481

Feb: 9 . 1680/1.

Sr. Iohn Hoskins vicepresident in the chair

Sr. Robert Southwell Shewed a certaine white powder made of e
Lapis Smaragdinus only finely beaten wthout any other preparatio
which being strewed vpon a copper plate and the plate being layd
ouer a chafing dish of coles till pretty warm in a dark Rome the
powder would shine like a glow worme and continue soe for
some time, but by degrees ^ /the light/ would Diminish and Disappear.
This was presently tryed and found to answer the Relation and
it was further remarkable that if the plate were taken off
the coles whilst the powder yet shined as the plate grew cold
the light would Diminish, but being layd on againe it would
continue to shine as before. It was also obserued that a Little
wett sprinkled on the plate did put out the light where the
powder was wet.
The same also shewd the true Receipt of making the Phos
phoros of Mr Kunkell being the same that mr Craft had -
formerly shewed here in England & seuerall other places, the
Phenomena of wch. are Described by the Honble. mr Boyle
in one of the Philosophicall collections. He had none of
the substance then about him but he promised to produce
it at some other meeting of the Society
The same also shewd a very curious peice of yellow trans
parent amber in which was a ^ /large/ spider soe intirely and curious
ly preserued as if it had been yet alive. He also shewed a
rare necklace of amber beads which were made of sorts of
amber which resembled speckled marbles of all variety of
Colours. as black & white, black white & Red. Red white yellow & grey
&c. - as also other curious peices of aber of all varietys
of colours. as some milk white called Cabbidge Amber, and some
of Brimstone Colour & soe of all varietys of whites & yellows both
opacous & transparent. he further Related that he had seen
seuerall other varietys exceeding curious.
He also gaue a further account concerning the Phosphoros
of Brant which he called Brande Brant becaue first In
uented by Dr. Brant though owned by Kunkelius & Krafts
And sayd that the said Dr. Brant had affirmed to him tht
he knew how to prepare a shining substance as well out of
vegetable as out of animall or minerall substances ^ /as out of wine, vrine and mercury/ but tht
he had not Discouered to him the seuerall ways and methods
he vsed for making of them.

The Society Returnd him their Harty thanks for those his Generous Comunications
as also for the Presents he had sent them whilst beyond sea.

Ref: CELL/RS/HF_483  © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters