a man to be of a cholerick or Melancholy temperament because the heat or coldness which Choler and Melancholy do produce is unequally mixt with out temperatures and therefore do not constitute a temperament but an intemperies wherefore it is more proper to state a man to be of a hot cold moist and dry temperament or to deduct temperatures from the Elements and denominate them according to their exuperancies fiery waterish c. It is very proper to state the temperament of Ayr to be moist and hot or cold and moist c. because its various situation disposes it to mixtion with fire and water for a moist and hot temperament or cold and moist if with more water and earth then fire c. But Aristotle spoke very improperly when he said that the ayr was of a moist and hot temperature when he supposed the ayr to be simple and unmixt Now if it was unmixt how could it be said to be tempered for according to his own words temperamentum est plurium a temperament consists of more then one The Division of temperaments is manifold 1. There is a single temperament wherein one Element redounds above the others and thence according to its eminence is called fiery waterish ayry or earthy light with contiguity light with continuity heavy with contiguity or heavy with continuity rare dense thin or thick hard soft c. 2. A compounded temperament when two Elements are eminent above the others in a temperament as fiery and waterish fiery and ayry fiery and earthy earthy and waterish earthy and ayry ayry and waterish 3. When three exceed the restant one According to which a Subject is said to be waterish fiery and earthy earthy ayry and waterish fiery ayry and waterish fiery ayry and earthy In the same manner can a substance be named rare and dense rare and thin rare and thick thick and thin c. The number of Distempers are agreeable to the number of Temperatures which since they have been already enumerated I shall not trouble you with the rehearsal of them The Temperatures and Distemperaments of the parts of mans body are much different to what Authors have described them but their particular relation appertaining to another Treatise◠I do wittingly omit their Insertion in this place A Temperament is further divisible into an universal and particular temperament An universal temperament is effected by the conforming of all the parts of an heterogeneous body into one temperament A particular temperament is the temperament of every particular part in a heterogeneous body so a Bone is of a temperament differing from a Ligament a Ligament from a Membrane c. But a Bone and a Ligament agree also in an universal temperament viz. of the whole body A temperament is considered either absolutely in it self or comparatively with another as one Species with another according to which the Species of man is most exactly tempered as Galen hath it Lib. de opt corp constit above all other Species This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of man is the Rule whereby to measure the vertues of Medicaments which if they do neither cool or heat moisten or dry they are accounted to be temperate or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if they alter it either in heat coldness c. they are taken to be of a hot cold c. temperament or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. One Individual may be compared with another in temperature whereby one man is said to be more or less temperate hotter or colder then another 3. An individual is compared to it self and so a man is said to be more temperate in one age time of year Climate c. then in another 4. When one part is compared to another one is adjudged to be more temperate hotter moyster c. then another So Galen Lib. 1. de Temper towards the end states the skin of a mans hand to be of an exquisite middle temperament between all sensible bodies and the most temperate of all the parts of man Authors propose another Division of Temperament into actual and potential but since I have declared my Opinion in the Dispute of Powers I shall pass it by VI. It will not be useless to adumbrate the Combination of the Second Qualities one with the other and delineate their Effects Heat is either thin or dense A thin heat doth attenuate and mollifie for molliaction is an action proceeding from a subtil attenuating heat through which it attenuates the thick Moysture and elevates the body of earth and water whereby it is disposed to softness Hence it is that the inward Crums of hard stale Bread are softned by loosening its moysture and admitting the ayry fire A dense heat is drying and burning A thick heat is obtuse not penetrating but dampish like unto the heat of damp Hay Cold and thin is neither a powerful or piercing cold but gentle and meek like unto the cool quality of a Summers Brize Cold and dense is a piercing and potent cold striking through the central parts of a body A thick and dense cold is condensing congealing and coagulating A dense thin Moysture doth moysten very much because it penetrates through the pores of a body and lodgeth it self there whereas a single moysture is too thick to moysten or to penetrate A rare Moysture moystens less by far and is soon expelled A thin Moysture moystens somewhat more then a rare moysture But both do mollifie CHAP. XX. Of Alteration Coction Decoction Generation Putrefaction and Corruption 1. What Coction and Putrefaction is The Difference between Putrefaction and Corruption 2. The Authors Definition of Alteration The effects of Alteration 3. The Division of Alteration 4. That the first Qualities of the Peripateticks are not intended by the acquisition of new Qualities without Matter Wherein Alteration differs from Mixtion or Temperament 5. The Definition of Coction Why a man was changed much more in his Youth then when come to Maturity 6. The Constitution of women Which are the best and worst Constitutions in men That heat is not the sole cause of Coction 7. The kinds of Coction What Maturation Elixation and Assation are 8. What Decoction is and the manner of it 9. The Definition of Putrefaction 10. What Generation imports in a large and strict acception Whether the Seed of a Plant or Animal is essentially distinguisht from a young Plant or new born Animal That heat is not the sole Efficient in Generation 11. Whether the innate heat is not indued with a power of converting adventitious heat into its own Nature Whether the innate heat be Celestial or Elementary 12. The Definition of Corruption Why the innate heat becomes oft more vigorous after violent Feavers Whether Life may be prolonged to an eval duration What the Catochization of a Flame is By what means many pretend to prolong Life That the Production of Life to an eval Duration is impossible Whether our Dayes be determined The Ambiguity of Corruption Whether Corruption
of the first knock or division of the Chaos By what means the Earth got the Center and how the waters Ayr and Fire got above it Why a Squib turnes into so many whirles in the Ayr. ib. 6. The qualifications of the first Light of the Creation A plain demonstration proving the circular motion of the Heavens or of the Element of fire to be natural and of an Eval Duration ib. 59 CHAP. XI Of the second Division of the Chaos 1. An Enarration of Effects befalling the Elements through the second knock The proportion of each of the Elements in their purity to the Peregrine Elements p. 60. 2. The ground of the forementioned proportion of the Elements 61 62. 3. That fire and ayr constitute the Firmament p. 63. 4. A grand Objection answered ib. 64. CHAP. XII Of the Third Division of the Chaos 1. The effects of the third knock Why earth is heavier than water Why water is more weighty near the top than towards the bottom Why a man when he is drowned doth not go down to the bottom of the Ocean Why a potch'd Egge doth commonly rest it self about the middle of the water in a Skillet Why the middle parts of Salt-water are more saltish than the upper parts p. 66 67. 2. Whence the earth hapned to be thrust out into great protuberancies How the earth arrived to be disposed to germination of Plants A vast Grove pressed into the earth p. 68. 3. The cause of the waters continual circular motion ib. 69. 4. The cause of the rise of such a variety of Plants p. 71. CHAP. XIII Of the Fourth Fifth Sixth and Seventh Division of the Chaos 1. An Enarration of the Effects of the fourth Division That Nature created the first bodies of every Species the greatest is instanced in Bees Fishes and Fowl That all Species are derived from one individuum That Adam was the greatest man that ever was since the Creation What those Glants were which the Poets faigned p. 72 73 74. 2. How the Sun and Moon were created That a Lioness is not more vigorous than a Lion p. 75. 3. How the Stars of the Firmament were created p. 76. 4. How the durable Clouds of the Ayr were created ib. 5. The Effects of the fifth Division ib. 6. The Effects of the sixth Division ib. 7. The Effects of the last Division ib. CHAP. XIV Of the Second and Third Absolute Qualities of the Elements 1. What is understood by Second Qualities p 78. 2. What the Second Quality of Earth is p. 79. 3. Aristotle's Definition of Density rejected ib. 4. The Opinions of Philosophers touching the Nature of Density p. 80. 5. The forementioned Opinions confuted p. 81. 6. The Description of Indivisibles according to Democritus disproved That all Figures are divisible excepting a Circular Minimum That Strength united proveth strongest in around Figure and why ib. 82 83. 7. What the Second Quality of Fire is Cardan Averrhoes Zimara Aristotle Tolet and Zabarel their Opinions touching the Nature of Rarity confuted p. 84 85 86 87. 8. The Second Quality of Water Aristotle Joh. Grammat Tolet Zabarel and Barthol their sence of Thickness and Thinness disproved p. 88. 9. What the Second Quality of Ayr is p. 89. 10. What is intended by third fourth or fifth Qualities An Enumeration of the said Qualities What Obtuseness Acuteness Asperity Levor Hardness Rigidity Softness Solidity Liquidity and Lentor are and their kinds ib. 90 91 92. CHAP. XV. Of the Respective Qualities of the Eements particularly of Fire Earth and Water 1. What is meant by the Respective Qualities of the Elements Why they are termed Second Qualities p. 93. 2. That heat is the second respective or accidental quality of fire That fire is not burning hot within its own Region That fire doth not burn unless it flames is proved by an Experiment through Aq. fort ib. 3. That heat in fire is violently produced The manner of the production of a Flame What it is which we call hot warm or burning How fire dissolves and consumes a body into ashes p. 94. 4. That Heat is nothing else but a Multiplication Condensation and Retention of the parts of fire The degrees of Heat in fire and how it cometh to be warm hot scorching hot blistering hot burning hot and consuming hot p. 95. 5. A way how to try the force of fire by Scales Why fire doth not alwayes feel hot in the Ayr. ib. 96. 6. Plato and Scaliger their Opinion touching heat p. 97. 7. The Parepatetick Description of Heat rejected How fire separateth Silver from Gold and Lead from Silver p. 98. 8. What the second respective quality of Earth is What Cold is The manner of operation of Cold upon our Tâ—â—ct p. 100. 9. The second respective quality of Water That Water cooles differently from Earth ib. 10. Aristotle and Zabarel their wavering Opinions touching Cold. That Earth is the primum frigidum ib. 101. CHAP. XVI Of the remaining Respective Qualilities of the Elements 1. The second Respective Quality of the Ayr. That water cannot be really and essentially attenuated The state of the Controversie 102 103. 2. That Ayr cannot be really and essentially incrassated Why a man whilest he is alive sinkes down into the water and is drowned and afterwards is cast up again That a woman is longer in sinking or drowning than a man The great errour committed in trying of witches by casting them into the water p. 104 105 106. 3. That a greater Condensation or Rarefaction is impossible in the Earth p. 107. 4. In what sense the Author understands and intends Rarefaction and Condensation throughout his Philosophy p. 108. 5. The third Respective Quality of Fire What Driness is The definition of Moysture The third Respective Qualities of water and Ayr. Aristotles description of Moysture That Water is the primum humidum In what sense Ayr is termed dry in what moyst p. 109. CHAP. XVII Of Mixtion 1. What Mixtion is Three conditions required in a Mixtion p 110. 2. Whether Mixtion and the generation of a mixt body differ really p. 111. 3. Aristotles definition of Mixtion examined Whether the Elements remain entire in mixt bodies 112. 4. That there is no such Intension or Remission of Qualities as the Peripateticks do apprehend The Authors sense of Remission and Intention p. 113. 5. That a Mixtion is erroneously divided into a perfect and imperfect Mixtion p. 114. CHAP. XVIII Of Temperament 1. That Temperament is the form of Mixtion That Temperament is a real and positive quality p. 115. 2. The definition of a Temperament Whether a Temperament is a single or manifold quality Whether a complexion of qualities may be called one compounded quality p. 116. 3. VVhether a Temperament be a fift quality A Contradiction among Physitians touching Temperament Whether the congress of the four qualities effects be one Temperament or more ib. 117. 4. That there is no such thing as a Distemper What a substantial Change is p. 118. 5.
and Castor a Flying Drake a burning Candle a perpendicular fire a skipping Goat flying sparks and a burning flame p. 375 376. 2. Of the generation of Thunder Fulguration and Fulmination and of their effects Of a thunder stone p. 377 378. 3. Of Comets Of their production p. 379 380 381. CHAP. XVIII Of the term Antiperistasis and a Vacuum 1. Whether there be such a thing as an Antiperistasis p. 382. 2. Whether a Vacuum be impossible and why p. 383. 3. Experiments inferring a Vacuum answered p. 384 385. 4. Whether a Vacuum can be effected by an Angelical or by the Divine Power p. 386. 5 Whether Local Motion be possible in a Vacuum A threefold sense of the doubt proposed In what sense Local Motion is possible in a Vacuum in what not ib. 387. CHAP. XIX Of Physical Motion 1. What a Physical Motion is The kinds of it The definition of Alteration Local Motion and quantitative motions The subdivision of Local Motion p. 388 389. 2. That all alterative and quantitative motions are direct p. 390. 3. That all externall motions are violent ib. 4. That all weighty mixt bodies being removed from their Element are disposed to be detruded downwards from without but do not move from any internal inclination or appetite they have to their universal Center p. 391 392. 5. The causes of swiftness and slowness of external Local Motion 393 6. That light bodies are disposed to be moved upwards ib. 7. That airy bodies being seated in the fiery Region are disposed to be moved downwards p. 394. CHAP. XX. Of Attraction Expulsion Projection Disruption Undulation and Recurrent Motion 1. How Air is attracted by a water-spout or Siphon p. 395. 2. The manner of another kind of Attraction by a sucking Leather 396. 3. How two slat Marble stones clapt close together draw one another up ib. 4. How a Wine-Coopers Pipe attracts Wine out of a Cask ib. 5. How sucking with ones mouth attracts water p. 397. 6. How a Sucker attracts the water ib. 7. The manner of Attraction by Filtration p. 398. 8. The manner of Electrical Attraction ib. 9. How fire and fiery bodies are said to attract p. 399. 400. 10. What Projection is and the manner of it p. 401. 11. What Disruption Undulation and Recurrent motion are ib 402. CHAP. XXI Of Fire being an Introduction to a New Astronomy 1. The Fires division into three Regions p. 402. 2. The qualification of the inferiour Region What the Sun is What his torrid Rayes are and how generated ib. 3. How the other Planets are generated ib. 4. How the fixed Stars were generated p. 404. 5. A further explanation of the Stars their Ventilation That there are many Stars within the Planetary Region that are invisible Of the appearance of new Stars or Comets Of the Galaxia or Milk-way p. 405. 6. That the fiery Regions are much attenuated p. 406. CHAP. XXII Of the Motion of the Element of Fire 1. VVhere the Poles of the Heavens are p. 408. 2. The Opinions of Ptolomy and Tycho rejected p. 409. 3. That the Planets move freely and loosely and why the fixed Stars are moved so uniformly ib. 4. The Suns retrograde motion unfolded and the cause of it ib. 5. How the Ecliptick AEquator and the Zodiack were first found out p. 410 6. The manner of the fiery Heavens their ventilation p. 411. 7. Whence it is that the Sun moves swifter through the Austrinal Medeity and slower through the Boreal How the Sun happens to measure a larger fiery Tract at some seasons in the same time than at others p. 412. 8. VVhence the difference of the Suns greatest declination in the time of Hipparchus Ptolomy and of this our age happens p. 414. 9. An undoubted and exact way of Calculating the natural end of the World The manner of the Worlds dissolution The same proved also by the holy Scriptures The prevention of a Calumny ib. 415 416. CHAP. XXIII Of the Magnitude and distance of the Sun and Moon and the motion of the other Planets 1. That the Magnitude of the Sun hath not been probably much less certainly stated by any The Arguments vulgarly proffered for the proof of the Suns Magnitude rejected p. 417 418. 2. That the Sun might be capable enough of illuminating the World were he much lesser than the terraqueous Globe than I suppose him to be p 419. 3. That the shadow of the Earth is to some extent Cylindrical ib. 4. That the Sun existing in the AEquator doth at once illuminate the whole Hemisphere of the Earth ib. 5. Concerning the diminution or increase of the shadow of the Earth within the Polars together with the cause of the Prolongation and Abbreviation of the dayes That the Sun is much bigger than he appears to be p 420. 6. What the spots of the Sun and Moon are and their causes ib. 7. That the Arguments proposed by Astronomers for rendring the Moon lesser than the Earth and proving the distance of the Sun are invalid p. 421. 8. That the Moon is by far lesser than the Earth ib. 9. Several Phaenomena's of the Moon demonstrated p. 422. 10. Concerning the motion of Venus and Mercury p 423. 11. Of the motion of the fixed Stars and their Scintillation p. 424. CHAP. I. Problems relating to the Earth 1. Why two weighty bodies are not moved downwards in parallel Lines p. 426. 2. Why a great Stone is more difficultly moved on the top of a high hill than below p. 427. 3. Why a pair of Scales is easier moved empty than ballanced ib. 4. Whence it is that a man may carry a greater weight upon a Wheelbarrow than upon his back ib. 5. Why a weighty body is easier thrust forward with a Pole than immediately by ones arms besides 5. other Probl. more p. 428 429 430 6. Why a stick thrust into a hole if bended is apt to be broke near the hole What the cause of the relaxation of a bowed stick is p. 431. 7. Whether Gold doth attract Mercury ib. 8. Why the herb of the Sun vulgarly called Chrysanthemum Peruvianum obverteth its leaves and flowers to the Sun wheresoever he be p. 432. Why the Laurel is seldom or never struoken by Lightning b. CHAP. II. Containing Problems relating to Water 1. Why is red hot Iron rendered harder by being quencht in cold water p. 432. 2. Whence is it there fals a kind of small Rain every day at noon under the AEquinoctial Region p. 433. 3. How Glass is made ib 4. Whence it is that so great a Mole as a Ship yeelds to be turned by so small a thing as her Rudder p. 434. 5. What the cause of a Ships swimming upon the water is p 335. 6. Whether all hard waterish bodies are freed from fire ib. CHAP. III. Comprizing Problems touching the Air. 1. Whether Air â—e weighty p 436. 2. Whether a Bladder blown up with wind â—e heavier than when empty ib. 3. Why water contained in a beer glass being
of water proved Why water disperseth it self into Drops Why Sea-men cannot make Land upon the Cap-head when they may upon the Top Mast-head Why the Stars do appear sooner to those in the East-Seas then to others in the West 5. That water is thick but not dense Whence it is that water is smooth Why Ayr makes a Bubble upon the water when it breaks forth That the least Atoms of Ayr cannot break through the water without raising a Bubble Why the same doth not happen to Earth 6. That Moysture is not the first quality of Ayr neither doth the Ayr naturally moysten any body but to the contrary dryeth it 7. The form of Ayr. What Tenuity is Why Feathers Cobwebs and other light Bodies do expand themselves when thrown through the Ayr. Why Grease Oyl Wax c. do make Splatches when poured upon the ground Why Gunpowder Smoak Breathes of living creatures Vapours Exhalations Dust c. do diffuse themselves in that manner Whence it is that the least breath moves and shakes the Ayr. The relative form of Ayr. Why Spirits of Wine mix easier and sooner with water then one water with another 8. The first quality of fire What Rarity is Whence it is that a Torch or Candle spreads its Beames circularly as appears at a distance That Fire is roof the cause of it Fire's Relative nature A comparing of all the first qualities of the Elements one to the other 1. THe Form lately mentioned may justly be surnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perfection because it confers a Perfection upon matter But to return where I left After sufficient evidence that each of the Elements are actuated by a distinct form I begin first with the Earth whose form and first quality is weight pondus with density 1. Because through it it performeth all its Operations and Effects 2. The form or first quality of a body is unremoveable but dense weight is unremoveable from earth ergo it is its form and first quality whereas dryness which is brought in competition with it by all Peripateticks is removeable for earth may be moystened with water This is an Herculean Argument if well weighed 3. A Privation cannot be the first quality of earth because it is accidental to it but dryness is only a privation of moysture and consequently accidental I confirm the Minor had there never been any moysture who could ever have thought of dryness Again in the ordinary Ideom of speech we say such a thing is dry because we feel no dampness in it for first we feel and gather it together to try whether we can feel any moysture but perceiving no moysture or dampness we say it is dry Ergo because of the privation of moysture Further moysture and dryness are privative opposites because the one being removed the other also vanishes For take away sight and you take away blindness it being improper to say a thing is blind unless in opposition to sight The same is appliable to dryness and moysture take away moysture and then it will be improper to say dryness Lastly the Peripatetick description of dryness proves no less Dryness is whose subject is easily contained within its own bounds but difficultly within anothers Now unless there were water within whose bounds it could not be contained there could be no dryness since that dryness is whose subject cannot be contained unless difficultly within the bounds of water or Ayr either II. All elements and each of them are actuated by a respective or relative form that is their being and conservation consisteth in a relation of a dependence from each other for instance the earth is inconsistent of it self for through its incomprehensible gravity it would move to an infinitum which is repugnant to its truth so that through its pondus it inclineth to the fire which again through its lightness bendeth to it and so meeting one another they embrace and constitute each other in their being Well may Authors term their close and entire union a discors amicitia or amica discordia since their motion to each other is so fierce and eager that it doth as it were appear a fighting or discord but it tending to so mutual a good and benefit proves the greatest friendship But should coldness and heat be stated to be the form or first qualities of the Elements they could not subsist one moment because they are the greatest contraries and therefore would not cease from their most incenst hostility before each were expelled from their common subject as we see plainly in water and fire III. This makes way to free water from coldness to which it is neither but a privation of heat For suppose there were a dish of water placed without the sphear of the elements it would be improper to say it were either hot or cold Neither is Moysture the first quality of water for water of it self per se doth not moysten any thing absolutely that is freed from all mixture I prove it To moysten is nothing else but to be thinly covered or dasht over with water or its vapours but water when it is in its absolute state is of so thick parts that it is unapt to adhere to any thing We observe that Quick-silver or rather quick Lead for so it is in effect and melted Lead although liquid yet they do not moysten because their parts are thick By thickness I do not intend a depth of quantity or of matter only but such a depth of quantity that is not porous or a crassitude whose parts are diducted and drawn out into a continuity and that throughout all its dimensions and therefore through defect of tenuity doth not adhere to whatever is immerst in it even so it is with water which supposed in its absolute or separated state doth by far exceed quick-Lead in thickness and consequently is unapt for humectation but in the state wherein it now is which is mixed and attenuated with much fire and ayr it doth easily adhere to whatever body that is dipt in it This is the reason why water in hot Countries doth sooner quench thirst then in cold or wine sooner then water because the watery parts are more subtilized by the indivisibilities of fire that are dispersed through them Now water abates drought but little because of its crassitude Experience tels us that one little measure of water acuated with Spirits of Vitriol of Sulphur or of Salt-Peter doth moysten the body and abate thirst in a Feaver more then a Pint of water single because the water is subtilized by the forementioned Ingredients But Physitians vulgarly adscribe this effect to the penetrability of the admixtures A blind reason because water doth penetrate to the internals therefore it moystens the more this is not all for suppose that water did penetrate yet it would not moysten because it doth not adhere to the parts which it doth touch wherefore it is only to be imputed to its subtilization All which demonstrates that water in its
compress its parts any more then it was compressed before but a stone or other mixt heavy body lying upon the ground presseth a hole into the ground yet if as much more earth as there is contained in such a stone were cast upon the same place it would not make any sensible cavity or Impression the reason is because in a stone or mixt body the earth is violently detained and therefore useth the greater force or compression to the Center but earth being in its natural seat doth not This quality may be called coldness supposing it to be a passion wrought upon the tact by the earth punctually pressing to the Center In this sense coldness is an absolute quality in another it may be taken for a privation of heat because it seizeth upon the tact only in the absence of heat According to the former sense doth the Poet elegantly explain the nature of Cold. Nam penetrabile frigus adurit For the penetrating cold doth burn By penetrating its compression is intended That the cold is penetrating and pressing none that ever hath been in Greenland will deny wherefore in that it is an absolute quality In the latter sense it may be taken for a privation for it is the absence of heat which effecteth Coldness yet not per se but per accidens because as long as the heat is in a body it doth through its motion ad extra balance and temper the motion of cold ad iutra but the heat being departed then coldness doth through its compression punctually divide the continuous parts of the body as the ayry and waterish parts of it and so coldness is reduced to action through the defect of heat to balance it This we are sensible of in the Winter at which time there being a detraction of the ambient heat the earthy parts contained in the Ayr do then through their weight press down upon us and being arrived to our skin they repel the heat which being repelled they joyn with the earthy parts of our Body and so cause a greater punctual compression whence we soon feel a dense acuteness thence an asperity and thence a hardness or rigidity When again we approach the fire then its heat joynes with our internal heat and expelling the extrinsick cold parts it doth force the intrinsick ones back to the Circumference and so we grow hot again VIII There is also a Compression observeable in water but much different from that caused by earth water compressing the tact with a continuation and not punctually and therefore the compression made by water is equal thick and obtuse whence it is that when we have newly washt our hands with cold water we feel a thick levor upon them caused by the continuous pressure of the water The division which produceth this cold passion in our tact is not by separating or disjoyning its continuous parts but by squeezing the Ayr contained within its pores which being squeezed impelleth also the fiery spirits seated about these Pores from which impulsion we feel a punctual and acute division so that the passion raised by water doth per se only compress obtusely the continuous parts of our tact through a squeezing and per accidens it disuniteth them punctually by impelling the fiery spirits effentially inhering in the said tangent parts besides water containing some earthy points doth by reason of them excite withal a small acute compression Arist. Lib. 2. de ort anim Cap. 4. and in Lib. 1. de Meteor Cap. 4. seemes to assert that coldness is nothing else but a privation of heat For saith he the two Elements implying water and earth remain cold by reason of the defect of circular motion making heat Zabarel Lib. 2. de qual Elem. cap. 3. makes good my Opinion although by guess or at least we must say that coldness is really in it self a positive quality but wherein this positive quality consisteth he knoweth not but that it ariseth from a privation of heat and in respect of heat it may take place among privations This tends to the same purpose as I have stated before namely that coldness cannot act unless heat be absent in such a proportion as that it may have power over it The same is appliable to heat and the other qualities viz. that they are privations in regard they cannot act without the absence of their Opposites but that they are positive because they act sensibly in the absence of the said opposites But what shall I think of Aristotle who hath soon altered his opinion in Lib. 2. de Ort. Inter. Text. 9. Cold is that doth equally conjoyn and congregate bodies that are of the same Gender as well as those of a differing Gender A plain Contradiction for that which doth conjoyn and congregate bodies by condensation must be positive according to his own words yet nevertheless above he asserted it to be a Privation I wave this and proceed in making disquisition upon his Definition Broath as long as it remaines boyling hot the fat of it is contained within it being exactly mixed with the water but assoon as it cooles it is separated and cast forth to the top ergo cold doth segregate heterogenea from homogenea Earth separates her self from water and water segregates her parts from fire and ayr but water and earth are cold and yet do not congregate their own parts with others of another gender Ergo. 2. This is no more but the mentioning of one of its remote effects for they themselves grant that it produceth this effect through condensation ergo cold is not formally defined but described through one of its effects It now proves easie to us to decide that inveterated dispute concerning the primum frigidum That which doth most divide the tact by compression is the primum frigidum or the coldest but the earth doth most compress our tact or tangent parts for it doth compress the tact acutely and water obtusely only ergo it is the coldest 2. According to their own Tenents that which doth most condense is the coldest but earth condenses most for it condensates her own parts into Metals and Stones but water although it incrassates yet it cannot condense bodies into that consistence which earth doth ergo 3. That which is heaviest is the coldest for condensation is an effect of weight but earth is heaviest ergo Lastly If it be your pleasure to name Earth a frigidum in summo and Water a frigidum in remisso Fire a calidum in summo sive intenso and Ayr calidum in remisso you may without Offence CHAP. XVI Of the remaining Respective Qualities of the Elements 1. The Second Respective Quality of the Ayr. That water cannot be really and essentially attenuated The State of the Controversie 2. That Ayr cannot be really and essentially incrassated Why a man whilst he is alive sinkes down into the water and is drowned and afterwards is cast up again That a woman is longer in sinking or drowning then a
of the illumination if so then there must be a penetration of bodies Fourthly Light is not fire rarefied for were it so then that fire which is most rarefied should be lightest but the consequence is false Ergo the Antecedence also I prove the falsity of the consequence Fire in Brimstone or flaming Brandy is more rare than the fire of a Candle and yet it doth nothing near enlighten so much as the flame of a Candle Fire most rarefied as it is naturally is not at all light Lamps have burned in Tombs for many years together and have enlightned the same for as many years but it is absurd to conceive that fire could have lasted or been sufficient to be rarefied through the ayr for so many years some simply deny the possibility of it although the same may be brought to pass at this present time 4. Where light is there is not alwaies heat near to it for if the contrary were true then an equal light must have an equal heat but this is averred to be false in Greenland where in their day-season it is as light as it is in the East-Indies and lighter thâ—n it is in the Indies in the Winter and yet the heat in the Indies is infinitely more intense than it is in Greenland for here it is never hot although less cold at some times above others Some Author makes use of a musical Instrument of Cornel. Drebbel to prove against all sense and reason that where ever Light is there is also heat These kind of Instruments are common enough now adaies they were Organs and Virginals that played by themselves All which saith the Author depended upon the rarefaction and condensation of some subtil body conserved in a Cavity within the bulck of the whole Instrument for as soon as the Sun shined they would have motion and play their parts And there is no doubt but that grew out of the rarefaction of the subtil Liquor he made use of which was dilated as soon as the ayr was warmed by the Sun beams Was ever a wise man so much wronged as to be made to believe that a little subtil Liquor could blow the bellows of Organs and that the beams of the Sun should penetrate through Boards and Iron and rarefie the Liquor contained therein and that the interposition of a cloud should lessen the sound of the Instrument if so why should not the interposition of a board rather lessen the sound for a boord shall keep away more heat from a thing than the interposition of a thin cloud The business is this there was no heat required to the motion of the said Instrument for had there been so a fire made in the Room could have supplied the action of the Sun after its descension The Instruments were made to move by a piece of Clock-work which was placed near to the keyes the work it self was moved by weights hung to it or otherwise by a thing made within it like to the spring of a Watch now when the wheels are almost run about then the keyes strike feebler and so the sound is diminished this he calls the interposition of a cloud neither is there any such rarefaction as he imagines to himself and therefore is infinitely mistaken throughout his Book in the nature of rarefaction and condensation Wherefore this is no proof that the Suns light is alwaies hot 2. The same Philosopher argues That the reason why we do not feel the warmth of Light is because it is not hot enough to move our tact for that which moves our tact by hear must be of the same warmth or hotter This is another supposed subtility of his That which is not warm cannot be said to be hot because heat is a degree above warmth now in case there is so little warmth in a mixt body that the cold of earth or water doth overcome it that body is not to be called hot or warm but cold even so it is here in case that Light hath not so much heat as to warm but rather cools as we feel it enough in the Winter it is not to be said to be hot but cold VVho could imagine that a Candle should heat the Ayr twenty or thirty Leagues about its light extending about in circumference to little less IV. Light is a continuous obduction or thrusting up or puffing up of the ayr which puffing up is as it were an opening to the whole body of the ayr in the same manner almost as wind being puffed under water raises and puffs up the whole body of it to a large extent by which the water seems to be opened throughout all its body I say it is continuous for were it a disruption of the ayr and not continuous it would cause a sound A continuous obduction is an equal drawing up or support of the ayr to the Circumference That which doth originally cause this obduction is the fire condensed which bears the ayr up equally and circularly like as when you blow sudds up into bubbles which likewise seems to create a light The ayr being obducted originally about the light its whole body is also obducted to a far extent at the very same moment For supposing that the ayr is continuous and that there is no such condensation as the Vulgar imagines as is effected by penetration of parts or diminution of quantity the ayr being trust up at one place must also be trust up all about to a certain extent The same is manifest in water by puffing a thick wind through a Reed underneath it which little wind although unproportionate to the heavy body of water which it raises puffs up all the parts of water at once that is in a moment the reason is because the water being continuous and nothing between it throughout all its dimensions but what is continuous lyeth as continuately close which is the nearest closeness as can be conceived wherefore puffing one part up you must necessarily at the same instant puff up all the other parts about it because they cannot introcede into one another Or otherwise the reason why so improportionate a body should suffice to bear up so heavy a body as the water for a puff of wind if it be blown deep under the water will raise fifty pounds of water more or less according to its force is because the wind having moved the neerest parts of water they bear one another up continuately unto the very Surface So it is with the ayr being puffed up by the fire which at the same instant doth puff up all its parts about Here you may object If the ayr be obducted in that manner by the flame of the fire and that it giveth way continuately throughout its whole body without an intrinsick incrassation then the least fire must stir the whole tract of Air about it I answer That the Air is partially incrassated and not thorowly throughout all its dimensions wherefore when it is so puffed up it is
above the water continuing wood In Thrace it is said there is a Lake whose water proves mortal to any that do drink of it or do bath therein Many of the Troglodites have forfeited their reason for venturing to taste of the water of a pernicious Lake in that Country The Lake Clitorius effects sobriety in men and excites them to a hatred against Wine and Drunkenness The Lake Gerasa in the Country of the Gadarens whereinto the Herd of Swine animated with those dispossessed devils of whom we read in Luk. 8. 33. violently ran down is at present so venomous that it causes the hair and nails of all those to come off that have at any time drank of it The Lake Laumond in Scotland imbracing thirty Islands breeds fish without finnes and is cast sometimes into a most raging tempest although there be little or no wind stirring One of those Islands is said to fluctuate up and down in her The Lakes of Chirchen in China is said to change Iron into Copper Scotland is noted for a Lake whereof the one half yieldeth to be hardned by the frost the other maintaining her fluidity the whole Winter So likewise in Norway although Saturn is felt to be very furious there yet many Lakes lye open all the Winter The like is observable in a Lake near New Castle which in some part refuseth concretion although in the coldest weather There is a Lake near Nidrossa whose waters atop are extreamly cold but the mud near the bottom is constantly boyling hot insomuch that if you tye an Egg to a string and let it sink down to the bottom you may soon draw it up ready boyled Not far from Jensu a City in China is a Lake which is very cold in the Summer and scalding hot in the Winter The same is said of the Lake Jen near Chinchen in the same Country The waters of the Lake Anien at first feel extream cold but after a little while they begin to feel warm they also generate stones out of any matter received from without The Lake of Vadimon shews it self sometimes suddenly very turbulent without giving any manifest token of the cause of it The same is said of the Lake of Geneve or Lausanne Italy is dignified with one of the most famous Lakes in the world called Benaco its plaisance is supplied by a sight of Olive trees growing upon its borders and beautified about the sides with gardens planted with Citron and Pomgranate trees fertilized with rare fish having its water so bright and clear that you may plainly see the bottom through it except in the middle where it is almost not to be fathomed but notwithstanding so fair a complexion in good weather yet appears much more humourous in foul in such a manner that it doth then cast it self into raging high waves whereby it proves no less dangerous and dreadful than a tempestuous sea The Lake Larius by the Hetrusces styled the Prince of Lakes is much swelled in its belly through the swallowing up of the River Abda alias Abdua tumbling down from the Rhetian Alpes through the Valley Voltilena Boaring with a swift stream through the said standing water which gives it passage without the least commotion of its body neither permits it self to be mingled with those rapid and most limpid streams The said River persisting in its Velocity breaks out again near Leuk a Village In like manner doth the River Rhene stream through the Lake Acronius and the River Danow through part of the Surian Sea Hispaniola is watered with a great Lake named by the Inhabitants Haneygaban into which many great Rivers are disburdened and to the admiration of many is nothing engrossed although visibly venting no part of what it hath imbibed The same is observed of the Caspian sea receiving the copious evacuations of the Rivers Volga Janick Abiamu Chesel and many others Lucerna a Town in Switzerland is situated near to a Lake whereinto a stone or piece of wood being cast doth set it into so vehement a commotion that it fluctuates upwards in roaring waves and surmounting its borders happens somtimes to cause an inundation of the next adjacent fields wherefore for the prevention of such inconveniencies it is decreed by the Magistrate that none shall offer to cast any thing into it upon a severe penalty The Inhabitants impure the foresaid exestuation to the pernicious infection which the Lake received from the pestilent Carcass of that hellish Judge Pontius Pilate who after his banishment was thought to have drowned himself therein whence it is that they vulgarly call it Pilat's Pool There is a Lake not unlike to this upon the Mount Tidalu near Chaoking in China whereinto if one throws a stone or any other heavy thing he will immediately hear a roaring noise like thunder and soon after the sky about it grows gloomy and casts down rain In Carniola near the chief City Laubach every year about the Autumn there appears a Pool between some mountains about a league and half in compass and abounding with fish none apprehending whence this quantity of moisture should derive and towards the Spring it begins to dry up after which the ground is copiously fertilized and is haunted with a number of Deer IV. A Fountain or Spring is a pereunal eruption of water out of the Earth The differences of these is no less various than of Lakes to wit in quantity quality motion and situation Furthermore some are artificial others natural We shall only instance the admirable properties of some of the latter Aristotle writes of a Fountain in Thrace whereunto another in Arcadia named Styx as also one in Sarmatia and that of Armenia Lydia and Sicilia are like in vertue which casteth the drinkers of it into a mortal Syncope breeding fish working the same effect upon those that eat them The waters of the Founts of Valentia in Spain Wolchenstein Trecha the Kingdom of Crobus upon the Alpes Berosus and of Manglo in China are all deleterious corrosive and extreamly venomous Boeotia spouts out two springs whereof the one called Lethe effects forgetfulness the other cures it The water of the Fountain in the Island Cea as Pliny relates being drank dulleth a mans understanding and makes him sottish The Fountain of Susa in Persia loosens the teeth and causeth them to fall out Pliny speaks also of another in Germany on the other side of the Rhene effecting the same A draught of the water of Lyncistis filleth a mans brain and makes him drunk The Fountain of Arania a part of Arcadia makes one loath Wine Isidorus and Solinus write of two Fountains whereof the one procures fruitfulness in women the other barrenness The Garamants make mention of a Fountain among them called the fountain of the Sun whose extream coldness in the day renders it importable and in the night is so excessive hot that it proves scalding Aristotle relates of the Fountain Elusine which naturally being quiet and clear is affected with the noise of
most to tend through the disposition of water and earth contained within those vapours and the greater force of the heavens driving them towards the Poles as the weaker places for there motion is least observed where being arrived are by the privative coldness of that Region assisted to free themselves of the fire and air the water now cleaving to the earth and divided into millions upon millions of minima's make up a dense body whence through the depression of the air they are devolved down to the earth Waters that are least in motion less fiery and aerial are most disposed to concretion Hence fresh waters are aptest to be frozen Whereas the Sea is seldom reduced to concretion because of its continual motion expelling the frosty minima's as fast as they are received or precipating them to the bottom or by melting their body through the fiery salin and aerial particles contained within it Notwithstanding is the Sea reduced to concretion in some Climates viz. within the Polars where you have the Oceanus Glacialis or Icy Ocean whose Ice is in some places 60 or 80 fathom deep in others reaching from the bottom of the Sea to the top insomuch that the tops of many of those Icy mountains stick out as far above the Surface of the liquid Sea as the same Sea is deep underneath The properties of that Ice is to be clear and transparent like glass Herodotus doth likewise make mention of the freezing of the Bosphorus so Beda lib. de natur rer c. 9. writes that within a daies sail from the Isle Tyle towards the North the Sea is frozen Olans Magn. tells us of the Gothiek Sea being frozen But this hapneth because the Sea thereabout may be deprived of its saltness yea some assert that those mountains of Ice are most fresh water concreased which being precipitated to the bottom through the density of the frosty minima's constantly descending like showers under the Pole the remaining Surface of fresh water is soon congealed Before I close this Paragraph I shall only adde the cause of a strange passion befalling the Glacial Sea where sometimes of a sudden and in a moment a whole mountain of Ice is melted away causing a dangerous current subverting or carrying away many a ship and yet the frost continueth The cause of this is not the broyling and melting heat of the Sun for the Sun is never so kind there but the union of those fiery salin particles precipitated as we told you above by the frosty minims down into the mud whence working or bursting with an united condensed force upwards do occasion such sudden degelations VIII Lastly Waters in respect of wholsomness differ very much in excellency and choice Spring water and those of Rivers are commended above others of Pools Lakes and Pit waters because these latter through their standing still contract a muddiness and filth out of the earth and sometimes noxious particles co gulated out of exhalations transpiring out the said mud besides that they are disposed to putrefactions through the abundance of peregrin bodies protruding venomous herbs and generating Toads Frogs Leeches Snails Eeles and other filthy Insects Snow waters are no less noxious than the former because of their crudity nitrosity and thickness Waters gathered and kept in a Leaden Cistern through Leaden or Tin spouts are crude and windy because they descend out of the cold region of the air Moreover as Galen doth well except they contract a pernicious quality from the Lead Wherefore Fountain or River waters carry the bell before them all but which of these two excells the other we must next distinguish Fountain waters as they spring out of the mountains are yet filled with wind and earthy minima's and therefore must yield to River waters I mean such as are derived from a Fountain In these the waters through their rapid streams depose those earthy crude and windy bodies which they brought along with them out of the Fountains Cavern and are attenuated and clarified through the Sun beams and lastly depose their dregs into the earth through being strained through its dense and clear sands And among these there is a great difference those that take their rice from a standing water or a Lake and flow through a muddy ground are much inferiour to many fountain waters But others that stream rapidly from a bright fountain and take their course through a pure sandy or gravelly ground and meet the East Sun are the best River waters in hot Countries where the air is clear are preferred before others in cold Climats Hence Rivers of a Continent take place before those of an Iland because the latter is generally beset with a nubilous air filling the said waters with mud and keeping off the rayes of the Sun from concocting them Wherefore River waters in the Southeast parts of France are esteemed before any in England those of the Southeast parts of Spain before others of the same Continent where the River Tago is much extolled for its wholsomeness of water In Persia the Choaspis affords the best waters In India the Ganges c. The Rivers of Thames affords the best water in England but further up towards the Woodmongers Gallows Oxford not about London where the ground is muddy besides that it is infected by the Tides flowing out of the Sea with many saltish particles dirt dung carkasses c. There must also notice be taken of the rice of a River viz. That it do not spring out of a Mine and of the Countries through which it passeth whether Chalky Gravelly or Clayish Insumma waters that are the lightest thinnest clearest and most limpid of no strong tangue but of a sweet pleasing rellish are the best The weight of waters is known by weighing one with the other in Scales By letting them run through a small sieve or thick close linnen their tenuity is known by dropping them upon a Looking-glass whereof that which drops the least drops and makes the greatest splatch is the subtillest by distillation boyling dissolving Salt or Soape in them by their shaking smalness and number of streams by the swimming of a piece of wood in them viz. that wherein it smimmeth deepest is the lightest and thinnest c. CHAP. XIV Of the commerce of the air with the other Elements 1. How the air moves downwards What motions the Elements would exercise supposing they enjoyed their Center Why the Air doth not easily toss the terraqueous Globe out of its place How the Air is capable of two contrary motions 2. That the Air moves continually from East through the South to West and thence back again to the East through the North. 3. An objection against the airs circular motion answered 4. The Poles of the Air. 5. The proportion of Air to Fire its distinction into three profundities 1. AIr is a debtor for its name to aer in Latine which again to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lift up because it was lifted up as it were
Surface VIII Why doth the Herb of the Sun vulgarly called Chrysantemum Peruvianum or Crowfoot of Peru because its Leaves and Flowers resemble those of our Crowfoot turn the faces of its Leaves and Flowers about with the Sun Answ. Because the Sun through its igneous Beames doth rarefie that side of the Leaves and Flowers which is obverted to it whereby he doth expel their continuous streames whose egress doth attract or incline them that way whither they are expelled in the same manner as we have explained the Attraction of the Loadstone IX Why is the Laurel seldom or never struck by Lightning Answ. Because it is circumvested with a thick slimy Moysture which doth easily shove or slide off the Glance of a Lightning CHAP. II. Containing Problemes relating to Water 1. Why is red hot Iron rendered harder by being quencht in cold water 2. Whence is it there fals a kind of small Rain every day at noon under the AEquinoctial Region 3. How Glass is made 4. Whence it is that so great a Mole as a Ship yields to be turned by so small a thing as her Rudder 5. What the cause of a Ships swimming upon the water is 6. Whether all hard waterish bodies are freed from fire I. VVHy is red hot Iron rendered harder by being quencht in cold water Answ. Because the water doth suddenly pierce into the Pores of iron being now open and violently expel the fire and air both which as we have shewed in B. 1. Part 2. are the sole Causes of the softness of a body and being expelled leave the same indurated by the weighty Elements pressing more forcibly and harder to their Center II. Whence is it that there fals a kind of small Rain every day from 11 or 12 of the Clock to 2 or 3 in the Afternoon under the AEquinoctial Region Answ. The Sun at his Rising and Descending doth through his oblique Rayes excite a multitude of small vapours which through the privative coldness of the air in the night are concreased into small clouds but reduced into drops of rain through the Suns rarefaction or fiery minims when he is perpendicularly imminent upon them III. How is Glass made Answ. The matter of ordinary Glass is generally known to be Ashes or Chalck burnt out of stones or both The Venice Glasses differing from others in clearness and transparency are made out of chalck burnt out of stones which they fetch from Pavia by the River Ficinum and the ashes of the weed Kall growing in the deserts of Arabia between Alexandria and Rossetta which the Arabians make use of for fuell In the first Book second Part I have told you how a body was reduced into ashes through the expulsion of its thinner glutinous moisture by the vibrating fiery minims The same fire being intended doth through its greater violence enter mollifie diduct and thence melt and equallize the courser thick remaining glutinous moisture by its own presence together with the air which it imports along with it whereby the Terrestial minims that were before clotted are exactly and equally spread throughout the foresaid thick glutinous moisture The fire and air being only admitted from without not incorporated with the said bodies through want of a matrix because they being in that extream overpowring quantity that they may as easily free themselves from the said body as they entered are expelled again as soon as they are exposed to the cold ambient air and so desert the body leaving it glib smooth continuously hard friable rigid and transparent So that it appears hence that Glass is nothing but water reduced nearer to its absolute nature which we have shewed is hard and clear by freeing it from the thin glutinous moisture or air and fire incorporated with a small proportion of water through barning its first subject into ashes and afterwards by uniting diducting and equallizing its own parts contained in the ashes By the forementioned thick or course glutinous moisture I intend a mixture of much water incorporated with a little earth and least air and fire That Glass is water nearer reduced to its absolute nature I shall prove by its properties 1. That glib smoothness of Glass depends upon the continuity of the parts of water necessarily accompanied by a glib smoothness because it doth not consist of any contiguous rough minims 2. It is continuously hard because water of her absolute nature is continuously hard 3. It is friable because the water is throughout divided by the minims of earth which render it so brittle and rigid whereas were it all water it would be harder than any stone It is transparent because it is but little condensed by earth whose condensation renders all bodies obscure 2. Because it is luminous that is apt to receive the lumen from any lucid body as being throughout porous through which it is rendred capable of harbouring the obtended air Glass is distinguisht from Crystallin hardness and transparency because this latter appropriates more of water in her absolute state and less of earth IV. Whence is it that so great a mole as a Ship yields so readily in turning or winding to so small a thing as a Rudder This Problem will make plain that an impulse is intended by a medium or deferens A Ship swimming in the water and being impelled by the wind or a board-hook raiseth the water into a tumour before at her bowes which is violently impelled what by the air lifted up by the tumour what by her own bent to recover that place behind at the stern whence it was first propelled and where you shall alwaies observe a hollowness in the water proportionable to her rising before and therefore as you may see runs swiftly about both the sides and meeting in both the streams abaft doth propel the Ship forward by a reflection and this you may also perceive in taking notice of that most eager meeting of the streams of water from both sides behind at the Rudder which being removed to either side viz. To Star-boord or Lar-boord side directs the Ship towards the sides because the force of the water in returning doth beat hard against that side of the Rudder which is obverted to her as resisting most and collecting her force is shoved towards the opposite side of the Stern whereby her head comes too to the other side whence we may plainly observe that a Ship doth not begin to turn before but alwaies abaft This I prove A Ship hitting her breech against the ground at Sea usually striketh abaft because she draweth more water there than before now the shoving of the Helm to the other side brings her off immediately and brings her head too which is a certain sign that a Ship is moved from abaft and begins first to turn there If it is so it is beyond doubting that the force of the water is forcible behind beyond imagination and thence adding that intention to the impulse V. What is the cause of the swimming of
quieter in the night than in the day Answ. Because in the day the air being fluid and continuous is agitated into waves by the Suns fiery beams whose bodies clashing together cause a small noise in the day which the night season is freed of CHAP. IV. Containing Problems touching the fire 1. Why doth water cast upon unquencht chalk or lime become boyling 2. Why doth common salt make a cracking noise when cast into the fire 3. Who were the first inventers of Gunpowder 4. VVhat are the Ingredients of Gunpowder 5. VVhence arrives all that flaming fire that followeth the kindling of Gunpowder 6. Whence is it that Gunpowder being kindled in Guns erupts with that force and violence I. VVHy doth water cast upon unquencht chalk or lime become boyling Answ. Because fire in lime is detained or imprisoned within a thick glutinous moisture which being attenuated through the thinner moisture of water is forced to suffer the igneous parts before dispersed and imprisoned to unite whence being condensed and incompassed by a thin glutinous air is changed into a hidden flame whereby the water is rendred boyling hot II. Why doth common salt make a cracking noise when cast into the fire Answ. Because the flaming fire exufflating the spirituous air of the salt within its body doth also force it to burst out the report whereof is not unlike to a cracking noise III. Who were the first inventers of Gunpowder Answ. In the first place touching the dispute whether the invention of it is to be adscribed to the Chineses or the Europeans it is very probable the Chineses were the first Authors of Gunpowder because they were found practising upon it at the same time that it was first invented in Europe Next who was the Author of it among the Europeans is uncertain but certain that he was a German whose name some would call Berthold Swarts a Monck of Friburg said to have found it out accidentally by leaving a mixture of Saltpeter and Sulphur in a Mortar covered with a stone whereinto a spark of the candle lighting by chance forced the stone up with no small report from this he was also supposed to have taken the fabrick of a Gun IV. What are the ingredients of Gunpowder Answ. Its materials are ordinarily Saltpeter Sulphur and dust of Charcoal All which being very igneous do very much intend one anothers force in blowing up a fire V. Whence arrives all that flaming fire that followeth the kindling of Gunpowder Ans. The Saltpeter which is the chiefest of the ingredients consisting of very weighty dense and waterish parts contains a great proportion of fiery minims within its body but dispersed through those weighty parts and suppressed by them these being somewhat diducted and opened through the rarefying and expanding vertue of an external actual flaming fire give occasion to the fiery minims interwoven with incrassated air to unite and through the compression of the weighty parts to be condensed whence erupting into the air doth attract other fire latent or rather is forced to it by the accurss of the ambient air and dispersed throughout the air whereby its flame is much amplified and continuated for it seemeth very improbable that so much fire should have been latent in the Gunpowder as the flame requires 2. The dilatation of the said erupting flame is also attenuated by the accurss of the air expanding the thick and course erupting flame gradually into a thinner larger flame whence it is that the flame near where the Powder was kindled appears dusky red and further off light and flashy VI. Whence is it that Gunpowder being kindled in Guns erupts with that force and violence Answ. The Powder being kindled into a flame at the Touch-hole divides or discontinuates the air more than any other body imaginable whereunto the air accurrs from all parts especially from above with the greatest velocity and force for to expell the flame which being propagated further partly by its own force partly by the intrusion of the air causeth a more violent discontinuation of air within being pent up whereunto again a greater power of air accedes from without and attenuates the flame within whereby together with the compression of the sides of the Gun and the great access of air from without the flame is violently expelled effecting a great report through its disrupting and pluffing of the air Here observe 1. How the flame is augmented within the Gun not by a vertual rarefaction as if the parts of the Gunpowder could be augmented without access of other matter from without for that would suppose either a Vacuum and a new creation of parts or a penetration and an annihilation of foregoing parts Wherefore I say it is augmented by attracting fire out of the acceding air and secondly by being attenuated and diducted into a large flame by the parts of the irrupting air 2. That it is the air entring at the touch-hole that doth expell the flame is evident 1. Because the air is shut out before by the bullet and tow 2. The touch-hole being stopt at the next instant after the Powder begins to kindle the flame is immediately suppressed and extinguisht or at least bursleth up behind Whence it doth appear that it is the air entring doth attenuate vulgarly termed rarefie and expand the flame which the advenient fire doth augment and that the said air doth expell the flame out at the muzzel 3. That the air doth make use of the weighty minims of the salt-peter in compressing and expelling the flame outwards 4. Why is a hot glass bursted by casting a drop of cold water upon it Answ. Because the fiery minims contained within its pores are condensed and violently compressed by the gravity of the water whereby they are forced to disrupt the glass Why doth a woodden Arrow being shot out of a Gun pierce deeper than an Iron one Answ. Because the woodden one gives way into it self or shrinks as it makes a hole whence being rendred lesser passeth the easier through whereas an Iron one is stubborn and is rather somewhat flatned against the body aimed at whence being rendred more obtuse and bigger at the point is hindred in penetrating Labore constantia Soli Deo triuni gloria honos in Saecula Saeculorum AMEN Errata PAge 9. line 12. dele that p. 11. l. 3. read into p. 21. l. 20. after Pellines c. must be inserted those words below beginning l. 30. I was much abused c. ending at l. 34. at breathing p. 35. l. 14. r. Fire is rough p. 44. in marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fundo p. 135. l. 25. r. a man couragious p. 144. l. 13. r. Medicine p. 145. l. 28. r. procatarctick p. 148. l. 4. r. it s naturall p. 167. l. 18. r. the lumina p. 170. l. 21. for are r. is p. 191. l. 26. r. Cyzicum p. 194. l. 15. r. in oyl for that is a tast mixt out of a waterish and ayry tast The rest are
Union might be more properly termed a Principle than Privation p. 8. 2. The Principles of a Material Being stated by Pythagoras rejected p. 9. 3. That to treat of Matter and Form is more proper to Metaphysicks 10. 4. That the Materia Prima of Aristotle is a Non Ens. ib. 5. That the Chaos had a Form p. 11. 6. The Authors Materia Prima p. 12. 7. That it doth not appertain to Physicks to explain the nature of the first Matter ib. 8. What the first Form of all natural Beings is ib. 13. CHAP. IV. Of the Nature and Essence of the Elements 1. The nearest Definition of a Natural Being p. 15. 2. The Definition of an Element That all Physical Definitions ought to be sensible The proof of the Existence of the Elements and of their Number p. 16. 3. An Exposition of the Definition of an Element It s Etymology and Honomony p. 17. 4. What Distinction the Author makes between Principle Cause and Element p 18. 5. What a Natural Cause is That the Elements are no single real Beings That they are treated of separately and singly Ratione only ib. 6. That there are but three Natural Causes Their Necessity proved in particular ib. CHAP. V. Of New Philosophy and the Authors of it 1. Helmontius his arrogance and vainglory How and wherein he rejected the Peripatetick Philosophy His own Principles p. 19 20. 2. The Life and Death of the said Helmontius p. 21. 3. A Confutation of all his Physical Principles in particular p. 22. 4. Some few Arguments against Renè des Cartes his Principles in general p. 23 24 25. CHAP. VI. Of the Material Principle of Natural Beings 1. The Causes of the Elements p. 26. 2. That the Elements are really compounded natural beings ib. 3. That Matter and Quantity are really identificated ib. 4. What Quantity is What its Ratio formalis is p. 27. 5. That in rebus quantis there is a maximum and a minimum Definitum p. 28. 6. Experimental Instances proving that there are actual Minima's and that all natural beings do consist out of them p. 29. 7. The pursuit of the preceding Instances inferring a Continuum to be constituted out of actual Indivisibles Some Geometrical Objections answered p. 30. CHAP. VII Of the Natural Matter and Form of the Elements 1. That the Elements are constituted out of minima's That they were at first created a maximum divisible into minima's p. 31. 2. That supposing there were a materia prima Aristotelica yet it is absurd to essert her to have a Potentia Essentialis or Appetitus Formae p. 32. 3. That the Natural Form is not educed è Potentia Materiae ib. 4. That the Actus of Local Motion is the Form of the Elements ib. 5. The manner of knowing the first constitution of the Elements That there was a Chaos p. 33. 6. That there was conferred a distinct form upon every Element Whether a Form is a Substance 'T is proved that it is not ib. 34. CHAP. VIII Of the absolute and Respective Form of Earth Water Ayr and Fire 1. What Form it is the Author allots to Earth That driness is not the first quality of Earth p. 35. 2. The respective form of Earth 36. 3. That Coldness is not the first quality of Water That water is not moyst naturally neither doth it moysten What it is to moysten Why water acuated with spirits of Vitriol Sulphur or of Salt-peter doth moysten and abate thirst more than when it is single ib. 4. The form of Water What Gravity is and what Levity What Density is The form of water proved Why water disperseth it self into drops Why Sea-men cannot make Land upon the Cap-head when they may upon the Top-Mast-head Why the Stars do appear sooner to those in the East-Seas than to others in the west p. 37. 5. That water is thick but not dense Whence it is that water is smooth Why Ayr makes a bubble upon the water when it breaks forth That the least Atome of Ayr cannot break through the water without raising a bubble Why the same doth not happen to Earth p. 38. 6. That Moysture is not the first quality of Ayr neither doth the Ayr naturally moysten any body but to the contrary dryeth it p. 39. 7. The form of Ayr. What Tenuity is Why Feathers Cobwebs and other light Bodies do expand themselves when thrown through the Ayr. Why Grease Oyl Wax c. do make Splatches when poured upon the ground Why Gunpowder Smoak Breathes of living Creatures Vapours Exhalations Dust c. do diffuse themselves in that manner Whence it is that the least breath moves and shakes the Ayr. The relative form of ayr Why spirits of wine mix easier and sooner with water than one water with another p. 40 41. 8. The first quality of Fire What Rarity is Whence it is that a Torch or Candle spreads its Beams circularly as appears at a distance That Fire is rough the cause of it Fire's Relative nature A comparing of all the first qualities of the Elements one to the other p. 42 43. CHAP. IX Of the beginning of the World 1. Whence the world had its beginning What the Chaos is That the Chaos had a form A Scripture Objection answered That the Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters did informate the Chaos p. 44. 2. That the Chaos consisted of the four Elements is proved by Scripture The Etymology of Heaven What Moses meant by Waters above the Waters The Derivation of the Firmament That the Ayr is comprehended under the Notion of waters in Gen. p. 45. 3. That the Elements were exactly mixt in the Chaos That all the Elements consist of an equal number of Minima's p 46. 4. That none but God alone can be rationally thought to be the Efficient of the Chaos How this Action is expressed in Scripture p 47. 5. What Creation is Thom. Aq. his Definition of Creation disproved Austins Observations of the Creation p. 48. 6. That God is the Authour of the Creation proved by the Testimonies of Scripture of Holy men and of Philosophers p. 49. 7. An Explanation of the Definition of Creation Whether Creation is an emanent or transient Action Creation is either mediate or immediate Scotus his Errour upon this point The difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherein mediate Creation differs from Generation p. 50 51. 8. Of the place magnitude tangible qualities colour temperament time figure extent in figure duration quantity and number of the Chaos p. 52 53 54. CHAP. X. Of the first Division of the Chaos 1. Why the Chaos was broken p. 55. 2. That the Chaos could never have wrought its own change through it self The Efficient of its mutation p. 56. 3. The several Changes which the Chaos underwent through its Disruption The manner of the said Disruption ib. 4. How Light was first produced out of the Chaos What a Flame is p. 58. 5. A perfect description
Prophet is haec didicisset Whence saith he had Plato learned that Jupiter rid in a flying Chariot but out of the Histories of the Prophets which he had over-lookt for out of the Books of the Prophets he understood all those things that were thus written concerning the Cherubims and the glory of the Lord went out of the house and came to the Cherubims The Cherubims took their feathers and they hung together in circles and the Glory of the Lord of Israel did abide upon them in Heaven Hence Plato descending cries out these words Iupiter great in the Heavens driving his flying Chariot Otherwise from whom should he else have learned these things but from the Prophets And so Clem. Alexand. lib. 1. Strom. orat ad Gent. speaking as it were to Plato Leges quaecunque verae sunt tibi ab Hebrais suppeditatae sunt What ever true Laws thou hast set down are supplied thee by the Hebrews To this I answer That it is very improbable that Plato should have collected his Divinity out of Moses or the Prophets their writings being in his time not yet translated out of the Hebrew I should rather believe with others that he had sifted his divine Notions out of Hermes Trismegistus an AEgyptian who according to Suidas flourished before Pharho and was called Trismegistus because he had through a divine inspiration written of the Trinity And Sugul saith that he was called Ter optimus maximus the thrice best and greatest because of his greatest wit or according to others because he was a Priest King and a Prophet 'T is not only thought of Plato that he had gathered some riddles of God from the AEgyptans but also of Theodorus Anaxagoras and Pythagoras But I continue Plato's sentences The body being compounded is dissolved by death the soul being simple passeth into another life and is uncapable of corruption The souls of men are divine to whom when they goe out of the body the way of their return to Heaven is open for whom to be best and most just is most expedient The souls of the good after death are in a happy state united to God in a blessed inaccessible place the wicked in convenient places suffer condign punishment But to define what those places are is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence being demanded what things were in the other world he answered Neither was I ever there or ever did speak with any that came from thence VIII We must not forget Aristotle who lib. 3. de anim c. 3. closes with Homer in these Verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Homer agreed in the same That the minds of mortal men were such as the Father of Gods and men did daily infuse into them Moreover lib. 1. de anim cap. 3. t. 65 66. he calleth our understanding Divine and asserts it to be without danger of perishing And lib. 2. de gener cap. 3. delivers his sense thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore it remains that the mind alone doth advene from without and that she alone is Divine for the action of the body hath not at all any communication with her action IX Virgil 4. Georg. wittily sets down God's ubiquity Deum namque ire per omnes Et terras tractusque Maris Coelumque profundum Hinc pecudes armenta viros genus omne ferarum Quemque sibitenues nascentem arcessere vitas Et 6. AEneid Principio Coelum ac terras composque liquentes Lucentemque Globum Lunae Titaniaque astra Spirit us intus alit totamque infusa per artus Mens agitat molem magno se corpore miscet That is For God doth go through all the earth the tracts of the Sea and the deep of the Heavens Hence do beasts and men and what ever is born draw their thin breath And in the sixth Book of his AEneids In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth and the melting fields and the shining Globe of the Moon together with the Titanian Star A spirit doth nourish it within speaking of the world and a mind being infused through its members doth move its mole and mingles its self with that great body X. The admirable Poesie of that Divine Orpheus lib. de Mundo is worth our observation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jupiter is the first Jupiter is the last Jupiter is the head Jupiter is the middle God made all things Jupiter is the foundation of the earth and of the starry heavens Jupiter is a male Jupiter is an immortall Nymph Jupiter is the spirit of all things Jupiter is the mover of the unruly fite Jupiter is the root of the Sea Jupiter is the Sun and the Moon Jupiter is a King Jupiter is the sulminating Prince of all for he covereth all he is a lighr to all the earth out of his breast he doth wonderfull things XI Trismegistus lib. 1. Pimandr renders himself very divinely The mind of the divine power did in the beginning change its shape and suddenly revealed all things and I saw that all things were changed into a very sweet and pleasant light And below in another place A certain shadow fell underneath through a thwart revolution And Serm. 3. Pimandr The shadow was infinite in the deep but the water and the thin spirit were in the chaos and there slourished a holy splendour which impelled the Elements under the sand and the moist nature and the weighty bodies being submerst under the darkness did abide under the moist sand Empedocles defined God a sphere whose center is every where and circumference no where Vincent in spec hist. l. 4. c. 44. Pythagoras described God to be a mind diffused throughout the universal parts of the world and the whole nature out of which all living creatures that are born do draw their life In another place he cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The soul of the universe Heraclitus being at a certain time of the winter crept into a Cottage for to warm himself and being enquired for by some who were ashamed to come into so mean a place called to them to come near for said he the gods are also to be found here Athenagoras an Athenian Philosopher expresseth himself very profoundly God saith he hath given man a judgement of reason and understanding for to know intelligible things the Goodnesse of God his Wisdom and Justice ERRATA PAg. 4. lin 6. read of their l. 31 wisdom it self p. 6. l. 8. r. with those p. 8. l. 17. r. those l. 25. r. into good p 13. l. 19. r. wherein p. 15. l. 12. r. into that l. 28. r. according to p. 17. l. 29. r. those of the. l. 35. r. these causes p. 22. l 33. r. a man doth p. 25. l. 32.
of the Elements That there was a Chaos 6. That there was conferred a distinct form upon every Element Whether a Form is a Substance 'T is proved that it is not I. ANd now give me leave to apply what hath been stated in the preceding Chapter to the Elements which as they are constituted out of Indivisibles Points or minima's so they are dissolveable into the said Indivisibles At their first Creation they were each created a Maximum Their matter is nothing else but their concrete quantity mole or magnitude Neither are we to imagine that God did create all the minima's of the world before he united them to one Mass but created the whole Mass at once divisible into indivisibilities that so they being divided into indivisibilities might become a fit matter for mixture and therein he imposed an order and law upon the Elements of generation and dissolution and without this Law what Order is there imaginable II. Supposing these points coagmented into one Mass were created before the advent of a form which is impossible secundum quid and being without any determination figure motion or any thing that descends from a form it would be nothing differing from Aristotles materia prima Now then I demand what Potentia essemialis or Appetitus formae could there be rationally conceived to inhere in her Certainly no essential one but obediential neither an Appetite to a form for she being blind how could she perceive a form to covet it or being destitute of motion how could she have an appetite since Appetite is nothing else but a natural motion or inclination III. Matter having brought quantity place habit and duration along with her let us further enquire what company the form hath attending it A form as we said before is little else but a Mode of activity and quality For quantity without her is nothing of her self it is the same that doth constitute her and addes distinction and action to her That which giveth activity and quality to Matter and Quantity is an actus of Local Motion This actus of motion is not raised out of quantity or matter for then it would remain quantity neither is it educed out of the disposition of matter for even so it could be nothing yet but matter disposed Wherefore it is a strange saying to assert that the form is educed out of the power of matter Either this may be taken properly and then it is equipollent as if you said the form is educed out of the matter as she is potent that is as having a disposition or propension unto and this is impossible or improperly when the power of matter is taken for a being which as yet is not but may be neither can the form in this sense be educed for she then would be educed e nihilo or e privatione IV. That the actus continuus of local motion is the form of the Elements I prove it That which is the first cause of all the effects acted by the Elements must needs be their form but such is the act of local motion Wherefore c. I shall omit the proving of the Minor here in general since I have proved it below in particular V. The particular production of each part of the world holds forth the manner of the production of the whole since they are all derived from one universal efficient Nature Naturating We observe then daily as for instance in the production of Man Beasts Fowls Minerals that these draw their first Original from a confusion of Principles of Elements which is an assured note or mark that the Elements of the universe were first cast into a confusion quia pars totius naturam aemulatur 2. It is no less undoubtable that as the activity and qualities of these fore-instanced formations were latent and contained in their confused Elements and gradually extracted inacted and exalted to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfection through the vertue of an efficient in like manner were the activity and qualities or forms of the elements latent in their Chaos and afterwards gradually extracted expanded divided and exalted into their fulness by the same Nature 3. It is hence apparent that the Elements underwent several changes but total not partial ones and therefore require a particular disquisition upon each VI. Let us imagine many millions upon millions of minima's of quantity or matter divided into four equal parts whereof each is set apart to be the matter and subject of every one of the four Elements Each of these 't is necessary should be vivified and actuated by a distinct form for otherwise they could not in their dissolution from the Chaos prove apt substances for the constitution of distinct bodies Or simply a form is needful or how or by what power could they act But the question will be whether this form is not an incompleat Substance as the Philosopher states The question me thinks is rather whether it is not a Bull to name a substance incompleat For a substance is a substance because it is compleat and its completion or perfection gives it a subsistence so that were a form a substance it might subsist per se Besides would it not according to Aristotle make an unum per Accidens or could it be directly referred to a Predicament were it united to another real substance Neither is it sufficient to distinguish it from an Accident because it doth constitute part of the compositum for so doth every other accident or mode as appears in Metaphysicks Doth it not inhere in Subjecto per modum accidentis or can it exist out of it And wherein is it then different from an Accident 2. It is frustraneous for the form to be a substance since that a being through its quantity only is capable of receiving quality and activity or vertue of acting A form then is a power of acting in a substance but not a substance it is essential to a being but modally only distinguisht from it not really for an activity in a substance is nothing else but an active substance The concomitants of this activity or form are many as alterative qualities colour figure and all determination and distinction In a word it renders its subject hoc aliquid Although the form is not educed e potentia materiae it hinders not from being educed e potestate actuali Agentis vel efficientis as Scaliger delivers CHAP. VIII Of the Absolute and Respective Form of Earth Water Ayr and Fire 1. What Form it is the Author allots to Earth That driness is not the first quality of earth 2. The respective form of Earth 3. That Coldness is not the first quality of Water That water is not moyst naturally neither doth it moysten What it is to moysten Why water acuated with Spirits of Vitriol Sulphur or of Salt-Peter doth moysten and abate thirst more then when it is single 4. The form of water What Gravity is and what Levity What Density is The form
purity that is in its absolute state doth moysten less then Quicksilver which is not at all IV. The Form or first quality of water is gravity with crassitude There is no single word I can think upon in any Language that I know full enough to express what I do here intend and therefore am compelled to substitute these I explain them thus You must apprehend that gravity is a motion from the Circumference to the Center Levity is a diffusion or motion from the Center to the Circumference Now there is a gravity with density that is which hath density accompanying it Density is a closeness of minima's not diducted into a continuity but potentialiter that is Logicè porous and such is proper to earth There is also a gravity with crassitude which is a weight whose parts are diducted into a continuity or I might rather express my self whose parts do concentrate or move from the Circumference to the Center with a continuity that is without any potential pores dividing its matter as in Quicksilver diduct its body to the Circumference as much as you can yet its part will concentrate with a continuity but if you diduct earth you will perceive its porosity so that its body is altogether discontinuated Water is then weighty with a crassitude I prove it First that it is weighty or that its parts move from the Circumference to the Center Water when divided through force doth unite it self in globosity as appears in drops where all its parts falling from the circumference close to their center form a globosity 2. Water doth not only in its divided parts concentrate but also in its whole quantity This is evident to them that are at sea and approaching to the Land they first make it from the top-mast-head whereas standing at the foot of it upon the Deck they cannot The reason is because the water being swelled up in a round figure the top is interposed between the sight of those that stand upon the Deck and the Land-marks as hils or steeples but they that are aloft viz. upon the Yard arm or top-mast may easily discover them because they stand higher then the top of the swelling of the water The same is also remarkeable in a Bowl filled up with water to the Brim where you may discern the water to be elevated in the middle and proportionably descending to the Brim to constitute a round Figure Archimedes doth most excellently infer the same by demonstration but since the alleadging of it would protract time and try your patience I do omit it Lastly The Stars rising and going down do plainly demonstrate the roundness of the water for to those that sayl in the Eastern Seas the Stars do appear sooner then to others in the Western Ocean because the swelling of the water hindreth the light of the Stars rising in the East from illuminating those in the West The same Argument doth withal perswade us that the earth is round and consequently that its parts do all fall from the Outside to the Center V. Secondly That water hath a crassitude joyning to its gravity sight doth declare to us for it is impossible to discern any porosity in water although dropped in a magnifying Glass which in Sand is not It s levor or most exact smoothness expressing its continuity accompanying its weight is an undoubted mark of its crassitude whereas roughness is alwaies a consequent of contiguity and porosity There is not the least or subtilest spark of fire or ayr can pass the substance of water unless it first break the water and so make its way to get through this is the reason why the least portion of ayr when inclosed within the Intrailes of water cannot get out unless it first raises a bubble upon the water which being broke it procures its vent Nor the least Atome of fire cannot transpire through water unless it disrupts the water by a bubble as we see happens when water seeths or disperse the water into vapours and carry vapours and all with it But ayr and fire do easily go through earth because its parts being only contiguous and porous have no obstacle to obstruct them for sand we see in furnaces will suffer the greatest heat or fire to pass through without any disturbance of its parts Lastly Its respectiveness or relation doth require this form both for its own conservation and for others For the earths relative form being to meet and take hold through its weight and porosity this porosity is necessary for admitting the fire within its bowels for were it continuous as water is it would expel fire and dead it of the fire and by ballancing its lightness to preserve their beings mutually it needs the assistance of water for to inclose the fire when it is received by the earth and through its continuity to keep it in otherwise it would soon break through its pores and desert it So that you see that water by doing the earth this courtesie preserveth her self for were she not stayed likewise in her motion through the fire and ayr she would move to an infinitum VI. Moisture is not the first quality or form of the ayr I prove it Moysture as I said before is nothing else but the adhesion of a moyst body to another which it doth affect or touch Now in this moyst body there must be a certain proportion or Ratio substantiae of quantity it must neither be too thick or too thin Water therefore in its purity is unapt to moysten because it is too thick so ayr in its absolute state is too thin to adhere to any body that it reaches unto If ayr in its mixt nature through which it is rendred of a far thicker consistence is nevertheless not yet thick enough to adhere to the sides of another substance much less in its purity Who ever hath really perceived the moysture of Ayr I daily hear people say hang such a thing up to dry in the ayr but yet I never heard any say hang it up in the ayr to moysten but wet it in the water This drying Faculty of the ayr Peripateticks assert to be accidental to it namely through the permixtion of exhalations with the ayr Alas this is like to one of their Evasions Do we not know that the ayr in its lowest region is rather accidentally moyst because of its imbibition of vapours copiously ascending with the fire or heat tending out of the water to its element Is not the heat more apt to conveigh vapours that do so narrowly enclose it then earth which of it self permits free egress to fire yea where an Ounce of Exhalations ascends there arises a Pint of Vapours Waving this I state the case concerning the second Region of the Ayr or of the top of Mountains where according to their own judgment neither Vapours or â—xhalations are so much dispersed as to be capable of drying or moystning any ex rinsick body even here do wet things dry quicker then
rational Soules emanate out of nothing because they do not emanate out of matter and yet they are not created but naturally produced 'T is true although they emanate out of nothing yet they emanate from something to wit from their immaterial Essence and therefore they are not to be judged to be created It is also possible for a thing to be created from nothing anihilo sui and yet out of something so are all beings created that are created by a mediate creation Wherefore my Definition hath an immediate creation to its definitum Now if you would define creation as it doth in a large extent comprehend also a mediate creation 't is only to substitute in the room of and from nothing or from nothing thus creation is a production of a being out of or from nothing or from and out of neither Austin Lib. 11. de Civitate Dei c. 21. commends a threefold Observation upon the Creation 1. Who is the Efficient of it and that is God 2. Whereby or through what he proceeded to Creation through that he said Let there be and all things were 3. For what reason because he is good We read something not unlike to this in Diog. Laert. Lib. 7. The Stoicks saith he state two Principles of things an Agent and a Patient Through an Agent they understood Matter and through a Patient the Word of God which did adorn that Matter That God is the Author of the Creation besides the reason fore-given the Testimonies of the Sacred Bible of holy men and of Philosophers do confirm it to us Psal. 102. 25. 147. 9. Mal. 2. 10. Es. 45. 6 7. Job 9. 8. Jer. 10. 12. 51. 15. Job 26. 13. John 1. 3. Col. 1. 16. Rom. 13. 36. Rev. 4. 11. Heb. 1. 2. That creation is the production of a being out and from nothing the Scripture doth also reveal to us Gen. 1. Prov. 8. 24. Psal. 33. 9. John 1. 3. Rom. 4. 17. Heb. 11. 3. Austin Lib. 1. De Gen. contra Manich. Although all things are formed out of that unform matter notwithstanding is this same matter made out of nothing Lactan. Lib. 2. Cap. 9. Let none ask out of what matter God made so great and wonderful works for he hath made all things out of nothing Neither are we to give hearing to Poets who say that there was a Chaos in the beginning that is a confusion of things and of the Elements and that afterwards God did divide all that Mass and having separated every thing from the confused heap and described them in order he did build the world and also adorn it 'T is more credible that matter was rather created by God which God can do all things then that the world was not made by God because without a mind reason counsel nothing can be made Here our Author reasons against the Eternity of the Chaos as the Poets feigned to themselves whose Song was That the Chaos being an immense rude and voyd mole did fluctuate without any form from all eternity and that God in time did confer a form and shape upon it and brought it to what it is Yet nevertheless he states a finite Chaos under the name of matter created by God out of nothing Hemingins teacheth us That creation is the primar production or formation of things whereby God the Eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ together with the Holy Spirit did produce and form Heaven and Earth and the things therein contained both visible and invisible out of nothing to the end that he might be acknowledged and worshipped Hermes Trismegistus Lib. 1. Pimandr That ancient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 declares himself seemingly more by inspired words then acquired ones The mind saith he of the Divine power did in the beginning change his shape and suddenly disclosed all things and I saw all things changed into a light most unspeakably sweet and pleasant And in another place Serm. 3. Pimandr The infinite shadow was in the deep and the water and thin spirit were in the Chaos and the holy splendor did flourish which did deduct the Elements from under the sand and moist nature and the weighty lay drowned in darkness under the moist Sand. The same divine Mercurius Lib. de Piet. Phil. renders himself thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first is God the second the world the third man the world for man and man for God Another Philosopher speaks with no less Zeal and Eloquence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is an old saying and revealed by the ancients unto all men that all things were constituted out of God and through God and that no nature can be enough accomplisht to salvation were it committed to its own tuition without Gods help Thales being sometimes demanded what of all things was the most beautiful he answered the World for it is the work of God which nothing can exceed in beauty Plato in Tim. attested Gods Love to be the cause of the making of the world and of the rise of all beings Clemens Alex. said that the Creation of the world was Gods Hand-writing whose Leaves were three Heaven Earth and the Sea VII The Genus of the Definition is Production which is either supernatural or natural A supernatural Production is called Creation A Natural one is termed Generation Observe that supernatural and natural are remote differences of Creation and Generation wherefore I did not appose the foremost of them to our Definition because I substituted its differentia proxima Whether Production by others called Efficiency is an emanant or transient action is controversial Thomas as you have read terms it an emanation On the other side why should it not be conceived to be a transient action since it doth terminare ad extra But then again why so For all transient actions do presuppose the pre-existence of their Object which here was not Wherefore to avoid all scruples I conclude it if actively understood to be apprehended per modum actus emanantis if passively per modum actus transeuntis Creation is either so called strictly and then it imports only an immediate creation according to which sense you have it already defined or largely and then it is divisible into immediate or mediate Creation An immediate Creation is the same with Creation in a strict sense whereby a being is produced out of nothing neither out of a pre-existent or co-existent matter but a nihilo termini i. e. formae vel materiae sive e nihilo privativo vel e nihilo negativo Wherefore I say that this immediate Creation is no mutation because mutation presupposeth pre-existent matter But it may be you will side with Dun◠who for to maintain it to be a mutation did impiously assert the thing which was to be created res creanda to have had its essence pre-existent in the divine mind so that creation must be the mutation of an Essence not existing into an Essence existing In the first place Scripture doth plainly
how to try the force of fire by Scales Why fire doth not alwaies feel hot in the Ayr. 6. Plato and Scaliger their Opinion touching heat 7. The Parepatetick Description of Heat rejected How fire separateth Silver from Gold and Lead from Silver 8. What the second respective quality of Earth is What Cold is The manner of operation of Cold upon our Tact. 9. The second respective quality of Water That water cooles differently from Earth 10. Aristotle and Zabarel their wavering Opinions touching Cold. That Earth is the primum frigidum 1. THe Respective Qualities of the Elements are such as do consecute the congress of the same Elements They are called Qualities per accidens in respect they are supposed to befall them after their production in their absolute Form They are withal termed Second Qualities because they are produced by the First Qualities of the Elements in their congress II. The Second Accidental Quality emanating from fire in its concurse to mixture is Heat The manner of production of heat is accidental and violent That it is accidental is evident because fire in its own Region as the Parepateticks themselves allow is seated beyond all degrees of heat or at least doth not burn It doth not burn because it flames not for nothing doth burn unless it is exalted to a flame or contains a flame within it self A red hot Iron burneth no longer then the flame of the fire lodgeth within its pores nay it doth not so much as effect warmth unless the fire that is contained within its pores flames a little but this flame is so litâ—le that it fleeth the eye-sight If a red hot Iron burneth strongly because it containes a great flame and the same Iron burneth less and less as the fire flaming diminisheth it is a certain sign that where its flame is extinguisht its heat is vanished with it Again none ever doubted but that in a flaming Torch there is an actual burning fire Now tell me when the flame is ready to go out whither that fire goeth Your Answer must be that it is dispersed through the Ayr but then the fire being dispersed through the ayr is no more hot no not warm because it doth not flame wherefore fire naturally and per se is not hot I ask you again whether there is not fire contained in Aqua fortis You will answer me affirmatively But then doth this fire burn No it doth not so much as warm your hand through a Glass If you make the fire in the Aqua fortis flame you will find that it shall not only warm but also burn your hand Powre Aqua fortis upon any Mettal as upon the Filings of Brass contained in a precipitating Glass you will soon see it change into a flame smoak and burning heat through the Glass That it flames the light which appeares within the Glass testifieth Possibly you may object that Aqua fortis if powred upon cloath or your hand will burn and yet not flame To this I answer That Cloath through the subtility of its haires doth open the body of Aqua fortis which being opened the fire cometh forth and it withheld by a thickned ayr adhering to the Cloath which causeth a subtil flame yet seldom visible although sometimes there appeares a Glance The like is effected by powring it upon your hand and then we say it doth enflame the hand because there appeares a subtil flame Wherefore Physitians say well such a part is enflamed when it burnes because there is no burning heat without a flame Nevertheless the fire contained within a mixt body may burn and yet its heat may not be sensible but then its flame is withal imperceptible The reason is because the thickness and density of the circumjacent Elements do hinder the penetration of heat out of that body as also of its light III. It is violent by reason its production is depending upon an extrinsick and violent detention The manner of it is thus Fire being violently concentrated in a mixture striveth to pass the Pores of the earth which it doth with little difficulty but being arrived to a thick ayr the fire is there detained by it notwithstanding do the other parts yet remaining within the Pores of the earth continually and successively follow one another and being all united and condensed which is violent to the fire they make a greater force for strength united is made stronger whereby they dilate and expand the incrassated Ayr this Dilatation and expansion of the Ayr by fire condensed within its belly or bladder is that which we call a Flame Now how fire begetteth heat and becometh burning I shall instantly explain First let me tell you what heat is You know that we name all things according to their natures which they manifest to us in affecting our senses So we call that a Sound which affecteth our Eares and according as it doth divide our auditory spirits and nerves we nominate it harsh or shrill c. Even so we name a thing hot when it doth in a certain manner divide our tangent spirits and Membrane or shorter we say a thing is hot when it feeles hot When our spirits are a little shaked or moved by small and loose Particles of flames then it seemes to be warm but when our tangent parts are divided by dense and forcible Particles of fire then we say it burns so that it is only a division of our tangent parts by the dividing and penetrating parts of fire which we call burning This division is different from a cut or incision which is made by a dense acute body and therefore it separates the whole part but through the acuteness of fire its ayry and waterish parts only are divided contiguously because the fire is contiguous Now the more the parts of fire are condensed the stronger it penetrates divides and consumes The reason why burning fire doth consume or dissolve a body into ashes is because it breakes through the ayry and waterish parts by its great force of contiguous lightness which parts being discontinued and expelled the earth is left alone because the ayry and waterish parts were the glâ—w of that body Fire doth only break through the ayry and waterish parts because they only do resist as it were the fire as for the earthy minims they do not so much resist the fire because being contiguous they give way to its passing IV. Secondly That heat is nothing else but a multiplication condensation detention of igneous parts I prove also hence Hold your hand at a certain distance to a fire at the first application of your hand you will feel no heat or warmth but having held it there a little while you shall begin to feel warmth and continuing your hand somewhat longer at the same distance you will feel heat the reason is because at your first application the fire not yet being sufficiently detained or condensed by your hand you felt no warmth but after a certain condensation
man The great errour committed in trying of Witches by casting them into the water 3. That a greater Condensation or Rarefaction is impossible in the Earth 4. In what sense the Author understands and intends Rarefaction and Condensation throughout his Philosophy 5. The third Respective quality of Fire What Driness is The Definition of Moysture The third respective qualities of Water and Ayr. Aristotles Description of Moysture rejected That water is the primum humidum In what sense Ayr is termed dry in what moyst 1. THe Second Respective quality of Ayr is a continuous expression towards the Circumference as we see in water viz. in bubbles within whose body ayr being contained doth express the water to the Circumference When water is thus expressed to the Circumference we say then it is water attenuated or rarefied and when ayr is contained within the body of water so as it is not strong enough to come forth we say it is ayr incrassated but these are no real transmutations For can any body imagine that ayr is really and essentially incrassated or condensed as they call it or that water is attenuated or essentially changed into a thin substance by ayr I prove that a real incrassation of the ayr is impossible Peripatecicks generally conceive the incrassation of the ayr to happen when that ayr having thinly or naturally filled up a cavity there is as much more impacted in that cavity upon the preceding ayr as the cavity contained before Through this impaction the former ayr must needs give way into it self for to admit that ayr which is last entred wherefore say they there must be a penetration of bodies whereby that former ayr doth introcede into it self The ayr then thus introceding into it self is called ayr incrassated Water is attenuated when a Pint of water is diducted to a Pint and a quarter or more without being insufflated by the ayr or any other admitted body So rarefaction of earth is when the earth possessing the space of a Pistol Bullet is diducted to the extent of space of a Musket Bullet without the admission of any other Element Fire is supposed to be condensed in the same manner as Ayr is incrassated This is the true and evident state of the Controversie touching Rarefaction and Condensation Attenuation Incrassation which never any among the Peripateticks did yet truly state They supposing and taking it for granted that such a Condensation Rarefaction Artenuation and Incrassation is possible and hapneth every moment do proceed in debating whether a penetration of bodies be not necessary in Rarefaction and Condensation As for insufflation that is not to be called in question because we stated Incrassation and Rarefaction to happen without the admittance of any other body Wherefore proving such an Incrassation and Attenuation to be impossible and absurd their further surmising of penetration will seem ridiculous Supposing that a Glass were filled with pure water all the Arts of the world could not distend it without the admission of another body through the force of which its parts might be divided and lifted up Since then that water is said to be attenuated because its parts are lifted up diducted through Ayr and Fire retained with their body this cannot be a natural and proper attenuation of the real parts of water but only a violent diduction of water through the ayr which is under it Here may be objected That water when it is thus lifted up and expanded is stretcht and through that stretching its parts are attenuated and its quantity is increased because after the retching it possesseth a larger place To this I Answer that the encrease of quantity about the Surface is not through a single extent of water without access of other parts of water to it but the encrease is from the access of those parts which did possess the Center and now are beaten away and impelled to the Surface where arriving they must be extended in greater quantity and possess a larger place So that what is encreased in the Surface is decreased from the Center and its adjacent parts A Chord of an Instrument is producted in length because it is diminished in thickness and not from a meer quality without the Access of other parts 2. Were the natural thickness of water transmutable into thinness then one extream contrary would be transmutable into the other for thinness and thickness are as much contrary as coldness and heat or dryness and moysture and who ever knew the same coldness changed into heat or the same heat into coldness That would be as if one said one and the same was both cold and hot at the same time I guess your Reply to wit that through Thinness is not meant an extream Thinness but a less Thickness only I answer That if a thick Element is transmutable into a less thick then certainly through the continuance and intention of the cause of that less thickning it might become least thick that is most thin wherefore your Reply is invalid 3. Were thickness transmutable into thinness then every rarefaction would be a creation secundi modi or a new generation because such a transmutation is a non esse vel a nihilo sui ad esse aliquid for thickness is a positive if I may be suffered to term it so privation and negation of thinness because when we affirm a thing to be thick it is the same as if we said it is not thin 4. Thickness is a property quarti modi of water but a proprium quarti modi is inseparable from its Subject and that to remain in being II. The same Arguments prove the impossibility of incrassating Ayr and such a supposition is so far absurd that it is impossible and contradictory to Nature that one Minimum more of Ayr should enter into a Cavity already filled up with it and the ayr would sooner break the world then admit incrassation although but in one Minimum If the nature of ayr is to be thin then in taking away tenuity you take away the nature of Ayr. And if ayr could be incrassated in one minimum it might be incrassated to the thickness of water Lastly was there any such incrassation there must of necessity a penetration of bodies be allowed but a penetration is impossible ergo Incrassation also I prove that a penetration is impossible Suppose a hundred minima's of ayr were through penetration incrassated to fifty and these fifty to possess but half the place which the hundred did fill up I conclude then that through continuance and intention of the same incrassating cause they could be reduced to one minimum and from one minimum to the essence of a spirit or to nothing for since they through penetration have lost the space of Ninety nine unities of points through the same reason they might the easier lose the last unity and so become spirits and thence nothing if there was a penetration of bodies then the less body into which the
such a Rarefaction or greater Condensation because it consisteth as I have proved out of indivisible minima's If then we should grant a rarefaction or greater condensation we must allow the minima's of earth to be divisible for how could they either be retcht or give way into themselves else and so it would be divisible and indivisible at once which is absurd The same Argument serves against the condensation and rarefaction of fire But more of this in our Discourse de vacuo IV. Condensation Rarefaction Attenuation and Incrassation although impossible in this sense yet in another are usually received and may be allowed Condensation in a tolerable acception is when a rare body is united to a dense body and because it is then as it were made one body with the dense substance it is said to be condensed Thus when fire is united to earth it is said to be condensed but through this condensation there is nothing detracted from or added to the natural rarity of the fire 2. Condensation is also taken for the frequent and constant following of one particle of fire upon the other Now you must not conceive that the fire hereby is condensed or impacted in its rarity no but that one part pusheth the other forward and being so pusht forward one before the other they are said to be condensed that is following one another so close as that they just come to touch one another Thus we say that condensed fire warmeth or heateth the hand because many parts follow one another and so push one another forward into the substance of the hand so that condensation of fire in this sense is nothing else but an approximation of the parts of fire that were dispersed before 2. Fire burneth the hand when its parts being condensed according to both these two acceptions are received and collected following close upon one another and so do burn the hand The reason is because as the force of earth and water is intended by violent detention so is fire which being violently detained by earth and water doth move with greater force Besides through the latter of these condensations the parts of fire are more collected and united The fire is violently detained when it is detained from moving from the Center to the Circumference Besides according to these two latter acceptions you are to understand condensation above whereas I have attributed it to fire A body is said to be rarefied when it is affixed to a rare element thus they conceive earth to be rarefied when its minima's are diffused by a portion of fire A body is attenuated when it is united to a thin Element so water is attenuated when its parts are diducted through the renuity of Ayr. A body is said to be incrassated when it is adjoyned to a thick Element Thus Ayr is understood to be incrassated when it is cloathed about with water Remember that I have made use of these words in my foregoing Discourses according to the said Interpretations V. The Third Relative Qualities are such as do immediately emanate from the Second The third respective Quality of fire is Dryness A Dryness is an expulsion of Moysture which fire doth by forcing it to the Circumference and dividing ad extra its continuity Dryness in the earth is an effect of coldness through which it divides ad intra the continuity of moysture inwards and forceth it to the Center Moysture is an effect of water through which it overlaies a body with its own thick substance expanded in ayr it is a quality whereby it overlayes a body with its thin substance Aristotle in stead of describing these qualities he sets down one of their Attributes Moysture is that which is difficultly contained within its own bounds and easily within others This is openly false for the ayr is difficultly contained within the bounds of others insomuch that it striveth to break through with violence and therefore is more easily contained within its own bounds So water is easier contained within its own bounds for when it is poured upon the earth it vanisheth presently which is not a containing of it Besides granting this Attribute to them both it is only a mark of Moysture and not the Description of its formality No doubt but water is moyster then ayr because it is more apt to cleave through its thickness and adhere to a body then ayr which by reason of its tenuity is not so tenacious Wherefore it is Idleness in thâ—se who say that the ayr is moyster then water although water moistneth more because of its thickness And as concerning the primum siccum it belongeth to the earth because that obtaineth greater force in detracting waterish moysture which is the moystest That it doth so appeares hence because the waterish moysture through its weight is more obedient to the impulse of earth then of fire But if you agree to term nothing moyst but what hath a palpable Dampness and that drying which removeth the said dampness then water alone is moystning and ayr drying because ayr through its tenuity divides the crassitude of the water and so disperseth it CHAP. XVII Of Mixtion 1. What Mixtion is Three Conditions required in a Mixtion 2. Whether Mixtion and the generation of a mixt body differ really 3. Aristotles Definition of Mixtion examined Whether the Elements remain entire in mixt Bodies 4. That there is no such Intension or Remission of Qualities as the Peripateticks do apprehend The Authors sense of Remission and Intention 5. That a Mixtion is erroneously divided into a perfect and imperfect Mixtion HItherto we have sufficiently declared the absolute and respective Qualities of the Elements That which I must next apply my self unto is to enarrate the qualities befalling them joyntly in their union one with the other I. Their union is called Mixtion which is an union of the Elements in Minima's or Points Observe that mixtion sometimes is taken for the union of parts not in points but particles and is termed Union by Apposition as when you mixe Barly and Oates together into one heap Anaxagoras and many of the ancient Philosophers did opiniate that Mixtion consisted only in the apposition of little parts to one body but Aristotle hath justly reprehended them for this Assertion and confuted their Opinion Lib. 2. de Gen. Corrup Cap. 10. Properly Mixtion is effected through an exact confusion of parts and their union in Minima's or the least particles the exactness consisteth in this that there must be an equal measure sive ad pondus sive ad justitiam of parts Parts are either little or great The great are constituted out of little and the little out of the least In mixture to wit an equal one are generally three condititions required 1. A mutual contact without which there must be a vacuum in misto a mixt body 2. This mutual contact must be in points whereby every point of an Element toucheth the minimum of another hence they say well mixtio fit
be possible in the Elements I. IN the precedent Chapter I have spoke at large concerning Temperaments in general and their Divisions to which ought to be annext the distinctions of Intemperatures An Intemperature moves either to an equal temperament and generation of a mixt body or from a temperature to corruption and dissolution of a mixt body The former motion is called Coction the latter Putrefaction the end of the former is an equal and durable temperament and the generation of a mixt body the end or rather terminus ad quem of the latter is a most unequal temperature that is when a mixt body returnes to its first elements now when its several ingredients are dissolved into their several elements then they become most unequal because every element in its own region superates the peregrine elements in three fourths and yet there remains a temperature because a fourth part of the alien elements is united to each of them and corruption of a mixt body The difference then between Putrefaction and Corruption is that the one is a motion to dissolution and the other is an entire dissolution it self The same difference is observable between Coction and the generation of a mixt body Alteration is a Genus to them all for Coction and putrefaction are Alterations in a lower degree but Generation and Corruption are alterations in the highest degree II. Alteration is a motion of the Elements through which they move unto into through and from one another in a mixt body The motion unto one another I have formerly called their mutual embracement the manner of which you have read before They move from one another accidentally and secondarily after they have embraced one another so close that the contiguous Elements break through the continuous ones I say Alteration is a motion the same is attested by Galen in his 7 Tom. of his works fol. 14. 4. By motion understand a local motion for the Elements change their places in alteration and therefore a local motion So that Alteration is a Species of local motion Through this local motion the Elements do divide and penetrate one another which Division through local motion doth fully comprehend the nature of Alteration Abra de Raconis in Disput. de Corp. mixt sect secund asserts that Alteration doth not terminate into qualities of the first Spec. to wit Habit and Disposition because neither of them are acquired by motion 2. He states That Alteration doth not extend to natural faculties and powers because these are produced in an instant 3. There is no Alteration concurrent to the production of figure and form because these emanate from Matter To the contrary Alteration constitutes Habits and Dispositions Natural Faculties Form and Figure because all these are produced by the forms of the Elements acting through Alteration upon one another But to Answer to his Reason I deny the first for habits and dispositions are acquired through motion 2. I dislike his second Reason also for they are produced in many Instants 3. Figure and Form are in or out of Matter but not from Matter III. Alteration is either successive or instantaneous It is called successive because it is made up by many instantaneous alterations like as successive time is said to be successive because it is constituted out of many instantaneous times following one another and nevertheless an instant is no less properly time then successive time for time is nothing else but the measure of one motion by another Even so is an instantaneous alteration no less an alteration then a successive alteration because a successive alteration is made up by many instantaneous ones An Alteration is called instantaneous because it happens in the least time which is called an Instant Or an instantaneous alteration is the least alteration whereby one Element altereth that is divides the other in one minimum Now since the beginning of action is from a minim or the least substance the action it self must be also the least which among the Elements specifieth an instantaneous alteration Alteration is to be termed continuous when a continuous Element altereth a contiguous one and contiguous when a contiguous Element altereth a continuous one IV. Fr. Eustach in Tract de Elem. Quest. 11. makes a query how the Elementary contrary qualities are intended and remitted through a successive alteration 1. He states it for a truth that Heat Cold c. do acquire new qualities in their Subject 2. That these new Qualities are entitative perfections whereby heat moysture c. are intended 3. The doubt is now how this entitative perfection is possible to any of these forementioned qualities his Opinion is that it is through addition of new degrees of heat cold c. to the former degrees of the same quality which are procreated out of the same Subject 1. I deny that the forementioned qualities do acquire any other quality but what they are mixe water with wine and the mixture will have something of the qualities of water and something of the wine but no new quality that should be neither 2. I reject his second Position as false 3. It is erroneous that other degrees should be superadded out of the subject for if they are superadded they are superadded either from the foregoing quality or an extrinsick efficient they cannot be superadded through themselves for then a thing would be supposed to generate it self which is absurd because a seipso nihil fit nothing is made by it self They cannot be superadded by another unless it be by the same qualities by reason the cause must be of the same nature which the effect is of qualis causatalis effectus if by the same qualities then the same again would generate it self ergo they cannot be superadded or if superadded from without it is no new quality but agreeing with that which is intended Alteration is different from Mistion or a Temperament in general because it is an action which disposes and prepares the Elements their Forms for mistion and temperature The union of the Elements and Forms thus altered or disposed is a mistion and temperament Wherefore Aristotle defines the nature of Mistion very well Mistion is the union of Miscibles alterated Authors usually divide alteration in perfective and corruptive which are equivalent to Coction and Putrefaction V. Coction is an alteration tending to a temperament ad justitiam Suppose at the first confusion of the Elements in order to a mixtion and temperament the fire and ayr to be unequally mixt with the others about the remote parts but to be equally mixt with the central parts Now Coction is nothing else but the promotion of the light Elements which are yet latent about the Center to an equal mixture secundum partes sed non secundum totum with the heavy ones and although at present they are not so equally mixt yet through alteration that is by dividing or embracing one another the earth dividing the fire the water the ayr the
consequently is the deeper coloured But that which is continuous although very thick yet it gathers nothing near so much as a continuous body because its continuity hinders its pass and so the light reflects upon it and produces a splendor whereas a contiguous body divides the ayr and giveth way for its entrance and so it pinches and next darkneth it Wherefore Gold being continuous that is consisting of much water condensed and ayr incrassated reflects the light and so produces a splendor Now that Gold consisteth of those moist parts I prove it because Gold contains a Lentor in it which is a concomitant of water and ayr as I shewed you before for cast a piece of Gold into the fire and let it lye there for some proportionate time and being taken out you may diduct it into any form or figure and turn or bend it any way Since that Gold consisteth of a proportion of continuous parts it is thereby rendred splendid and yellow from the proportion of contiguous parts contained within it Wherefore if you reduce Gold into a Calx you deprive it of its splendor because you have taken away its continuity of parts IV. Give me leave to demonstrate to you the reasons of all the various colours which Mercury attains to through its various preparations and thence you may collect the reasons of Colours befalling all other bodies whether Mineral or Vegetable through their several preparations Mercury is 1. splendid because of its thick continuity of parts 2. It s Silver-like colour derives from its paucity of contiguous parts which it containing in that small quantity doth render it a little darker than white and is the cause why it is not pellucid like unto water 3. The reason why Mercury becometh white like unto a white frost by being dissolved by Aqua Fort. is because it is diducted and attenuated through all its dimensions and therefore collecting and pinching the light a little only it appears white 4. Mercury changeth into a yellow colour after it hath been dissolved by oyl of Vitriol and being separated from the dissolvent by exhalation it abides white but being cast into water it changeth yellow The whiteness which remains in Mercury after the evaporation of the oyl is the colour of the corosive salt coagulated into an attenuated body by the Mercurial vertue The casting it into water doth deprive it of the forementioned salt which is dissolved into water that which doth remain is the courser part of the salt incorporated with the Mercury whose substance contains such a proportion of earth as to gather somuch of the obtended ayr and to pinch it into a yellowish colour 5. The whiteness of Mercury sublimate corrosive and of Mercury sublimate Dulufied derives more from the attenuated salt than the body the Mercury 6. The same corrosive Mercury sublimate dissolved into fair water and precipitated by oyl of Tartar changeth into a clay red Here you must not imagine that it is the oyl of Tartar in a drop or two doth colour the whole substance of the precipitated body for it self is of another colour besides were it of the same it is improportionate to colour a whole body by a drop or two It happens then through the deprivation of the thinner parts of the corrosive salt swimming in the water That which the oyl of Tartar performed in this preparation is nothing but to free the body from its detaining spirit which it doth by attracting it to its own body and uniting it self with it into a small body the red colour depends upon the quantity of thickned earth of the precipitate I shall not importune you with the relation of colours befalling through other preparations since you may easily infer a reason of them from what hath been proposed concerning the variation of colours in Mercury V. From this discourse I do further infer 1. That the formality of colours doth mainly consist in a respectiveness and relation to our sight and is no hing else but what man by his sight discerns it to be for had man no sight there would be no colours although there would be an alteration upon the ayr extended Likewise light would not be light but ayr obtended So that I say the Absolutum fundamentum Relationis suppositae would be there but not ipsa relatio because the Correlatum is defective The like understand of sounds sents or tasts which as to us are nothing but certain realities moving our animal spirits by certain respective modes which realities moving the senses in certain modes are called such or such sensible qualities what they may be further really in themselves we know not because we perceive no more of them than what we call such and such the others although real yet we suppose them to be non entia because we do not perceive or know them But I prove the Proposition All positive and absolute beings perform their actions responding to their modes But none of these fore-mentioned qualities may be so termed sensible qualities to wit colours sounds unless modifying the senses 2. That a mixt colour is not an intentional quality produced by the coloured object in the ayr but a real quality really inhering or effected in the ayr by the original action of a fundamental colour What shall an intentional quality act really Ergo Quiddam esset in effectu quod prius non fuerit in causa which contradicts that Maxime concluding the contrary Besides colour would be affected with two sorts of accidents one really inherent in the object the other in the ayr 3. It supposeth accidents to migrate è subjecto in subjectum which is impossible Nevertheless Scaliger pretends to prove Light to be a quality produced in the ayr and distinct from the efficient that is that Lumen is really distinguisht from Lux if so then Lumen could exist when Lux is separated and removed from it but that cannot be ergo there is no real distinction between them According to the same rule we might raise a real distinction between the coloured object immediately altering the ayr and the colour or lumen produced in the ayr from that colour being a Lux in comparison to the other This real distinction is rejected by the same Arguments because a colour in the ayr or a Lumen cannot exist when the colour or Lux in the object is removed 3. That notwithstanding the respective formality there is a real foundation in coloured bodies which is a certain degree of temperature whereby they being somewhat contrary to our sense move and act but mediately upon its temperament 4. That through this absolute foundation a colour doth move or act really upon the ayr and through it upon other inanimate bodies yet not as it is a colour but as it is an absolute foundation or a degree of temperament This motion is not very considerable for although it may move a light thin body out its place yet it will hardly move locally a thick or
we are to apply it as it relates to the other Elements and is the proper cause of her Commerce with them Water although appearing fluid yet naturally that is absolutely conceived by it self is void of all fluor but partakes of the greatest weight hardness crassitude smoothness and consistency that is imaginable I prove it Water the more it is remote from the intense heat of the Sun the more heavy thick hard smooth and consistent it is Have you not Mountains of Ice of great weight thickness c. in Greenland in the Summer much more in the Winter yet more directly under the Poles and most of all if apprehended absolute by it self and deprived from extrinsick air and fire when we cannot but judge it to be of the greatest weight thickness and consistency that is apprehensible The Scripture seems to attest the same Job 38. And the waters are hid as with a stone and the face of the deep is frozen By the deep here is meant the Chaos ergo the waters were naturally at their first creation thick and hard Lastly As there are two fluid Elements viz. fire and air So it is also necessary that they should be balanced and met with two opposite consistent ones namely Earth and Water The first being contiguous and hard responds to fire the other being continuous and hard responds to air being continuous and soft Whence we may safely conclude that it is the advent of the fire together with the air that renders the water thus thin and fluid as we see it is II. How Water first gained such a body together as the Sea is our exposition of the worlds creation will advise you The Sea is the greatest collection of water by the Latinists it is called Mare from Meare to go or to flow and not from amarum or the word Marath among the Caldeans signifying bitter as some have thought so it is likewise called Oceanus the Ocean from Ocior amnis a swift current It procures various distinctions from its beating against several shores from those of the East and West India it is surnamed the East and West Indian Ocean of the Mount Atlas the Atlantick Ocean from those of Sarmatia the Sarmatick Ocean near Madagascar the rough Sea from the quicksands that are frequently thereabout of Spain and Brittain the Spanish and Brittish Ocean c. And from the Plage whence it doth flow it is called the East West South or North Ocean The same spreads it self into many particular Seas or great Bayes whereof these are the more principal 1. The Mediterranean Sea so named because it flows through the middle of two great parts of the Earth viz. between a great part of Europe Africa and Asia Or more particularly between Spain France Italy Dalmatia Greece and Natolia of the one side and AEgypt and Barbary of the other Where it toucheth the Spanish coast it is called the Iberick sea and more forward the French Balearick Ligustick near Genoa Tyrrhenian or Tuscan about Sicily Sardinian Sicilian Adriatick Cretick Libyan Phoenicean Cyprian Syriack sea c. its mouth is called the Straits 2. Pontus Euxinus the Euxian sea otherwise named the black sea or Mare Majus whose mouth is called the Hellespont from its narrowness its throat Propontis and the Thracian Bosphor so called from bos an Oxe as if an Oxe were too big to pass through that narrowness 3. The Arabian and Persian sea 4. The Gangetican sea so named from the river Ganges which is disburdened into it 5. The Red sea deriving that name not from the colour of the Sea but of the red sand over which it floweth The Baltick Sea alias the Sinus Coddanus or Suevick Sea from the Suevi a Nation that formerly inhabited those coasts at the mouth it is called the Sound flowing 150 leagues far between Denmark Finland Sueden Prussia Liefland Pomerania and Saxony The pacifick sea is so called from the gentleness of the waves or the South sea because it lyeth to the Southward of the Line limited by the coasts of Asia America and terra Australis or the Country of Megallan III. A Lake is a great and perennal collection of water cirrounded by the Earth whereby it is cut off from the Sea It is distinguisht from a Pool in that the one is perennal the other is apt to be dryed up sometime by the heat of the Sun and driness of the earth and to be filled up again with rain Some of these being famous for their extent others for their admirable qualities I shall willingly insert 1. The greatest Lake in the Universe is the Caspian sea in Asia otherwise called the great sea the Albanian Hircanian Pontick Tartarian Sea the Sea of Sala Bachu Abachu Terbestan or Giorgian It diffuseth it self into three Bayes or Gulph viz. near the Mouth into the Hircanian on the right side into the Caspian and on the left side into the Scytick Gulph It bears the name of a Sea very improperly since it is incompassed by the Earth Nevertheless it is saltish and full of fish 2. The Lake Asphaltites in Judaea otherwise called the dead Sea from its immobility because as Corn. Tacit. relates that scarce any wind be it never so violent is strong enough to lift it up into Waves is noted for sustaining weighty bodies especially if anointed with Alume water that are cast into it in a manner that a man his hands and legs being tyed and cast into it shall swim it breeds no fish nor any other living creatures The Lake of the lesser Armenia and the Lake Aposcidamus in Africa and of Sicily are almost of the same strength On the contrary the Lake Avernum in Campania and that of AEthiopia are unable to sustain the weight of a leaf fallen into them from a tree and according to Pliny there is no fowl that flies over them but falleth dead into them There is a Lake near Lerna and another in Portugal which are so attractive and depressing that they do immediately draw and press down to the bottom whatever is cast into them in such a manner that a man having thrust his hand into either must use force to draw it out again Pomponius Mela and Solinus make mention of a Lake in AEthiopia which to the eye appearing crystalline and sweet to the pallat doth so besmear those that bath in it as if they had been duckt into a bath of oyl In the west of the Isle of Iseland travellers have discovered a great Lake fumous very cold in a short space changing whatever is cast into it into a stonish or rockish body a stick being thrust right up into the bottom that part which is under water is in two daies changed into an Iron substance the other above remaining what it was Hect. Boeth writes of another in Ireland which after some months renders that part of a stick that is thrust into the ground Iron the other part that is under water fliuty the upper part
to my apprehension all that Country must necessarily be subjected to such deluges since it swims upon the water Touching Inland Inundations as that which befell Friesland in the year 1218 where near 100000 persons were buried in the water and that of Holland and Zealand in the Reign of Charles the fifth Emperour of Germany in the year 1531. and several times since as that of the last year when a great part of the Country all about Gorcum was seized upon by Inland waters Their causes are to be attributed to torrents streaming down out of the melted snow as also to the swelling of the Inland waters through receiving a great quantity of frosty minima's pouring down from the North in a cold Winter The River of Nile proves yearly extravagant in AEgypt for two months and ten daies because being situated very low it is obliged to receive the superfluity of water falling from above out of severall great Rivers and Lakes as the Lakes Zembre Saslan Nuba and the Rivers Cabella Tagazi Ancona Coror and many others besides the water which it draweth from the hills and other grounds These Rivers and Lakes do constantly swell every year by reason of the great rains that fall there at certain times of the year Besides the heat of the Sun exercising its power very vigorously near the latter end of May doth very much subtilize and rarefie those waters whereby they are rendred more fluid penetrating and copious and lastly the Sun conversing in the northern declination doth impell the Ocean stronger against the Northern shores whereby the waters are also much increased Hence it is that the waters of the Nile are so subtill that they deceive the air in carrying of them up in vapours viz. because they are so subtilly strained No wonder then if they prove so healthy The same causes are appliâ—ble to the excessive increase of the Rivers Ganges Padus Arrius Danow Tiber and Athesis CHAP. X. Of the causes of the before-mentioned properties of Lakes 1. Whence the Lake Asphaltites is so strong for sustaining of weighty bodies and why it breeds no Fish The cause of qualities contrary to these in other Lakes The cause of the effects of the Lake Lerna 2. Whence the vertues of the Lake Eaug of Thrace Gerasa the Lake among the Troglodites Clitorius Laumond Vadimon and Benaco are derived 3. Whence the properties of the Lake Larius Pilats Pool and the Lake of Laubach emanate I. VVHat the cause of those effects of the Lake Asphaltites should be the name seems to contain viz. The water glued together by an incrassated air and condensed fire constituting the body of a certain Bitumen called Asphaltos whence the said Lake doth also derive its name It is uncapable of breeding fish because through its sulphureous thickness it suffocates all vitall flames On the contrary the Lakes Avernum although deep 360 fathom and that of AEthiopia are so much subtilized through the passing of rarefied air that they are uncapable of sustaining the least weight Touching their pernicious quality to fowl it must be attributed to the venomous spirits permixt with that rarefied air infecting the whole Element of air as far as it covers them The Lake Lorna and the other in Portugal cause their effects through the permixture of a quantity of crude nitrous bodies which prove very depressing That Lake of AEthiopia is unctious through the admixture of incrassated air II. The Lake Eaug in Ireland acquires a sideropoetick vertue under water from the imbibition of crude Aluminous juyces by means of their indurating and constrictive vertue changing wood sticking in the mud into an Iron-like substance that part which is under water into a stone-like substance because of the diminution of the said Aluminous Juyces which through their weight are more copious in the mud the part of the wood that sticks out of the water remains wood as being beyond the reach of the said heavy juyces The Lakes of Thrace and Gerasa prove pernicious through admixture of crude arsenical exhalations The Lake among the Troglodites being Mercurial is infestuous to the brain The Lake Clitorius through its nitrosity disturbs the stomach and attracts a great quantity of moisture to it and infecting it with an offensive quality causes a loathing of all Liquors The sudden tempests befalling the Lake Laumond and Vadimon are caused through winds breaking out of the earth through the water Lakes resist induration by frost through igneous expirations pervading them The Lake Benacus shews its fury when its internal winds are excited by external ones causing a Concussion and a Rage in the water like unto an aguish body which is disposed to a shaking fit by every sharp wind raising the sharp winds within III. The River Abda passeth freely through the Lake Larius without any commotion of its body because the waters of the Lake through their extream crassitude are depressed downwards and so are constituted atop in a rigid posture whereas the River is impelled forwards and very little downwards But were it to flow through a shallow water whose quantity doth not bear any proportion to receive the pressure of the air downwards against the earth they would soon communicate in streams 2. The waters of a Lake differ much in crassitude and density from those of a River and therefore do exclude its streams The Lake Haneygaban doth not visibly disburden it self of those waters but thrusting Caverns underneath into the earth raises all those hills through the intumescence of the said waters that are near to her out of which some Rivers do take their rice Pilats Pool is stirred into a vehement fermentation by flinging any pressing body into it because thereby those heterogeneous mineral juyces viz. Vitriolat and Sulphureous substances are raised mixt together and brought to a fermentation and working Through this fermentation the water swells and exceeds its borders but the water being clarified the commotion ceaseth Neither needs any one wonder that so small a matter should be the cause of so great an exestuation since one part of the water doth stir up the other and so successively the whole pool comes to be stirred Pools owe their rice to great rains or torrents which sometime do slow visibly over the meadows or through Rivers causing inundations Sometimes through Caverns of the Earth as that near Laubach CHAP. XI Of the rice of Fountains Rivers and Hills 1. That Fountains are not supplied by rain 2. Aristotles opinion touching the rice of Fountains examined 3. The Authors assertion concerning the rice of Fountains The rice of many principal Fountains of the world 4. Why Holland is not mountainous 5. That the first deluge was not the cause of Hills 6. Whence that great quantity of water contained within the bowels of the Earth is derived 7. Whence it is that most shores are Mountainous Why the Island Ferro is not irrigated with any Rivers Why the earth is depressed under the torrid Zone and elevated towards the polars The
ground swimming atop it in the forme of clay or mud they having little or no sandy ground within their dikes or bankes Hence it appears that towards the constitution of a Hill these conditions must be required 1. A great quantity of water must be bored underneath the Earth for a small quantity would prove invalid to lift it up 2. They must form their Cavern very deep for near the Surface they would sooner break through than raise the earth 3. The ground under which they bore must be very dense dry and sandy for to keep in the water for were it moist or loose it would not rise but sooner break Besides this density and sandiness of the earth doth serve to concentrate and conclomerate the earth into one body whereby it is gradually raised and lifted up From this discourse observe why hills are sandy and dry although containing such a bulk of water underneath them viz. because of the closeness or density of the minima's or sands of the earth compelling the water under them 2. The reason why all hills do not emit fountains of water is because the water is lodged very deep under them or because of the extream density of their terrestrial minima's V. This cannot but confute that improbable opinion asserting hills to be formed through the violence of the waters after the Deluge carrying great pieces of the earth along with them in returning to their receptacle another reason against this is because great torrents tumbling down with a tempestuous fury and causing an Inundation or Deluge wherever they touch scarce leave any sign of inequality of the earth behind them 2. Here may then be demanded from them how and whence those hills before or after the Deluge of Noah or of Ogâ—ges or Deucaleon it is the same received their formation Hills there were before for besides the Bible Josephus Abydenus Berosus and others make mention of a very high hill in Armenia major called Barin by others Chardaeus whereupon a pious man should have saved himself in an Ark. So Ovid speaks of the Mount Parnassus whose height should have preserved Deucaleon with his wife Pyrrha from the rage of the Deluge Others to save the matter have conceited the Stars to have attracted lumps out of the earth and so raised them into hills but this opinion is so absurd that it needs no confutation The Vulgar observing most hills to be sandy do beyond all reproof believe that they are nothing else but congestions of sand or earth heaped up by the winds I shall not think it much to insert their judgment touching a very high hill in Holland situated a mile off from the Hague towards Shiveling and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called the High Clift which about a hundred years ago they say was of that height that one might have washt his hand in the clouds upon the top of it but now is diminisht to one third to what it was and I my self can remember that it was much higher than now it is The cause of this diminution they adscribe to the winds blowing down the sands out of which they say all those small hills that are about it were formed But to rectifie their apprehensions who can rationally judge that winds are forcible enough to remove hills of that weight and bigness or that winds should be strong enough to heap up such a Mountain Any one would sooner imagine the winds to blow them down If then winds have not the power to raise a Mountain certainly they are too weak to pull one down Or thus If winds be so powerful why did they not blow down such hils before they came to that height 2. Hills in many Islands of the West-Indies are raised much higher where the winds are much more out ragious Wherefore the cause of the diminution of the fore-mentioned High Clift must be adscribed to the removal of the water underneath whereby the hill doth gradually sink and grow lesser and boring further into several places about hath raised those other hills VI. But since hills are so numerous Lakes and Rivers not scarce a disquisition must be made whence and how such a vast quantity of water doth redound within the bowels of the earth The peregrin Element of water within the earth bears no proportion of affording a competent moisture towards the casting up of so many monstrous Mountains or scattering such large perennal Fountains and Rivers or of depressing the Surface of the earth by such vast Lakes Wherefore I say nothing appears full enough to effuse such dimensions of water but the Ocean alone whose belly being oppressed with an inexhaustible plenitude is constantly irritated to vomit up its superfluities into the weaker and lower parts of the earth Reason will incline us to this truth that must be the original of waters whereinto they are disburdened for otherwise if the Sea did retain all those waters evacuated by Rivers it would manifestly increase but since it doth not it is an argument that the Sea expels as much as it receives but that is the Ocean Ergo. 2. Many Lakes Fountains and Rivers although remote from the lips of the Sea do notwithstanding participate of the flowing and ebbing thereof as that Fountain in the Island Gades another near Burdeaux c. ergo the sea doth press water thither 3. The divine words of Solomon confirm the same to us Eccl. 1. 7. Unto the Place from whence the Rivers come thither do they return again but that is into the Sea Ergo. 4. The ancient Church-men do also subscribe to this viz. Isidor lib. 3. de Orig. Cap. 20. Basil. Hom. 4. Hex Jerom upon Eccles. 1. Damasc. lib. 2. de sid orth c. 9. Hugo de S. Vict. upon Gen. Dionys. upon Prov. 8. c. The manner of the Seas conveyance or passage to the innermost parts of the earth is by screwing pressing and penetrating through the lowermost parts for there the Sea is most potent exercising its weight refracted to the sides whereas atop it is too weak or were it strong enough it would break forth before it had passed any considerable way Besides its own weight the saltness of the Sea doth very much conduce to the intending of its force for those salin particles are apt to undergo a dividing and cutting pressure VII Places that are bordering upon the Sea are alwaies and every where cast up into high hills or mountains because they receive the first impulse of the Sea waters pressing underneath Hence it is that every where about the Coasts are encompassed by hills Mountains are oft higher and greater within the Land than near the Sea because they are raised by the meeting of great quantities of water impelled from two Seas So the Alpes are cast up by the water impelled from the Venetian Gulph of the one side and the Tyrrhenian Sea of the other both meeting under them The Peak of Teneriffe is thrust up to the height of threescore miles through casting up all that
ground into whose room a great depth of water is succeeded undermining it all about The Island Ferro is not irrigated atop with any fluent moisture as Lake River or Springs except only with the abundant droppings of a tree drawing moisture from a great depth or by collecting the dew of the air which sufficeth to quench the thirst of all the Inhabitants and their Cattel because consisting throughout of high Mountains their sand lying very close deep and heavy doth detain the water underneath them The earth is much more depressed under the torrid Zone and as much more raised towards the Poles because the Ocean being gathered into a vast body under the forementioned Zone depresseth all the land under it and near to it with one collected and united force of weight towards the Poles which doth undoubtedly assure me that under both Poles Artick and Antartick the firm land doth stick out far above the waters And questionless Greenland is protracted quite throughout the Northern polar Region The Mountain Serra Leona in AEthiopia bearing up to the height of the clouds wherewith the top is alwaies beset although raised within the torrid Zone is suffulted by a great gulph collected through the meeting of two or more parts of the Sea under ground And whole Africa seems to be inflated into high mountains from the limits of AEgypt until the farthest part of the Atlantick mountain through communication of Lakes which again arise out of the concourse of waters propelled from the Mediterranean Eruthrean AEthiopian and Atlantick Seas Arabia is likewise lofty through hills vaunting upon waters immitted from the Persian and Arabian Gulphs Muscovia and Lithuania are for the greater part Champian Countries because their soil is too much soakt for to be raised up into hills 2. By reason of the multiplicity of Lakes and Rivers through which the subterraneous waters are vented Sweden Norway Scania are very abundantly watered with Lakes and Rivers the Sea upon those Coasts exceeds in depth the length of Ships Cables The reason is because those waters are very much intended in their pressure downwards through the vast number of cold and frosty minima's raining down from the North Pole VIII Before I digress from the subject of this Chapter I am only to shew you the possibility of Marin waters their pressure out from the depth of the Ocean in to the innermost parts of the earth This I shall easily accomplish in mentioning that the force of fresh waters within the land have moulded through the ground the length of many Leagues if so the same is much more possible to salt water The River Niger bores through a heavy dense and deep ground the length of 60 miles before it evacuates it self into the Lake Borno The River Nuba doth likewise force a Cavern many miles long into the earth The Spaniards vaunt excessively of a long Bridge whereon ten thousand Goats and Sheep reap their pasture and is nothing else but the passing of the River Anas alias Guadiana the dimension of 8 or 9 Leagues underground beginning to disappear near Medelina The Tigris runs her self under ground on one side of the mount Taurus and comes up again on the other side and beyond the Lake Thorpes hides it self again within the earth 18 miles further Camden in his Britannia makes observation of the River Mole in Surrey diving under ground near white hill and appearing again a mile or two thence near Letherhed bridge Historians tell us that the Alphaeus floats secretly under ground as far as Sicily where with its appearance makes choice of a new name viz. Arethusa famous for gulping up of offals that had been cast into the Alphaeus at the Olimpick Games usual every fifth year The Danow runs some miles under ground before it flows into the Sava Upon the top of the mount Stella is a certain Lake near 12 Leagues distant from the Sea which oft vomits up wracks of Ships that were cast away at Sea CHAP. XII Of the causes of the effects produced by Fountains 1. Whence some Fountains are deleterious The cause of the effect of the Fountain Lethe of Cea Lincystis Arania The causes of foecundation and of rendring barren of other Fountains The causes of the properties of the Fountain of the Sun of the Eleusinian waters of the Fountains of Illyrium Epyrus Cyreniaca Arcadia the Holy Cross Sibaris Lycos of the unctious Fountain of Rome and Jacobs Fountain 2. The causes of the effects of Ipsum and Barnet Wells 3. Whence the vertues of the Spaw waters are derived 4. Of the formal causes of Baths 1. THe Fountains of Thrace Arcadia Sarmatia Armenia Lydia and Sicilia are deleterious through the permixtion of crude arsernical juyces transpiring out of the earth The same causes operate the same effects in the Founts of Wolchenstein Valentia Berosus c. The Lethe of Boeotia owes its effects to crude Mercurial vapours immixt within its substance Another in the same Countrey produceth a contrary effect through a succinous exhalation The Fountains of Cea and Susae differ little in causality from the Lethe The Lincystis inebriates the brain through repletion by sulphurous exhalations The Fountain of Arania makes use of crude nitrous juyces for the accomplishing of its effects The Fountain which Solinus affirms to conduce to foecundity must be a thorowly attenuated and well concocted water like to that of the Nile The other opposite to this in operation must be very Saturnal A sulphureous Nitre or a mixture of Sulphur and Nitre into one close juyce dispersed through the waters of the Fountain of the Sun among the Garamantes renders them very cold in the day time because the Nitre then predominating condenseth and incrassates the waters the more because its sulphureous parts which do otherwise rarefie them are through the Suns beams extracted disunited and dispersed Whereas in the night season the sulphureous parts benâ—g united through the condensing cold of the night and condensation of the nitrous particles turn into an internal flame causing that fervent heat The Eleusinian waters are irritated to a fermentation of heterogeneous mineral juyces through the percussion of the air by a sharp musical string whereby through continuation the waters are likewise percussed and its contenta stirred In the same manner is the next related fountain cast into an exestuation through the shrill acute vibrating and penetrating percussion of the air by the lips whereas the walking about stirring the air but obtusely cannot effect such a penetrative or acute motion The Fountain of Illyrium contains secret Vitriolat sulphureous flames within its substance whereby it proves so consuming The Fountains of Epyrus and Cyreniaca vary in heat by reason of the greater or lesser dispersing and rarefying or uniting and condensing of their sulphureous flames Springs remain cool in the Summer through the rarefaction of their fiery spirits exhaling and passing out of the ground in the Summer they produce a small warmth through the condensation of their igneous
waters of the Fountain Campeius are bitter and flowing into the river Hipanis in Pontus infects it with the same taste There are other fountains between the Nile and the red Sea that agree with the former in taste likewise those of Silicia near Corycius The pit waters of Galniceus are acerbous The salt taste of waters is unknown to none since the Ocean is pregnant enough with it Some inland Lakes and Fountains are of the same taste viz. Three in Sicilia the Concanican Agrigentinian Lakes and another near Gela. There is another called Myrtuntius of the same relish between Leucades and the Ambracian Gulph The Taus in Phrygia Thopetis in Babylonia Asphaltites in Judaea Sputa in Media Atropacia Mantianus in Armenia one in Cyprus near Citium another between Laodicea and Apamia two in Bactria another near the Lake Moeotis and that of Yaogan Forrien besides many more are all of a saltish taste Touching Fountains there is one in Narbone exceeding the Sea in saltness There are six more of the same taste near the Adriatick gulph where it bends towards Aquileia besides several other salt pits in Italy Illyris Cappadocia c. II. Waters vary no less in their sent Some stinking as the Lake between Laodicea and Apamia the Fountain among the Phalisci another near Leuca in Calabria and those rivulets near the Lake Asphaltites c. Others give a sweet sent as the Fountain of Cabara in Mesopotamia The Pit Methone in Peloponesus smells like a Salve III. Next let me make address to the causes of these qualities A sharp taste is derived from those acute and Vitriolate particles immixt in the water A sweet taste is produced in water through an exact aerial mixtion or percoction with it The waters of Paphlagonia afford a vinous taste through the admixture of tartareous exhalations or such as are like to the mixture of Tartar of wine Bitterness flows from adust terrestrial particles admixt to waters Aluminous exhalations dispersed through water render it acerbous The saltness of the Sea and other Inland waters is communicated to them from the admixture of saltish particles exhaling out of the mud Touching the generation of salt and its mixtion I have inserted my opinion above I shall here only have a word or two with those that state the Sun the efficient cause of the said saltish particles broyling and aduring those exhalations contained with the body of the waters whence they assert the superficial parts of the Sea to be more saltish than the lower parts of it because the Suns heat is more vigorous there If the broyling Sun be the efficient whence is it then that some Lakes and Fountains are very salt where the Sun doth not cast its aduring beams 2. It is very improbable that so vast a number of saltish partiticles should be generated in the torrid Zone where the Sun doth only broyle as to infect the waters within the polars that are so remote thence How then is it that the waters prove as saltish there where the cold is as potent as the heat elsewhere as in Greenland Or absurdly supposing the Sea to be so far communicative of its savour why doth it not obtain a power of changing those sweet waters which it is constrained to harbour within it self As those which Columbus relates to have found in the American Sea near to the road of the Drakes head Moreover he attests to have sailed through fresh water a hundred and four Leagues far in the North Sea Pliny lib. 2. c. 103. affirms the same viz. to have discovered fresh water near Aradus in the Mediterranean and others by the Chaledonian Islands And in lib. 6. c. 17. he reports that Alexander Magnus had drank a draught of Sea water that was fresh and that Pompey when he was employed against Mithridates should have tasted of the same 3. The Ocean being alwaies in such an agitation cannot be a fit matrix to concrease or unite such mixtures 4. The broyling Sun doth rather render salt waters fresh as hath been experienced among Seamen by exposing pails of Sea water upon the deck to the torrid Sun under the Line which after a while standing do become much fresher An open heat doubtless sooner dissolves a mixture than it generates one for boyl Sea-water long upon the fire and it will grow fresh or distill it and you will find the same effect Beyond all scruple these saltish particles must be united into such mixtures out of earth proportioned to the other Elements in a close place or matrix yet not so close as to concrease them into a fixed subterraneous body or mineral whose coldness doth adact impact and bind the said Elements into an union and mixture which through defect of an entire closeness do soon exhale or transpire In a word the saltness of the Sea is generated within its mud whose closeness impacts and coagulates the exhalations of the earth into salin particles whence they are soon disturbed through the motion of the Sea and the attracting heat of the Sun Hence it is that old mud clay and such like bodies prove generally saltish so that the Sun adds little excepting in the stirring up of the said exhalations And touching the foregoing instance of the waters greater saltness atop than below it is fictitious for the Sea is much fuller of salt below than above because of its weight Nevertheless the Sea doth taste more saltish atop than below because the subtiller parts of the Salt are attracted or forced by the heat of the Sun towards the top which meeting there are apt to strike the tongue more piercing than otherwaies But whence these fresh waters do burst up into the Sea is worth our inquiry To resolve you you must know that the earth in many places under water is raised up into hills or shallows analogal to them whose earth atop lying very close doth hinder the water above it from passing especially in the Northern Climate where the Sea is somewhat thicker than under the Line but is nevertheless bursted through propulsion of the waters underneath which evacuated into the body of the Sea do cause that extent of fresh water without suffering themselves to be infected with the Saltness of the Sea because the Sea-water is so thick and closs that it excepts the fresh water from making an irruption into its continuity Hence it is that the River of the Amazons besides many others although irrupting into the Sea many Leagues far yet is maintained impolluted and fresh But why those salin particles should be generated near to those fresh springs and not close about them may seem strange It is because one ground is muddy and disposed to generate salt the other about the said spring is sandy dry as it were and close and not at all masht through as mud is The Sea-water deposeth its saltness in being percolated through the earth suffering the subtiller parts alone of the waters to pass but keeping back the grosser and
salin ones IV. Sents are materiated out of the subtiller parts of the matter effecting tastes wherefore all waters that are discernable by tastes emit their subtiller parts for sents but of this abundantly before whither I must direct my Reader V. Ice is water congealed or incrassated indurated or rather reduced to its natural state That which congeales the water or reduces it to its natural state is the absence or expulsion of those Elements that render it fluid viz. fire and air These are expelled by frosty minima's falling down from the Poles and compressing or squeezing them both out of the body of water whence it is also that all waters swell through the frost viz. through their repletion with the said minima's These are nothing but Unites or points of earth adunited to so many unites of water freed within their body from all air and fire and detruded from the Polars towards the earth whither they are vigorously forced down in a very close order into the Surface of the waters where arriving they press out the air and fire which being expelled the superficial parts of the water cleave naturally to one another about those frosty minima's The first beginning of a frost is taken from the first decidence of frosty minima's which in their passing cause a vehement compression and lighting upon our tact make us give them the name of cold because they compress our external parts with a smart continuous compression thence falling upon the water if in a smal quantity only do thicken it a little if in a greater do forcibly expel the air and fire which being expelled a concretion of the water near its Surface must naturally follow If now it grows no colder and that these minima's fall in no greater quantity the Ice continues at a stand but if otherwise then it proceeds to a greater induration and a larger concretion And the deeper the waters do thicken the more acute the cold must be or the greater quantity of acute and dense minima's must follow for to further and continuate the said concretion because unless they are acuter than the former they will not be minute enough to pass the small porosities remaining in the Surface of the Ice Ice swimmeth atop the water as long as it freezeth not because it is less weighty for it is heavier but because its continuity and concretion together with the support of the air tending from the ground of the waters towards its own Element do detain it When it thawes the Ice sinks down because it is somewhat discontinued and melted and by reason of the same proportion of air descending and bearing down upon it that was ascended before Notwithstanding the thaw people do oft complain of a great cold two or three daies after and especially in their feet which is nothing else but the same frosty minima's repassing out of the earth and water towards the Element of air for to give way to the melting entring air and fire The frosty minima's that begin to fall with a red Evening sky denoting the clearness of the air and passage do oft bring a furious cold with them because finding no obstruction they fall very densely and acutely upon us but those that fall through a cloudy air seldom cause violent colds because they are partly detained by the same clouds Hence it is that most Countries that are beset with water as Islands peninsuls c. and thence attain to a nebulous air are warmer than other Countries although the former be remoter from the Ecliptick than these because their clouds obstruct and detain a part of the frosty minima's and break the rest in their motion downwards Whence it is also that England is less cold in the Winter than most parts of France or Germany although both are of a less Northern declination than it The same clouds do likewise in the Summer break the violence of the fiery minima's descending whence it is also less hot here than in the forementioned places no wonder then if Geographers do so much extoll this Island for the temperature of its Climate VI. This language is supplied with a very apt distinction of frosts viz. a black frost a gray and a white frost The first of these is felt to be of the greatest fury insomuch that if it proveth for any time lasting it deads the roots of young plants and old trees kills all Vermine and penetrates through the very periostium of Animals and depth of Rivers It derives its violence from the extream number of the descending frosty minima's whose density makes the Skies even look black again A gray frost is between a black and white one consisting likewise of a dense proportion of descending minima's A white frost is the incrassation of vapours in the lowermost region of the air Among these a black frost is of the least continuance because the frosty minima's tumbling down in such vast quantities are soon purged out of the air Here may be inquired why a frost usually begins and ends with the change of the Moon For solving of this you must observe that the causes of the decidence are 1. Their great number 2. Their congregating or congress Touching the first unless their number is proportionable to bore and press through the clouds and resistance of the air they are uncapable of descension for to cause a congelation and although their number be great and dispersed they are nevertheless retained through the over-powering of the clouds Wherefore it is necessary a great quantity should be united into heaps and so make their way through To these principal causes add this adjuvant one viz. The compression of the Moon she at her changes driving the frosty minima's more forcibly towards the Poles through which impulsion they are withal thrusted one upon the other and united into a body whence it is that they at those times do oft take their beginning of decidence Again the Moon near the same terms impelling the clouds and thick air thither doth prove as frequent an occasion of dispersing those frosty minima's especially if much diminished of their body through preceding decidencies Moreover these frosty minima's although they are sometimes broken dispersed in their decidence through the said impulses yet sometimes they do recover a body and make a new irruption downwards And thence it is that oft times a frost holds for a day or two then thaws for as long and afterwards returns to freezing again VII In the next place I am to set down the original and rice of these frosty minima's You may easily apprehend that the Sun in the Torrid Zone and somewhat in the temperate one doth dayly raise a vast number and quantity of vapours consisting of most water then air next fire and earth which through the diurnal motion of the air are carried along from East to West And through daily successions of new vapours they are compelled to detrude their preceding ones towards the Poles whither they seem
swallowed up in the Island AEnaria another in Thrace one in Phaeuicia beyond Sidon and another in Eubaea Others protrude a great piece of earth and cast it up into a kind of mountain but a very uneven one as for instance the mount Modernus near the Lake Avernus This sort is called Egestion Some cast forth a flame withall as hapned in the Mount Vesevus alias the Mount of Somma in Campania and the Mongibell in Sicily Earthquakes have sometimes removed two opposite fields and placed them in one anothers room as those two fields in Italy where the Marrucini were seated in the Reign of Nero. For Rivers to burst out as the River Ladon in Arcadia did and others to be stopt up by earth cast into them by such accidents is very possible Oft times Earthquakes make way for Deluges which may be also incident upon the earth at the bottom of the Sea or near to the shore or may happen to the same places without a deluge whereby the waters have been swallowed up and Ships left dry upon the shore as that which hapned in the time of Theodosius or that vvhen M. Antonius and P. Dolabella vvere Consuls leaving great heaps of fish dry upon the sands In the Reign of Emanuel there vvas a very great Earthquake perceived about Lisbon Scalabis and other Tovvns of Portugal vvhereby the vvaters of the River Tajo vvere so much diffused that the bottom appeared dry There is another kind of Earthquake called Arietation vvhen tvvo subterraneous vvinds vibrate against one another Sometimes this hapned vvithout any dammage there being some earth betvveen to hinder their conflict other times meeting in cavernous places have subverted mountains and all that vvas upon them as those mountains near Modena vvhich Pliny lib. 2. Cap. 83. relates to have been bursted against one another vvith a very hideous noise subverting many Villages and swallowing up a number of Cattel yea whole Countries and Armies have been devoured by these kinds of accidents 2. From their duration some lasting a day a week a month c. 3. From their violence some inferring little or no dammage others being contented with nothing less than ruine 4. From the sounds that accompany them being various as I have related before 5. From their places Some more frequently infesting Islands others the Continent Thus Sicily AEnaria Lucara the Moluccas Islands Tyrus Eubaea Phrygia Caria Lydia Italy and many Countries in the West-Indies have very oft been molested by Earthquakes Cold Countries as the Septentrional ones or others that are very hot as AEgypt are very seldom invaded by them 6. From their efficient some being extraordinarily raised by the Almighty out of his wrath for to punish the sons of men for their sins an instance of this we have in 2 Kings 22. Likewise that which hapned about the time of the Passion of Christ supposed by many as Didymus and others to have been universall and to have shaken the whole Earth but since Ecclesiastick Historians make no mention of it none is bound to give credit to the foresaid Supposition However beyond all dispute it was a very great one if not the greatest that ever the earth underwent Neither is Paulus Oros to be thought more authentick relating lib. 7. hist. Cap. 32. an universal Earthquake in the time of Valentinianus since the holy Scripture and Reason do tell us that the Earth is altogether immoveable 7. From the consequents viz. Some after the earths eruptions are followed by vehement winds emptying out of her others by hot boyling waters others again by damps and stinking sents also by vomiting up of stones clots of earth and other strange bodies 8. From their extent some reaching farther others nearer Thus there hapned an Earthquake in the year 1577 on the 18th day of September that began from Colmar in Switzerland and reached as far as Bern being near upon 60 miles distant c. III. Now it is requisite I should proffer proof for the forementioned causes of Earthquakes 1. I prove that they are caused by winds because they alone are of a capable force to burst out suddenly through the earth 2. Because winds bursting out of the earth do alwaies precede and consecute Earthquakes whence we may certainly collect when waters in Pits and Rivers begin to be turgid and continually raised into a great number of bubbles that an Earthquake is near at hand as appeared by the swelling and bubling of the River Po a little before the before alledged harthquake of Ferrara 2. That these winds are principally raised out of peregrin water collected within a Cavern of the earth is evident by the great spouting out of water that doth follow the eruption 3. It is further made evident in a bottle half filled with water and exposed to the fire which doth also make good to us that the Sun through its fiery minims doth press in a great proportion of air into those subterraneous waters whereby they are attenuated whence those waters that are cast forth presently after the diruption are also rendred boyling hot so that Countries remote from the energy of the Sun are seated beyond danger of having winds generated within their bowels however subterraneous fires may supply the office of the Suns beams in attenuating the waters into winds by impelling air into them whence it is that near the mount Hecla in Iseland concussions and arietations happen frequently Earthquakes are disposed to eruption in the night season as much as in the day because as the erupting force of the internal winds is intended by the Suns rarefaction so is the compressing vertue of the Earth intensed by the more potent sinking down of the air in the night being freed from the discontinuating fiery minims and by the decidence of the weighty minims inherent in the Air. The Spring and Autumn are Seasons of the year qualified for the attenuating and rarefying of the peregrin waters whence also they prove most frequent near those times Why Hills and hilly Countries are subject to tremors and concussions and other moist ones as Holland and Zealand less may easily be understood from our discourse upon the generation of Hills IV. That Earthquakes portend Famine Pestilential Feavers and other contagious diseases is believed by most Grave Authors but whence such a putrefaction causing the said distempers should arrive to the air cannot vvell be deduced from their assigning exhalations to be the causes of Earthquakes since they hold them to be hot and dry being qualities according to the Peripateticks resisting and expelling putrefaction beyond any wherefore it will be most agreeable to hold with us that it is derived from those moist damps and vapours that are the material causes of the disrupting winds CHAP. XVII Of fiery Meteors in the Air. 1. Of the generation of a Fools fire a Licking fire Helens fire Pollux and Castor a Flying Drake a burning Candle a perpendicular fire a skipping Goat flying sparks and a burning flame 2. Of the generation
a bason filled with ashes will scarce contain four fifths of the water that it will do when it is empty As for the water that is imbibed by the ashes it possesses the spaces left by the air contained before between the particles of the said ashes and now thence expelled 2. Warm water stopt close in a bottle doth possess more room than when being set in a cold place it is concreased into an Ice Ergo there must be some void space left within the bottle I answer That the supposed vacuity is filled up with frosty minims whose presence expelling the air and fire from between the Pores of the water doth withall reduce it to a smaller body as being before insufflated with air and fire But when the same frosty minims do return then the air and fire do fill up their vacuities again by insufflating the body of water through their succession 3. An AEolipile being filled up with water and air doth notwithstanding slow as much fire as will cause its wind to blaze a whole hour or longer according to the bigness of it Ergo there must have been a Vacuum contained within the wind bale or else we must admit a penetration of bodies by condensation I answer That neither is necessary for the advenient fire expels so much of the contained air as its presence doth take up diducts the body of the AEolipile somwhat into a larger continent wherein a greater part of fire may be contained than there is air expelled Pecquet in his Exper. Nov. Anat. hath endeavoured to borrow all experiments possible for to divide the Universe with a Vacuum and so to abolish the Natures of the Elements I shall only propose the first which he hath from Monsieur Roberval Professor of the Mathematicks at Paris and is alone performed by a glass blown in the form of a bolts head open below and atop at its capacity where it contains an empty bladder that is usually taken out of a Carpes belly being tied close with a thread as likewise the top of the capacity with a Sows bladder This done it is filled up to the brim of the orifice of the neck with Mercury which being close stopped with ones finger is immitted into a vessel half filled with Mercury and thrust deep into it where the finger is to be withdrawn Hereupon follows the descent of the Mercury as low as half way the Pipe and the bladder is puft up Hence he deduces a Vacuum between the rarefied parts of the air blowing up the bladder contained within the empty capacity What a gross mistake is this First He must know as I shall prove by and by that it is the air that presseth the Mercury down for whatever is moved Locally is moved by an extrinsick agent Secondly He doth against reason and experience state the rarefaction of some air But whence came that air There was none whilst it was filled up with the Mercury ergo it must have pierced through the pores of the Glass If so what needs he admit only a smal quantity which he supposeth to be rarefied after its ingress by an elaterick vertue since a greater may as easily pass and why then a Vacuum Wherefore I say he must necessarily grant some air to pass the pores for to blow up the bladder besides I prove that it is easie for the air to pass through the pores of Glass because we see light doth easily pass the thickest Glass but light is the air illuminated or obtended as I have proved before ergo That Glass is pierced through with subtil pores is evident a little before it beginneth to concrease or indurate after its melting Moreover we see that the liquor it self of Aquà Fort. being poured upon the filing of Brass penetrates through the pores of a thick precipitating Glass The same is observed about the Glass at the â—ffusion of oyl of Vitriol to oyl of Tartar but air is much more subtil than these Liquors Do we not observe the air to press by the spurring of fire through glasses of the greatest thickness For expose a thick glass of water to the fire and you may observe it to be raised into millions of bubbles when it begins to siethe which is nothing else but the air forced through the pores of the Glass by the fire In fine there is nothing that is imperforated by pores except water and air in their absolute state I omit the rest of his borrowed experiments and shall only insert two words touching the conclusion inferred from the pomping of the air out of a large round Glass Receiver in that manner as you have it proposed by Casper Scott which they conclude must afterwards remain void on the contrary it is rather more filled by air attracted from without and impacted so closs that the pores of the glass seem to be filled and insufflated with it as appears by the venting of the Receiver so pomped into a vessel of cold water where it causeth a very great commotion and siething by the air bursting out certainly this is different from pomping the Receiver empty or thus they may pretend a Vacuum because there is more air attracted into the Receiver than it contained before ergo there must either a penetration of bodies be allowed or a Vacuum To this I need propose no other answer for solution than what I gave for the solution of the eruption of air out of an AEolipile How or in what manner air is attracted into the said Receiver by this Magdenburg experiment you shall read in the next Chapter As for other Arguments they being as vacuous as Vacuum it self I shall neglect the mentioning of them IV. But the Jesuitical Philosophers do further propose to themselves whether a Vacuum could not be effected by an Angelical power or if not by Angels whether by the Divine Power This is as like them as if it were spit out of their mouths Those vile Impostors and the devils Saints will name God Almighty and notwithstanding to his face doubt of his power in so mean a thing as a Vacuum is what if God can destroy the Elements intirely cannot he displace them partially Angels I confess cannot effect it naturally and ordinarily although extraordinarily being virtuated with an extraordinary power from God they may V. Next they rommage whether Local Motion be possible in a Vacuum and if it be whether it must not happen in an instant I shall not weary my self to produce their opinions but only appose what reason doth direct me But let us first state the question right The Problem may be understood in a threefold sense 1. Whether a Local Motion be possible in a Vacuum as through a Medium through which a body being locally moved passeth taking its beginning of progress from without the said Vacuum 2. Whether a body can take its beginning of motion outwards from a Vacuum 3. Whether a spiritual substance obtains the power of moving it self locally in a Vacuum
and propelled upwards which commonly tends to the emitting body because the greater quantity of those steams are gathered perpendicularly under the said emitting body and so do return the same way Hence observe That Amber doth not attract so potently on the top of high Mountains because its steams being weightier than the air is there do spread themselves further whereby they are deprived of a return Neither will Amber attract in a thick vapourous air because its steams are detained from dispersion IX Fire and fiery bodies as Onions Soap c. are said to attract but improperly because their attraction is nothing else but an expulsion of those bodies which they are imagined to attract For instance Fire is said to attract water air c. This is nothing else but fire piercing into the substance of water or air whereby it doth expel them into those places which it leaves or which are near to it Hence vapours are seldom attracted or rather expelled into the places where fire doth continually pass as directly under the AEquator because it fills those places with its own presence but are reflected towards the sides as towards the North and South Pole whose spaces are not filled up with its torrid rayes Now judge a little of that most barbarous practice among Physitians in applying Reddishes Salt leaven yea Epispastick Plasters to the Wrists and Feet of Feaverish Patients What rage what torments are poor men put to how are their Feavers Paraphrensies exacerbated through their diabolical practice These things do not attract without piercing into a mans Veins and Arteries and through their greater force of heat and violence do protrude the less heat of the body and by a short stay do put the whole body into a consuming fire How many men have I seen murthered in that manner 'T is true in malignant and Pestilential Feavers they have their use but not in single putrid ones Now by what hath been proposed in this Paragraph we may easily apprehend the manner of all water-works and of raising water higher than its source as that which is performed by the invention of Archimedes through a brazen or leaden Serpent or by wheels impelling water into Pipes c. Hence we may also conceive the manner of the attraction or rather expulsion of the degrees of water in a Thermometer or invention to measure the degrees of heat and cold and the differences of them in several Rooms Towns Seasons of the year c. The Instrument is nothing but a long glass Pipe towards the end somewhat turning up being left open for to poure in any liquor which according to the rarefaction or condensation of the air contained within the Pipe above will either ascend or descend in so many more or less degrees as the air is altered by rarefaction through the heat of the ambient air or condensation through the cold minims of earth within the said ambient air compressing the water more or less through its increase of quantity Touching the Magdenburg Invention the air is attracted outwards in the same manner as we have explained the attraction of water by a water-spout namely by a continuation cohesion and adhesion to the Sucker The air attracted out of the capacity of the Receiver doth also through the same means attract air and fire inhering in the rarefied and attenuated water without in the koop that again in the koop attracts air from without for to fill up its spaces which is as ready to press in because that air which was pumped out of the capacity wants room without This succession of air is continuated by pumping untill the air within is quite filled up with the incrassated air attracted from without whose thickness will not suffer it self to be pumped out any longer so that as the air within begins to be incrassated so the pumping without falls harder and harder Towards the latter end there seems to be a forcible retraction of the Sucker making a great noise through its return because the capacity of the Receiver being replenisht to the very pores of the glass which being rendred somewhat flexible through the passing and tumefying of the incrassated and rarefied air afterwards beginning to condense through greater access of fire is violently through the great external force of the pumping somewhat forced to bend or yield inwards whose renitency and force to return retracts the Sucker through continuation and cohesion of the incrassated air Next we are to pursue the manner of acceleration of weighty bodies downwards It is certain that a natural mixt weighty body falling directly down from atop without interruption to the bottom doth acquire a greater celerity the further it recedes from the beginning of its descent because the lower or farther it descends through propulsion of the superiour air the more and the greater body viz. of air under it it compresses which for to prevent the penetration of its own body is the more and violenter irritated to run round about the descending weighty body for to recover the place left by the said body where arriving doth as it were rebound against the superiour parts of the air which doth very much intend the celerity of the said bodies motion and the same gradually increasing doth also gradually accelerate the descending body the further it falls Some are of opinion that the acceleration of descending bodies is caused by Atoms falling down from the Celestial Orbs which as they do more and more encrease by being retained by the descending body do likewise more and more accelerate its descent This can scarce be because those Atoms reflecting and returning from the Surface of the Terrestrial Globe are in greater number underneath the body than above ergo according to that manner of reasoning a body falling from on high should rather be gradually retarded 3. A body should also fall swifter in the Winter than in the Summer in cold Countries than in hot because those Atoms are most numerous there but the contrary is true Ergo no true consequence In like manner do light bodies acquire a greater swiftness in ascending the higher they are propelled whence it is that Fowl flying high move much swifter than below Retardation is caused through causes opposite to these now mentioned X. Projection is whereby a body is moved swifter by the forcible impulse of the Projector than it would do otherwise Thus an Arrow is swiftly moved out of a Bow or a stone being cast out of the hand because of the force of the impulse of the Projector The cause of the intention of this impulse is the great swiftness of the said impulse at the beginning whereby the air is swiftly propelled before whose most swift return about the sides of the body projected causes the continuation of the swiftness of the first impulse but gradually diminishing by how much the further it recedes from the beginning A ball projected out of a Canon is propelled with that swiftness because of the swiftness of