Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	air_n	body_n	element_n	4,987	5	9.8633	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28366	A preparatory to the history natural & experimental written originally in Latine, by the Right Honourable Francis, Lord Verulam, Lord High Chancellour of England ; and now faithfully rendred into English, by a well-wisher to his Lordships writings.; Sylva sylvarum. Preface. English	Bacon, Francis, 1561-1626.; Well-wisher to his Lordships writings.	1670 (1670)	Wing B317; ESTC R6927	11,755	15

it is as requisite that the things received be Penned succinctly as that superfluous matters be lopt of Although there is no doubt but that this kind of curtness and brevity will afford far less delight both to the Reader and Writer But it must always be remembred that this thing that is in hand is nothing else but the Garner and Store-house of things wherein men must not tarry or dwell with pleasure but must descend thereto as need requires when any thing is to be made use of about the work of the Interpreter which follows it IV. In the History which we require and purpose in our mind above all things it must be looked after that its extent be large and that it be made after the measure of the Universe for the World ought not to be tyed into the straightness of the understanding which hitherto hath been done but our Intellect should be stretched and widened so as to be capable of the Image of the World such as we find it for that custome of Respecting but a few things and passing sentence according to that paucity and scantness hath spoiled all Therefore we re-assuming that division of our Natural History which we made of it a little before that it be either of Generations Pretergenerations or Arts. We have constituted five Parts of the History of Generations Let the first be concerning the Firmament and Celestial things the second of Meteors and Regions as they call them of the Air to wit of the Tracts from the Moon to the Superficies of the Earth To which part also we assign for orders sake however the truth of the thing be all kind of Comets both sublimer as lower The third of the Land and Sea The fourth of the Elements as they call them of Flame or Fire Aire Water and Earth But we would have the Elements understood not for the First Principles of things but for the greater Masses of Natural Bodies for the Nature of things is so distributed that the Quantity or Mass of certain Bodies in the Universe is very great because that there is required an easie and obvious Texture of the Matter to the framing of them such as are those four bodies which we speak of But for certain other bodies their Quantity is in the Universe small and sparingly afforded by reason of the Texture of the Matter very unlike and subtill and in most of them Determinate and Organical Such as are the Species of Natural things Metals Plants Animals Wherefore we are wont to stile the former sort of bodies Greater Collections the latter Smaller Collections But of those Greater Collections the fourth part of this History treateth under the name of Elements as we said before Not is the fourth part confounded with the second and third in this that in all of them we make mention of Air Water and Earth for in the second and third part is contained the History of them as the Entire parts of the World and as they respect the fabrick and framing of the Universe but in the fourth part there is contained the History of their Substance and Nature which bears sway in the several similar parts of them and is not related to the whole In fine the fifth part of the History treats of the Lesser Collections or Species about which Natural Histories have hitherto been chiefly conversant But as to the History of Pretergenerations we have already said that it may very commodiously be joyned with the History of Generations but that part only which is Prodigious and Natural for we set aside the Superstitious History of Miracles of what sort soever for a Treatise by it self Nor is it to be at all received at the beginning but a little after when there is a little deeper entrance made into the enquiry of Nature But the History of Arts and of Nature altered and changed by Man or the Experimental History we make threefold For it is either drawn forth from Mechanick Arts or from the Operative Part of Liberal Sciences or from many Practices and Experiments which have not grown into a proper Art yea which sometimes we meet in most vulgar experience which do not at all require any Art Wherefore if a History should be made out of all these which we have spoken of out of Generations Pretergenerations Arts and Experiments nothing seems to be passed by whereby the sense might be instructed to inform the Understanding and then we should not any longer dance round within small Circles as if we were enchanted by a Spell but should equalize the Circumference of the World in our Circuits V. Amongst those parts of History which we have spoken of the History of Arts is of most use because it demonstrates things in Motion and leads more directly to Practice Besides it takes away the Vizard and Vail from Natural things which for the most part are hidden and obscured under variety of figures and outward appearances In fine the vexations of Art are indeed like the Bands and Fetters of Proteus which manifest the utmost endeavours and abilities of the Matter for Bodies will not be destroyed or annihillated but they will rather alter themselves into various forms Therefore the greatest diligence must be used about this History although Mechanick as it may seem and less Liberal without any arrogancy and pride Again of Arts those are preferred which exhibite alter and prepare Natural Bodies and the Materials of things as Husbandry Cookery Chymistry Deying the Workings of Glass Esmalta Sugar Gunpowder Artificial Fires Paper and the like But those are of smaller use which chiefly consist in a subtle motion of the Hands and Instruments such as are Weaving Forgery Architecture the Operations of Mills Clocks and the like although these also are by no means to be neglected as well because we may meet with many things in them which have respect to the alterations of Natural Bodies as because they do accurately inform us concerning the motion of Lation which is a business of very great moment for many things But through the whole compiling of this History of Arts this is always to be admonished and to be throughly committed to Memory that in experiments of Arts not only those are to be received which lead to the end of the Art but those also which intervene by any means As for example that Locusts and Crabs boiled though before they were of the colour of the durt wax red belongs not to the Table yet this very instance is not amiss to inquire out the nature of Redness seeing the same thing happens also to burned Bricks Likewise that Flesh is sooner salted in Winter than in Summer not only tends thither that the Cook season his Meats well and as much as is sufficient but also it is a good instance to discover the Nature and Impression of Cold. Wherefore he is quite out of the way that thinks to satisfie our Intention by Collecting Experiments of Arts