are cold and moyst as the Effects of the Sun are hot and dry for we must guess of the Quality or Cause by the Effects besides the Light shews it Water for when the Sun shines upon the Seas the Reflexion casts a Pale Light so the Moon gives a Silver Light Of the Prospect of Water WE cannot see with a Perspective glass the several Drops of the Sea as we see the several Parts in a Heap of Sand for if we look into the Sea it only shews a shining Body but look on the Sand and every little Grain will seem a little Stone and so a small Heap seems like a Rock and the Perspective shews perfectly what it is because it lyes in distinct Parts which may be magnified But we cannot magnifie the Drops of Water because it is a Liquid Body where every part mingles into one another or cleaves so close as it becomes one entire Body so as there are no distinct Parts visible Of Perspectives JUST as a Perspective glass carries the sight afar off so a Trunk or Pipe conveys the sound and voyce to the Ear at a great distance Thus we may perceive that the Figure of a round Circle hath the nature to gather up and to draw to a Point all Species whatsoever for they do not onely gather these from the Brain but those that come from outward Objects and the more round Circles there are the straiter and further the several Species go and the sharper is the Point as being bound not having Liberty to stray forth That is the reason that the longer the Perspective is or the Pipe or Trunk the clearer and perfecter we see and hear for a Pipe or a hollow Trunk gathers up the several Letters and Words as a Perspective gathers up the several Objects Besides the Eye and the Ear are much of the nature of a Burning-glass which gathers all the loose and scattered Beams of the Sun to a Point becoming there so strong being united as the Reflexion strike upon all Bodies it meets and peirceth into whatsoever is Porous Just so the Reflexions of what the Senses have gathered together strike upon the Optick Nerve and peirce into the Brain and if the Species of Sense were so material as those Species which are drawn from grosser Bodies the Nose would see a Sent and the Ear see a Sound as well as the Eyes see a grosser Object which is presented to it But the Matter being Thin and Aery the Objects cannot be so soild and substantial as to make a Figurative Body to last so long as for our gross Senses to see Of going about the World IT is said that Drake and Cavendish went round the World and others because they set out of one place and went till they came to the same place again without turning But yet in my conceit it doth not prove they went round the whole World for suppose there should be round Circle of a large Extent and within this Circle many other Circles and likewise without so that if one of these inward or outward Circles be compass'd shall we say it was the Circumference Circle when it may be it was the Center Circle But it may easily deceive the Understanding since we can truly judge but according to what we sind and not to what we know not But surely the World is bigger than Mens Compass of Embracing and Man may make a Globe of what he knows but he cannot make a Globe of what he knows not so that the World may be bigger than Man can make Globes for any thing he knoweth perfectly This Globe Man makes for the whole World is but an inward Circle and that there may be many of them which we do not know because not found out as yet although Ships are good Scouts to bring Intelligence Of Nature WE find that Nature is stinted her self as well as Man is stinted by her for she cannot go beyond such Rules and Principles which shews there is something more powerfull than Nature as to govern her as she governs the World for if she were not limited there might be new Worlds perpetually and not a Repetition in this course of one and the same Motion Matter and Form which makes it very probable that Nature hath wrought to the height of her Invention and that she hath plowed and sowed to the length of her Limits and hath reaped the plentifullest Crops or at least as plentifull as she can which makes it very Unlikely or indeed Impossible that there should be better and quicker Wits or sounder Judgements or deeper Understandings or exacter Beauties or purer Virtues or clearer Truths than have been in former Ages and we find by her Acts past that all was begot from the first-grounded Principles Variation indeed there may be but not any thing entirely new And that there have been as good if not better in the same kind before Neither can we rationally think but the very same Patterns of all her Principles have been before in the Generality of her Works although not made known in the Particulars of every of her Works But every Age are apt to flatter themselves out of a Natural Self-love that Nature hath out-wrough her former Works which if so there must be no Perfection because no End of Increasing for nothing can be Perfect that hath a Superiour or which is not finished and done or that Nature being Imperfect cannot finish what she hath begun or that her Principles are Imperfect which she works upon But we find that Nature hath a constant and setled course in all she doth and whatsoever she works are but Patterns from her old Samplers But the several Stiches which are the several Motions are the same and the Stuff which she worketh upon which is the Matter is the same and the Figures she makes are after the same kind and we find through many ages since that it is the same as Salomon saith Nothing is new c. Of Augury BY the Sympathy and Antipathy of Matter or at least in the several Forms of all so in the Motion of Nature if Man the chief Work of Nature would observe we might foreknow Effects to come by past Effects and present Effects if we would but study the Art which in former times those that were called Augures were learned in and certainly did foretell many things truly well and without the help of a Devil but by Natural Observations of Natural Effects though unknown Causes And why may not this Learning be as well as Astronomy which by Observations of Effects hath found out the Reason of Eclipses and can foretell their times and many other things concerning all the Planets and fixed Stars And why not as well as Physicians that have found out the Effects of Vegetables and Minerals and the Diseases by which kind and waies of applying hath produced a Cure which is not onely a Restauration but a kind of Creation and can foretell whether such kind of Diseases are
that are humbly commended 105. Many Commendations seeme little better than Scorns when to be railed at shews a Supreme Power of their Evill 106. Speakers are like Doggs that bark when they dare not bite 107. It is an unthankfull Office to decide other mens Quarrells for most commonly he is hated on both sides as a Friend to neither because he seems a Friend to both 108. Thus a Judge most commonly is never beloved neither of those he judges the Cause for nor those he judgeth the Cause from the one because he thinks he had wrong the other because he thinks he had nothing but what is his own 109. So none gain by Quarrells but Lawyers whose Fees are begot by Discord 110. It is a great happiness when one can take his Pleasure and execute his Duty at once 111. Some are so Ambitious and Envious as when they cannot hope to be the Highest they would be content to be Miserable to see all others so 112. The true use of Riches to Noble Minds is to make others happy aswell as themselves but not so as to make themselves miserable by imploying and bestowing all upon others so as to leave none for themselves for that were Vain-Glory 113. It is not every Ambitious and Aspiring Spirit that can do brave and great Actions 114. Those Minds that are pure are not to be sullied or moved towards ill either by wanton Words or immodest Actions they can no more corrupt their Thoughts than they do Angels for those that are Chast take more delight and pleasure in their pure and unspotted Thoughts than the Amorous Lovers in their conceived injoyments for Nature is not ashamed of her own Works but of the abuse of her Works for as the Wise and Veruous are the chiefest and perfectest of her Works so the debauched and foolishest are the greatest defect 115. Dreams are the overflowing of the Brain and Sleep stops the Senses as Sluces are stopped with Mud. 116. A discoursative Wit is to play with Words rather than to talk with Sense on the ground of Reason but to talk on Reason is to abate Words and multiply Sense I say those shall generally please most that give ear to what is said than talk most themselves 117. Our natural English Tongue was significant enough without the help of other Languages but as we have merchandized for Wares so have we done for Words but indeed we have rather brought in than carried out 118. There are Gifts of Affectionate Love Gifts of Generosity Gifts of Charity Gifts of Vain-Glory Gifts of Fear Alluring Gifts and Bribes that are Gifts of Covetousness 119. The Mind is like a God an Incorporeal thing and so Infinite that it is impossible to measure the Mind of Eternity 120. Desires are like the motion of Time still running forward and what is past is as if it had never been 121. The Vapour that ascends to the Head is a great Instrument to the Wit as gross Vapours clog it up cold Vapours congeale it hot Vapours inflame it thin and sharp Vapours quicken it so several sorts of Vapours make variety of Wits and the several Figures Works and Forms that the vaporous Smoak doth raise cause several Fancies by giving several Motions to the Brain 122. As Perfumes make the Head ake so many times Prosperity makes the Heart ake 123. Ceremony is the ground of all Obedience for where there is no Ceremony the Gods are neglected and Kings depose themselves by the neglect thereof 124. Complements are the worst sort of Conversation besides they are not sociable Truth holds no Intelligence or correspondency with Complements Of several Opinions Essay 125. SEveral Opinions except it be in Religion do no harm if no good for Opinions are the greatest entertainers of Time and a chief Companion in mans life for Opinions are Chatting Gossips to pass away the idle time for although Man complains of the shortenss of Life and swiftness of Time yet he hath most commonly more than he can well tell how to spend his Life with for most men seek waies to pass Time withall and if the World were equally amongst Mankind and Industry divided yet he would find little Variety of Imployment so that Mans Life is busied more with Thoughts than Actions The strength of erroneous Opinions Essay 126. HOW strong did men believe against the Antipodes as one man believing such a thing to be was put out of his Liveing when in after Ages it was found a Truth How strongly did many Ages believe that the Torrid Zone or Ecliptick Line was not Habitable which now is found the most temperate Climate How strongly did Europe believe that all the World was discovered and yet afterwards so much found out as it seemed another World and many believi'd that the Earth was flat and not round but Cavendish Drake and others rectified that Error and many other Examples might be given So that Opinions are alwaies in War with Factious Sidings and men become their Champions either with the Pen or Sword but the ignorant men are the stronger in their belief in Opinions for searching gives Doubts aswell as discovereth the Truth and it is Doubts that disturb the Peace either of the Mind or otherwaies when Truth commonly closeth all differrences so men travell in their Thoughts to spy out the Secrets of Nature and find out Reason to perswade them to new Opinions which may be as far from the Truth as the old ones which they sling off for Nature is too various to be known and her Curiosities too subtil to be understood but men are so strangely delighted with what is new that those men that have found a new Opinion are absolute to judge and rule over all others such Reputation Singularity begets The strength of Opinions Essay 127. SO strongly do men wedge or rivet Opinions with the Hammer of a confident belief that it is in many impossible to remove them fro thm though they are most ridiculous foolish but especially when they are begot of their own Brains and all those that do not adhere to them shall be accompted as their Enemies So much doth Opinion sway and rule in the mind of Man more than Truth doth for though some Opinions jump upon Truth yet it is a thousand to one when they meet And when the Truth is found it is no longer an Opinion but Knowledge yet it is less esteemed when it is found which makes that Saying true That Ignorance is the Mother of Admiration which Admiration begets an Esteem and sets a Value upon they know not what Wherefore he is a very wise man that can rule his Opinions with Reason and not let his Opinion overbear his Reason and to lead him from himself Yet Opinions should not be sleighted nor contemned without Examination or Triall though they be never so strange and unlikely untill the Errour be found out but not to rely upon them or to be so bound that they will make no question against
falls having a sufficient Vent like Showers of Rain where some run through the Pipes of the Nostrils othersome through the Gutter of the Throat and some fall streight down on the Stomack as the Earth for as it is the Nature of Vapour to spread and to ascend as being Light and Thin so it is the Nature of Water to descend or to run streight forth by reason it is more Solid and Weightier likewise Likewise Coughs are Followers and Attendants of Rheums which by tickling those Parts where it falls or trickles along causeth a straining and so a coughing though many times Wind produceth the same Effect by a tickling touch Also Sneezing is an Attendant to Rheum and Wind and causing a tickling on the Brain or in the Nose for indeed Sneezing is nothing but a Cough through the Nose as through the Throat Likewise Tooth-aches are caused by Rheums for the Rheum falling thereon rots the Bones or makes Holes therein like as Water continually dropping on a hard Stone works a Passage thorow Also Soar Throats are caused by Rheums but that is when the Rheum is sharp or salt Then Winter is subject to cause Apoplexies Lethargies numb Palsies and Gangrenes that are caused by the stoppage of the Pores which as I said are not only drawn closer by Cold which makes the Skin thicker and harder but by the gross and thin Air which is contracted into a more Solid Body by Cold. Thus the breathing Passages of the Body being stopp'd there flyes up so much grosser Vapours to the Head as choaks the Brain and smothers the Vital Spirits there and the Body having less Vent in Winter than in Summer grows so full of Humours as obstructs the Nerves and Muscles with cold clammy or hard baked Flegm as they cannot stir with a sensible Motion for in the Nerves and Muscles doth the Sense of Touching live and where they cease from moving those Parts are dead and numm'd Gangrenes are produc'd by the benumming of the Spirits as when the Spirits are congeal'd to Ice which causeth in very cold Countryes as Russia or the like to have their Noses and Fingers fall off from their Faces and Hands Likewise if the Spirits are quenched out with too much Moysture or their Motions hindered by some Obstruction or as it were corrupted by some Blow Bruise or Wound those Parts for want of Lifes Motion gangrene and so rot off Likewise Fistaloes are subject to this Season because this Season being subject to breed Rheums of all Sorts and Natures according as the Humours are in the Body so it breeds that sharp Rheum which makes Fistaloes for that Humour is as sharp as Vitriol or Aqua fortis and it doth in the Body as Vitriol and Aqua fortis doth on Metal running about and eating holes quite thorow Also this Season is subject to hard white Swellings bred by cold clammy or tough Humours The Stone and the Gout reign in every Season but not in every Age for though Children have the Stone many times yet seldome or never the Got But the Gout although it s not the Stone in the Toe yet it is an Humour which is of the Nature of Lime which is somewhat of a Brimstony Hard Dry Bitumenous Humour Of Cold and Hot Diseases A Cold Disease is apter for Cure than a Hot for Cold Diseases are like Raw Flesh that the Frost hath gotten hold of and makes it unlike it self by reason of the Ice hardning of it but Warmness dissolves it and then it comes to it self again but by Excessive Heat it is as if one should boyl or rost a piece of Flesh for when a piece of Flesh is boyled rosted baked or the like one shall never make it as it was which is to be raw again Of Apoplexies and the like AN Apoplexy is a dead Palsie in the Brain and a Lethargy a numb Palsie in the Brain And the reason many times why dead and numb Palsies when it takes them on one Side ruin the Legs or Arms and yet live is because it hath not touched the Vital Parts which is caused by some Obstruction in the Veins or some of the Nerves which either is by gross and thick Blood or hard and crusted Flegm or cold and clammy Flegm But if it be in the Head which we call Apoplexies it is either caused by a Cold Humour in the Brain which doth as it were congeal and freez up the Spirits or by a Malignant Vapour proceeding from the Stomack or Bowels which Vapour choaks or smothers up the Spirits And indeed the greatest Enemy to the Brain is the Vapour that proceeds from the Ill-affected Bowels or Stomack for Vapour being Smoke ascends upward to the Head which is the Chimney of the Body where the Smoke vents out for the Bowels may be compared to the Hearth the Stomack to the Pot or Furnace the Meat to the Fuel the Heart to the Fire or Flame which is fed by the Liver or Oily Substance the Lungs the Bollows to keep it alive the Head as I said the Chimney to gather up the Smoke the Nose Mouth and Ears the Tunnels from whence it issues out for if the Nose and Mouth be stopped the Fire of Life goeth out and not having Reviving Air it is choked with its own Smoke for though the Pores of the Body do evaporate some of the Smoke yet that is onely the thin and subtiller Part but if the Pores of the Body be stopped by a Cold the Body shall grow Feaverish with it so that many times it sets the House on Fire and when the Head is Idle and Frantick it is because the Head which is the Chimney-top is set on Fire by the Feaver but the Vapour that ascends to the Head is either a great Friend or Enemy to the Wit for a Gross Vapour chokes the Wit a Thin Sharp Vapour quickens it a Cold Vapour congeals it a Hot Vapour inflames it and several sorts of Vapour make variety of Wit and the several Figures and Works and Forms that that Vapour which is a Smoke raiseth up cause several Imaginations and Fancies by giveng several Motions to the Brain Of a Feaver A Feaver is like a Stack of Hay that is laid up half wet and half dry This Moysture and Drought being met together strive for Preheminency the Drought would drink up the Moysture and the Moysture would dissolve the Drought and if their Strength be equal and the Strife be without intermission the Stack is set on Fire caused by an equal swift continuated Motion which consumes all if it be not quenched out by a fresh Recruit of Moysture for Drought takes the part of Fire being the Child of Heat which Heat is the Child of Fire and so is the Grandmother of Drought Thus a Feaver is caused by the Humours of the Body which being not well tempered sets the Barn which is the Body on Fire by the Corruption therein for Heat and Moysture are the Parents to
by reason of hot Vapours from the Liver there ariseth such a dust of vain Phantasms as puts out the Eyes of Truth land when the Brain is slabby and wet by reason of cold Vapours which are sent out of the ill-disgesting Stomach there is such a Bogg of Ignorance that the Thoughts sink therein and can hardly get out and many times are lost in those Quagmires but when there is fair Weather of Health there is Pleasure and Delight Allegory 19. THE first best Poetical Brain was as a Flint and Fancy the Sparks that are struck by the Iron Senses and all Modern Poets the Tinder that take fire from thence Fancies are tost in the Brain as a Ball against a Wall where every Bound begets an Eccho so from one Fancy arise more Phrase is the Painting Number the Materials and Fancy the Ground whereon the Poetical aery Castles are built There is no such sweet and pleasing Compagnion as Fancy in a Poetical head The Brains of men are like Colleges and the Thoughts are the Students that dwell therein thus many heads may make up an University The Picture of Wit Allegory 20. WIT is like a Pencill that draws several Figures which are the Fancies and the Brain is the Hand to guide that Pencill where all hands draw not one and the same Figure but according to the skill of the hand so all Fancies do not run one way but according to the temper of the Brain some run into Invention as Artificers some into Verse as Poets so that all Wit is Fancy yet so much is the Poets Wit above the Artificers that his fancie cannot be put into Artificial Figures but is as the Spirit the other as the Body Allegory 21. WIT is like a Lilly the one is as pleasant to the Ear as the other is to the Eye it comes to fading naturally and if it be not timely gathered it soon withers and dies 22. PRudence is like an Oke it is long a growing and it is old before it dies 23. ON the Tower of Ambition hangs a Diall of Industry where the Sun of good Fortune shews the time of Friendship on the Figure of Profession 24. MElancholy is the North-Pole Envy the South Choler is the Torrid Zone and Ambition is the Zodiack Joy is the Ecliptick Line where the Sun of Mirth runs Justice is the Equinoctial Prudence and Temperance are the Artick and Antartick Circles Patience and Fortitude are the Tropicks 25. TEars peirce through the Heart of Grief and vents it out through the Eyes of Sorrow 26. SOme Eies allure Hearts as Falckoners do Hawkes 27. Thoughts are like Pancakes and the Brain is the Pan wherein they are tossed and turned by the several Objects as several Hands 28. A Pain in the Teeth is like a Gout in the Toe 29. THE Stomack is the Still the Heart is the Furnace where the Fire lyes The Heart is a Limbeck wherein all Passions are distilled and the Fume thereof ascends to the Head and issues out either through the Eyes or Mouth from the Eyes run the water of tears from the Mouth the spirits of words The Life and Death of Wit Allegory 30. FAncy in Verse or Prose is like a Child in the Womb which onely lives whilst it is in motion but when once the innate motion ceases it is dead So Fancy when once it is conceived and quickned in the Brain if it be not brought forth and put into Writing it dyes and if those Writings be once lost they cannot be writ again no more than a Child can go into the Womb and be as it was Allegory 31. WIT is the Essence of the Mind or Soul 32. THE Ingredients of the Mind are Knowledge Understanding Imagination Conception Opinion Will Memory and Remembrance these Compounds make up a Rational Soul as several Ingredients make Mithridate 33. DIscord is like playing at Tennis and the Tongue is the Racket to strike the Ball of Wit and the Brains are the Gamesters and if the Gamesters be not equally skilfull or at least very near they cannot play for one cannot play a Game alone there must be two that must be match'd together Of Imitation and Singularity Allegory 34. IMitations are like a flight of Wild Geese which go each one after another when Singularity is like a Phaenix having no Companion or Competitor which make it the more admir'd And though a good Imitation is good and those are to be commended that copy well an excellent Original yet it expresseth want of Invention that they cannot draw without a Pattern and it expresseth Weakness when we cannot go without the help of another 35. EVery superfluous Cup and every superfluous Bit is digging a Grave to bury Life in 36. WAnton Eyes are like Apes that skip on every Face and oftentimes put the Countenance out of order whereon they light 37. EVery little Fly and every little Peble and every little Flower is a Tutor in Natures School to instruct the Understanding The four Elements are the four great Volumes wherein lye Natures Works 38. THE Mind is like a God that governs all the Imaginations like Nature that created all the Brain as the onely Matter on which all Figurative Thoughts are printed and formed Or the Mind is like an Infinite Nature having no Dimension nor Extension and the Thoughts are like Infinite Creatures therein 39. THE Mind travels through Speculations and Contemplations on Probability with Reason 40. TEars are the Children of Grief which melting dye as soon as they are born But the Womb wherein they lye is alwaies swelled which is the Eye 41. THoughts are like several Winds that blow from every corner of the Head and the four Partitions of the Skull are East West North and South From the North blows thoughts of Melancholy which bring cold and chilling Fears which freez the Blood as it were making it thick and congeal the Spirits which otherwise would slow with Agitation From the South part blows suffocating Thoughts which cause foggy Vapours to arise which darken the Mind with Discontent from the height of Mirth and gather into Clouds of Discontent which fall down into Showers of Tears From the West bloweth malignant Thoughts which corrupt the clearer Minds and inflames the Aery Spirit causing plagues of Jealousie or a Famine of Despair or Wars of Fury and Madness From the East refreshing Thoughts arise which make the Mind serene and when the Mind is hot with Ambition caused by the Sun of Hope then these pleasant Gales of Thoughts fan it with Poetical puffs and allay it with the sweet Dew of Fancy causing flow'ry Sonnets to sprout out on the white Ground of fine Paper Womens Faces are Masks of Modesty to cover the Dishonesty of their Hearts Falshoods are like Caps which cover the Head of Knowledge from the Sun of Truth Or like Vaults or Woods that make Ecchoes where Words spread far and sound double and treble Or like Squares of Glass which make of one a
find out many excellent and beneficial Arts but not the Cause or Principle Yet we find that Nature works not so curiously upon the Essence of Things as upon the Corporal Substance for Nature is but rude in the Minds of Men and so in other Creatures untill Community and Art have civilized them and Experience and Learning have perfected them Of Nature NAture is more various in the Shapes Thoughts and Colours than in the Substance or Kind of Things yet for Shapes there are but four grounds as High Low Thick and Thin of Quality or Essences she hath but four as Fire Water Air and Earth and for Colours the ground is onely Light and for Life she hath given onely three degrees as the Life of Growth the Life of Sense and the Life of Reason which is a Motion belonging to the Mind the other two Motions belong to the Corporal Part and all Life is but Motion so that Motion is the Life of Natures Work and the Work of Natures Life The Power of Natural Works ALthough Nature hath made every thing Good if it be rightly placed yet she hath given her Works power of misplacing themselves which produceth Evil Effects for that which corrupts Nature as it were is the disordered mixture But of all her Works Man hath entangled her waies the most by his Arts which makes Nature seem Vicious when most commonly Mans Curiosity causeth his Pain But there is nothing that is purely made and orderly set by Nature that hath not a Virtue in it but by her Creatures mis-applyings produceth a Vice Change in Nature NAture hath not onely made Bodies changeable but Minds so to have a Constant Mind is to be Unnatural for our Body changeth from the first beginning to the last end every Minute adds or takes away so by Nature we should change every Minute since Nature hath made nothing to stand at a stay but to alter as fast as Time runs wherefore it is Natural to be in one Mind one minute and in another in the next and yet Men think the Mind Immortal But the Changes of Nature are like the Sleights of a Juggler we see many several Shapes but still but one Matter Of Natural Wars IT seems to me a thing above Nature that Men are not alwaies in War one against the other and that some Estates live in peace somtimes forty or an hundred years nay some above a Thousand as the Venetians without Civil Warrs for the old saying is So many Men so many Minds yet they meet all in Ambitious Desires and naturaly Self-love seeks and strives for Preheminency Command which all cannot have yet submit and obey which is strange But say some it is Love that Makes Unites and Keeps a Common-wealth in Peace no saies another it is Fear and another may say as Tichobrahe the Dane said of the Sun and Earth For Ptolomy saith that the Sun moveth and the Earth stands still Copernicus said that the Earth moved and the Sun stood still Tichobrahe took up the third Opinion to which could be added no more but that they both moved So one may say it is both Love and Fear since those two Passions most commonly accompany one another But say they all things naturally incline to Peace and Unity and that War is unnatural because it tends to Destruction but some may say again that we find Nature hath made nothing but is subject to Preying Ravening and Devouring one thing of another and that most things live upon the spoil of another by the Humours Constitutions and Desires she hath given them for in many things their Lives cannot subsist or be nourished but by the Death of other Creatures So that Men are not only subject to War upon one another but all Creatures that Nature hath made as also the Elements for what is Thunder but a War betwixt Heat and Cold for Nature meeting in Contrarieties must needs Dispute when they meet and are never quieted untill one part get the upper hand and though Numbers make aConsort yet they must have a Sympathy one to another Thus all things are subject to War yet the Causes are different that provoke them to it But Nature would have wanted work if she had made all things to continue and nothing to decay for Death is as natural as Life but it seems to be Natures great Art to make all things subject to War and yet live in Peace as not to make an utter Destruction Of Darkness DArkness is more powerfull than Light for a little dark Cloud will ecclipse the great light of the Sun and there would be more Twilight if there were no Clouds for the Clouds are like a Screen that hides the Light Of the Air. THE Air is Water as well as the Sea So that Men Beasts and Birds are all but kinds of Fishes for we cannot live without Air which is rarified Water but it seems we are of a subtiller Sense than Fishes which makes us require a thinner Element Of Air. THE Air is as all other Animal Creatures are subject to Corruption Putrefaction and Distemper somtimes in a continual Feaver other times in an intermitting Feaver sometimes in a Hectick Feaver other times it hath shaking Agues Wind-Chollcks and oft times Rheumatick and Hydropical and as the Air is so it is apt to infect mens Bodies by reason that Air is so thin and subtil as it enters and intermingles into all things Of the Corruptions of the Air. THE Air is more corrupted in the Spring and the Autumn than in the Winter and Summer for in the Winter it is less corrupted by reason it is more united as being congealed by Cold neither hath the Sun that Force to draw more Vapours than it can digest besides for want of Heat the Pores of the Earth are shut where by less Vapours issue out and in Summer it hath a sufficient heat to concoct what it draws up or at least it contracts it so as to keep it from running into corruption and the Spring at the Suns return opens the Pores of the Earth suoking out Vapour there from which V pour is like the first milk of a Cow or the like Udder'd Creature when they have new cast forth their Birth which Milk is all corrupted with Blood and Matter by reason it hath been so long in the Udder so likewise the Vapour is corrupted when it is first drawn as it were by the returning Sun by reason it wanted Vent and Agitation to purify it and as it is ascending it mingles with those Creatures that live upon the Earth for the Pores of the Creatures that live upon the Earth also open by the springing heat from whence Vapours like wise do issue from their Bodies yet they live by the Air that encompasseth them as Fishes do in Water which if the Water be corrupted the Fishes dye caused by the Malignity they draw in for though they are not smotherd or choaked as in Frosty weather yet could