Book III.

Of MINERALS.

1*7

tnery of Spain, but eafily diftinguifhablefrom it, being more rough, folid, andhard, of a fine red Colour, but not vein'dwi r h Gold.

The third Son is that which is commonlyufed, efpecially by Armourers, Cutlers, andin fhort by all thofe that work upon Iron orSteel, there being noth ; ng that polifhes liketo p 'unded Emery. It alio is us'd in polic-ing Sreel looking GlalTes, feveral Sorts ofStones, and upon a great many other Occa-fions in the Mechanick Way.

Tne common Emery is brought to us fromfeveral Countries where there are IronMines, and likewife from England ; andthere are none but the Engli/h that troubletbemfelves about grinding or pounding of itin Mills, which ferve only for this Purpofe,or to grind Stones of a like Nature ; for thisordinary or common Emery is fo hard, thatwhoever wou'd prcend to powder, or beat itin a Mortar, wou'd be apt to make Holeswith the Peftle in the Mortar : And as thisMineral is made much ufc of, efpecially inPowder, that. ought to be chofen which islike Pepper, pure and clean ; if in Stone letit be as bright colour'd, and as free as youcan from Spar.

Emery cuts Glafs as the Diamond does,but makes no Impreilicn upon Diamonds asit does upon other precious Stones. It isfaid, if melted with Lead and Iron it en-creafes their Weight, and hardens and makes'em become red, which I have not experi-mented. Some alfo mix Emery with the foftpale Madagafcar Gold, but it muft be that ofthe iecond Sort, which comes from the Cop-per Mines.

It is made ufe of aifo to cut snd divideMarble. They affirm likewife that it be-comes an impalpable Powder if put intoBrandy or Spirit of Wine, which I cannotvouch for, having never try'd it ; that whichfalls from the Lapidaries Mills, and looksno better than Mud, is by fome made upinto Balis, and fold to feveral Peopleunder the Appellation of the Putty of £-:n:ry.

Smyris Lapis, or Emery, is a

Lemery. Kind of Marcafite, or very hard

Stone, whereof rhere are three

Sorts; the firft and moft elteem'd is call'd

Spani/h Emery, becaufe it is found in the Gold

and Silver Mines of Peru, and feveral otherParts of New Spain ; k is reddifh, mix'd withStreaks of Gold and Silver. This Kind ofEmery is very fcarce, for becaufe of theGold contain'd in it, the King of Spain hasforbid the Tranfportation of it. The Secondis fmooth, aud red, but has nothing of Goldor Silver in it ; it is found in the CopperMines. The Third is common Emery, whofeColour is blackilh, it is got in the Iron Mines ;they powder or grind it in England, by cer-tain Mills made for the Purpofe, which theycou'd not do in Mortars, becaule of the greatHardnefs of this Stone. This powder'd E-mery is us'd to polifh or clean Arms, Knives,Looking-Gloffes, &c. You muft choofe thatwhich is in the fineft Powder, pure and clean,All thefe Stones are made ufe of to cut andpolifh precious Stones, Glafs and Marble,and are of no Importance in Phyfick, exceptonly that they may ferve to clean the Teeth,What falls from the Lapidaries, in work-ing with this, they dry and call Putty ofEmery,

6. Of the Magnefia.

7\/f4gahs, Magntfia, Magne, or

Magnet, is a Mineral pretty Pomtf,near approaching to Antimony, on-ly it is fofter, and brittle, like Free-Stbne,and not fo brilliant as Antimony.

There are two Sorts of Mignefia, greyand black ; the former is very fcarce, and fonot much in ufe, but the Black very much,as well by Enameliers, as Potters and Glafs*Makers, who puriiie and whiten their Glafs,by putting in a fmall Quantity of it; where-as fhon'd they add too much it would be of zblue and purple Colour.

We have it from many Places, as particu-larly from Piedmont, where it is found in th;Mines in Pieces of different Figure and Big-nefs ; as to the Choice of if, let it be as but-tle, as fparkling, but as little attended withSpar, or other extraneous Bodies as maybe.

Monfieur Furetier affirms Magntfia CO bethe lame Thing as Safre or Perigueur, bothwhich I am going to treat of, and firft oiPcriguew,

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