Making and Knowing
A minimal edition of BnF Ms Fr 640

[TOC] | [diplomatic]

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For La Boutique

According to Herodotus the Portuguese did not invent deep sea navigation as they put about. At the beginning of the first book entitled Clio, he says that the Phoenicians used to come navigating straight across from the Red Sea to the Greek coast, mainly to Argos, where they would bring merchandise from Egypt and Assyria, which they usually sold out within 6 days.

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Navigation, commerce

Herodotus, page 1 of Clio, says that the Greeks traveled in a long ship to the coast of Colchis and to the River Phasis, where they carried off Medea.

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Galleys.

Herodotus, page 3, says that Gyges offered to the temple of Delphi pateras aureas sex pondo 30 talentorum.

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Gold vases

Halyattes, the father of Cresus, pateram ex ferro compactilem apud Delphos dedicavit spectatu dignam inter omnia quae sunt Delphis donaria, opus Glauci Chii qui solus omnium compactionem ferri excogitavit. Compactile ferrum means made by assembling separate parts.

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Iron vase assembled and soldered

As small peddlers lay open small wares in order to buy more precious ones & to make more and more profits, I also, from a desire to learn, am laying open the little that is in my boutique in order to have through receive through a common commerce des lettres much rarer secrets from my benevolent readers.

Aes ustum

When it is finely ground it moulds very cleanly. It has a certain fatness that makes it bind better than filings, I believe that it may not be ill suited for casting.

Rotten wood

Wood that is white, being light as a sponge, if burnt in a close fire, may be used for casting lead in a box and molds very cleanly, but these things such material do not withstand open? fire.