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A LATE

DISCOURSE Made in aSolemne Ailembly of Nobles and Learned Men at SMontpffllier in France‘3

By Sr. Kemlme Vighj^ Knlghta&c.

Touching the C u rc o f W o u N D s by the Powder o f Sfm f atf/yj W ith Inftiu£kions how to make the faid Powderj whereby manyother Secrets of Nature are unfolded.

Falix qni ptu it Rerum cognofeere caufas.

Rcndred faithfully out of French into Englifh

By R . JFhite. Gent.

London, Printed for R . Lowner, and 7*. Oaviei, and are to be fold at their (hops in Sf.Pauls Church yai d, at the fign of the iVhi'e iia i, andat the over againft the little North Door of St. Pauls Church. 1^58.

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TO THE

M o il N o ble, an d’ ple^ roick Gentleman, J ohn D i g b YE,Efq,. at ^othhurjl^ SIR.

mithjng this De^ dilatory Addrejje unto you 1 may truely fay tk done to the Renowned Authour H im felf for, bejfdes the ordinary relation o f Father and Son betwixt yon,^ there was never, I dare boldlyJay, A. 3 fnch

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fue% a perfe5f exttU Jim ilitu d e fvpixl anytvpo J ( nee the W orld be­ g a n . F or you refemble him.^ not onely in the onpward Symmetry^ in th at goodly proportion, and eofnportments o f your body. Ton are likg h im , not onely in Thyjiognomy o f fa c e , having the fam efp aciou s fr o n t, the fa m e perjfpicacious eyes,with other v ijib le parts f o marvalcufly a lik e ,' but the tone o f your voice, the accent o f your vpords, your very breath, and articulate fou n ds are the fa m e xeith h k infomuch, that, it being rvell obferved, this adm ira­ b le fm ilitu d e ,o r rather id en tity , may be called one o f the g rea teji Tponders o f thefe tim es.

NotP,Sir,this Refemblance being focxaa,thrv. :h all theonWard parts Capapee-) I t may be vpell prefumed, that you are alfo like him in the ld(tas o f your foul, and the intern motions of your mindy

ffiifid, and conjequently in hk fuhlime fpeculations. Therefore^ I hope.jhat neither the World will accufe me oflm^cnincnce^oryour fe lf ¿^/prefuiTiption that lmahje thk Dedication^ and thereby (iile .m y fe lf

Highly Honoured Sir,

Your moflj humble and ready fervant

R. W H I T E ,

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A n E x t r a i l o f the iJo yali p riv ile d g cin France for prin tin g the faid D jfco u rfc. :Y the G race, and priviledge o f the King given in Paris the one and twentieth o f D e ­ cember one thoufand lix hun­ dred fifty feven, It is permitted to ^ohft Ancelin to caufe to be printed, fold,, and uttered by what Bookfeller he fhall think kit 5. a Book intitled ^ difeourfe t/iads.

made in a famous Affem blyby Cavalier Digby Chancellotir to the

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Queen o f Great Britain touching the cure o f wounds by the Powder o f Sympathy^ See. And this during the time, and fpace o f ten yeares, w ith pro­ hibition to all Bookfellers, and Printers to counterfeit, fell or utter the faid Book without the confent and permiffion o f the faid Jncelin, or o f thofe who ihall derive a right from him, under the penalty o f one thoufand five hundred Liures , and o f all expences , damages , and interefts, as it is more amply contained within the Letters o f the faid Priviledge.

T h e faid hath tranfm itted'the right o f the faid Priviledge to Augufiine Courb, and Peter Moet Marchants o f books

books in Paris, according to the Agreement betwixt them.

Hk Majejiies Library js fnrniped with two Exemplars accordiftgly.

An

An Information to the Knowing Reader.

H ii E x q u ijite T hilofop h ic a l D tfcon rfe was made lately )>y th a t Renowned Knfgbt^ S ir Kenelme D igby, in one o f the fitm ous Academies ofV ism ce.

I t contains a v ariety o f many recondite an d high^rnyfieries o f Nature^ w hica are a U ^ ere un~ m asted . A n dos a ll th a t great SciAilembly, com pofed o f the Choiceji w its under thatClime^ f o o d then ajlonijhed a t the prof^ tin dfpecfilation s o f the Author^

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( which were delivered hy way oj Oration^ and taken in Jliort w ri­ ting upon the place as twas utter­ e d ) J b I believe it w ill work^the fa m e effel^ in any Judicious Soul, when he hath fe rio u fy peru fed it.

R. W H I T E .

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DISCOURSE Touching the cure of o u NDs, by the Towderöf Sjmpitb^, My Lordsy BelievethatyouWfl remain all in one mind with me, that to penetrate , and know a Siibjeft, it ' is ncceffary in the flrft place, to Ihew whether the thing be fiich as it is fuppofed or imagined to b e : For would not one unprofitably lofe both his time, and labour, to baße himfelf in the refearch o f the caufes of that which peradventure is but a Chimera, without any foundation of truth?

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I remember to have read in a place in P/utarch, where he propofeth this qiieftion, Wherefore thofe Horfes, who, while they are C olts, have been purfuedby the Wolf,and faved themfelves by force o f running, arc more fleet than other Horfes ?

Whereunto he anfwers, That it may be that the fcaring,and affrightment, which the W olf gives unto the young beaft, makes him try his utmoft ftrcngth, to deliver himfelf from the danger that follows him at the heels, therefore the faid fright doth as it were unknit his joynts, and ftretch his linews, and makes the ligaments, and other parts o) his body, the more fupple to run ; infomuch, that he refents it all his life afterwards^ and becomes a good courfer : Or it may be, fayes hcj that thofe Colts which are naturally fw ift, fave themfelves by flying away 5 whereas others, who are not fo, are overtaken by the Wolf, and fo becpme his prey : and fo it is no! becaufe they have efcaped the Wolfj that they at e the DWre fleet, but it is

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their natural fwiftneffe which faves them. H e affords alfo other reafons, and at faft concludes. That it may be the thing not true; I find it not fo fit (my Lords) to reply here­ unto at a Table DifcouiTe, where the chief dcfign of converfationisto paife away the time gently and pleafantly, without medling with the feverity of high fetcht reafons to wind up the fpirits, and make them more attentive. But in fo renown­ ed an AiTemhly as this, where there are fuch Judicious Peifons, and fo profoundly learned, and who upon this raucounter , expe& from me, that I pay them in folid reafcMis ; I fhould be very forry, that having done my utter moft, to make it clear, how the Powder, which they com­ monly call the Powder o f Sympathy, doth naturally, and without any MagickjCure wounds without touch­ ing them, yea, without feeing of the Patient; I fay, I fhould be very forry that it fhould be doubted. Whether fuch a cure may effeifually be per­ formed or no, B 2 In

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In matter of faft, the determina­ tion of exiftence, and truth of a th in g, depends upon the report which our fenfes make us. This huiineiTe is of that nature, for they who have feen the cfFefts, and had experience thereof, and have been carcfull to examine all neceflary circumftancesj and fatislied themfelves afterwards,that there is no impoflure in the thing, do nothing doubt but that it is real, and true. But they who have not feen fuch experiences, ought to refer themfelves to the Narrations, and authority of fuch, who have feen fuch things; I could produce divers, whereof I was an ocular witneiTe, nay, ^orum pars magnd fv i : But as a certain, and an accounted example in the aftirmative, is convincing to determine the| pollibility, and truth o f a matter which is doubtful : 1 ihall content my felf, becaufe I would not trefpaiTe too much upon your patience at this time, to make inftance in one onely; but it ihall be one of the c!eareil,the moil perfpicuous, and .the moil aver­ red,

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red that cafi be, not onely for the remarkable circuruilances thereof, but a!fo for the hands, which were above the Vulgar:, through which the whole bufiiieiTe paffed. For the cure of a very fore hurt was perfefted by this Power of Sympathy, up­ on a perfoH thzt is illiiftrious, as well for his many perfeftions, as for his fevera! employments. All the circumftances were examined , and founded to the bottom, by one of the greaceft, and mo ft knowing Kings of his time, viz. King Janrs, o i England, who had a particular talent, and marvailous fagacity, to difeufle natural tliuigs, and pene­ trate them to the very man ow ; As alfo by his Sonne, the late King Char!es,md t\vt Duke of Buckj-ngham, their prime Minifter. And in fine, all uaS regiftred among theobfervations of great Chancelor B icon, to adde by^ way o f Appendix, unto his Natural Hiftory. And I believe.

Sirs, when you ihall -have nndcrftood this Hiftory, you will notacciife me of v.anity, i f l attribute unto B my

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my felf the Introducer unto this.

Quarter of the World this way of! curing, j Mr. James Howely ('well knowiti in France, for his publick works, and particularly, for his T>endroIogia,\ tranflatcd into French, by Monfienr Baudouin) coming by chance as two o f his beft friends were fighting in duel, he did his endeavour to part them,, and putting himfelf between them, feized with his left hand upoit the hilt of the fword, of one of the] Combatants, while with his right Band he laid hold of the blade of the other r they being tranfported with fory one againft the other, ftrugled to rid themfelves o f the hindrance their friend made, that they ihould not kill one another : and one of them roughiy drawing the blade of his fword, cuts to the very bone the nerves, and musiles of Mr. Howe's hand ; and then the other difingaged his hilts, and gave a croffe blow on his adverfaries head, which;glan­ ced towards his friend, who heaving up his fore hand.to fave the blQW,he was

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was wounded on the back o f his hand, as he had been before within.

It feenis fome ftrange coiiftellation ralgned then againft him, that he fiioiild lofe fo much blond by parting two fuch dear friends, who had they been themfelves, would have ha­ zarded both their lives to have'preferved his : but this iinvoliuitaiy eifufion of blond by them, prevented that which they ihoiild have drawn one from the other. For they feeing Mr. Hotels face befmeared with blood, by heaving up his wounded hand, they both run to embrace i and having fearcbed his hurts, they bound up his hand with one of his garters , to clofe the veins which were c u t, and bled abundantly.

They brought him home, and fent for a Surgeon. But this being beard, at Court, the King fent one of his own Surgeons, for his Majefty much affected the faid Mr. HoweL It was my chance to be lodged hard by him : and four or five dayes after,as 1 was making my felf ready, he came to my Houfe, and prayed B 4 me

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( 8) me to view his wounds, for I undei ibnd, faid he, that you have extra­ ordinary remedies upon fuch occalionSj and my Surgeons apprehend ibme fear, that it may grow to a Gangrene, aird fo the hand nnift be cut of. In cfFeft, his countenance difeovered that he was in much pain, which he faid was unfupportable, in regard of the extream inflammati­ on : I told him that I would willing­ ly ferve him, but if haply he knew the manner hpw I would cure him, without touching or feeing him : it may be he would not expofe himfelf to my manner o f curing, becaufe he would think itperadventure either ineffeö:ual, or fiiperftitious: he replyed, That the wonderful things which many have related unto me, o f your way o f medecinement,makes me nothing doubt at all of its cificac y ; and all that 1 have to fay unto you, is comprehended in the Spaniß Pvoyeib, .Hagaß el milagro, j/hagalo Mahoma^ Let the rniiacle be done, though Mahomet do it, I asked

i 9) I asked him then for any thin g that had the blond upon it, fo he prefently fcnt for his garter, where­ with his hand was firft bound ; and as 1 called for a Bafon of water, as if 1 would wa/h my hands ; 1 took a handfull of Powder of Vitrol , which I had in my Itudy, and pre­ fently diffblved; it. As loon as the bloody garter was brought me, I put it within the Bafon, obferving in the interim what Mr. Hcwtl did, who frood talking with a Gentleman in a corner of my Chamber, not regard­ ing at all what 1 was doittg : but he fiarted fiiddenly, as if he had found iome ilrange alteration in himfelf ; I asked him what he ailed ? 1 know not what ailes me, but 1 find that 1 feel no more pain, me thinks that a pleaiing kind of freihnelie , as it were a wet cold napkin did fpread over my hand, which hath taken away the inflammation that torment­ ed me before ; 1 replyed iince then that you feel already fo good an effcft of niy medicamait, 1 advife you to caft away all your playftcr'.’, B 5 oaely

( fio r «nely keep'the wound dean, and im a moderate tamper, twixt heat and cold. This was prefently reported to the Duke of BnckjHgham, and a little after to the Kingj who were both very, curious to know the cireumliance of the bullnefle , which was, that after dinner I took the garter out of the water, and pwt k to dry before a great fire; it was fcarce dry, but Mr. Howels fervant 6amerunning, that his Maher felt as ibuch burning as ever he had done,' if not more, for the heat was fuch,, as if his hand were twixt coles o f fire : l anfwered, that although that had happened at prefent, yet he. ihoiild find eafe in a (hort time; for f knew the reafon o f thisnew accident, itnd I would provide accordingly, for. his Mailer ihould he free from that inflammatii'll, it may be, before he could pofhbly return unto him : but in cafe he found no eafe,l wifhed him.to.come prefently back again, if not, . he-might forbear coming.

Thereupon;he went, aiid at the inftant I. did put agaiiixhe garter into the.

r>'/ the water, thereupon he found his Mailer without any pain at all. To he brief, there was no fenfeof pain afterward; hut within five or fix dayes the wounds were cicatrized,, and entirely healed. King re­ quired a punftual information o f what had palTed, touching this cure; and after it was done, and perfefted, his Majefty would needs know of me how it was done, having drolled with me firil (which he could do with a very good grace) about a Magitian and a Sorcerer, 1 anfwered.

That I ihould be alwayes ready to perform what his Majefty ihould command 5 but I moil humbly deiired him, before I ihould pane fur­ ther, to tell him what the Authour, of whom I had -the fecret, faid to the great Duke of ’lofcanj} upon the like occafion. It was a religious Qatmdite^ that came from the Indies and Ferfta to T/oreMre, he had alfo been at China ^ who having done many marvailous cures with his Pow­ der, after his arrival to T'ofeany, theDuke faid he would be very glad t o > learu it of him ; It was the faiher of the

(i l ) the Great Duke, who governs now.

The anfwered him, That it was a fecret which he had learnt in theoriental parts, and bethought there was not any who knew it in E ’^rope but iiimrelf,and that it def'crved not tobe divulged, which could not bedone,ifhisHiglmefs would meddle with the praftife of it, becaufe he was not likely to do it with his own hands, but muft triift a Surgeon, or fome other fervant, (b that in a iliort time divers other would come to know it as w'eil as himfelf. But a few moneths afceiT had opportunity to do an important courteiie to tins faid F ry e r, which induced him to difcover unto me hisfccret, and the fame year he returned to Porfía ; infomuch, that now there is no other knows this fecret in Europe hut my felf : The King replied, That he needed not apprehend any fear that he would difcover, for he vroiild not truft any body in the World to make experience o f this fecret, but he would do it with his own hands, therefore he would have fome o f the Powders which I delivered, inftriifting

(h) flruöing himin all the circiiinil-aiices.

Whereupon his Ma jefty madefiindry proofs, whence he received lingular fatisfaftion. _In tile interim, Doftor M tjcnte, his firft Pliylitiaii watched todifcovcr what was done by this fecret, and at laft hecanie to know that the King made life of Vitriol. Afterwards he accofted me, faying, he dürft not demand o f me my fecret, becaufe I made fome difficulty to difcover it to the King himfelf. But having learnt with what matter it was to be done, he hoped that I would communicate unto him all the circumftances how it is to be ufed; I anfwered him.

That if he had asked me before, I woulcfhavc frankly tuld him all, for in his hadds there was no fear that fuch a fecret ffionld be proftituted, and fo I told him all. A little after the Doftor tvent to Fr/r?7ce, to fee fome fair Territories that he had purchaied near Geneva, which was the Barony of Aubonne.

In this voyage he went to fee the Duke o f Majerne, who had been a long time his

(I4 > ‘ his friend, and proteftor, and he taught him this leeret, whereof the Duke made many experiments, which if any other but a Prince had done, it maybe they had paffed for effefts o f Magick and enchant­ ments.

After the Dukes death, who was killed at the liege of Montauban^ his Surgeon who waited upon him in doing'cures, fold this fecret tg divers peiTons o f qu ality, who gave him confiderable films for it, fo that he became very rich thereby. The thing being fallen thus into many hands,remained not long in terms of a fecret, but by degrees it came to be fo divulged, that now there is fcarce any Country Barber but knows it.

Behold now. Sirs, the genealogie of the Powder of Sympathy in this part of the World, with a notable Hiilory o f a cure performed by It.It is time now to come to the difcuHioiijwhich is,to know how it is made.It mull be avowed that it is a niarveilous thing, that the hurt of a wounded-

(»5) woiincfeil perfon, fhouU be cured b j . the application o f a remedy put to a raq o f cloth, or a weapon at a great diiiance. And it is not to be doubt­ ed, if after a long and profound fpeGii'ation, of all the (Economy and concatenation o f natural! caufcs, which may be ad judged capable to produce fuch effefts, one may fall at laft upon the tnie caufeSjwhich muft have fiibtili reforts and means to aft.

Hitherto they have been wrapped up in darkneffe, and adjudged fo inaccellible, that they who have under­ taken to fpeak or write of them, (at lead thofe whom I faw) have been contented to fpeak of fome ingenious gentileneiTc, without diving into the bottomjendeavouring rather to flhew the vivacity o f their fpirit, and the force of their eloquence, than tofatisfy their Readers, and Auditors, how the thing.is really to be done.

They would have us take for ready mony, fome terms which we underftand not, nor know what they ligni— fie. They v/ould pay us with convenieuccs, with refemblances, with Sym-i

¡ 1« ; Symparhies , with Magnetical vir­ tues, and fuch terms, without expli­ cating what thefe terms mean. They think they have done enough, if they feebly peiTwade any body that the buiineii'e may be performed by a natural w a y , without having any recourfe to the intervention of de­ mons, and fpirits : but they pretend not in any fort to have found out the convincing reafons, to demonftrate how the thing is done.

Sirs, if I did not hope to gain otherwife upon your fpirits^I fay,that if I did not believe, that 1 ihould be able to perfwade you otherwife than by wordi,I would not have underta­ ken this enterprize: I know too well ------ ^ i d VItleant htimer/j^uidferre recafent, fuch a defigu requires a great fire.

Sc vivacity o f conceptions volubility o f tongue, aptnefle of exprellions to infinuate as it were by furprifal, that which one cannot carry away by a firme' foot , and by cold reafons, though folid. A Difcourfe o f this nature ought not to attend a ftran-

(l?) ger 5 who finds Jiimfelf obliged to difplay his fenfe in a language, wherein he can hardly expreifehis ordinary conceptions. Neverthelefs, thefe coniiderations ihallnot deterrc me from engaging my felf in an enterprize, which may feem to fome much more difficult than that which 1 am now to performe, viz. to make good convincing proofs, that this Sympathetical cure may be done na­ turally , and to ihew before your eyes, and make you touch with your finger how it may be donCv You know^ that perfwaftons are made by ' ingenious arguments ^ which being expreffed with a good grace, do ra­ ther tickle the imagination, than fatisfy the underftanding; But Vernon* flratioHs are built upon certain, and approved principles, and though they be but roughly pronounced,yet they convince and draw after them neceirary conclufions. They pro­ ceed as a ilrong Engin faftned to a gate to batter it down, or as a plate of mettal to imprint the mark of the mony, at every turn that truth

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mith makes^ihe approches but littlcj and as it were infenfibly, and makes not much noife,and there is no fuch great force required to turn her j but her ftrength, though it beflowj rs invincible, that at the end, ihe breaks down the gate, and makes a deep iniprellion on the piece of gold OF lilver: whereas the ftrokc o f ham­ mers, and bars, ( whereunto witty difeourfes, and the flourifhed con­ ceptions of fubtil fpirits) require the arme o f a Giant,makes a great ñoife^ and atfh e end o f the account, proditces little eíFcft.

T o enter then into the matter, I w ill, according to the method ef Geometrical Demonftrations,lay fix or feven Principles, asfoundationftones, whereon 1 will ereft my ilm ftnre. But I will lay them fo well, and fo fimily, that there will be no great difficulty to grant them.Thefe Principles ffiall be like the wheelsof Archimedes, by the advantage whereof a child might be capable to hale a Ihore the bigeft Carack. of King Hiero«» which a hundred pair of ------- -- —

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9 of Oxen, with all the Ropes and Cables of his Arsenal.} were not able tortir: fo by the ftrength of thefe Principles,I hope to waft my concliiiions to a fafe Port.

The firft Principle fliall be, That the whole Orb, or Sphere of the A ir is filled with light, i f it were need­ ful to prove in this point, that the .

Light is a material, and corporal fubftance, and not an imaginary, and incomprehenfible quality, as many Schoolmen averre, I could do it evidently enough, but I done thisiii another Treatife, whKhhath been publiflied not long finee. And k is no new opinion, for many of the moft efteemed Philofophers among the Ancients have advanced it, yea, the Great St. Augiiftin, in his Third Epiftle to Volufion^ doth alledge, th at.it is his fentiraent.

But toiiching our prefent bufinelTe, whether the light be the one or the other, it matters not, tis enough to explicate her courfe, and the journies (he makes, whereunco our fenfes bear witnefle- TfS cl.ar, that iiTiiuig,

( lO ) ing continually out o f her foucce, which is the Suiijancl lancing her felf by a marvailous celerity on all fides by ftreight lines , there whei e (he rancounters any obfracles in her way, by the oppoiition o f fome hard, or opaque body, (he reflefts, and leap­ ing thence to equal angles, (he takes again her courfe by a ilreight line, untill (he bandies forne other fide upon another falid body, and fo (he continueth to make new bounditms here and there} until at the end, belnggjliafcd on all fides, by the bodies which oppofe her in her paffage, (he is tyrecf, and fo extingui(heth. In the like manner we fee a Ball in Tenis Court, being firuck by a ftrong arm againft the walls, leaps to the oppofite fide, that fomctimcs (he makes the circuit of the whole Court, and fiiiKheth her motion near the place where (he was firft ftruck.

Our very eyes are wimeiTesof this progreiieof the light, when by way of reflexioujihe illuminates fome obfture place, whither (he cannot dircftly arrive ; Ot*when ilRiing immediatly

(x i ) niecliacly from the Sun, and beating upon the Moon, or feme other of the Planets, the rayes which cannot find entrance there , bound upon our earth, otherwife we ihou d not fee them , and there ihe is reflefted , broken and bruifed by fo many bo­ dies, as ¡he meets in her diverlity of reflexions.

The fécond Principle ihall be, that the light glancing fo upon feme body, the rayes which enter nofiirther, and which rebound upon the fuperficies of the body,loofen _themfelves, and carry with them fome fmall particles or atomes ; juft as the ball, whereof we havefpoken,would carry* vyith it fome o f the moiftiirc of the wall, againft which ¡he is ban­ ded, if the plaiiter thereof were alfo moyft : and as iri eiFeâ:, ihe carryed away fome tinftiire of the black, wherewith the walls are coloured.

The reafon whereof is , that the light, that fubtill, and ratified fire, coming with fuch an imperceptible haft, for her darts are within our eyes, as foon as her head is above our

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OUÏ* Horifon, making fo manymillipn of miles in an inimaginable fpace o f time, I fay, the /igk beating up­ on the body, which opj[X)feth het ihe cannot chufe but make there fome fmall ineifions proportionable to her rarity, and fubtility. And thefe fmall Atomes being cut, and loofcned from their trunk , being compofed of the four Elements, (as all bodies are) the heat o f the light doth flick, and incorporate it felf with the moft humid, vifcuous, and gluing parts of the faid Atoms, and brings them along with her. Expe­ rience ihews us this as well as Reafonj for when one puts fome humM cloth to dry before the fire, the fiery rayes beating thereon, thofe which find no entrance, but reflcft thence, carry away with them fotnc fmaW moift bodies, which make a kind of mift betwixt the doth and the fire.

In like manner the Sim at his rifing enlightning the earth, whicn is hu­ mified either by rain, or the dCwof the night, his beams raife a mift, which by Uttle -and little afceuds to

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the tops of the hills : and this mift doth ariiie according, as the Sun hath more force to draw it upwards, until at laft we lofe the light thereof, and that it becomes pajt o f the air, which in regard of its tenuity, is inviiible unto us. Thefe Atoms then are like Cavaliers, mounted on winged coiirfers; who go very far, imtill that the Sun fetting, takes from them their Pegafus and leaves them unmounted : an<f then they precipitate themfelves in crowds to the earth, whence they fprung, the greateft part o f them, and the moft heavy fall upon the firft retreating « f the Sun, and that we call the Serain^ which though it be fo thin that we cannot fee it, yet we feel it as fo many fmall hammers, which ftrike upon our heads and bodies, principally the elder fort of thenij for the yoimger fortjin regard o f the boyling of their bloud, and the heat of their complexion, thruft out o f them abundance o f fpirits, which being ftronger than thofe that fell froffii ihe Stmin, they repiilfe them, , and

( i4 ) and hinder them to operate: upon the bodies 3 whence thefe fpirits came forthjasthey do upon thofe that be­ ing grown cold by age, are not war­ ranted by fo ftrong an emanation of the fpirics, which come out o f them.

The wind which blows, and is tofl'ed to and fro, is no other than a great River of the like Atomes, drawn out of fomefolid bodies, which are upon the earth, and fo are banded here and there, according as they find caufe for that eifeft, 1 remember to have once fenfibly feen how the wind is ingendred . pafled over Mount Cenisy to go for Italy y towards the beginning S Summer, and I was advanced to hall the hill, as the Sun did rife c!eer,and luminous, but before I could fee his body, becaufe the Mountains interpofed : I obferved his rayes, which did guild the top of the Mountain Vifoy^ hich is the Pyramid of a Rock, a good deal higher than Moii Ceniiy and all the neighbourinj Mouncains. Many are of opinion) that it is the higheft Mountain in the World;

(^$) World, after the Fic ofTtH arif, in the gran Canarie , and this Mount Vifo is alwayes covered with fnow, I obferved then , tliat about that place, which was illuminated by the Solar rayex, there was a fog which at firllwas of no greater extent then an ordinary boule, but by de* grees it grew greater, that at laft, not onely the top o f that Mountain, but all the neighbou. iiig hills, were canopied all over with a cloud. I was now come to the top oi Mount Cents i and finding my felf in the ftreight line, which paneth from the Sun to Mount Vipj, I flayed awhile fo behold it, while my people were coming up tlie hill behind.for having ..lore men to carry my chair than they had, I was there fooner. It was not long that 1 might perceive the faid fog defeend gently to the place ^hcre i was, and I began to fed a freihnciTe that came over my face, when I turned it that way. When all my Troup was come about me.

We went defcendiiig the other fide of Mount CeniSf towards Saze^ and the.

C

io»vcx

0i

6

)

lower we went, we ftnfibly found it chat the wind began to blow hard behind oiir backs, for our vray obli­ ged us to go towards the iide, where tiic Sun was. We met with PalT.ngers that were going up, and vve down, they told us that the wind was very impetuous below, and did much incommodate them, by blow­ ing in their faces and eyes, but the higher they came, it was lelTer and leflcr : and^touching our felves,when we had cometo the place where they faidthewind blew fo hard,wc found a kind of ftorm, and it encreafed ftill the lower we went, untill the Sun being well advanced, drew no more by that line, but caufed a wind in feme other place. The people or that Country aiTured me, that it was there alwayes fo, if fome extra­ ordinary and violart accident did not intervene, and divert his ordi­ nary courfe, which is, that upon a certain hour of the day, the wind doth raife it felf to fuch a riimb, or point,& when the Sun is come to anodier pointjanothei'wi^d xiiêthjaii^

(i?) fo from hand to hand it changes the point till the Sun fet, which alwayes brings with it a calm, if the weather befair,and thatalwayes comes from the Mount Fi/o,oppoiice to the Sun. They told us alfo,that the daily wind is commonly ftronger towards the bottom oftheMountain,than towards the top,whereofthercafon is evident, for the natural movement o f every body natural doth encreafe always in fwiftncffe , according as it moves forward to its center, and that in an unequal number, ( as Galileo hath ingenioufly demonftrated, I did it alio in another Treatife) that is to fay, that if at the firft moment it advanceth an ell, in the fécond it advanceth three, in the third five, in the fourth feven, and fo it continueth to augment in the fame manner, which proceeds from the denfity,and figiire,of the defeending body aâing upon the ceffibility of the medium.

And thefefmal bodies which caufea wind from Mount Vifo are thick, and terreftrialjfor the fnow being compofed o f aquatical parts, and of earthly united by the cold, when the heac

C ^

of

(iS ) o f the Solar beams doth difimue and feparate thenij the vifcoiis . parts file with them, while the terreftrial, being too heavy to fly up­ ward, fall prcfcntly downward. This makes me remember a very remark­ able thing, which befel me when I was with my Fleet in the Port o f ScanderoU) or. Alexandrettey rdwards the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea : there- they ufe to dilimbark, when they go to AleffO} or Baljlon, 1 had done already what 1 had inten­ ded to do in thofe feas, and happily CompaiTed my dclign, fo it imported me much to return to England as foon as poflibly I could, and the ra­ ther bccaufe my Ships were battered ' Fy “ great fight, which I had had a little before , againft a formidable power; which, although I had ob­ tained the better, yet in fo furious a. difpute, my Fleet was in fome diforder, and my Ships full o f tvounded men. T o advife therefore o f the moft expedient road to come to fome harbour, where I might repair roy Ships, and be in furety ; I ailcmblcd »11

f i 9) all niy CaptainSj Pilots, and Mari­ ners , the moil- experienced o f my Fleet j and having propoimded un­ to them niy deiign, they were all of an unaminoiis opinion, that the fiireft courfe was towards the South, and to coaft upon S y i a , Ji'ie a y ^gypt, znA Africai and render our felves at the ftreight of Gihrahar^ and failing ib near the body of the earth, we lliould have every night fonie fraall briezesof wind, whereby we ihould in a fliort time make our voyage. And belides, we ihould not be in any great danger to meet feither with Spanifh or French Fleets, for England was at that time in open war with both thofe Kings, and we had advife that they had great Fleets abroad, to vindicate fome things we had done in prejudice « f them, both thofe fixteen moneths that we re­ mained Mailer of thofe feas, there­ fore it concerned us to make toward« fome fafe Port , where we might both refreih our m en, and repair our battered Veflels.

My opinion was clean contrary C 3, to

i

(i°ì to theirs, for I I'clieved onr beñ courfe were to fleer our courfe Weftward , and to fade along tiie coafts of Cilicia^ Famphy'ia, Ljdia, Natalia^ or Afra the Lede, and to traverfe the mouth of the Archipié­ lago , leave the Adriatick^ on the right hand, and paife by Sicily, Italy, Sardinia, Corfica, the Goips o f Lion, and fo coaft all Spain, telling them that it would be a great difhonour unto us to forfake our beft road, for fear o f the enemy, for our chief bufinefle thither was to find them out, and the proteftion which it pleafed God to afford us all along 311 fo many combats in going, was caufe to make us hope that the fame providence would vouchfafe to guide us as we fhould be retuniing.

That there was no doubt but the road which I propofed unto them, confidered fimply in it fclf,was, jiot without comparifon, the better, and the more expedit to faile out of the Mediterranean fea, and gain the Ocean, becaiifefaid I, that although wre have the briezes from off the earth

( v ) earth as long as we were upon the coaiis of Sjria, and Egypt, we ihall not have tlieai at all while we faile upon the coafts of Ljhia,yiheve there are thofe fearflill lands which they call the Sjrtes, which are of a great extent, the faid coaft having no hu­ midity, for there is neither tree nor herb grows there,for there is nought elfe but moving faiids which covered and enterred heretofore at one glut thepuiflant Army of King Cambjfes-.

Now where there is no humidity, the Sun cannot attraft to make a wind, fo ;that we. ihall .never find there, fpecially in Sommer time, any other wind but that Regular, wind which blows from Eaft to Wclf, accoi ding to the courfe ofthe Sun,who is the father of winds, uni ciTe foirie extraordinary happen, either from the coal! of Icaly, which lies Noi th-» ward, or from the bottom of Ethiop'a , where the Mountains of the Moon are, and the foiuce o f the Catarafts of Ni/e : therefore if w'e were neer ths Sjrtes, the winds of Italy would be mofl: dangerous unto C 4 us,

(i») as, and expofc us to iliipwrack, I rcafond fo,according to natural caiifes, while they o f my Councelof war Jeept themfdvcs firm to their experi­ ence; which was the caufe that I would do nothing againft the unani­ mous fenfe of all, for although the difpoiing, and refolucion o f all things depended abfolutcly upon my felf, yet I thought J might be juftly accufed o f raihnefle or willfulnefle,if 1 Ihould prefer my own advife be­ fore that o f all the reft : fo we took that eourfe, and went happily as far as the Syrtes o f Lybia ; but there our land briexes failed us, and fo r feven and thirty dayes we had no other but a few gentle Zephirs» which Came from the Weft, whither we were fleering our eourfe. We were conftrained to keep at anchor all that time, with a great deal o fap preheniions of fear, that the wind might come from the North,acGompanyed with a tempeft, for i f that had happened, we had been all loft, becauie our andiois h al not been al le to hold among thofe moving fandsj

(3í)

fands, for under water irhey aré of the fame nature as they are upon dry land, and fo we might be in danger to be ihipwrackt upon that coafl. But God Almighty, who hath been plcafed 1 (houlcl have the ho­ nour to wait upon you this day, did deliver me from that danger. And at the end of fevcnand thirty dayes, weobferved the courfe of the clouds very high, which canae from Southeaft, at firft but flowly, but by de­ grees fafter and fafter, infomucb, that in the compaiTe of two dayes, the wind which was forming it fclf a great way off in Ethiopia, came in a tempeft to the place where we rid at anchor, and lead us to the place whither we intended to go ; but the force o f it was broken before, coming fo long a diftance.

Out of this Difeourfe we may in­ fer, and conclude, that every where wherefoever there is any wind, there be alfo fome fmall bodies, or atoms,, which are drawn from the bodiess,. which lye in the bodies, whencie they come, by the virtue o f thc6un, C 5; and.

( 34l

and of Light, and that in efFeft thi;, wind is nothing clfc but the faid atonies agitated, and thriift on by a kind o f inipctuolity ; and fo the winds do partake of the qualities whence they come, as if they come from the .South, they are hot,iffronv the North they are cold, if from the Earth alone they are d r y ; if froni the Marine, or Sea-fide, they are hum'd and moift ; if from places which produce aromacical fubftan€es, they are ©dcriferous, wholfom and plealing; As they fay who come from Arabia Filixy which produceth Spices, Peifumes, and Gonimes, of fweet favour, or that which comes from Fontenay , -and Vaugnard at Parity in the fcafon o f Rofes, which is all perfumed : as on the contrary, thofe vvinds that come from ftinking places, as from the fulphureous ioil ©f Pozzvoliy do fmell ill : as alfo thofe that come from infefted'placeSj bring the contagion along withdhem^ My third Principle ihall be, thac the A ir is ful throughout with fmalf bodies or atomes, or rather that whicJt

( J5 ) which vve call our air, is no other than a mixture, or confiiiiou o f fiich atonies, wherein the aercal parts do predominate.

It is well known, that in nature there cannot be aftuall/ found any pure element, without being blended with others, for the outward fire, and the light afting one way, and the internal fire of every body puihing on another way , caufeth this niarvailous mixture of all things in all things. Within that huge extent, where vve place the a ir, there is fufiicient fpace,and liberty enough to make fuch a mixture,wiiicli Experi­ ence, as well as Keafon, doth con­ firm. I have feen little Vipers,, as foon as they came from the eggs, where they were ingendred, being not yet an inch Icngj which, having conferved them in a large gourd, covered with paper tyed round a^ bout, that they ihiglit not get our, but little, holes being made with pins, that the air might enter, they encreafed in fubftanc.e,.and bigneil'e Co prodigioufly in fix, eight, or. ten moneths,.

i?<i) wiontfisjthat It is incrediblej and morefenfibly, during the feafon o f the equinoxeSjthen,when tht air is fuller o f thofe sethereal , and balfaniicalatonies, which gave them their balfaniick virtue, which they drew for their nouriture.

Hence it came that tlie Cofmcp$!ites had reafon to fay , in< aere occultv. 5 vixs- cil>«s. There is a hidden food o f life in the air. Thcfc fmall Vipei'5 had but the air oncly for their fiiftenance, ncveitheleiTc by this thin viandjthey came in Icfs than a year to a foot long, and proportionablybig and heavy, Vitriol, Salt­ peter,, and fonie other fubflances, doaugment in.the fame manner, onely by attraftion o f air. i remember, that upon fomcoccalion, feventeen or eighteen years iigo^I had occafion to ufeapound o f oil o f tartar j it was at Parity where I had then no Opcratory» Then f deiir.ed MonJiej<r Fernery a man univerfally known by all fijch that are curibiis, to make me forae„ ¿>r he, had. none, then ready made,. but.

( J7> feiit did it exprciTely for me, and fbrthe calcination ol tartar, twenty pound may be as eafily made as two, without encreafe o f charge, therefore he took, occaiion hereby to make a quantity for his own ufe. When he brought it me, the oil did fmell fo ftrong o f the Rofc,thatI complained that he ihould mingle it with that water, in regard I. had delired himto do it purely, by «xpoiing it tothe humid air, for I verily thought that he had diflblved the fait o f tar­ tar in Rofe-watcr;^ he fworc untO' me that he had not mingled it with any liquor, but that he had left the tartar calcind within; his Cellar, to difibve of it felf. It was then in the feafon o f R ofes, therefore it feems that the air being then full o f the atonies, which come from, the R o fes; and being chang^ed into wa­ ter by the powerful attraftionofthc fait o f tartar, their fmell became vcr ry fcnfible in the place where they were gathered; as the beams o f the Sun do burn, being crowded togctliec in a biuiiing glaffe..

X h ert

i 58)

There happened alfo another marvailous thing, touching this oyl o f tartar, which may ferve to prove a propoiirion which we have not yet touched, but not to interrupt the courfe of the ilory ; I will tell it you by way of advance. It was, that as the fcaibn o f Rofes was paiTed, the fmell o f the Rofe did vaniih away from the faid oil of tartar, fo that in three or four moneths it was .quite gone. But vve were much furprized, when the next year the faid odor of Rofes returned as ilrong as ever it did, and fo went away again towards winter, which courie it ftill obferves. Which made Monfieur Ferrier to keep it as a iingular rarity, and the laft Summer 1 found, the effeft in his houfe.

We have in London an unlucky, and troublefome confirmation of this doftrine, for the air ufeth to be full offuch atonies. The material then whereof they make fire in that great C ity , is commonly o f pit coaI,which is brought from Ne-ffcaiUe^ or Scot- land. This cole hath in it a great quantity

(3 9 ) quantity o f volátil fait very fharp, which being carried on by the fmoak wfeth to diiilpate it felf, and fill the air, ivherewith it doth fo incorpo­ rate, that although we do not fee it, yet we find the eíFefts, for it fpoiles beds, Tapiftries, and other houihold ftuft's, that are o f any beautiful fair colour, for the fuliginous air dotlt tarniih it by degrees: and although ^ne ihould lock up his Chamber,and come HOC thither a good while, and keep it never fo clean, yet at his returne, he will find a black kind o f thin foot cover all his houfhold-ftufF, as we fee in Mills, there is a vvhiteduft, as alfo in Bakers (hops, which nfeth to whiten the walls, and fometimesgcts into cubboards and chefts^ The faid coal-foot alfo gets abroad,and fouls cloths upon hedges,as they are a drying, as alfo in the Spring', time, the very leaves o f trees are befooted therewith. Now, in re­ gard that it is this air which the lungs draw for rerptradon among the inhabitans, therefore the flegme and fpitde which- eomes from theni, is-

( 4o )

'

is commonly blackiih and fuliginous.

Moreover the acrimony o f this foot produceth another funeftous effeft, for it makes the people fubjeft to inflammations , and by degrees m ulcerations in the lungs. It is fo corrofive, and biting, that i f one put gammons o f bacon, or beef, or or any other fleih within the chimney, it fo dries it up, that it fpoiles k . Wherefore they who have weak, lungs, quickly fee! i t , whence ic comes to paife, that alnioft the one h alf o f them who dye in Londm^ dye o f ptifical, andpiilmonicall diftempers, fpitting commonly bloud from their ulcerated lungs. But at the bcginng o f this malady, the re­ medy is very eafie 5 It is but to fend them to a place where the air is good : many do ufually come to ia r is i w.ho have means to pay the charge ©f fuch a joiirny, and they commonly ufe to recover their healths in perfe£lion. T he fame in­ conveniences are alfo, though the operations be not fo ftrong in the C ity o f Lieae. where the common people

(4i) people burn no other than pit coals, which they call h viUf. Paris her felf alfo, although the cireumantbienc be pafling good, yet is ihe fubjeft to incommodicies o f that nanire.

The excelfively ftinking dirt and channels o f thatvaft C ity, mingleth a great deal of ill allay with the pu­ rity of the air, fluffing it every where with corrupted atoms, which yet are not fo pernicious as thofe o f London. We find that the moft neat and poliflied fllver plate, expofed to the a ir , becomes in a fhort time livid, and foul, which proceeds from no other caufe , then from thofe blaclt atoms, the true colour o f putrefaftion which flick unto them.

I know a perfon o f quality, (and a lingular friend o f mine) who is lodg­ ed in a place, where on the one fide a great many poor people do inha­ bit, where few Carts ufe to palTe, and fewer C oachc:; his neighbours behind his houfe emp^ their filth and ordures in the middle o f the flreet, which ufeth hereby to be full of mounts o f filth, which is ufed to be

( a^)

be carried away by Tombrell-ii; when they remove tliefe ordures, you'cannot imagine what a ftencli, and a kind o f infeftious air is fnielt thereabout every where. The fervants of my faid friend, when this happens, ufe to cover their plate, and andirons o f poliflied braffe, with other of their faired houdiold-diiif, with cotten, or courfe bayes, otherwife they would be all tariiiihed j yet nothing hereof is feen within tiue air : yet thefe experiences do manifeftly convince, that the air is ihifFed with fiich atoms. 1 cannot omit to adde hereunto another ex­ periment, which is, that we find by the effefts, how the ra y e so f the Moon are cold and mold. It is with­ out controverfie, that the luminous parts of thofe rayes come from the Sun, the Moon having no light at all within her, as her ecclipfes bear witneiTe, which happen when the earth is oppofice twixt her and the Sun, which interpofition hinders her to have light from his layes. The beams then which come from the Moon,

(43 )

Moon, are thofe o f the Sun, who glancing upon her, reflcft upon u?, and fo bring with them the atoms o f that cold and humid ftar, who par­ ticipate o f the fource whence they come : therefore if one ihonld expofe a hollow bafon, or glafle, to alTemble them, one iliall find, that whereas thofe o f the San do burn by fiich a conjunñure, fhefe clean contrary do refreih and moyficn in a notable manner, leaving an aquatick, and vifcuous glutining kind o f fweat upon the glafle. One would think it were a folly that one fhould offer to waih his hands in a well po­ li (hed filver bafon, wherein there is not a drop o f water, yet this may be done by the reflefHon o f the Moon beams, onely, which will afford a competent humidity to do it, but they wo have tryed this have found their hands, after they are wiped, to be much moifter than ufually : blit this is an infallible way to, take away warts from the hands, if it be often ufed.

Let

0 4 )

Let HS then conclude out of thefc premifes, and experiments, that the air is fiill o f atoms, which are drawn from bodies, by means of the light which reflefts thereon , or which fally out by the interior natural heat o f thofe bodies, which drive them forth. It may haply fcem impoifible that there can be an emanation of fomanyfmall bodies,' that ihould be fprrad up and down the air, and be fo carried up and down,aiid fo far by a continual flux, ( i f I may fay fo) and yet the body whence they come receives no dhi tninution that is perceptible, though fometimes tis viiible enough, as by the evaporations of the fpirits of wine, musk, and other fuch volatil fubftances. But this objeftioh will be null, and the two precedent prin­ ciples will render themfelves-more credible, when we fliall fettle aiu> ther, I//*. That every body, be it never fo little, is divifible ad infini­ tum^ not that it hath infinite parts, for the contrary thereof may be demonftrated, but it is capable to be

(45) be divided and fubdivided into neir parts, without ever coming to the end o f the divifion. And it is in this fenfe that our Mailers teach iis that quantity is infinitly divifible. This is evident to him who ihall confider with a profound imagination the eifence, and the formal rcafon o f quantity, which is nothing elfe but divifibility. But in regard that this fpeculation, is very fiibtilc , and nietaphylical, I will ferve my feif with Tome geomctricall demonilrations to prove this truth, for they accommodate beil with the imagina­ tion. Nuclide doth teach us in the tenth Propolition of his iixth book, that if one take a ihort line, and another long one, and that the long be divided to divers equall parts twixt themfclvesj The little one may be divided alfo into as many equal parts among therafelvcs, and cvcjy one of thofe parts alfo in others, and thefe laft uito fo many more, and fo confecutively, without being able ever to come to that is not diviubie, i But

( 4« ) But lets iii^cSÍe faltTiough it be impoilible) that one might divide, and fubdjv^de a line, fo that at lañ we ihould Come to an indivifible, and lets fee what will come of it. 1 fay then, that fince the line doth refolve it felf into indivilibles, ihe ought to be compofedbf them; lets fee whether that may be verified.

To which purpofe I take three indiviiibles, and to diftinguilh them, let them be A. B. C . for if three milli­ ons of indivifibles make a long line» three indivifibles will makeaihort one. I put them then in a rank.

Firft, I put A , then B, fo nec!’, that they touch one another .• 1 fay that B muft neceflarily poíTeíTe the fame place as A , or that it doth not poffeife it ; i f it doth. poiTefs the fame place , they both together make lío extenfion, and by the fame reafon, neither 3 nor 3000 will do if, but all the indivifibles will unite to­ gether, and the refuk of all fhall be but onely one indivifible. It muft be then that being not both in the fame place, yet touching one ano^ ther.

(47) ther, one part of B muft touch one part of Aj and the other part toucheth it not. Then I adde the indiviiible C , whereof one part fliall touch a part o f B,which touches not A^and ,by this means B is copulantjlying be­ tween A and C, to make the extcnfion.To do this, you fee that wemuft admit that B hatlvparts as the other , twoiwhichbyyourfuppofitionare all iiidivifible^ which being abfurdj the , fiippolition is impoifible. But to ren­ der thematter yet more perfpicnouSj lets fuppofe that thefc three indivifibles, make one cxteniion, and compofe one line, the propdiition already cited ffom Euclide, demonilrates that this line may be divided into thirty equal parts, or into as many as you pleafe : infomuch that it muil be granted, that every one of thefe three ihdivilibles may be divi­ ded. to thr.ee .parts, which is point blank againft the nature and defini­ tion of an indivilible. But without dividinginto fo many parts, Eucttde ihews by hi’s tenth propofition of his nrft Element, that every line may be Part.ed into two equal parts : but

, this

(45 )

this being compofcd o f indiviiibles o f unequal number, it muft neceffarily follow, that being parted into twojthere muft be an indi vifible more oil the one fide than on the other,or that that o f the middle be parted in­ to two halfs: infomuch, that he who denies that qnaniitj' may not be divided, ad infinitum, doth entangle himfelf in abfurdities , and incomprehenfible impoilibilities. And on the contrary, he who affents unto it, will find it no impoifibility , or inconvenient, that the atoms of all bodies, which are in the air, may be divided^ ftretcht and'carrycd to a marvailons diftance. Our very fenfes make faith hereof infome fort : there is no body in the W orld, which we know of, fo compaft, fo folid, and weighty as gold, yet neveithcleffe, to what a ftrange extent and divifion may it be brought unto.

Lets take an ounce of. this mafly mettal, it ihall be but a button as big as my fingers end. A beater of gold will make a thoufand leaves or more of this oiuice, one half o f chefe leaves ihall

(4J) ihall fuffixe to guild the whole fiirface of a lingot of iilver, of three or four oimces : lets give thisguilded lingot of iilver to therujwho prepare gold and iilver thread to make lace, and let them draw it to the greateft length and fiibtilty they canjlet them draw it to the thinnefs of a hairjand fo this thread may be a quarter of a league long in extent, if not more : and in all this length there will not be the fpace of an atome which is not covered with gold. Behold a ftrange and marvailous dilatation of this half leaf :let us do the like to all the reft of the beaten gold, it will appear that by this means this fmall button of gold may be fo extended, that it may reach from this City of ■ Montpellier to P<rr^,' and far beyond it : into how many million millions of atoms might not tl«s guilded line be cut with (mail cifers^ Now, tis eaiih to comprehend that this extention,anddiviijbilicy made by fuch grofle inftruments as ham^mers and cifers, is not comparable to «¿at whicb ij made by the Jilght and D rayes

Cp ) .

rayes of the Sun. For it is certain, that ifthis gold may be drawn into fuch a great length by fpindles, or wheels o f iron, iome of thefe parts may eafily be carryed away by thofe winged Coiirfiers we fpoke o f be­ fore, I mean, by the rayes that flic in a moment from the Sun to the earth.

If 1 did not fear it would prove tedious unto you by my prolixi­ ty, I would entertain you with the flrange fnbtility o f little bodies, which ilTue forth from living bodies, by means whereof our dogs in En­ gland will purfue the fent of a mans íleos, or o f a bcails, many miles ; and not onely fo, but they will find in a great heap of ñones that which a man hath touched with his hand ; Therefore it muft needs bej that up­ on the earth , or upon the ftone, fome material parts of the touched body remain, yet the body doth not fenfibly diminiih, fto more than ambergril’e , and the Spanijh skins* which wil fend out o f theman odour during a hundred years > without any

(sO any diminution o f skin or fmel!. In our Country they ufc to fow a whole field with one fort of grain, to wit, one year with barly,the next with wheat, the third with beans, and the fourth year they let it reft , and ftercorize it, that it may recover its vigor by attraftion o f the vital fpirit it receives from the air, and fo plow it up again after the fame de­ grees, Now, the year that the field is covered with beans,the paiTengersby do life to fme!4 at a good diftance off, if the w'ind blow accordingly, the fniell of the beans, if they be in flower : it is a fmell that hath a fuavity with it,but fading, and after­ wards unpleafaiit, and heady. But the fmell of Rofemary which comes from the coafts of Spain ^ goes far further.-1 have failed by fea along thofe coafts divers times, and I have obferved a! wayes, that the Mariners know when they are within thirty or forty leagues of the Continent, (I do not exafUy remember the di­ ftance) and they have this knowledg from the fmell of the Rofemary, D 2 which

( 51) which fo abounds in the fields of Spaini I havefmelt it as fenfibly, as i f I had had a branch of Rofemary in my hand, and this was a day or two before we could difcover land, tis true, the wind was in our faces, and came from the ihore. Some Naturalifts write that Vulnireshavc come two or three hundred leagues oiF, by the fmell of carrens, and dead bodies left in the field, after fome bloudy battle; and it was known that thefe birds canie from a faroflp, becaufe there is none ufeth to breed there : they have a quick ftnelling, and it muft be that the rotten atoms of thofe dead karkafes were tranfported by the air fo fa r; and thofe birds having once caught the fent, they purfiie it to the very fo.urce , and the necrer they come to that, the ftronger it is.

We will conclude here that which we had to fay touching the great extent of thofe little bodies, which by the mediation o f the Sun beams, and of the light, ufe to ilTue forth out of all bodies that are compofed ,. of

(53) of Elements, who throng the air, and are carried a marvaiLotisdiftancc from the place, and bodies where they have their origen, and foiircc, the proof, and explication of which things hath been the aiine of ray difcoiirfe hithernnto.

Now, my Lords, I rauft, if you pleafe, make you fee how thefe fmail bodies that fo fill, and compofe the air, are oftentimes drawn to a road altogether differing from that which their univerfal caufes fhould make them hold j and it fhall be our fifth

principle»^

One niajr remark within the courfe, and economy of nature, fnndry forts of attraftioirs : as that of fuccion, or fiicching, wherpby I have feen a ball of lead at the bottom of a long fteel exaftly wrought, fol­ low the air, which one fucked out of the mouth of a Canon, with that impemoiity, and Ik-ength, tliat it broke his teeth. The artraftion of w'acer or wine that is done by the inlh-ument Scyphon is like to this, for by means of that, one liquor is D 5 made

fS 4 ) made to pafle from one veil'el into another, ’without changing zny way the colour, or riling of the lees.

There is another fort of attraftion which is called magnetical, whereby the loadftone draws the iron. Ano­ ther eleftrick, when the jett-ftone draws unto it ftraws. There is ano­ ther o f the Flame, when the fmoke o f a candle put out, draws the flame o f that which burns hard by, and makes it deicend to light that which is out. There is another o f Filtra­ tion, when one humid body mounts »pon a dry body, or when the con­ trary is done. Laflly, when the fire, or ionie hot body draws die air , and that which is mixed there­ with.

We will treat here o f the two firft fpecies o f attraftion, I havefufiiciently fpokenof the reft in another place. Filtration may feem to him who hath not attentively confidered it, nor examined by what circiimftances fo hidden a feci et of nature eoraes to paiTe, and to a perfen of a mean and limUedaindaftanding,

to.

(55) to be doiie by fome occult virtue, or property,and will perfwade himfelf, that within the Filtre, or ftrayiiing inftriimeiit, there is fome fecreC Sympathy , which makes water to mount up contrary to its natural motion.

But he who will examine the bufinefs, as it ought to be, obferving all that is done, without omitting any circumftance,. he will find there is nothing more natural, and that ic is impoillble it ihouid be otherwife.

And we rauft make the fame judge­ ment of all the profound mylteries, and hidden’il myfteriesof nature .■ if one would take the pains todifcover them, and fearch into them witli judgement.

Behold then how Filtration Is made, they life to put a long toung of cloth, or cotteiij or fpongy mat­ ter, ivithin an earthen pot of water or other liquor, and let hanging upon the brim of the pot a- good part of the cloth, and one ihall fee the water prefently mount up, and paife above the brink of the velTel, D 4 and

fs«)

«id drop at the lower end of the piece of clothj upon the ground, or within forae veiTel: and the Gard­ ners make ufe of this method to' water their plants and flowers in Summer by foft degrees. As alfo the Apothecaries, and Chymifts, to feparate their liquors, from their dregs, and refidences.

T o comprehend the reafonwhy the water afeends in that manner, let us neerly obferve all that is done.

That part of the cloth which is within the water, becomes wetted, to wit, it receives and imbibes the water through its fpongy, and dry parts at firit. This cloth fwells in receiving the water, fo two bodies joyned together, require more room than one o f them would by it felf.

Let us confider this fwelling, and augmented extenfion in the lait thread of them which touch the wa­ ter 3 viz. that on the fuperficies, which to be diiHngiiiihed from the reft, let it be marked at the two ends, (as by a line) as with A .B . and the thread which immediately follows,

(57) follows, and is above it, let it be C. D. and the following E. F. then with G. H. and fo to the end of the toiing : I fay then that the thread A. B. dilating it felf, and fwelling by means of the water which enters twixtit fibres, or firings, approacheth by little and little to C . D..which.' is yet dry, becaiife it toiicHeth not the water ; but when A. B. is grown fo groife, and fwelling, by reafon of the water which enters,, that it fills all the vacuity, and all the di­ fiance which lies twixt it, and C . D. as alio that it prelfeth againft C .D . by reafon of its exteniion, which is greater than the' fpacc was betwixt them, both, then it wets C. becaufe the thread A .B . being comprefled, the, exterior part of the water which was in it,, coming to be puihed on upon C . D. feeks there a place,and entreth within the threedsj and wets them,.in the fame manner as at firft the exterior, and higheft part, became wet.. C. D. being fo wetted, it iliall dilate it felf as A. B. did., and eonfecjuently prelhng a^ gaiiift.

D 5

i

( g»îniî E. F. it cannot cluife but work the fame clïcft in it, which before it had received by the fwelling and dilatation of A . and fo by gentle degrees every thread wets its neighboui’j imtill the very laft thread of cloth toiing. And it is not to be fearcd, that the continuity of the water will break, afeending this fcale of chords,, or that it will recoyl backwards,,for thofe little ladders fo eafy to be mounted render the afeent the more eafie,, and the woolly fibres of every thread, feem to reach their hands to help them up at every pace : and fo the facility of getting up c o n tren io n tjo yn ed with the fluidnefs o f the water, and. the na­ ture of quantity, which tends alwayesto the uniting of fubftances, and o f bodies which it clothes, when there occiires no other predominant caufe to break,, and divide it,caiifeth that the water keeps it felf in one piece, and paifeth above the brink of the pot. After that its voyage is made more eafie, for it goes after its ' natural panelling, alwayes down­ wards.

f59)’ wards. And if the end of the dotir hangs lower without the pot, theii^ the furface of the water within the pot, the water fpills on the earth, or fome veiTel placed beneath, as we fee that a heavier chord being hung up­ on a piilly the longeft, and hcavieft falls upon the ground, and carrieth away the ihorteft, and lighteft, ma­ king it pafTe above the pully.. But if the outward end of the cloth which is without the pot were hori­ zontal, with the furface of the wa­ ter, and did hang no lower then it,, the water would be immoveable : as the two lides of a balance,, when theres equal weight in both the fcales.

And if one would powre out the water that is in the p ot, in fiich fort that the fuperficies did grow: lower than the end of the doth ; In. that cafe the afcending water be­ coming more heavy than the defcendant on the other fide, without the pot, it would call back that which was gone out before, and was ready to fall, and would make it thruft on, and return to its former pace, and enter.

(^ o )' enter again into the pot, to mingle again , with the w-acer wiiidi lycstherein.

You. fee then this myfteiy,vv Inch’ at firft was fiirprizing difplayed,. and made as familiar and natural, as to fee a ftonc fall down from.the air^.

Tis true, that to make a demonftra* cion thereof,, by an exafb, and contr* pleat rigor, wemnlf adde other cireumftances, which we have done in; another Difeourfe, w-l]ercin I expreffely treated of this fiibjcct. But that which I now fay is fufficient togive a t’nftiire how this fo, notable an attraftion is made.

The other attraftion which comes, by fire, which draws unto it the am­ bient air,with the final bodiesthcrehi, is made thus j.

The Fire a6ting-according to its own nature, which to puih on a continual river, or exhalation of its, parts, from thc.center to the circnn> terenccj and out o f its fonrcc, can ieth away with it tbe air which adjoyned, and flicking to it on all fides, as the water o f a river trains along.

L

f« l> ^'oiig with it the earth of that chan?-iielor bed,, through which it glides^ For the air being humid, and the fire d rje, they cannot do ledè thanembrace,,and Inig one another. But there muli a new air come from the places cifamijacent, to fill the roomof that which is can ied away by die fire, otherwife there would a vacuity ha^ipen; which nature abhors. This^ new airremainsnotlongin thep'ace which it comes ta fill, but the fire,, who is in a continual carreer, and. emanation of his parts,, carries it yrefenrly with him,.and- draws the new air, and fo there is a perpetual, and conftant current o f the air, aslong as the aftion of fire continues.

We dayjy fee the experience hereof, for i f one mak es good fire in ones Chamber, it draws the air from the door, and ivindows, which though one would ihut, yet there be crevi­ ces and holes for the air to enter, and coming near them, one filali hear a kind of whifling noife, wiiich the air makes in prelfing to enter, and tis the fame caufe that produceth ■

i

( 6 x }

-

ceth the fbitnd of the Organ and flute; and he who would ftand be­ tween the crevices, and the fire, he ihould find fuch an impecuoiity of that artificial wind, that he would be ready to freeze, while he is ready to bum the tother fide next thejfire.

And a candle of wax being held in this current of the wind, would melt by her flame blown againil the wax,, and wafte away in a very fiiort time: whereas if that candle flood in a> calm place, that her flame might bum upward, it would laft much longer. But if there be no paflage whereby the air may enter into the Chamber, the one part then of the vapor o f the wood which ihould have converted to flame, and fo mounted up the fiinnel o f the chim­ ney defeends downward againft its nature, for to fupply the defeft of air within the faid Chamber, and fills it withfmoak, but at laft the fire choaks, and extinguiiheth for want o f air. Whence it come to paffe that the Chyntifls have reafon to f a y , that the air is the life o f the fire, as well

well as other animals. Bnt if one puts a baforij or veiTel of water be­ fore the fire upon the hearth,.there will be no finoke in the Chamber, although it be fo dofe ihut, that the air cannot enter, for the fire attrafts parts of the water, which is a liquid fubfiance,. and eafie to move out of its place, which aquatic parts rarific themfelves into air, and there­ by perform the funftions o f the air.

This is more evidently feen if the Chamber be little, for then the air which is there penned in, is fooner raifed up, and carried away. And by reafon of this attraftion, they ufe to make great fires, where there are huihold-ftuiF,. of men that died of the Peftilcnceto difinfeib them. For by this inondation o f air which is drawn, the fire doth as it werefweep the walls, the planks, with other places of the Chamber, and takes away thofe little pntnfied, fharp, corrolive, and venemous- bodies, which were the infeflions that ad­ hered unto it, drawing them into the fire,where, th ey are partly burnt, and.

and'irartlj feut up into the chimney^ accompanied with the atoms of the fire, and the fmoke. It is for this reafon that the great Hippocrates, which groped fo far into the fecrets o f Nature , disinfefted, and freed ironi the plague a whole Province, or entire Region, by cauliug thei«' to make great fires every where.

Now, this manner of attraftion is raade,.not onely by a fimple fire,, but by that which partakes of it, viz. by the heated fiibfiances : and that which is the reafon and caufe o f the one, is alfo the Ciuife of the ether. For the fpirits,. or ignited parts evaporating from fuch afiibfiauce, or hot body, carry away with them the adjacent air, which ouglit neccflarily to be nonri filed by fome other air, or by fome matter which keeps the place of the a ir, as vve have fpoken of the bafon, and tub of water put before the fire to hinder fmoke. It is-iipoH this foundation that Phylitians do ordain the hot application- o f Pigeons,, or young dtigs, or fome other hoc animalg,-to . !

the foies of the feet, or the handwrifts, or the ftomacks,or navills of their patients, to extraft outoftheir bodies the wind, or ill vapors which infeft them 5 and in time of conta­ gion, or univerfal infe&ionof tl e air, pigeons, cats, dogs, with other hot animals, ufc to be killed, which make continually a great tranfplra­ tion of evaporation of fpirits,becaufe the air by thofe attraftions it makes, taking the room of the fpirits , which iflue forth of evaporation,the peftiferous atoms which are fcattered in the air, and accompany it ufe to ftick to their feathers, skins, or furres.

And for the fame reafon we fee that bread coming hot from the Oven, draws unto it the muft o f the cask, which fpoiles the wine, if they put it hoc upon the bung. And that onions,& fuch hot bodies which per­ petually exhale unto them the fiery parts, which appears by the ftrength of their fmcll, are quickly taken with infeilicus airs, if they be expofed unto them, which is one of the fignes

(6S) iìgnes to know whether the whole maire of the air be univerfally irifefted.

And one might reduce to this head the great attraftion of air, which is made by calcind bodies and particularly by tartar, all igni­ ted by the violent aftion of the fire upon it, which is heaped together, and bodified among his fait : for I have obfcrved that it attrafts unto it nine times more air than it weighs it felf. For if one ihould expofc to the air a pound o f fait of tartar well calcind,3ud burnt, it will aflFord you ten pou^d,of good oyl o f tartar, drawing untò it, and fobodifying the eircunijacent air, and that where­ with tis mingled ; as it befell that oyl of tartar vih.\c\i Monfieur Ferrier made me, whereof 1 fpake before, But me thinks that all this is but little compared to the attraftion of air,which was made by the body of a certain Nanne at Rome, whereof Petrus Servius{Urhiin the Eighth’ s Phylitian makes mention in a book which he hath publiihed, touching the marvailous

(^7) niai'vailous accidents which he obferved in his time. Had 1 not fueh a vouchy,I dürft not produce this Hiftoiy, although the Nunne. hef felf did confirm it untome, and that a good number of Doftors,of the faculty of Phyfick at 'Romej did affiire me of the truth thereof ; There was a Nunne, that by exceffe of failing, of watchings, and mental orifons, was fo heated in her body, that ihe feemed to be all on fire, and her bones dryed tip, and ealçind ; This heat then, this internal fire drawing the air fo poweifuHf ? this air did incorporate within her body, as it ufeth to do in fait of Tartar, and the paflages being all open, it got to thofe parts, where there is moil ferofity, which is the bladder, and thence ihe rendred it in water among her urine, and that in an incredible quantity, for ihe voided during fome weeks more, than two hiuidred pounds of water every four and twenty hours. With this notable example I will put an end to the experiments, I have ur­

(«8) ged to prove and explicate the attra»ition which is made of air, by hot and ignited bodies, which are of the nature o f fire.

My fixth Priticiple (hall be, that when fire, oi' fome hot body attrafts the air, and that which is within the air, if it happens that within that air there be found fome difperfed atoms o f the fame nature, with the body which draws them,the attraftion o f fiich atoms is made more powerfully, then if they were bo­ dies of « different nature, and thefe atoms do flay, flick, and mingle with more willingneffc with the body which draws them. The reafon hereof is the refemblance, and Sympathy they have one with the other. I f I fliould not explicate wherein this refemblance coniifted, I ihoiild expofe my felf to the fame cenfure and blame, as that which I taxed at the beginning of iny Difcourfe, touching thofe who ipeak but lightly and viilgai ly of the pow­ der of Sympathy, and fiich marvails of i;aiiire. Btit when 1 ffal have

(^9) have cleared that which I contend for by fuch a refemblance and convenitncy, I hope then you will reft fatistied. I could make you fee that there arc many forts of refemblances which caufe an union between bo­ dies, but I will content my felf to fpeak here onely three iignall ones.

The firft refemblance fhall be touching weight, whereby bodies of the fame degree o f heaviiieife do aflemble together,the reafon where­ of is evident, for if one body were more light, it would ocupy a higher lituation than the heavier body, as on the contrary, if a body were more weighty,it would defeend lower than that which is lefle heavy, but both having the fame degree of heavineffe, they keep company together in equilibriOi as one may fee by ex­ perience in this gentile example, which feme curious fpirits ufe to produce, for to make us iinderftand how the four elements arc fituated one above the other, according to their weightj,aad heaviueile. They ufe

(7 0 ) life to put in a viall the fpirit of wine tinfturd with red, to reprefent the fire, the fpirit of turpentine tinftured with blew for the air, the fpirit of water tinftixred with ^reen, to reprefent the element of water; And to reprefent the earth , the Powder of fome folid mettal enamelld ; you fee them one upon the other without mixing, and if you ftiake them together by a violent agitation, you (hall fee a Ghaos ftich a confufion, that it will feem ther’ s no particular atomes that be­ long to any of thofe bodies, they arc fo huddled pell mell altogether.

But ccafe this agitation, and you (hall fee prefently every one of thefe four fubftances go to its naturall place, calling again, and labouring to unite all their atohis in one diftinft mafTe, that you (hall fee no mixture at alL The fécond refemblance of bodies, which draw one another, and unite, is among them, which are of the fame degree o f rarity and denlity.

The nature and eifeft of ^ a m it y IS

f 71 ) is to reduce to unity all thiilgs which it finds, if there interpofe not fome other ftronger power, (as the differ­ ing fubftantiall forme, which doth multiply it ) do not hinder. And the reafon of that is evident, for the elfence of is a divifibility, or capacity to be divided, which is as much to fay, as to make it Many, whence it may be inferred that ^untity itfe lf is not many, there­ fore ihe isof herfelf, and in her own nature, a continued exteniion : feeing then that the nature of ^ a n tity in general tends to unity, and Continuity, the firft differences of ^ ajitity, which are rarity, and denlity, muff produce the fame effeft of unity, and continuity in thofe bo­ dies which convene in the fame de­ gree with them. For proof whereof, wc find that water doth unite, and incorporate it felf, ftrongly, and eafily with water, oil with oil, the fpirito f wine with fpiritof wine, ^biit Water and oil can hardly unite, nor mercury with the fpirit of wine,and other bodies of differing deniity,and tenuity.

The

( 7*-) The third refemblance of bodies which unices and keeps themftrbng\y together, is that of Fissure: I will not ferve my felf here with the ingenious conceit of a great perfonage, who holds that the continuity of bodies refults from fome fmall hookings or clafpings, which keeps them together, and are differing in bodies of a differing nature. But not to extend my felf two diffulive­ ly in every particularity,! will fay in grofie, as an apparent thing, that every kind of body affefts a parti­ cular figure. We fee it plainly in the feveral forts of fait, peele, and ftampthem feparately, diflblvCj coa­ gulate, and change them as long as you plcafe, they come again alwayes to their own natural figure, after every diiiblution, and coagulation.

The ordinary fait doth fonn it felf alwayes in cubes o f fourfjuare faces, falt-peter in formes of fix faces; Artnoniac fait in H-exagons of fiii points, as the fnow doth, which is fexangulary, Whcrcunto Mr. D tf vifoH attributes the pentagonary fi-

giue

(73) . gure of every one o f thofc ftones which were found in the bladder o f Monfieur Teletier, to the number o f , fourfcore ; for the fame immediate efficient caufe, which is the bladder, had imprinted its aftioii both within the ftonesj and the fait o f che urine.

The Diftiilators obferve,that if they povvre upon the dead head of fome diftillation, the water which was diftiJled it imbibes it, and re-unites incontinently, whereas if one would powre any ocher water of an hetero­ geneous body, it fwims on the top, and incorporates with much diffi­ culty. The reafonis, that the diftill’d water which feems to bean homoge'neous body, yet tis compofe d o f fmall bodies of diferepant figuresy as the Chjtmjls do plainly demonftrate, and thefe atonies being chaced by the aaion o f fire, out of their own Chambers, oi;as from the beds, which appropriated unto them by an exaft juftneiTe , when they comeback to their ancient habitati­ ons, V I Z . to the pores which are left in the dead heads, they accommo, E dm

(74) date themfdves, and amiably rejoyn and comenfitrate together. The fame happens when it rains after a long drouth ; for the earth imme-^ diately drinks up the water, which had been drawn up by the Sun, whereas any other ftrange liquor would enter with fome difficulty.

Now, that there are differing pores in bodies which feem to be homo­ geneous, C^onfieur Ga^tnii affirms ir, and undertakes to prove it by the diffolution of falts of differing na­ tures in common water, when faies he to this effeft, that when you have diilblved common fait, as much as it can bear, if you put onely a fcruplc more, it will leave it entire in the bottom, as if it were fand, or playfter, neverthelefle, it will difiblve a good quantity o f falt-peter, and though it toucheth not this fait, it will diliolve as much of Arnioniacall fait, aird fo others of different figures, In fo much as I have obferved elfewhere,^we fee plainly by the eeconomy of Nature, that todies of the fame figure life to mingle moré ffroimiy?

(75)

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ftrongljj.and unice themfelves with more facility, which is the reafon why thofe that niake a ilrong glue to glue together broken pots ofpo:«" celain, or chryftal, or fuch liutt, do alwayes mingle with the glue the powder o f that body, which they endeavour to raccomodate. And the Goldfmiths themfelves, when they go about to fodder together pieces of gold, or of lilver, they mingle thofe bodies alwayes in tlieirown duft.

Having hitherto run through the reafons and caufes why bodies of the fame nature, draw one to ano­ ther with greater facility and rorce than others, and why they unite with more promptitude, lets now fee according to onr method, how es.perience coiitirms this difcourfe, for in natural things we muft have recourfe, en dermer r J f rt^ to expe­ rience And all realoning that is not fupporced fo, ought to be repu­ diated, or at leaft fiifpefted to be illegitimate.

Tis an pi'dinary thing, when ona E z finds

(-«) finds himfelf bunit as in the liand, he holds it a good while as near the fire as he can, and by this means the ignited atonies o f the fire, and of the hand mingling together, and drawing one another,and the ftronger o f the two, which arc thofe of the fire, having the maftery, the hand finds» it felf much eafed of the in­ flammation which it fuffered, Tis an ordinary remedy, though a nafty one, that they who have ill breaths, hold their mouths open at the mouth o f a privy, as long as they can, and by the reiteration of this remedy, they find themfelves cured at laft, the greater ftink of the privy draw­ ing unto it, and carrying away the lelTe, which is that o f the mouth.

They who have been pricked, or bit by a Viper, or Scorpion, hold over the bittcn,or pricked place, the head o f a Viper or Scorpion bruifed, and by this means the poyfon, by a kind o f filtration way, went on to gain the heart of the party, returns back to its principles, and fo leaves the party well recoyered. In time o f

coimuon

( ’7 ) common contagion, they ufe to / carry about them the powder of a toad, and fometimes a living toad or fpider flnitup in abox ; or elfethey carry arfnick, or fome other veiiemous fubftance, which draws unto it the contagious air, which otherwife would infeft the party: and the fame powder o f toad draws un­ to it the poifon of a peflilential cole.

The fcurf or farcy is a venemous, and contagious humor within the body of a horfe, hang a toad about theneck of the horfe, in a little bag, and hewill be cured infallibly 5 the toad, which is the ftronger poyfon, drawing to it the venóme which was within the horfe. Make water to evaporate out of a hove, or other room, clofe flint, if there be nothing that draws this vapor, it will flick to the walls of the flove , and as it cools,it recondenfeth there into wa­ ter : but if you put a bafon or bucquet full of water into any part of the flove, it willattraft all the vapor which filled the chamber, and. fo doing, no parr o f the wall will be E 2 wetted..

08) wetted. If you diilblvc Mercury, which refolving into fnioak, doth paffe into the recipient, put into the head of thelimbick a little thereof, and all the mercury in the limbick will gather there, and nothing will pafle into the recipient. If you diftill the fpirit of fait, or of vitriol, or the baume of fulpher, and leaving the pallage free betwixt the fpirit, and the dead head, whence it iiiiied forth, the fpirits will return to the dead head, which being fixt, and not able to mount up, draws them •imto it.

In our Country, and I think tis fo nfed here, they ufe to make provifion for all the year of Venifon Pafties, at the feafon that their flelh is befl, and moil favory, which is in Ju ly, and Auguft, they bake it in earthen pots, or Ryecruil, after they have well feafond it with fait and fpices,and being co!d,they cover it 6 fingers deep with frefhbutter,thatthe air may not enter. Neverthelefle tis obferved after all the diligence that one can make, that when the living b tails.

(79) beails, which are o f the fame nature, and kind, are in Rut, the fleih which is in the pot fmells very rank, and very much changed, having a ftronger tail, becaiife of the fpirits which come at tins feafon from the living hearts, which fpirits are attrafted naturally by the dead fleih : and then one hath much to do to preferve it from being quite fpoiled : but the faid feafon being paifed, there is no danger, or difticulty to keep it guft-' full all theyéar long.

The wiueMarchants obferve in this Country,and every where elfewhere there is wine, that during the fea­ fon that the Vines arc in flower, the wine which is in the Cellar, makes a kind of fermentation, and puiheth forth a little white lee, ( which I think they call the mother of the wine) upon the furface o f the wine,, which continucth in a kind o f difbrder, until! the flowers c f the Vines be fallen,.and then this agitation or fermentation being ceafed, all the wine returns to the fame date it was in before.

E 4 N O'

(8o) Nor is it now that this obfervation hath been madejbut befides di vers o.thers, who fpeak hereof, St. Ephrent the Syrian,fin his laii Will and Teftament, fome 1300 years ago, reports this very fame circumftance of wine, which fenfibly fuifers an agitation 8c fermentation within the veiTel the fame time,that the Vines feem to ex haletheir ipirits in the Vineyards.He makes life o f the fame example in dry onions,whicLbud in the houfe,when thofe in the garden begin to come out ofthe earth, and to embalm the air with their fpirits; {hewing thereby by thefe known examples of nature, the coraniunicatipn between living perfons,and the fouls ofthe dead.Now, thofe winy fpirits that ilTue from the buds and flowers, filling the aij', (as the fpirits o f Rofemary ufc to do in Spain)ihtY are drawn into the veflels by the connatural, 8c attraftive vertue of the wine within;and thefe new ▼ olatil fpirits entring, do excite the moil fixed fpirits o f the wine, and fo caufe a fermcncation,as if one ihould powre therehi new or fweet wine;foi:, hi

(Sí) in all fermentationsjthere is a tioii made of the ter'reftrial parts fi om the oily,which come out o f the effeiitial parts, and fo the lighteft mount up to the fiiperficies , the heavieft become tartar lees, '^hich fall into the bottom. But in this fealon, if one be not very careful to keep the wine in a proper, and temperate place, and keep the cask full, and well bungd, and ufe other endea­ vours, which are ordinaiy with Wiive Coupers, one runs a hazard'to have his wine inipaird,or quite fpoiled, bccaufe that the volatil fpirits coming to evaporate themfelves, they carry away with them the fpiI its of the wine that is barrelled by exciting them, and mingling with them. As in like manner the oil o f tartar, which Monfieur Ferrier made, artrafting to it fclf die volatil fpirits of Kofes, ditFufed in thcair intheir feafoiijfufFered fiich a fermentation^ and made every year new atcraifi-' ons of the like fpirits, in regard o f the affinity which this oil had contraftcd with thofe fpirits at its hrft E 5‘ birth,,

fs O birth, whereof it was deprived as the feafon pafled. Ànd tis for the very fame reafonthat a table cloath,; or napkin, fpotted with mulberries, or red wine, is eafjly whitned again at the feafon that the plants do flower ; whereas at any other time theCe fpots can hardly bewaihed away. But tis not onely in France and other places, where Vines are near Cellers of wine that this fer­ mentation happens : in England,. where we have not Vines enough to make wine, the fame thing is obferved, yea, and* fome particularities beyond. Although they make nowine in our Country to any cdnliderable proportion, yet we have wine there in great abundance,w hiclv is brought over by the Merchants t It ufeth to come principally from three places,, tj/z. from the Canaries,, from Sfain,^om Gafconji. Now,thefe Regions being under different de­ grees and cl maces in point o f lati­ tude, and eonfequemly one. Country is hotter or colder than the other i or that the tame vegetalls grow tomaturity

f»}) maturity fooner, it comes to pafTe that the forefaid fermentation of.

Giir differing wines adranceth it felf more or leifcj according as the vines whence they proceed, do bud and flower in the region where they grow : it being confentaneoiis to reafon, that eveiy fort of wine attra&s more willingly the fpirits of thofe Vines whence they come, than of any other.

I cannot forbear but I miift make fome dif'reilion here, to unfold fome other effefts of nature, which we fee often, and are not leiTe curious than the moll principall which we treat of, and will feem to be derived from more obfenre caufes, natwithilandingin many circuniftancea they de­ pend on the fame principles, and in many much differing. It is touching; moles or marks which happen to in­ fants when their mothers during the time of their pregnancy,have longed, after fome particular things.. T o proceed after my accuilomed man-; ner. 1 will fall to exeniplifie. A Lady of high condition,, which inany of tjiis

J

(84) . tliis Aflcmbly knoWj at leafl by re*putatioiij hath upon her neck the figure of a: Mulberry, as exaftly as^ any Paintei'j or Sculptor can poilibly reprefentonej.for it bears not onely the colour, but the jail: proportion o f a Mulberry, and is as it vvere cmboffed upon her flelh. The Mo­ ther of this Lady being with child,, ihe, had a great mind to eat fonia Mulberries 5 and her imagination being fatisfied, one of them cafually fell upon her neckjthe fanguin juyee whereof was foon wiped off, and ihe felt nothing at, that. time. The child being born, the perfeft figure o f a Mulberry was feen upon her neck, in the fame place where it fell upon the mothers, and every yeer, in Mulbery-feafon, this iniprellion, or rather cxcre0ence o f flelh did fwell, grow big, and itch.

Another Maid which had the like mark of a Strawberiy , was more incommodated therewith, for it in­ flamed and itched in Strawberry feafon, but it broke like an Impofturae,, whence ilTued forth a.lharp coiToiivc

fss) Qorrofive humor. But a skHIfuil“ Surgeon rook aU away to the very roots, by cauterifmg 5 fo that lìnee that time ihe never-felt any pain or change in that place which did incommodare her fo much, it being be­ come a-limple fear.

Now then, lets, endeavour to per nettate if we can the caufes, and reafons, o f thefe marvailoiis ejfefts.But to go the more hanfomly to work, that within the aifions o f all our fenfes,.there is a material and cor­ poral participation, viz, that foine atoms of the body operate upon the fenfes, enter into their organs, which ferve them as funnels, to condnft and carry them to the brain, and to the imagination. This appears evi­ dently in vapours and favours.. And concerning the hearing, the exterior air being agitated , doth Canfe a movement within the membrane, or tympane o f the ear, which gives the like fhaking to the. hammer which is tyed thereunto, who beating upon his anvil, caufed a reciprocal moti­ on in the. air, which is ihut within

the

(80. rbe crannies o f the e a r a n d this is that which we ufiially call Touching the fight, tis evident that the Light reflefting upon the body, it fees enters into the eyes, and cannot avoid, but it niiirl: bring with it fonie emanations o f the body whereon it reflefts, as we have eftablilh«d in the fécond Prin­ ciple.

It remains nowtoihew that the like is made within the grofleft o f ourfenfes, which is the Touclior, Feeling: For if it be true, as we have ihewn, that every body fends forth a continual! emanation of atomes out of it felf, it makes much for the affertion of this truth. But to render this truth yet more manifeft, and take away all pollibility of doubt, I will demonftrate evidently to the eye, whereof every one may make an experience in a quarter of an hour, if he be fo curious, yea, in a Icfie compaiTe o f time.

I believe you know the notable affinity which is betwixt gold and qiiick-

(8;) quick-filvef; if the gold toiichethmercuiy, it fticks clofe unto it, and whitens it in fuch fort, that it fcarce appeareth gold, but lilver oiiely } if you caft this blanched gold into the fire, the heat chafeth, and drives away the mercury, and the gold returns to its former colour, but if you repeat this often, the gold cal­ cines, and then you may pound,and redqce it to powder.

Now there is nO' dilTolvant in the World that can well calcine, and burn the body of gold, but quickfilvcr. 1 fpeak of that which is all­ ready formed by nature, without engaging my felf to fpeak of that which is fpoken of among the fecrecs of Phylofophy. Take then afpoonfull of mercury in foine porcelan,or ocher diih, and fijiger it with one hand if you have a ring of gold on the other, it will become white, and covered with mercury, though it doth not any way touch it. Moreo­ ver, if yon put’ a leaf of gold, or a crown o f gold in your mouth, and i f you put but one of your toes in a thing

( 88) sTiIng -where mercury is, the gold which is in your mouth, though you ihut up your lips never fo clofej-ihall turn white,and laden with mercuiy: then if you put this gold in the fire to make all the mercury evaporate, and that you reiterate the fame thing, your gold will be calcind, as if you had by amalgation joyned mercury therewith corporally. And all this will yet be done mòre fpee dily, afid e&ftiially , if in lieu of common mercury, you make ufc o f mercury of antimony,, which is much hotter, and more penetrating, and though you drive it away by force of fire, it will carry away with it a good quantity of the fiibftance of the gold : in fuch fort, that rei­ terating often, this operation, there will no more gold remain for you to continue your experiments. I f then that cold mercury doth fo penetrate the whole body, we ought not to think it ftrangc, that fiibtill atoms o f fruit compofcd o f many ignited parts will paiTe with more facility and quicknelTe. I.wili further make you.

(■*9) you fee how fiich fpirits and emana­ tions , do fiiddenly alfo penetrate fteel, though it be a fubftance fo compafted , cold, and h ard , that the faid atoms may keep their relidence there many moneths and yeers. Within a living body, fiich as is mans, the intern fpirits do aid, and contribute much facility to tlie fpirits that are without,fuch as thofe oF fruits are, to make their journy the more eafie to the brain. The great Architeft of nature in the fabrick of human body, the raafterpeece of corporal nature, hath pla­ ced there fome intern fpirits, to ferve as centinells, to bring their difeoveries to their General, viz. to the imagination, who is as it were the MiftrciTe of the whole family, whereby a man might know, and undcriland what is done without the Kingdom, within the great World j and that it might ihun what is noxi­ ous, ^nd feek after that which is profitable. For thefe fendnels, or intern fpirits, with all the inhabitants of the fenfitive organs are net able to

(90) to judge alone : inroniucli , that if the imagination or thought be diftrafted ftrongly to Tome objeft, thefe intern fpirirs do not know whether a man hath drunk the wine which he hath fwallowed, if per­ chance feeing a p'^rfon who comes to falutehim, heixeth his eye upon him all the while, or if heliilens attentively to the air of foincmelo­ dious fong, or niuficall inftrunicnr, for the inward fpirits bring alKhcir acquiiitions to the imagination; and if ihe be not more ft r o « ^ bent upon another objeft, (he falls a form­ ing certain Idsas and Images, becatife that the atomes from withoutbeing conveyed by thefe intern fpirits, to our imagination ereft there the like edifice, or elfe a mo­ del in (hort refcmbling the great body whence they come forth. And if our imagination hath no more ufe of thofe fignificative atoms for the prefent, (he rangeth them in fome proper place, .within her Magazin, which is the memory; where (he can repeal, and rebuke them when (he plealeth.

( 9«) pleafeth. And If there be any objeft which caiifeth fome emotions in the. imaginationt^and toucheth her more; near than common objeftsufe to-do, (he fends back her fentinels, the in­ ternal fpirics, upon the confines, to bring her more particular news. And thence it proceeds that a man being furprized by fome particular man,or other objeft, who hath already fome eminent place in his imagination, be it o f deiire, or averfion, then that man fiidendly changeth colour, and becomes red, then pale, then red again at divers times, according as the Minifters, which are thofe intern fpirits, do go quick or flow towards their objeft, then they return with their reports to their Miftrefs, which is the imagination. But befides thefe paflages w e fpeak cf, which go from the brain to the external parts of the body, by the miniftery of the nerves; there is alfo a great road from the brain to the heart,by which the vital fpirits do afcend from the heart to the brain, to be animated, and hereby the imagination fends unco

(9 0 untó the heart, thofe atoms which ihe hath received from foine cxterteriial objeft, and therê*' they make an ebullition betwixt the .vital fpirifs, which according to the inter­ vening atoms, either caufe a dila­ tation of the heart, and fo gladden it, or they do contraft it, fo fadden it, and thefe two differing, and con­ trary añions are the firft general effefts, whence proceed afterwards the particular paillons, which require not that I purfue them too far in this place, having done it more par­ ticularly elfe where, and more expreffely.

Befidcs thefe paflages, which áre common to all men and women,, there is another that’ s peculiar only to females, which is, frOm the brain to the matrix, whereby it often falls out that fuch violent vapours mount up to the bráui,mvd thofe in fo great a numbei', that they often hinder the operation of the brain, and of the imagination, caufing convuliions and follies, with other lirange acci­ dents, and by the fame channel the. fpirits

( n ) fplrits or atoms paiFe with a greater liberty, and fwiftneH'e to the womb or matrix when the cafe re­ quires.

Now lets confider how the ftj;ong imagination of one man doth marvailoufly aft upon another man, who hath it more feeble and pailive.

We fee dayly, that if a perfon gape, thofe who fee him gaping, are exci­ ted to do the fame. If one come perchance to converfe with perfons that arefubjeft to exceife of laugh­ ter, one can hardly forbear laughing, although one doth not know the caufewhy they laugh. I f one ftiould enter Into a houfe, wh»re all the World is fa d , he becomes melan­ choly, for as one faid. Si vis me flere dolendunt eji primitm ipfi tihi^ Women and Children being very moift and pailTve, are moil fufccptible o f this unplealing contagion of the imagi­ nation. i have known a very melan­ choly woman, which was fubjeft to . the difeafe called the Mother, and while Ihe continued in that mood, ihe thought her fclf poffeffed, and

did

f?4)

did ftrange things, which among thofethat knew not the caufe,pafled for fimcniatural efFefts, and of one poirefled by the ill fp lrit: ihe was a perfon of quality, and all this hap­ pened, becanfe of the deep refentnient fhe had for the death of her Husband : She had attending her four or five young Gentlewomen, whereof fome were her Kinfwomen, and others ferved her as Chamber­ maids. Allthefe came tobe poflefi'ed as ihe was, and did prodigious aitions. Thefe young Maids were feparated from her fight, and communi­ cation , and as they had not yet contrafted fuch profound roots of the evil, they came to be all cured by their abfcence; and this Lady was alfo cured afterwards by a Phyfitian, which purged the atra­ bilious humors, and reftored her matrix to its former eftate,there was neither impofture, or diilimulation in this.

I could make a notable recital of fuch palfions that happened to the Nuunes at baying done

it

'f 9 i) it ill a particular Difcourfe at my return from that Country, where I as exaftly as I could difcuiied the point, I will forbear fpeaking there'» of at this time, otherwife then to pray you to remember, that when two Lutes, or two Harps, near one another, both fet to the fame tune, if you touch the firings of the one, the other confonanc harp will found at the fame tim e, though no body touch it, whereof Gahlee hath ingeniouily rcndred the reafon.

Now, to make application to our purpofe o f all that hath been pro­ duced to this effeft, I fay that lince it is impoflible that two feveral perfons fhould be fo near one another, as the mother and the infant when he lies in the womb, one may thence conclude. That all the effefts o f a ilrong and vehement imagination Working upon another more feeble, paillve, and tender, ought to be more efficacious in the Mother a il­ ing upon her fon, then when the

imagiuacions of ocher perfons aft upon

( 9^) upon them who are nothing to them.

And as it is impoffible for a Mafter o f Mufickj let him be never fo ex­ pert, and exaft, can tune foperfeftly any-two Harps, as the great Mafter of the lIniverfe,doth the two bodies o f the Mother and the Infant, fo it follows by confequence , that the concuftion of the principal ftnng of the Mothers, which is the imagina­ tion, ought to produce a greater Ihaking of the confonant firing in th^e Infant, to wit, his imagination,theii the firing of a Lute being touched, upon the confonant firings of ano­ ther : and when the mother fends fpirits to fome parts o f her body,the like muft be fent to foruepart o f the childs body.

Now, lets call to memory hoW the imagination of the mother is full o f corporal atoms, which come from the Mulberry, or Strawberry,which fell upon the neck, and breft, and her'imagiuation being then furprized with an emotion, by the fuddennefle of the accident, it follows ncceiTarily that ihe muft fend feme of thefe

(97)

thefe atomes alfo to the brain of the Infant, and fo to the fame part of the bodyi where (he took the ftain (irli, twixt which and the b rain , therepafle fuch frequent and fpeedy ifteflTengers, as we have formei'ly fet forth. The Infant alfo on his part, who hath his parts alfo tuned in an harmonious confonance with the mothers, cannot faile to obferve thè fame movement of fpirits twixt his imagination, and his neck, and his breft, as the mother did twixt hers : and thefe fpirits being accompanied with atoms of the Mulberry, which the mother conveyed to his imagi­ nation, they make a profound imprefllon, and lafting mark, upon his delicate skin,whereas that o f the mo­ thers was more hard. As ifone ihould let fly a Piftol charged with powder, jiiely againft a marble, the powder doth nothing but fully it a little, i hich may quickly be riibd o(F ; but if one ihould difeharge fuch a Piftol ata mansfacCjthe graines of the pow' er would pierce the skin, & fo ftick ml dwell there all his life time, and F make

(98) ihake thcmfelvcs known by their black-blewiih colour y which they alwayes conferve.

In like manner the fniall grains or atomes o f the fruit which pafled from the mothers neck to the ima­ gination o f the Infant, and thence to the fame place upon his skin, do lodge, and continually dwell there for the future, and fervc as a fource to draw the atoms o f the like fruit difperfed in the air, according to their feafon, ( as the wine in the Tonne draws unto it the volatil fpirits of the Vines) and in drawing them the part o f the skin, where they refideferments,fwells,eats, and inflames, and fometimes breaks.But to render yet more confiderable, thcfe marvalous marks of longing, (fince we are upon this fu b jd & JI Cannot forbear to touch alfo another circuniftance, which might fecm at firft to be a miracle of nature, be­ yond the caufes which I have alledged; but having well eventilated it, we ihal.l abfoiutdy find that' it depends upontb« fame principlesIc

(

99) ItiSjthat oftentimes it falls out, that the imprdHon of the thing delired, or longed for, by the mother,.falls upon the child, although flie touch it not, or that it falls upon her body, Tis fufficient that fome other thing do fall, or inexpeftedly beat upon fome pare o f the woman with child, while fuch a longing doth predo­ minate in her imagination , and th i figure of-the thing folong deiired after, will be found at laftimprinted upon the fame*, part o f the body o f the Infent, as it was upon.the mothetf who received the blow. The reafonhereof is that the atoms of the thing longed for, being raifed up by the l*ght, go to the brain of the big mother, through the chaimel o f the* eyes, as well as ocher more material atomes, proceeding from the corpo­ ral touch, would go thither by the guidance o f the nerves. And o f thefe ‘ petty bodies, the mother forms ill' her imagination a complete model’ o f that, whence tliey flow forth by way of emaHation; But if the wo­ men be aot attBréhd^but inwardly,

'

Fa

thefe

(foc) thefe atonies which are in her ima­ gination, make no other voyage than to her heart, and thence to the ima­ gination, and to die heart o f the infant, and fo cauie a reinforcement of the paflion in them both, which may be moved to fuch a violent impetuolity, that if the mother doth not enjoy her longd-for objeft, this laflion may. caufe the dcftniftion ioth o f the one and the other, at call prejudice her notably in their icalth, and fo make a great change in the body. In the mean time, if fome unlooked for blow furprizcthe mother in any part o f her body, the fpirits which reiide in the brain arc immediately fent thither by her imagination, as it happens often in this cafe o f longing. But in all other fuch fudden furprifals either among women or men, thefe fpirits arc tranfported with the more inipctuofity , the more the paiGon is violent. As when one loves anothei" paffionately , he runnes fud-> denly to the dore when any knocks, or that iH limine Intraty

hoping

( '101 ) hoping alwayes tis the party which entirely occupies his thoughts, Cfor amant ipft fibi [omnia fingunt') who conics to give him a vifit; And thefe fpirits being moved by this fudden aiiault, being then mingled with the petty bodies or atoms of the longd-fbr thing which poiTeiTeth fo powerfully the fantafic they lead them along with themfelVes to the part of the body which is ftruckjas alfoto the fame part o f the body o f the Infont, as well as to his imagination.

AndiiaFter that all which happened is but the fame in order to the mother, and the child when the Mulberry or Strawberry fell upon the neck or breaft of the Ladies, with whom I have entertained you.

Permit me, my Lords, to enlarge my digreifion a little further in one word, to raccount unto yon a marvailous accident, known all over the Court o f England, in confirmarion of theaftivity and impre.'lion which the imagination of the mother makes upon the body o f the Infant, whereof ihe was .big. A Larly that ^ F 3 was

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(lO l)

I came to give me vifits ibmetimes in LoWowjfte was fair, and o f a good fcatiirej and file knew it well, taking great complacency,& not only to keep her felf fo, but to addc that which Qie could further : thereuponflic was perfwaded that the patches and flies which fiie put upon her face, gave her a great deal of or­ nament, therefore (he was carfiill to wear the moft curious fort : but as it is very hard to keep a modera­ tion in things which depend more upon Opinion than Nature, (he wore them in exceiTe, and patched moft of her face with them; al­ though that did not much adde, to her beauty , and that I took the liberty to tell her fo accord­ ingly , yet I thought it no qiortunity then to do any thing that fliould give her the lead: diftaft, lince with fo much civility and fweetnefl'e (he came to viiit me.

Neverthelefii , one day 1 thought rood, in a kind of drolling way,

(lb

(>° 3 ) ( fo that ilie might not apprehend any difcontentmeiit ) in d lUdentem dicere vernm quis vitatt to- tell her of i t ; fo I let fall my difcourfe upon her big belly, advifing her to have a care of her health, whereof fhe was fomewhat negligent, acordiag to the cuftom of young vigorous women, which know not yet what it is to be fubjeft to indifpoiitionS'; fhe gently thanked me for my care ierein , faying> That ihe could do 110 more for the prefervation o f her health than ihe did, though (he Was : in that cafe : you ihould at leaft, r replyed, have a care o f your child, 0 for that, faid ih e, f here isnothing that can be contri hutedmore. Y et, 1 told her, fee how many patches you wear upon your face, arc you not afraid that the Infant in your womb may haply be born With fuch marks on his face? But fu d ih e.

What danger is there that my child ihould bear fuch marks,though I put them on artificially ? Then} ou have not heard, I replyed again, tire mar­ velous effefts that the imaginations F 4 of

fio4 ] of Mothers work upon the bodies o f their children , while they are yet big with them, therefore I will raceoiint unto you fome of them; fo I related unto her fundry ftories upon this fu bjeft, as that of the Q w en o f Ethiopia^ who was deli­ vered o f a white boy, which was attributed to a Pifture of the BleflTed V irg in , which ihe had near the teafter of her bed, wherei>nto ihe bore great devotion. 1 urged ano­ ther o f a woman who was brought to bed o f a child all hairie, becaufe o f a pourtrait o f Saint John Baptift in the WildernefTe, when he wore a coat of Camels hair. I raccounted unto her alfo the ftrange antipathy which the late King Ja m $ had to a naked fword, whereof the caufe was afcribed, in regard fome Schotch Lords had entered once vio­ lently into, the bed-chamber of the Queen his mother,while ihe was with child of him, where her Secretary,an Italian^ was difpatching fome letters for h er, whom they hacked, and killed with naked fwords before hex

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her face, and threw him at her feetJ and they grew fo barbarous, tha^ there wanted bur little but that they had hurt the Qijeen her felf, who' endeavoured to lave her Secretary, by interpofing her felf, at leaft her skin was rafed in divers places, Bucanan makes mention o f this Tragedy. Hence it came that her fön King Jaynes had fuch an averfion all his life time to a naked fword,, that he could not fee one without a great emotion of the fpirits, al" though otherwlfe couragioiis e^ nongh, yet he could not over-raaßer his paflions in this particular. I remember when he dubbed me Knight, in the ceremony o f puting the point of a naked fword upon^ my flioulder, he could not endure to look upon it, but turned his face another way, infomuch, that in lien of touching my flioulder, he had almoß thniß the point into my eyes, had not the Duke of Bnckjtigham guided his hand al­ right.,

F 5

lalleadgcif-

fio«) lalleadgcd her divers fiicli ftories^ to make het apprehend that a flrong imagination of the mother miglit caufe fome notable imprdhon iipoiv the body of her ehild to his prejtidice. Moreover, 1 pray coniider how attentive you are to your, patches,and that you have them con­ tinually in your imagination ; for, I obferved, that you have looked: upon them ten times fince you came: to this room, in the looking-glafle..

Have you therefore no apprehcnfion that your child may be born with, half moons upon his face j or ra^ rather that all the black which you bear up and.down in fmall portions,., may aflemble in one., and appear in the middle of his forehead, the moft apparant and remarkable, part o f the vifage, and.may be as. broad as a Jacobus, and then what a grace would it be to the child,.

Oiniee,. faid ihe, rather, then that ihould, happen , h will wear no more patches, while t am with child : Thereupon at that iniiaut ftie nulleil: them, all o ff,, and

L

rio / T and hurld them away. When hei" friends faw her afterwards without patches , they demanded how it came to paffe , that ihe who was efteemed to be one of the moll cu­ rious beauties of the Court, in point o f patches, (hould fó fuddenljr give over the wearing of them : ihe anfwered, that her Uncle, in whom ihe had a great deal of belief,aiHired her, that if ihe wore them, during the time ihe was with child,the In­ fant would have a large black patch in the midft o f his forehead. Now, this conceit was fo lively engraven in her imagination, that ihe couldi not be delivered o f it : And fo this^ poor Lady, who was fo fearful that her child might not bear fonie black, mark in his facc,.yet ihe conld not; prevent, but it came fo into the W orld, but that he had a'fpot as large as a crown o f gold in the midft of his forehead, according as ihe had figured before in henimait was a daughter that, ihe brought forth, very beaiitifulL throughout this excepted.. And, tis J

( >oS) tis but few nioncths agoe, that I fa.v her bearing the faid mole orfpot which proceeded from the force of the imagiiratioii of her mo­ ther.

I need not tell yon o f your neigh­ bour o f Carcaffe>ia) who lately was brotight to bed o f a prodigious Monfter, exaftly refembling an Ape, which flie took pleafure to look upcMi, during the time ihe was with child, for I eonceave you know the dory better than I. Nor that of the woman of St. Maixenty who could not forbear going to fee an, infortimate child of a poor paflengcr woman , who was born without arnics; and ihe her felf was delivered afterwards of fuch a Monfter ; who neverthelciTc had fome fmall eijcrefcenccs of flefti upon, the {holders , about the place whence the armes ihould have come forth. As alfo of her who was deiirous to fee the ex­ ecution of a Criminal, who had his neck, broken according to the kiwAof fr/twrejwhereof ihe took fuch

an

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(t0 9 ) an aiFrightment, that made fo cleep a print ii[K>n her imagination, that prefently (he fell in labour of her child, and before they could carry her to her lodging, but (he was brought to bed: before her time , of a child who had his head fe­ vered from his b o d y, both the parts yet fiiedding frcih blond, bcfides that which was abundantly /hcd in the womb, as if the heads­ man had done an execucion -alfo upon the tender young body within the matrix of the mother. Thefc three Examples, and many others tritely alleadged,which 1 could producc,aIthough theymainifelHy prove the ftrcngth o f the imagination, would engage me too far,if I ihould undertake to clear the caufes, and unwrap the difficulties which would be found greater then in any of thofe inftances wherewith I have entertained you, becaufe that thofe ipirits had the power to caufc fucb eflential changes, and fearful eftefts, upon bodies that were already brought to their lhapes ofpeifeftion, and

CH 0>

*nd it may be well believed, that in> feme o f them there was a tranfmutation o f one fpecies to another, & the introdu&ion ofa new inform­ ing form in the fubjeft-matter, totally differing from that which had been introduced at firft, at Icall if that which moft Natiu'alifts tell us, at the animation of the Embiyo in the womb be true ; but this digreflion hath been already too long.

Eji modus in Kebus^funt certi denique

/¡nesf ^ o s ultra citraque. nequit confijlere

Reclum.

T o return then to the great chan­ nel, and thread of our Difcourfe,the examples, and experiments, which I have already iniifted upon in con­ firmation of the reafons which I have alleadged , do clearly demonftrate that the bodies which draw the atomes difperfed in the air, attraft unto themfelves with a greater power and energy, fuch as are of their own nature then other heteroge­ neous , and firange atonies ; As wine doth th t vinal fpirits. The oyl

(iii7 e f tartar fermented by the levam of Rofes draws the volátil fpirits o f the rofej T h cfleflio f deer, or vemfoii buried in crud attrafts the fpirits of thofe b e a d sa n d ; fo all the other whereof 1 have fpoken.

The Hiftory o f the Tarantula in: the kingdom of Naples is very fa­ mous ; you know how the venóme of this aninwll afcending by the hurt that the party hath received, being pricked therewith towards the head, and the heart doth excite in their Imagination an impetuous delire t o hear fome melodious aires, and nioft comnionly they are delighted, with differing aires i Therefore when they liften to an aire thatpleafeth them, they begin to dance inceffantly, and thereby they fall a fweating in abundance, in fuch fore that this fweat makes a great pare of the venom to evaporate, belides die found of“ the niulick. doth raife a movement, and caufeth an agitati­ on among the aerean and vaporous fpirits which are in the brain, and about tiiQ^heai't, and diffufed up and down

{ lii ;

dbwn through the whole body pro" portionably according to the nature,, and cadence of fuch mafick,as when Timotheus transported Alexander the Great with fuch a veheniency to fuch and fuch paflions as he pleafed ;• In the like manner alfo when it hap­ pens that one Lute doth found it makes the firings o f the other to fhake by the motions and tremblings which it caufeth in the air, thoughit be not touched’ othei'wife at all :: We find alfo oftentimes that the founds which are no other thing; than the motions of the air, caufe the like movement in the water ; as the fharp found which is caufed by rubbing hard with ones finger the brim o f'ag laffe full o f water, doth excite a noife, a turning, and bouu' dings in the water of certain drops, as if the water did dance according to the cadence of the found : The harmonious founds alfo 'o f bells in thofe Countries where they ufeto be rung to particular tunes doth mak e the like impreillons upon the fuperficies of thc.rivers that ate nigh the iieeple

f l'o

íleeple, fpecially in the night time ivhen there is no other movemenr, which flops, or choakes the other fiipervenient one 5 For the air being contiguous , or rather continuous with the water, and the water being fufceptible of movement, there’ s the like motion caufed in the fluid parts of the wat er as began in the air, and the fame contaft which is betwixt the agitated air, and the water which is by this meancs alfo moved ; hap­ pens alfo to be betwixt the agitated air,and the vaprous fpirits which are in thofe b'odies who have been bit by the Tarantula, which fpirits by confeqtience arc moved by the agitated air, that is to fay by the found; and that the more cfficacioufly, that this agitation or found is proportioned to the nature and temperature o f the party hurt ; And this intern agita­ tion of the fpirits and vapours helps them to difeharge the vapourous venom o f the Tarantula which is mixt among all their humours ; In the like manner that flanding puddle water's, and corrupted aíres being putrifi.ed

putrlfied by long repofe , and the mixture of other noifoiiie fubfiauces arc refin’d and purifi’d by moLionjbut winter approaching which devoures theic beaus, people are freed from this malady, but at the returnc of that feafon when they ufed to be pricked, the mifehief comes again, and they nuift dance again as they ■ did the year before : The reafon ¿s that the heat of fummer doth ftir, and raife up the venom of the beaft, whereby it becomes as malignant } and furious as it was before j And the poifbn being heated, and evapoxating it feif, and disperiing in the air the levain of the fame poyfon , which reraatnestn the bodies of them who have been hurt, drawes it unto it felf, whereby fuch a fermentadoa is wrought, which infefts the other humours, whence a kind offmoake iflliing, and mounting to the braines o f thefe poor lick bodies, doth life to produce fuch ftrange effeas.

It is alfo well known that where there are great dogs, or niaftilFs, as in 1

(i'5) ill England, if any be bitten per*/ chance by any of thefe dogs, they commonly ufe to kill them though they be not mad for fear that the levain of the camtiecholer which rc*^ maines within the body o f the party bit, draw unto it the malignant fpirits of the fame dog, which might come to diftemper the fpirits o f the party : And this is not onely praftiied in England where there are fucb dangerous dogs, but alfo in F rance, according to the report of father Cheron provincial! o f theCarmelites in this Countrcy, in his examen de la Théologie myftique newly imprinted,and whichjihave lately read, I will fay nothing o f artificial! nofei that are made o f the flefli of other men, for to remedy the dcfoi-mity o f thofe who by an extreani excefl'e o f cold have loft their own, which new nofes do piitrifie as foon as thofe perfonsoiit o f whofe fubftance they were taken come to die , as if that final 1 parccll o f ftelh engrafted upon the face did live by the fpirits it drew from its firft root, and foureei Foe

{n s ) For although this Fe conffantly avoiich’d by coitfiderable aikhors,yct; I will not iniift more upon Ujand deure you to chink that I offer nothing unto you whicb is not verified by folid tradition, fueh, that it were a weaknefle to doubt of it.

But it is high time that I fhonld come now to my feventh, and laft principle 5 it is the laft turn of the engine, and as I hope will batter down quite the gate which hindred us an entrance to the knowledge of this fo marvailons a myftery , and which rvill imprint fuch a lawful! mark upon the doftrine which I hold forth, that it will paffe for current money. This principle is, that the' fource o f thofc fpirits or of the bo­ dies which attraft them to it felfe, draw likewife after them that which accompanies them, as alfo that which iheks, and is glued, and imited unto them. This conclufion needs not. r being evident enough •u*" if there be nailes, pins or *^1 tied to- the end o f a long chord, or chain, and if there be a kiuirle

U^j) knurle either o f wax, gam, or glue, and that 1 tak e this chord or chaia by one end, and draw it after me, untiil the ocher laft end come to my hands, it cannot be otherwife but that I take into my hands at the fame time, the naile, the pins, the ribands the knurle, and all that is applied thereunto : I go therefore to relate unto you oncly fome experiments that have been made in confequence ofthisprinciple,who wilmoft ftrongly confirm the others produced be­ fore.

The great fertility, and riches of England, confifts chiefly in pafturage for the nonriihment of beafts, we have thefaireft in the world, with abundance o f other animals, and principally o f beef and kine. Ther’ s not themeaneft Cottager but hath a Cow to fumiih his family with milk, ’tis the principall furtenance o f the poorer iort o f people, as ’ tis alfo in Switzerland, which makes them ve­ ry carefiill ot the good keeping, and health o f their cowes; Now, if it happen that if in boyling the milk it

i wells

( wO fwe'lsib high that it iheds over the brim of the pan, and fo conies to fall into ^he fire, the good woman or maid,doth prefcntly give over whatfoever Ihe is adoing, and runs to the pan which ihe drawes oflF the fire and at the fame time ihe takes a handfiil! of fait, which ufeth to be commonly in the corner of the chim­ ney to keep it dry, and throws it upon the cinders where the milk was ihed i Ask her wherefore ihe doth fo, and ihe will tell you that it is to prevent that the Cow which gave this milk may not have fome hurt upon heriidder, for without this re* medy,it would come to be hard,and vkerated, ihe would come topifle bloud, and fo be in danger to die Not that this extremity ihould be-' fell her the very firft time, but ihe would grow ill dispofed, and if this ihould happen often,the Cow would inaihort timemifearry : It might ; feem that fome fuperftition or folly might lie herein, but the infallibility c f the e(kik doth warrant from the laft,andXor the .firft Hwny believe)

that

j

f« 9> that the malady of the Cow Is fii-‘ pernaturall, or an effcft of forcery , and confeqnentiy that the-remedy which I have alleadged is fuperftlci-* ousjbut it is ealje to difabufe any man o f this perfwafionjby declaring jj how the buaneffc goes according to I the foundations which I have laid } The milk falling upon the candent coales is converted to vapour which ■ difperfeth,and filtreth it lelf through the*circumambient air, where itrancounters the ligh t, and the folar rayes which transport it further 5 augmenting and extending ftill far­ ther the fpheareof its aftivity: This vapour of the milk is not alone or lingle, but ’tis compof’d o f fiery atoms which accompany the fmoak, and vapour o f the milk which gave the milk mingling, and uniting themfelvcs therewith; now , the fphearof the faid vapour extending it felf iintothe place where the cow is, her udder, which is the fource whence the milk proceedecl, attrafts ’ ^into it the faid malignant vapour , ftay,ing> and-ftickkig“ it felfe there -

together

1

(uo) together with the fiery atoms that accompanied it« The udder is in part glandulousj and very tender , and fo confequently very fiibjeft to inflammations^ this fire then doth heat, inflamec, and makes it fw ell, and in fine makes it hard and ulcera­ ted j The inflamed, and ulcerated udder is near the bladder , which comes likewife to be inflamed ma­ king the anaflomofeSj and communi­ cation which is twixt the veines, and the arteries to open, and to caft forth bloud, and to regorge into the bladder,whence ordinarily the urine ufeth to come forth, and empty it felfe : But whence comes it, you will fay that the fait remedies all this ?

It is becaufe he is o f a nature clcane contrary to the fire, the one being hot, and volatil, the other, cold and fixed ; Infbmuch that whei-e they ufe to rancountetj the fait as it were, knocks down the fire i by precipita­ ting and deftroying its ai^ion, as it may bcobferved in a very ordinary accident; The chimneys which arc &»li of foot life to take fire very eafilyj.

{ Ul) cafily, now, the ufuall remedy for that is to difcharge a musket into th^ funncll o* the chimr.ey which loofneth, and brings down with it the fired foot, and then the diforder ceafeth, but if there be no musket or piftoll, or other inftrument to draw down the foot, they ufe to caft a great quantity of fait on the fire be­ low, and that choakes, and hindretli the atoms of fire , which otherwife would InceiTantly mount up , and joyn with them above, which by this meanes wanting nouriture confume themfclves, and come to nothing; The fame thing befalls the atonies which are in a train co acconipany; the vapour of the milk, thefalt doth precipitate and kill it upon the very place-and if any do chance to fcape, and fave themfclves by the great ilruglings they make, and go along with the faid vapour, they are neverthelefle accompanied with the atonies and fpirit o f the fait which flick unto them , which like good wraftlers never leave their hold untill they have got the better of their ad•G yerfary

(I2X)

V.éffàry : And yoit ihaîl obfervt by the by, that there is not à mòre éxcellent balitie for a burning^ than the ---fpirit o f fait in a moderate qitanticyi It is then apparanr, that ’tis impoflibie to employ any nieanes mòre éfticacioiis to hinder the ill effefts of the fire upòn the udder o f the cotv, but to caftupon her milk being flied over upon the cinders a fufticient quantity o f fait: This eflFeft touching the confervation of the cowes udder in order to the burning of her milk makes me call to mind that which divers have told me to have feenboth in France and in England, viz. when the Phyficians do examine the milk ofanurce for the child ofap èrfoii of quality, they ufe to make proofs fundry waies before they come to judg definitively o f the goodnefle thereof, as by the tail, by the imell, by the colour, and confifttnce there­ o f; And iometimes they caufe it to be boyled until! it come to an eva-i potation, and fee its refideace; with other accidents, and circumftances which may be leaintj anddifcemed by ^ -------

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(i^î) by thcfe meanes; But thofe of whofe railk this lait experiment hath been made, felt themfelves tormented in their papps, dnd duggs, while their milk was a bôyÜngi therefore- ha­ ving once endured this pain, they would never confent that their milk ihould be carried away out of their light, and prefence j although they willingly lubinitted to any other proof than that by fire : Now, to confirm this experiment o f the attraition which the cowes udder makes of the fire, and vapour of the burned milk, I am going to racount unto you another of the fame nature, whereof bmy felf have feen the truth more than once, and whereof any one may eafily maketryali. Take the excre­ ments of a dog, and hurle it into the fire more than once, at the begin­ ning you (hall find him heated, and moved, but in a ihort time you fhall fee him as if he were burned all over panting, and ftretching out his tongue, as if he had run a long courfe : Now, this alteration befalls him becaufe his encrailes drawing G 2 umo

(jm ) imtotliem the vapour of the biiru’ d excrement, and withthat vapour the atomes of fire which did accompany it, they are fo changed,and inflam’d that the dog having alwaies a fever upon him, and not being able to take any nourifliment his flancksdolock up, which canfeth his death at laft.

It were not proper to divulge this experience among fuch perfoHS as arefubjeft to makeufe of any thing for doing o f mifchief, for the fame effefts which happen to bcafls,would fall upon mens bodies, if one ihould try fuch a conclufion upon their ex­ crements: There happened a remar­ kable thing to this purpofe to a neighbour of mine in England the laft time, I fojournied there : He had a very pretty and delicate child, and becaufe he would have his eies alwaies upon him , he entertained the nurfe at his houfe, I faw him of­ ten, for he was a pragmaticall man, and of good addrefles, and I had occaiioH to ufe fuch a man; One day I found him very fad, and his; wife a weeping, whereof demauding the

reafow

( 12-0 reafon, they told me that their little child was very ill, and that he had a burning feaver , which inflamed all his body over, which appeared by theredneffeof his face, that hc'forced himfelf to go to ftool, but he could do little, and that little which he did was covered with blond, and that he refufed alfo to fuck ; And titat. which troubled.them moll, was that they could not conjefture any caufe how this indifpoiition Ihould befall him, for his nurfe was very well, her piilk was as good as could be wiihedj- and in all other things there was as much care had of him as could be j I told them thap the lail time I wasvvith them, I obferved Qiie particularity whereof I thought fit to give them notice, but fcmething or pther hill diverted me. It. was, that their child making a figne that he was defiroiis to be fee on his feet, he let fall his excrements on the ground, and his nurfe prefeiitly took -the fire-fliovell, and covered, it with embers, and then threw ail. into the fire. the mother began to make G 3

(ii6) make her excufes, that they were not fo carefiill to correft this ill ha-? bit o f the child, faying that as he ad­ vanced in yeares, he /hould be correfted for it, I replied, that twas not for this conlidcration that I held this difcourfe with her, but I was curious to know the reafon of her childs diftemper, and confequently to find fome remedy,And thereupon 1 related unto them the like acci­ dent which had happened two or three yearcs before to a child o f one ©fthemoft illuftrious Magiftratesof the Parliament of Paris, who was bred up in the houfe of a DoSor of Phylick o f great reputation in the fame town, 1 told them alfo what I have now related imtoyou touching the excrements of dogs; and I made refleftions unto them upon that which they had often heard, and what is often praftifed in our Countrey,. which is that within the villa­ ges which are alvvaics dirty in the winter, if it happens that tlierebe a Farmer which is more proper than others,, and who keeps more neatly the.

i ' ^7) the approaches to his houfe than his neighbours do,the boyes yfe to come thither ill the ni,he time, or when it begins to be dark j to difeharge their bellies there, becanfe that in inch villages there js not much cpniniodity of eafements, heiides that hi fneh places fp fitly acepm■ niodated theie gallants, the boyes are out of danger to link into the dirt, which otherwife might rife up higher than their Ihooes j, but the good houfwifes in the niorning .when they open theii' doores, ufe to find Ifiich an ill favoured fmell tliattrairfports them with choller. But they who are acquainted with this trick go prefently and fire red hot a broach or fiie-lfiovel, and then they thrriflit into the excrements all hoc, and when the fire leffens, they heat it again oftentimes to the fame.purpofe 5 In the mean time the boy which made the ordure feels a kind of pain, and collick in his bowells, with an infiainniacion in hisfundanient and a contimiall delire , to gp to fiool, and he is hardly quit of it G 4 ’ till

(, i i 8 )

till he fufFer a kind o f f^iver alltliat day, which is the canfe that h ereturnes thither no more ; And thefe women to be freed from fuch affronts do paffe among the Ignorant for forcereffes, and to have made a com­ patì with the divell, lìnee theytoAiiient people in that falhion without feeing or touching them. This Gentleman did not difallow thofe things which I have already told you but was confirmed farther when I told him that he fliould look farther into the fundament of .his child, for without doubt he ihould find it red, and inflamed; and that vifiting him, he ihould find that it. was full of pimples, and excoriated ; It was not long after that this poor child fell into a Janguiihment, and with much pain and pittifull cries he voyded fome fmall matter which in lieu of calling it into the fire , or to be covered with embers, I caufed to be put in­ to a bafon of cold water which was put in a frefli place, which was continued to be done every time

(1^9) tunc that the child gave occafion , and he began to amend the very fame hóur, and within four or live daies he became perfeiUy, well recovered , But fearing to trefpaíTe too much upon your patience; I will hold you no longer but with one experiment onely very familiar in. our CoiHitrey ; and afterwards I will make afummary of.all chat hath been faid , to make you fee the force, and value of this whole Dif* courfe.

We have i ii' Englan d as I touch ed before excellent pafturage for the nouri/liment and fatting of cattle , fo abundantly that it falls out often, that the Oxen come to acquire fo cxcelTive ftore of fat, that it doth extend it felf in a great quantity to their leggs, as alfo to their feet, and hoofs, which oftentimes caiifeth impoftumes in the bottom of their feet , which comes to fwell , and caft out a great deal of core, and putrified matter, which hindr.eth the beaftro goc; The proprieters when they obferye that,though the betfbe C 5 never.

f ljo )

never thevtorfe for the fliambles;,, yet are they damnified thereby, in regard that not being able lo bring them to London, whei e the grand market is for fat beefs through all England, as Paris is for Auuergne, for Normandy, and other provinces o f France 1 fay the Graiziers not being able to bring them to Lon­ don,, they are conitrained to kill them upon the place where their fieih is not nv orth half the price ,. that they might have got in Lon­ don ; Now there is a remedy for this inconvenience which is , that onemuft obferve tvhere the Oxe , Cow, or Heifer, doth plant upon the Earth: his lick foot> the firft time that he rifeth up in the mor­ ning, and at that very place one muft. cut out a green turf o f that Earth where the bcaft had trod with: that foot,.and put this turf upon a tree, or upon a hedg lying open to the North wind, And if that wind come to blow upon the turf o f Eaith, the beef will be cured within direeor four daies very perftftly ,,

hue.

flj') but iF one fliould put that turf towards the South wind, or iouth wefi ( which ill Tholouze is called d'Autant here in Montpellier le Marin , and in Italy le Sdreccs) the difteniper -in the Oxe will eiicreafe j Thefc circumflanc.es will not fccm fuperftitious unto you when you will have confidered hoyv that by the repofc of the night the cornipt matter j or core doth life to gather in a great quantity un­ der the foot o f the lick O xe, and commingin the morning to fet his foot upon the ground, he prefleth forth the inipoftume, the matter whereof flicks to that part of the Earth , and makes imprellions upon i t ; Now, this turf of Eaith being put , and expofed in fome proper place to receive the dry cplcl blafts o f the Northern winds, the dry cold blafls of that wind doth in­ termingle with thefaid corrupted jmpoftumated matter which ftretching its fpirits all along the air the ul­ cerated foot o f thjeanimal, which is thefourceofall dra;v£S them iintoit and.

( ip ) and with them it attrafts alfo the cold ■ dry atomcs which caufe the cure, the malady requiring no other help than to be well dryed, and refreihed. But if one ihould expofe this turf to a moifl: hottrih wind, it would produce contrary eflFefts.

Behold, my Lords j'all my wheels formed, I confefle they are ill fil’ d, and poliihed , bu.t let us try whe­ ther being put together, and moun­ ted they will make the engine go,, But if thefe wheeles being well joyned , and placed do. draw the conclufion, or this unihaken carraque to good p ort, you will ,, J prefiinie , have the goodnefle to pardon the groflencire. , and rude exprefilons of my language , and palling by the rvords you will content your felves with the naked truth o f things,let us therefore apply that which hath beenfpoken to that which, is praftif’d when a hurt perfon is cured. Let us confider Moiinfieur Howell wounded upon his hand, & a great inflammation hapenedupon his W t,h is garter is taken covered with the.

(iiO

the blond that rfliied fiom 'thewound, it is fteeped in a bafon o f water where Vitriol was diflblved , one keeps the- bafon in a clofet,at the moderate heat o f the SiiHy and at night in the chinmej- coi ner, in fiicli fort that the blond which is upon the garter be alwaiesin a good naturall temperament neither col­ der, or hotter than the degree-re­ quired in a healthfull body; what ought then to refulc, ( according to the doftrine that we endeavour toftabliih, ) from all this! In the firft place the ¿"un,, and the light will attraft a great extent, and dillance oiF, the fplrits o f the blond which are upon the garter, and the moderate heat of the hearth, which afts gently upon the comrpoiition f which comes to the fame tiling , as if one ihould carry it dry in his pocket to make it feel the temperate'heat o f the body) I fay the moderate heat of the hearth doth puih out the faid atoms, as the water which gathers it felfe round in the filtration or ilralnlngs ui't

nfe to drive on that which mounts up' to make k go fafter, and more eafily, making it alfo to dilate it fc lf j and diftill , and fo march of themfelves a good way in the air, to help thereby the attraftion of the Sun, and of the light.

Secondly , the fpirit, of the V i­ triol being incorporated with the blond cannot chafe but make the feme voyage together with the atomes o f the blond; T h ird ly, the wounded hand expires, and exhales in the mean time continu­ ally abundance of hot fiery fpirits which giifh forth as a river out of the infbmed hurt, which cannot be but that the wound mu ft confequently draw unto it the air which is next it 5 Fourthly, this air drawes un­ to it the other air which isnext it, ‘and that the next to it alfo, and fo there is a kind of current of air drawn round about the wound, Fiftly, with this aireóme to incorpo­ rate at laft the atonies, and (pi­ nts of the bloud , and the vitrioll which were diffufed , and fhed a good;

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a good - way oflP in the air by the attraftions of the light, and the' Sun. BeiideSj it may well be that from the beginning the orb, and fphere of thefeatomes, and fpirits did extend it felf in fo^great a diftance without having need o f the attraftions of the air , or o f the light to make them come thither.

Sixthly, the atomes of blond finding the proper fource,and originall root whence they came do flay , and ftick there, and fo reenter into their naturall beds , and primitive receptacles, whereas the other air is but a padenger , and evapourares away as foon as it comes, as when it is carried away through the funncll of the chimney , as foon as it is drawn into the chamber by the doore. Seventhly,- the atonies of blond being infepaiably with the Quits of the V itrioll, both the o n e, and the other,, do joyntly imbibe together within all the corners, fibres, and orifices o f the veines ivhich lye open about die wound, of die party hurt , whic^i

,which herby are comforted , and' in fine impecceptibly cured.

Now to know wherefore fuch an effeft , and cure is fo happily" performed, we miift examine the nature of Vitriolic which is compofed of two parts, the one fixed, the other volatill. The fixed' which is the fait is iharp , and biting , and canftique in fome deree. The volatill is fmooth , foft, alfamicall , and aftringing , and ’tis for that reafon that vitrioll. is made ufe of as a foveraign re­ medy in the collyres for the in­ flammations o f theeies, and vvhen they are corroded, and fcorched by fome iharp and burning humor or defluxiom As alfo in injeftions where excoriations and fcaldings ufe to happen, as alfo in the bell plaillers to ftanch the blond , and incarnate the hurt. But they who well know , how to draw the fweet oyl of vitrioll which is the pure volatil part thereof, know alfo that in the whole clofet of nature , there is no balm like this oyl. For this

f

(H7) this balm or fweet oyl doth heale in a very ihort time all kind o f hurts which are not mortal 1 , it cni'es, and confoiidates the broken veines of the breaft, as far as the ulcers of the lungs which is an in­ curable malady without this balm.

Now, ’ tis the volatill part of the Vitriol 3 which is transported by the Sun { the great Difiiller of na­ ture ) and which b y . that meanes doth dilate it felf in the a ir, and that the wound, or part which received the laefion , drawes, and incorporates with .the blond , to­ gether with its .humours , and fpirits. And that being true, we can­ not expeft a greater effeft of the yolatil vitriol , but that it ihould flint the veines , ftanch the blond, and fo in afhort compaiTe of tim e, heal the wound.

The method, nd primitive man­ ner how to mak e ufe of this fympatheticall remedy was to take onely fome vitriol!, and that of the com­ mon fort, as it came from ehe Druggifts, without any preparatitjn or adtiidoa

0 ?8) addition at al) , and tp make it diflolveiji fountain water , or ra­ ther in ralne water , in fucli a pro­ portion that putting therein a knife, or fonie poliihed iron ic ihould come out changed into the colour o f copper: And within this water they ufcd to put in a clowt or rag of cloth embrued with the blond o f the party hurt the rag being dry, but if it was yet frcih, and moift with the reaking blond , there was fio need but to powder it with the fmall powder o f the fame vitrioU, iit jfuch fort that the powder might in­ corporate it felfjgc imbibe the blond remainingyethumid,8ikeep both the one & the other in a temperate heat, & place,?';?;, the powder in ones poc-r ket,8c th^ watcrfwhich admits iiocof this corhodity ) within a chamber where the heat fliould be temperate, & everytime that one fliould put new water of vitriol with frtill powder 8c new clothjor other bloudied ftufE,the patient fliould feel new eafemenc as H the wound had bin then dreft witlj fome foyeraign medicament. And for

(»39} for this reafon they life to reiterate this manner of drelling both evening and morning.

But now, the mofi part of thofe who ferve themfelvçs with the Pow­ der of Sympathy, do endeavour to have Vitriol of Kome, or of Cypresj then they calcine it atthewhiteneife o f the Sun : And beiides, fome ufe to adde the Gomme o f ^rugagm^ tha^ it being eafy to adde unto things already invented.

Touching my fe lf, I have feen fuch great and admirable effefts of Vitriol It felf of eighteen pence the pound, as of that Powder which is ufed to be prepared now at a greater price : yet notwithftanding I do not blame the prefent praâ:ife, on the contrary I commend it, for it is founded upon reafon.

Firft, it feems that the pur eft and beft fort of Vitriol doth produce the beft operation.

Secondly, it feenis alfo that the moderate calcining thereof at the rayes o f the Sun doth take away the fuperfluous humidity o f the Vitriol j

i ‘¥ > ) Vitriol 5 and this caicination doth not touch any part but that which is good : as if one ihould boyle broth fo deer that- it would come to be gelly, which certainly would render it more nouriihing.

Thirdly, it feems that the expofing which is made of the Vitriol to the Sun to receive calcination, renders its fpirics more fitly difpofed to be tranfported through the air by the Sun when need re­ quires.

For it ought not to doubted be but that fom epartof the aetherean fire o f the Solar rayes doth incorporate with the Vitriol, as tis plainly difcovered by calcining Antimony by a burning glaiTe, for it much aug­ ments the weiglit of it almoft half in half; now fome particles of the' $olar beams mingling with the V i­ triol, in this cafe thelumiuous part of that fubftaiiGe is alfo calcind to­ gether, and fo is made apt, and difpofed to becarryed in the air by a femblable light, and Solar rayes.

As we fee that to make the tcung of

(I4 l ) of a pump to draw the water thé ealier from the bottom of a well, one doth life to caft a little water from above upon it. N ow , the light canjing with it fo' eafily the fubftancethat is fo connatural to it, it carries alfo with it the fame time, with the fame facility, that which goes incorporated with it, | Fourthly, thefe Solar rayes being embodied with the Vitriol, are in a pofture .to communicate unto it a more excellent vertiie than it hath of it felf, as we find that Antimony ealcind in the Suu, becomes,whereas it was raiick poifon before, a nioft foverain,and balfamical medicament, find a moil excellent corroborative of nature.

Fifthly, the Gomme of Tragagantha having a glutinous faculty^ and being for the reft very inno­ cent, may 'contribute fomething to­ wards the confoiidationv of the wound.

My L o rd s, I could adde unto whatis'fpoken many moil important cônfideracions touching the form r. iind

( t f ) and eiTence .bf Viiriolj whereof the fubftancc is fo.noble, and the oiigen fo admirable, that one may avouch with good reafon, that, it is one of the moft excellent bodies which na­ ture hath produced.

The Chyrnifts do aflure us that it is no other then a corporification of the univerfal fpirit which animates and perfefts all that hath cxiftence in this fublunary World, which is drawn in that abimdance by a Lover fo appropriated, by means whereof I my felf have in a ihorttime, by expofing it only unto the open air, made an attraftion of a celeiUal Vitriol tcji times more in weight, which was of a marvailous purenefle and vertuc , a priviledge which hath not been given but to it, and to pure virgin falt-peter.

But to anatomife.as we ought the nature o f this tranfcendent uiidividiial, which nevcrtheleiTe in fome fafhion may be faid to be univerfal, and fuiidamental to all bodies, it would require a Difcoiirfe far more ample .then 1 have yet made. But , as

i

ifsl peicelve I Havt all^eady enter-raiiittf ;^oix fo lorig'a tiracj it would pro w a very great indlfcretion to trenth fiirth'er upon ^our goodaefle, who haVe hitherto liiined unto me with fo much attention, and pati­ ence, I f 1 fhoitld go about to enter into any new matter, and em­ bark rny felf for a further voyage.

Wherefore remitting divers matters to fome ocher time, when you ihall pleafe to inorder me, coming now again to the general! confideration of this Sympatheticall cure, { -will put a Period tO this Difeourfe, after that I ihall have told you two or three words, which will not be of fmall importance, for the confirma­ tion of all which hath been alleadged by me hithemnro.

I have deduced unto you the admirable caufes of the operations, a d ftrange effe'fts o f the Powder of Sympathy from their firft root, Thefe fundameiitall caules are fo enchained one within the other, that it Teems there can be no default, flop, or interruption, in their pro­ ceedings

(M4) ceedings. But we íliaJI be the bettei' fortified in the belief of their vertue and efficacy, and how. they come to produce the effefts of fo many fair cures , if we confider that then when fome is prafkifed in one of thefe caufes , or in all of them together, we fee and perceive immediately an effeft altogether differing from the former. If I had not formerly feen a watch or clock, 1 ihould be juftly furprized, and ihould remain aftoniflied to fee a han4i or a needle» fo regularly, mark the journal hours, and mo­ tion of the Sun, upon the flat of a quadrant; and that it ihould turn, and make its round every four and twenty howers., there being no­ thing feen that ihould pufh on the faid needle ; But if 1 look on the other fide, I fee wheels, reiforts, and counterpoifes , which are in perpetual movement; which having ve' l , and foberly confidered, I prefently fufpeft that thofe wheels are the caufe o f the movement, and turnings of the faid needle, althoug;h

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though I cannot prefently difcern or know how thofe moving wheels do canfe a motion, in the needle of the quadrant, becaufc o f the plate that lieth interpofed betwixt them.

Therefore I reafon thus within my fclf i That every cffeft whatfoevcr muft have o f pure neccifity fome eauff, and therefore that the body moved there, ought neceflirily to receive its movement from fome other body, which is contigu­ ous to it. Now 1 fee no other body which makes the needle o f the quadrant to move and turn then the faid wheels, therefore I muft o f force be pcrfwaded to attribute the movement unto them. But after­ wards, when I ihall have iloped the ntotion o f thofe wheeles: and taken away the coimterpoife, and obferved that fuddenly the iie«lte ceafed to move, and that applying again the counterpoife, and giving liberty for the wheel to turn, the needle returns to her ordinaiy train, or by making one wheel to go fafter by putting my finger unto it, H or

( 14 « )

or by adding more weight to the countcrpoife, the needle doth haften 5 and advance its motions proportionably. Then I grow to be convinced and entirely fatisfied, and fo I abfolutely conclude that thefe wheels and counterpoifes are the true caufe o f the motion of the needle.

In the fame manner, i f inter­ rupting the aftion o f any o f thofe caufes which I have eftabliihed for the true foundation o f the Synipathetical Powder, I alter, retard or hinder the cure of the wound; I may boldly conclude, that the forefaid caufes arc the legitimate , and genuine true caufes of the cure, and that we need not amufe our felves to make indagations for any other.

Pet us then examine our bufinefle by that bias, I have affirmed thatthe Light transporting the atoms of the Vitriol,and o f the bloud, and di­ lating them to a great extent in the air, the wound or place hurt, doth' attraff them, and thereby4s immedi- ■ ately folac’d, and eafed, and confe-

guently

( M7)

qaendy comes to be healed by the Ipirits of the Vitriol, which is of it balfamical virtue. But if you put the bafon, or Powder with the cloth cmbrued with bloud, within an Armory, or into a corner o f fome cold rooms, or into a cave, where the light never comes,nor freih air,which makes the place corrupted, and to have ill fmells, in that cafe the wound can receive no amendment, nor any good effeft from the faid Powder. And it will fall out in the fame manner, if having put the ba­ fon, or Powder in fome By-corner, and ihat you cover them with f o ^ thick cloth , fluffing and fpongie, which might imbibe the atomes that ufe to come forth, and which retain the the light and rayes which enter there,where theyare thereby flopped ^nd quite loft. Moreover, if you fi^ffei’ the water of Vitriol, to congeale into ice, or the cloth wherein tis.dipped, the party hurt ihall be feiifihle. at the beginning of a very great cold in his-wound ; but when it is iced all over, he ihall feel H 2 neithci:

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neither heat nor cold , in regard that congealed cold doth conftipate the pores o f the w ater, which nevcrthelclTc doth not ceafe to tranfpire, and fend forth fpirits.

I f one ihould waih the cloth, fpotted with blomi, in vinegar, or lye (which by their penetrating acri­ mony, tranfports all the fpirits of the bloud) before the Vitriol be applied, it will produce no effeft, y et if it be wafhed but with pure iimple water, it may neverthelefle do fomething, for that water carries not away fo much , but the eifefk will not be fo great, as if thé bloudfpotted piece had not been wafhed at all, for then it is full of the fpirits o f the bloud. The fame cure is performed by applying the remedy to the blade of a fword which wound* a body, if it conic uot to pafTe that the fword be too much heated by the fire, for then it would make all. the fpirits of the bloud to evaporate,, and in that cafe the fword would ferve but little to perform the aireNow, tht rcafoii why the fword may bft

Chp ) be drefled in order to the cure, is bccaufe the fubtiil fpirits of blond do penetrate the fubftancc of the blade, as far as the extent, which the fword made within the body of the the wounded party,where they life to make their reiidence, there' being nothing to chace them away, unleife it be the fire as Ifaid before.

For experiment whereof hold, it over a. chafing-difli of moderate fire, and you ihall difeern on the fide oppofite to the fire a little humidity which refernbleth the fpots that ones breath makes upon lookingglafles, or upon the buniiihed blade of a fword. I f you lookv upon it athwart, feme glaiTe which makes; the objeft feem bigger, you lhalli find that this foft dew.of thefpirits coufifts in little bubbles,-or blown; bladderstand w.hcn.oiice they are en­ tirely evaporated, you, Ihall difcern' no more upon the weapen, unlcfie it were thruft a new into the body o f ai living perfon;. Norfromithe begin­ ning ihall you' difeover any fuch; thing, blit prccifely upoii' the part o f H 3^ tiie.

the blade, which had entred thi wound.

This fubtil penetration of t-hc Ipii'its into the hard lieel, may coiir firm the belief of the entrance of fuch ipirits into the skin of a woman big with child, as 1 remind to have propofed unto you in my lixth Frinciple remarkable in its own place. Now then, while the fpirits lodge in the fword, they may ferve as great helps for the. cure of the Patient, but when the fire hath dri­ ven them all.away, the remedy ap­ plied to the fword,, will not availe anjr thing at all. Furthermore, if any. violent heat accompanies thefe atomes it inflames the wound^ but common'fal t may remedy that, the huriudity of water humeftates the burt, and^ the cold caufeth a chilneife in the party wounded..

T o confirm, all thefe particulars, f, could adde to thofe I-have already .iiaccoimted many notable examples more, but,.I fear me, I have already too. much exercifed your patience, ther.cfor.e.l.will induitrioufly preter­ mit!.

f ^ *1 mit die nrentioning o f them at thistime, but I offer to entertain any of this Honourable Aflcmbly therew idijif they have the euriolity to be informed of tliemiaccordiugly.

I conclude then , MeiUeurs, by reprefenting unto you that all this niy fiery is guided, and governed all along by true natuial wayes and ciriflunifiances, although by the agency and reforts of very fubcil fpirits.

I am pei fivaded my Difcourfe hath convincingly flieived yo u , that in this Synipathecical cure,.there is no need to admit of an aftion diflanc from. the. patient, I have traced unto you a. real Gomnmnication twixt the one and the ocher, r/s;. of a; Balfamical fubftance, which corpo­ rally mingleth with the wound.

Now it is a poor kind of putilla-' niniity, and faintnefTe of heart, or rather a groffe ignorance of the linderftanding , to pretend any . effefts of charm or magick herein,or to confine all the aftions o f Nacre, to the groiTenelTe of our fcnfes,when weJiave not fufticiently coniidered, H 4 non

( Bor cxaniiried the true caufes and principles whereon tis fitting we fliould ground our judgement : we need not have recourfc to a Demon or Angel in fuch difficulties.

Mec Dew tiodiu btftderit,«

digntu vindice • — '

T1 AO2 ^

f f f f f f f f f f f f f .

Books primed for, and to be fold by, Thomas Vay>is.

Taul his Praitical M After Coramentaiy on the Ephefians^ lately reprinted with Additions.

Fol. Spesdelh Geometrical Extraftionsj newly reprinted with Additionk Qnarco.

Onghtredi T'rigommctria the ligurt.

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