Polydore Vergil, A Pleasant and Compendious History of the First Inventers and Instituters (1686)
Date
1686
Author
Book title
A Pleasant and Compendious History Of The first Inventers and Instituters of the most Famous Arts, Misteries, Laws, Customs and Manners in the whole World
TOGETHER, With many other Rarities and Remarkable things Rarely known, and never before made Publick. To which is Added, Several Curious Inventions, peculierly Attributed to England & English-men.
The whole Work Alphabetically Digested, and very helpful to the Readers of History
Publication place
London
Publisher
John Harris
Transcription source
EEBO/TCP (Duke University Library)
Text type
printed book
Genre
Hard-word, term-of-art, and dialect dictionaries, glossaries, and definitions
Subject area
history
Summary
Encyclopedic articles, some of which have lexical information
Word-group
type: alphabetical
Word-entry
type: headword
sample: Alchimia or Alchimy, signifieth infusion or steeping; for Chimia in Greek, denotes Infused. There is a great controversie when Alchimy was invented: For neither Pliny (though he was otherwise a most diligent Author) nor any Greek or Latine Author make any mention of it, but I believe that it is very ancient; for Suidas writeth that the Art of Alchimy endured till the time of the Argonantes, when Jason went to take away the Golden Fleece; which was nothing else than a certain Book that taught to turn other Mettals into Gold: for those that invented that story, conceating its name invented the Golden Fleece. The Aegyptians professed this Art very much, in the Reign of the Emperour Dioclesian, who hating them because they made an insurrection, Burned their Writings concerning their destilling of Gold and Silver, least (as he feared) they being made Rich by this Art, and having gotten good store of Wealth, they should Rebell againe. The Emperour Dioclesian was Created in the year 287; so that this Art was rather renewed than new. (pp. 5-6)
sample: Alchimia or Alchimy, signifieth infusion or steeping; for Chimia in Greek, denotes Infused. There is a great controversie when Alchimy was invented: For neither Pliny (though he was otherwise a most diligent Author) nor any Greek or Latine Author make any mention of it, but I believe that it is very ancient; for Suidas writeth that the Art of Alchimy endured till the time of the Argonantes, when Jason went to take away the Golden Fleece; which was nothing else than a certain Book that taught to turn other Mettals into Gold: for those that invented that story, conceating its name invented the Golden Fleece. The Aegyptians professed this Art very much, in the Reign of the Emperour Dioclesian, who hating them because they made an insurrection, Burned their Writings concerning their destilling of Gold and Silver, least (as he feared) they being made Rich by this Art, and having gotten good store of Wealth, they should Rebell againe. The Emperour Dioclesian was Created in the year 287; so that this Art was rather renewed than new. (pp. 5-6)
Wing
V598
