Mouldie or Rotten but were become a little harder than they were Otherwise fresh in their Colour But their Iuyce somewhat flatted But with the Buriall of a Forthnight more they became Putrified A Bottle of Beere buried in like manner as before became more liuely better tasted and Clearer than it was And a Bottle of Wine in like manner A Bottle of Vinegar so buried came forth more liuely and more Odoriferous smelling almost like a Violet And after the whole Moneths Buriall all the Three came forth as fresh and liuely if not better than before It were a profitable Experiment to presrue Orenges Limons and Pomgranates till Summer For then their Price will be mightily increased This may be done if you put them in a Pot or Vessell well couered that the Moisture of the Earth come not at them Or else by putting them in a Conseruatorie of Snow And generally whosoeuer will make Experiments of Cold let him be prouided of three Things A Conseruatorie of Snow A good large Vault twenty foot at least vnder the Ground And a Deepe Well There hath beene a Tradition that Pearle and Coraâ— and TurchoisStone that haue lost their Colours may be recouered by Burying in the Earth Which is a thing of great profit if it would sort But vpon Triall of Six Weekes Buriall there followed no Effect It were good to trie it in a Deepe Well Or in a Conseruatory of Snow where the Cold may be more Constringent And so make the Body more vnited and thereby more Resplendent Mens Bodier are heauier and lesse disposed to Motion when Sâ—â—ther â—â— Winds blow than when Northerne The Cause is for that when the Southerne Winds blow the Humours doe in some Degree melt and waxe fluide and so flow into the Parts As it is seene in Wood and other Bodies which when the Southerne Winds blow doe swell Besides the Motion and Actiuity of the Body consisteth chiefly in the Sinewes which when the Southerne Wind bloweth are more relaxe It is commonly seene that more are Sick in the Summer and more Dye in the Winter Except it be in Peslilent Diseases which commonly raigne in Summer or Autumne The Reason is because Diseases are bred indeed chiefly by Heat But then they are Cured most by Sweat and Purge which in the Summer commeth on or is prouoked more Easily As for Pestilent Diseases the Reason why most Dye of them in Summer is because they are bred most in the Summer For otherwise those that are touched are in most Danger in the Winter The Generall Opinion is that Yeares Hot and Moist are most Pestilent Vpon the Superficiall Ground that Heat and Moisture cause Putrefaction In England it is found not true For many times there haue beene great Plagues in Dry Yeares Whereof the Cause may be for that Drought in the Bodies of Islanders habituate to Moist Aires doth Exasperate the Humours and maketh them more apt to Putrifie or Enflame Besides it tainteth the Waters commonly and maketh them lesse wholesome And againe in Barbary the Plagues breake vp in the Summer-moneths when the Weather is Hot and Dry. Many Diseases both Epidemicall and others breake forth at Particular times And the Cause is falsely imputed to the Constitution of the Aire at that time when they breake forth or raigne whereas it procâ—edeth indeed from a Precedent Sequence and Series of the Seasons of the Yeare And therefore Hippocrates in his Prognosticks doth make good Obseruations of the Diseases that ensue vpon the Nature of the Precedent foure Seasons of the Yeare Triall hath beene made with Earthen Bottles well stopped hanged in a Well of Twenty Fathome deepe at the least And some of the Bettles haue beene let downe into the Water some others haue hanged aboue within about a fathome of the Water And the Liquours so tried haue beene Beere not New but Ready for drinking and Wine and Milke The Proofe hath beene that both the Beere and the Wine as well within Water as aboue haue not beene palled or deaded at all But as good or somewhat better than Bottles of the same Drinks and Stalenesse kept in a Celler But those which did hang aboue Water were apparently the best And that Beere did flower a little whereas that vnder Water did not though it were Fresh The Milke sowred and began to Purrifie Neuerthelosse it is true that there is a Village neare Blois where in Deepe Canes they doe thicken Milke In such sort that it becommeth very pleasant Which was some Cause of this Triall of Hanging Milke in the Well But our proofe was naught Neither doe I know whether that Milke in those Caues be first boysed It were good therefore to try it with Milke Sodden and with Creame For that Milke of it selfe is such a Compound Body of Creame Curds and Whey as it is easâ—ly Turned and Dissolued It were good also to try the Beere when it is in Wort that it may be seene whether the Hanging in the Well will Accelerate the Ripening and Clarifying of it Diuers we see doe Stut The Cause may be in most the Refrigeration of the Tongue Whereby it is lesse apt to moue And therfore we see that Naturalls doe generally Stut And we see that in those that Stut if they drinke Wine moderately they Stut lesse because it heateth And so we see that they that Stut doe Stut more in the first Offer to speake than in Continuance Because the Tongue is by Motion somewhat heated In some also it may be though rarely the Drinesse of the Tongue which likewise maketh it lesse apt to moue as well as Cold For it is an Affect that commeth to some Wise and Great Men As it did vnto Moses who was Lingâ—epr apedita And many Stutters we finde are very Cholericke Men Choler Enducing a Drinesse in the Tongue Smells and other Odours are Sweeter in the Aire at some Distance than neare the Nose As hath beene partly touched heretofore The Cause is double First the finer Mixture or Incorporation of the Smell For we see that in Sounds likewise they are Sweetest when we cannot heare euery Part by it selfe The other Reason is for that all Sweet Smells haue ioyned with them some Earthy or Crude Odours And at some distance the Sweet which is the more Spirituall is Perceiued And the Earthy reacheth not so farre Sweet Smells are most forcible in Dry Substances when they are Broken And so likewise in Orenges or Limons the Nipping of their Rinde giueth out their Smell more And generally when Bodies are Moued or Stirred though not Broken they Smell more As a SweetBagge waued The Cause is double The one for that there is a Greater Emission of the Spirit when Way is made And this holdeth in the Breaking Nipping or Crushing It holdeth also in some Degree in the Mouing But in this last there is a Conâ—urrence of the Second Cause Which is the Impulsion of the Aire that bringeth the Sent
Part only on the Outside Wheras all other Fruits haue it in the Nut or Kernell The Firre hath in effect no Stone Nut nor Kernest Except you will count the little Graines Kernells The Pom granate and Pine Apple haue onely amongst Fruits Graines distinct in seuerall Cells No Herbs haue Curled Leaues but Cabbage and Cabbage-Lettuce None haue double Leaues one belonging to the Stalke another to the Fruit or Seed but the Artichoke No Flower hath that kinde of Spread that the Woodbine hath This may be a large Field of Contemplation For it sheweth that in the Frame of Nature there is in the Producing of some Species a Composition of Matter which happeneth oft and may be much diuersified In others such as happeneth rarely and admitteth little Variety For so it is likewise in Beasts Dogs haue a Resemblance with Wolnes and Foxes Horses with Asses Kine with Bustes Hares with Coneyes c. And so in Birds Kites and Kastrells haue a Resemblance with Hawkes Common-Doues with Ring-Deaâ—s and Tortles Black-Birds with Thrushes and Manisses Crowes with Bauens Dawes and Choughas c. But Elephants and Swine amongst Beasts And the Bird of Paradise and the Peacocke amongst Birds And some few others haue seaâ—â—â— any other Species that haue Affinity with them We leaue the Description of Plants and their Vertues to Herballs and other like Bookes of Naturall History Wherein Mens Diligence hath bâ—â—â—â— great euen to Curiosity For our Experiments are onely such as doe euer ascend a Degree to the Deriuing of Causes and Extracting of Axiomes which wee are not ignorant but that some both of the Ancient and Modeme Writers haue also labôured But their Causes and Axiomes are so full of Imagination and so infected with the old Receiued Theories as they are meere Inquinations of Experience and Concoct it not It hath beene obserued by some of the Ancients that Skins especially of â—â—ams newly pulled off and applied to the Wounds of Stripts doe keepe them from Swelling and Exulcerating And likewise Heade them and Close them vp And that the Whites of Eggs do the same The Cause is a Temperate Conglutination For both Bodies are Glommy and Viscous and doe bridle the Desâ—uxe of Humours to the Huâ—â—â— without Penning them in too much You may turne almost all Flesh into a â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â— if you take Flesh and cut it into Peeces and put the Peeces into a Glasse couered with Parchment And so let the Glasse stand six or seuen Houres â—â—â— Boyling Water It may be an Experiment of Profit for Making of Fat or Grease for many vses But then it must be of such Flesh as is not Edible As Horses Dogs Beares Foxes Bodgers c. It is reported by one of the Ancients that New Wine put into Vessells well stopped and the Vessells let downe into the Sea will accelerate very much the Making of them Ripe and Potable The same would be tried in Wort. Beasts are more Hairy than Men And Sauage Man more than Ciuill And the Plumage of Birds exceedeth the Pilosity of Beasts The Cause of the Smoothnesse in Men is not any Abundance of Heat and Moisture though that indeed causeth Pilosity But there is requisite to Pilosity not so much Heat and Moisture as Excrementitious Heat and Moisture For whatsoeuer assimilateth goeth not into the Haire And Excrementitious Moisture aboundeth most in Beasts and Men that are more Sauage Much the same Reason is there of the Plumage of Birds For Birds assimilate lesse and excerne more than Beasts For their Excrements are euer liquid and their Flesh generally more dry Besides they haue not Instruments for Vrine And so all the Excrementitious Moisture goeth into the Feathers And therefore it is no Maruell though Birds bee commonly better Meat than Beasts because their Flesh doth assimilate more finely and secerneth more subtilly Againe the Head of Man hath Haire vpon the first Birth which no other Part of the Body hath The Cause may be Want of Perspiration For Much of the Matter of Haire in the other Parts of the Body goeth forth by Insensible Perspiration And besides the Skull being of a more solide Substance nourisheth and assimilateth lesse and excerneth more And so likewise doth the Chinne We see also that Haire commeth not vpon the Palmes of the Hands nor Soales of the Feet Which are Parts more Perspirable And Children likewise are not Hairy for that their Skins are more Perspirable Birds are of Swifter Motion than Beasts For the Flight of many Birds is Swifter than the Race of any Beasts The Cause is for that the Spirits in Birds are in greater Proportion in comparison of the Bulke of their Body than in Beasts For as for the Reason that some giue that they are partly Carried whereas Beasts goe that is Nothing For by that Reason Swimming should be swifter than Running And that Kinde of Carriage also is not without Labour of the Wing The Sea is Clearer when the North wind bloweth than when the South-wind The Cause is for that Salt-Water hath a little Oylinesse in the Surface thereof As appeareth in very Hot Daies And againe for that the Southerne Wind relaxeth the Water somewhat As no Water Boyling is so Cleare as Cold Water Fire burneth Wood making it first Luminous Then Blacke and Brittle And lastly Broken and Incinerate Sealding Water doth none of these The Cause is for that by Fire the Spirit of the Body is first Refined and then Emitted Whereof the Refining be Attenuation causeth the Light And the Emission first the Fragilitie and after the Dissolution into Ashes Neither doth any other Body enter But in Water the Spirit of the Body is not Refined so much And besides Part of the Water entreth Which doth increase the Spirit and in a degree extinguish it Therefore wee see that Hot Water will quench Fire And againe wee see that in Bodies wherein the Water doth not much enter but only the Heat passeth Hot Water worketh the Effects of Fire As in Egges Boyled and Roasted into which the Water entreth not at all there is scarce difference to be discerned But in Fruit and Flesh whereinto the Water entreth in some part there is much more difference The Bottome of a Vessell of Boyling Water as hath beene obserued is not very much Heated So as Men may put their Hand vnder the Vessell and remoue it The Cause is for that the Moisture of Water as it quencheth Coales where it entreth So it doth allay Heat where it toucheth And therefore note well that Moisture although it doth not passe thorow Bodies without Communication of some Substance As Heat and Cold doe yet it worketh manifest Effects not by Entrance of the Body but by Qualifying of the Heat and Cold As wee see in this Instance And wee see likewise that the Water of Things distilled in Water which they call the Bath differeth not much from the Water of Things Distilled by Fire Wee see also that Pewter-Dishes
make the Humours passe readily And for the former of these Sirrups are most profitable And for the Latter Apozumes or Preparing Broaths Clisters also helpe lest the Medicine stop in the Guts and worke gripingly But it is true that Bodies abounding with Humours And fat Bodies And Open weather are Preparatines in themselues because they make the Humours more fluide But let a Physitian beware how he purge after hard Frostie Weather and in a Leane Body without Preparation For the Hurt that they may doe after Purging It is caused by the Lodging of some Humours in ill Places For it is certaine that there be Humours which somewhere placed in the Body are quiet and doe little hurt In other Places especially Passages doe much mischiefe Therefore it is good after Purging to vse Apozumes and Broths not so much Opening as those vsed before Purging but Absterfine and Mundifying Clisters also are good to conclude with to draw away the Reliques of the Humours that may haue descended to the Lower Region of the Body Bloud is stanched diuers waies First by Astringents and Repercussiue Medicines Secondly by Drawing of the Spirits and Bloud inwards which is done by Cold As Iron or a Stone laid to the neck doth stanch the Bleeding at the Nose Also it hath beene tryed that the Testicles being put into sharp Vineger hath made a suddaine Recesse of the Spirits and stanched Bloud Thirdly by the Recesse of the Bloud by Sympathy So it hath beene tried that the part that bleedeth being thrust into the Body of a Capon or Sheepe new ript and bleeding hath stanched Bloud The Bloud as it seemeth sucking and drawing vp by similitude of substance the Bloud it meeteth with and so it selfe going backe Fourthly by Custome and Time So the Prince of Aurange in his first hurt by the Spanish Boy could finde no meanes to stanch the Bloud either by Medicine or Ligament but was faine to haue the Orifice of the Wound stopped by Mens Thumbes succeeding one another for the space at least of two Dayes And at the last the bloud by Custome onely retired There is a fifth Way also in vse to let Bloud in an Aduerse Part for a Revulsion It helpeth both in Medicine and Aliment to Change and not to continue the same Medicine Aliment still The Cause is for that Nature by continuall Vso of any Thing groweth to a Sacietie and Dulnesse either of Appetite or Working And we see that Assuetude of Things Hurtfull doth make them leese their force to Hurt As Poyson which with vse some haue brought themselues to brooke And therefore it is no maruaile though Things helpfull by Custome leese their force to Helpe I count Intermission almost the same thing with Change For that that hath beene intermitted is after a fort new It is found by Experience that in Diets of Guaiacum Sarza and the like especially if they be strict the Patient is more troubled in the beginning then after continuance Which hath made some of the more delicate Sort of patients giue them ouer in the middest Supposing that if those Diets trouble them so much at first they shall not be able to endure them to the End But the Cause is for that all those Diets doe drie vp Humours Rheumes and the like And they cannot Drie vp vntil they haue first attenuated And while the Humour is attenuated it is more Fluid then it was before and troubleth the Body a great deale more vntill it be dried vp and consumed And therefore Patients must expect a due time and not checke at them at the first The Producing of Cold is a thing very worthy the Inquisition both for Vse and Disclosure of Causes For Heat and Cold are Natures two Hands whereby she chiefly worketh And Heat we haue in readinesse in respect of the Fire But for Cold we must staie till it commeth or seecke it in deepe Caues or high Mountaines And when all is done we cannot obtaine it in any great degree For Furnaces of Fire are farre hotter then a Sommers Sunne But Vaults or Hills are not much Colder then a Winters Frost The first Meanes of Producing Cold is that which Nature presenteth vs withall Namely the Expiring of Cold out of the Inward Parts of the Earth in Winter when the Sun hath no power to ouercome it the Earth being as hath beene noted by some Primum Frigidum This hath beene asserted as well by Auncient as by Moderne Philosophers It was the Tenet of Parmenides It was the opinion of the Authour of the discourse in Plutarch for I take it that booke was not Plutarches owne De prime Frigide It was the opinion of Telesius who hath renewed the Philosophy of Parmenides and is the best of the Nouellists The Second Cause of Cold is the Contact of Cold Bodies For Cold is Actiue and Transitiue into Bodies Adiacent as well as Heat which is seene in those things that are touched with Snow or Cold water And therefore whosoeuer will be an Inquirer into Nature let him resort to a Conseruatory of Snow and Ice Such as they vse for delicacy to coole Wine in Summer Which is a Poore and Contemptible vse in respect of other vses that may bee made of such Conseruatories The Third Cause is the Primary Nature of all Tangible bodies For it is well to be noted that all Things whatsoeuer Tangible are of themselues Cold Except they haue an Accessory Heat by fire Life or Motion For euen the Spirit of Wine or Chyâ—icall Oyles which are so hot in Operation are to the first Touch Cold And Aire it selfe compressed and Condensed a little by blowing is Cold. The Fourth Cause is the Density of the Body For all Dense Bodies are Colder then most other Bodies As Mettalls Stone Glasse And they are longer in Heating than Softer Bodies And it is certaine that Earth Dense Tangible hold all of the Nature of Cold. The Cause is for that all Matters Tangible being Cold it must needs follow that where the Matter is moist Congregate the Cold is the greater The Fifth Cause of Cold or rather of increase and vehemence of Cold is a Quicke Spirit inclosed in a Cold Body As will appeare to any that shall attentiuely consider of Nature in many Instances Wee see Nitre which hath a Quicke Spirit is Cold more Cold to the Tongue then a Stone So Water is Colder then Oile because it hath a Quicker Spirit For all Oile though it hath the Tangible Parts better digested then Water yet hath it a duller Spirit So Snow is Colder then Water because it hath more Spirit within it So we see that Salt put to Ice as in the producing of the Artificiall Ice increaseth the Actiuity of Cold So some Inâ—â—cta which haue Spirit of Life as Snakes and Silkwormes are to the touch Cold. So Quick-filuer is the Coldest of Mettals because it is Fullest of Spirit The Sixth Cause of Cold is the Chasing and Driuing away of Spirits
Fellowes in many Effects Heat drieth Bodies that doe easily expire As Parchment Leaues Roots Clay c. And so doth Time or Age arefie As in the same Bodies c. Heat dissolueth and melteth Bodies that keepe in their Spirits As in diuers Liquefactions And so doth Time in some Bodies of a softer Consistence As a manifest in Honey which by Age waxeth more liquid And the like in Sugar And so in old Oyle which is euer more cleare and more hot in Medicinable vse Heat causeth the Spirits to search some Issue out of the Body As in the Volatility of Metalls And so doth Time As in the Rust of Metalls But generally Heat doththat in small time which Age doth in long Some Things which passe the Fire are softest at first and by Time grow hard As the Crumme of Bread Some are harder when they come from the Fire and afterwards giue againe and grow soft as the Crust of Bread Bisket Sweet Meats Salt c. The Cause is for that in those things which waxe Hard with Time the Worke of the Fire is a Kinde of Melting And in those that waxe Soft with Time contrariwise the woke of the Fire is a Kinde of Baking And whatsoeuer the Fire baketh Time doth in some degree dissolue Motions passe from one Man to another not so much by Exciting Imagination as by Inuitation Especially if there be an Aptnesse or Inclination before Therefore Gaping or Yawning and Stretching doe passe from Man to Man For that that causeth Gaping and Stretching is when the Spirits are a little Heauy by any Vapour or the like For then they striue as it were to wring out and expell that which loadeth them So Men drowzy and desirous to sleepe Or before the Fit of an Ague doe vse to Yawne and Stretch And doe likewise yeeld a Voice or Sound which is an Interiection of Expulsion So that if another be apt and prepared to doe the like he followeth by the Sight of another So the Laughing of another maketh to Laugh There be some knowne Diseases that are Infectious And Others that are not Those that are Infectious are First such as are chiefly in the Spirits and not so much in the Humours And therefore passe easily from Body to Body Such are Pestilences Lippitudes and such like Secondly such as Taint the Breath Which wee see passeth manifestly from Man to Man And not inuisibly as the Affects of the Spirits doe Such are Consumptions of the Lungs c. Thirdly such as come forth to the Skinne And therefore taint the Aire or the Body Adiacent Especially if they consist in an Vnctuous Substance no apt to dissipate Such are Scabs and Lepronsie Fourthly such as are meerely in the Humours and not in the Spirits Breath or Exhalations And therefore they neuer infect but by Touch onely and such a Touch also as commeth within the Epidermis As the Venome of the French Poxe And the Biting of a Mad Dog Most Powders grow more Close and Coherent by Mixture of Water than by Mixture of Oyle though Oyle be the thicker Body As Meale c. The Reason is the Congruity of Bodies which if it be more maketh a Perfecter Imbibition and Incorporation Which in most Powders is more betweene Them and Water than betweene Them and Oyle But Printers Colours ground and Ashes doe better incorporate with Oyle Much Motion and Exercise is good for some Bodies And Sitting and lesse Motion for Others If the Body be Hot and Void of Superflous Moistures too much Motion hurteth And it is an Errour in Physitians to call too much vpon Exercise Likewise Men ought to beware that they vse not Exercise and a Spare Diet both But if much Exercise then a Plentifull Diet And if Spâ—ring Diet then little Exercise The Benefits that come of Exercise are First that it sendeth Nourishment into the Parts more forcibly Secondly that it helpeth to Exceme by Sweat and so maketh the Parts assimilate the more perfectly Thirdly that it maketh the Substance of the Body more Solide and Compact And so lesse apt to be Consumed and Depredated by the Spirits The Euills that come of Exercise are First that it maketh the Spirits more Hot and Predatory Secondly that it doth absorbe likewise and attenuate too much the Moisture of the Body Thirdly that it maketh too great â—â—â—â—â—sion especially if it be violent of the Inward Parts which delight more in Rest. But generally Exercise if it be much is no Friend to Prolongation of Life Which is one Cause why Women liue longer than Men because they stirre lesse Some Food we may vse long and much without Glatting As Bread Flesh that is not fat or rancke c. Some other though pleasant Glutteth sooner As Sweet Meats Fat Meats c. The Cause is for that Appetite consisteth in the Emptinesse of Mouth of the Stomacke Or possessing it with somewhat that is Astringent and therfore Cold and Dry. But things that are Sweet and Fat are more Filling And do swimme and hang more about the Mouth of the Stomacke And goe not downe so speedily And againe turne sooner to Choler which is hot and euer abateth the Appetite Wee see also that another Cause of Society is an Ouer-custome and of Appetite is Nouelty And therefore Meats if the same be continually taken induce Loathing To giue the Reason of the Distast of Society and of the Pleasure in Nouelty and to distinguish not onely in Meats and Drinkes but also in Motions Loues Company Delights Studies what they be that Custome maketh more gratefull And what more tedious were a large Field But for Meats the Cause is Attraction which is quicker and more excited towards that which is new than towards that whereof there remaineth a Rellish by former vse And generally it is a Rule that whatsoeuer is somewhat Ingrate at first is made Gratefull by Custome But whatsoeuer is too Pleasing at first groweth quickly to satiate NATVRALL HISTORIE IV. Century ACCELERATION of Time in Works of Nature may well be esteemed Inter Magnalia Naturae And euen in Diuine Miracles Accelerating of the Time is next to the Creating of the Matter We will now therfore proceed to the Enquiry of it And for Acceleration of Germination we will referre it ouer vnto to the place where we shall handle the Subiect of Plants generally And will now begin with other Accelerations Liquours are many of them at the first thicke and troubled As Must Wort Iuyces of Fruits or Hearbs expressed c. And by Time they settle and Clarifie But to make them cleare before the Time is a great Worke For it is a Spurre to Nature and putteth her out of her pace And besides it is of good vse for making Drinkes and Sances Potable and Seruiceable speedily But to know the â—â—â—â—â—â— of Accelerating Clarification we must first know the Causes of Clarification The first Cause is by the Separation of the Gresser Parts of the
a Chameleon be burnt vpon the Top of a House it will raise a Tempest Supposing according to their vaine Dreames of Sympathies because he nourisheth with Aire his Body should haue great vertue to make Impression vpon the Aire It is reported by one of the Ancients that in Part of Media there are Eruptions of Flames out of Plaines And that those Flames are cleare and cast not forth such Smoake and Ashes and Pummice as Mountaine Flames doe The Reason no doubt is because the Flame is not pent as it is in Mountaines and Earth-quakes which cast Flame There be also some Blinde Fires vnder Stone which flame not out but Oile being powred vpon them they flame out The Cause whereof is for that it seemeth the Fire is so choaked as not able to remoue the Stone it is Heat rather than Flame Which neuerthelesse is sufficient to Enflame the Oyle It is reported that in some Lakes the Water is so Nitrous as if Foule Cloaths be put into it it scoureth them of it selfe And if they stay any whit long they moulder away And the Scouring Vertue of Nitre is the more to be noted because it is a Body Cold And we see Warme Water scoureth better than Cold. But the Cause is for that it hath a Subtill Spirit which seuereth and diuideth any thing that is soule and Viscous and sticketh vpon a Body Take a Bladder the greatest you can get Fill it full of Winde and tye it about the Necke with a Silke thred waxed And vpon that put likewise Wax very close So that when the Neck of the Bladder dryeth no Aire may possibly get in nor out Then bury it three or foure foot vnder the Earth in a Vault or in a Conferuatory of Snow the Snow being made hollow about the Bladder And after some Forthnights distance see whether the Bladder be shruncke For if it be then it is plaine that the Coldnesse of the Earth or Snow hath Condensed the Aire and brought it a Degree nearer to Water Which is an Experiment of great Consequence It is a Report of some good credit that in Deepe Caues there are Pensile Crystall and Degrees of Crystall that drop from aboue And in some other though more rarely that rise from below Which though it be chiefly the Worke of Cold yet it may be that Water that passeth thorow the Earth gathereth a Nature more clammy and fitter to Congeale and become Solide than Water of it selfe Therfore Triall would be made to lay a Heape of Earth in great Frosts vpon a Hollow Vessell putting a Canuase betweene that it falleth not in And poure Water vpon it in such Quantitie as will be sure to soake thorow And see whether it will not make an harder Ice in the bottome of the Vessell and lesse apt to dissolue than ordinarily I suppose also that if you make the Earth narrower at the bottome than at the Top in fashion of a Sugar Loafe Reuersed it will helpe the Experiment For it will make the Ice where it Issueth lesse in Bulke And euermore Smalnesse of Quantity is a Helpe to Version Take Damaske Roses and pull them Then dry them vpon the Top of an House vpon a Lead or Tarras in the hot Sunne in a cleare day betweene the Houres onely of twelue and two or there abouts Then put them into a Sweet Dry Earthen Bottle or a Glasse with narrow Mouthes stuffing them close together but without Bruising Stop the Bottle or Glasse close and these Roses will retaine not onely their Smell Perfect but their Colour fresh for a yeare at least Note that Nothing doth so much destroy any Plant or other Body either by Putrefaction or Arefaction as the Aduentitious Moisture which hangeth loose in the Body if it be not drawne out For it betrayeth and tolleth forth the Innate and Radicall Moisture along with it when it selfe goeth forth And therefore in Liuing Creatures Moderate Sweat doth preserue the Iuyce of the Body Note that these Roses when you take them from the Drying haue little or no Smell So that the Smell is a Second Smell that issueth out of the Flower afterwards The Continuance of Flame according vnto the diuersity of the Body Enflamed and other Circumstances is worthy the Enquiry Chiefly for that though Flame be almost of a Momentany Lasting yet it receiueth the More and the Lesse we will first therefore speake at large of Bodies Enflamed wholly and Immediately without any Wieke to helpe the Inflammations A Spoonefull of Spirit of Wine a little heated was taken and it burnt as long as came to 116. Pulses The same Quantity of Spirit of Wine Mixed with the Sixth Part of a Spoonefull of Nitre burnt but to the space of 94. Pulses Mixed with the like Quantity of Bay-salt 83. Pulses Mixed with the like Quantity of Gunpowder which dissolued into a Blacke water 110. Pulses A Cube or Pellet of Yellow Waxe was taken as much as halfe the Spirit of Wine and set in the Middest and it burnt onely to the space of 87. Pulses Mixed with the Sixth Part of a spoonefull of Milke it burnt to the space of 100. Pulses And the Milke was crudled Mixed with the Sixth Part of a spoonefull of Water it burnt to the space of 86. Pulses With an Equall Quantity of Water onely to the space of 4. Pulses A small Pebble was laid in the Middest and the Spirit of Wine burnt to the space of 94. Pulses A Peece of Wood of the Bignesse of an Arrow and about a Fingers length was set vp in the Middest and the Spirit of Wine burnt to the space of 94. Pulses So that the Spirit of Wine Simple endured the longest And the Spirit of Wine with the Bay-salt and the Equall Quantity of Water were the shortest Consider well whether the more speedy Going forth of the flame becaused by the Greater Vigour of the Flame in Burning Or by the Resistance of the Body mixed and the Auersion thereof to take Flame Which will appeare by the Quantitie of the Spirit of Wine that remaineth after the Going out of the Flame And it seemeth cleerely to be the latter For that the Mixture of Things least apt to burne is the Speediest in going out And note by the way that Spirit of Wine burned till it goe out of it selfe will burne no more And tasteth nothing so hot in the Mouth as it did No nor yet sowre as if it were a degree towards Vinegar which Burnt Wine doth but flat and dead Note that in the Experiment of Wax aforesaid the Wax dissolued in the burning and yet did not incorporate it selfe with the Spirit of Wine to produce one Flame but wheresoeuer the Wax floated the Flame forsooke it till at last it spread all ouer and put the Flame quite out The Experiments of the Mixtures of the Spirit of Wine enflamed are Things of discouerie and not of Vse But now wee will speake of the Continuance of Flames
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
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
which are Inflammable And certaine Oake-Berries sticking close to the Body of the Tree without Stalke It beareth also Misseltoe though rarely The Cause of all these may be the Closenesse and Solidenesse of the Wood and Pith of the Oake Which maketh seuerall Iuyces finde seuerall Eruptions And therefore if you will deuise to make any Super-Plants you must euer giue the Sap Plentifull Rising and Hard Issue There are two Excrescences which grow vpon Trees Both of them in the Nature of Mushromes The one the Romans called Boletus Which groweth vpon the Roots of Oakes And was one of the Dainties of their Table The other is Medicinall that is called Agaricke whereof we haue spoken before which groweth vpon the Tops of Oakes Though it be affirmed by some that it groweth also at the Roots I doe conceiue that many Exerescences of Trees grow chiefly where the Tree is dead or faded For that the Naturall Sap of the Tree corrupteth into some Preternaturall Substance The greater Part of Trees beare Most and Best on the Lower Boughs As Oakes Figs Wall-Nuts Peares c. But some beare Best on the Top-Boughes As Crabs c. Those that beare best below are such as Shade doth more good to than Hurt For generally all Fruits beare best lowest Because the Sap tireth not hauing but a short Way And therefore in Fruits spred vpon Walls the Lowest are the Greatest as was formerly said So it is the Shade that hindereth the Lower Boughes Except it be in such Trees as delight in Shade Or at least beare it well And therfore they are either Strong Trees as the Oake Or else they haue large Leaues as the Wallnut and Fig Or else they grow in Pyraâ—is as the Peare But if they require very much Sunne they beare best on the Top As it is in Crabs Apples Plummes c. There be Trees that beare best when they begin to be Old As Almonds Peares Vines and all Trees that giue Mast. The Cause is for that all Trees that beare Mast haue an Oyly Fruit And Young Trees haue a more Watry Iuyce and lesse Concocted And of the same kinde also is the Almond The Peare likewise though it be not Oyly yet it requireth much Sap and well Concocted For we see it is a Heauy Fruit and Solide Much more than Apples Plummes c. As for the Vine it is noted that it beareth more Grapes when it is Young But Grapes that make better Wine when it is Old For that the Iuyce is better Concocted And wee see that Wine is Insflammable So as it hath a kinde of Oylinesse But the most Part of Trees amongst wich are Apples Plummes c. beare best when they are Young There be Plants that haue a Milke in them when they are Cut As Figs Old Lettuce Sowe-Thistles Spurge c. The Cause may be an Inception of Putrefaction For those Milkes haue all an Acrimony though one would thinke they should be Lenitiue For if you write vpon Paper with the Milke of the Fig the Letters will not be seene vntill you hold the Paper before the Fire and then they wax Browne Which sheweth that it is a Sharpe or Fretting Iuyce Lettuce is thought Poysonous when it is so Old as to haue Milke Spurge is a kinde of Poyson in it Selfe And as for Sowe-Thistles though Coneyes eat them yet Sheepe and Cattell will not touch them And besides the Milke of them rubbed vpon Warts in short time weareth them away Which sheweth the Milke of them to be Corrosine We see also that Wheat and other Corne sowen if you take them forth of the Ground before they sprout are full of Milke And the Beginning of Germination is euer a Kinde of Putrefaction of the Seed Euphorbium also hath a Milke though not very white which is of a great Acrimony And Saladine hath a yellow Milke which hath likewise much Acrimony For it cleanseth the Eyes It is good also for Cataracts Mushromes are reported to grow as well vpon the Bodies of Trees as vpon their Roots or vpon the Earth And especially vpon the Oake The Cause is for that Strong Trees are towards such Excrescâ—â—ces in the Nature of Earth And therfore put forth Mosse Mushromes and the like There is hardly found a Plant that yeeldeth a Red Iuyce in the Blade or Eare Except it be the Tree that beareth Sanguis Draconis Which groweth chiefly in the Island Soquotra The Herb Amaranthus indeed is Red all ouer And Brasill is Red in the Wood And so is Red Sunders That Tree of the Sanguis Draconis groweth in the forme of a Sugar-loafe It is like that the Sap of that Plant concocteth in the Body of the Tree For woe see that Grapes and Pomegranats are Red in the Iuyce but are Greene in the Teare And this maketh the Tree of Sanguis Draconis lesser towards the Top Because the Iuyce hasteneth not vp And besides it is very Astringent And therefore of Slow Motion It is reported that Sweet Mosse besides that vpon the Apple-Trees groweth likewise sometimes vpon Poplars And yet generally the Poplar is a Smooth Tree of Barke and hath little Mosse The Mosse of the Larix Tree burneth also Sweet and sparkleth in the Burning Quaere of the Mosses of Oderate Trees As Cedar Cypres Lignum Aloës c. The Death that is most without Paine hath been noted to be vpon the Taking of the Petium of Hemloche which in Humanity was the Forme of Execution of Capitall Offenders in Athens The Poyson of the Aspe that Cleopatra vsed hath some affinity with it The Cause is for that the Torments of Death are chiefly raised by the Strife of the Spirits And these Vapours quench the Spirits by Degrees Like to the Death of an extreme Old Man I conceiue it is lesse Painfull than Opium because Opium hath Parts of Heat mixed There be Fruits that are Sweet before they be Ripe As Mirabolanes So Reuuell-Seeds are Sweet before they ripen and after grow Spicy And some neuer Ripen to be Sweet As Tamarinds Berberries Crabs Sloes c. The Cause is for that the former Kinde haue â—â—â—eh and subtill Heat which causeth Earely Sweetnesse The latter haue a Cold and Acide Iuyce which no Heat of the Sunne can sweeten But as for the Mirabelane it hath Parts of Contrary Natures For it is Sweet and yet Astringont There bee few Herbes that haue a Salt Taste And contrariwise all Bloud of Liuing Creatures hath a Saltnesse The Cause may be for that Salt though it be the Audiment of Life yet in Plants the Originall Taste remaineth not For you shall haue them Bitter Sowre Sweet Biting but seldome Salt But in Liuing Creatures all those High Tastes may happen to be sometimes in the Humours but are seldome in the Flesh or Substance Because it is of a more Oyly Nature which is not very Susceptible of those Tastes And the Saltnesse it selfe of Bloud is but a light and secret Saltnesse And euen among Plants some doe
with Water in them will not Melt easily But without it they will Nay wee see more that Butter or Oyle which in themselues are Inflammable yet by Vertue of their Moisture will doe the like It hath beene noted by the Ancients that it is dangerous to Picke ones Eare whilest he Yawneth The Cause is for that in Yawning the Inner Parchment of the Eare is extended by the Drawing in of the Spirit and Breath For in Yawning and Sighing both the Spirit is first strongly Drawne in and then strongly Expelled It hath beene obserued by the Ancients that Sneezing doth cease the Hiccough The Cause is for that the Motion of the Hiccough is a Lifting vp of the Stomacke which Sneezing doth somewhat depresse and diuert the Motion another way For first wee see that the Hiccough commeth of Fulnesse of Meat especially in Children which causeth an Extension of the Stomacke Wee see also it is caused by Acide Meats or Drinkes which is by the Pricking of the Stomacke And this Motion is ceased either by Diuersion Or by Detention of the Spirits Diuersion as in Sneezing Detention as wee see Holding of the Breath doth helpe somewhat to cease the Hiccough And putting a Man into an Earnest Studie doth the like As is commonly vsed And Vinegar put to the Nostbrills or Gargarized doth it also For that it is Astringent and inhibiteth the Motion of the Spirits Looking against the Sunne doth induce Sneezing The Cause is not the Heating of the Nosthrills For then the Holding vp of the Nosthrills against the Sunne though one Winke would doe it But the Drawing downe of the Moisture of the Braine For it will make the Eyes run with Water And the Drawing of Moisture to the Eyes doth draw it to the Nosthrills by Motion of Consent And so followeth Sneezing As contrariwise the Tickling of the Nosthrills within doth draw the Moisture to the Nosthrills and to the Eyes by Consent For they also will Water But yet it hath beene obserued that if one be about to Sneeze the Rubbing of the Eyes till they run with Water will preuent it Where of the Cause is for that the Humour which was descending to the Nosthrills is diuerted to the Eyes The Teeth are more by Cold Drinke or the like affected than the other Parts The Cause is double The One for that the Resistance of Bone to Cold is greater than of Flesh for that Flesh shrinketh but the Bone resisteth whereby the Cold becommeth more eager The Other is for that the Teeth are Parts without Bloud Whereas Bloud helpeth to qualifie the Cold And therefore wee see that the Sinnewes are much affected with Cold For that they are Parts without Bloud So the Bones in Sharpe Colds wax Brittle And therefore it hath beene seene that all Contusions of Bones in Hard Weather are more difficult to Cure It hath been noted that the Tongue receiueth more easily Tokens of Diseases than the other Parts As of Heats within which appeare most in the Blacknesse of the Tongue Againe Pied Cattell are spotted in their Tongues c. The Cause is no doubt the Tendernesse of the Part which thereby receiueth more easily all Alterations than any other Parts of the Flesh. When the Mouth is out of Taste it maketh Things taste sometimes Salt Chiefly Bitter And sometimes Loathsome But neuer Sweet The Cause is the Corrupting of the Moisture about the Tongue Which many times turneth Bitter and Salt and Loathsome But Sweet neuer For the rest are Degrees of Corruption It was obserued in the Great Plague of the last Yeare that there were seene in diuers Ditches and low Grounds about London many Toads that had Tailes two or three Inches long at the least Whereas Toads vsually haue no Tailes at all Which argueth a great Disposition to Putrefaction in the Soile and Aire It is reported likewise that Roots such as Carrets and Parsuips are more Sweet and Lushious in Infectious Yeares than in other Yeares Wife Physitians should with all diligence inquire what Simples Nature yeeldeth that haue extreme Subtile Parts without any Mordication or Acrimony For they Vndermine that which is Hard They open that which is Stopped and Shut And they expell that which is Offensive gently without too much Perturbation Of this Kinde are Elder-Flowers which therefore are Proper for the Stone Of this kinde is the DwarfePine which is Proper for the laundies Of this kinde is Harts-Horne which is Proper for Agues and Infections Of this kinde is Piony which is Proper for Stoppings in the Head Of this kinde is Fumitory which is Proper for the Splâ—â—â—e And a Number of Others Generally diuers Creatures bred of Putrefaction though they be somewhat loathsome to take are of this kinde As Earth-wormes Timber-Sowes Snailes c. And I conceiue that the Trechischs of Vipers which are so much magnified and the Flesh of Snakes some wayes condited and corrected which of late are growne into some Credite are of the same Nature So the Parts of Beasts Putrified as Castereum and Muske which haue extreme Subtill Parts are to be placed amongst them We see also that Patrefactions of Plants as Agarichs and lewes â—â—â—â— are of greatest Vertue The Cause is for that Putrefection is the Subtillest of all Motions in the Parts of Bodies And since we cannot take downe the Lines of Liuing Creatures which some of the â—â—â— say If they could be taken downe would make vs Immortall the Next is for Subtilty of Operation to take Bodies Putresied Such as may be safely taken It hath beene obserued by the Ancients that Much vse of Venus doth Dimme the Sight And yet Eunuchs which are vnable to generate are neuerthelesse also Dimme Sighted The Cause of Dimnesse of Sight in the Former is the Expence of Spirts In the Latter the Ouer-moisture of the Braine For the Ouer-moisture of the Braine doth thicken the Spirits Visuall and obstructeth their Passages As we see by the Decay in the Sight in Age Where also the Diminution of the Spirits concurreth as another Cause we see also that Blindnesse commeth by Rheumes and â—â—â— Now in â—â—â— there are all the Notes of Moisture As the Swelling of their Thighes the Loosenesse of their Belly the Smoothnesse of their Skinne c. The Pleasure in the Act of Venus is the greatest of the Pleasures of the Senses The Matching of it with Itch is vnproper though that also be Pleasing to the touch But the Conses are Profound First all the Organe of the Senses qualifie the Nations of the Spirits And make so many Seuerall Species of Motions and Pleasures or Displeasures thereupon as there be Dinersitics of Organs The Instruments of Sight Hearing Taste and Smell are of seuerall frame And so are the Parts for Generation Therefore Sealiger doth well to make the Pleasure of Generation a Sixth Sense And if there were any other differing Organs and Qualified Perfraction for the spirits to passe there would be
not take vpon vs now to Enumerate them all The Insecta haue beene noted by the Ancients to feed little But this hath not beene diligently obserued For Grashoppers eat vp the Greene of whole Countries And Silke-wormes deuoure Leaues swiftly And Ants make gret Prouision It is true that Creatures that Sleepe and rest much Eat little As Dormise and Bats c. They are all without Bloud Which may be for that the Iuyce of their Bodies is almost all one Not Bloud and Flesh and Skin and Bone as in Perfect Creatures The Integrall Parts haue Extreme Variety but the Similar Parts little It is true that they haue some of them a Disphragme and an Intestine And they haue all Skins Which in most of the Insecta are cast often They are not generally of long Life Yet Bees haue beene knowne to liue seuen yeares And Snakes are thought the rather for the Casting of their Spoils to liue till they be Old And Eeles which many times breed of Putrefaction will liue and grow very long And those that Enterchange from Wormes to Flyes in the Summer and from Flyes to Wormes in the Winter haue beene kept in Boxes oure kyears at the least Yet there are certain Flyes that are called Ephemera that liue but a day The Cause is the Exility of the Spirit Or perhaps the Absence of the Sunne For that if they were brought in or kept close they might liue longer Many of the Insecta as Butterflies and other Flies reuiue easily when they seeme dead being brought to the Sunne or Fire The Cause whereof is the Diffusion of the Vitall Spirit and the Easie Dilating of it by a little Heat They stirre a good while after their Heads are off or that they be cut in Pecces Which is caused also for that their Vitall Spirits are more diffused thorow-out all their Parts and lesse confined to Organs than in Perfect Creatures The Insecta haue Voluntary Motion and therefore Imagination And whereas some of the Ancients haue said that their Motion is Indeterminate and their Imagination Indefinite it is negligently obserued For Arts goe right forwards to their Hills And Bees doe admirably know the way from a Flowry Heath two or three Miles off to their Hiues It may be Gnats and Flyes haue their Imagination more mutable and giddy as Small Birds likewise haue It is said by some of the Ancients that they haue onely the Sense of Feeling which is manifestly vntrue For if they goe forth-right to a Place they must needs haue Sight Besides they delight more in one Flower or Herbe than in another and therefore haue Taste And Bees are called with Sound vpon Brasse and therefore they haue Hearing Which sheweth likewise that though their Spirit be diffused yet there is a Seat of their Senses in their Head Other Obseruations concerning the Insecta together with the Enumeration of them wee referre to that place where wee meane to handle the Title of Animal's in generall A Man Leapeth better with Weights in his Hands than without The Cause is for that the Weight if it be proportionable strengthneth the Sinneues by Contracting them For otherwise where no Contraction is needfull Weight hindereth As wee see in Horse-Races Men are curious to fore-see that there be not the least Weight vpon the one Horse more than vpon the other In Leaping with Weights the Armes are first cast backwards and then forwards with so much the greater Force For the Hands goe backward before they take their Raise Quaere if the contrary Motion of the Spirits immediately before the Motion wee intend doth not cause the Spirits as it were to breake forth with more Force As Breath also drawne and kept in commeth forth more forcibly And in Casting of any Thing the Armes to make a greater Swing are first cast backward Of Musicall Tones and Vnequall Sounds wee haue spoken before But touching the Pleasure and Displeasure of the Senses not so fully Harsh Sounds as of a Sawe when it is sharpened Grinding of one Stone against another Squeaking or Skriching Noise make a Shiuering or Horrour in the Body and set the Teeth on edge The Cause is for that the Obiects of the Eare doe affect the Spirits immediately most with Pleasure and Offence We see there is no Colour that affecteth the Eye much with Displeasure There be Sights that are Horrible because they excite the Memory of Things that are Odious or Fearefull But the same Things Painted doe little affect As for Smells Tastes and Touches they be Things that doe affect by a Participation or Impulsion of the Body of the Obiect So it is Sound alone that doth immediately and incorporeally affect most This is most manifest in Musicke and Concords and Discords in Musicke For all Sounds whether they be sharpe or Flat if they be Sweet haue a Roundnesse and Equality And if they be Harsh are Vnequall For a Discord it selfe is but a Harshnesse of Diners Sounds Meeting It is true that Inequality not Stayed vpon but Passing is rather an Encrease of Sweetnesse As in the Purling of a Wreathed String And in the Rancity of a Trumpet And in the Nightinghale-Pipe of a Regall And in a Discord straight falling vpon a Concord But if you stay vpon it it is Offensiue And therefore there bee these three Degrees of Pleasing and Displeasing in Sounds Sweet Sounds Discords and Harsh Sounds which we call by diuers Names as Skriching or Grating such as wee now speake of As for the Setting of the Teeth on Edge we see plainly what an Intercourse there is betweene the Teeth and the Organ of the Hearing by the Taking of the End of a Bow betweene the Teeth and Striking vpon the String NATVRALL HISTORIE VIII Century THere be Mineralls and Fossiles in great Varietie But of Veines of Earth Medicinall but few The Chiefe are Terra Lemnia Terra Sigillata communis and Bolus Arminus Whereof Terra Lemnia is the Chiefe The Vertues of them are for Curing of Wounds Stanching of Bloud Stopping of Flaxes and Rheumes and Arresting the Spreading of Poison Infection and Putrefaction And they haue of all other Simples the Perfectest and Purest Qualitie of Drying with little or no Mixture of any other Qualitie Yet it is true that the Bole-Arminicke is the most Cold of them And that Terra Lemnia is the most Hot For which Cause the Island Lemnos where it is digged was in the Old Fabulous Ages consecrated to Vulcan About the Bottome of the Straights are gathered great Quantities of Sponges which are gathered from the sides of Rocks being as it were a large but tough Mosse It is the more to be noted because that there be but few Substances Plant-like that grow deepe within the Sea For they are gathered sometimes fifteene Fathome deepe And when they are laid on Shoare they seeme to be of great Bulke But crushed together will be transported in a very small Roome It seemeth that Fish that are vsed to
because then there is both Dew and Leafe And they breed commonly when the East Winds haue much blowne The Cause whereof is the Drinesse of that Wind For to all Viuification vpon Putrefaction it is requisite the Matter be not too Moist And therefore we see they haue Copwebs about them which is a signe of a Slimy Drinesse As we see vpon the Ground whereupon by Dew and Sunne Copwebs breed all ouer We see also the Greene Catterpiller breedeth in the Inward Parts of Roses especially not blowne where the Dew sticketh But especially Catterpillers both the greatest and the most breed vpon Cabbages which haue a Fat Leafe and apt to Putrifie The Catterpiller towards the End of Summer waxeth Volatile and turneth to a Butterfly or perhaps some other Fly There is a Catterpiller that hath a Furre or Downe vpon him and seemeth to haue Affinity with the Silke-worme The Flyes Cantharides are bred of a Worme or Catterpiller but peculiar to certaine Fruit-Trees As are the Fig-tree the Pine-tree and the Wilde Briar All which beare Sweet Fruit And Fruit that hath a kinde of secret Biting or Sharpnesse For the Fig hath a Milke in it that is Sweet and Corrosiue The Pine-Apple hath a Kernell that is Strong and Absterside The Fruit of the Briar is said to make Children or those that Eat them Scabbed And therefore no maruell though Cantharides haue such a Corrosiue and Cauterizing Quality For there is not any other of the Insecta but is bred of a Duller Matter The Body of the Cantharides is bright coloured And it may be that the delicate-coloured Dragon-Flies may haue likewise some Corrosiue Quality Lassitude is remedied by Bathing or Annointing with Oyle and Warme water The Cause is for that all Lassitude is a kinde of Contusion and Compression of the Parts And Bathing and Annointing giue a Relaxation or Emollition And the Mixture of Oyle and Water is better than either of them alone Because Water Entreth better into the Pores and Oyle after Entry softneth better It is found also that the Taking of Tobacco doth helpe and discharge Lassitude The Reason whereof is partly because by Chearing or Comforting of the Spirits it openeth the Parts Compressed or Contused And chiefly because it refresheth the Spirits by the Opiate Vertue thereof And so dischargeth Wearinesse as Sleepe likewise doth In Going vp a Hill the Knees will be most Weary In Going downe a Hill the Thighes The Cause is for that in the Lift of the Feet when a Man Goeth vp the Hill the Weight of the Body beareth most vpon the Knees And in Going downe the Hill vpon the Thighes The Casting of the Skin is by the Ancients compared to the Breaking of the Secundine or Call but not rightly For that were to make euery Casting of the Skin a New Birth And besides the Secundine is but a generall Couer not shaped according to the Parts But the Skin is shaped according to the Parts The Creatures that cast their Skin are The Snake the Viper the Grashopper the Lizard the Silke worme c. Those that cast their Shell are The Lobster the Crab the Crafish the Hodmandod or Dedman the Tortoise c. The Old Skins are found but the Old Shells neuer So as it is like they scale off and crumble away by degrees And they are knowne by the Extreme Tendernesse and Softnesse of the New Shell And somewhat by the Freshnesse of the Colour of it The Cause of the Casting of Skin and Shell should seeme to be the great Quantity of Matter in those Creatures that is fit to make Skin or Shell And againe the Loosenesse of the Skin or Shell that sticketh not close to the Flesh. For it is certaine that it is the New Skin or Shell that putteth off the Old So we see that in Deere it is the Young Horne that putteth off the Old And in Birds the Young Feathers put off the Old And so Birds that haue much Matter for their Beake cast their Beakes the New Beake Putting off the Old Lying not Erect but Hollow which is in the Making of the Bed Or with the Legges gathered vp which is in the Posture of the Body is the more Wholesome The Reason is the better Comforting of the Stomach which is by that lesse Pensile And we see that in Weake Stomachs the Laying vp of the Legs high and the Knees almost to the Mouth helpeth and comforteth We see also that Gally-Slanes notwithstanding their Misery otherwise are commonly Fat and Fleshy And the Reason is because the Stomach is supported somewhat in Sitting And is Pensile in Standing or Going And therefore for Prolongation of Life it is good to choose those Exercises where the Limbes moue more than the Stomach and Belly As in Rowing and in Sawing being Set. Megrims and Giddinesse are rather when we Rise after long Sitting than while we Sit. The Cause is for that the Vapours which were gathered by Sitting by the Sudden Motion fly more vp into the Head Leaning long vpon any Part maketh it Numme and as wee call it Asleepe The Cause is for that the Compression of the Part suffereth not the Spirits to haue free Accesse And therefore when wee come out of it wee feele a Stinging or â—â—â—â—â—ing Which is the Re-entrance of the Spirits It hath beene noted that those Yeares are Pestilentiall and Vnwholesome when there are great Numbers of Frogs Flies Locusts c. The Cause is plaine For that those Creatures being engendred of Putrefaction when they abound shew a generall Disposition of the Yeare and Constitution of the Aire to Diseases of Putrefaction And the same Prognesticke as hath beene said before holdeth if you finde Wormes in Oake-Apples For the Constitution of the Aire appeareth more subtilly in any of these Things than to the Sense of Man It is an Obseruation amongst Country-People that Yeares of Store of Hawes and Heps doe commonly portend Cold Winters And they ascribe it to Gods Prouidence that as the Scripture saith reacheth euen to the Falling of a Sparrow And much more is like to reach to the Preseruation of Birds in such Seasons The Naturall Cause also may be the Want of Heat and Abundance of Moisture in the Summer precedent Which putteth forth those Fruits and must needs leaue great Quantity of Cold Vapours not dissipate Which causeth the Cold of the Winter following They haue in Turkey a Drinke called Coffa made of a Berry of the same Name as Blacke as Soot and of a Strong Sent but not Aromaticall Which they take beaten into Powder in Water as Hot as they can drinke it And they take it and sit at it in their Coffa-Houses which are like our Tauernes This Drinke comforteth the Braine and Heart and helpeth Disgestion Certainly this Berry Coffa The Root and Leafe Betel The Leafe Tobacco And the Teare of Poppy Opium of which the Turks are great Takers supposing it expelleth all Feare doe all Condense
the Spirits and make them Strong and Aleger But it seemeth they are taken after seuerall manners For Coffa and Opium are taken downe Tobacco but in Smoake And Betel is but champed in the Mouth with a little Lime It is like there are more of them if they were well found out and well corrected Quare of Henbane-Seed Of Mandrake Of Saffron Root and Flower Of Folium Indum Of Amber-grice Of the Assyrian Amomum if it may be had And of the Scarlet Powder which they call Kermez And generally of all such Things as doe inebriate and prouoke Sleepe Note that Tobacco is not taken in Root or Seed which are more forcible euer than Leaues The Turkes haue a Blacke Powder made of a Minerall called Alcohole Which with a fine long Pencill they lay vnder their Eye-lids Which doth colour them Blacke Whereby the White of the Eye is set off more white With the same Powder they colour also the Haires of their Eye-lids and of their Eye-browes which they draw into Embowed Arches You shall finde that Xenophon maketh Mention that the Medes vsed to paint their Eyes The Turkes vse with the same Tincture to colour the Haire of their Heads and Beards Blacke And diuers with vs that are growne Gray and yet would appeare Young finde meanes to make their Haire blacke by Combing it as they say with a Leaden Combe or the like As for the Chineses who are of an ill Complexion being Oliuaster they paint their Cheekes Scarlet Especially their King and Grandes Generally Barbarous People that goe Naked doe not onely paint Themselues but they pownce and raze their Skinne that the Painting may not be taken forth And make it into Works So doe the West Indians And so did the Ancient Picts and Brittons So that it seemeth Men would haue the Colours of Birds Feathers if they could tell how Or at least they will haue Gay Skins instead of Gay Cloathes It is strange that the Vse of Bathing as a Part of Diet is left With the Romans and Grecians it was as vsuall as Eating or Sleeping And so is it amongst the Turkes at this day Whereas with vs it remaineth but as a Part of Physicke I am of Opinion that the Vse of it as it was with the Romans was hurtfull to Health For that it made the Body Soft and easie to Waste For the Turkes it is more proper because that their Drinking Water and Feeding vpon Rize and other Food of small Nourishment maketh their Bodies so Solide and Hard as you need not feare that Bathing should make them Froathie Besides the Turkes are great Sitters and seldome walke Whereby they Sweat lesse and need Bathing more But yet certaine it is that Bathing and especially Annointing may be so vsed as it may be a great Helpe to Health and Prolongation of Life But hereof we shall speake in due Place when we come to handle Experiments Medicinall The Turkes haue a Pretty Art of Chamoletting of Paper which is not with vs in vse They take diuers Oyled Colours and put them seuerally in drops vpon Water And stirre the Water lightly And then wet their Paper being of some Thicknesse with it And the Paper will be Waued and Veined like Chamolet or Marble It is somewhat strange that the Bloud of all Birds and Beasts and Fishes should be of a Red Colour and only the Bloud of the Cuttle should be as Blacke as Inke A Man would thinke that the Cause should be the High Concoction of that Bloud For wee see in ordinary Puddings that the Boyling turneth the Bloud to be Blacke And the Cuttle is accounted a delicate Meat and is much in Request It is reported of Credit that if you take Earth from Land adioyning to the Riuer of Nile And preserue it in that manner that it neither come to be Wet nor Wasted And Weigh it daily it will not alter Weight vntill the seuenteenth of Iune which is the Day when the Riuer beginneth to rise And then it will grow more and more Ponderous till the Riuer commeth to his Heighth Which if it be true it cannot be caused but by the Aire which then beginneth to Condense And so turneth within that Small Mould into a degree of Moisture Which produceth Weight So it hath beene obserued that Tobacco Cut and Weighed and then Dried by the Fire loseth Weight And after being laid in the open Aire recouereth Weight againe And it should seeme that as soone as euer the Riuer beginneth to increase the whole Body of the Aire thereabouts suffereth a Change For that which is more strange it is credibly affirmed that vpon that very Day when the Riuer first riseth great Plagues in Caire vse suddenly to breake vp Those that are very Cold and especially in their Feet cannot get to Sleepe The Cause may be for that in Sleepe is required a Free Respiration which Cold doth shut in and hinder For wee see that in great Colds one can scarce draw his Breath Another Cause may be for that Cold calleth the Spirits to succour And therefore they cannot so well close and goe together in the Head Which is euer requisite to Sleepe And for the same Cause Paine and Noise hinder Sleepe And Darknesse contrariwise furthereth Sleepe Some Noises whereof wee spake in the 112. Experiment helpe Sleepe As the Blowing of the Wind the Trickling of Water Humming of Bees Soft Singing Reading c. The Cause is for that they moue in the Spirits a gentle Attention And whatsoeuer moueth Attention without too much Labour stilleth the Naturall and discursiue Motion of the Spirits Sleepe nourisheth or at least preserueth Bodies a long time without other Nourishment Beasts that sleepe in Winter as it is noted of Wilde Beares during their Sleep wax very Fat though they Eat nothing Bats haue beene found in Ouens and other Hollow Close Places Matted one vpon another And therefore it is likely that they Sleepe in the Winter time and eat Nothing Quare whether Bees doe not Sleepe all Winter and spare their Honey Butterflies and other Flies doe not onely Sleepe but lye as Dead all Winter And yet with a little Heat of Sunne or Fire reuine againe A Dormonse both Winter and Summer will Sleepe some dayes ' together and eat Nothing To restore Teeth in Age were Magnale Naturae It may be thought of But howsoeuer the Nature of the Teeth deserueth to be enquired of as well as the other Parts of Liuing Creatures Bodies There be Fiue Parts in the Bodies of Liuing-Creatures that are of Hard Substance The Skull The Teeth The Bones The Hornes and the Nailes The greatest Quantity of Hard Substance Continued is towards the Head For there is the Skull of one Entire Bone There are the Teeth There are the Maxillary Bones There is the Hard Bone that is the Instrument of Hearing And thence issue the Hornes So that the Building of Liuing Creatures Bodies is like the Building of a
Timber-House where the Walls and other Parts haue Columnes and Beames But the Roofe is in the better Sort of Houses all Tile or Lead or Stone As for Birds they haue Three other Hard Substances proper to them The Bill which is of like Matter with the Teeth For no Birds haue Teeth The Shell of the Egge And their Quills For as for their Spurre it is but a Naile But no Liuing-Creatures that haue Shells very hard As Oysters Cockles Mussles Scallops Crabs Lobsters Cra-fish Shrimps and especially the Tortoise haue Bones within them but onely little Gristles Bones after full Growth continue at a Stay And so doth the Skull Hornes in some Creatures are cast and renued Teeth stand at a Stay except their Wearing As for Nailes they grow continually And Bills and Beakes will ouer-grow and sometimes be cast as in Eagles and Parrots Most of the Hard Substances fly to the Extremes of the Body As Skull Hornes Teeth Nailes and Beakes Onely the Bones are more Inward and clad with Flesh. As for the Entrailes they are all without Bones Saue that a Bone is sometimes found in the Heart of a Stag And it may be in some other Creature The Skull hath Braines as a kinde of Marrow within it The Back-Bone hath one Kinde of Marrow which hath an Affinity with the Braine And other Bones of the Body haue another The Iaw-Bones haue no Marrow Seuered but a little Pulpe of Marrow diffused Teeth likewise are thought to haue a kind of Marrow diffused which causeth the Sense and Paine But it is rather Sinnew For Marrow hath no Sense No more than Bloud Horne is alike throughout And so is the Naile None other of the Hard Substances haue Sense but the Teeth And the Teeth haue Sense not onely of Paine but of Cold. But we will leaue the Enquiries of other Hard Substances vnto their seuerall Places And now enquire onely of the Teeth The Teeth are in Men of three Kindes Sharpe as the Fore-Teeth Broad as the Back-Teeth which we call the Molar-Teeth or Grinders And Pointed-Teeth or Canine which are betweene both But there haue beene some Men that haue had their Teeth vndiuided as of one whole Bone with some little Marke in the Place of the Diuision As Pyrrhus had Some Creatures haue Ouer-long or Out-growing Teeth which wee call Fangs or Tuskes As Boares Pikes Salmons and Dogs though lesse Some Liuing Creatures haue Teeth against Teeth As Men and Horses And some haue Teeth especially their Master-Teeth indented one within Another like Sawes As Lions And so againe haue Dogs Some Fishes haue diuers Rowes of Teeth in the Roofes of their Mouthes As Pikes Salmons Trouts c. And many more in Salt-Waters Snakes and other Serpents haue Venomous Teeth which are sometimes mistaken for their Sting No Beast that hath Hornes hath Vpper Teeth And no Beast that hath Teeth aboue wanteth them below But yet if they be of the same kinde it followeth not that if the Hard Matter goeth not into Vpper Teeth it will goe into Hornes Not yet â—â— conuerse For Doe's that haue no Hornes haue no Vpper Teeth Horses haue at three yeares old a Tooth put forth which they call the Colts Tooth And at foure yeares old there commeth the Mark-Tooth which hath a Hole as big as you may lay a Pease within it And that weareth shorter and shorter euery yeare Till that at eight yeares old the Tooth is smooth and the Hole gone And then they say That the Marke is out of the Horses Mouth The Teeth of Men breed first when the Childe is about a yeare and halfe old And then they cast them and new come about seuen yeares old But diuers haue Backward-Teeth come forth at Twenty yea some at Thirty and Forty Quare of the manner of the Comming of them forth They tell a Tale of the old Countesse of Desmond who liued till she was seuen-score yeares old that she did Dentire twice or thrice Casting her old Teeth and others Comming in their Place Teeth are much hurt by Sweet-Meats And by Painting with Mercury And by Things Ouer-hot And by Things Ouer-cold And by Rheumes And the Paine of the Teeth is one of the sharpest of Paines Concerning Teeth those Things are to be Considered 1. The Preseruing of them 2. The Keeping of them White 3. The Drawing of them with Least Paine 4. The Staying and Easing of the Tooth-ach 5. The Binding in of Artificiall Teeth where haue beene strucken out 6. And last of all that Great One of Restoring Teeth in Age. The Instances that giue any likelihood of Restoring Teeth in Age are The Late Comming of Teeth in some And the Renewing of the Beakes in Birds which are Commateriall with Teeth Quare therefore more particularly how that commeth And againe the Renewing of Hornes But yet that hath not beene knowne to haue beene prouoked by Art Therfore let Triall be made whether Hornes may be procured to grow in Beasts that are not Horned and how And whether they may be procured to come Larger than vsuall As to make an Oxe or a Deere haue a Greater Head of Hornes And whether the Head of a Deere that by Age is more Spitted may be brought againe to be more Branched For those Trialls and the like will shew whether by Art such Hard Matter can be called and prouoked It may be tryed also whether Birds may not haue some thing done to them when they are Young wherby they may be made to haue Greater or Longer Bills Or Greater and Longer Tallons And whether Children may not haue some Wash or Something to make their Teeth Better and Stronger Corall is in vse as an Helpe to the Teeth of Children Some Liuing Creatures generate but at certaine Seasons of the Yeare As Deere Sheepe Wilde Conneyes c. And most Sorts of Birds and Fishes Others at any time of the Yeare as Men And all Domesticke Creatures As Horses Hogges Dogges Cats c. The Cause of Generation at all Seasons seemeth to be Fulnesse For Generation is from Redundance This Fulnesse ariseth from two Causes Either from the Nature of the Creature if it be Hot and Moist and Sanguine Or from Plenty of Food For the first Men Horses Dogges c. which breed at all Seasons are full of Heat and Moisture Dones are the fullest of Heat and Moisture amongst Birds and therefore breed often The Tame Doue almost continually But Deere are a Melancholy Dry Creature as appeareth by their Fearefulnesse and the Hardnesse of their Flesh. Sheepe are a Cold Creature as appeareth by their Mildnesse and for that they seldome Drinke Most sort of Birds are of a dry Substance in comparison of Beasts Fishes are cold For the second Cause Fulnesse of Food Men Kine Swine Dogs c. seed full And we see that those Creatures which being Wilde generate seldome being Tame generate often Which is from Warmth and Fulnesse of Food We finde that the Time of Going to Rut of Deore
may be many Deawes fall that spend before they come to the Valleys And I suppose that he that would gather the best May-Deaw for Medicine should gather it from the Hills It is said they haue a manner to prepare their Greeke-Wines to keepe them from Fuming and Inebriating by adding some Sulphur or Allome Whereof the one is Vnctnous and the other is Astringent And certaine it is that those two Natures doe best represse Fumes This Experiment would be transferred vnto other Wine and Strong Beere by Putting in some like Substances while they worke Which may make them both to Fume lesse and to Inflame lesse It is conceiued by some not improbably that the reason why Wilde-Fires Whereof the principall Ingredient is Bitumen doe not quench with Water is for that the first Concretion of Bitumen is a Mixture of a Fiery and Watry Substance So is not Sulphur This appeareth for that in the Place neare Puteoli which they call the Court of Valcan you shall heare vnder the Earth a Horrible Thundring of Fire and Water conflicting together And there breake forth also Spouts of Boyling Water Now that Place yeeldeth great Quantities of Bitumen Whereas AEtna and Vesuuius and the like which consist vpon Sulphur shoot forth Smoake and Ashes and Pumice but no Water It is reported also that Bitumen Mingled with Lime and Put vnder Water will make as it were an Artificiall Rocke The Substance becommeth so Hard. There is a Cement compounded of Floure Whites of Egges and Stone powdred that becommeth Hard as Marble wherewith Piscina mirabilis neare Cuma is said to haue the Walls Plastered And it is certaine and tried that the Powder of Load-Stone and Flint by the Addition of Whites of Egges and Gumm-Dragon made into Paste will in a few dayes harden to the Hardnesse of a Stone It hath beene noted by the Ancients that in Full or Impure Bodies Vlcers or Hurts in the Leggs are Hard to Cure And in the Head more Easie. The Cause is for that Vlcers or Hurts in the Leggs require Deficcation which by the Defluxion of Humours to the Lower Parts is hindred Whereas Hurts and Vlcers in the Head require it not But contrariwise Drinesse maketh them more apt to Consolidate And in Moderne Obseruation the like difference hath beene found betweene French-Men and English-Men Where of the ones Constitution is more Dry and the others more Moist And therefore a Hurt of the Head is harder to cure in a French-Man and of the Legge in an English-Man It hath beene noted by the Ancients that Southerne Winds blowing much without Raine doe cause a Feuourous Disposition of the Yeare But with Raine not The Cause is for that Southerne Winds doe of themselues qualifie the Aire to be apt to cause Feuers But when Showers are ioyned they doe Refrigerate in Part and Checke the Sultry Heat of the Southerne Wind. Therefore this holdeth not in the Sea-Coasts because the Vapour of the Sea without Showers doth refresh It hath beene noted by the Ancients that Wounds which are made with Brasse heale more easily than Wounds made with Iron The Cause is for that Brasse hath in it selfe a Sanatiue Vertue And so in the very Instant helpeth somewhat But Iron is Corrosiue and not Sanatiue And therefore it were good that the Instruments which are vsed by Chirurgians about Wounds were rather of Brasse than Iron In the Cold Countries when Mens Noses and Eares are Mortified and as it were Gangrened with Cold if they come to a Fire they rot off presently The Cause is for that the few Spirits that remaine in those Parts are suddenly drawne forth and so Putrefaction is made Compleat But Snow Put vpon them helpeth For that it preserueth those Spirits that remaine till they can reuiue And besides Snow hath in it a Secret Warmth As the Monke proued out of the Text Qui dat Niuem sicut Lanam Gelu sicut Cineres spargit Whereby he did inferre that Snow did warme like Wooll and Frost did fret like Ashes Warme Water also doth good Because by little and little it openeth the Pores without any sudden Working vpon the Spirits This Experiment may be transferred vnto the Cure of Gangrenes either Comming of themselues or induced by too much Applying of Opiates Wherein you must beware of Dry Heat and resort to Things that are Refrigerant with an Inward Warmth and Vertue of Cherishing Weigh Iron and Aqua Fortis seuerally Then dissolue the Iron in the Aqua Fortis And weigh the Dissolution And you shall finde it to beare as good Weight as the Bodies did seuerally Notwithstanding a good deale of Wast by a thicke Vapour that issueth during the Working Which sheweth that the Opening of a Body doth increase the Weight This was tried once or twice but I know not whether there were any Errour in the Triall Take of Aqua-Fortis two Ounces of Quick-siluer two Drachmes For that Charge the Aqua-Fortis will beare The Dissolution will not beare a Flint as big as a Nutmeg Yet no doubt the Increasing of the Weight of Water will increase his Power of Bearing As we see Broine when it is Salt enough will beare an Egge And I remember well a Physitian that vsed to giue some Minerall Baths for the Gout c. And the Body when it was put into the Bath could not get downe so easily as in Ordinary Water But it seemeth the Weight of the Quick-siluer more than the Weight of a Stone doth not compense the Weight of a Stone more than the Weight of the Aqua-Fortis Let there be a Body of Vnequall Weight As of Wood and Lead or Bone and Lead If you throw it from you with the Light-End forward it will turne and the Weightier End will recouer to be Forwards Vnlesse the Body be Ouer-long The Cause is for that the more Dense Body hath a more Violent Pressure of the Parts from the first Impulsion Which is the Cause though heretofore not found out as hath been often said of all Violent Motions And when the Hinder Part moueth swifter for that it lesse endureth Pressure of Parts than the Forward Part can make way for it it must needs be that the Body turne ouer For turned it can more easily draw forward the Lighter Part. Gaâ—â—laeus noteth it well That if an Open Trough wherein Water is be driuen faster than the Water can follow the Water gathereth vpon an heape towards the Hinder End where the Motion began Which he supposeth holding confidently the Motion of the Earth to be the Cause of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Ocean Because the Earth ouer-runneth the Water Which Theory though it be false yet the first Experiment is true As for the Inequality of the Pressure of Parts it appeareth manifestly in this That if you take a Body of Stone or Iron and another of Wood of the same Magnitude and Shape and throw them with equall Force you cannot possibly throw the
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
getteth into a Body Whereas in the first Putting vp it commeth in little Portions We spake of the Ashes that Coales cast off And of Grasse and Chaffe carried by the Wind So any Light Thing that moueth when we finde no Wind sheweth a Wind at hand As when Feathers or Downe of Thistles fly to and fro in the Aire For Prognosticks of Weather from Liuing Creatures it is to be noted That Creatures that Liue in the Open Aire Sub Diô must needs haue a Quicker Impression from the Aire than Men that liue most within Doores And especially Birds who liue in the Aire freest and clearest And are aptest by their Voice to tell Tales what they finde And likewise by the Motion of their Flight to expresse the same Water-Fowles as Sea-Gulls More-Hens c. when they flocke and fly together from the Sea towards the Shores And contrariwise Land-Birds as Crowes Swallowes c. when they fly from the Land to the Waters and beat the Waters with their Wings doe fore-shew Raine and Wind. The Cause is Pleasure that both Kindes take in the Moistnesse and Density of the Aire And so desire to be in Motion and vpon the Wing whither soeuer they would otherwise goe For it is no Maruell that Water-Fowle doe ioy most in that Aire which is likest Water And Land-Birds also many of them delight in Bathing and Moist Aire For the same Reason also many Birds doe proine their Feathers And Geese doe gaggle And Crowes seeme to call vpon Raine All which is but the Comfort they seeme to receiue in the Relenting of the Aire The Heron when she foareth high so as sometimes she is seene to passe ouer a Cloud sheweth Winds But Kites flying aloft shew Faire and Dry Weather The Cause may be for that they both mount most into the Aire of that Temper wherein they delight And the Heron being a Water-Fowle taketh pleasure in the Aire that is Condensed And besides being but Heauy of Wing needeth the Helpe of the Grosser Aire But the Kite affecteth not so much the Grossenesse of the Aire as the Cold and Freshnesse thereof For being a Bird of Prey and therefore Hot she delighteth in the Fresh Aire And many times flyeth against the Wind As Trouts and Salmons swimme against the Streame And yet it is true also that all Birds finde an Ease in the depth of the Aire As Swimmers doe in a Deepe Water And therefore when they are aloft they can vphold themselues with their Wings Spred scarce mouing them Fishes when they play towards the Top of the Water doe commonly foretell Raine The Cause is for that a Fish hating the Dry will not approach the Aire till it groweth Moist And when it is Dry will fly it and Swimme Lower Beasts doe take Comfort generally in a Moist Aire And it maketh them eat their Meat better And therefore Sheepe will get vp betimes in the Morning to feed against Raine And Cattell and Deere and Conneyes will feed hard before Raine And a Heifer will put vp his Nose and snuffe in the Aire against Raine The Trifoile against Raine swelleth in the Stalke and so standeth more vpright For by Wet Stalkes doe erect and Leaues bow downe I here is a Small Red Flower in the Stubble-Fields which Country People call the Wincopipe Which if it open in the Morning you may be sure of a faire Day to follow Euen in Men Aches and Hurts and Cornes doe engrieue either towards Raine or towards Frost For the One maketh the Humours more to Abound And the Other maketh them Sharper So we see both Extremes bring the Gout Wormes Vermine c. doe fore-shew likewise Raine For Earth-wormes will come forth and Moules will cast vp more and Fleas bite more against Raine Solide Bodies likewise fore-shew Raine As Stones and Wainscot when they sweat And Boxes and Peggs of Wood when they Draw and Wind hard Though the Former be but from an Outward Cause For that the Stone or Wainscot turneth and beateth backe the Aire against it selfe But the latter is an Inward Swelling of the Body of the Wood it selfe Apetite is moued chiefly by Things that are Cold and Dry The Cause is for that Cold is a Kinde of Indigence of Nature and calleth vpon Supply And so is Drinesse And therefore all Soure Things as Vinegar Iuyce of Limons Oyle of Vitrioll c. prouoke Appetite And the Disease which they call Appetitus Caninus consisteth in the Matter of an Acide and Glassy Flegme in the Mouth of the Stomach Appetite is also moued by Soure Things For that Soure Things induce a Contraction in the Nerues placed in the Mouth of the Stomach Which is a great Cause of Appetite As for the Cause why Onions and Salt and Pepper in Baked Meats moue Appetite it is by Vellication of those Nerues For Motion whetteth As for Worme-Wood Oliues Capers and others of that kinde which participate of Bitternesse they moue Appetite by Abstersion So as there be foure Principall Causes of Appetite The Refrigeration of the Stomach ioyned with some Drinesse Contraction Vellication And Abstersion Besides Hunger which is an Emptinesse And yet Ouer Fasting doth many times cause the Appetite to cease For that Want of Meat maketh the Stomach draw Humours And such Humours as are Light and Cholericke which quench Appetite most It hath beene obserued by the Ancients that where a Raine-Bow seemeth no hang ouer or to touch there breatheth forth a Sweet Smell The Cause is for that this happeneth but in certaine Matters which haue in themselues some Sweetnesse Which the Gentle Dew of the Raine-Bow doth draw forth And the like doe Safe Showers For they also make the Ground Sweet But none are so delicate as the Dew of the Rain-bow where it falleth It may be also that the Water it selfe bath some Sweetnesse For the Raine-Bow consisteth of a Gloâ—â—eration of Small Drops which cannot possibly fall but from the Aire that is very Low And therefore may hold the very Sweetnesse of the Herbs and Flowers as a Distilled Water For Raine and other Dew that fall from high cannot preserue the Smell being dissipated in the drawing vp Neither doe we know whether some Water it selfe may not haue some degree of Sweetnesse It is true that wee finde it sensibly in no Poole Riuer nor Fountaine But good Earth newly turned vp hath a Freshnesse and good Sent Which water if it be not too Equall For Equall Obiects neuer moue the Sense may also haue Certaine it is that Bay-Salt which is but a kinde of Water Congealed will sometimes smell like Violets To Sweet Smells Heat is requisite to Concoct the Matter And some Moisture to Spread the Breath of them For Heat we see that Woods and Spices are more Odorate in the Hot Countries than in the Cold For Moisture we see that Things too much Dried lose their Sweetnesse And Flowers growing smell better in a Morning or Euening than at Noone Some Sweet Smells are
Disgestions In the Stomach In the Liuer In the Arteries and Nerues And in the Seuerall Parts of the Body are likewise called Concoctions And they are all made to be the Workes of Heat All which Notions are but ignorant Catches of a few Things which are most Obuious to Mens Obseruations The Constantest Notion of Concoction is that it should signifie the Degrees of Alteration of one Body into another from Crudity to Perfect Concoction Which is the Vltimity of that Action or Processe And while the Body to be Conuerted and Altered is too strong for the Efficient that should Conuert or Alter it whereby it resisteth and holdeth fast in some degree the first Forme or Consistence it is all that while Crude and Inconcoct And the Processe is to be called Crudity and Inconcoction It is true that Concoction is in great part the Worke of Heat But not the Worke of Heat alone For all Things that further the Conuersion or Alteration as Rest Mixture of a Body already Concocted c. are also Meanes to Concoction And there are of Concoction two Periods The one Assimilation or Absolute Conuersion and Subaction The other Maturation whereof the Former is most conspicuous in the Bodies of Liuing Creatures In which there is an Absolute Conuersion and Assimilation of the Nourishment into the Body And likewise in the Bodies of Plants And againe in Metalls where there is a full Transmutation The other which is Maturation is seene in Liquours and Fruits wherein there is not desired nor pretended an vtter Conuersion but onely an Alteration to that Forme which is most sought for Mans vse As in Clarifying of Drinkes Ripening of Fruits c. But note that there be two Kindes of Absolute Conuersions The one is when a Body is conuerted into another Body which was before As when Nourishment is turned into Flesh That is it which wee call Assimilation The other is when the Conuersion is into a Body meerely New and which was not before As if Siluer should be turned to Gold or Iron to Copper And this Conuersion is better called for distinctions sake Transmutation There are also diuers other Great Alterations of Matter and Bodies besides those that tend to Concoction and Maturation For whatsoeuer doth so alter a Body as it returneth not againe to that it was may be called Alteratio Maior As when Meat is Boyled or Roasted or Fried c. Or when Bread and Meat are Baked Or when Cheese is made of Curds or Butter of Creame or Goales of wood or Brickes of Earth And a Number of others But to apply Notions Philosophicall to Plebcian Termes Or to say where the Notions cannot fitly be reconciled that there wanteth a Terme or Nomenclature for it as the Ancients vsed They be but Shifts of Ignorance For Knowledge will be euer a Wandring and Indigested Thing if it be but a Commixture of a few Notions that are at hand and occurre and not excited from sufficient Number of Instances and those well collated The Consistences of Bodies are very diuers Dense Rare Tangible Pneumaticall Volatile Fixed Determinate Not Determinate Hard Soft Cleauing Not Cleauing Congealeable Not Congealeable Liquefiable Not Liquefiable Fragile Tough Flexible Inflexible Tractile or to be drawen forth in length Intractile Porous Solide Equall and Smooth Vnequall Venous and Fibrous and with Graines Entire And diuers Others All which to referre to Heat and Cold and Moisture and Drought is a Compendious and Inutile Speculation But of these see principally our Abecedarium Nature And otherwise Sparfim in this in our Sylua Syluarum Neuerthelesse in some good part We shall handle diuers of them now presently Liquefiable and Not Liquefiable proceed from these Causes Liquefaction is euer caused by the Detention of the Spirits which play within the Body and Open it Therefore such Bodies as are more Turgide of Spirit Or that haue their Spirits more Sraitly Imprisoned Or againe that hold them Better Pleased and Content are Liquefiable For these three Dispositions of Bodies doe arrest the Emission of the Spirits An Example of the first two Properties is in Metalls And of the Last in Grease Pitch Sulphure Butter Wax c. The Disposition not to Liquefie proceedeth from the Easie Emission of the Spirits whereby the Grosser Parts contract And therefore Bodies Ieiune of Spirits Or which part with their Spirits more Willingly are not Liquefiable As Wood Clay Free-stone c. But yet euen many of those Bodies that will not Melt or will hardly Melt will notwithstanding Soften As Iron in the Forge And a Sticke bathed in Hot Ashes which thereby becommeth more Flexible Moreouer there are some Bodies which doe Liquefie or dissolue by Fire As Metalls Wax c. And other Bodies which dissolue in Water As Salt Sugar c. The Cause of the former proceedeth from the Dilatation of the Spirits by Heat The Cause of the Latter proceedeth from the Opening of the Tangible Parts which desire to receiue the Liquour Againe there are some Bodies that dissolue with both As Gumme c. And those be such Bodies as on the One Side haue good store of Spirit And on the other Side haue the Tangible Parts Indigent of Moisture For the former helpeth to the Dilating of the Spirits by the Fire And the Latter stimulateth the Parts to Receiue the Liquour Of Bodies some are Fragile And some are Tough and Not Fragile And in the Breaking some Fragile Bodies breake but where the Force is Some shatter and fly in many Peeces Of Fragility the Cause is an Impotency to be Extended And therefore Stone is more Fragile than Metall And so Fictile Earth is more Fragile than Crude Earth And Dry Wood than Greene. And the Cause of this Vnaptnesse to Extension is the Small Quantity of Spirits For it is the Spirit that furthereth the Extension or Dilatation of Bodies And it is euer Concomitant with Porosity and with Drinesse in the Tangible Parts Contrariwise Tough Bodies haue more Spirit and sewer Pores and Moister Tangible Parts Therefore wee see that Parchment or Leather will stretch Paper will not Woollen Cloth will tenter Linnen scarcely All Solide Bodies consist of Parts of two seuerall Natures Pneumaticall and Tangible And it is well to be noted that the Pneumaticall Substance is in some Bodies the Nature Spirit of the Body And in some other plaine Aire that is gotten in As in Bodies desiccate by Heat or Age For in them when the Natiue Spirit goeth forth and the Moisture with it the Aire with time getteth into the Pores And those Bodies are euer the more Fragile For the Natiue Spirit is more Yeelding and Extensiue especially to follow the Parts than Aire The Natiue Spirits also admit great Diuersitie As Hot Cold Active Dull c. Whence proceed most of the Vertues and Qualities as wee call them of Bodies But the Aire intermixt is without Vertues and maketh Things Infioide and without any Extimulation The Concretion of Bodies
is commonly solued by the Contrary As Ice which is congealed by Gold is dissolued by Heat Salt and Sugar which are Excocted by Heat are Dissolued by Cold and Moisture The Cause is for that these Operations are rather Returnes to their former Nature than Alterations So that the Contrary cureth As for Oyle it doth neither easily congeale with Cold nor thicken with Heat The Cause of both Effects though they be produced by Contrary Efficients seemeth to be the Same And that is because the Spirit of the Oyle by either Meanes exhaleth little For the Cold keepeth it in and the Heat except it be Vehement doth not call it forth As for Cold though it take hold of the Tangible Parts yet as to the Spirits it doth rather make them Swell than Congeale them As when Ice is congealed in a Cup the Ice will Swell in stead of Contracting And sometimes Rift Of Bodies some wee see are Hard and some Soft The Hardnesse is caused chiefly by the Ieiunenesse of the Spirits And their Imparitie with the Tangible Parts Both which if they be in a greater degree maketh them not only Hard but Fragile and lesse Enduring of Pressure As Steele Stone Glasse Drie Wood c. Softnesse commeth contrariwise by the Greater Quantitie of Spirits which euer helpeth to Induce Yeelding and Cession And by the more Equall Spreading of the Tangible Parts which thereby are more Sliding and Following As in Gold Lead Wax c. But note that Soft Bodies as wee vse the word are of two Kinds The one that easily glueth place to another Body but altereth not Bulke by Rising in other Places And therefore wee see that Wax if you put any Thing into it doth not rise in Bulke but only giueth Place For you may not thinke that in Printing of Wax the Wax riseth vp at all But only the depressed Part giueth place and the other remaineth as it was The other that altereth Bulke in the Cession As Water or other Liquours if you put a Stone or any Thing into them they giue place indeed easily but then they rise all ouer Which is a False Cession For it is in Place and not in Body All Bodies Ductile and Tensile as Metals that will be drawne into Wires Wooll and Towe that will be drawne into Yarne or Thred haue in them the Appetite of Not Discontinuing Strong Which maketh them follow the Force that pulleth them out And yet so as not to Discontinue or forsake their owne Body Viscous Bodies likewise as Pitch Wax Bird-Lime Cheese toasted will draw forth and roape But the difference betweene Bodies Fibrous and Bodies Viscous is Plaine For all Wooll and Towe and Cotton and Silke especially raw Silke haue besides their Desire of Continuance in regard of the Tenuitie of their Thred a Greedinesse of Moisture And by Moisture to ioyne and incorporate with other Thred Especially if there be a little Wreathing As appeareth by the Twisting of Thred And the Practise of Twirling about of Spindles And wee see also that Gold and Siluer Thred cannot be made without Twisting The Differences of Impressible and Not Impressible Figurable and Not Figurable Mouldable and Not Mouldable Scissile and Not Scissile And many other Passions of Matter are Plebcian Notions applied vnto the Instruments and Vses which Men ordinarily practise But they are all but the Effects of some of these Causes following Which we will Enumerate without Applying them because that would be too long The First is the Cession or Not Cession of Bodies into a Smaller Space or Roome keeping the Outward Bulke and not flying vp The Second is the Stronger or Weaker Appetite in Bodies to Continuitie and to flie Discontinuitie The Third is the Disposition of Bodies to Contract or Not Contract And againe to Extend or Not Extend The Fourth is the Small Quantitie or Great Quantitie of the Pneumaticall in Bodies The Fifth is the Nature of the Pneumalicall whether is â—â— Natiue Spirit of the Body or Common Aire The Sixth is the Nature of the Natiue Spirits in the Body whether they be Actiue and Eager or Dull and Gentle The Seuenth is the Emission or Detention of the Spirits in Bodies The Eighth is the Dilatation or Contraction of the Spirits in Bodies while they are detained The Ninth is the Collocation of the Spirits in Bodies whether the Collocation be Equall or Vnequall And againe whether the Spirits be Coaceruate or Diffused The Tenth is the Densitie or Raritie of the Tangible Parts The Eleuenth is the Equalitie or Inequalitie of the Tangible Parts The Twelfth is the Disgestion or Cruditie of the Tangible Parts The Thirteenth is the Nature of the Matter whether Sulphureous or Mercuriall Watrie or Oylie Drie and Terrestriall or Moìst and Liquid which Natures of Sulphureous and Mercuriall seeme to be Natures Radicall and Principiall The Fourteenth is the Placing of the Tangible Parts in Length or Transuerse As it is in the Warpe and the Woofe of Textiles More Inward or More Outward c. The Fifteenth is the Porofitie or Imporositie betwixt the Tangible Parts And the Greatnesse or Smalnesse of the Pores The Sixteenth is the Collocation and Pesture of the Pores There may be more Causes but these doe occurre for the Present Take Lead and melt it and in the Middest of it when it beginneth to Congeale make a little Dint or Hole and put Quicke-Siluer wrapped in a Peece of Linnen into that Hole and the Quicke-Siluer will fix and run no more and endure the Hammer This is a Noble Instance of Induration by Consent of one Body with another and Motion of Excitation to Imitate For to ascribe it only to the Vapour of Lead is lesse Probable Quare whether the Fixing may be in such a degree as it will be Figured like other Metals For if so you may make Works of it for some purposes so they come not neere the Fire Sugar hath put downe the vse of Honey Insomuch as wee haue lost those Obseruations and Preparations of Honey which the Ancients had when it was more in Price First it seemeth that there was in old time Tree-Honey as well as Bee-Honey Which was the Teare or Bloud issuing from the Tree Insomuch as one of the Ancients relateth that in Trebisond there was Honey issuing from the Box-Trees which made Men Mad. Againe in Ancient time there was a Kinde of Honey which either of the owne Nature or by Art would grow as Hard as Sugar And was not so Lushious as Ours They had also a Wine of Honey which they made thus They crushed the Honey into a great Quantitie of Water and then strained the Liquour After they boyled it in a Copper to the halfe Then they powred it into Earthen Vessels for a small time And after tunned it into Vessels of Wood and kept it for many years They haue also at this day in Russia and those Northerne Countries Mead Simple which well made and seasoned is a good
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
So Curious Painting in Small Volumes and Reading of Small Letters doe hurt the Eye by Contraction It hath beene obserued that in Anger the Eyes wax Red And in Blushing not the Eyes but the Eares and the Parts behinde them The Cause is for that in Anger the Spirits ascend and wax Eager Which is most easily seene in the Eyes because they are Translucide Though withall it maketh both the Cheekes and the Gills Red But in Blushing it is true the Spirits ascend likewise to Succour both the Eyes and the Face which are the Parts that labour But then they are repulsed by the Eyes for that the Eyes in Shame doe put backe the Spirits that ascend to them as vnwilling to looke abroad For no Men in that Passion doth looke strongly but Deiectedly And that Repulsion from the Eyes Diuerteth the Spirits and Heat more to the Eares and the Parts by them The Obiects of the Sight may cause a great Pleasure and Delight in the Spirits but no Paine or great Offence Except it be by Memory as hath beene said The Glimpses and Beames of Diamonds that strike the Eye Indian Feathers that haue glorious Colours The Comming into a Faire Garden The Comming into a Faire Roome richly furnished A Beautifull Person And the like doe delight and exhilarate the Spirits much The Reason why it holdeth not in the Offence is for that the Sight is the most Spirituall of the Senses whereby it hath no Obiect Grosse enough to offend it But the Cause chiefly is for that there be no Actiue Obiects to offend the Eye For Harmonicall Sounds and Discordant Sounds are both Actiue and Positiue So are Sweet Smels and Stinks So are Bitter and Sweet in Tastes So are Ouer-Hot and ouer-Ouer-Cold in Touch But Blacknesse and Darknesse are indeed but Priuatiues And therefore haue little or no Actiuitie Somewhat they doe Contristate but very little Water of the Sea or otherwise looketh Blacker when it is moued and Whiter when it resteth The Cause is for that by meanes of the Motion the Beames of light passe not Straight and therefore must be darkened whereas when it resteth the Beames doe passe Straight Besides Splendour hath a Degree of Whitenesse Especially if there be a little Repercussion For a Looking-Glasse with the Steele behinde looketh Whiter than Glasse Simple This Experiment deserueth to be driuen further in Trying by what Meanes Motion may hinder Sight Shell-Fish haue beene by some of the Ancients compared and sorted with the Insecta But I see no reason why they should For they haue Male and Female as other Fish haue Neither are they bred of Putrefaction Especially such as doe Moue Neuerthelesse it is certaine that Oisters and Cockles and Mussles which Moue not haue no discriminate Sex Quare in what time and how they are bred It seemeth that Shells of Oisters are bred where none were before A 〈◊〉 tried that the great Horse-Mussle with the fine shell that breedeth in Ponds hath bred within thirty yeares But then which is strange it hath beene tried that they doe not only Gape and Shut as the Oisters doe but Remone from one Place to Another The Senses are alike Strong both on the Right Side and on the Left But the Limmes on the Right Side are Stronger The Cause may be for that the Braine which is the Instrument of Sense is alike on both Sides But Motion and Habilities of Mouing are somewhat holpen from the Liner which lieth on the Right Side It may be also for that the Senses are put in Exercise indifferently on both Sides from the Time of our Birth But the Limmes are vsed most on the Right Side whereby Custome helpeth For wee see that some are Left-Handed Which are such as haue vsed the Left-Hand most Frictions make the Parts more Fleshie and Full As wee see both in Men And in Carrying of Horses c. The Cause is for that they draw greater Quantitie of Spirits and Blond to the Parts And againe because they draw the Aliment more forcibly from within And againe because they relax the Pores and so make better Passage for the Spirits Blond and Aliment Lastly because they dissipate and disgest any Inutile or Excrementitious Moisture which lieth in the Flesh All which helpe Assimilation Frictions also doe more Fâ—ll and Impinguate the Body than Exercise The Cause is for that in Frictions the Inward Parts are at rest Which in Exercise are beaten many times too much And for the same Reason as we haue noted heretofore Gally-Slaues are Fat and Fleshie because they stirre the Limmes more and the Inward Parts lesse All Globes afarre off appeare Flat The Cause is for that Distance being a Secundary Obiect of Sight is not otherwise discerned than by more or lesse Light which Disparitie when it cannot be discerned all seemeth One As it is generally in Obiects not distinctly discerned For so Letters if they be so farre off as they cannot be discerned shew but as a Duskish Paper And all Engrauings and Embossings afarre off appeare Plaine The Vtmost Parts of Shadowes seeme euer to Tremble The Cause is for that the little Moats which wee see in the Sunne doe euer Stirre though there be no Wind And therefore those Mouing in the Meeting of the Light and the Shadow from the Light to the Shadow and from the Shadow to the Light doe shew the Shadow to Moue because the Medium Moueth Shallow and Narrow Seas Breake more than Deepe and Large The Cause is for that the Impulsion being the same in Both Where there is great Quantitie of â—â—â— and likewise Space Enough there the Water Rowleth and Moueth both more Slowly and with a Sloper Rise and Fall But where there is lesse Water and lesse Space and the Water dasheth more against the Bottome there it moueth more Swiftly and more in Precipice For in the Breaking of the Wanes there is euer a Precipice It hath beene obserued by the Ancients that Salt-Water Boyled or Boyled and Cooled againe is more Potable than of it selfe Raw And yet the Taste of Salt in Distillations by Fire riseth not For the Distilled Water will be Fresh The Cause may be for that the Salt Part of the Water doth partly rise into a Kinde of Scumme on the Top And partly goeth into a Sediment in the Bottome And so is rather a Separation than an Euaporation But it is too grosse to rise into a Vapour And so is a Bitter Taste likewise For Simple Distilled Waters of Wormewood and the like are not Bitter It hath beene set downe before that Pits vpon the Sea-Shoare turne into Fresh Water by Percolation of the Salt through the Sand But it is further noted by some of the Ancients that in some Places of Affricke after a time the Water in such Pits will become Brackish againe The Cause is for that after a time the very Sands thorow which the Salt-Water passeth become Salt And so the
Wood so farre as the Stone or Iron It is certaine as it hath beene formerly in part touched that Water may be the Medium of Sounds If you dash a Stone against a Stone in the Bottome of the Water it maketh a Sound So a long Pole strucke vpon Grauell in the Bottome of the Water maketh a Sound Nay if you should thinke that the Sound commeth vp by the Pole and not by the Water you shall finde that an Anchor let downe by a Roape maketh a Sound And yet the Roape is no Solide Body whereby the Sound can ascend All Obiects of the Senses which are very Offensiue doe cause the Spirits to retire And vpon their Flight the Parts are in some degree destitute And so there is induced in them a Trepidation and Horrour For Sounds we see that the Grating of a Saw or any very Harsh Noise will set the Teeth on edge and make all the Body Shiuer For Tastes we see that in the Taking of a Potion or Pills the Head and the Necke shake For Odious Smells the like Effect followeth which is lesse perceiued because there is a Remedy at hand by Stopping of the Nose But in Horses that can vse no such Help we see the Smell of a Carrion especially of a Dead Horse maketh them fly away and take on almost as if they were Mad. For Feeling if you come out of the Sunne suddenly into a Shade there followeth a Chilnesse or Shiuering in all the Body And euen in Sight which hath in effect no Odious Obiect Comming into Sudden Darknesse induceth an Offer to Shiuer There is in the City of Ticinum in Italy a Church that hath Windownes onely from aboue It is in Length an Hundred Feet in Breadth Twenty Feet and in Height neare Fifty Hauing a Doore in the Middest It reporteth the Voice twelue or thirteene times if you stand by the Close End-Wall ouer against the Doore The Eccho fadeth and dyeth by little and little as the Eccho at Pont-charenton doth And the Voice soundeth as if it came from aboue the Doore And if you stand at the Lower End or on either Side of the Doore the Eccho holdeth But if you stand in the Doore or in the Middest iust ouer against the Doore not Note that all Eccho's sound better against Old Walls than New Because they are more Dry and Hollow Those Effects which are wrought by the Percussion of the Sense and by Things in Fact are produced likewise in some degree by the Imagination Therefore if a Man see another eat Soure or Acide Things which set the Teeth on edge this Obiect tainteth the Imagination So that hee that seeth the Thing done by another hath his owne Teeth also set on edge So if a Man see another turne swiftly and long Or if he looke vpon Wheeles that turne Himselfe waxeth Turne-sicke So if a Man be vpon an High Place without Railes or good Hold except he be vsed to it he is Ready to Fall For Imagining a Fall it putteth his Spirits into the very Action of a Fall So Many vpon the Seeing of others Bleed or Strangled or Tortured Themselues are ready to faint as if they Bled or were in Strife Take a Stocke-Gilly-Flower and tye it gently vpon a Sticke and put them both into a Stoope Glasse full of Quick-siluer so that the Flower be couered Then lay a little Weight vpon the Top of the Glasse that may keepe the Sticke downe And looke vpon them after foure or fiue daies And you shall finde the Flower Fresh and the Stalke Harder and lesse Flexible than it was If you compare it with another Flower gathered at the same time it will be the more manifest This sheweth that Bodies doe preserue excellently in Quick-siluer And not preserue only but by the Coldnesse of the Quick-siluer Indurate For the Freshnesse of the Flower may be meerely Conseruation which is the more to be obserued because the Quick-Siluer presseth the Flower But the Stiffenesse of the Stalke cannot be without Induration from the Cold as it seemeth of the Quick-siluer It is reported by some of the Ancients that in Cyprus there is a Kinde of Iron that being cut into Little Peeces and put into the Ground if it be well Watred will increase into Greater Peeces This is certaine and knowne of Old That Lead will multiply and Increase As hath beene seene in Old Statua's of Stone which haue beene put in Cellars The Feet of them being bound with Leaden Bands Where after a time there appeared that the Lead did swell Insomuch as it hanged vpon the Stone like Warts I call Drowning of Metalls when that the Baser Metall is so incorporate with the more Rich as it can by no Meanes be separated againe which is a kinde of Version though False As if Siluer should be inseparably incorporated with Gold Or Copper and Lead with Siluer The Ancient Electrum had in it a Fifth of Siluer to the Gold And made a Compound Metall as fit for most vses as Gold And more Resplendent and more Qualified in some other Properties But then that was easily Separated This to doe priuily or to make the Compound passe for the Rich Metall Simple is an Adulteration or Counterfeiting But if it be done Auowedly and without Disguizing it may be a great Sauing of the Richer Metall I remember to haue heard of a Man skilfull in Metalls that a Fifteenth Part of Siluer incorporate with Gold will not be Recouered by any Water of Separation Except you put a Greater Quantity of Siluer to draw to it the Lesse which he said is the last Refuge in Separations But that is a tedious way which no Man almost will thinke on This would be better enquired And the Quantity of the Fifteenth turned to a Twentieth And likewise with some little Additionall that may further the Intrinsique Incorporation Note that Siluer in Gold will be detected by Weight compared with the Dimension But Lead in Silver Lead being the Weightier Metall will not be detected If you take so much the more Siluer as will counteruaile the Ouer-Weight of the Lead Gold is the onely Substance which hath nothing in it Volatile and yet melteth without much difficulty The Melting sheweth that it is not Ieiune or Scarce in Spirit So that the Fixing of it is not Want of Spirit to fly out but the Equall Spreading of the Tangible Parts and the Close Coaceruation of them Whereby they haue the lesse Appetite and no Meanes at all to issue forth It were good therefore to try whether Glasse Re-moulten doe leese any Weight For the Parts in Glasse are euenly Spred But they are not so Close as in Gold As we see by the Easie Admission of Light Heat and Cold And by the Smalnesse of the Weight There be other Bodies Fixed which haue little or no Spirit So as there is nothing to fly out As wee see in the Stuffe whereof Coppells are made Which they
put into Furnaces Vpon which Fire worketh not So that there are three Causes of Fixation The Euen Spreading both of the Spirits and Tangible Parts The Closenesse of the Tangible Parts And the Ieiunenesse or Extreme Comminution of Spirits Of which Three the Two First may be ioyned with a Nature Liquefiable The Last not It is Profound Contemplation in Nature to consider of the Emptinesse as we may call it or Insatisfaction of seuerall Bodies And of their Appetite to take in Others Aire taketh in Lights and Sounds and Smells and Vapours And it is most manifest that it doth it with a kinde of Thirst as not satisfied with his owne former Consistence For else it would neuer receiue them in so suddenly and easily Water and all Liquours doe hastily receiue Dry and more Terrestriall Bodies Proportionable And Dry Bodies on the other side drinke in Waters and Liquours So that as it was well said by one of the Ancients of Earthy and Watry Substances One is a Glue to another Parchment Skins Cloth c. drinke in Liquours though themselues be Entire Bodies and not Comminuted as Sand and Ashes Nor apparently Porous Metalls themselues doe receiue in readily Strong-Waters And Strong-Waters likewise doe readily pierce into Metalls and Stones And that Strong-Water will touch vpon Gold that will not touch vpon Siluer And è conuerso And Gold which seemeth by the Weight to be the Closest and most Solide Body doth greedily drinke in Quick-Siluer And it seemeth that this Reception of other Bodies is not Violent For it is many times Reciprocall and as it were with Consent Of the Cause of this and to what Axiome it may be referred consider attentiuely For as for the Pretty Assertion that Matter is like a Common Strumpet that desireth all Formes it is but a Wandring Notion Onely Flame doth not content it selfe to take in any other Body But either to ouercome and turne another Body into it Selfe as by Victory Or it Selfe to dye and goe out NATVRALL HISTORIE IX Century IT is certaine that all Bodies whatsoeuer though they haue no Sense yet they haue Perception For when one Body is applied to another there is a Kinde of Election to embrace that which is Agreeable and to exclude or expell that which is Ingrate And whether the Body be Alterant or Altered euermore a Perception precedeth Operation For else all Bodies would be alike One to Another And sometimes this Perception in some Kinde of Bodies is farre more Subtill than the Sense So that the Sense is but a dull Thing in Comparison of it Wee see a Weather-Glasse will finde the least difference of the Weather in Heat or Cold when Men finde it not And this Perception also is sometimes at Distance as well as vpon the Touch As when the Load-Stone draweth Iron or Flame fireth Naphtha of Babylon a great distance off It is therefore a Subiect of a very Noble Enquiry to enquire of the more Subtill Perceptions For it is another Key to open Nature as well as the Sense And sometimes Better And besides it is a Principall Meanes of Naturall Diuination For that which in these Perceptions appeareth early in the great Effects commeth long after It is true also that it serueth to discouer that which is Hid as well as to foretell that which is to Come As it is in many Subtill Trialls As to trie whether Seeds be old or new the Sense cannot informe But if you boile them in Water the New Seeds will sprout sooner And so of Water the Taste will not discouer the best Water But the Speedy Consuming of it and many other Meanes which we haue heretofore set downe will discouer it So in all Physiognomy the Lineaments of the Body will discouer those Naturall Inclinations of the Minde which Dissimulation will conceale or Discipline will suppresse Wee shall therefore now handle only those two Perceptions which pertaine to Naturall Diuination and Discouery Leauing the Handling of Perception in other Things to be disposed Elsewhere Now it is true that Diuination is attained by other Meanes As if you know the Causes If you know the Concomitants you may iudge of the Effect to follow And the like may be said of Discouery But wee tie our Selues here to that Diuination and Discouery chiefly which is Caused by an Early or Subtill Perception The Aptnesse or Propension of Aire or Water to Corrupt or Putrifie no doubt is to be found before it breake forth into manifest Effects of Diseases Blastings or the like Wee will therefore set downe some Prognosticks of Pestilentiall and Vnwholsome Yeares The Wind blowing much from the South without Raine And Wormes in the Oake-Apple haue beene spoken of before Also the Plenty of Frogs Grashappers Flies and the like Creatures bred of Putrefaction doth portend Pestilentiall Yeares Great and Early Heats in the Spring and namely in May without Winds portend the same And generally so doe Yeares with little Wind or Thunder Great Droughts in Summer lasting till towards the End of August and some Gentle Showres vpon them And then some Drie Weather againe Doe portend a Pestilent Summer the Yeare following For about the End of August all the Sweetnesse of the Earth which goeth into Plants and Trees is exhaled And much more if the August be dry So that nothing then can breathe forth of the Earth but a grosse Vapour which is apt to Corrupt the Aire And that Vapour by the first Showres if they be Gentle is released and commeth forth abundantly Therefore they that come abroad soone after those Showres are commonly taken with Sicknesse And in Affricke no Body will stirre out of doores after the first Showres But if the Showres come vehemently then they rather wash and fill the Earth than giue it leaue to breathe forth presently But if Drie Weather come againe then it fixeth and continueth the Corruption of the Aire vpon the first Showres begun And maketh it of ill Influence euen to the Next Summer Except a very Frostie Winter discharge it Which seldome succeedeth such Droughts The Lesser Infections of the Small Pockes Purple Feuers Agues in the Summer Precedent and houering all Winter doe portend a great Pestilence in the Summer following For Putrefaction doth not rise to his height at once It were good to lay a Peece of Raw Flesh or Fish in the Open Aire And if it Putrefie quickly it is a Signe of a Disposition in the Aire to Putrefaction And because you cannot be informed whether the Putrefaction be quicke or late except you compare this Experiment with the like Experiment in another Yeare it were not amisse in the same Yeare and at the same Time to lay one Peece of Flesh or Fish in the Open Aire and another of the same Kinde and Bignesse within Doores For I iudge that if a generall Disposition be in the Aire to Putrefie the Flesh or Fish will sooner Putrefie abroad where the Aire hath more power than in the House where it