thickned against the hard body. But it is plain, that it is the latter; for that we fee wood painted with oil colour, will fooner gather drops in a moist night, than wood alone; which is caused by the smoothness and closeness; which letteth in no part of the vapour, and fo turneth it back, and thickeneth it into dew. We fee alfo, that breathing upon a glass, or smooth body, giveth a dew; and in frofty mornings (fuch as we call rime frofts) you fhall find drops of dew upon the infide of glafs windows; and the froft it self upon the ground, is but a verfion or condenfation, of the moist vapours of the night, into a watry fubftance: dews likewife and rain, are but the returns of moift vapours condensed; the dew, by the cold only of the fun's departure, which is the gentler cold; rains, by the cold of that which they call the middle region of the air; which is the more violent cold.

82: It is very probable (as hath been touched) that that which will turn water into ice, will likewife turn air fome degree nearer unto water. Therefore try the experiment of the artificial turning water into ice (whereof we fhall fpeak in another place) with air in place of water, and the ice about it. And although it be a greater alteration to turn air into water, than water into ice; yet there is this hope, that by continuing the air longer time, the effect will follow: for that artificial converfion of water into ice, is the work of a few hours; and this of air may be tried by a month's fpace, or the like.

Experiment's in confort touching induration of bodies. INDURATION, or lapidification of substances more soft, is likewise another degree of condensation; and is a great alteration in nature. The effecting and accelerating thereof is very worthy to be inquired. It is effected by three means. The first is by cold; whofe property is to condense and conftipate, as hath been faid. The fecond is by heat; which is not proper but by confequence; for the heat doth attenuate; and by attenuation doth fend forth the fpirit and moifter part of a body; and upon that, the more grofs of the tangible parts do contract and ferre themfelves together; both to avoid vacuum (as they call it) and also to munite themselves against the force of the fire, which they have fuffered. And the third is by affimilation; when a hard body affimilateth a foft, being contiguous to it.

THE examples of induration, taking them promifcuoufly, are many: as the generation of stones within the earth, which at the first are but rude earth or clay and fo of minerals, which come (no doubt) at first of juices concrete, which afterward indurate and fo of porcellane, which is an artificial cement, buried in the earth a long time; and fo the making of brick and tile alfo the making of glass of a certain fand and brake-roots, and fome others matters: alfo the exudations of rock-diamonds and crystal, which harden with time: alfo the induration of bead-amber, which at firft is a soft substance; as appeareth by the flies and fpiders which are found in it; and many more but we will fpeak of them diftinctly.

83. FOR indurations by cold, there be few trials of it; for we have no ftrong or intenfe cold here on the furface of the earth, fo near the beams of the fun, and the heavens. The likeliest trial is by fnow and ice; for as fnow and ice, especially being holpen and their cold activated by nitre or falt, will turn water into ice, and that in a few hours; fo it may be, it will turn wood or stiff clay into ftone, in longer time. Put therefore, into a conferving pit of fnow and ice, (adding fome quantity of falt and nitre) a piece of wood, or a piece of tough clay, and let it lie a month or more.

84. ANOTHER trial is by metalline waters, which have virtual cold in

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them. Put therefore wood or clay into fmiths water, or other metalline water, and try whether it will not harden in fome reasonable time. But I understand it of metalline waters, that come by washing or quenching; and not of ftrong waters that come by diffolution; for they are too corrofive to confolidate.

85. IT is already found, that there are fome natural fpring-waters, that will inlapidate wood; fo that you fhall fee one piece of wood, whereof the part above the water fhall continue wood; and the part under the water fhall be turned into a kind of gravelly ftone. It is likely thofe waters are of fome metalline mixture; but there would be more particular inquiry made of them. It is certain, that an egg was found, having lain many years in the bottom of a moat, where the earth had fomewhat overgrown it; and this egg was come to the hardness of a stone; and had the colours of the white and yolk perfect: and the shell fhining in fmall grains like fugar, or alabaster.

86. ANOTHER experience there is of induration by cold, which is already found; which is, that metals themselves are hardened by often heating and quenching in cold water: for cold ever worketh most potently upon heat precedent.

87. FOR induration by heat, it must be confidered, that heat, by the exhaling of the moifter parts, doth either harden the body, as in bricks, tiles, &c. or if the heat be more fierce, maketh the groffer part it self run and melt ; as in the making of ordinary glass; and in the vitrification of earth, (as we fee in the inner parts of furnaces;) and in the vitrification of brick, and of metals. And in the former of thefe, which is the hardening by baking without melting, the heat hath these degrees; firft, it indurateth; and then maketh fragile; and lastly it doth incinerate and calcinate.

88. But if you defire to make an induration with toughness, and lefs fragility, a middle way would be taken; which is that which Ariftotle hath well noted; but would be throughly verified. It is to decoct bodies in wate for two or three days; but they must be fuch bodies into which the water will not enter; as stone and metal: For if they be bodies, into which the water will enter, then long feething will rather foften than indurate them; as hath been tried in eggs, &c. therefore fofter bodies must be put into bottles; and the bottles hung into water feething, with the mouths open above the water, that no water may get in; for by this means the virtual heat of the water will enter; and fuch a heat, as will not make the body aduft, or fragile; but the fubftance of the water will be shut out. This experiment we made; and it forted thus. It was tried with a piece of free-stone, and with pewter, put into the water at large. The free-ftone we found received in fome water; for it was fofter and easier to fcrape, than a piece of the fame ftone kept dry. But the pewter into which no water could enter, became more white, and liker to filver, and less flexible, by much. There were also put into an earthen bottle, placed as before, a good pellet of clay, a piece of cheese, a piece of chalk, and a piece of free-ftone. The clay came forth almost of the hardness of a ftone; the cheese likewife very hard, and not well to be cut: the chalk and the free-ftone much harder than they were. The colour of the clay inclined not a whit to the colour of brick, but rather to white, as in ordinary drying by the fun. Note, that all the former trials were made by a boiling upon a good hot fire, renewing the water as it confumed, with other hot water; but the boiling was but for twelve hours only; and it is like that the experiment would have been more

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effectual, if the boiling had been for two or three days, as we prescribed before.

89. As touching affimilation, (for there is a degree of affimilation even in inanimate bodies) we fee examples of it in fome ftones in clay-grounds, lying near to the top of the earth, where pebble is; in which you may manifestly see divers pebbles gathered together, and a cruft of cement or stone between them, as hard as the pebbles themselves: and it were good to make a trial of purpofe, by taking clay, and putting in it divers pebble ftones, thick fet, to fee whether in continuance of time, it will not be harder than other clay of the fame lump, in which no pebbles are fet. We fee also in ruins of old walls, especially towards the bottom, the mortar will become as hard as the brick: we fee alfo, that the wood on the fides of veffels of wine, gathereth a cruft of tartar, harder than the wood it felf; and scales likewife grow to the teeth, harder than the teeth themselves.

90. MOST of all, induration by affimilation appeareth in the bodies of trees and living creatures: for no nourishment that the tree receiveth, or that the living creature receiveth, is so hard as wood, bone, or horn, &c. but is indurated after by affimilation.

Experiment folitary touching the verfion of water into air.

91. THE eye of the understanding, is like the eye of the fense: for as you may fee great objects through fmall crannies, or levels; fo you may fee great axioms of nature, through small and contemptible inftances. The fpeedy depredation of air upon watry moisture, and verfion of the fame into air, appeareth in nothing more vifible, than in the fudden difcharge, or vanishing, of a little cloud of breath, or vapour, from glafs, or the blade of a fword, or any fuch polished body; fuch as doth not at all detain or imbibe the moifture; for the mistiness scattereth and breaketh up fuddenly. But the like cloud, if it were oily or fatty, will not discharge; not because it sticketh fafter; but because air preyeth upon water; and flame, and fire, upon oil; and therefore, to take out a fpot of greafe, they use a coal upon brown paper; because fire worketh upon grease, or oil, as air doth upon water. And we fee paper oiled, or wood oiled, or the like, laft long moift; but wet with water, dry or putrify fooner. The caufe is, for that air meddleth little with the moisture of oil.

Experiment folitary touching the force of union.

92. THERE is an admirable demonstration in the fame trifling inftance of the little cloud upon glafs, or gems, or blades of fwords, of the force of union, even in the least quantities, and weakest bodies, how much it conduceth to prefervation of the prefent form, and the refifting of a new. For mark well

the discharge of that cloud; and you fhall fee it ever break up, first in the fkirts, and last in the midft. We fee likewise, that much water draweth forth the juice of the body infused; but little water is imbibed by the body: and this is a principal caufe, why in operation upon bodies for their verfion or alteration, the trial in great quantities doth not answer the trial in small; and fo deceiveth many; for that (I fay) the greater body refifteth more any alteration of form, and requireth far greater ftrength in the active body, that fhould fubdue it.

Experiment folitary touching the producing of feathers and hairs of divers colours. 93. WE have fpoken before, in the fifth inftance, of the cause of orient colours in birds; which is by the fineness of the ftrainer; we will now endeavour

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deavour to reduce the fame axiom to a work. For this writing of our Sylva Sylvarum, is (to fpeak properly) not natural hiftory, but a high kind of natural magick. For it is not a defcription only of nature, but a breaking of nature, into great and ftrange works. Try therefore the anointing over of pigeons, or other birds, when they are but in their down; or of whelps, cutting their hair as fhort as may be; or of fome other beast; with some ointment, that is not hurtful to the flesh; and that will harden and stick very clofe; and fee whether it will not alter the colours of the feathers or hair. It is received, that the pulling off the first feathers of birds clean, will make the new come forth white: and it is certain, that white is a penurious colour, and where moisture is fcant. So blue violets, and other flowers, if they be starved, turn pale and white; birds and horfes, by age or scars, turn white and the hoar hairs of men come by the fame reafon. And therefore in birds, it is very likely, that the feathers that come first, will be many times of divers colours, according to the nature of the bird; for that the fkin is more porous; but when the fkin is more shut and close, the feathers will come white. This is a good experiment, not only for the pros ducing of birds and beafts of strange colours; but also for the disclosure of the nature of colours themselves; which of them require a finer porosity, and which a groffer.

Experiment folitary touching the nourishment of living creatures before they be brought forth.

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94. It is a work of providence, that hath been truly obferved by fome; that the yolk of the egg conduceth little to the generation of the bird, but only to the nourishment of the fame for if a chicken be opened, when it is new hatched; you shall find much of the yolk remaining. And it is needful, that birds that are shaped without the female's womb, have in the egg, as well matter of nourishment, as matter of generation for the body. For after the egg is laid, and fevered from the body of the hen; it hath no more nourishment from the hen; but only a quickning heat when the fitteth. But beafts and men need not the matter of nourishment within themselves; because they are shaped within the womb of the female, and are nourished continually from her body.

Experiments in confort touching fympathy and antipathy for medicinal use. 95. It is an inveterate and received opinion, that cantharides applied to any part of the body, touch the bladder, and exulcerate it, if they ftay on long. It is likewise received, that a kind of stone, which they bring out of the Weft-Indies, hath a peculiar force to move gravel, and to diffolve the ftone; in fo much, as laid but to the wrift, it hath so forcibly fent down gravel, as men have been glad to remove it, it was fo violent.

96. It is received and confirmed by daily experience, that the foals of the feet have great affinity with the head, and the mouth of the stomach: as we fee, going wet-shod, to those that use it not, affecteth both: applications of hot powders to the feet attenuate firft, and after dry the rheum: and therefore a physician that would be myftical, prefcribeth, for the cure of the rheum, that a man fhould walk continually upon a camomile alley; meaning, that he should put camomile within his focks. Likewife pigeons bleeding, applied to the foals of the feet, ease the head: and foporiferous medicines applied unto them, provoke sleep.

97. IT feemeth, that as the feet have a fympathy with the head; fo the VOL. III.

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wrists

wrifts and hands have a fympathy with the heart; we fee the affects and paffions of the heart and fpirits are notably disclosed by the pulfe: and it is often tried, that juices of flock-gilly-flowers, rofe-campian, garlick, and other things, applied to the wrifts, and renewed, have cured long agues. And I conceive, that washing, with certain liquors, the palms of the hands doth much good: and they do well in heats of agues, to hold in the hands eggs of alabafter, and balls of cryftal.

Of these things we shall speak more, when we handle the title of sympathy and antipathy in the proper place.

Experiment folitary touching the fecret processes of nature.

98. THE knowledge of man (hitherto) hath been determined by the view; or fight; fo that whatsoever is invifible, either in respect of the fineness of the body it felf; or the smallness of the parts; or of the fubtilty of the motion; is little inquired. And yet thefe be the things that govern nature principally; and without which, you cannot make any true analysis and indication of the proceedings of nature. The fpirits or pneumaticals, that are in all tangible bodies, are fcarce known. Sometimes they take them for vacuum; whereas they are the most active of bodies. Sometimes they take them for air; from which they differ exceedingly, as much as wine from water; and as wood from earth. Sometimes they will have them to be natural heat, or a portion of the element of fire; whereas 'fome of them are crude and cold. And fometimes they will have them to be the virtues and qualities of the tangible parts, which they fee; whereas they are things by themselves. And then, when they come to plants and living creatures, they call them fouls. And fuch fuperficial fpeculations they have; like profpectives, that fhew things inward, when they are but paintings. Neither is this a queftion of words, but infinitely material in nature. For fpirits are nothing elfe but a natural body, rarified to a proportion, and included in the tangible parts of bodies, as in an integument. And they be no lefs differing one from the other, than the denfe or tangible parts; and they are in all tangible bodies whatsoever, more or less; and they are never (almost) at rest: and from them, and their motions, principally proceed arefaction, colliquation, concoction, maturation, putrefaction, vivification, and most of the effects of nature: for, as we have figured them in our Sapientia veterum, in the fable of Proferpina, you fhall in the infernal regiment hear little doings of Pluto, but moft of Proferpina: for tangible parts in bodies are stupid things; and the fpirits do (in effect) all. As for the differences of tangible parts in bodies, the induftry of the chymifts hath given fome light, in difcerning by their separations, the oily, crude, pure, impure, fine, grofs parts of bodies, and the like. And the physicians are content to acknowledge, that herbs and drugs have divers parts; as that opium hath a ftupefactive part, and a heating part; the one moving fleep, the other a fweat following; and that rhubarb hath purging parts, and aftringent parts, &c. But this whole inquifition is weakly and negligently handled. And for the more fubtle differences of the minute parts, and the posture of them in the body, (which also hath great effects) they are not at all touched: as for the motions of the minute parts of bodies, which do fo great effects, they have not been observed at all; because they are invisible, and incur not to the eye; but yet they are to be deprehended by experience: as Democritus faid well, when they charged him to hold, that the world was made of fuch little moats, as were seen in the fun; atomus (faith he) neceffitate rationis & experientiae effe convincitur; ato

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