Fishes deuoure little The Operation of Purging Medicines and the Causes thereof haue béene thought to be a great Secret And so according to the slothfull manner of Men it is referred to a Hidden Propriety a Specificall vertue and a Fourth Qualitie and the like Shifts of Ignorance The Causes of Purging are diuers All plaine and perspicuous And throughly maintained by Experience The first is That whatsoeuer cannot be ouercome and disgested by the Stomacke is by the Stomacke either put vp by Vomit or put downe to the Guts And by that Motion of Expulsion in the Stomacke and Guts other Parts of the Body as the Orifices of the Veines and the like are moued to expell by Consent For nothing is more frequent than Motion of Consent in the Body of Man This Surcharge of the Stomacke is caused either by the Qualitie of the Medicine or by the Quantitie The Qualities are three Extreme Bitter as in Aloes Coloquintida c. Loathsome and of horrible taste As in Agarick Black Hellebore c. And of secret Malignity and disagreement towards Mans Bodie many times not appearing much in the Taste As in Scammony Mechoacham Antimony c. And note well that if there be any Medicine that Purgeth and hath neither of the first two Manifest Qualities it is to be held suspected as a kinde of Poysons For that it worketh either by Corrosion or by a secret Malignitie and Enmitie to Nature And therfore such Medicines are warily to be prepared and vsed The Quantitie of that which is taken doth also cause Parging As we see in a great Quantitie of New Milke from the Cow yea and a great Quantitie of Meat For Surfets many times turne to Purges both vpwards and downwards Therefore we see generally that the working of Purging Medicines commeth two or three houres after the Medicines taken For that the Stomacke first maketh a proofe whether it can concoct them And the like happeneth after Surfets or Milke in too great Quantitie A second Cause is Mordication of the Orifices of the Parts Especially of the Mesentery veines As it is seene that Salt or any such thing that is sharpe and biting put into the Fundament doth prouoke the Part to expell And Mustard prouoketh Sneezing And any Sharpe Thing to the Eyes prouoketh Teares And therfore we see that almost all Purgers haue a kinde of Twiching and vellication besides the Griping which commeth of wind And if this Mordication be in an ouer-high Degree it is little better than the Corrosion of Poyson And it commeth to passe sometimes in Antimony Especially if it be giuen to Bodies not repleat with Humors For where Humors abound the Humors saue the Parts The third Cause is Attraction For I doe not deny but that Purging Medicines haue in them a direct Force of Attraction As Drawing Plasters haue in Surgery And we see Sage or Bettony brused Sneezing-powder and other Powders or Liquors which the Physitians call Errhines put into the Nose draw Flegme and water from the Head And so it is in Apophlegmatismes and Gargarismes that draw the Rheume downe by the Pallate And by this Vertue no doubt some Purgers draw more one Humour and some another according to the Opinion receiued As Rubarb draweth Choller Sean Melancholy Agarick Flegme c. But yet more or lesse they draw promiscuously And note also that besides Sympathy between the Purger and the Humour there is also another Cause why some Medicines draw some Humour more than another And it is for that some Medicines work quicker than others And they that draw quick draw only the Lighter more fluide Humours they that draw flow worke vpon the more Tough and Viscous Humours And therfore Men must beware how they take Rubarb and the like alone familiarly For it taketh only the Lightest part of the Humour away and leaueth the Masse of Humours more obstinate And the like may be said of Worme-wood which is so much magnified The fourth Cause is Flatnosity For Wind stirred moueth to expell And we finde that in effect all Purgers haue in them a raw Spirit or Wind which is the Principall Cause of Tortion in the Stomach and Belly And therfore Purgers leese most of them the vertue by Decoction vpon the Fire And for that Cause are gluen chiefly in Infusion Iuyce or Powder The fifth Cause is Compression or Crushing As when Water is Crushed out of a Spunge So we see that Taking Cold moueth Loosenesse by Contraction of the Skinn and outward Parts And so doth Cold likewise cause Rheumes and Defluxions from the Head And some Astringent Plasters crush out purulent Matter This kind of Operation is not found in many Medicines Mirabalanes haue it And it may be the Barkes of Peaches For this Vertue requireth an Astriction but such an Astriction as is not gratefull to the Body For a pleasing Astriction doth rather Binde in the Humours than Expell them And therfore such Astriction is found in Things of an Harrish Taste The Sixth Cause is Lubrefaction and Relaxation As we see in Medicines Emollient Such as are Milke Honey Mallowes Lettuce Mercuriall Pelletory of the Wall and others There is also a secret Vertue of Relaxation in Cold For the Heat of the Body bindeth the Parts and Humours together which Cold relaxeth As it is seene in Vrine Bloud Pottage or the like which if they be Cold breake and dissolue And by this kinde of Relaxation Feare looseneth the Belly because the Heat retiring inwards towards the Heart the Gutts and other Parts are relaxed In the same manner as Feare also causeth Trembling in the Sinewes And of this Kinde of Purgers are some Medicines made of Mercury The Seuenth Cause is Abstersion which is plainly a Scouring off or Incision of the more viscous Humors and making the Humors more fluide And Cutting betweene them and the Part. As is found in Nitrous Water which scoureth Linnen Cloth speedily from the Foulenesse But this Incision must be by a Sharpnesse without Astriction Which wee finde in Salt Worm-wood Oxymel and the like There be Medicines that moue Stooles and not Vrine Some other Vrine and not Stooles Those that Purge by Stoole are such as enter not at all or little into the Mesentery Veines But either at the first are not digestible by the Stomach and therefore moue immediatly downwards to the Gutts Or else are afterwards reiected by the Mesentery Veines and so turne likewise downwards to the Gutts and of these two kindes are most Purgers But those that moue Vrine are such as are well digested of the Stomach and well receiued also of the Mesenfery Veines So they come as farre as the Liuer which sendeth Vrine to the Bladder as the Whey of Bloud And those Medicines being Opening and Piercing doe fortifie the Operation of the Liuer in sending downe the wheyey Part of the Bloud to the Reines For Medicines Vrinatiue doe not worke by Reiection and Indigestion as Solutiue doe There be diuers Medicines which in
soundeth more solemnly and with a little Purling or Hissing Againe a Wreathed String such as are in the Base Strings of Banderaes giueth also a Purling Sound But a Lute-string if it be meerely Vnequall in his Parts giueth a Harsh and Vntuneable Sound which Strings we call False being bigger in one Place than in another And therefore Wire-strings are neuer False We see also that when we try a False Lute-string wee vse to extend it hard betweene the fingers and to fillip it And if it giueth a double Species it is True But if it giueth a treble or more it is False Waters in the Noise they make as they runne represent to the Eare a Trembling Noise And in Regalls where they haue a Pipe they call the Nightingale-Pipe which containeth Water the Sound hath a continuall Trembling And Children haue also little Things they call Cockes which haue Water in them And when they blow or whistle in them they yeeld a Trembling Noise Which Trembling of Water hath an assinity with the Letter L. All which Inequalities of Trepidation are rather pleasant than otherwise All Base Notes or very Treble Notes giue an Asper Sound For that the Base striketh more Aire than it can well strike equally And the Treble cutteth the Aire so sharpe as it returneth too swift to make the Sound Equall And therefore a Meane or Tenor is the sweetest Part. We know Nothing that can at pleasure make a Musicall or Immusicall Sound by voluntary Motion but the Voice of Man and Birds The Cause is no doubt in the Weasill or Wind-pipe which we call Aspera Arteria which being well extended gathereth Equality As a Bladder that is wrinckled if it be extended becommeth smooth The Extension is alwaies more in Tones than in Speech Therefore the Inward Voice of Whisper can neuer a giue Tone And in Singing there is manifestly a greater Working and Labour of the Throat than in Speaking As appeareth in the Thrusting out or Drawing in of the Chinne when we sing The Humming of Bees is an Vnequall Buzzing And is conceiued by some of the Ancients not to come forth at their Mouth but to be an Inward Sound But it may be it is neither But from the motion of their Wings For it is not heard but when they stirre All Metalls quenched in Water giue a Sibilation or Hissing Sound which hath an Affinity with the letter Z. notwithstanding the Sound be created betweene the Water or Vapour and the Aire Seething also if there be but small Store of Water in a Vessell giueth a Hissing Sound But Boyling in a full Vessell giueth a Bubling Sound drawing somewhat neare to the Cocks vsed by Children Triall would be made whether the Inequality or Interchange of the Medium will not produce an Inequality of Sound As if three Bells were made one within another and Aire betwixt Each And then the outermost Bell were chimed with a Hammer how the Sound would differ from a Simple Bell. So likewise take a Plate of Brasse and a Plancke of Wood and ioyne them close together and knock vpon one of them and see if they doe not giue an vnequall Sound So make two or three Partitions or Wood in a Hogshead with Holes or Knots in them And marke the difference of their Sound from the Sound of an Hogshead without such Partitions It is euident that the Percussion of the Greater Quantity of Aire causeth the Baser Sound And the lesse Quantity the more Treble Sound The Percussion of the Greater Quantity of Aire is produced by the Greatnesse of the Body Percussing By the Latitude of the Concaue by which the Sound passeth and by the Longitude of the same Concaue Therfore we see that a Base string is greater than a Treble A Base Pipe hath a greater Bore than a Treble And in Pipes and the like the lower the Note Holes be and the further off from the Mouth of the Pipe the more Base Sound they yeeld And the nearer the Mouth the more Treble Nay more if you strike an Entire Body as an Andiron of Brasse at the Top it maketh a more Treble Sound And at the Bottome a Baser It is also euident that the Sharper or Quicker Percussion of Aire causeth the more Treble Sound And the Slower or Heauier the more Base Sound So we see in Strings the more they are wound vp and strained And thereby giue a more quicke Start-backe the more Treble is the Sound And the slacker they are or lesse wound vp the Baser is the Sound And therfore a Bigger String more strained and a Lesser String lesse strained may fall into the same Tone Children Women Eunuchs haue more small and shrill Voices than Men. The Reason is not for that Men haue greater Heat which may make the Voice stronger for the strength of a Voice or Sound doth make a difference in the Loudnesse or Softnesse but not in the Tone But from the Dilatation of the Organ which it is true is likewise caused by Heat But the Cause of Changing the Voice at the yeares of Puberty is more obscure It seemeth to be for that when much of the Moisture of the Body which did before irrigate the Parts is drawne downe to the Spermaticall vessells it leaueth the Body more hot than it was whence commeth the Dilatation of the Pipes For we see plainly all Effects of Heat doe then come on As Pilosity more Roughnesse of the Skinne Hardnesse of the Flesh c. The Industry of the Musitian hath produced two other Meanes of Strayning or Intension of Strings besides their Winding vp The one is the Stopping of the String with the Finger As in the Necks of Lutes Viols c. The other is the Shortnesse of the String As in Harps Virginalls c. Both these haue one and the same reason For they cause the String to giue a quicker Start In the Straining of a String the further it is strained the lesse Superstraining goeth to a Note For it requireth good Winding of a String before it will make any Note at all And in the Stops of Lutes c. the higher they goe the lesse Distance is betweene the Frets If you fill a Drinking-Glasse with Water especially one Sharp below and Wide aboue and fillip vpon the Brim or Outside And after empty Part of the Water and so more and more and still try the Tone by Fillipping you shall finde the Tone fall and be more Base as the Glasse is more Empty The Iust and Measured Proportion of the Aire Percussed towards the Basenesse or Treblenesse of Tones is one of the greatest Secrets in the Contemplation of Sounds For it discouereth the true Coincidence of Tones into Diapasons Which is the Returne of the same Sound And so of the Concords and Discords betweene the Vnison and Diapason Which we haue touched before in the Experiments of Musicke but thinke fit to resume it here as a principall Part of our Enquiry touching the Nature of Sounds It
wholesome Drinke and very Cleare They vse also in Wales a Compound Drinke of Mead with Herbs and Spices But meane-while it were good in recompence of that wee haue lost in Honey there were brought in vse a Sugar Meadâ— for so wee may call it though without any Mixture at all of Honey And to brew it and keepe it stale as they vse Mead For certainly though it would not be so Abster siue and Opening and Solutiue a Drinke as Mead yet it will be more gratefull to the Stomach and more Lenitiue and fit to be vsed in Sharpe Diseases For wee see that the vse of Sugar in Beere and Ale hath good Effects in such Cases It is reported by the Ancients that there was a Kinde of Steele in some places which would polish almost as white and bright as Siluer And that there was in India a Kinde of Brasse which being polished could scarce be discerned from Gold This was in the Naturall Vre But I am doubtfull whether Men haue sufficiently refined Metals which we count Base As whether Iron Brasse and Tinne be refined to the Heighth But when they come to such a Finenesse as serueth the ordinary vse they trie no further There haue beene found certaine Cements vnder Earth that are very Soft And yet taken forth into the Sunne harden as Hard as Marble There are also ordinary Quarries in Sommerset-Shire which in the Quarry cut soft to any Bignesse and in the Building proue firme and hard Liuing Creatures generally doe change their Haire with Age turning to be Gray and White As is seene in Men though some Earlier some Later In Horses that are Dappled and turne White In Old Squirrels that turne Grisly And many Others So doe some Birds As Cygnets from Gray turne White Hawkes from Browne turne more White And some Birds there be that vpon their Moulting doe turne Colour As Robin-Redbrests after their Moulting grow to be Red againe by degrees So doe Gold-Finches vpon the Head The Cause is for that Moisture doth chiefly colour Haire and Feathers And Drinesse turneth them Gray and White Now Haire in Age waxeth Drier So doe Feathers As for Feathers after Moulting they are Young Feathers and so all one as the Feathers of Young Birds So the Beard is younger than the Haire of the Head and doth for the most part wax Hoare later Out of this Ground a Man may deuise the Meanes of Altering the Colour of Birds and the Retardation of Heare-Haires But of this see the fifth Experiment The Difference betweene Male and Female in some Creatures is not to be discerned otherwise than in the Parts of Generation As in Horses and Mares Dogs and Bitches Doues He and She and others But some differ in Magnitude and that diuersly For in most the Male is the greater As in Man Pheasants Peacocks Turkey's and the like And in some few as in Hawkes the Female Some differ in the Haire and Feathers both in the Quantitie Crispation and Colours of them As He-Lions are Miâ—sute and haue great Maines The She 's are smooth like Cats Bulls are more Crispe vpon the Fore-head than Cowes The Peacocke and Pheasant-Cocke and Gold-Finch-Cocke haue glorious and fine Colours The Henn's haue not Generally the Hees in Birds haue the fairest Feathers Some differ in diuers Features As Bucks haue Hornes Doe's none Rammes haue more wreathed Hornes than Ewes Cocks haue great Combes and Spurres Henns little or none Boares haue great Fangs Sowes much lesse The Turky-Cocke hath great and Swelling Gills the Hen hath lesse Men haue generally Deeper and Stronger Voices than Women Some differ in Facultie As the Cocks amongst Singing Birds are the best Singers The Chiefe Cause of all these no doubt is for that the Males haue more Strength of Heat than the Females Which appeareth manifestly in this that all young Creatures Males are like Females And so are Eunuchs and Gelt Creatures of all kinds liker Females Now Heat causeth Greatnesse of Growth generally where there is Moisture enough to worke vpon But if there be found in any Creature which is seene rarely an Ouer-great Heat in proportion to the Moisture in them the Female is the greater As in Hawkes and Sparrowes And if the Heat be ballanced with the Moisture then there is no Difference to be seene betweene Male and Female As in the Instances of Horses and Dogs Wee see also that the Hornes of Oxen and Cowes for the most part are Larger than the Bulls which is caused by abundance of Moisture which in the Hornes of the Bull failethâ— Againe Heat causeth Pilosuy and Crispation And so likewise Beards in Men. It also expelleth finer Moisture which Want of Heat cannot Expell And that is the Cause of the Beauty and Variety of Feathers Againe Heat doth put forth many Excreseences and much Solide Matter which Want of Heat cannot do And this is the Cause of Hornes and of the Greatnesse of them And of the Greatnesse of the Combes and Spurres of Cocks Gills of Turky-Cocks and Fangs of Boares Heat also dilateth the Pipes and Organs which causeth the Deepnesse of the Voice Againe Heat refineth the Spirits and that causeth the Cock-Singing Bird to Excell the Hen. There be Fishes greater than any Beasts As the Whale is farre greater than the Elephant And Beasts are generally greater than Birds For Fishes the Cause may be that because they Liue not in the Aire they haue not their Moisture drawne and Soaked by the Aire and Sun-Beames Also they rest alwaies in a manner and are supported by the Water whereas Motion and Labour doe consuine As for the Greatnesse of Beasts more than of Birds it is caused for that Beasts stay Longer time in the Wombe than Birds and there Nourish and Grow Whereas in Birds after the Egge Lay'd there is no further Growth or Nourishment from the Female For the Sitting doth Vinifie and not Nourish We haue partly touched before the Meanes of Producing Fruits without Coares or Stones And this we adde further that the Cause must be Abundance of Moisture For that the Coare and Stone are made of a Dry Sapâ— And we see that it is possible to make a Tree put forth onely in Blossome without Fruit As in Cherries with Double Flowers Much more into Fruit without Stone or Coares It is reported that a Cions of an Apple grafted vpon a Coloâ—â—â— Stalke sendeth forth a great Apple without a Coare It is not vnlikely that if the Inward Pith of a Tree were taken out so that the Iuyce came onely by the Barke it would worke the Effect For it hath beene obserued that in Pollards if the Water get in on the Top and they become Hollow they put forth the more We adde also that it is deliuered for certaine by some that if the Cions be grafted the Small End downwards it will make Fruit haue little or no Coares and Stones Tobacco is a thing of great Price if it be in request For
gathered together into the fashion of a Purse and broken vpon the Fore-head or Backe of the Hand as Children vse The Cause giuen of Sound that it should be an Elision of the Aire wherby if they meane any thing they meane a Cutting or Diuiding or else an Attenuating of the Aire is but a Terme of Ignorance And the Motion is but a Catch of the Wit vpon a few Instances As the Manner is in the Philosophy Receiued And it is common with Men that if they haue gotten a Pretty Expression by a Word of Art that Expression goeth currant though it be empty of Matter This Conceit of Elision appeareth most manifestly to befalse in that the Sound of a Bell String or the like continueth melting some time after the Percussion But ceaseth straight-waies if the Bell or String be touched and stayed wheras if it were the Elision of the Aire that made the Sound it could not be that the Touch of the Bell or String should extinguish so suddenly that Motion caused by the Elision of the Aire This appeareth yet more manifestly by Chiming with a Hammer vpon the Out-side of a Bell For the Sound will be according to the inward Concaue of the Bell whereas the Elision or Attenuation of the Aire cannot be but onely betweene the Hammer and the Out-side of the Bell So againe if it were an Elision a broad Hammer and a Bodkin strucke vpon Metall would giue a diuers Tone As well as a diuers Loudnesse But they doe not so For though the Sound of the one be Louder and of the other Softer yet the Tone is the same Besides in Eccho's wherof some are as loud as the Originall Voice there is no new Elision but a Repercussion onely But that which conuinceth it most of all is that Sounds are generated where there is no Aire at all But these and the like Conceits when Men haue cleared their vnderstanding by the light of Experience will scatter and breake vp like a Mist. It is certaine that Sound is not produced at the first but with some Locall Motion of the Aire or Flame or some other Medium Nor yet without some Resistance either in the Aire or the Body Percussed For if there be a meere Yeelding or Cession it produceth no Sound As hath beene said And therin Sounds differ from Light and Colours which passe thorow the Aire or other Bodies without any Locall Motion of the Aire either at the first or after But you must attentiuely distinguish betweene the Locall Motion of the Aire which is but Vehiculum Caussae A Carrier of the Sounds and the Sounds themselues Conueighed in the Aire For as to the former we see manifestly that no Sound is produced no not by Aire it selfe against other Aire as in Organs c. but with a perceptible Blast of the Aire And with some Resistance of the Aire strucken For euen all Speech which is one of the gentlest Motions of Aire is with Expulsion of a little Breath And all Pipes haue a Blast as well as a Sound We see also manifestly that Sounds are carried with Wind And therefore Sounds will be heard further with the Wind than against the Wind And likewise doe rise and fall with the Intension or Remission of the Wind. But for the Impression of the Sound it is quite another Thing And is vtterly without any Locall Motion of the Aire Perceptible And in that resembleth the Species visible For after a Man hath lured or a Bell is rung we cannot discerne any Perceptible Motion at all in the Aire a long as the Sound goeth but only at the first Neither doth the Wind as far as it carrieth a Voice with the Motion therof confound any of the Delicate and Articulate Figurations of the Aire in Variety of Words And if a Man speake a good loudnesse against the Flame of a Candle it will not make it tremble much though most when those Letters are pronounced which contract the Mouth As F S V and some others But Gentle Breathing or Blowing without speaking will moue the Candle far more And it is the more probable that Sound is without any Locall Motion of the Aire because as it differeth from the Sight in that it needeth a Locall Motion of the Aire at first So it paralleleth in so many other things with the Sight and Radiation of Things visible Which without all question induce no Locall Motion in the Aire as hath beene said Neuerthelesse it is true that vpon the Noise of Thunder and great Ordnance Glasse windowes will shake and Fishes are thought to be frayed with the Motion caused by Noise vpon the water But these Effects are from the Locall Motion of the Aire which is a Concomitant of the Sound as hath beene said and not from the Sound It hath beene anciently reported and is still receiued that Extreme Applanses and Shouting of People assembled in great Multitudes haue so rarified and broken the Aire that Birds flying ouer haue fallen downe the Aire being not able to support them And it is beleeued by some that Great Ringing of Bells in populous Cities hath chased away Thunder and also dissipated Pestilent Aire All which may be also from the Concussion of the Aire and not from the Sound A very great Sound neare hand hath strucken many Dease And at the Instant they haue found as it were the breaking of a Skin or Parchment in their Eare And my Selfe standing neare one that Lured loud and shrill had suddenly an Offence as if somewhat had broken or beene dislocated in my Eare And immediately after a loud Ringing Not an ordinary Singing or Hissing but far louder and differing so as I feared some Deafenesse But after some halfe Quarter of an Houre it vanished This Effect may be truly referred vnto the Sound For as is commonly receiued an ouer-potent Obiect doth destroy the Sense And Spirituall Species both Visible and Audible will worke vpon the Sensories though they moue not any other Body In Delation of Sounds the Enclosure of them preserueth them and causeth them to be heard further And wee finde in Roules of Parchment or Trunckes the Mouth being laid to the one end of the Rowle of Parchment or Truncke and the Eare to the other the Sound is heard much further than in the Open Aire The Cause is for that the Sound spendeth and is dissipated in the Open Aire But in such Concaues it is conserued and contracted So also in a Peece of Ordnance if you speak in the Touch-hole and another lay his Eare to the Mouth of the Peece the Sound passeth and is farre better heard than in the Open Aire It is further to be considered how it proueth and worketh when the Sound is not enclosed all the Length of his Way but passeth partly through open Aire As where you speake some distance from a Truncke or where the Eare is some distance from the Truncke at the other End Or where both Mouth and Eare are distant
faster vpon vs. The daintiest Smells of Flowers are out of those Plants whose Leaues smell not As Violets Roses Wall-flowers Gilly-flowers Pinckes Woodbines Vine-flowers Apple-Bloomes Lime-Tree Bloomes Beane-Bloomes c. The Cause is for that where there is Heat and strength enough in the Plant to make the Leaues Odorate there the Smell of the Flower is rather Euanide and Weaker than that of the Leaues As it is in Rose-Mary-Flowers Lauender-Flowers and Sweet-Briar-Roses But where there is lesse Heat there the Spirit of the Plant is disgested and refined and feuered from the Grosser Iuyce in the Esstorescence and not before Most Odours Smell best Broken or Crusht as hath beene said But Flowers Pressed or Beaten doe leese the Freshnesse and Sweetnesse of their Odour The Cause is for that when they are Crushed the Grosser and more Earthy Spirit commeth out with the Finer and troubleth it Whereas in stronger Odours there are no such Degrees of the Issue of the Smell It is a Thing of very good Vse to Discouer the Goodnesse of Waters The Taste to those that Drinke Water onely doth somewhat But other Experiments are more sure First try Waters by Weight Wherein you may finde some difference though not much And the Lighter you may account the Better Secondly try them by Boyling vpon an Equall Fire And that which consumeth away fastest you may account the Best Thirdly try them in Seuerall Bottles or Open Vessels Matches in euery Thing else and see which of them Last Longest without Stench or Corruption And that which holdeth Vnputrified longest you may likewise account the Best Fourthly try them by Making Drinkes Stronger or Smaller with the same Quantity of Mault And you may conclude that that Water which maketh the Stronger Drinke is the more Concocted and Nou-rishing though perhaps it be not so good for Medicinall vse And such Water commonly is the Water of Large and Nanigable Riuers And likewise in Large and Cleane Ponds of Standing Water For vpon both them the Sunne hath more power than vpon Fountaines or Small Riuers And I concelue that Chalke-water is next them the best for going furthest in Drinke For that also helpeth Concoction So it be out of a Deepe Well For then it Cureth the Rawnesse of the Water But Chalkie Water towards the Top of the Earth is too fretting As it appeareth in Laundry of Cloaths which weare out apace if you vse such Waters Fifthly The Houswiues doe finde a Difference in Waters for the Bearing or Not Bearing of Soape And it is likely that the more Fat Water will beare Soape best For the Hungry Water doth kill the Vnctuous Nature of the Soape Sixthly you may make a Iudgement of Waters according to the Place whence they Spring or Come The Rain-Water is by the Physitians esteemed the Finest and the best But yet it is said to putrifie soonest which is likely because of the Finenesse of the Spirit And in Conseruatories of Raine-water such as they haue in Venice c. they are and not so Choice waters The worse perhaps because they are Couered aloft and kept from the Sunne Snow-water is held vnwholesome In so much as the People that dwell at the Foot of the SnowMountaines or otherwise vpon the Ascent especially the Women by drinking of Snow-water haue great Bagges hanging vnder their Throats Well-water except it be vpon Chalke or a very plentifull Spring maketh Meat Red which is an ill Signe Springs on the Tops of High-Hills are the best For both they seeme to haue a Lightnesse and Appetite of Mounting And besides they are most pure and Vnmingled And againe are more Percolated thorow a great Space of Earth For Waters in Valleyes ioyne in effect vnder Ground with all Waters of the same Leuell Whereas Springs on the Tops of Hills passe thorow a great deale of Pure Earth with lesse Mixture of other Waters Seuenthly Iudgement may be made of Waters by the Soyle whereupon the Water runneth As Pebble is the Cleanest and best tasted And next to that Clay-water And Thirdly Water vpon Chalke Fourthly that vpon Sand And Worst of all vpon Mudde Neither may you trust Waters that Taste Sweet For they are commonly found in Rising Grounds of great Cities which must needs take in a great deale of Filth In Peru and diuers Parts of the West Indies though vnder the Line the Heats are not so Intolerable as they be in Barbary and the Skirts of the Torrid Zone The Causes are First the Great Brizes which the Motion of the Aire in great Circles such as are vnder the Girdle of the World produceth Which doe refrigerate And therefore in those Parts Noone is nothing so hot when the Brizes are great as about Nine or Ten of the Clocke in the Fore-Noone Another Cause is for that the Length of the Night and the Dewes thereof doe compense the Heat of the Day A third Cause is the Stay of the Sunne Not in Respect of Day and Night for that wee spake of before but in Respect of the Season For vnder the Line the Sunne crosseth the Line and maketh two Summers and two Winters But in the Skirts of the Torrid Zone it doubleth and goeth backe againe and so maketh one Long Summer The Heat of the Sunne maketh Men Blacke in some Countries as in AEthiopia and Ginny c. Fire doth it not as wee see in GlasseMen that are continually about the Fire The Reason may be because Fire doth licke vp the Spirits and Bloud of the Body so as they Exhale So that it euer maketh Men looke Pale and Sallow But the Sunne which is a Gentler Heat doth but draw the Bloud to the Outward Parts And rather Concooteth it than Soaketh it And therefore wee see that all AEthiapes are Fleshy and Plumpe and haue great Lips All which betoken Moisture retained and not drawne out Wee see also that the Negroes are bred in Countries that haue Plenty of Water by Riuers or otherwise For Meroe which was the Metropolis of AEthiopia was vpon a great Lake And Congo where the Negroes are is full of Riuers And the Confines of the Riuer Niger where the Negroes also are are well watered And the Region about Capo Verde is likewise Moist in so much as it is pestilent through Moisture But the Countries of the Abyssenes and Barbary and Peru. where they are Tawney and Oliuaster and Pale are generally more Sandy and Dry. As for the AEthiopes as they are Plumpe and Fleshy So it may bee they are Sanguine and ruddy Coloured if their blacke Skinne would suffer it to be seene Some Creatures doe moue a good while after their Head is off As Birds Some a very little time As Men and all beasts Some moue though cut in feuerall Pieces As Snakes Eeles Wormes Flies c. First therefore it is certaine that the Immediate Cause of Death is the Resolution or Extinguishment of the Spirits And that the Destruction or Corruption of the Organs is but the
a wall the greatest Fruits towards the Bottome And in France the Grapes that make the Wine grow vpon low Vines bound to small Stakes And the raised Vines in Arbours make but Veriuyce It is true that in Italy and other Countries where they haue hotter Sunne they raise them vpon Elmes and Trees But I conceiue that if the French Manner of Planting low were brought in vse there their Wines would be stronger and sweeter But it is more chargeable in respect of the Props It were good to try whether a Tree grafted somewhat neare the Ground and the lower boughes onely maintained and the higher continually proined off would not make a larger Fruit. To haue Fruit in Greater Plenty the way is to graft not onely vpon young Stockes but vpon diuers Boughes of an old Tree for they will beare great Numbers of Fruit Whereas if you graft but vpon one Stocke the Tree can beare but few The Digging yearely about the Roots of Trees which is a great means both to the Acceleration and Melioration of Fruits is practised in nothing but in Vines Which if it were transferred vnto other Trees and Shrubs as Roses c. I conceiue would aduance them likewise It hath beene knowne that a Fruit-Tree hath beene blowne vp almost by the Roots and set vp againe and the next yeare bare exceedingly The Cause of this was nothing but the Looseming of the Earth which comforteth any Tree and is fit to be practised more than it is in Fruit-Trees For Trees cannot be so fitly remoued into New Grounds as Flowers and Herbs may To reuiue an Old Tree the Digging of it about the Roots and Applying new Mould to the Roots is the way We see also that Draught-Oxen put into fresh Pasture gather new and tender Flesh And in all Things better Nourishment than hath beene vsed doth helpe to renew Especially if it be not onely better but changed and differing from the former If an Herbe be cut off from the Roots in the beginning of Winter and then the Earth be troden and beaten downe hard with the Foot and Spade the Roots will become of very great Magnitude in Summer The Reason is for that the Moisture being forbidden to come vp in the Plant stayeth longer in the Root and so dilateth it And Gardiners vse to tread downe any loose Ground after they haue sowne Onions or Turnips c. If Panicum be laid below and about the Bottome of a Root it will cause the Root to grow to an Excessiue Bignesse The Cause is for that being it selfe of a Spungy Substance it draweth the Moisture of the Earth to it and so feedeth the Root This is of greatest vse for Onions Turnips Parsnips and Carrets The Shifting of Ground is a Meanes to better the Tree and Fruit But with this Caution That all Things doe prosper best when they are aduanced to the better Your Nursery of Stockes ought to be in a more Barren Ground than the Ground is whereunto you remoue them So all Grasiers preferre their Cattell from meaner Pastures to better We see also that Hardnesse in Youth lengthneth Life because it leaueth a Cherishing to the better of the Body in Age Nay in Exercises it is good to begin with the hardest as Dancing in Thicke Shooes c. It hath beene obserued that Hacking of Trees in their Barke both downe-right and acrosse so as you make them rather in slices than in continued Hacks doth great good to Trees And especially deliuereth them from being Hide-bound and killeth their Mosse Shade to some Plants conduceth to make them large and prosperous more than Sun As in Strawberries and Bayes c. Therefore amongst Strawberries sow here and there some Barrage-Seed And you shall finde the Strawberries vnder those Leaues farro more large than their Fellowes And Bayes you must plant to the North Or defond them from the Sunne by a Hedge-Row And when you sow the Berries weed not the Borders for the first halfe yeare For the Weed giueth them Shade To increase the Crops of Phâ—â—â— there would be considered not only the Increasing the Lust of the Earth or of the Plant but the Sauing also of that which is spilt So they haue lately made a Triall to Set Wheat which neuerthelesse hath beene left off because of the trouble and paines Yet so much is true that there is much saued by the Setting in comparison of that which is Sewen Both by keeping it from being picked vp by Birds And by Auoiding the Shallow lying of it whereby much that is sowen taketh no Root It is prescribed by some of the Ancients that you take Small Trees vpon which Figs or other Fruit grow being yet vnripe and couer the Trees in the Middle of Autamne with dung vntill the Spring And then take them vp in a warme day and replant them in good Ground And by that meanes the former yeares Tree will be ripe as by a new Birth when other Trees of the fame kinde doe but blossome But this seemeth to haue no great Probabilitie It is reported that if you take Nitre and mingle it with Water to the thicknesse of Honey and therewith anoint the Bud after the Vine is cut it will sprout forth within eight dayes The Cause is like to be if the Experiment be true the Opening of the Bud and of the Parts Contiguous by the Spirit of the Nitre For Nitre is as it were the Life of Vegetables Take Seed or Kernells of Apples Peares Orenges Or a Peach or a Plum Stone c. And put them into a Squill which is like a great Onion and they will come vp much earlier than in the Earth it selfe This I conceiue no be as a Kinde of Grafting in the Root For as the Stocke of a Graft yeeldeth better prepared Nourishment to the Graft than the Crude Earth So the Squill doth the like to the Seed And I suppose the same would be done by Putting Kernells into a Turnip or the like Saue that the Squill is more Vigorous and Hot. It may be tried also with putting Onion-Seed into an Onion-Head which thereby perhaps will bring forth a larger and earlier Onion The Pricking of a Fruit in seuerall places when it is almost at his Bignesse and before it ripeneth hath beene practised with successe to ripen the Fruit more suddenly Wee see the Example of the Biting of Waspes or Wormes vpon Fruit whereby it manifestly ripeneth the sooner It is reported that Alga Marina Sea-weed put vnder the Roots of Coleworts and perhaps of other Plants will further their Growth The vertue no doubt hath Relation to Salt which is a great Helpe to Fertilitie It hath beene practised to cut off the Stalkes of Cucumbers immediately after their Bearing close by the Earth And then to cast a prettie Quantitie of Earth vpon the Plant that remaineth and they will beare the next yeare Fruit long before the ordinary time The Cause may be for that the Sap goeth downe the sooner and is not
spent in the Stalke or Lease which remaineth after the Fruit. Where note that the Dying in the winter of the Roots of Plants that are Annuall seemeth to be partly caused by the Ouer-Expence of the Sap into Stalke and Leaues which being preuented they will super-annate if they stand warme The Pulling off many of the Blossomes from a Fruit-Tree doth make the Fruit fairer The Cause is manifest For that the Sap hath the lesse to nourish And it is a Common Experience that if you doe not pull off some Blossomes the first time a Tree bloometh it will blossome it selfe to death It were good to trie what would be the Effect if all the Blossomes were pulled from a Fruit-Tree Or the Acornes and Chesnut-buds c. from a Wilde Tree for two yeares together I suppose that the Tree will either put forth the third yeare bigger and more plentifull Fruit Or else the same yeares larger Leaues because of the Sap stored vp It hath beene generally receiued that a Plant Watered with Warme Water will come vp sooner and better than with Cold Water or with Showers But our Experiment of Watering Wheat with Warme Water as hath beene said succeeded not which may be because the Triall was too late in the Yeare vix in the End of October For the Cold then comming vpon the Seed after it was made more tender by the Warme Water might checke it There is no doubt but that Grafting for the most Part doth meliorate the Fruit. The Cause is manifest For that the Nourishment is better prepared in the Stocke than in the Crude Earth But yet note well that there be some Trees that are said to come vp more happily from the Kernell than from the Graft As the Peach and Melocotone The Cause I suppose to he for that those Plants require a Nourishment of great Moisture And though the Nourishment of the Stocke be finer and better prepared yet it is not so moist and plentifull as the Nourishment of the Earth And indeed we see those Fruits are very Cold Fruits in their Nature It hath beene receiued that a Smaller Peare grafted vpon a Stocke that beareth a greater Peare will become Great But I thinke it is as true as that of the Prime-Fruit vpon the Late Stocke And è conuerso which we reiected before For the Cions will gouerne Neuerthelesse it is probable enough that if you can get a Cions to grow vpon a Stocke of another kinde that is much moister than his owne Stocke it may make the Fruit Greater because it will yeeld more plentifull nourishment Though it is like it will make the Fruit Baser But generally the Grafting is vpon a dryer Stock As the Apple vpon a Crab The Peare vpon a Thorne c. Yet it is reported that in the Low-Conntries they will graft an Apple-Cions vpon the Stocke of a Colewort and it will beare a great flaggy Apple The Kernell of which if it be set will be a Colewort and not an Apple It were good to try whether an Apple-Cions will prosper if it be grafted vpon a Sallow or vpon a Poplar or vpon an Alder or vpon an Elme or vpon an Horse-Plumme which are the moistest of Trees I haue heard that it hath beene tryed vpon an Elme and succeeded It is manifest by Experience that Flowers Remoued wax greater because the Nourishment is more easily come by in the loose Earth It may be that Oft Regrafting of the same Cions may likewise make Fruit greater As if you take a Cions and graft it vpon a Stocke the first yeare And then cut it off and graft it vpon another Stocke the second yeare and so for a third Or fourth yeare And then let it rest it will yeeld afterward when it beareth the greater Fruit. Of Grafting there are many Experiments worth the Noting but those we reserue to a proper Place It maketh Figs better if a Fig-Tree when it beginneth to put forth Leaues haue his Top cut off The Cause is plaine for that the Sap hath the lesse to seed and the lesse way to mount But it may be the Figge will come somewhat later as was formerly touched The same may be tried likewise in other Trees It is reported that Mulberries will be fairer and the Trees more fruitfull if you bore the Truncke of the Tree thorow in seuerall places and thrust into the Places bored Wedges of some Hot Trees as Turpentine Mastick-Tree Guaiacum Inniper c. The Cause may be for that Aduentiue Heat doth cheare vp the Natiue Iuyce of the Tree It is reported that Trees will grow greater and beare better Fruit if you put Salt or Lees of Wine or Bloud to the Root The Cause may be the Encreasing the Lust or Spirit of the Root These Things being more forcible than ordinary Composts It is reported by one of the Ancients that Artichoakes will be lesse prickly and more tender if the Seeds haue their Tops dulled or grated off vpon a Stone Herbes will be tenderer and fairer if you take them out of Beds when they are newly come vp and remoue them into Pots with better Earth The Remoue from Bed to Bed was spoken of before But that was in seuerall yeares This is vpon the sudden The Cause is the same with other Remoues formerly mentioned Coleworts are reported by one of the Ancients to prosper exceedingly and to be better tasted if they be sometimes watred with Salt-Water And much more with Water mixed with Nitre The Spirit of which is lesse Adurent than Salt It is reported that Cucumbers will proue more Tender and Dainty if their Seeds be Steeped a little in Milke The Cause may be for that the Seed being mollified with the Milke will be too weake to draw the grosser Iuyce of the Earth but onely the finer The same Experiment may be made in Artichoakes and other Seeds when you would take away either their Flashinesse or Bitternesse They speake also that the like Effect followeth of Steeping in Water mixed with Honey But that seemeth to me not so probable because Honey hath too quicke a Spirit It is reported that Cucumbers will be lesse Watry and more Melonlike it in the Pit where you set them you fill it halfe way vp with Chaffe or small Stickes and then powre Earth vpon them For Cucumbers as it seemeth doe extremely affect Moisture And ouer-drinke themselues Which this Chaffe or Chips forbiddeth Nay it is further reported that if when a Cucumber is growne you fet a Pot of water about fiue or six inches distance from it it will in 24 houres shoot so much out as to touch the Pot Which if it be true it is an Experiment of an higher Nature than belongeth to this Title For it discouereth Perception in Plants to moue towards that which should helpe and comfort them though it be at a distance The ancient Tradition of the Vine is far more strange It is that if you set a Stake or Prop some distance from it
it doth easily exhale In Italy and the Hotter Countries there is a Fly they call Lucciole that shineth as the Glo-worme doth And it may be is the Flying Glo-worme But that Fly is chiefly vpon Fens and Marrishes But yet the two former Obseruations hold For they are not seene but in the Heat of Summer And Sedge or other Greene of the Fens giue as good Shade as Bushes It may be the Glo-wormes of the Cold Countries ripen not so farre as to be Winged The Passions of the Minde worke vpon the Body the Impressions following Feare causeth Palenesse Trembling The Standing of the Haire vpright Starting and Skritching The Palenesse is caused for that the Bloud runneth inward to succour the Heart The Trembling is caused for that through the Flight of the Spirits inward the Outward Parts are destituted and not sustained Standing Vpright of the Haire is caused for that by the Shutting of the Pores of the Skin the Haire that lyeth asloape must needs Rise Starting is both an Apprehension of the Thing feared And in that kinde it is a Motion of Shrincking And likewise an Inquisition in the beginning what the Matter should be And in that kinde it is a Motion of Erection And therefore when a Man would listen suddenly to any Thing he Starteth For the Starting is an Erection of the Spirits to attend Skritching is an Appetite of Expelling that which suddenly striketh the Spirits For it must be noted that many Motions though they be vnprofitable to expell that which hurteth yet they are Offers of Nature and cause Motions by Consent As in Groaning or Crying vpon Paine Griefe and Paine cause Sighing Sobbing Groaning Screaming and Roaring Teares Distorting of the Face Grinding of the Teeth Sweating Sighing is caused by the Drawing in of a greater Quantity of Breath to refresh the Heart that laboureth like a great Draught when one is thirsty Sobbing is the same Thing stronger Groaning and Screaming and Roaring are caused by an Appetite of Expulsion as hath beene said For when the Spirits cannot expell the Thing that hurteth in their Strife to do it by Motion of Consent they expell the Voice And this is when the Spirits yeeld and giue ouer to resist For if one doe constantly resist Paine he will not groane Teares are caused by a Contraction of the Spirits of the Braine Which Contraction by consequence astringeth the Moisture of the Braine and thereby sendeth Teares into the Eyes And this Contraction or Compression causeth also Wringing of the Hands For Wringing is a Gesture of Expression of Moisture The Distorting of the Face is caused by a Contention first to beare and resist and then to expell Which maketh the Parts knit first and afterwards open Grinding of the Teeth is caused likewise by a Gathering and Serring of the Spirits together to resist Which maketh the Teeth also to set hard one against another Sweating is also a Compound Motion by the Labour of the Spirits first to resist and then to expell Ioy causeth a Chearefulnesse and Vigour in the Eyes Singing Leaping Dancing And sometimes Teares All these are the Effects of the Dilatation and Comming forth of the Spirits into the Outward Parts Which maketh them more Linely and Stirring We know it hath beene seene that Excessiue Sudden Ioy hath caused Present Death while the Spirits did spread so much as they could not retire againe As for Teares they are the Effects of Compression of the Moisture of the Braine vpon Dilatation of the Spirits For Compression of the Spirits worketh an Expression of the Moisture of the Braine by Consent as hath beene said in Griefe But then in Ioy it worketh it diuersly viz. by Prepulsion of the Moisture when the Spirits dilate and occupy more Roome Anger causeth Palenesse in some and the Going and Comming of the Colour in Others Also Trembling in some Swelling Foaming at the Month Stamping Bending of the Fist. Palenesse and Going and Comming of the Colour are caused by the Burning of the Spirits about the Heart Which to refresh themselues call in more Spirits from the Outward Parts And if the Palenesse be alone without Sending forth the Colour againe it is commonly ioyned with some Feare But in many there is no Palenesse at all but contrariwise Rednesse about the Cheekes and Gills Which is by the Sending forsh of the Spirits in an Appetite to Reuenge Trembling in Anger is likewise by a Calling in of the Spirits And is commonly when Anger is ioyned with Feare Swelling is caused both by a Dilatation of the Spirits by Ouer-Heating and by a Liquefaction or Boyling of the Humours thereupon Foaming at the Mouth is from the same Cause being an Ebullition Stamping and Bending of the Fist are caused by an Imagination of the Act of Reuenge Light Displeasure or Dislike causeth Shaking of the Head Frowning and Knitting of the Bâ—â—â—es These Effects arise from the same Causes that Trembling and Horrour doe Namely from the Retiring of the Spirits but in a lesse degree For the Shaking of the Head is but a Slow and Definite Trembling And is a Gesture of Slight Refusall And we see also that a Dislike causeth often that Gesture of the Hand which wee vse when we refuse a Thing or warne it away The Frowning and Knitting of the Browes is a Gathering or Serring of the Spirits to resist in some Measure And we see also this Knitting of the Browes will follow vpon earnest Studying or Cogitation of any Thing though it bee without Dislike Shame causeth Blushing And Casting downe of the Eyes Blushing is the Resort of Bloud to the Face Which in the Passion of Shame is the Part that laboureth most And although the Blushing will be seene in the whole Breast if it be Naked yet that is but in Passage to the Face As for the Casting downe of the Eyes it proceedeth of the Reuerence a Man beareth to other Men Whereby when he is ashamed he cannot endure to looke firmely vpon Others And we see that Blushing and the Casting downe of the Eyes both are more when we come before Many Ore Pompeij quid mollius Nunquà m non coram pluribus erubuit And likewise when we come before Great or Reuerend Persons Pity causeth sometimes Teares And a Flexion or Cast of the Eye aside Teares come from the same Cause that they doe in Griefe for Pity is but Griefe in Anothers Behalfe The Cast of the Eye is a Gesture of Auersion or Loathnesse to behold the Obiect of Pity Wonder causeth Astonishment or an Immoueable Posture of the Body Casting vp of the Eyes to Heauen And Lifting vp of the Hands For Astonishment it is caused by the Fixing of the Minde vpon one Obiect of Cogitation whereby it doth not spatiate and transcurre as it vseth For in Wonder the Spirits fly not as in Feare But onely settle and are made lesse apt to moue As for the Casting vp of the Eyes and Lifting vp of the Hands it is a Kinde of Appeale
to the Deity Which is the Authour by Power and Prouidence of Strange Wonders Laughing causeth a Dilatation of the Mouth and Lips A Continued Expulsion of the Breath with the loud Noise which maketh the Interiection of Laughing Shaking of the Breast and Sides Running of the Eyes with Water if it be Violent and Continued Wherein first it is to be vnderstood that Laughing is scarce properly a Passion but hath his Source from the Intellect For in Laughing there euer precedeth a Conceit of somewhat Ridiculous And therefore it is Proper to Man Secondly that the Cause of Laughing is but a Light Touch of the Spirits and not so deepe an Impression as in other Passions And therefore that which hath no Affinity with the Passions of the Minde it is moued and that in great vehemency onely by Tickling some Parts of the Body And we see that Men euen in a Grieued State of Minde yet cannot sometimes forbeare Laughing Thirdly it is euer ioyned with some Degree of Delight And therefore Exhilaration hath some Affinity with Ioy though it be a much Lighter Motion Res seneraest verum Gandium Fourthly that the Obiect of it is Deformity Absurdity Shrew'd Turnes and the like Now to speake of the Causes of the Effects before mentioned whereunto these Generall Notes giue some Light For the Dilatation of the Mouth and Lips Continued Expulsion of the Breath and Voice and Shaking of the Breast and Sides they proceed all from the Dilatation of the Spirits Especially being Sudden So likewise the Running of the Eyes with Water as hath beene formerly touched where we spake of the Teares of Ioy and Griefe is an Effect of Dilatation of the Spirits And for Suddennesse it is a great Part of the Matter For we see that any Shrew'd Turne that lighteth vpon Another Or any Deformity c. moueth Laughter in the Instant Which after a little time it doth not So we cannot Laugh at any Thing after it is Stale but whilest it is New And euen in Tickling if you Tickle the Sides and giue warning Or giue a Hard or Continued Touch it doth not moue Laughter so much Lust causeth a Flagrancy in the Eyes and Priapisme The Cause of both these is for that in Lust the Sight and the Touch are the Things desired And therefore the Spirits resort to those partâ— whch are most affected And note well in generall For that great Vse may be made of the Obseruation that euermore the Spirits in all Passions resort most to the Parts that labour most or are most affected As in the last which hath been mentioned they resort to the Eyes and Venereous Parts In Feare and Anger to the Heart In Shame to the Face And in Light Dislikes to the Head It hath beene obserued by the Ancients and is yet beleeued that the Sperme of Drunken Men is Vnfruitfull The Cause is for that it is Ouer-moistened and wanteth Spissitude And we haue a merry Saying that they that goe Drunke to Bed get Daughters Drunken Men are taken with a plaine Defect or Destitution in Voluntary Motion They â—â—ele They tremble They cannot stand nor speake strongly The â—â—â—â— is for that the Spirits of the Wine oppresse the Spirits Animall and â—â—â— pate Part of the Place where they are And so make them Weake to moue And therefore Drunken Men are apt to fall asleepe And Opiates and Stupefactines as Poppy Henbane Hemlocke c. induce a kinde of Drunkennesse by the Grossenesse of their Vapour As Wine doth by the Quantity of the Vapour Besides they rob the Spirits Animall of their Matter whereby they are nourished For the Spirits of the Wine prey vpon it as well as they And so they make the Spirits lesse Supple and Apt to moue Drunken Men imagine euery Thing turneth round They imagine also that Things Come vpon them They See not well Things a farre off Those Things that they See neare hand they See out of their Place And sometimes they see Things double The Cause of the Imagination that Things turne Round is for that the Spirits themselues turne being compressed by the Vapour of the Wine For any Liquid Body vpon Compression turneth as we see in Water And it is all one to the Sight whether the Visuall Spirits moue or the Obiect moueth or the Medium moueth And we see that long Turning Round breedeth the same Imagination The Cause of the Imagination that Things come vpon them is for that the Spirits Visuall themselues draw backe which maketh the Obiect seeme to come on And besides when they see Things turne Round and Moue Feare maketh them thinke they come vpon them The Cause that they cannot see Things a farre off is the Weaknesse of the Spirits for in euery Megrim or Vertige there is an Obtenebration ioyned with a Semblance of Turning round Which we see also in the lighter Sort of Swonnings The Cause of Seeing things out of their Place is the Refraction of the Spirits Visuall For the Vapour is as an Vnequall Medium And it is as the Sight of Things out of place in Water The Cause of Seeing Things double is the Swift and Vnquiet Motion of the Spirits being Oppressed to and fro For as was said before the Motion of the Spirits Visuall and the Motion of the Obiect make the same Appearances And for the Swift Motion of the Obiect we see that if you fillip a Lute-String it sheweth double or Treble Men are sooner Drunke with Small Draughts than with Great And againe Wine Sugred inebriateth lesse than Wine Pure The Cause of the Former is for that the Wine descendeth not so fast to the Bottome of the Stomach But maketh longer Stay in the Vpper Part of the Stomach and sendeth Vapours faster to the Head And therefore inebriateth sooner And for the same Reason Sops in Wine Quantity for Quantity inebriate more than Wine of it selfe The Cause of the Latter is for that the Sugar doth inspissate the Spirits of the Wine and maketh them not so easie to resolue into Vapour Nay further it is thought to be some Remedy against Inebriating if Wine Sugred be taken after Wine Pure And the same Effect is wrought either by Oyle or Milke taken vpon much Drinking The Vse of Wine in Dry and Consumed Bodies is hurtfull In Moist and Full Bodies it is good The Cause is for that the Spirits of the Wine doe prey vpon the Dew or Radicall Moisture as they terme it of the Body and so deceiue the Animall Spirits But where there is Moisture Enough or Superfluous there Wine helpeth to disgest and desiccate the Moisture The Catterpiller is one of the most Generall of Wormes and breedeth of Dew and Leaues For we see infinite Number of Catterpillers which breed vpon Trees and Hedges By which the Leaues of the Trees or Hedges are in great Part consumed As well by their Breeding out of the Leafe as by their Feeding vpon the Leafe They breed in the Spring chiefly
vnder the Arme-Holes and on the Sides The Cause is the Thinnesse of the Skin in those Parts Ioyned with the Rarenesse of being touched there For all Tickling is a light Motion of the Spirits which the Thinnesse of the Skin and Suddennesse and Rarenesse of Touch doe further For we see a Feather or a Rush drawne along the Lip or Cheeke doth tickle Whereas a Thing more Obtuse or a Touch more Hard doth not And for Suddennesse We see no Man can tickle himselfe Wee see also that the Palme of the Hand though it hath as Thinne a Skin as the other Parts Mentioned yet is not Ticklish because it is accustomed to be Touched Tickling also causeth Laughter The Cause may be the Emission of the Spirits and so of the Breath by a Flight from Titillation For vpon Tickling we see there is euer a Starting or Shrinking away of the Part to auoid it And we see also that if you Tickle the Nosthrills with a Feather or Straw it procureth Sneezing Which is a Sudden Emission of the Spirits that doe likewise expell the Moisture And Tickling is euer Painfull and not well endured It is strange that the Riuer of Nilus Ouer-flowing as it doth the Country of AEgypt there should be neuerthelesse little or no Raine in that Country The Cause must be Either in the Nature of the Water Or in the Nature of the Aire Or of Both. In the Water it may be ascribed either vnto the Long â—â—â— of the Water For Swift Running Waters vapour not so much as Standing Waters Or else to the Concoction of the Water For Waters well Concocted vapour not so much as Waters Raw No more than Waters vpon the Fire doe vapour so much after some time of Boyling as at the first And it is true that the Water of Nilus is sweeter than other Waters in Taste And it is excellent Good for the Stone and Hypochondriacall Melancholy Which sheweth it is Lenefying And it runneth thorow a Countrey of a Hot Climate and flat without Shade either of Woods or Hills Whereby the Sunne must needs haue great Power to Concoct it As for the Aire from whence I conceiue this Want of Showers commeth chiefly The Cause must be for that the Aire is of it selfe Thin and Thirsty And as soone as euer it getteth any Moisture from the Water it imbibeth and dissipateth it in the whole body of the Aire And suffereth it not to remaine in Vapour Whereby it might breed Raine It hath beene touched in the Title of Percolations Namely such as are Inwards that the Whites of Eggs and Milke doe clarifie And it is certaine that in AEgypt they prepare and clarifie the Water of Nile by putting it into great Iarres of Stone and Stirring it about with a few Stamped Almonds Wherewith they also besmeare the Mouth of the Vessell And so draw it off after it hath rested some time It were good to trie this Clarifying with Almonds in New Beere or Must to hasten and perfect the Clarifying There be scarce to be found any Vegetables that haue Branches and no Leaues except you allow Corall for one But there is also in the Desarts of S. Macario in AEgypt a Plant which is Long Leauelesse Browne of Colour and Branched like Corall faue that it closeth at the Top. This being set in Water within House spreadeth and displayeth strangely And the People thereabouts haue a Superstitious Beleefe that in the Labour of Women it helpeth to the Easie Deliuerance The Crystalline Venice Glasse is reported to be a Mixture in equall Portions of Stones brought from Pauia by the Riuer Ticinum And the Ashes of a Weed called by the Arabs Kall which is gathered in a Desart betweene Alexandria and Rosetta And is by the AEgyptians vsed first for Fuell And then they crush the Ashes into Lumps like a Stone And so sell them to the Venetians for their Glasse-workes It is strange and well to be noted how long Carkasses haue continued Vncorrupt and in their former Dimensions As appeareth in the Mummies of AEgypt Hauing lafted as is conceiued some of them three thousand yeeres It is true they finde Meanes to draw forth the Braines and to take forth the Entrailes which are the Parts apteft to corrupt But that is nothing to the Wonder For wee see what a Soft and Corruptible Substance the Flesh of all the other Parts of the Body is But it should seeme that according to our Obseruation and Axiorne in our hundredth Experiment Putrefaction which we conceiue to be so Naturall a Period of Bodies is but an Accident And that Matter maketh not that Haste to Corruption that is conceiued And therefore Bodies in Shining-Amber In Quicke-Siluer In Balmes whereof wee now speake In Wax In Honey In Gummes And it may be in Conseruatories of Snow c. are preserued very long It need not goe for Repetition if we resume againe that which wee said in the aforesaid Experiment concerning Annihilation Namely that if you prouide against three Causes of Putrefaction Bodies will not corrupt The First is that the Aire be excluded For that vndermineth the Body and conspireth with the Spirit of the Body to dissolue it The Second is that the Body Adiacent and Ambiens be not Commateriall but meerely Heterogeneall towards the Body that is to be presured For if Nothing can be receiued by the One Nothing can issue from the Other Such are Quick-Siluer White-Amber to Herbs and Flies and such Bodies The Third is that the Body to be preserued be not of that Grasse that it may corrupt within it selfe although no Part of it issue into the Body Adiacent And therefore it must be rather Thinne and Small than of Bulke There is a Fourth Remedie also which is That if the Body to be preserued be of Bulke as a Corps is then the Body that Incloseth it must haue a Vertue to draw forth and drie the Moisture of the Inward Body For else the Putrefaction will play within though Nothing issue forth I remember Liuy doth relate that there were found at a time two Coffins of Lead in a Tombe Whereof the one contained the Body of King Numa It being some foure hundred yeares after his Death And the other his Bookes of Sacred Rites and Ceremonies and the Discipline of the Pontises And that in the Coffin that had the Body there was Nothing at all to be seene but a little light Cinders about the Sides But in the Coffin that had the Bookes they were found as fresh as if they had beene but newly Written being written in Parchment and couered ouer with Watch-Candles of Wax three or foure fold By this it seemeth that the Romans in Numa's time were not so good Embalmers as the AEgyptians were Which was the Cause that the Body was vtterly consumed But I finde in Plutarch and Others that when Augustus Caesar visited the Sepulchre of Alexander the Great in Alexandria he found the Body to keepe his
hath lesse being many wayes corrected And this Experiment would be made about the End of March For that Season is likest to discouer what the Winter hath done And what the Summer following will doe vpon the Aire And because the Aire no doubt receiueth great Tincture and Infusion from the Earth It were good to trie that Exposing of Flesh or Fish both vpon a Stake of Wood some heighth aboue the Earth and vpon the Flat of the Earth Take May-Dew and see whether it putrifie quickly or no For that likewise may disclose the Qualitie of the Aire and Vapour of the Earth more or lesse Corrupted A Drie March and a Drie May portend a Wholesome Summer if there be a Showring Aprill betweene But otherwise it is a Signe of a Pestilentiall Yeare As the Discouerie of the Disposition of the Aire is good for the Prognosticks of Wholesome and Vnwholesome Yeares So it is of much more vse for the Choice of Places to dwell in At the least for Lodges and Retiring Places for Health For Mansion Houses respect Prouisions as well as Health Wherein the Experiments aboue mentioned may serue But for the Choice of Places or Seats it is good to make Triall not only of Aptnesse of Aire to corrupt but also of the Moisture and Drinesse of the Aire and the Temper of it in Heat or Cold For that may concerne Health diuersly Wee see that there be some Houses wherein Sweet Meats will relent and Baked Meats will mould more than in others And Wainscoats will also sweat more so that they will almost run with Water All which no doubt are caused chiefly by the Moistnesse of the Aire in those Seats But because it is better to know it before a Man buildeth his House than to finde it after take the Experiments following Lay Wooll or a Sponge or Bread in the Place you would trie comparing it with some other Places And see whether it doth not moisten and make the Wooll or Sponge c. more Ponderous than the other And if it doe you may iudge of that Place as Situate in a Grosse and Moist Aire Because it is certaine that in some Places either by the Nature of the Earth or by the Situation of Woods and Hills the Aire is more Vnequall than in Others and Inequalitie of Aire is euer an Enemy to Health It were good to take two Weather-Glasses Matches in all things and to set them for the same Houres of One day in seuerall Places where no Shade is nor Enclosures And to marke when you set them how farre the Water commeth And to compare them when you come againe how the Water standeth then And if you finde them Vnequall you may be sure that the Place where the Water is lowest is in the Warmer Aire and the other in the Colder And the greater the Inequalitie be of the Ascent or Descent of the Water the greater is the Inequalitie of the Temper of the Aire The Predictions likewise of Cold and Long Winters and Hot and Drie Summers are good to be knowne As well for the Discouerie of the Causes as for diuers Prouisions That of Plenty of Hawes and Heps and Briar-Berries hath beene spoken of before If Wainscast or Stone that haue vsed to Sweat be more drie in the Beginning of Winter Or the Drops of the Eaues of Houses come more slowly downe than they vse it portendeth a Hard and Frostie Winter The Cause is for that it sheweth an Inclination of the Aire to Drie Weather which in Winter is euer ioyned with Frost Generally a Moist and Coole Summer portendeth a Hard Winter The Cause is for that the Vapours of the Earth are not dissipated in the Summer by the Sunne And so they rebound vpon the Winter A Hot and Drie Summer and Autumne and especially if the Heat and Drought extend farre into September portendeth an Open Beginning of Winter And Colds to succeed toward the latter Part of the Winter and the Beginning of the Spring For till then the former Heat and Drought beare the Sway And the Vapours are not sufficiently Multiplied An Open and Warme Winter portendeth a Hot and Drie Summer For the Vapours disperse into the Winter Showres Whereas Cold and Frost keepeth them in and transporteth them into the late Spring and Summer following Birds that vse to change Countries at certaine Seasons if they come Earlier doe shew the Temperature of Weather according to that Country whence they came As the Winter-Birds namely Woodcocks Feldefares c. if they come earlier and out of the Northerne Countries with vs shew Cold Winters And if it be in the same Country then they shew a Temperature of Season like vnto that Season in which they come As swallowes Bats Cuckooes c. that come towards Summer if they come early shew a Hot Summer to follow The Prognosticks more Immediate of Weather to follow soone after are more Certaine than those of Seasons The Resounding of the Sea vpon the Shoare And the Murmur of Winds in the Woods without apparent Wind shew Wind to follow For such Winds breathing chiefly out of the Earth are not at the first perceiued except they be pent by Water or Wood. And therefore a Murmur out of Caues likewise portendeth as much The Vpper Regions of the Aire perceiue the Collection of the Matter of Tempest and Winds before the Aire here below And therefore the Obscuring of the Smaller Starres is is a Signe of Tempests following And of this kinde you shall finde a Number of Instances in our Inquisition De Ventis Great Mountaines haue a Perception of the Disposition of the Aire to Tempests sooner than the Valley's or Plaines below And therefore they say in Wales when certaine Hills haue their Night-Cups on they meane Mischiefe The Cause is for that Tempests which are for the most part bred aboue in the Middle Region as they call it are soonest perceiued to collect in the Places next it The Aire and Fire haue Subtill Perceptions of Wind Rising before Men finde it Wee see the Trembling of a Candle will discouer a Wind that otherwise wee doe not feele And the Flexuous Burning of Flames doth shew the Aire beginneth to be vnquiet And so doe Coales of Fire by Casting off the Ashes more than they vse The Cause is for that no Wind at the first till it hath strooke and driven the Aire is Apparent to the Sense But Flame is easier to moue than Aire And for the Ashes it is no maruell though Wind vnperceiued shake them off For wee vsually trie which way the Wind bloweth by casting vp Grasse or Chaffe or such light Things into the Aire When Wind expireth from vnder the Sea As it causeth some Resounding of the Water whereof wee spake before so it causeth some Light Motions of Bubbles and White Circles of Froth The Cause is for that the Wind cannot be perceiued by the Sense vntill there be an Eruption of a great Quantitie from vnder the Water And so it
But in the first Kinde it is more Diffused and more Mastered by the Grosser Parts which the Spirits doe but disgest But in Drinkes the Spirits doe raigne and finding lesse Opposition of the Parts become themselues more Strong Which causeth also more Strength in the Liquour Such as if the Spirits be of the Hotter Sort the Liquour becommeth apt to Burne But in Time it causeth likewise when the Higher Spirits are Euapourated more Sourenesse It hath beene obserued by the Ancients that Plates of Metall and especially of Brasse applied presently to a Blow will keepe it downe from Swelling The Cause is Repercussion without Humectation or Entrance of any Body for the Plate hath onely a Virtuall Cold which doth not search into the Hurt Whereas all Plasters and Ointments doe enter Surely the Cause that Blowes and Bruises enduce Swellings is for that the Spirits resorting to Succour the Part that Laboureth draw also the Humours with them For we see that it is not the Repulse and the Returne of the Humour in the Part Strucken that causeth it For that Gouts and Tooth-Aches cause Swelling where there is no Percussion at all The Nature of the Orris Root is almost Singular For there be few Odoriferous Roots And in those that are in any degree Sweet it is but the same Sweetnesse with the Wood or Leafe But the Orris is not Sweet in the Leafe Neither is the Flower any thing so Sweet as the Root The Root seemeth to haue a Tender dainty Heat Which when it commeth aboue Ground to the Sunne and the Aire vanisheth For it is a great Mollifier And hath a Smell like a Violet It hath been obserued by the Ancients that a great Vessell full drawne into Bottles And then the Liquour put againe into the Vessell will not fill the Vessell againe so full as it was but that it may take in more Liquour And that this holdeth more in Wine than in Water The Cause may be Triuiall Namely by the Expence of the Liquour in regard some may sticke to the Sides of the Bottles But there may be a Cause more Subtill Which is that the Liquour in the Vessell is not so much Compressed as in the Bottle Because in the Vessell the Liquour meeteth with Liquour chiefly But in the Bottles a Small Quantity of Liquour meeteth with the Sides of the Bottles which Compresse it so that it doth not Open againe Water being contiguous with Aire Cooleth it but Moisteneth it not except it Vapour The Cause is for that Heat and Cold haue a Virtuall Transition without Communication of Substance but Moisture not And to all Madefaction there is required an Imbibition But where the Bodies are of such seuerall Leuity and Grauity as they Mingle not there can follow no Imbibition And therefore Oyle likewise lyeth at the Top of the Water without Commixture And a Drop of Water running swiftly ouer a Straw or Smooth Body wetteth not Starre-light Nights yea and bright Moone-shine Nights are Colder than Cloudy Nights The Cause is the Drinesse and Finenesse of the Aire which thereby becommeth more Piercing and Sharpe And therefore Great Continents are colder than Islands And as for the Moone though it selfe inclineth the Aire to Moisture yet when it shineth bright it argueth the Aire is dry Also Close Aire is warmer than Open Aire which it may be is for that the true Cause of Cold is an Expiration from the Globe of the Earth which in open Places is stronger And againe Aire it selfe if it be not altered by that Expiration is not without some Secret Degree of Heat As it is not likewise without some Secret Degree of Light For otherwise Cats and Owles could not see in the Night But that Aire hath a little Light Proportionable to the Visuall Spirits of those Creatures The Eyes doe moue â—â—â—â—â—â— way For when one Eye moueth to the Nosthrill the other moueth from the Nosthrill The Cause is Motion of Consent which in the Spirits and Parts Spirituall is Strong But yet Vse will induce the Contrary For some can Squint when they will And the Common Tradition is that if Children be set vpon a Table with a Candle behinde them both Eyes will moue Outwards As affecting to see the Light and so induce Squinting We see more exquisitely with One Eye Shut than with Both Open. The Cause is for that the Spirits Visuall vnite themselues more and so become Stronger For you may see by looking in a Glasse that when you shut one Eye the Pupill of the other Eye that is Open Dilateth The Eyes if the Sight meet not in one Angle See Things Double The Cause is for that Seeing two Things and Seeing one Thing twice worketh the same Effect And therefore a little Pellet held betweene two Fingers laid a-crosse seemeth Double Pore-blinde Men see best in the Dimmer Lights And likewise haue their Sight Stronger neare hand than those that are not Pore-blinde And can Reade and Write smaller Letters The Cause is for that the Spirits Visuall in those that are Pore-blinde are Thinner and Rarer than in others And therefore the Greater Light disperseth them For the same Cause they need Contracting But being Contracted are more strong than the Visuall Spirits of Ordinary Eyes are As when we see thorow a Leuell the Sight is the Stronger And so is it when you gather the Eye-lids somewhat close And it is commonly seene in those that are Poreblinde that they doe much gather the Eye-lids together But Old Men when they would see to Reade put the Paper somewhat a farre off The Cause is for that Old Mens Spirits Visuall contrary to those of Pore-blinde Men vnite not but when the Obiect is at some good distance from their Eyes Men see better when their Eyes are ouer-against the Sunne or a Candle if they put their Hand a little before their Eye The Reason is for that the Glaring of the Sunne or the Candle doth weaken the Eye wheras the Light Circumfused is enough for the Perception For we see that an Ouer-light maketh the Eyes Dazell Insomuch as Perpetuall Looking against the Sunne would Cause Blindnesse Againe if Men come out of a Great Light into a Darke Roome And contrariwise if they come out of a Darke Roome into a Light Roome they seeme to haue a Mist before their Eyes and see worse than they shall doe after they haue stayed a little while either in the Light or in the Darke The Cause is for that the Spirits Visuall are vpon a Sudden Change disturbed and put out of Order And till they be recollected doe not performe their Function well For when they are much Dilated by Light they cannot Contract suddenly And when they are much Contracted by Darknesse they cannot Dilate suddenly And Excesse of both these that is of the Dilatation and Contraction of the Spirits Visuall if it belong Destroyeth the Eye For as long Looking against the Sunne or Fire hurteth the Eye by Dilatation