"We have also precious stones of all kinds, many of them of great
beauty, and to you unknown; crystals likewise; and glasses of divers
kinds; and amongst them some of metals vitrificated, and other
materials besides those of which you make glass. Also a number of
fossils, and imperfect minerals, which you have not. Likewise
loadstones of prodigious virtue; and other rare stones, both natural
and artificial.
"We have also sound-houses, where we practise and demonstrate all
sounds, and their generation. We have harmonies which you have not, of
quarter-sounds, and lesser slides of sounds. Divers instruments of
music likewise to you unknown, some sweeter than any you have, together
with bells and rings that are dainty and sweet. We represent small
sounds as great and deep; likewise great sounds extenuate and sharp; we
make divers tremblings and warblings of sounds, which in their original
are entire. We represent and imitate all articulate sounds and
letters, and the voices and notes of beasts and birds. We have certain
helps which set to the ear do further the hearing greatly. We have also
divers strange and artificial echoes, reflecting the voice many times,
and as it were tossing it: and some that give back the voice louder
than it came, some shriller, and some deeper; yea, some rendering the
voice differing in the letters or articulate sound from that they
receive. We have also means to convey sounds in trunks and pipes, in
strange lines and distances.
"We have also perfume-houses; wherewith we join also practices of
taste. We multiply smells, which may seem strange. We imitate smells,
making all smells to breathe outs of other mixtures than those that
give them. We make divers imitations of taste likewise, so that they
will deceive any man's taste. And in this house we contain also a
confiture-house; where we make all sweet-meats, dry and moist; and
divers pleasant wines, milks, broths, and sallets; in far greater
variety than you have.
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