of cold. The cause is, for that all matters tangible being cold, it must needs follow, that where the matter is most congregate the cold is the greater. 73. The fifth cause of cold, or rather of increase and vehemence of cold, is a quick spirit inclosed in a cold body: as will appear to any that shall attentively consider of nature in many instances. We see nitre (which hath a quick spirit) is cold; more cold to the tongue than a stone. So water is colder than oil, because it hath a quicker spirit; for all oil, though it hath the tangible parts better digested than water, yet hath it a duller spirit. So snow is colder than water, because it hath more spirit within it. So we see that salt put to ice (as in the producing of the artificial ice) increaseth the activity of cold. So some insecta which have spirit of life, as snakes and silkworms, are to the touch cold. So quicksilver is the coldest of metals, because it is fullest of spirit. 74. The sixth cause of cold is the chasing and driving away of spirits, such as have some degree of heat: for the banishing of the heat must needs leave any body cold. This we see in the operation of opium and stupefactives upon the spirits of living creatures. And it were not amiss to try opium, by laying it upon the top of a weather-glass, to see whether it will contract the air. But I doubt it will not succeed; for besides that the virtue of opium will hardly penetrate through such a body as glass, I conceive that opium, and the like, make the spirits fly rather by malignity than by cold. 75. Seventhly, the same effect must follow upon the exhaling or drawing out of the warm spirits, that doth upon the flight of the spirits. There is an opinion, that the moon is magnetical of heat, as the sun is of cold and moisture: it were not amiss therefore to try it with warm waters; the one exposed to the beams of the moon; the other with some skreen betwixt the beams of the moon and the water; as we use to the sun for shade: and to see whether the former will cool sooner. And it were also good to inquire, what other means there may be to draw forth the exile heat which is in the air; for that may be a secret of great power to produce cold weather.' The most intense cold yet known is produced in Thillorier's experiment, by the sudden conversion into the gaseous state of liquid carbonic acid. It is so intense as to solidify a portion of the acid in a form resembling snow. Experiments in consort touching the version and transmutation of air into water. We have formerly set down the means of turning air into water, in the experiment 27. But because it is magnale naturæ, and tendeth to the subduing of a very great effect, and is also of manifold use, we will add some instances in consort that give light thereunto. 1 76. It is reported by some of the ancients, that sailors have used, every night, to hang fleeces of wool on the sides of their ships, the wool towards the water; and that they have crushed fresh water out of them in the morning, for their use. And thus much we have tried, that a quantity of wool tied loose together, being let down into a deep well, and hanging in the middle some three fathom from the water for a night in the winter time, increased in weight (as I now remember) to a fifth part. 77. It is reported by one of the ancients, that in Lydia, near Pergamus, there were certain workmen in time of wars fled into caves; and the mouth of the caves being stopped by the enemies, they were famished. But long time after the dead bones were found; and some vessels which they had carried with them; and the vessels full of water; and that water thicker, and more towards ice, than common water 2: which is a notable instance of condensation and induration by burial under earth (in caves) for long time; and of version also (as it should seem) of the air into water; if any of those vessels were empty. Try therefore a small bladder hung in snow, and the like in nitre, and the like in quicksilver; and if you find the bladders fallen or shrunk, you may be sure the air is condensed by the cold of those bodies; as it would be in a cave under earth. 78. It is reported of very good credit, that in the East Indies, if you set a tub of water open in a room where cloves are kept, it will be drawn dry in twenty-four hours; though it stand at some distance from the cloves. In the country, they use many times, in deceit, when their wool is new shorn, to set some pails of water by in the same room, to increase the weight of the wool. But it may be, that the heat of the wool remain 1 Pliny, xxxi. 37. 2 Aristot. De Mirab. 52. But Aristotle, or rather the author of the treatise De Mirab., does not speak of any change in the water, but only that the vessels and the bones of the workmen were petrified. ing from the body of the sheep, or the heat gathered by the lying close of the wool, helpeth to draw the watery vapour; but that is nothing to the version. 79. It is reported also credibly, that wool new shorn, being laid casually upon a vessel of verjuice, after some time, hath drunk up a great part of the verjuice, though the vessel were whole without any flaw, and had not the bung-hole open. In this instance there is (upon the by) to be noted, the percolation or suing of the verjuice through the wood; for verjuice of itself would never have passed through the wood; so as it seemeth it must be first in a kind of vapour, before it pass. 80. It is especially to be noted, that the cause that doth facilitate the version of air into water, when the air is not in gross, but subtilly mingled with tangible bodies, is (as hath been partly touched before) for that tangible bodies have an antipathy with air; and if they find any liquid body that is more dense near them, they will draw it; and after they have drawn it, they will condense it more, and in effect incorporate it; for we see that a sponge, or wool, or sugar, or a woollen cloth, being put but in part in water or wine, will draw the liquor higher, and beyond the place where the water or wine cometh. We see also, that wood, lute-strings, and the like, do swell in moist seasons; as appeareth by the breaking of the strings, the hard turning of the pegs, and the hard drawing forth of boxes, and opening of wainscot doors: which is a kind of infusion; and is much like to an infusion in water, which will make wood to swell; as we see in the filling of the chops of bowls, by laying them in water. But for that part of these experiments which concerneth attraction, we will reserve it to the proper title of attraction. 81. There is also a version of air into water seen in the sweating of marbles and other stones; and of wainscot before and in moist weather. This must be, either by some moisture the body yieldeth, or else by the moist air thickened against the hard body. But it is plain that it is the latter; for that we see wood painted with oil-colour will sooner 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 so turneth it back, and thickeneth it into dew. We see also, that breathing upon a glass or smooth body giveth a dew; and in frosty mornings (such as we call rime frosts) you shall find drops of dew upon the inside of glass-windows; and the frost itself upon the ground is but a version or condensation of the moist vapours of the night into a watery substance: dews likewise, and rain, are but the returns of moist vapours condensed; the dew, by the cold only of the sun'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 likewise turn air some degree nearer unto water. Therefore try the experiment of the artificial turning water into ice' (whereof we shall speak 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 artifical conversion of water into ice, is the work of a few hours; and this of air may be tried by a month's space, or the like. Experiments in consort 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, whose property is to condense and constipate, as hath been said. The second is by heat; which is not proper, but by consequence; for the heat doth attenuate; and by attenuation doth send forth the spirit and moister part of a body; and upon that, the more gross of the tangible parts do contract and serre themselves together; both to avoid vacuum (as they call it); and also to munite themselves against the force of the fire which they have suffered. And the third is by assimilation; when a hard body assimilateth a soft, being contiguous to it. The examples of induration, taking them promiscuously, are many as the generation of stones within the earth, which at the first are but rude earth or clay; and so of minerals, which come (no doubt) at first of juices concrete, which afterwards indurate and so of porcelain, which is an 'Bacon here, as elsewhere, refers to the experiment performed by Drebbel in the presence of James I. artificial cement, buried in the earth a long time; and so the making of brick and tile; also the making of glass of a certain sand and brake-roots, and some other matters; also the exudations of rock-diamonds and crystal, which harden with time; also the induration of bead-amber, which at first is a soft substance; as appeareth by the flies and spiders which are found in it; and many more; but we will speak of them distinctly. 83. For indurations by cold, there be few trials of it; for we have no strong or intense cold here on the surface of the earth, so near the beams of the sun and the heavens. The likeliest trial is by snow and ice; for as snow and ice, especially being holpen and their cold activated by nitre or salt, will turn water into ice, and that in a few hours; so it may be, it will turn wood or stiff clay into stone, in longer time. Put therefore into a conserving pit of snow and ice (adding some quantity of salt 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 them. Put therefore wood or clay into smith's water, or other metalline water; and try whether it will not harden in some reasonable time. But I understand it of metalline waters that come by washing or quenching, and not of strong waters that come by dissolution; for they are too corrosive to consolidate. 85. It is already found that there are some natural springwaters, that will inlapidate wood; so as you shall see one piece of wood, whereof the part above the water shall continue wood, and the part under the water shall be turned into a kind of gravelly stone. It is likely those waters are of some metalline mixture; but there would be more particular inquiry made of them. It is certain, that an egg was found, having lien many years in the bottom of a moat, where the earth had somewhat 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 shining in small grains like sugar 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. |