Part 17

The best salt then that may be, and the wholesomest, is that which is made with sea-water in _Brouage_. And after the example thereof, that the trough throughout, where the salt water is made of clay or glue, as potters earth: and that whereof tiles is made; furthermore you must _courry_ this trough by Artifice that it drink not, nor suck up the water which men draw therefrom, which is done by beating it with a great number of Horses, Asses, and Mullets, tied one to another that they may trample thereon, so long that it be firme and solid, as a certain barns flore to thresh wheate. This done, and having hollowed the channels, to put in the water, then we must have a care that the salt-pans be something lower then the Sea (_Plinie_ in his 2. Book _Chap._ 106. sets downe that salt cannot be made without fresh water) they set in the first place a great receptacle where they draw the water which is called the (_a_) _Jard_: and at the end thereof a sluce by which having applyed thereunto below a hanch with a stopple called the (_b_) _Amezau_, they make the water run from the Jard into _Parquets_, which they cal _Couches_, & of these _Couches_ giving thereto a requisite hanging, by other stopples, 2. in number, called the gate of the _Poelles_, which are therein enchased within other Parquets called soldering or planching with boord, windings and means to make the water turne, by divers windings and channels almost after the manner of a Labyrinth, which it doth for a great way before it come to render it self at last, within the _Parquets_ and hollowes where the salt must be congealed: alwayes diminishing the quantity of water, that the Sun-beames have therein more action, and that it be better warmed before it enter the floores, where it makes its finall congelation. But to come thereunto by certaine degrees, and proportionate measures, there are throughout the _Palles_ which they lift up and downe as those of a mill. All the earth that remaineth, which men draw by the _Parquets_ and the flores they _Arrange_ about them as a _Trench_ or rampart, which is called _Bassis_ of the convenient breadth, to passe two horses a front; which serves as well to retaine the water, as to put upon the heaps of salt, made and congealed, called _Vaches_, and to come and goe as upon a dike, or causway from one marish to another, to lade and carry upon the beasts of carriage of the vessels which attend there neer to the shore: In the winter they content themselves with bulrushes which they sell afterwards very well for the profit they draw from them: and that for fear of rains and snows, and other aereall moistures, that moisten then anew. And all the risings are so oblique, and turning, that for a mile travers of right way, wee must make 7. or 8. so that being therein once cast a little on, one may lose himselfe, which knew not the addresses, or had not a good guide, by reason of the turnings and bridge-ponts, that men must goe to make choice of, to passe from one place to another. And it would be very hard to make thereof a Chart or description, principally in winter, where all is well-nigh covered with water, & yet more to enter in by a strong hand, for conservation of these salt pits every year, after the heats are over, the Sun not being able to make it, but in the Months of _May_, _June_, _July_, and _August_, the salt makers doe use to open certaine _Bonds_, to suffer the sea-water to enter till all the formes and _Parquets_ be covered, otherwise the frosts would destroy them: that if while the salt freezeth or creameth there come any rain, it is so great a retardment (and for fifteen dayes at the least) we must empty al the water out of the _Parquets_, that the rain had altered, and therefore in rainy and cold years, they can very hardly make it.

In this regard, I come to remember an experiment that I have tried more then once, which gave me to think whether it were _Aristotle_, I tooke eight or ten pound of common grosse salt, which I made to dissolve in hot water, scumming the froth which may be there, and being left to settle, I put the clear by inclination in a caldron over the fire, where I made all the water evaporate, so that the salt remained in the bottome, white as snow: then I endeavoured to dry it in a pot, giving it at last a good estret of fire for four or five houres, when it was cold I parted it into four platters of _Beuvais_ to shorten and gain time, in fair weather at a window where the Sunne came not, and did choose a moist time to facilitate the dissolution, recollecting every morning that which was resolved in water, so long, that at the end of seven or eight dayes the salts dissolution was perfected, nothing remaining but I know not what thicknesse or slime, in a small quantity which I set apart, I put all my dissolutions into _Cornues_ & distilled all the water which could mount, being very fresh, for the saltnesse did not ascend, but remained fixt in the bottome of the vessell, and gave at last a good estret of fire, with staves of _Cotteret_, having broken the Cornues: I put the salt that therein remained congealed to dissolve in moisture as before, till there remained nothing but grossenesse and slime as in the former I distilled that which ascended from the water, and reiterated all those Regiments till all my salt was resolved and distilled into salt water, that which came the seven or eight time. The slime I washed well with water, to extract what might bee the Remainder of saltnesse; and so recalcined and washt them till there rested nothing but slime or pure earth without tast. Of this little salt that I had extracted, I did as I had done with others, so that all my salt, without losing any of its substance, went away in sweet water, and in this insensible slime, which came at last to one or two ounces. What then became of the saltnesse of this salt? Certes herein I have lost all my _Latine_, and know not what to say thereof, only it is gone in verity as I say: If any one would untie this knot, would indeed do me a great pleasure: I will leave it to mix with others, to come to the particular praises of salt, without which, saith _Plinie_, we could not live civilly. All the grace, gentility, ornament, pleasures and delights of humane life, cannot bee better expressed then by this word; which extends also to the pleasures of the soul, the sweetnesse and tranquillity of life, and to a Soveraign rejoycing and repose of all troubles and sorrows. It renews the pricks and amorous desires to beget its like, and hath obtained this honorable quality of Souldiers, and of pleasant and witty words, and joyous meetings, without hurt to any; from whence it should be called the Graces. According to which St. _Paul_ saith in the 4 to the _Col._ 6. _Let your speech be alwaies with grace, seasoned with salt._ And in the end it is the seasoning of all our viands, which without it would remain unsavoury and without tast. So that it is said to right sense in the common proverb, there is nothing more profitable then the sun and salt. So _Plinie_ discourseth thereof, in the place alledged, and _Plutarch_ in his book and 4 question of his Symposiacques, without salt we can eat nothing agreeable to the tast, for bread it self is more savoury if it be mingled therewith: therefore ordinarily in Churches and covering of tables, they couple _Neptune_ with _Ceres_, for salt things are as if it were an allurement and a spur to excite appetite: So that before any other nouriture wee take that which is sharp and salt, whereas, if they begin with others they would incontinently prostrate themselves. That which hath no tast can it be eaten without Salt? _Job._ 6. 6. Salt also renders drink more delicious, and it is of infinite other uses and commodities of life, that holds more of man; whereas the privation thereof, makes it brutall. It is furthermore a mark and symbole of Justice, because it guards and conserves that to which it is introduced and fastened. Of Amity also, and Gratitude, sutable to that in the first of _Esdras_ chap. 4. where the Lieutenants of King _Artaxerxes_ writ to him in this manner. _We remember the salt thou gavest us in thy Palace, we would not fail to advertise thee faithfully of what shall come to our knowledg concerning the service of thy highness._

Salt being there put for one of the greatest obligations that can be had, because it is a thing pure, neat, holy and sacred, which men first set on the table. So that _Æschines_ in his prayer of the ill administred Ambassie, makes great account of salt, and a publick table, of one City confederate with another. And indeed there is nothing more permanent nor more fixt in the fire, nor more approaching to its nature, because it is mordicant, sharp, tart, cutting, subtill, penetrative, pure and neat, fragrant, incombustible and incorruptible. Yea, that which preserves all things from corruption, & by its preparations makes it self clear, crystalline, and transparent as Air; for glasse is nothing else then a most fixt salt that may be extracted from all sorts of ashes, and of some nearer then of others; but it is not so dissoluble into moisture as common salt; nor that which is extracted out of ashes by way of lee, which is liquid with it by strong expressions of fire, which are notwithstanding two contrary resolutions, and resisting one the other: chiefly afterward from all liquid humidity, unctuous but inconsumptible. It is moreover the first originall as well of mineralls as of stones, and pretious stones, yea of all other mineralls. Likewise of vegetables and of Animalls, whose blood and urinall humour, and all other substance is salted, to preserve it from putrefaction: and in generall, from all mixed and composed Elements; which is herein verified that they resolve themselves into it, so that it is as the other life of all things; and without it saith the Philosopher _Morien_, nature can no wayes work, nor can any other thing be ingendred, according to _Raimund Lullus_ in his testament. Whereunto all chymicall Philosophers doe adhere; that nothing hath been created here below, in the Elementary part better, nor more pretious then salt.

There is salt then, in every thing, and nothing can subsist but for the salt which is therein mixed; which ties the parts together as a chain, otherwise they would all go into small powder, and give them nourishment; for there are two substances in salt, the one viscous, gluish, and unctuous, of the nature of air, which is sweet; and indeed there is nothing that nourisheth but what is sweet; the bitter and the salt do not. The other is a dust, sharp pricking and biting, of the nature of fire, which is laxative. For all salts are laxative, and nothing doth loose the body, that participates not of the nature of salt: Mark then, wherefore is it that those that drink salt water die speedily of dysenteries? the salt which is mingled therewith causing a gnawing in the bowels; for there is nothing corrosive but salt, or of the nature of salt, fiery of it self, saith _Plinie_, _lib._ 31. _ch._ 9. and yet enemy of actuall fire, for it leaps up and down, it danceth to and fro, and crackles, corroding also all to which it is fastened; and drying it, although it be the strongest and most permanent humidity of all others, and it is a moisture (saith _Geber_) that above all other moistures expects an encounter with fire.

So wee see in metals, which are nothing else but congealed and baked salts, by a long and successive decoction, within the earths entralls, where their humidity is abundantly fixt by the temperate air it meets withall there. And these salts do participate of sulphur and quicksilver, which joined together make a third name Metalline salt, which hath the same fashion and resolution as common salt; which is taken for a symbole of equity and justice; as also are metals, but for another consideration. For melt Gold, Silver, Copper, and other metals together, they wil all mingle equally: So that if upon a hundred parts of silver, yea two hundred you melt one of gold, the least part of this silver, in what regard soever you will take it from the totall masse, shall in respect of it self, take its just and equall portion of gold and no more nor lesse, wherefore they are taken for distributive justice. But salt is for that throughout, where it attacheth flesh, fish, vegetables, it keeps them from corruption, and conserves them in their entire, and makes them durable for many ages. Fire on the contrary, is an evill host, for it stealeth and destroyeth all that lodgeth near it, never ceasing till it hath converted all into ashes, whence salt was extracted, that was before therein contained: So that these two, fire & salt, accord and convene together and also with the ferments in this, that they convert all that whereupon they can exercise their action. _Plutarch_ in his book and 4 question of Symposiaques, extolling salt, sets down, that all flesh and fish that was eat is a dead thing, and proceeds from a dead body; but when the faculty of salt comes to be introduced, it is as a soul that revivifies and gives them grace and favor. And in the 5 book 10. quest. renders a reason why _Homer_ calls salt divine; he puts that salt is as a temperament and fortification of the viands within the body: and that it gives it an agreement with the appetite. But it is rather for the vertue that it hath to preserve dead bodies from putrefaction; which is as to resist death, that which appertains to Divinity. _Thou shalt_ (_not suffer thy holy one to see corruption_,) not permitting that what is deprived of life should perish so suddenly in all kinds: but as the soul, that divine part within us, keeps the body alive (a soul is given to hogs for their safety,) this _Plinie_ sets down after the Stoicks. So salt also takes into its safeguard dead flesh to keep it from putrefaction; whence the fire of lightning is reputed for divine, because those that have been touched therewith remain a great while without corruption; as salt doth on its part, which hath this property and vertue; which sheweth the great affinity and agreement which they have together. Wherefore _Evinus_ was wont to say, that fire was the best sauce in the world, and the very same is also attributed to salt. All which things here above do confirme the occasion for which _Moses_, and after him _Pythagoras_ made so great esteem of salt, to cover under his Allegorie that which they would give to understand by it; that our souls and confidences signified by man in St. _Mark_, namely, the internall man, and our body for the sacrifice ought to be offered up unto God, pure and not soiled with corruption; _That you offer up your bodies a living sacrifice, holy pleasing unto God, &c._ Therein was there (it may be) another reason, that moved _Moses_ to exalt salt so much, that according as _Rabbi Moses_ the _Ægyptian_ discourseth at large in his third book of his _More_, 47 ch. where he renders a particular reason for the most part of Mosaical ceremonies, his principall aim was to overthrow all Idolatries, even those of the _Ægyptians_, where they had a greater vogue then in any other part. He seeing that their Priests so greatly detested salt, that they would not use it in any sort, for that of the sea from whence it proceeded; in the bitternesse whereof, the sweet substance of _Nilus_ went to lose and salt it self; which they held to be for the radicall moisture from whence all things here below do sprout and nourish themselves in despite of them, and contrary to their traditions; he would thereof make a form of alliance & paction from God with the Jewish people, that all their oblations should be accompanied with salt: And in the 2 of _Paralip._ 13. 5 chap. It is said, that God gave to _David_ and his children the Kingdom of _Israel_ by a Covenant of Salt; that is to say, most firm and indissoluble; for that salt hinders corruption. And therefore the Saviour chose his Apostles to be as the salt of men; that is to say, to deliver the pure and incorruptible doctrine of the Gospel; and to confirm them firm persistent faith, as wel by words as deeds. The _Caballists_ penetrating further into the mysteries inclosed therewithin, meditate certain subtilties by a rule of Ghematrie, called _Ghilcal_, which consisteth in equivalencies of Numbers, which the _Hebrewes_ assigne unto Letters. Those of this word _Malach_ which signifieth salt, mounts in their supputation to 78. for _Mem_ valued 40. _Lamed_ 30. and _heth_ 8. or divided in any sort that you will, alwaies there will result a certain number, representing a mystery of Divine names; the half which makes 39. mount to as much as the letters of _Chuzu_, the scabbard or covering of this great Name for _caph. val._ 20. _vau_ 6. _Z._ 7. and the other _vau_ 6. if in 3 parts, each wil mount to 26. which is the number _tetragrammaton Jehovah_, _vau_ making 10. _he_ 5. _vau_ 6. & _he_ 5. In six parts this will be 13. for each, which are equipollent to the number of Piety. In 13. there are 6. which _vau_ is valued at, a letter representing eternall life; besides that six is the first perfect number, because his parts do constitute it, his sixt namely 1. his third 2. and its halfe 3. which perfection hath not any one of the other numbers, and in six dayes the structure of the Universe was perfected.

There are other mysteries in the Scripture; in 26. will be the number of the most holy & sacred Trinitie, for three times 26. makes 78. In 39. twice, which _Beth_ stands for a symbole of a word, where the second person, and the house of _Idea’s_ of the _Archetype_, which _Plato_ hath well acknowledged, _Aristotle_ not. And finally 87. denotes as many unities, whereof each represents the unity of the essence of one God alone. The same is in the _Lechem_ bread, which is an anagram of the former, and consisteth of the same letters. It was therefore some cause of the Proverb, _To eat salt with thy bread_. _Rabbi Solomon_ upon the places aforesaid, of Gods alliance with his people, designed by salt, by which is understood the Eternall paction of the great Priesthood of the Messiah, brings us a form of an Allegory, very strange and phantastick. That the waters here below do mutiny, that they are separated from the supercelestiall, having the firmament set betwixt them; by means whereof, God to appease them, promised that they should be perpetually in his service, in all offerings, sacrifices, as he did afterwards in the Law, which hee gave to the _Jewes_; _Whatsoever thou shalt offer to the Lord, thou shalt season it with salt._

Yet there are divers sorts of salt, that have different properties and vertues, according to the things from which they are extracted; for salt retains a propriety of the thing from whence it came, saith _Geber_ in his Testament, yea as many odors, and sapors as there are, they all do depend upon salt; for where there is no salt, there is no smell nor tast; and yet of all the tasts which _Plutarch_ in his Naturall causes doth limit to eight, _Plinie lib._ 15. _cap._ 27. extends them to 13. there is not one, that is not salt, because tast (as _Plato_ will have it) comes from water, which creep athwart the stalk of every plant, and keeps the saltness that it cannot passe as it is more grosse and terrestriall, as wee see in sea-water when it is distilled; where when they passe it through sand, where it leaves its saltnesse. But it may be said to _Plato_, that the tast doth not only ly in plants, but also in Animalls and mineralls, and all other compounded Elements. It is that which he and _Aristotle_ and other rationall Philosophers, are only satisfied with, that which their arguments and discourse do imprint in their phantasies: esteeming that it cannot be otherwise, then that which their reasons do demonstrate unto them, for the most part false and erroneous; there were if they would penetrate empirickly by the experiments, they might have been shewed by the finger of the eye, the truth of the thing, they might have been better ascertained therein, as the _Arabians_ have since done; and the Chymicall Philosophers, who will assure themselves of nothing, but what they have oftentimes tried without variation to the sense. It is a maxime of all Naturalists, received for Infallible, that the transparence comes from this, when the water in the composition and mixtion superabounds, over the earth, and darkenesse on the contrary, when Terrestreity predominates the water, and it would be accounted an irremissible crime _Læsæ Majestatis_ to doubt thereof, for who is there that doubteth it, will they say, that it is not so? I will reply that it is I, to whom experience shewes the contrary, at least for that the cause of transparence, and opacity, doth not proceed from that which they alledge. Take Crystall and passe it never so little through hot ashes, so long as one would rost a chestnut you wil find it all dark, without any more transparence within or without in the superficies, and that without any losse of its substance, or diminution of its weight. And on the contrary in a strong expression of fire blowing upon the lead, then which nothing can be darker, it will convert into a forme of a hyacinth so transparent, that one may read a small letter through it; though it were an inch thick, and this hyacinth by the same fire returne into lead, and lead into an hyacinth.