the Load-stone And in like manner the verture of a Diamond might be found hereby because they say it hinders the Load-stone form drawing of Iron and so other vertues of other stones consideration being alwayes had of the greatnesse of the bodyes because in a greater body there is a greater power and vertue Orat. Might not a workman try also by this meanes how much Mercury and how much Sulphur every mettall containes and so of stones likewise Id. Certainly he might somewhat near finde out such things by the concord and difference of weights as also the elements of quick-silver by the diversity of its weight in the aire in water and in oyle compared to oyle water ashes of the same greatnesse weighed against it and so of sulphur also So that a man might by this meanes come to a true conjecture of the Elements of all mettals and stone and the weight of those Elements Orat. These be fine things but might not the same be done in Herbs and all the kinds of woods flesh living creatures and humors Id. In all I thinke For weighing a piece of Wood and then burning it throughly and then weighing the ashes it is knowne how much water there was in the wood for there is nothing that hath a heavie weight but water and earth It is knowne moreover by the divers weight of wood in aire water and oyle how much the water that is in wood is heavier or lighter then clean spring water and so how much aire there is in it So by the diversity of the weight of ashes how much fire there is in them and of the Elemens may bee gotten by a nearer conjecture though precision be alwayes inattingible And as I have said of Wood so may be done with Herbs flesh and other things Orat. There is a saying that no pure element is to be given how is this prov'd by the Ballance Id. If a man should put an hundred weight of earth into a great earthen pot and then should take some Herbs and Seeds weigh them and then plant or sow them in that pot and then should let them grow there so long untill hee had successively by little and little gotten an hundred weight of them hee would finde the earth but very little diminished when he came to weigh it againe by which he might gather that all the aforesaid herbs had their weight from the water Therefore the waters being ingrossed or impregnated in the earth attracted a terrestreity and by the opperation of the Sunne upon the Herb were condensed or were condensed into an Herb. If those Herbs bee then burn't to ashes mayest not thou guesse by the diversity of the weights of all How much earth thou founderst more then the hundred weight and then conclude that the water brought all that For the Elements are convertible one into another by parts as wee finde by a glass put into the snow where wee shall see the aire condensed into water and flowing in the glass So wee finde by experience that some water is turned into stones as some is into Ice and that there is in some fountaines a hardening and petrifying vertue which turnes the things that are put into them into stone For so say they there is a certaine water found in Hungary which through the power of the vitriall which is in it turneth Iron into Copper for by such powers and vertues it is manifest that the waters are not purely elementary but elementated And it were very pleasant to have the weights of all those waters of such divers vertues that by the diversity of their weights in aire oyle one might come the nearer to the conjectures of their vertues Orat. Might one not doe so with the earth Id. Yes even with the earth because one earth is fruitfull and another barren and in one earth are found stones and minerals and not in another therefore to the searching of the secrets of na-nature it were exceeding advantageous to know the divers weights of divers earth's in water aire and oyle So by the diversity of the weights of wines waxs oyles gummes alums onyons leeks garlicke and all such things I thinke the vertues that are diversly in them might be in some measure found out and wee might give a neare conjecture of the weight of the whole earth for the circumference of it and the Diameter are both known from whence may be had the capacity and the contents and the number of miles therefore numbring but one solid inch of earth from thence may easily be deduced the weight of the whole capacity Orat. These things would scarce be written in a huge volume Id. Experimentall knowledge requireth large writings for the more they are so much the more easily may wee come from the experiments to the Art which is drawne from them Orat. Peradventure a man might in time rise by subtile conjectures to the weight of the Aire Id. If any man would in the one part of a great paire of Ballance put a great deal of wool dry and hard pack't up and in the other stones to a just counter poyse in a place and aire that were temperate he should finde by experience that when the aire declines to moysture the weight of the wool would increase and when it inclines to dryness it would decrease and by these differences he might weigh the air and might give likely conjectures of the change of the times and weather So if any man should desire to konw the divers strength of the Sun in divers climats if he would take weigh a thousand graines either or wheat or barly from the most fertil field of the one and the other by the diversity of the weights he might try the divers power of the sunne for if the number and the field be alike fruitful in any place the difference cannot be but in the sun So mayest thou also hunt out the different vigour of the sun in mountaines and vallyes so it be in the same line of rising and setting Orat. Whether might not a man by letting a stone fall from a high tower and letting water run out of a naorow hole into a Bason in the meane time and then weighing the water that is runne out and doing the same with a piece of wood of equall bignesse by the diversity of the weights of the water wood and stone attain to know the weight of the aire Id. If a man should doe this in divers towers of an equall height and at divers times he might come neare a likely conjecture But yet he might sooner reach the weight of the aire by the diversity of figures or shapes in things of equall heavinesse As if I would let one pound of lead fall from a high tower that were round and take the water that ran from an hour-glass in the meane time then would do the same againe with the like weight of lead that were broad letting the water run in like manner I might by
so weighed Id. If thou let the water run out of the houre-glass from the Sun rising one day till the Sun rising on the morrow and then shalt let it run another day beginning at the Sun rising by the proportion of the water that ran last to the weight of that which ran the first day thou mayst know the houre time of the day Orat. It may be one may so know the time of the yeare Id. Yes if for a yeare together thou every day let the water run through an hour-glass from the sun-rising to the sun-setting and observe the weight thou mayst by the ballance at any time give a near guesse both at the day of the moneth and hour of the day though in those dayes which are shortest the difference be lesse certain then in others Orat. I see that by this invention one may reach even the motion of the heavenly bodies as Nimrod is said to have done and Hipparchus to have written Id. Thou sayest true though in this case there be great need of a diligent discourse for if any man noting a fixed star in the Meridionall line would gather and note the water running from the hour-glass untill the returne of the same star to the same place and would doe the like with the sun from his rising to his rising again the next day he might finde the motion of the sun to the east by the diversity of the lesser-nesse of the waters weight of the stars motion from the meridional line to its return to the same place respectively to the motion of the Sun from his rising to his rising for by how much lesse it were by so much lesse in comparison to the weight of the whole were the motion in order to the equinoctiall circle not to the Zodiack which is not described upon the poles of the world but it s owne So if any man would by the same starre try how much the Sun were moved in fifteen dayes he might doe it in the same manner by the divers distance of the Suns rising respectively to the place of that star in the Meridian line As for example if to day the distance of the place of that star in the line from the Suns rising be found in some proportion by the hour-glass to the weight of the water of the whole revolution of the star and in fifteen dayes after it be found in another proportion by the diversity of these porportions the motion might be proved so it be alwaies in the equinoctiall Orat. May the motion in the Zodiack be thus found Id. It may certainly by the the motion of the Sun from noon to noon and from the East to the East and from the East to the West for by these differences the declination of the Zodiack from the equinoctial might be reached Orat. And what may be done concerning the variety of the motions which is said to be caused by the Eccen trick Id. That also may be found out when in a yeare thou shalt finde the enequality in the Zodiack in equall dayes for the Sun moved in the summer time from the equinoctiall returnes not unto the equinoctiall againe in the same number of dayes that it doth in winter as it doth in winter when it returnes sooner for it would not be found to have spent just so many dayes in going from Libra to Aries as from Aires to Libra By which difference would appeare the eccentrick or little circle of the spicycle by the difference of the motion Orat. And what of the greatnesse of the Suns body Id. By the weight of the water that runs in the houre-glass in the equinoctiall from the beginng of the rising of the Sun untill he be quite above the Horizon in the habitude unto the water of the stars revolution is knowne the nearest habitude of the greatnesse of the Suns body unto his sphear Yet there is another way to finde out the greatnesse of of the Suns body in the Eclipses thereof Orat. As how Id. we will finde out the motion of the Moon as we have done that of the Sun Then by the eclips and motion thereof through the shadow of the earth we seek the greatnesse of the Moon in order or proportion to the divers shadow of the earth by which we conjecture the middle porportion to be that of the Moons greatnesse unto the earth Then by the motion of the Moon and the eclips of the sun we hunt after the suns distance from the earth and his greatnesse and though it be a subtile enquiry yet is it but conjecturall Orat. By what thou hast already said it should seem that all diversities of motions and eclipses of the Sun and Moon yea the progresses of all the Planets their stations retrograditions directions and eccentricities may be knowne by one and the same divise of the ballance and hour-glass Id. Thou mayst doe it thy self if thou labour subtilty to collect the differences Ora. What think'st thou of the judgements of the stars Id. I thinke that by the variety of the weights of the water in severall yeares and certaine other differences in the weights of woods herbs and graine one may guesse at the future plenty or scarcity of Corne better and sooner by experiments past then by the motion of the stars For if in March there be such a proportion of weight found in water ayre and woods then will follow fruitfulnesse of the earth if otherwise barrennesse or at the best mediocrity The like of warres pestilence and all other ordinary things And this is the root whereby in these second causes wee hunt after the judgement of the starres As by the increase or decrease of marrow in living Creatures Fishs and Seacrabes in Trees and Rushes wee seeke to know the age of the Moon and by the ebbing and flowing of the Sea her place in the heavens Orat. I have heard that the Egyptians used to foresee the disposition of the yeare by the plentyfull or scarce overflowing of Nilus Id. There is no country where if one would marke it a man might not finde the like judgement as by the fatnesse of fishes and creeping things in the beginning of winter we conjecture that there will be a great and long-lasting cold against which wise nature provideth in living Creatures Orat. What thinkest thou of the questions made to Astrologers might there not be found by thy divice an equall answer to them all Id. Although not an equall one yet I thinke because thou shalt in every regard finde me a meare Idiot there may be this way some answer made But how a conjecture may bee given of all things that are demanded it inquires a great enquiry Nor is the manner how to do it fit to be written in books though peradventure the answerer can not gather the weight of the answer but by the weight of the question for the incitation or stirring up of him that moves the question to aske seemes to be moved by some fore-sight
of the wood Orat. Why doest thou speak of a round piece of wood Id. Because if it be a broad piece it will swim more lostily in that it occupyeth more of the water and therefore ships in shallow waters had need be of more broad bottomes Otat. Continue the purpose begun whether the weights of animals may be otherwise reached Id. I thinke they may For if one should fil a great vessel full of water to the top and then put that into another greater and then take the weight of a man as he is out of the water and afterwards make the man go into the vessell full of water and take and weight the water that runs over and proceed in like manner with another man or beast or any other thing and by the diversity of weights thou mayest by a subtile inquiry find that thou seekest for Orat. Thou proceedest with a great deal of subtilety and I have heard that by the same invention the difference of mettals have been found and that some have noted how much the fusion of an ounce of wax gathers of gold silver copper and so of all mettals Id. Certainly he was much to be commended that by the fusion of wax understood the greatnesse for he saw that if an ounce of gold filled the place of an ounce of wax that then the weight of it must needs be just as much as the weight of an ounce of wax and so of other mettals for it is most certaine that there is one weight of gold and another of silver and another of other things in the same bulke of bignesse and that every thing hath one weight in the aire and another in water another in oyle or some other liquor And if any man had all these weights ready noted and set downe he might readily know how one mettall is heavier then another in the aire and how much in the water So that any masse of mettall given might by the diversity of the weight thereof in the aire and in the water be known of what mettall and what mixture the masse is And as I have said of aire and water so also may be said of oyle or any ather liquor wherein the experiment may be made Orat. So indeed without the melting of the mass or seperation of the mettals one might know the mixture and the device were good in monies to know how much copper there is in gold and silver Id. Thou saiest true and it were good to know the sophisticall worke of Alchymie how much they come short of truth Orat. If any man then would purpose to write a booke of weights he must as it seemes note the variety of every mettall for Hungarian gold is of one weight and fine gold which they call aurum obryzum of another and so of all the mettals Id. By what hath been spoken it appears that as in fountains so in minerals there is found diversities of weight yet gold wheresoever it be found is alwaies heavier then any other mettal although the species thereof be found to be varyed within a certaine latitude and so of the rest Orat. But whether might not the habitude or proportion of the value of mettals be found out by the habitude or proportion of their weights Id. Lead is likest unto gold in weight but not in perfection and therefore we must not take heed to one weight onely but to every kind of weight for if one looke to the weight of the fire of fusion as well of gold as of lead he shall find that lead comes not so near gold as any other mettals doth And if one looke to the weight of the fire in the melting of iron he shall find that iron comes nearer unto gold then any other mettall doth although if he look to the weight of heaviness he shall finde it comes not so nigh Therefore wee must looke upon all the weights and not upon the weight of heavinesse onely and so we shall finde that silver is next unto Gold Orat. Vitruvius saith speaking of the natural heavinesse of Gold that it alone is drowned in quicke-silver though it be of never so small a weight when other mettalls swimme aloft though they of never so great a bulke Id. Quick-silver it naturally conjungible to all the mettals because of something which it hath in common with them all but it doth more amorously cleave and adheare to Gold as that which is not perfect to its owne most perfect nature And for this cause they that spend their time in Alchimy strive to tame quick-silver in the fire untill it doe not onely not fly from the fire it selfe but untill it likewise hold fast and fixed with himselfe all other mettalls whereunto it is joyned And not thus farre alone but untill it also straine and compact them all into the weight of Gold and colour them with a fixed and permanent colour their owne fluxible and malleable moysture abiding still Orat. But doest thou thinke that they can by this meanes bring their purposes to passe Id. Precision is alwayes inattingible but how much they profit the Ballance must shew without which they can doe nothing certaine For by the judgement of the fire and the Ballance the truth of this question must be resolved Orat. Might not all precious stones bee weighed in like manner Id. No doubt of it they might all be one by the same device for a Diamond hath no weight in respect of the same bignesse of lead and a Saphire another And by the diversity may the habitude or proportion of lead to eithers weight be knowne and so of all stones And therefore it were very good to have these weights written down by the way of a statick experiment which the differences of their Orginalls that if there were any sophistication done with Berill or coloured Christal they might be known and found Orat Yea and further there being one weight of a stone in the aire another in water another in oyle it were good these diversities were had that without any habitude to leade or any third thing the difference of the weights might he known Id. Thou sayest very well Orat. Tell me if thou bast any device whereby the vertues of stones may be weighed Id. I thinke the vertue of the Load-stone might be weighed if putting some Iron in one scale and a Load-stone in the other untill the ballance were even then taking away the Load-stone and some other thing of the same weight being put into the scale the Load-stone were holden over the Iron so that that scale wou'd begin to rise by reason of the Load-stones attraction of the Iron then take out some of the weight of the other scale untill the scale wherein the Iron is doe sinke againe to the aequilibrium or equality still holding the Load-stone unmovable as it was I beleeve that by weight of what was taken out of the contrary scale one might come proportionably to the weight of the vertue or power of
the divers weights of the waters reach to the weight of the aire For we find by experience that birds doe abide more still when they spread their wings because they take up more aire as also that which is heavie doth sooner sink in the water if it be round then if it be square And peradventure the aire may yet be more easily weighed as if equall bellows were equally filled in divers times and places for by the motion of those equall bellows water being dropped through an hour-glass by an equall height during the time of the motion and that weighed by the proportion of water to water of the divers times and places it might be easily known For looke in what proportion the more ponderous water did exceed in the same proportion did the lightnesse of the aire of that bellows exceed the lightnesse of the other bellows whose water weighed lesse But the best way of al is to take an empty glasse full of aire suppose the glasse weigh just a pound if then stoping the hole with wax thou put it down into the water and that one pound weight precisely will hold it down under water being laid upon it then thou mayst precisely say that the aire in the glass is of the lightnesse of two pounds So mayst thou know very near the proportion of the lightnsse of on ayre to another in divers places times and regions By the like device also by rneanes of a bellows maist thou weigh smoak or winde for if thou take a bellows full of aire and then shut them in the smoak pressing out the aire and after pull them open the smoake will fill the bellows which thou mayest weigh as aire and so make tryall whether smoak or aire bee lighter and by how much and so mayest thou doe with winde Thou mightest also by the motion of the smoak whilest so many droppes of water distill in the hour-glass and the motion of fire during the distillig of so many drops guesse at the lightness of fire above smoak or aire No whatsoever we have said of water-hour-glasses may perhaps be better tryed by Sand-hour-glasses made of glasse or some fine earth with one hole in the top and another narrow one in the bottome of the vessell that may be stopped with wax or with ones finger untill the very instant that the tryall of weights were to be made then opening the narrow hole in the bottome and taking the sand that runs into the bason during the time of the motion of the light or heavie things if the sand be weighed as I said of the water by the weight of one sand to another the weight of things might be knowne by a very neare guesse And as by the foresaid devices by diversity of figures the weight of the aire might be conjectured so of the water likewise and on the other side the various capacity of figures or shapes Orat. I have heard that some by meanes of a certain instrument have gone about to finde out the depth of the Sea Id. It might bee done with a piece of Lead made after the fashion of the moon of eight dayes old yet so that one horn of it be heavier the other lighter and on the lightest horn let an apple or some other light thing be made fast with such an instrument that the lead pulling down the apple after it to the bottom and first touching the ground with the heaviest part thereof and so laying it seife along accordingly the apple then loosed and freed from the horne may returne up again to the top of the water provided that thou have first the knowledge how long such a lead will be sinking and the apple rising in a water of a known depth for then by the diversity of the weights of the water or sand of the hour glass from the time of the throwing in of the lead and the apples returne in divers waters thou mayst finde what thou seekest Orat. I believe that the deepnesse of the waters may be searched both by this and other meanes But tell me may it not also be guessed at by this meanes what way a ship makes in the sea Id. As as how Orat. By throwing an apple as far as one can out of the prow or fore-part of the ship and then letting the water run frm the houre-glasse till the ship come to the apple and comparing the weight of the water at one time with the weight of it at another time Id. Both by that and otherwise as the shooting an arrow from a crossebow and the ships comming to the arrow with the weight of the water in the meane time Orat. The knowledge of the strength of bowes and other engines may as it seems be proportionably enquired by the flowing of the water out of the houre-glasse from that point of time wherein the shaft is shot diametrally upwards and returnes unto the earth againe provided that in divers engines the shafts be alwayes equall Id. Not onely the strength of bowes and engines but of winds also the flying of fowles the running of men and beasts and whatsoever is of the like kind may conjecturally be sought out by these statick experiments and the running of water from an houre-glasse Orat. How may the strength of a man be known by this meanes Id. Make a paire of scales even then let a man lay hold of one of them and in the other put as much weight as he can by the utmost of his strength pluck up from the ground till the ballance be even which will be found more true say I if he have a rest to stay one or both his feet against then take the weight of that which he hath pulled up and deducting the weight of the man himself all the remainder of the weight is portioned to his strength Orat. Might not the breath of a man be so weighed Id. There is one weight of the same man when he drawes in or holds his breath another when he breathes it out one weight of a man whilest he lives another when he is dead And so in all living things And therefore it were good to have these differences noted in divers living things and divers men and divers ages of men that so by conjecture a man might ascend to the weight of the vitall spirits Orat. Might we not by the same way hunt after the heat and cold the drinesse and moistures of the weather Id. That we might assuredly for if in frosty weather thou marke the weight of the water before it be frozen and after thou shalt find it differ For seeing ice swim above the water thou must needs know it is lighter then water and therefore according to the intensenesse of the cold there is a greater difference of the weight Or if thou weigh green wood and after a time find the weight of it altered thou shalt know hereby the exceise of heat and cold moysture and drought Orat. May not the time of the day be