Note 73 — LETTER VII.

The chief Trade of this Town is in Woad, of which they have three sorts. The first they sow about Christmas, the next in the Spring, Summer, and Harvest, of which they have three Crops, and the third grows wild. This Herb is such a sovereign Balsamic, that it cures Wounds almost with a touch, if taken in time. It resembles Plantain, but has a longer Leaf. The Roots fatten and improve barren Ground exceedingly, and being brought over to England, with Clover, Cinque-Foil, &c. grows with good Success in Northamptonshire, and other Places. In the Duke's Palace there is a Chamber of valuable Rarities, and a noble Library, of which the late Duke caus'd a Catalogue to be publish'd of the MSS. that the Learned might know where to have recourse to them. The Person he imployed to form it, was Dr. Cyprianus Ecclesiastical Counsellor and Assessor in the Consistory of Gotha. They are for the most part the MSS. of Ecclesiastical Authors, Ancient and Modern, especially the latter. There is a great Number of Papers and Letters in the Latin and German Languages, concerning Luther's Reformation, and several MSS. of the vulgar Translation of the Bible. There is a correcter Copy than that at Leipsic, of the Works of Lactantius; another of St. Austin's Treatise of the City of God, which belonged to Willigise Archbishop of Mentz, about the year 1000; another of the ancient Capitularies of the Kings of France, with the Salic Laws, and the Laws of the Lombards, Almains, &c. There are thirty one MS. Volumes containing the Abridgments of the Lives of the Emperors of the West, and of the East, their Pictures and Medals, and those of their Families, the whole collected in 1550, by James de Strada of Mantua. The Medals are very well design'd, and Occo the famous Antiquary affirms in a Letter quoted by M. Patin, that every Figure on them cost a Crown the engraving. There is a particular MS. which contains a Collection of Tracts by certain Greek Chymists concerning the desirable Art of making Gold. For the rest the Curious are referred to the Catalogue it self.