Artificial FIRE, OR, coal for Rich and poor.  
This being the offer of an Excellent new Invention, by Mr. RICHARD GESLING engineer, (late deceased) but now thought fit to be put in practice.  Read, Practice, Judge. 
FIRE and Water be two of the most excellent Creatures that ever God created: if this be wanting, there is no subsistence to Man; if Water be wanting, no subsistence to Beast; where these two predominate, there is neither life for Man or Beast, and where they master they leave no servant; of these two we shall need to speak at this time but of Fire only; and what hath been left to us by that painful engineer Mr. Gesling, who was the first Inventor of this, I here have thought good to put to public view, that all both Rich and poor may be provided for in some competent way; had he lived, he might have put it to press, but I seeing none to stir in it, I h●●●●g a Writ from him, have here set it forth in these times of scarcity, which if thou practise and make experiment, it shall be to thy profit and com●●●●. It may be some foolish lazy persons may say, as some fine Nosed City Dames used to tell their Husbands; O Husband! we shall never be well, we nor our Children, whilst we live in the smell of this city's sea-coal smoke; Pray, a country house for our health, that we may get out of this stinking sea-coal smell.— But— how many of these fine Nosed Dames now cry, Would to God we had sea-coal, O the want of Fire undoes us! O the sweet sea-coal fire we used to have, how we want them now, no fire to your sea-coal! Thus now they see the want of that they slighted in times past; This forth rich, a word for the poor.  
The great want of Fewell for fire, makes many a poor Creature cast about how to pass over this cold Winter to come, but finding small redress for so cruel an enemy▪ as the cold makes some turn Thieves that never stole before, steal Posts, Seats, Benches from doors, rails, nay, the very Stocks that should punish them, and all to keep cold Winter away: Now that all may be provided for, and the better furnished before Winter comes, take this model to help thee at the cheapest and easiest rate that Experience can find out; there be many ways, of all which thou shalt find here both the sweetest, wholesomest, and cheapest, and most usefullest and beneficialest both to rich and poor; I tell you this Secret is worth the looking after, and by it many thousands may be set at work, and yet before Summer be over, store may be made: It may be you will say, Why was it not begun sooner this year? But I tell you two Reasons; one, the want of sea-coal to help; the other it is never too late to seek profit: do thou practise it, and thou shall see profit to proceed suddenly; and so God prosper thee and thy labours.  
First, provide a piece of Ground where the Sun lies upon it, and for the better ordering, take a Brick-maker, or a Labourer to do it: do thus,  
Take three Load of red mortar, such as you make Bricks with double Loads, half a cauldron of good seacoals of the smallest and best, three Sackfulls of the best smallcoal, four bushels of sawdust, four trusses of Straw chopped; work all these together with water stiff as Bricks, than when it is worked all together very well, take four sacks of the dust of smallcoal, and with that used as they do the Sand for casting of Brick; then cast the Ingredients as you cast Brick, but half so thick, and dry it as Brick is dried; or you may make it up in round Balls not too big, with charcoal, or smallcoal dust, on the outside, and so laid to dry, when they be thorough d●y, burn them with a little scotch-coal, or Wood, or any Combustible matter to fire it, or with two or three wooden chips to kindle your fire withal, and to keep in the life of the fire, and these cast a most excellent heat, and keep fire for any use, to Rost, boil, or Bake, for the richer sort; but be sure you lay them not too close on the fire, but as you see your pattern upon this Paper, mingled with a scotch-coal or two.  
For the Poorer sort, cowdung mingled with sawdust and smallcoal, made up into balls, or in a square like a Tile, not too thick, and dried, make a very good fuel, but something noisome. Also that which comes out of the p●unches of Beasts killed, it being dried is excellent fire.  
Horse-dung in Balls with sawdust, or the dust of smallcoal, or charcoal dust, dried, is good fuel, but the smell is offensive.  
Greenwich Heath, or Hounslow Heath turf well dried, is very good fuel, with a little scotch-coal burnt with it.  
Peate if well dried, but well fatted with seggy or flag roots from Fenny places, is a very good firing, mingled with Coale when it is burnt.  
Some make an Oven with kennel dirt, with a hole at the top for the heat and smoke to ascend up in the chimney, and with six or seven bricks raise the bottom and make up the shed, and then daub up the oven, leaving the hole at top, and before put in a few scotch-coal, and after it is kindled will keep fire a week, every two days putting addition of the kennel dirt to keep it whole, and putting sea-coal, or scocth-coal as the fire declines; this is a fire which casts a good heat at the mouth and top, but not commendable nor fit to roast.  
Above all things let me persuade all men to sweep their Chimneys clean against winter, for with scotch-coal, or coal minged with wood, or with any of these Chimneys grow extraordinary foul; and he that means to keep his house from firing, let him be sure to keep his Chimney clean: Thus if thou makest use, thou shalt see thy labour worth thy pains, and be thankful to him that hath been the instructor, for this artificial Fire.   

LONDON, 〈◊〉 by Richard Cotes for Michael Spark Senior, 1644.