call grossenesse, as desiring to have it more subtile, there is small question to be made, but that this Wine so imbodied and fortified by nature, must have extraordinary spi­rits to preserve it, and that age will have refined all that grossenesse into more pure and noble spirits; that if transported, the Sea will contribute to its melioration: whereas this Wine which they call subtile and delicate spirits, if either preserved long or transported far, will with so much applauded subtilty and delicacy lose all his spirits by age and evaporation.

Scruple therefore at the richnesse of your ground no more then at the ranknesse of your purse; tis in your power to correct either, if there were necessity: let it have the qualities of gentle, easie, [...]ine, and light, to be stirred, seated (if possible) on the decline of a Hill, not neare to any Marish ground, nor having any springs gliding through it; these Mari [...]h grounds you must avoyd as you would doe Levell in a Valley. And the reason is, that the Vine growing in these parts has a crude and undige [...]ted bloud, quickly soures, and has neither strength to commend or preserve it, and the Frosts in the winter time sinking to his roots, by the moyst passage of his scituation, kills it; the Grapes plumpe and breake, and when as [Page 35] an additionall judgement to your injudicious election, a Rainy yeare comes to afflict, the Kernells breake out, the true juice of the Grape accompanying it, and though it fall out that the Grape swell againe, yet let not your expectation swell upon it, for in­stead of good Wine proceeding from thence, you will receive no­thing but Viny water.

The gentle, easie, fine, and light ground being the best, does not so wholly arrogate all excellency, as to deny an accession, a neigh­bourhood of goodnes [...]e to other soyles. The gravelly ground yiel­deth Wine of a great delicacy, but a small quantity; besides the in­fant Plants are in danger of being wa [...]h'd away in any extraordina­ry surfeit of raines, such grounds being not able to give them a deep rooting. The like may be said of sandy ground which not­withstanding in some places especially where it is of a nitrous sub­stance, will not yield the Palme to any ground of whatever rich­nesse; other grounds may have an enforced richnesse, but because usually all such enfatning compost consists of Dung and Urine, which spoyle the purity of the Vine: If my advice were of any weight, they should never be used for Vintage, till necessity com­manded my obedience.

For the disposition of th [...] aire, as particularly whether inclining to a Meridian, or Oblique to the South [...] South-East, or South-West; if we contemplate the nature of the Vine, th [...]t it by instinct, pre­fers places rather hot then cold, drye then moy [...]t; that it hateth stormes and tempests, it affecteth a gentle breathing winde, or a serene calme; we may presently collect that it is neither to be pla­ced open to the North, North-East, nor (in VIRGINIA especial­ly) to that Nursery of storms, the North [...] W [...]st quarters, nor up [...]n the tops of Hills, where it lyes equally assailable to all: the deare place then for the Vines imbraces, is a Descent, towards, not in [...] Valley (except never subject to inundations) that being sheltred f [...]om the more blustring Domineerers in the aire [...] it lye open to th [...] South, South-West, South-East, or any part of the East and West, within the South quarter, for such a gratefull mansion, and accep­table soyle assigned him, doubt not, but he will returne you a rent which shall satisfie your most unbounded wishes.

But le [...]t the eye in the option of your Vineyard, may impose u­pon [Page 36] you, considering that every ground hath some arcane quali­ty which the sight is not able to discover: to make a most certaine experiment, let me propose this way of Examen. Make a pit in the ground (where your inten [...]ions are to plant) two foot deep, take a clod of the earth so cast up [...] powder it, and infuse it in a glasse full of cleare Raine-water, do your best to incorporate it with the water by frequent agitation and mixture: let it repose till the sub­sided earth have made his perfect residence and sett [...]ement in the bottome, and the water recovered her native clearenesse; taste the water, and arrest your judgement upon this, that such a [...]a [...]t as the water delivers to your pallate, will that earth transmit to your wine: if of an inoffensive or acceptable reli [...]h, you may confident­ly promise your selfe a Wine pure, and consequently (if the soyle be rich) very noble, nor is a salt taste an ill argument: but if it be a bitter aluminous, or sulphury gust, this place is not fit for your planting, you lose your Wine and your labour.

But VIRGINIA has a more certaine assurance; God and na­ture have pointed them a soyle out with their owne finger; let them therefore fix their eyes upon those places where either the Vine or Mulberry grow conjoyn'd, or seperate, and let them assure themselves of the excellency of the soyle, a diffidence in this being an affront to Nature: yet this caution is to be used that though Val­leyes are Marshy places, may sometime have them by nature, yet their florescence would be much more excellent and healthfull if removed to such a ground as formerly we have made choise of.

To make election of Plants.

CUriosity about the choise of your Vine Plants will commend your Husbandry; let the Vine therefore from whence you take your Plant be of as little Pith as may be, such unpithy Vines being both fruitfull and fortified by nature, bearing a remarkable abundance of substantiall Grapes, and strongly resists the violence of the weather, and of this fertility and firmenesse will your Plant also participate. Let not the Vine you meane to plant from, be a­bove the middle of his strength, or age, and observe about Septem­ber those which are most laden with Grapes, fullest of eyes in their [Page 37] branches, and have been least wounded by the unseasonablenesse of Weather. Take not a Vine growing on a South side, to transplant him to a Northerne: and set this downe for a principle in Nature, that all plants removed to a better scituation and soyle, answer your largest hopes, by their fruitfulnesse: but transplanted to a worse, assure your se [...]fe that without an extraordinary cultivation, there cannot be the least probability of its thriving.

Let your Plant (if you may with conveniency) immediatly be planted after its seperation from its originall; for while it yet re­taines any vitall vigour, it will the sooner apply it selfe to the de­sire of life and nourishment. If your necessity will not admit of this [...]estination, wrap it tenderly in its owne earth; and when your leisure will permit you to plant it, let it soake some foure or five dayes in water, and (if possible) running water: this immer­ging is a very strong preparative to its sudden taking root.

If you apprehend a necessity of keeping him long or transpor­ting him, (imagine it the Cyprian or Calabrian Grape thus to bee transportable into Virginia,) put him into a close Barrell fil'd up with earth; and that no aire may mortifie him, let both ends of the Plant be put into Onions or Garlick, or (which is better) made up with wax, and now and then watred, but not more then to keep the earth from resolving into a dry dust; for too much moy­sture might (instead of preserving him) make him fructifie, and your Plant would become all root.

Wee have already spoken how we must chuse, but not what we must make choice of: Let your Plants therefore be of those which grow between the highest and lowest, (the lowest having too much of earthy juice, and the highest too little) let them bee round, smooth, and firme, having many eyes, and about one foot and a halfe of old wood cut off with the new.

The manner, and way to Plant Vines.

HUman curiosity plungeth us in so many unnecessary toils, that it would almost take a person off from necessary labour: Look into Columella, the Countrey Farme, the Dutch Husbandry and all those supe [...]cilious Writers, and you shall see them stand upon such [Page 38] impertinent Puntillos; one while the dependance upon starres be­nights a man, another while the ground which should produce this or that, must be cast after this forme, or else it will be barren in spight of the bounty of the Divine Providence.

Not enumerating therefore all their wayes of Planting, I dare lay my life that if the Vine were but set on foot in VIRGINIA, the ground prepared for it as they doe their Tobacco there, by a right line, holes made instead of their Hillocks, but larger, deeper, and at greater distance, that there might something grow betwixt them which might be inoffensive to it by nature, and cleare it from being choak'd with weedes, or something drawing a con­trary juice, (peradventure Onions and Garlick) or something re­quiring small nourishment, (as Lupins) which turn'd into the earth againe (distance of five foot being left for a Plough, with caution not to come too neare the Roots, which must be bared with a stowe, the Plough running first the length, and then the traverse of those rowes, which therefore must bee lineally straight) would both fatten the earth, and cultivate the Vine all at one moment. Yet submitting my selfe to judgements of greater experience then my modesty or na [...]u [...]e can ever hope for, I shall deliver the seve­rall way of planting the Vine, with as much brevity as the matter, and my first resolution rather to contract then inlarge, will per­mit mee.

The first preparing of the earth to receive the Vine must bee done in Spring or Summer, where the ground you digge or cast mu [...]t bee cleansed from all manner of superfluities whatsoever; namely, Roots, Weedes, Stones, &c. this digging must bee severall times repeated, that the earth by alternate changing its place of top and bottome may bee throughly tempred, the dry refreshed, and the moyst qualified: Thus cleansed, cast it into many furrowes (the sides whereof the French call Chevaliers or Guides, because it should guide you in the planting) the depth of eighteene inches or more; let the mo [...]ld cast up above, bee so disposed, that it may an­swer to the depth below.

Note that these furrowes in a sandy, flinty, or wet ground mu [...]t [...]ot bee so hollow as in that which is rough and crabbed [...] In the bottome of the first you may put stones about the bignesse of an [Page 39] ordinary brick (but round) not bigger, which in the heate of Sum­mer refreshes, in violence of Raine opens a passage to the water, that it dwell not at the Root to rot it.

The best season for planting of Vines is in October, the Moone increasing, the Furrowes must bee made in August, that the expo­sed earth may have time of digestive preparation.

If your plant have Roots, you must when you plant it cut them off all, except it bee newly gathered, if it bee a slip or cut, which though it bee not so swift of growth the first yeare, yet is of much longer continuance, you must soake it in water, if it bee possible in running water five or six dayes.

Hee which plants the Vine, the ground thus prepared, and have­ing a line with him, that hee may observe a just evennesse and streightnesse, both in the Row, and to the opposite Plant, that so every foure may make a regular quadrangle, must bow his plant, the bigger end forward one foot into the earth of the Ditch, let­ting first some of the Mould from the [...]ides fall into it; let him tread upon the Mould the better to fixe the plant, and with his hand (the foot still pressing upon that part of the plant which is inearthed) gently raise or bow the top of the plant that it may grow erect: this done, let him cast some more Mould on it, to the thicknesse of six inches, and cut the top of the Plant, so as not to leave above three knots or joynts above the earth: Let him pro­ceede in planting of the rest, observing the prescribed order: some set two plants together in this order, that if one should faile, the other might recompence the default.

If you will have your Vine to grow without stakes or props, cut it so, that you let it not increase above two or three joynts in the yeare, which will make it to stand firme against all stormes, if but naturally violent.

It will bee extreame ill husbandry to plant Vines of different kindes or qualities together, such diversity there is in their season of ripenesse; some preventing your expectation by the suddaine­nesse of their maturity, others deceiving it by their late ripenesse. Wee have spoken of the planting, let us now handle the culture and dresse of it, that his fertility may in some measure require the labour of his implanting.

The manner of dressing the Vine.

MId May will bee a season which will best informe you, whe­ther your Plants have taken so good root, that it expresses a verdure and germination in his Branches; when therefore the shoot is able to indure dressing, let it bee cut within two or three knots of the old Wood, and if any other slips spring from the Root, cut them away (with care however that it wound not the Root, or the maine stock, which are wonderfully offended by the too neare approach of any toole that is edged) that the whole st [...]ength of the Vine may unite into one common stock or pillar, to support and convey the sap into the permitted branches, of which you may not let any flourish the first yeare of its growth. It is ob­served, that to cut the Vine in the decrease of the Moone, makes the fleshy part of the Grape of a more substantiall grossen [...]sse and feeding, and is a peculiar remedy for those Vines which are given to bee over-ranke with wood: Let it bee the care of the V [...]gne­ron to remoove all obstructions of Weed [...]s which uninvited parti­cipate of the Vines nourishment: the surest way to kill which, is, to turne them in towards the earth, which is not onely a destructi­on to the thie [...]e of its moysture, but a restitution of the robbery; for the Weedes so inverted enrich the ground to the great encou­ragement of the Vine, and the no lesse profit of the Vine dressers. Let your knife with which you cut your Vine bee very sharpe, and let your Vine bee cut sloping at one cut, if possible, and not far from the old Wood, that the growth of the Vine may the more speedily cover the wound.

The Vines must bee dressed or husbanded [...]hree times the yeare, the first culture of it must bee in March, at which time you are to digge about the Root three quarters of a foot deep, or thereabouts: The next season must be in April, wherein you must digge about the Roote, within a third of the former depth, then you must also prune it by cutting all the branches, and leaving some three knobs or joynts of the new wood in your Vine of the first yeares growth, and cutting off all dead or superfluous branch [...]s of the old, whose permitted branches must also bee pruned, lest they [Page 41] should spend that aliment decreed for the Grape in elongation of the branches, all succors also must bee plucked away. [...]n August the like course is to bee used in the Wine of the precedent Autumne leaving two or three joynts or knobs of new wood: againe the old ones may bee onely digged, if at that time, and at all other times you perceive any dead or wounded branches you must cut them off something further then the mortification or hurt extends; and in all prunings let no Vine bee cut in the knob or joynt, but in the space betwixt; there following usually nothing but abso [...]ute and irremediable decaying, where th [...]y are cut in the articular knitting. If in Apri [...]s dressing, the Vine h [...]ve no branched but onely bud­ded, which is most usuall (but more [...]specially in March) you must nip the bud off with your fingers [...] to the end that the juice which would ascend to hasten the germi [...]ation, may bee stopped to strengthen and engross [...] the store.

The third yeare the Vine will b [...]a [...]e you [...]rapes in these Coun­tries, but I am confident that in VIRG [...]NIA it would beare at the s [...]cond; and this my confidence is grounded upon the hasty perfection all things receive in VIRG [...]NIA, by much preceding all our neighbour Countries. The Peachtree arrives not to that virility of growth in eight yeares, in these regions, which it ob­taines at foure there. The like is verified in Apples and Cherries: and if it be questioned how such men which p [...]radventur [...] being in a necessity, are not able to attend two yeares for a [...]urne, shall in the meane while subsist: it is easily answ [...]ed [...] th [...]t the inter­valls betwixt the dressings of the Vines will [...]ff [...]rd space enough for a reasonable Crop of Tobacco; and there is much mo [...]e labour in looking to 5000. Plants of Tobacco then the like number of Vines, especially if the interspaces be plough [...]d, and sow [...]d with Turnips or Lupines, which both adde to the fatness [...] and unwilding of the ground, and choake up all weeds and gr [...]sse which might afflict it. Co [...]trariwise, Tobacco will admit nothing in the Va­cant sp [...]s, and must be perpetually weeded Further, th [...]ugh oth [...] Vine-Masters prescribe the digging about the roots o [...] their Pla [...]t in August, which is the busie s [...]ason of inning the Tobacco, yet I am driven by divers reasons to wish such c [...]ture omitted at that time of the yeare, since it layes the root by so much the nearer [Page 42] to a violently torrid Sun which is so far from cherishing of it, that it burnes it; by whic [...] meanes his C [...]op of Tob [...]cc [...] need not at all to be neglected: but these Vines steale into such perfection by that tim [...] they are arrived at fou [...]e yeares g [...]owth [...] that twenty thou­sand Plants of Tobacco though s [...]ld at 6 pence per pound, (a great rate in VIRGINIA) will not retur [...]e you a like p [...]ofit, which tho [...]ght it m [...]y be something sp [...]ringly believed, yet may be m [...]de apparent. For admitting ou [...] Vines by that time of 4 foot high, by their so often cutting of the shoo [...]s, nourished u [...]to a stock strong enough to support it self; of B [...]anch [...]s, by the like tillage, equall in v [...]gour, yield but a gallon of Wine per pi [...]ce, yet here is 20 Tun of Wine yea [...]ely, for 3 [...] yeares tog [...]ther, (so long will the Vine thus husba [...]ded, l [...]st fruitfull, [...]n [...] vigorous, if Planted with the slip ra­ther then the Root) without any interruption but that which sets bou [...]ds and limit to all things, the divine providence in his dispen­sation of seasons.

Of the Diseases of Vines, and their Remedy.

BEfore we can justifie our expect [...]tions of a good H [...]rvest, we must providently foresee and prevent (as much as in us lies) such cas [...]alties as may m [...]ke our hope abortive; let us therefore cast our eye upon such D [...]seases which m [...]y make the Vine un­fruitfull, or after the fruit produced, dest [...]oy its desired fertility.

To prevent the Frost from benumming, or absolutely destroy­ing your Vines, let there b [...] layd up in divers places heaps of drye du [...]g, with an i [...]termixture of chaffe and straw, and when you conjecture the approach of the Fro [...]t, set this combustible stuffe on fire, and the smoake arising from thence will so temper and qualifie the aire that your Vine for that season will be secured from D [...]m [...]ge: yet if (before you have applyed th [...]s preventive reme­dy) the fruit of your Vine be destroyed, cut it off very short, and the strength continuing in the remainder will so fortifie it, that the next yeare it will recompence you double in the qu [...]ntity of your fruit; for what it hath been rob'd of by the present.

To provide against the blasting of your Vine: When you per­ceive it upon the point of budding, cut it as late as may be; for [Page 43] this late cutting it will make your Vine something later, and by consequence, blossome or flower at such time as the Sunne is ascen­ded to his greatest degree of heat and fervor.

To breake off such Mists and Fogs as are already gathered in the aire, and give probable menaces to fall upon your Vines, you must apply your selfe to this remedy [...] let a smoake round about your Vineyard be made with Go [...]ts du [...]g, kindled an [...] set on fire. Such Fogges as have outstripped your care and already fallen upon, and endammaged your Vines, must have the malignity of their vapors taken off [...] or at least asswaged by i [...]rigation of Vines, with the water in which the leaves or roots of wilde Cucumbers, or Colo­quintida have been layd some time to infuse: this must be applied immediatly after the mists. Some are of an opinion that Bay-tre [...]s (which by the way are dangerously sociable to the Vine) planted round but not too near the Vineyard, wil priviledge the Vine from this distaster, by attracting all the ill disposed mallice of those Fogs unto it selfe. This till experimented will hardly be worthy beliefe.

It is an opinion no way contradicted, that fertility is restored to a Vine become barren, if humane Urine kept a long while stale, to make it the more salt and ranke, be dropt by degrees upon the Vine stock, which must immediately after be laid about with dung and earth mixt together: the season for the application of this Cure mus [...] be in Autumne. Another way I should conceive to be altogether as eff [...]ctuall, namely, to leave it nothing but the stock, bare the roots, and lay there either Acornes, Chesnuts, or rotted straw; and if the bign [...]sse of the root will permit it, to cleave it a little way, and to thrust into the fissure a piece of Vine wood, cut small for the pu [...]pose; it being certaine that trees themselves some­times groane under the sicknesse of being hide-bound: Vines are perceived to want moisture, when their leaves turne of a deep red colour: this Disease is cured by watring them with Sea-water, or stale Urine.

The Bleeding of the Vine.

THE Vine sometimes is troubled with an extraordinary Efflux, or emanation of its juice; some call it the weeping, others the bleeding of the Vine, and this Disease is commonly so violent, [Page 44] that if not stopped it leaves the Vine without blood and life. The remedy is to breake the barke of the Vine upon the body thereof, and to anoynt the wound with oyle boyled to the half, or else with the Lees of Wine not salted; this done, let it bee watered with Vinegar, which by how much the stronger it may bee, is so much more effectuall.

The scattering Vine.

THE Vine sometimes is oppressed with an unretentive scattering disease, as unable to maintaine the fruit shee hath produced, which sh [...]e therefore discharges, and lets f [...]ll from her; the symptomes by which you are to judge of this disease, are an un­naturall palenesse and drynesse of the leaves, the branch it selfe languid, broad, and of a more pithy softn [...]sse then usuall. The cure to this, is to rub Ash [...]s beaten and mixed with strong Vine­gar about the foot of the Vine, a [...]d to water all tha [...] is round a­bout the stock: Quaer [...], whether [...]is [...]u [...]es in the [...]ke made with a sharpe knife some fixe inches long may not bee an additionall Re­ceit to the former prescription. The tree p [...]radven [...]u [...]e having con­tracted this malady by too close imprisonment in the barke, being in a manner hide bound; how ever the foregoing M [...]dicine can­not in this case but sort to better eff [...]ct if the tree and barke joynt­ly be rubbed over then the barke one [...]y, unlesse this Medicine could give a relaxation to the barke, which I have no faith in.

The Vine too full of branches, or luxuriant.

THE V [...]n [...] expending it selfe too wastfully in overmany bran­ches, [...]u [...]t bee [...] v [...]y short. If this overcome not that lux­ury, the usuall [...]em [...]dy is, let it bee bared at the Roots, and River gravell layd rou [...]d [...]bout the stock, together with a few Ashes or else som [...] stones. The reason I apprehend not, except it bee to check its f [...]tility which I conceive may more prosperously bee ef­fect [...]d, if on [...]ly the branches being cut, and the stock low, you suffer that exubrancy [...]o waste it selfe in adding more corpulency to the stock, which will of it selfe bee a sufficient spender to re­straine [Page] and confine the former liberality of juice.

The withering Vine.

IF the Grapes languish and dry away as they hang upon the Vine, before you apply a remedy you must cast away all that are alrea­dy aff [...]cted with this contagion; then water the rest with Vinegar, in which Ashes of Vine bra [...]ches have beene infused. The most as [...]u [...]ed remedy is to water the Root of the Vine, from whence the dis [...]use cometh with the st [...]lest Urine; the former Remedy being something irregular, as if it were easily feisible to remove a malady by application to the effects, without considering the efficient.

The rotting of Grapes upon the Vine.

THere are of Vines whose fruit pu [...]rifie upon the Branches before they come to maturity: this disease is remedied by lay­ing old Ashes to their Root, or G [...]avell, or B [...]rley meale mixed w [...]th the seed of Purcellane about the body; Quaere, whether this disease p [...]oceed from a Plethorick rankn [...]sse or em [...]ciate debility: if from rankenesse all application of ashes hurt it: the symp [...]omes of rankenesse are, when a tree lavishes his moysture into too many branc [...]es, which may make him neglect to feede the fruit, as unable to maintaine two spenders; and I am confident the naturall remedy for this is to bare him (as much as possible) of wood, that it may divert the nourishment to the Grape; if from debility, which you shall perceive by a flaccid palenes in the leaves, the same remedy which wee prescribed to the withering Vine, vi [...]. to water the Root with Urine of a long stalenesse, will bee the most proper.

The biting of the Cow or Oxe.

INdeede the best way to prevent this disease, is to have your ground either well p [...]led or quicksetted, or both: But that the biting or breathing of Kine may not endamage the Vine (which hardly recovers after such wound or infection) water the foot stock [Page 46] of your Vine with such water as the Tanners have used in dressing and mollifying their raw Hides, and you may prom [...]se your selfe to bee secured from them, they as mortally hating such sents, as the Vine abhors their bite or breathing.

Against Caterpillars.

THe opinion is, that Caterpillars and other noysome, though little Vermine, will not mol [...]st the bud or leafe of the Vine, if the hooke or hedgebill wherewith you prune and cut off the superfluous branches of the Vine be anoynted over with th [...] blood of a Male Goat, or the fat of an Asse, or of a Bea [...]e; or with the Oyle wherein Catterpillars or brayed Garl [...]ck have beene boy­led, or if you anoynt and rub them with the purse or sheath of a Badgers stones, after your hooke has beene ground: These are curious rather then apparently approved Medicines, and for their reason I must demurre to give it, Quaere, whether the Oyle wherein Catterpillars or brayed Garlick have beene boyled well, rubbed about the [...]tock of the T [...]ee, may not make those Repti­lia abhor the a [...]cending, or whether the juce of Rew so applyed, have not the like vertue.

The driving Locusts from the Vine is done by fumigation, as ei­ther fi [...]ing of old Oxe dung, Galbanum [...] old shooe soles [...] Harts­horne, womens haire; but that which they propose las [...], I con­ceive to bee the best, namely, to plant Pionie neare them.

To prevent Pismires.

PIsmires, who divers times fret in sunder the wood of the Vine, even to the very marrow, will not at all approach it, if you a­noynt and rub the stock with the dung of Kine, or grease of As­ses.

The Bay-tree, Hasell-tree, and Coleworts beare a particular en­mity to the Vine, and expresse it by eff [...]cts when planted neare; this I cannot believe to bee out of any Magicall Antipathy, but rather that these (as the Plum-tree) are great and strong succors of juice, and happily drawing of the same, by which the Vine is [Page 47] more particularly nourished, of which being cheated, it is no wonder if she expresse a decadency.

The manner of the Vintage.

AND now wee are come to that which is most acceptable to mankinde, the successefull fruit of his labours reaped in his Vintage, which wee must not of a naturall g [...]eedinesse precipitate, till the G [...]apes bee of such a kindely ripenesse of age, that to let them continue on the Vine longer were to lose them; this ripenesse is visibly understood by a mutation in the Branch and Grape; in the Branch you shall perceive a manifest mutation by an incline to rednesse in the G [...]ape; if it bee white it alters towards a yellow, if red towards a black colour; nor are the taste and touch les [...] dis­cerners of such full m [...]turity; for if they bee sweete in ta [...]te, and the liquor of a glutinous substance, cleaving to the finger; wee may conclude that both they, and the time to gather them are of full ripenesse. There are also other signes, if the kernell expressed out of the grape betweene your fi [...]gers, come out cleane, an [...] al­together seperate from the flesh or pulpe of the Vine, if after such expression (gently performed) the Grape diminish nothing from his bignesse, &c. These all, or the most of them concurring, pre­pare for your Harvest.

Yet in VIRGINIA, where the Harvest is more abundant then the Labourers, to prevent a glut of worke flowing upon few hands, and consequently not possible to bee throughly equ [...]lled: It will not bee amisse to use both anticipation by accelerating n [...] ­ture with artificiall meanes in some, and retardation by arresting the speede of growth in others, to accelerate Ashes layd to the foot of Vines, and those Vines planted to something more advan­tage of an amorous Sunne, will make them a [...]tecede the others, at the least by their advance of foureteene dayes; the other in their naturall course following that sp [...]ce after, and the others more particularly retarded (which may bee easily effected by the pruning of them later then the rest just upon their preparative to b [...]d; which arresting the sap makes it afterwards (though later) returne with a greater abundance) staying foureteene dayes later, there [Page 48] will bee compleately sixe weekes time for the gathering in of your Vintage. And by this meanes you have your Vineyard tilled or manured every third yea [...]e all over, which will bee no ingrat [...]full accession to its duration in fertility and strength: Those of the most forward ripene [...]se this year, being retarded the next, and those of the naturall maturation husbanded in that manner, the next Winter.

The fittest season to gather them must bee in a serene unclouded sky (the Grapes having any Raine or Dew upon them when ga­thered, losing much of their perfect strength and goodnesse;) for the Wine made of Grapes throughly dryed in their collection, hath a greater priviledge of force and continuance: But before this collection bee attempted, all things fitting to receive y [...]ur Vin­tage must bee prepared in cleanlinesse and order, viz. Baskets, Caske, and Fat [...]s strongly hooped, Tubs great and small, Stands, Presses, &c. and all scoured, washed, and furnished with their ne­cessary instrum [...]nts and conveniencies.

The Grape gatherer must distinguish and seperate the leane, green, sower, withered, or rotten Grapes, from those which are of absolute ripenesse and soundnesse. That the Wine by such an un­comely confusion or mixture m [...]y not bee l [...]sse pure, sprightly, and healthfull, then it was intended by nature, such incon [...]iderate Gatherers are sayd to bee of the Divells sending, to spoyle Gods provisions. Nor should they confusedly mixe good with good, if of different quality, as to mingle that which is strong and ri [...]h, with which is small, but delicate. They prescribe that the Grapes so gathered should bee left in the ground at least a day or two, and that uncovered, provided it raine not, by which meanes, say they, they will become much better, since the Sunne dew, and earth, by this exposure taking from them what ever they have of bad unpro­fitable moysture, refine and purifie them [...] A cou [...]se as far as my span of reason can extend, so far from this promise of refining and purifying, that it absolutely tends to their corruption. Have they wanted the Sunne and Dew when upon the stalk [...]? Could not the same Sunne and Dew which enripened them, refine and purifie them there? As for the earths meliorating them, if melioration bee understood by putrifaction, 'tis easily granted; Apples that [Page 49] lye on the ground are so meliorated, that is to say rotted, and shall the Grape a more delicate and tender fruit avoyd it? This is by way of digression, but it is necessary; for without this caution a modest man which reades with an obedient judgement any bookes of these men, taking the Authour for an [...], subscribes to it, observes the prescription, and gaines a doctrine of future provi­dence, by the losse of his present Vintage.

But after the Grapes have remained a day or two in the house, it will bee time to put them into the Fatt to bee trodden out equal­ly. Those which tread the Grapes should before they go into the Fatt have their feete and legges washed extreamely, and themselves covered with a shirt as well as drawers, that their sweat may not mixe with the Wine, and that nothing in the act of eating fall from their mouths into it, they must bee punctuall in abstaining from eating of the Grapes, while they are at this their labour.

Surely this way of treading the Grape is derived from some ab­stenious man, who devised this stratagem under a pretence of ex­pediting the worke; but indeede to deter men from drinking that which is so uncomely prepared. I know they will alledge that by treading it flowes more naturally, and with all more pure forth, then that which is pressed; but withall give mee leave, say that the very Presse it selfe if it bee not too violently and greedily la­boured, makes it glide forth altogether as naturally and purely, and which is more with greater equality; for in the Presse, all the Grapes feele the impultion at once, and if the Owner bee not too covetous to bring the drosse and gros [...]e parts of the Grape to a se­cond squeezing, and mixing with the first; without dispute the Wine so expressed is altogether as good and strong as that which is trodden, but I am certaine much more cleanly.

The Wine (however) being expressed must be poured, drosse, Huskes, and all, into a Fat to worke or boyle in, which it must doe for the space of foure and twenty houres at the least, if you will have it fine [...] delicate, and subtile; but if you desire to have it strong and noble, let it worke in the Fat foure or five day [...]s, with a Cove­ring over it, that so the vapour thereof may not exhale, or his force waste it selfe.

The Fat [...] or Tub prepared, must have immediatly before his re­ception [Page 50] of the Wine, a little bunch of Vine branches laid before the Tap-hole, which (that it may not heave up with the Wine) must be kept downe with a cleane stone or Brick, or which is bet­ter and lesse offensive, a ring of Lead wound about it: this when you draw the Wine will hinder the Huskes or Grapes from com­ming out with the liquor. Your Fat must not be full by halfe a foot or more, that the Wine may have the more space to boyle or worke in.

Your Wine invessel'd must not be filled up to the Bung, nor the Bung closed, that the Wine may have the greater liberty of de­spumation, and rejecting whatever it findes reluctant to its owne nature.

Every day you must fill up what is expurged, and something more, till you finde the Wine throughly appeased, and discharged of whatever might be obstructive to its generosity: nor must this Caske be in the Cellar, but either in the open aire, or in some Barne where it has a liberall respiration; besides the defects in Caske cannot be so easily discovered when the Wine is in the Cel­lar, as in open places. When it is so throughly settled, that it hath given over all appetite or signe of boyling, you may have it com­mitted to your Cellar, which should stand upon the North here, (in VIRGINIA upon the North-west as the coolest and driest An­gle) paved with gravell or drye earth, which is lesse subject to moysture or exudations then Brick, or especially stone, absolutely remote and unmolested by any ill odours of Stables, Sinkes, Bathes, Marshy places, &c. neither should it have any thing shut up or kept in it, which have any sent of acrimony or harshnesse, as Cheese, Garlick, Onions, Oyles, (Trane, Neatsfoot, Linseed, and others, not the Salade-Oyle) it being observed, that nothing is more open or obnoxious to contagion then Wine, especially when new.

Your Vessells must be so rank'd in order that they touch not one another, by this meanes to leave a liberty of sight to foresee a mis­fortune, or prevent it when happened. They must be so close stopped in the Bung with Clay, that not the least irreption of aire may be capable to taint it, to which it is very subject.

To cause new wine to bee quickly purged, put (after this pro­portion [Page 51] in the re [...]:) to 15 quarts of new Wine, halfe a pint of strong Vinegar, and within the space of three dayes it will bee fined.

To preserve Mustor new Wine all the yeare, take that Vine which voluntary di [...]tilleth from the Grape, before it suffer the presse, and put it into a Vessell pitch'd within and without the same day: let the Vessell b [...] halfe full, and very well stop'd with plaster above; and thus the new Wine will continue a long while in his swe [...]tnesse. But to adde to this experiment and the conti­nuance of the Wine, you must hinder it from working, which you may well doe, if you put the Vessell into some Well or River, there to remaine thirty dayes; for not having boyled it will con­tinue alwayes sweet, and is preserved by the heat of the Pitch. Others prefer the burying of this Vessell in moist gravell: and (which in my opinion is the best) others cover the Vessell first with the dros [...]e of the Wine presse, then heap upon it moyst gra­vell; by which meanes [...] something interposing betwixt the extra­ordinary moysture and cold of the gravell, which might have some influxe upon the Wine, your Must preserved in an excellent meane of temper.

To know if there be any water in the Wine.

THE Malice of servants sometimes swallowing downe their Masters Wine, and fearing to be discovered if the quantity be diminished, or the basenesse of the Dealer to impose upon the Merchant, makes both of them adulterate it with water, which not being discernable to the eye, may be made familiar to your knowledge by this experiment: Take a withered Rush, immerge it in the Wine, after a small space draw it out againe: if the Wine have been thus bastarded, you shall perceive the water cleaving to it. Othe [...]wise, take raw and wilde Peares [...] cutting, and cleansing them in the mi [...]st, or in [...]ieu of them, Mulberries, cast th [...]m into the Wine [...] if they float [...] [...]he Wine is neat and cleare from such sophi­stication; if they subside there is water in it. Some do [...] anoint a Reed a pi [...]c [...] of wood, or paper, hay, or some other little bundle of herbs, or strawes with Oyle, which if they drye, put into the [Page 52] Wine, and after draw them out, if the Wine have been embased with water, drop [...] thereof will gather unto the Oyl [...]. Another sure tryall is to cast uns [...]aked Lime into the Wine; if there be any adulteration, the Lime dissolves, if the Wine be undevirginated, the Lime collects thereby a harder cementation. Others take of the Wine, and inject it into a Frying-pan wherein there is boyling Oyle, and the Wine (if depured) declares it with a loud noise, a [...]d frequent Bubbles. To make another tryall, lay an Egge into the Wine, the Egge descending, manifests the abuse, not descending, the Wine is as the Grape bled it.

To seperate Wine from Water.

BUT as the miserable man in the pit de [...]ired his friend not to question how he fell in, but to advise how he should get out: We will not be satisfied that there is water in the Wine, but how it may be seperated from it; which if we may believe the deliverers of it, who have published it to the World in their names, you must put into the Vessell of Wine melted Allum, then stop the mo [...]th of the Vessell with a spunge drenched in Oyle, which done, turne the mouth of the Vessell so stopped, downewards, and the water onely will come forth, leaving the Wine pure: the reason of this I cannot give, and have onely read (not seen) the experi­riment.

The way to correct over much wa [...]erishnesse in Wine.

IF glut [...] of raine have made the yeare so unseasonable, that the Grape hath contracted a watry quality to the diminution of his Winy goodnesse: or if it fall ou [...] that after the time of gathering them, there fall such store of raine, that the Grapes instead of Dewes are too much wetted, (such is the profit of exposing the ga­thered clusters into the open aire for 48 houres) the remedy is to tread them quickly, and finding the Wine weake, by tasting it af­ter it hath been put into the Vessell, and begun to boyle ther [...], it must presently be changed, and drawne out into another Vessell, for so the watr [...] part [...] that are in it will stay behinde in the bot­tome, [Page] yet the Wine standing still charged, will be totally correct­ed, if you p [...]t to every fifteen quart [...] of Wine, a pint and a halfe of Salt.

To make Wine of an acceptable odour.

IF you will perfume your Wine with a gratefull odour, by which the braine may be strengthened, as well as the heart exalted: take a few Myrtle-ber [...]ies dry, bray them, and put them into [...] little B [...]rrell of Wine; let it so rest, close stopped, ten dayes after­wards use it at pleasure. The like effect will follow, if you take the blossoms of the Grapes (those especially which growe upon the shrubby V [...]nes) when the Vine is in flower, and cast them into the Wine, the brimmes of the Wine-vessell being rub'd over w [...]th the leaves of the Pine and Cypresse tree, and this will give it a fra­grancy delightfully odorate: Or which is of equall facility, you may hang an Orenge, or Pomecitron, (being of a convenient great­ne [...]e) and prick it full of Cloaves, and that in such sort as it may not touch the Wine, shut up in all these Applications, the Vessell very close. If this like you not, take the simples of such mat [...]er as you would have your Wine to smell of, infuse them in Aqua vitae, the infusion may be repeated by percolation of the old herbs, and addi­tion of new, till it have gotten a full and absolute perfection of those odours you desire, then poure the Aqua vitae (the herbs strained from it) into the Vessell of Wine.

To make Cute.

YOU may make the boyled Wine called Cute, if you boyle new Wine that is good, lovely, and very sw [...]et unti [...]l the third part thereof bee consumed; when it is growne cold put it into a Vessell and use it. But to make this Cute, that it may continue all the yeare, gather your Grapes whole, and let them lye spread three dayes in the Sunne, on the fourth about noone tread them. The liquour or sweet Wine which shal runne out into the Fatt be­fore the dross [...]y substance come under the presse, must bee boyled one third as before; then to every nineteene quarts of Wine adde [Page 54] an ounce of [...]rees or Corne flag well brayed, straine this Wine without the Lees, which being done, it will continue sweet, firme, and wholesome.

To cause troubled Wines to settle.

TO cause troubled Wines, and such as are full of Lees to settle, poure into thirty quarts of Wine, halfe a pint of the Lees of Oyle boyled, till the third part bee wasted, and the Wines will im­mediately returne to their former settlement. Otherwise, which is better and more easie, cast into the Wine-Vessell the whites of six or seven Egges, and stirre them together very well with a stick.

To know whether the Wine will keepe long.

THE knowledge whether the Wine will continue long or not in a good condition [...] is thus made apparent: When your Wine is tunned up, you must within some time after change it into ano­ther Vessell, leaving the Lees behinde in the first; which you must diligently stop from taking any vent whatsoever; after some time you may looke into the Lees with carefull animad version, whether they change or contract any ill sent or not, or whether they bre [...]d any Gnats, or other such Creatures; if you espye none of these mutations or corrupt generation, repose your selfe with all confi­dence that your Wine will continue pure to the lo [...]gest: But th [...]se symptomes discovered, will bee so many admonitions to dispose of that Wine with the soonest, which is already by nature inclined to turne bad and corrupt; others take a pipe of Elder, or such other wood as may bee hollowed through, with which they receive the sent of the Lees, and by them informe themselves how the Wine is conditioned.

A good pallate will divine of Wines by the taste, namely th [...] if the new Wine bee sharpe and quick, they repose confidence in its goodnesse and continuance; but if flat and heavy, then they expect nothing but the contrary to good qualities: againe, if the new Wine (when put into the Vessells) be fat and glewy, the sign is prosperous; but if contrariwise, it be thinne and weake, it is an [Page 55] [...]rgument that it will easily be turned,

To keepe Wine at all times.

TO effect this, you may cast Roch-Allum (very finely powdred) into the [...] Vessell which you meane to put your new Wine in, or bay Salt very finely powdred: or pibble stones, and little flints taken out of some Brooke, or which will retaine the spirits of the Wine from evaporating; more certainly Salade Oyle, so much as will cover the superficies of the Wine.

To make that Wine sh [...]l not Flowre.

VVIne will have no Flower, if you put into it the Flowers of the Vine, gathered, and dryed, or the meale of Fet­ches, cha [...]ging the Wine into another Vess [...]ll, when the meale or Flowers are settled downe to the bottome.

To prepare Physicall Wines.

NEither is this digression impertinent; Physitians are not so frequent in VIRGINIA, as in PADUA, or LONDON, and were there more, yet t [...]e vast space of ground, those people take up in their scattred dwellings, makes the addresses to them very difficult: that therefore they may (in absence of the Physitian) have some common remedies for common diseases; I have thought fit to give them this accompt of Medicinall Wines out of LIE­ [...]AULT, all of them of excellent Virtues, and easie preparations [...] the first shall be

To make Wines of Wormewood.

TO which effect, take of Sea-Wormewood, or in default of that, common Wormewood, especially that which hath the small stalke, and short leaves, eight Drammes [...] stamp them [...] and binde them in a cloath which is not woven too thick, cast it into the Vessell, pouring new Wine upon it, making this accompt, that to [Page 56] every three pints of Wine there must bee eight drams of Worme­wood; continue this proportion in the filling of your Vessell, which you must leave with the vent open, that the Wine fall not a new to boyling. The use of this Wine is good for the paine of the stomack and liver, and to kill Wormes.

To make Wine of Horehound.

THis Wine being very soveraigne for the Cough, must bee made in the time of Vintage, to which purpose you must ga­ther of the Crops and tender stalkes of Horehound, of that espe­cially which growes in leane untilled places; afterwards ca [...]se them to bee dryed in the Sunne, make them up into bundles, tying them with a Rush, sinke them in the vessell to 65 quarts of new Wine; you must put eight pound of Horehound to boyle there­with, after the Wine is settled the Horehound must bee taken out, and the Wine stopt very diligently.

The Wine of Anise and Dill very good against the difficulty of the Urine: The Wine of Peares against the flux of the b [...]lly; the Wine of Bayes against the ach and wringings of the belly; the Wine of Asarum Bacchar against the Jaundise, Dropsies, and Tertian Agues; the Wine of Sage against paines and weakenesse of the sinewes, are all made as the Wine of Wormewood.

To make Wine of Betony.

TAke Betony [...] the Leaves and Seedes about one pound, put it into twenty quarts of Wine, and at the expiration of the se­ven moneth, change the Wine into new Vessells. This most ex­cellent Wine aswageth the paine of the Reines, breaketh the stone, and healeth the Jaundise.

To make the Wine of Hysop.

TAke the leaves of Hysop well stamped, tye them fast in a very fi [...]e cloth, and cast about one pound of them into twenty quarts of new Wine; this Wine is peculiarly excellent against the [Page 57] diseases of the lungs, an old Cough, and shortnesse of breath.

Wine of Pomgranates, made of Pomgranates that are scarce ripe, being throughly bruized, and put into a vessell of thick red Wine, serveth of singular use against the fluxe of the belly: to which end also serve the Wines made of Services, Mulberries, and Quinces.

The Ancients had a very high opinion of Treacle Wine, from consideration of its extraordinary vertue in asswaging and healing the bitings of Serpents, and other venemous Beasts. Nor had the Vine solely this virtue in its Grape, but in the leaves also stamped and applyed unto the grieved part. This Vine is thus prepared: cleave three or foure fingers breadth of the Plant you intend to set, take out the pith, and replenish the vacant part with Treacle, af­terwards set the cloven part covered and wrapt in paper. Thus Vines may bee made soporiferous, if you prepare them in the same manner with Opium, as before with Treacle, laxative by prepa­ring it with some soluble purge. By this meanes you may have Wine to taste like the Greeke Calabrian Frontig [...]ac, or any other noble for its excellency; if the Lees purified and preserved bee in­serted into the pith of the branch, Aromatick, if to these Le [...]s you adde compounds of Cynamon [...] Cas [...]ia, Cloves, or what ever shall bee most agreeable to the nostrill and pallate.

To remedy Wines inclining to corrupt; and first of Wine beginning [...]o soure.

IF you perceive Wine beginning to waxe soure, put into the bot­tome of your Ve [...]sell a pot of water well stopt, close the Vessell, yet so as at a vent hole to receive and transmit a little aire: the third day draw out the pot, and you shall see a noble experiment of at­traction, for the water will be stinking and the Wine sound & neat.

At what time, and by what accidents Wine is most apt [...]o cor­rupt, with its remedy.

THE season when Wines are subject to turne or bee troubled, i [...] about the Summer solstice, viz. the 11. of June, at the same [Page 58] time that the Vine emits her blossome; nor then alone, but some­times about the Dog-dayes [...] by reason of the variety of heates: ge­nerally the Wine is in some sort of commotion, when a constant South winde disturbes the aire, whether it bee in Winter or Sum­mer, in great and continued raines also, and windes in Earthquake [...] or mighty Thunder [...]. To keepe them f [...]om turning is by the in­jection of pan salt, when they boyle or worke, or else of the seed of smallage, Barley-bran, the leaves of Bay-trees, or of Fennell seed brayed with the Ashes of the Vine brayed. The like effect have Almonds cast into the wine, or the A [...]hes of the Oake; the Meale of the white Fetch both defends the wine from turning, and keepeth it in his soundnesse. Allum broken in pieces the same, the worst application is of Brimstone, Lime, Plaister, &c. To reco­ver the wine when [...]urned, must bee e [...]fe [...]ted either by changing the Vessell, by beaten pepper; or take whites of Egges, beate them ve­ry well, and take the froth from thence arising of them, poure them into the Ves [...]ell, which you must immediately roule after its infusion: Or else take twelve Kernells of old Walnuts (the Vir­ginian Walnut I conceive exceeding proper) rost them under the Ashes, and while they are yet hot, draw a thread through them, hang them in the wine, where they must bee till the wine (which will not fail) recover its former colou [...].

If the wine become troubled, either the Kernels of Pine Apples, or Peaches, or the whites of Egges, and a little salt will not faile to cleare and refine it: Others take halfe a pound of Allum, as much Sugar, make a very small powder thereof, and cast it into the [...]e [...]sell.

To helpe Wine that beginnes to wast and die.

IF you by manifest Symptomes apprehend your wine suddenly inclining to degen [...]rate and corrupt, this course is prescribed: If it bee Clarret, take the Yelke of an Egge, if white, the white; adde to it three ounces of cleare bright stones taken out of [...] running River, make them into a small powder, together with two ounces of Salt, mingle all together, and (the wine [...]hifted into another Vessell neat and cleane, not tainted with any smell beforehand) [Page 59] cast in this Compound; mingle it with the wine five or sixe times the day, untill three or foure dayes bee past. This remedy is not prescribed when wine is absolutely spoyled, for then it would bee applyed to no purpose; but that the carefull Master should by his observation of it to such a disposition, prevent it by this experi­ment.

To restore Wine growne musty, unto his former purity.

CAst into the Vessell Cowes milke salted: Some (but to the in­finite unhealthfullnesse of him that drinkes it) attempt this restauration with Allum, Lime, and Brimstone, a more undange­ro [...]s way is to infuse in it Juniper-berries, and Irees Roots: Yet if the wine should continue this ill senting quality, by having taken winde: Let it bee rouled too and againe to awaken the spirits thereof, that they may the better disperse the strength of its infu [...]i­on: afterwards set it againe upon his cantling, replenish the Vessel and shut it close to prevent winde for the future.

To preserve W [...]nes from sowring, may bee performed by your disposing of you [...] Vessell in a place that is very coole and dry (the V [...]ssels being very well filled and well stopped) to prevent as well the emission of the spirits, by which the Wine continues vigorous, as the admission of aire. But in regard all men are not the masters of such opportune conveniencies, being forced sometimes to make uses of places obnoxious to heate, and drawing one Vessell a long time, cannot hinder the secret invasions of aire; y [...]t if you perceive in time that your Vine begines to harbour an acid or soure quality, you shall preserve it from falling into a full degree of sourene [...]se; if you take a good piece of Lard, wrap it well in a Linnen cloath, tye it to a small cord [...] and let it downe by the Bunghole into the middle of the Wine, still letting it lower as the Wine decreaseth. Some advise [...] and not without a great apparence of reason, to put into the Vessell, Oyle Olive, or Salade, in such quantity, that it may onely cover the superficies of the Wine: Which Oyle when the Wine is drawne off from the Lee [...], may bee seperated from them, and preserved.

To take [...]way the waterishne [...]se and crude moisture of the wine, [Page 60] put into the Vessell the leaves of the Pomgranate-tree, though in my opinion such Wine being easily knowne in the [...]att, when first trodden, should be corrected by boyling, as afore.

The remedy against venemous Beasts falling into the Wine, as Adders Rats, &c. is, so soone as the dead body is found, to burne it and cast the Ashes into the same Vessell, s [...]irring it about with a wooden stick: Others give advice to put [...]ot bread into the Vessel which will attract all the venemous qualities to it selfe, and cleare the Wine.

Of the Olive.

THE Vine and Olive being such delightfull associates as to expresse a mutuall emulation for the Glory of fertility when planted together. This Treatise shall not divide them, they are both exhilaratives, the Vine rejoyces the heart, the Olive glads the countenance; and that VIRGINIA may expresse the delight she affords to mankinde by being reinforced with this second Sister of laughter, the Olive; this discourse particularly designed to her im­provement, showes its planting and culture when planted.

The Olive tree, though it delight in a rich fat ground; yet if he have a warme aire, and a South, or South-East wind to refresh him, will in all places testifie a bounteous gratitude for its scituation in an almost unlaboured for fertility: Yet to prepare a place for this rich plant to prosper on, his prosperity being no small part of your owne, you must digge the pits where you intend to plant them, a yeare before such implanting; in this pit burne some straw, or which is better castings of Vine or Brambles (but no part of Oake, there being such a particular enmity betwixt this tree, and the Oake, that the Olive not onely refuses its neighbourhood, but dies if planted in the place where the Oake has beene rooted up) or you may leave it to the Sunne and Raine, which will without such a­dustion exhale and purifie all infectious vapours: The place being provided to plant upon, we must next select our Plant.

Select your Plants from the Shoots or Branches of those Olive trees which are yong, faire, and fertile: Let them bee in thickne [...]se the circumference of an ordinary wrist, in length eighteene inches; plant it the bigger end downewards into the earth, prepared as be­fore, [Page 61] and ramme the Mould, mingled with Dung and Ashes close about it: Let it be digged every yeare in Autumne. The time to plant it is in April or May, it must not be transplanted for the first five yeares, nor the Bough [...] cut or pruned till it have attained eight. Graft it not but upon it selfe, so will it beare fruit better in the species and number; in its transplantation you must take up as much of the soyle with its roots, as you can possible, and when you reset it, give it the like scitu [...]tion for Coast and Quarter that it had before.

Olives are intended for two uses when gathered; either to bee served up at the table in collation, or to make Oyle of the largest sort of Olive, is most proper for the table, the lesser more particu­larly convenient for Oyle: They must bee gathered with the least offence to the tree that may bee, the bruising of the branches with Poles as some use it in striking downe the fruit, makes the tree bar­ren: The best way therefore is to ascend the tree by a Ladder, in faire weather (not so much for conveniency of the Gatherer; as for the profit comming from the Olive, which is not to bee taken from the tree, but when it is exceeding dry) and pulling them with your hand put them into a Wicker Basket, which you [...]hall have carryed up with you to that purpose. Those Olives you intend to preserve or pickle, must not have that full ripenesse which is re­quisite for those you purpose to make Oyle of. The Olives which you keepe for Banquets must be full of flesh, firme, fast, large, and ovall; if you will pickle them, put them into an earthen pot, and cover them with salt brine or verjuice, or else with Honey, Vine­gar, Oyle and Salt smally beaten. If you intend to keepe them long, by changing your salt brine constantly every two or three Moneths, you may effect it.

For the Olives whereof you are to expresse your Oyle, you must gather no more at one time then what may be made into Oyle that day, and the day following: before you bring them to the Presse let them be spred upon hurdles, well pick'd, and cul'd; let the hurdles not be too thick set with twigs, that the Lees and watry humor of the Olive (which if expressed with Oyle would make it extreame full of faeculency, and corrupts it both in the nostr [...]ll and Palate) may expend, wa [...]te it selfe, and drop through; some there­fore [Page 62] that this malignant humor may have a full def [...]uxion before they bring the fruit to the Presse, make a high and well-raised floore, with provision of partitions to keep every dayes gathering seperate; (which is, if your abundance be such that your Presse is not able to discharge you of them dayly) the bottome of these par­titions m [...]st be paved with a declin [...] descent, that the moistnesse of the Olives may flow away, and be received into gutters or little channels there provided for their transfluxe.

The Olives being thus prepared for the Presse, and the Presse readily provided of all things necessary, viz. of Fats, Vessels to receive your severall Oyles, scoopes to draw, and empty out the Oyle, Covers great and small, spunges, pots to carry out the Oyle, tyed about by bands or Cords of Hemp, or Broome-barke; the Mill-stones, Oyle-mills, Pressers, and all other instruments serving thereunto being very well cleansed, and the aire having been be­fore as well heated by a plentifull fire; (if it be not warme enough by its naturall scituation) for the assistance of heat makes all Oyly Liquors resolve and runne more gently and freely, whereas cold astringes, and detaines it. This Presse-house therefore [...]hould be so seated, that it may enjoy a full admission and benefit of the South Sunne, that we may stand in need of very little fire, if any at all, such heat being no more assistant to the expression, then ac [...]essary to the corruption of the Oyle.

Carry your Olives thus cleansed to the Presse, under which put thē whole in new willow baskets (the willow adding a beauteou [...] and innocent color to the Oyl;) the Willow also something staving off the rude strokes of the Presse, that the Olives may be bruised with as little violence, and as much leisure as possible: Nor would it be inconvenient if their skin and fle [...]h were a little broken at the fir [...]t with a Milstone, so set, that it should not breake the Kernels, which would utterly spoyle the Olive, taking them from the Mill thus prepar'd: let them be stronglier bruised in the Presse, and put foure pound of Salt to every Bushell of Olives. The Oyle which comes first is by much the best, and the [...]efore called Virgin Oyle: the second which comes with more violent expression is fitter for Liniments then the Table: but the last, which is ex­torted from the drosse, and stones, is of no use but for Lampes; or such sordid employment.

[Page 63]The Tuns and Vessels wherein the Oyle is to be put, must be well dress [...]d with pitch and gumme, made very clean with warme Lees, and carefully dryed with a spunge, into which you may powre your Oyle within thirty dayes after the expression of it, so much time being necessarily allowed for the settling the Lees, which by that will have grounded upon the bottome. The Cellars where the Vess [...]ls of Oyle are to be conserved, must be in a place of constant drynesse and coldnesse, heat and moysture being corrupters of the Oyle; provide therefore a Cellar on the North coast of your house: and fo [...] the better and more neat preservation of your liquor, poure it rather into glasse Vessels or [...]arthen pots, which (if they be made capacious) are far more convenient then the pitcht retainers we forme [...]ly spoke of.

Accidents befalling Oyle [...] with their Remedies: and first to recover frozen Oyle.

IF (in the time of Winter) Oyle doth freeze together with his Lees, you must put into it twice boyled salt [...] which dissolves and clears your Oyle from all further apprehension of danger; nor need you entertaine a jealousie that it will be salt, since unctuous matters (and especially Oyle) have seldome any relish of it.

To keepe Oyle from becomming ranke.

VVHen the Oyle begins to change from his first purity of taste to a disposed rankenesse; the remedy is to melt an equall proportion of wax and Oyle together, to which you are to mingle salt fried in Oyle before; this you must poure into the Ves­sel, which composition above the prevention of it, when begin­ning to grow ranke, effects an entire restitution to its simple pure­nesse, when already affected. Anniseeds cast into the Vessell by a particular attraction performe the same operation.

To purifie troubled Oyle.

SOme are of advice, that the applying it to the fire or Sun re­cleares it. Others, if the Vessell be strong, cast into it boyling water: how these remedies agree with their former assertions, (wherein they declare heat so unnaturall to Oyle) is beyond my re­conciling: I for my part, should rather make an experiment of Vineger, which being cast into the Oyle by degrees, hath such a penetrating and inquirent faculty over all the parts, that it would without doubt recompose it.

To recover Oyle corrupted in the Sent.

TO performe this, take green Olives, pound them, free them from their stones, and cast them into the Oyle: or else cast the crums of Barley bread mixed with corne salt: otherwise, in­fuse in your Oyle the flowers of Melilot: or else hang in the Vessell a handfull of the herb Coriander, and if you finde the putri­fying quality yet unexpelled, cast in divers times of the same herbe, and which is better, change his Vessell; this ill odour others drive away thus: They take Grapes, pick out their Kernells, stampe them, and with Salt make them into a lumpe or lumpes, which you must cast into the Vessell, and after ten dayes faile not to change it: Which must necessarily be done after the application of any re­medy to Oyle growne ranke and putrified, the Vessell still impai­ring what the remedy recovers.

Wee have done with the Oyle Olive, after the manner of whose expression may bee extorted any unctuous matter of fruits, plants, or seeds namely, Walnuts, Filberds, Almonds (both sweete and bitter) Nutmegs, the Kernells of Peaches, Pine-Apples, Abricots, Cherries, Plums, Pistaches, the seede of Line, Rape, Cole, Must­ard, Hempe, Poppy, Henbane, the seeds or Pipins of Apples, Pears, Cucumbers, Gourds, Melons, and other such like: But that wee may give the Reader a more cleare dilucidation of the manner of preparation, Wee shall briefely discover the method used in the expression of Oyle from Almond and Nutmegs, which will easily [Page 65] make him apprehend all the rest [...] the particular reason which per­swades mee to introduce the example of Almonds, is becaus [...] I have purposed before I finish this concluding Treatise, to discourse particularly o [...] the planting the Almond. Whose Oyle if to bee ta­ken inwards, is to bee thus expressed.

Pill the Almonds after they have steeped some time in warme water, pound them in a Mortar of Stone or Marble with a wood­en pestle, make them up in little Lumpes or Loaves, which you may knead with you [...] hands against the vapour of warme water, or put them in a glasse vessell of a large content, for some foure or five houres: (let the seate and Glasse bee so contrived, that it may ra­ther bee above the water to receive the vapour on its sides and bot­tome, then in it) the Almond being thus mollified by the dispositi­on of the moisture, m [...]st bee put into a haire cloth or hempen bag, and laid in a presse, whose bottome must be wel heated, hollow, and bending downewards to give the better delabency for the Oyl [...] thus expressed, you may bake the drossy part of the Almonds un­der the Ashes, wh [...]ch in time of necessity will serve for bread, of plenty for a dainty and fatning food to your Poultry. This Oyle is of soveraigne excellency to mitigate and remove the throwes and gripes of women newly delivered, and to aswage the paines of the Collick or Reines, taking it in two ounces of white Wine, or one of Aqua vita; the Line, Cole, Rape [...] Wallnut, and other need not these curious preparations, and their Cakes are of unm [...]t­chable nourishment to fatten Kine and other Cattle.

Oyle of Nutmegs.

OYle of Nutmeg (which in the South part of VIRGINIA not subject to any inconveniences of cold would undoubted­ly flourish) is thus made: bray them with a wooden stamper, after­wards presse them out, the plankes being very well heated; to ex­tract it more rich, divide them into little heapes, and steep [...] them three dayes in very good Wine, after dry them in the shaddow of the Sunne two whole dayes, then heate them reasonably in a fry­ing pan upon the fire, sprinkling them with Rose water, and pre­sently presse them. This I judge conveniently sufficient for Oyles [...] [Page 66] Let us descend to the planting of the Almond-tree, which as it hath a peculiar excellency, so without dispute returnes a [...] ample profit.

Of the Almond tree.

THough the Almond tree delight particularly in gravelly pla­ces, of which VIRGINIA is too rich to afford a convenien­cy; yet there is no dispute, but if the Mould wherein you plant them bee mingled with Oyster-shels, or such like, of which there is to bee found inexhaustible Quantities, they will have a greater virtue then gravell to the quickning and ingerminating of this [...]ree; having the perplexed hardnesse of gravell and unctuousnesse of marle united. The soyle thus prescribed; let the seat of your Almond be in a hot place fully exposed to the South or South-West, and it will not onely flourish to your expectation, but its fruit will bee excellently qualified, and in vast abundance: it groweth very well of the stone, which because it cannot bee procured new should be kept close in a Vessell of earth; to be transported, set it as you would your Peach; it thrives very well too of the branch or scien, which must bee cut from the top of the tree, and planted as the Olive, the earth rammed very hard about it, and prepared as before, both the stone and the scien should bee steeped for the space of twelve or foure and twenty houres in homed water; the best season to set or plant it in VIRGINIA, is in October and No­vember. This tree will bee of admirable use there, in regard that both that and the Olive will hinder no undergrowing Corne; let neither this tree nor your Olive grow above ten foot in the stock, and in this as in Olives, if you see any branch aspiring higher then his neighbours, represse such ambition by cutting him o [...]f, other­wise hee will divert all the sap of the tree into his owne body, and leave his fellowes in a starving and perishing condition; amongst which if you maintaine equality, they will altogether consent in gratitude to returne you a plentifull Harvest.

T [...]e barren Almond tree will become fruitfull if you lay open his Roots in Winter, or else if you pierce some part of the stock close to the earth, and put through the hole a wedge of Oake, wa­tering it about with stale Urine.

[Page 67]The bitter Almond will bee capable of bulcoration, if you lay round about his bared Root Swines dung tempered with Urine, casting afterwards much mould upon it, this must bee practised yearly, till hee bee perfectly reclaimed, you will finde the same ef­fect if you bore a hole in the stock of the tree, and put therein a wedge wrapped about with cloth dipped in Hony. Beasts by brousing and cropping of rhe first and tender branches, change the nature of sweet Almonds into bitter Almonds, are gathered when their Huskes through the heate of the Sunne begin to divide; (I should therefore advise that those made choice of to set, may bee taken before such exact ripenesse, that the heate of the Sunne may not exhale their generating vigour) if when you have beaten them downe you shell them altogether, and wash them in brine, they will become white, and bee preserved a long time; cautionarily that you dry them in the Sunne; their repository or granaries must have good open admissories for an unmoist aire, and lye upon that Coast that is most open to the North-West, being the driest winde in that Country.

The Medicinall excellency of Almonds, is, that they are good for those which are troubled with a clammy fleame in their throat, with w [...]ake lungs, and such as are subject to the gravell in the Reines or difficulty of Urine, they are great restorers to nature, and fortifie the parts tending to generation; nor is it onely bene­ficiall in its fruit, for the Gumme also of the Almond tree arrests the spitting of blood.

Of the Fig tree.

THE Fig tree groweth with an unusuall celerity, as beginning to beare the second yeare from his planting, and is of that na­ture, that during a moneth or five weekes when Grapes are ripe and good to eate, the Figge also is at that season dayly mature, and fit for the pallate, it may bee planted as the Vine, and affects the same soile; such as have roots grow sooner, but without doubt the branches continue longer; the order you observe in planting the Vine adheare too in this, and it will p [...]osper. The fittest season to plant it is in October, and the succeeding Moneth to the 15. or [Page 68] twentieth: You shall cause them in planting the be [...]ter to t [...]ke root, if you loosen the barque, or which is better bruise it gently at the nether end of the stemme about halfe a foot. To cause them to bee fertile, and bring forth fruits remarkable for fullnesse and verdure, put to his root rich Mould beaten and tempered with the setlings of Oyle Olive, and mans dung, or which I like better then this stercoration if it have already a benine soyle, crop the tops and ends of the branches when they first spring.

To reclaime a wild Fig-tree, water him at the roots with Win [...] and Oyle mixed together.

If you make á composition of an equall quantity of salt brine and water be [...]tow this irrigation in a small trench round about the body of the tree, your Figges are prevented from unripe fallings.

To have ea [...]ly Figs, water the tree with Oyle and Pigions-dung, if your ambition be not only to have the earliest, but the latest, take away the fi [...]st Buds, when they are about the bignesse of a Beane.

To keepe or preserve them, lay them in a pot of Honey full and well stopped, but so that they neither touch the sides of the pot, nor one another. Or take an earthen pot (the Figs being put in) stop it close, and immerge this Vessell to another f [...]ll of Wine, no [...]aint or corruption will possesse your Figges so inclosed, while the Wine retains his goodn [...]sse.

The plant steeped in brine, or the end thrust into a Sea Onion, becomes much more fruitfull when planted.

This fruit is of great vertue in making the belly soluble in a­bundance of nourishment and provocation of sweat, dryed and mingled with the flower of Linseed or Fenugreeke, it resolveth and killeth all Impos [...]umes, and hard tumours, in decoctions it as­sists much in driving away of the Cough, and difficulty of breath, which last vertue the fruit also expresseth very happily, if ste [...]ped in Aqua vitae, the night precedent, and taken every morning du­ring the dominion of this disea [...]e after you, the Milke of the Fig-tree dropt into the eare killeth the Wormes in it, the Leaves of the Fig-tree rubbed doe provoke the Hemorrhoides; the juice of Figs is of equall felicity in opening them, which to increase his excel­lency amends all roughnesse, ill conditioned scabs [...] small pocks, purpl [...]s, freckles, ringwormes, and other eye-sad blemishes of the [Page 69] face or body therewith anointed, being first tempered with the flower of parched Barley, a little Cotten wool dipped in this juice, and layd upon the aking tooth a [...]wageth the paine.

Of the Pomeganate tree.

THE Pomegranate tree, which may be planted either from the Branch or succour, is one of the most absolute encouragers of an idle person in the world; provided, it be exempt from the intemperate operation of the cold, neither the torrid heat of the Sun, nor the barrennesse of the Soyle, shal make him forgoe his glorious Rubies; no culture or dressing is required by it: yet if it be set in a rich soyle, it will be sure to make an advantage of it to his owne flourishing, and your profit: the wine thereof (for it affordeth Wine as wel as excellency of fruit) may be made after this manner.

Take the ripe kernels, freed and cleansed from their skins, put them into the Presse, and exact the Wine, keep it in Vessels till it is fully fined from all working, which finished, distribute such a quantity if Oyle as may float over all the top of the Vessel, and this preserves it from sowring or corruption.

The Pomegranate apple put in a pot of new earth, well covered, and Luted with clay, and set into an Oven so long, till the Fruit may be resolved into powder, is of very Princely vertue; for (taking the weight of half a crown thereof in red Wine) it mira­culously stops the Bloudy flux. It is also good in divers diseases of women, which (because they are more arcanely peculiar to that Sex) I shal forbear to speak of.

Of the Quince tree.

THE Quince tree groweth much sooner from the Root then Branches: it delighteth in a soyle of a moyst and cold nature, and would therefore be planted towards the more umbragious and coole corners of your Garden. The Garden, or reclaimed Quince, beareth two sorts of fruits, to which curiosity hath assigned Sexes, and they are called the Quince and Quincesse; the Male, which is the Quince, is of a more wrinkled, drye, redolent Fruit, and gol­den colour then the Quincesse. If you graft the Male upon the Fe­ [...]ale, or [...]convers [...], the Quinces thence proceeding will be tender, [Page 70] and may be eaten raw, which without such [...]n Hermaphroditisme must of necessity have beene prepared, to which nature, rather then to eate it crude hath de [...]igned it. The use of Marmalade, and its preparation is so publickly known, that it is unnecessary to repeate it.

It is not enough to enjoy the delight of these fruits for the Sum­mer onely: The Winter too in reason should claime a part of our Summer contentments, which cannot bee better expedited then by drying such fruits as are capable of are faction, and agreeable when dryed, the principall whereof are the Vine or G [...]ape, the Fig, the Peach, and Abricot.

How to dry Grapes, that they may bee kept.

YOur Grapes being at their just ripenesse, select the faire [...]t out of you [...] Vineyard, for such quantity as you shall use, let them lye thin spread while you prepare a Lye for them, made of faire water and Ashes, proceeding onely from the cuttings of the Vine without any other mixture of wood whatsoever: seeth this lye till you have made a strong and cleare liquor, then taking or strain­ing away the Ashes, put the liquor into a cleane Caldron, set it a­gaine over the fire till it bee ready to seeth; then tying the stalkes of your Grapes with thread, and fastening the thread to such sticks and in such order bunch by bunch, as Chandlers use to dip their Candles, which dip them into this lye foure or five severall times: Which done, let them dry in the Sunne [...] either so hanging on their sticks, of which is better upon Lattices or Hurdles of Rods, or the like, untill they bee conveniently dry; then barrell them, pressing them very hard and flat in the Vessell, others dry them upon such Lattices or Hurdles without steeping them even as they c [...]me from the Vine, and peradventure more successefully.

How to drie Figges.

LET them (as the Grape) bee gathered very ripe; then lay and spread them upon Hurdles or Lattices of Reeds or Osier joyned together [...] with rifts or vacancies betwixt the covering of [Page 71] those Osiers, that the aire transpiring through those voyd spaces may assist the Sunne in the drying them; but you must bee cauti­ous that during their exposure to the open aire no Raine or Dew incommodate them: When they are dry ba [...]rell with the same poise of pressure used to the Grapes. Others take a bigge Reed or Cane of two or three foot in length, boring little holes all the length of it, through which they put little sticks of two foot ex­tent, being the small and sharpe upon which they thread the Figs, till they are very full of them, and so hang the Cane in the Sunne, which dryed they barrell up using the same course as before.

How to dry Peaches and Abricots of all sorts.

WHen they are very ripe, pare off the upper skin, cleav [...] them into foure quarters, dry them as you did your Fig [...] barrell them and keepe them for the Winter.

The manner how you shall prepare them to eate is this; pr [...]vide an earthen pot, and after you have washe [...] your Peaches in faire water, put them into the pot with as much Wine as will cover the Peaches, then seeth them halfe a quarter of an houre. They may bee made ready without boyling thus; let them inf [...]se three or foure dayes in Wine, (which way they are much better) put to them beaten Cynamon, and thus they will last a Moneth in the Wine, eaten every morning they are very wholesome, and pro­voke a good appetite.

The fittest seasons for sowing of seeds.

TO prescribe Rules according to our Climate, to tha [...] of VIR­GINIA, may have much of affection, but without all perad­ventures, little of Wisdome. Wee must therefore seeke for a nea­rer correspondence in parallells. Having therefore seene some let­ters of an ancient date written by Frenchmen, then employed in VIRGINIA, to their Intrusters, wherein they confesse that of all the Provinces of FRANCE: None came so neare to that noble Countrey, as LANGUEDOCK and PROVENCE, two of the Eyes of that Kingdome, abounding withall the delights and deli­cacy [Page 72] that ITALY can pretend to, or SPAIN [...] boast of; I could not but apprehend that their times of sation and insition, of plan­ting and replanting, might in some measure correspond with that place where the English are now s [...]ated, and having seene a regu­lar distribution of the moneths and seasons in the yeare for sowing, grafting [...] and other offices belonging to the industrious Lovers of Agriculture; I should both unsatisfie my owne conscience, and disoblige that Countrey, and its Christian Inhabitants, if I did not publish it with the same resentment of affection I received it; not that any should bee so pinioned to these Precepts, that neither wea­ther, inconveniency, or want of opportunity should make him recede from the punctuall observation of them: But I speake it out of a very strong confidence that the observations of the sea­sons according to these prescriptions will sort well with V [...]RGI­NIA in generall, and the Planters in particular, to whom it is in­tended, and indeed it is as exact [...] Directory as any yet published.

I am not ignorant that Criticks will laugh at this; much good doe it them [...] and why so many Moneths for the same seed? W [...]y so many Repetitions? My Exceptionist forgets that wee not onely covet to have things early, but their continuance: Will it offend him that wee have Ar [...]ichokes in May? and July both? Be­cause wee may have Cabbage, Lettuse in April, shall wee bee for­bidden to have any in May: the principall scope of this directer was to show how long such and such seedes might bee continued to bee sowen, and in what Moneth and Moone, if hee apprehend it not; I can send him to no Moneth, but that of June, nor Moone, but that of Midsommer.

[Page 73]He that will sow seed, must know that,

• Som [...] may [...] [...]owen at a [...] times of the Moneth and Moone, as,
  • Asparagus,
  • Colewort of all sorts,
  • Spinage,
  • Lettuse,
  • Pa [...]s [...]ips,
  • Reddish.
• Others would be sowed in a certaine Moneth and Moone [...] as there must bee sowen in February, the Moone being —
  • New
  • Full
    • Spike
    • Ga [...]like
    • B [...]age
    • Bug [...]sse
    • Ch [...]use
    • Cori [...]nder
    • G [...]urds
    • W [...]ter [...]esses
    • M [...]ne
    • Pa [...]ma Christi
    • Flower gen [...]le
    • W [...]ite Poppy
    • Pu [...]s [...]ane
    • Radish
    • R [...]ket
    • Rosemary
    • Sorrell
    • Double Marigold
    • Thyme.
    • Anise
    • Viole [...]
    • B [...]ites
    • Ski [...]worts
    • Wh [...]te Succory
    • F [...]n [...] [...]
    • P [...]l [...]y.
    • H [...]y [...]histle
    • Cole Cabbage
    • White Cole
    • Green Cole
    • Cucumbe [...]
    • H [...]rts-horn [...]
    • Samp [...]
    • D [...]rs graine
    • Spinage
    • Cabbage-Lettuce
    • M [...]l [...]
    • Onions
    • La [...]ke [...]-he [...]le
    • Burnet
    • Leekes.
  • Old

[Page 74]Sow in March the Moone being,

• New
• Full
  • Garlick
  • Borage
  • Cher [...]ile
  • Cori [...]nder
  • Gourds
  • M [...]joran [...]
  • White Poppy
  • Pu [...]s [...]in [...]
  • Radish
  • Sorr [...]ll
  • Double Marigold
  • Thyme
  • Violets.
  • Anise
  • Blee [...]s
  • Skirwor [...]s
  • Succory
  • [...]en [...]ll
  • Apples of Love
  • Marvellous Apples.
  • Artichoke [...]
  • Basil
  • Thi [...]le [...]
  • Blessed Thi [...]le
  • Col [...] Cabbage
  • White Cole
  • Greene Cole
  • Citron [...]
  • Cucumbers
  • Harts-horne
  • Sampire
  • Di [...]rs grain [...]
  • Spinage
  • G [...]lly [...] flowers
  • Hyf [...]op
  • Cabbage Lettuse
  • Melons
  • Onyons
  • Flower gentle
  • Burnet
  • Leeke [...]
  • Sav [...]y.
• Old

Sow in April the Moon being

• New
  • Majorane
  • Flower gentle
  • Thyme
  • Violet [...]
• Full
  • Apples of Love
  • Marvellous Apples.
• Old
  • Artichokes
  • Cabbage Cole
  • Citrons
  • Harts-horne
  • Sampire
  • Gilly flower [...].

In May in the old of the Moon Blessed Thi [...]le.

In June th [...] Moone

• New
  • Go [...]rds
  • Radishes.
• Old
  • Melo [...]s
  • Cucumbers.

In Jul [...] the Moone

• Full
  • White Succory
  • Cabbage Lettu [...]e.
• Old
  • White Succory
  • Cabbage Lettu [...]e.

In August the Moone being Full White Succory.

[Page 75]Herbes growing of seedes that are sowne may bee transplanted at all times, except Chervils, Arrage, Spinage, and Persely, which are nothing worth when they are transplanted; ever observed that such transplantation bee in a moist, rainy weather, otherwise they must bee very diligently watered.

You may take notice that the choise and age of seedes is d [...]u­ble, in chusing them you are to regard that they bee ripe, full, hea­vy, firme, grosse, and of a good colour, not falling to powder through rottennesse or bruises.

Some grow bettter of new seedes, as Leeks, Cucumbers.

Others grow better of old seeds, as Coriander, Persley, Savory, Beets, Origanum, Cresses, Spinage, Poppey.

Further observe, that you must preserve from cold, Lettuses, Ar­tichokes, Basill, Cabbage Cole, Diers graine, Melons, fifteene dayes after they put forth from the earth.

Make [...]ccount that seedes thrive and prosper much better, when they are sowen upon such dayes as are betweene the ex­treames of cold and heate, then in hot, cold or dry dayes.

Bee pleased to remember, that seedes must bee gathered in faire weather, in the Wane of the Moone.

They must be kept

• some in
  • Boxes of wood, Dry, and not layd upon the ground, but kept very cleane.
  • Bagges of Leather, Dry, and not layd upon the ground, but kept very cleane.
  • Vessels of Earth, Dry, and not layd upon the ground, but kept very cleane.
• others, as
  • Onions, In their Huske.
  • Chibols, In their Huske.
  • Leeks, In their Huske.
• [...]o do regularly, we sho [...]ld
  • Plant in the la [...] of the Moone.
  • Gather Grafts in the la [...]t but one of the Moone.
  • Graft two dayes af­ter the change of the Moone.

[Page]

An Explication of the Saw-mill, an Engine, wherewith by force of a wheele in the water, to cut Timber with great speed.

THIS Engine is very common in Norway and Mountaines of Sweden, wherewith they cut gr [...]at quantity of Deal-bords; which Engine is very necessary to be in a great Towne or Forrest, to cut Timber, whether into planks or otherwise. This heer is not altogether like those of Norway: for they make the piece of Timber approch the Sawes on certaine wheels with teeth; but because of reparations which those toothd wheeles are often subject unto, I will omit that use: and in stead thereof, put two weights, about 2. or 300. pound weight a piece, whereof one is marked A. the other B. The Cords wherewith the sayd weights doe hang, to be fastned at the end of the 2. peeces of mo­ving wood, which slide on two other peeces of fixed wood, by the meanes of certaine small pulleys, which should be within the house, and so the sayd weights should alwayes draw the sayd peeces of moving wood, which advancing alway towards the Sawes rising and falling, shall quickly be cut into 4. 5. or 6. peeces, as you shall please to put on Saws, and placed at what distance you will have for the thicknesse of the planks or bords ye will cut: and when a peece is cut, then let one with a Lever turne a Rowler, wherto shall be fastned a strong [Page] Cord which shall bring backe the sayd peece of wood, an [...] lift again the weights: and after put aside the peece already cut, to take againe the Sawes against another peece of wood. Which once done, the ingenious Artist may easily convert the same to an Instrument of thresh­ing wheat, breaking of hempe or flax, and other as pro­fitable uses.