Take half an ounce of samphire, dissolve
it in two ounces of aquaevitae, add to
it one ounce of quicksilver, one ounce of
liquid storax, which is the droppings of
Myrrh and hinders the camphire from
firing; take also two ounces of hematitus,
a red stone to be had at the druggist's, and
when you buy it let them beat it to powder
in their great mortar, for it is so very hard
that it cannot be done in a small one; put
this to the afore-mentioned composition,
and when you intend to walk on the bar
you must annoint your feet well therewith,
and you may walk over without danger:
by this you may wash your hands in boiling
lead.


This was the secret modus operandi made
use of by Richardson, the first notably successful
fire artist to appear in Europe, and it was
disclosed by his servant.[2]


[2] Such disloyalty in trusted servants is one of the most
disheartening things that can happen to a public performer.
But it must not be thought that I say this out of personal
experience: for in the many years that I have been before
the public my secret methods have been steadily shielded