| Title: | Copy Letter, John Beale To Hartlib: |
|---|---|
| Dating: | 7 October 1659. |
| Ref: | British Library Add. MSS 15948 f. 80A-B |
| Notes: | Included in a manuscript volume of the correspondence of John Evelyn (Add. 15948). |
[80A]
Hereford. October 7. 1659.
I waite for something more of the spirit of the world. You have formerly received & communicated to Mr. Boyle my raptures in descants vpon the Cartesians Aer coelesti. The late troubles interrupted our Conference that I vnderstood not how farr you were instructed in the Chymicall Magnes Aqvæ notifyed to you from Paris, as performed by a Monke at Tholouse. This in yours of May.4. 59. And before in yours of Mar.19 [59?]. You are thence told for certaine, that there is one in Mantua, that hath copiously drawne Aqvam ex aëre by a certaine instrument. This from Mr. Oldenburg. In yours of April.2. 59. your Sonnes Frind spake of a way of making roses growe twice as big as now they doe, & to encrease as much the sweete & delicate sent of them. And that Kircher the Iesuite was publishing a Tract concerning the resuscitation of flowers in glasses which hee taught the Swedish Queen Christina. Thiese do belong to Mr. Evelyne. And, for his reverberatory Wall of insolation, The Art of extracting the oile, liqvor & powder of condensed[altered] sun-beames mentioned in yours of Apr:9. 59. To prevent your trouble in searching for it I transcribe it, First from Mr. Oldenburg: The Processe (saith hee) as farr as I could vnderstand him) is this. Put 2lb of good Mercury into an Alembic, luting the head thereof perfectly, that nothing may exhale, expose the alembic to the sun against a wall of reverberation in the hottest time of the yeare. Thus the [mercury] after some time, will drawe the coelestiall spirite, & coagulate it into a yellowish liqvor, that will be a considerable dissolvent. And Mr. Boile (there gives his judgement concerning the Instrument to catch & condense the sun beames, that though [catchword: Hee]
[80B]
Hee knewe not well how to beleeve there can bee such a thing, yet hee dares not peremptorily deny the possibility of it, because an ingenuous & candid frind of his has severall times, & of late very seriously protested to him, That without salt or other magnet, but only by the shape, & contrivance of his glasses hee has made a pretty qvantity of liquor out of the Sun-beames, & could make none when the Sunn shines not very hot, & that this liqvor is a very powerfull Menstruum & by evaporation affoords a pretty qvantity of insipide salt. This to you Apr.2. I doe not thincke Mr. Evelyne hath many correspondents That can tell him of all thiese matters, soe punctually & in order
[80B]
Hee knewe not well how to beleeve there can bee such a thing, yet hee dares not peremptorily deny the possibility of it, because an ingenuous & candid frind of his has severall times, & of late very seriously protested to him, That without salt or other magnet, but only by the shape, & contrivance of his glasses hee has made a pretty qvantity of liquor out of the Sun-beames, & could make none when the Sunn shines not very hot, & that this liqvor is a very powerfull Menstruum & by evaporation affoords a pretty qvantity of insipide salt. This to you Apr.2. I doe not thincke Mr. Evelyne hath many correspondents That can tell him of all thiese matters, soe punctually & in order
I intend to transcribe him some strange secrets of the operation of aire & water vpon plants, animals & humane spirits; & of operating vpon the aire & water, by humane inventions./.