Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	great_a	iron_n	loadstone_n	895	5	13.3376	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53055	The philosphical and physical opinions written by Her Excellency the Lady Marchionesse of Newcastle.	Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of, 1624?-1674.	1655 (1655)	Wing N863; ESTC R31084	172,000	202

the same figure Chap. 96. Of the needle I Perceive the norths attraction of the Load-stone is not after the same manner of attraction as the Load-stone attracts iron for the attractions of the Load-stone draws iron to it but the attraction of the north draws the Load-stone towards it by the turning it that way as the Sun will do the the heads of some sorts of flowers For if the north attracted the Load-stone as the Load-stone iron the Load-stone would be in a perpetual motion travelling to the north pole unlesse it were fixt but I do not hear that a Load-stone doth remove out of the place wherein it is but it turns as I may say the face towards it now the question will be whether the Loadstone turns it self towards the north or the north turns by compulsion or by sympathy the experiment will be by iron that if a great quantity of iron should be said at one side of the needle whether the needle would not vary from the north towards the iron if it do it shews the Load-stone turns itself towards the north or else it could not turn from the north for certainly the north hath a greater operative power to turn the Load-stone to it then the Load-stone could have to turn it self from it so if a quantity of iron can cause the needle to vary it shews that the Load-stone turns to the north by a self motion and not the motions of the north that make it turn to it but if it varies not towards the iron then the north forces it unlesse the Load-stone takes more delight to view the norths frowning face then to imbrace hard iron or that the feeding appetite is stronger then the viewing delight for it onely turns it self to the face of the north but if it turns not it self the north forces it to turn which as I have said before is to be found by the experiments of iron but if it turns it self I beleeve it may receive some refreshments from those raies which stream from the north for all things turn with self-ends for certainly every thing hath self-love even hard stones although they seem insensible so the Load-stone may work as various effects upon several subjects as fire but by reason we have not so much experience of one as the other the strangenesse creates a wonder for the old saying is that ignorance is the mother of admiration but fire which produceth greater effects by invisible motions yet we stand not at such amaze as at the Load-stone because these effects are familiar unto us But per chance the Load-stone is nourished by iron as many creatures are by heat for though the creatures are nourished there with yet the heat alters not its vertue nor the body in whichthe heat inheres loses not the property of heating the sun is not weakned by warming the earth though the earth is stronger by the warm ' th of the sun but warm ' th feeds after a spiritual manner not a corporal and as somethings are nourished by warm'th so others by cold as ice snow and many other things that are above number So the Load-stone may be refreshed although not fed by the cold north and as fire is fed by fuel so is the vertual part of the Load-stone by iron or as exercise gets health and strength to Animal bodies so doth the Load-stone on iron and as idlenesse breeds faintnesse or weaknesse 〈◊〉 doth the Load-stone from iron Chap. 98. Of stone FIre hath more power over Metals in some sense then on stone and in some sense hath more power over stone then metals For fire will sooner melt metal then dissolve stone but when the exterior form of stone is dissolved it is changed from the nature of being stone and be comes dust and ashes And though metal would likewise change the interior nature if the exterior form were dissolved yet metal although it be melted keeps the interior nature and exterior form but not the exterior motions for metal is metal still although it be melted onely it becoms fluid this sheweth that fire doth not onely alter the exterior motion of stone but dissolves the exterior form and so the interior nature which in metal it doth not unlesse a more forcible fire be applied thereto then will serve to melt which shewes that although the interior motions of stone be contractions as all solid bodies are yet the interior nor exterior natural figure is not circular as metals are for stone cannot be made fluid and as it were liquid as metal will be but crumbles into dust and wasts as wood or the like and not evaporates away as water which metal doth This sheweth that the exterior and interior natural form of stone is composed of parts and not in one piece as a circle I do not mean in one piece as the exterior bulk but in one piece in the exterior and interior nature For though you may pound or file metal to dust that dust as small as Atoms the like may be done to stone wood and flesh or any thing that is dividable yet it will keep the nature of being metal stone wood flesh or the like although the parts be no bigger then an Atom but if you do dissolve the exterior nature the interior nature doth dissove also thus the exterior form may be altered but not dissolved without a total dissolution Chap. 99. Of burning ALL that is hot is not of a burning faculty nor all that is burning is not actually hot and though Burning Motions work several wayes according to the temperament of the matter and composure of the figures it meets with yet the nature of all kinds of burnings is to expulse by a piercing and subdividing faculty provided that the burning Motions and burning figures are strong enough to incounter what opposeth them but when the opposed bodies and motions have an advantage either by strength or otherwayes it alters the nature and faculty of burning and many times there is great dispute and long combats amongst the several motions and different figures for the preheminency Chap. 100. Of different burning THough all that is of a burning nature or faculty may be called fire yet all that hath a burning nature or faculty is not of that sort of fire which is a bright shining hot glowing fire as for example vitrals brimstone oyl or spirits or that we call cordials or hot-waters or any of the like nature Besides all burning figures or motions work not after one and the same manner though after one and the same nature being all of a burning quality or faculty for some burn interiorly others exteriorly but as I havesaid all burning is of a subdividing faculty Chap. 101. Fires transformation THe interior and exterior figures of hot glowing burning bright shining fire are all one and the motions working apart according to the nature of the figure it works on can change every thing it hath power over into its own likenesse yet the