Minerals nor Minerals like the Perceptions of Elements For though all these several kinds and sorts be perceptive yet not after one and the same way or manner of Perception but as there is infinite variety of Corporeal Motions so there are infinite varieties of Perceptions for Infinite Self-moving Matter hath infinite varieties of Actions But to return to the Discourse of the Productions and Dissolutions of Creatures The reason that some Creatures last longer than others is That some Forms or Frames of their Composition are of a more lasting Figure But this is to be observed That the Figures that are most solid are more lasting than those that are more slack and loose but mistake me not I say For the most part they are more lasting Also this is to be noted That some Compositions require more labour some more curiosity and some are more full of variety than others CHAP. XIV Of CIRCLES A Circle is a Round Figure without End which Figure can more easily and aptly alter the Exterior Form than any other Figure For example A Circular Line may be drawn many several ways into different and several sorts of Figures without breaking the Circle also it may be contracted or extended into a less or wider compass and drawn or formed into many several sorts of Figures or Works as into a Square or Triangle or Oval or Cylinder or like several sorts of Flowers and never dissolve the Circular Line But this is to be noted that there may be several sorts of Circular Lines as some Broad some Narrow some Round some Flat some Ragged or Twisted some Smooth some Pointed some Edged and numbers of the like and yet the compass be exactly round But some may say that When a Circle is drawn into several Works it is not a Circle As for example When a Circle is squared it is not a Circle but a Square I answer It is a Circle squar'd but not a Circle broken or divided for the Interior Nature is not dissolved although the Exterior Figure is altered it is a Natural Circle although it should be put into a Mathematical Square But to conclude this Chapter I say That all such sorts of Figures that are like Circular Lines of one piece may change and rechange their Exterior Figures or Shapes without any alterations of their Interior Properties CHAP. XV. Human Creatures cannot so probably treat of other sorts of Creatures as of their own TO treat of the Productions of Vegetables Minerals and Elements is not so easie a Task as to treat of Animals and amongst Animals the most easie Task is to treat of Human Productions by reason one Human Creature may more probably guess at the Nature of all Human Creatures being of the same Nature than he can of other kinds of other kinds of Creatures that are of another Nature But mistake me not I mean not of another Nature being not of the same kind of Creature but concerning Vegetables Minerals and Elements The Elements may more easily be treated of than the other Two kinds for though there be numerous sorts of them at least numerous several Particulars yet not so many several Sorts as of Vegetables and though Minerals are not as to my knowledg so numerous as Vegetables yet they are of more or at least of as many Sorts as Elements are But by reason I am unlearned I shall only give my Opinion of the Productions of some sorts in which I fear I shall rather discover my Ignorance than the Truth of their Productions But I hope my Readers will not find fault with my Endeavour though they may find fault with my little Experience and want of Learning The Twelfth Part. CHAP. I. Of the Equality of ELEMENTS AS for the Four Elements Fire Air Water and Earth they subsist as all other Creatures which subsist by each other but in my opinion there should be an Equality of the Four Elements to balance the World for if one sort should superabound it would occasion such an Irregularity that would cause a Dissolution of this World as when some particular Humour in Man's Body superabounds or there is a scarcity of some Humours it causes such Irregularities that do many times occasion his Destruction The same may be said of the Four Elements of the World as for example If there were not a sufficient quantity of Elemental Air the Elemental Fire would go out and if not a sufficient quantity of Elemental Fire the Air would corrupt also if there were not a sufficient quantity of Elemental Water the Elemental Fire would burn the Earth and if there were not a sufficient quantity of Earth there would not be a solid and firm Foundation for the Creatures of the Earth for if there were not Density as well as Rarity and Levity as well as Gravity Nature would run into Extreams CHAP. II. Of several TEMPERS HEAT doth not make Drought for there is a Temper of Hot and Moist Nor Cold doth not make Drought for there is a Temper of Cold and Moist Neither doth Heat make Moisture for there is a Temper of Hot and Dry. Nor doth Cold make Moisture for there is a Temper of Cold and Dry. But such or such sorts of Corporeal Figurative Motions make Hot Cold Moist Dry Hot and Dry Hot and Moist Cold and Dry Cold and Moist and as those Figurative Motions alter their Actions those Tempers are altered the like happens in all Creatures But this is to be observed That there is some opposite or contrary Tempers which have a likeness of Motion as for example A Moist Heat and a Moist Cold have a likeness or resemblance of Moistness and the same is in dry Heats and Cold but surely most sorts of Moistures are some sorts of dilative Motions and most Droughts are some sorts of Contractive Motions but there are several sorts of Dilatations Contractions Retentions Expulsions and the like for there are Cold Contractions Hot Contractions Cold Dilatations Hot Dilatations Hot Retentions Cold Retentions and so of Digestions Expulsions and the like But as I said Moist Heats and Moist Colds seem of a Dilative Nature as Dry of a Contractive Nature But all Cold and Heat or Dry and Moist may be made by one and the same Corporeal Motions for though the Actions may vary the Parts may be the same yea the like Actions may be in different Parts But no Part is bound to any particular Action having a free Liberty of Self-motion But concerning Hot and Cold and the like Actions I observe That Extream Heat and Extream Cold is of a like Power or Degree neither can I perceive the Hot Motions to be quicker than Cold for Water in little quantity shall as suddenly freeze as any leight Fewel or Straw burn and Animals will as soon freeze to death as be burned to death and Cold is as powerful at the Poles as Heat in the Torrid Zone And 't is to be observed That Freezing is as quick and sudden as Thawing but
sometimes nay very often Cold and Hot Motions will dispute for Power and some sorts of Hot with other sorts The like Disputes are amongst several sorts of Cold Motions Dry with Moist Dry with Dry Moist with Moist And the like Disputes are also often amongst all Creatures As for Density it doth not make Gravity for there may be Dense Bodies that are not Grave as for example Feathers and Snow Neither doth Gravity make Density for a quantity of Air hath some weight and yet is not dense But mistake me not for I mean by Grave Heavy and not for the Effects of Ascending and Descending for Feathers though Dense are more apt to ascend than descend and Snow to descend Also all sorts of Fluidity do not cause Moist Liquid or Wet nor all Extenuations cause Light but they are such and such sorts of Fluidities and Extenuations that cause such and such Effects And so for Heats Colds Droughts Moistures Rarities The same for Gravities Levities and the like So that Creatures are Rare Fluid Moist Wet Dry Dense Hard Soft Leight Heavy and the like according to their Figurative Motions CHAP. III. Of the Change and Rechange and of Dividing and Ioyning of the Parts of the Elements OF all Creatures subject to Human Perception the Elements are most apt to Transform viz. to Change and Rechange also to Divide and Ioyn their Parts without altering their Innate Nature and Property The reason is because the Innate Figurative Motions of Elements are not so different as those of Animals and Vegetables whose Compositions are of many different Figurative Motions in so much that dis-joining any Part of Animals or Vegetables they cannot be joined again as they were before at least it is not commonly done but the Nature and Property of the Elements is That every Part and Particle are of one innate Figurative Motion so that the least grain of Dust or the least drop of Water or the least spark of Fire is of the same Innate Nature Property and Figurative Motions as the whole Element when as of Animals and Vegetables almost every Part and Particle is of a different Figurative Motion CHAP. IV. Of the Innate Figurative Motions of Earth THere are many sorts of Earth yet all sorts are of the same kind that is they are all Earth but in my opinion the prime Figurative Motions of Earth are Circles but not dilated Circles but contracted Circles neither are those Circles smooth but rugged which is the cause that Earth is dull or dim and is easily divided into dusty Parts for all or at least most Bodies that are smooth are more apt to joyn than divide and have a Glassie Hew or Complexion which is occasioned by the smoothness and the smoothness occasioned by the evenness of Parts being without Intervals but according as these sorts of Circular Motions are more or less contracted and more or less rugged they cause several sorts of Earth CHAP. V. Of the Figurative Motions of Air. THere are many sorts of Airs as there is of other Creatures of one and the same kind but for Elemental Air is composed of very Rare Figurative Motions and the Innate Motions I conceive to be somewhat of the Nature of Water viz. Circular Figurative Motions only of a more Dilating Property which causes Air not to be Wet but extraordinary Rare which again causes it to be somewhat of the nature of Light for the Rarity occasions Air to be very searching and penetrating also dividable and compoundable but the Rarity of Air is the cause that it is not subject to some sorts of Human Perception but yet not so Rare as not to be subject to Human Respirations which is one sort of Human Perception for all Parts of all Creatures are perceptive one way or another but as I said there are many sorts of Air as some Cold some Hot some Dry some Moist some Sharp some Corrupt some Pure some Gross and numbers more but many of these sorts are rather Metamorphosed Vapours and Waters than pure Elemental Air for the pure Elemental Air is in my opinion more searching and penetrating than Light by reason Light may be more easily eclipsed or stopt when as Air will search every Pore and every Creature to get entrance CHAP. VI. Of the Innate Figurative Motion of Fire THE Innate Figurative Motions of Elemental Fire seem the most difficult to Human Perception and Conception for by the Agilness it seems to be more pure than the other sorts of Elements yet by the Light or Visibleness it seems more gross than Air but by the dilating Property it seems to be more rare than air at least as rare as Air. By the Glassie or Shining Property it seems to be of Smooth and Even Parts also by the piercing and wounding Property Fire seems to be composed of sharp-pointed Figurative Motions Wherefore the Innate Figurative Motions of Fire are Pure Rare Smooth Sharp Points which can move in Circles Squares Triangles Parallels or any other sorts of Exterior Figures without an alteration of its Interior Nature as may be observed by many sorts of Fuels as also it can contract and dilate its Parts without any alteration of its Innate Property CHAP. VII Of the Productions of Elemental Fire IT is to be observed That Points of Fire are more numerous and more suddenly propagating than any other Element or any other Creature that is subject to Human Perception But Sparks of Fire resemble the Seeds of Vegetables in this That as Vegetables will not encrease in all sorts of Soyles alike neither will the Points of Fire in all sorts of Fuel alike And as Vegetables produce different Effects in several Soyls so doth Fire on several Fuels As for example The Seeds of Vegetables do not work the same Effect in a Birds Crop as in the Earth for there they encrease the Bird by digestion but in the ground they encrease their own Issue as I may say So Fire in some Fuels doth destroy it self and occasions the Fuel to be more consumed when as in other sorts of Fuel Fire encreases extreamly But Fire as all other Creatures cannot subsist single of it self but must have Food and Respiration which proves Fire is not an Immaterial Motion Also Fire hath Enemies as well as Friends and some are deadly namely Water or Watry Liquors Also Fire is forced to comply with the Figurative Motions of those Creatures it is joyned to for all Fuels will not burn or alter alike CHAP. VIII Of FLAME FLAME is the Rarest Part of Fire and though the Fuel of Flame be of a vaporous and smoaky Substance yet surely there are pure Flames which are perfect Fires and for proof we may observe That Flame will dilate and run as it were to catch Smoak but when the Smoak is above the Flame if it be higher than the Flame can extend it contracts back to the Fiery Body But Flame doth somewhat resemble that we name Natural Light but yet in my opinion
Light is not Flame nor hath it any Fiery Property although it be such a sort of Extenuating or Dilating Actions as Flame hath CHAP. IX Of the two sorts of Fire most different THere are many sorts of Fires but two sorts are most opposite that is the Hot Glowing Burning Bright Shining Fire and that sort of Fire we name a Dead Dull Fire as Vitriol Fires Cordial Fires Corrosive Fires Feverish Fires and numerous other sorts and every several sort hath some several Property as for example There is greater difference between the Fiery Property of Oyl and the Fiery Property of Vitriol for Oyl is neither Exteriorly Hot nor Burning whereas Vitriol is Exteriorly Burning though not Exteriorly Hot but the difference of these sorts of Fires is That the Actions of Elemental Fire are to ascend rather than to descend and the Dull Dead Fire is rather apt to descend than ascend that is to pierce or dilate either upwards or downwards but they are both of Dilating and Dividing Natures But this is to be noted That all sorts of Heats or Hotness are not Fire Also it is to be noted That all Fires are not Shining CHAP. X. Of Dead or Dull Fires OF Dull Dead Fires some sorts seem to be of a mixt sort as for example Vitriol and the like seem to be Exteriorly of the Figurative Motions of Fire and Interiorly of the Figurative Motions of Water or of Watry Liquors And Oyl is of Fiery Figurative Motions Interiorly and of Liquid Figurative Motions Exteriorly which is the cause that the Fiery Properties of Oyl cannot be altered without a Total Dissolution of their Natures But such sorts whose Fiery Figurative Motions are Exterior as being not their Innate Nature may be divided from those other Natural Parts they were joyned to without altering their Innate Nature CHAP. XI Of the Occasional Actions of Fire ALL Creatures have not only Innate figurative Motions that cause them to be such or such a sort of Creature but they have such and such actions that cause such and such Effects also every Creature is occasioned to particular Actions by forrein Objects many times to improper actions and sometimes to ruinous actious even to the dissolution of their Nature And of all Creatures Fire is the most ready to occasion the most Mischief at least Disorders for where it can get entrance it seldom fails of causing such a Disturbance as occasions a Ruine The reason is that most Creatures are porous for all Creatures subsisting by each other must of necessity have Egress and Regress being composed of Interior and Exterior Corporeal Motions And Fire being the sharpest figurative Motion is apt to enter into the smallest Pores But some may ask Whether Fire is porous it self I answer That having Respiration it is a sufficient proof that it is Porous for Fire dyes if it hath not Air. But some may say How can a Point be porous I answer That a Point is composed of Parts and therefore may very well be porous for there is no such thing as a Single Part in Nature and therefore not a Single Point Also some may say If there be Pores in Nature there may be Vacuum I answer That in my opinion there is not because there is no empty Pores in Nature Pores signifying only an Egress and Regress of Parts CHAP. XII Fire hath not the Property to Change and Rechange OF all the Elemental Creatures Fire is the least subject to change for though it be apt to occasion other Creatures to alter yet it keeps close to its own Properties and proper Actions for it cannot change and rechange as Water can Also Natural Air is not apt to change and rechange as Water for though it can as all the Elements divide and join its Parts without altering the Property of its Nature yet it cannot readily alter and alter again its Natural Properties as Water can The truth is Water and Fire are opposite in all their Properties but as Fire is of all the Elements the furthest from altering so Water is of all the Elements the most subject to alter for all Circular Figures are apt to variety CHAP. XIII Of the Innate Figurative Motions of Water THE Nature of Water is Rare Fluid Moist Liquid Wet Glutinous and Glassie Likewise Water is apt to divide and unite its Parts most of which Properties are caused by several sorts of Dilatations or Extenuations but the Interior or Innate Figure of Water is a Circular Line But yet it is to be observed That there are many several sorts of Waters as there are many several sorts of Airs Fires and Earths and so of all Creatures for some Waters are more rare than others some more leight and some more heavy some more clear and some more dull some salt some sharp some bitter some more fresh or sweet some have cold Effects some hot Effects all which is caused by the several Figurative Motions of several sorts of Waters but the nature of Water is such as it can easily alter or change and rechange and yet keep its Interior or Innate Nature or Figure But this is also to be observed That the Dilating or Extenuating Circle of Water is of a middle Degree as between Two Extreams CHAP. XIV The Nature or Property of Water WEtness which is the Interior or Innate Property or Nature of Water is in my opinion caused by some sort of Dilatations or Extenuations As all Droughts or Dryness are caused by some sorts of Contractions so all Moistures Liquors and Wets by Dilatations yet those Extenuations or Dilatations that cause Wet must be of such a sort of Dilatations as are proper to Wet viz. Such a sort of Extenuations as are Circular Extenuations which do dilate or extenuate in a smooth equal dilatation from the Center to the Circumference which Extenuations or Dilatations are of a middle Degree for otherwise the Figure of Water might be extended beyond the Degree of Wet or not extended to the Degree of Wet And it is to be observed That there is such a Degree as only causes moistness and another to cause liquidness the third to cause wetness for though Moistness and Liquidness are in the way of Wetness yet they are not that which we name Wet also all that is Soft or Smooth is not Wet nor is all that is Liquid or Flowing Wet for some sorts of Air are liquid and flowing but not wet nay Flame is liquid and flowing but yet quite opposite from wet Dust is flowing but neither liquid or wet in its Nature And Hair and Feathers are soft and smooth but neither liquid nor wet But as I said Water is of such a Nature as to have the Properties of Soft Smooth Moist Liquid and VVet and is also of such flowing Properties caused by such a sort of Extenuating Circles as are of a Middle or Mean Degree but yet there are many several sorts of Liquors and VVets as we may perceive in Fruit Herbs and the like but
perfect Animal when it was Quick yet not ripe that is not at the full Perfection of a Human Creature As it is with Fruits for a Green Plumb is not like a Ripe Plumb but any Green Fruit is like a Dead Fruit in comparison of a Ripe Fruit. At last the Parts of my Mind did agree That if a Human Creature was dissolved excepting the bare Carcase it would require Ten Months time ere it could perfectly be restored for the Springing Parts would require so long a time ere they could come to full Maturity X. THE Question being stated Whether the Restoring-Bed was a Fleshy Bed All the Parts of my Mind after many Disputes agreed That it could not be a Fleshy Bed by reason the nature of Flesh is so corruptible dissolvable and easie to be dissolved that it could not possibly be of such a lasting nature as is required for Restoring-Beds But yet they agreed they were like Flesh for Softness or Spunginess as also for Colour Also they agreed That the Animal Restoring-Bed was of such a Nature or Property that it could dilate and contract as it had occasion in so much that it could contract to the compass of the smallest or extend to the magnitude of the largest Animal Also they did agree That it was somewhat like the Stomack of a Human Creature or of the like Animal that could open and shut the Orifice and that when an Animal Creature was put into the Restoring-Bed it would immediately inclose the Animal and when it had caused a perfect Restoration the Restoring-Bed would open it self and deliver it to its own Liberty XI ANother Question amongst the Parts of my Mind concerning Restoring-Beds or Wombs was That in case there were such Restoring-Beds in Nature as in all probability there were Where could those Restoring-Beds be viz. Whether there were any in this World If not in this World in any other World The Minor Parts were of opinion There were none in this World but that there were some in other Worlds The Major Part 's Opinion was That there were such Beds but that Human Creatures would not know them though they could perceive them nor if they could perceive them could they tell how to make use of them At last they all agreed That those Restoring-Beds were in the Center of the World but where the Center is no Human Creature no not the most Subtile and Learned Mathematicians Geometricians or Astrologers could with their most Laborious Arts and Subtile Observations know and therefore unless by a special Decree from God no such Restoration can be made XII THE Parts of my Mind were very studious to conceive where the Center of the World was Some of the Parts of my Mind was of opinion That there were four Centers viz. A Center in the Earth a Center in the Air a Center in the Sea and a Center in the Element of Fire Upon which Opinion the Parts of my Mind divided into Minor and Major Parts The Minor Parts were of opinion That there were Centers in all the Four Elemental Parts and that the Restoring-Beds were only of four Kinds but yet there might be many several sorts of each particular Kind and that each particular Kind with all the several Sorts was produced in each particular Elemental Center The Major Part was of opinion That there might be infinite Centers if there were infinite Worlds also there might be many Centers in this World for every round Globe hath a Center But their Opinion concerning the Restoring-Beds was That they were in the Center of the Globe of our whole World and not of any of the Parts of the World for the Air could have but an uncertain Center neither could the Water have a very solid Center and the Earth was too solid to have a Center consisting of the Four kinds of Elements neither could the Elemental Fire have such a Center as to breed such different kinds and sorts of Beds as the Restoring-Beds are because many of them are quite of a different nature from the nature of Elemental Fire wherefore it must be the Center of the World which must consist of all the Elemental kinds XIII AFter the former Argument the Parts of my Mind were very studious in conceiving where the Center of the whole Universe of this our World might be at last they all agreed It was the Sea which is the Watry Element for the Sea is inclosed with the Airy Fiery and Earthy Parts of the Universe and therefore must be the Center And though the Sea was the Center of the World yet there was a Center of the Sea so that there was a Center in a Center in which Center were the Restoring-Beds XIV AFter the former Conceptions the Parts of my Mind were very studious to conceive where the Center 's Center might be But they could not possibly conceive it by reason they could not possibly imagine how large and of what compass the Sea may be of for they did verily believe that the utmost extension of the Sea is not as yet known to Human-Kind for that Circle about which the Ships of Cavendishe and Drake did swim might be in comparison to the whole Body of the Sea but such a Circle as a Boy may occasion with throwing a small Stone or such like thing into a Pond of Water XV. THE last Conception of my Mind concerning Restoring-Beds was That the Parts of my Mind did conceive That the Center of the whole Universe was the Sea and in the Center of the Sea was a small Island and in the Center of the Island was a Creature like in the outward Form to a great and high Rock Not that this Rock was Stone but it was of such a nature by the natural Compositions of Parts that it was compounded of Parts of all the principal Kinds and Sorts of the Creatures of this World viz. Of Elemental Animal Mineral and Vegetable kinds and being of such a nature did produce out of it self all kinds and sorts of Restoring-Beds whereof some sorts were so loose that they only hung by Strings or Nerves others stuck close Some were produced at the top or upper parts others were produced out of the middle parts and some were produced from the lower parts or at the bottom In short the Opinion of the Parts of my Mind was That this Rocky Creature was all covered with its own Productions which Productions were of all Kinds and Sorts not that they were numerous but various Productions also that these various Productions were Restoring-Beds for the nature of this Rocky Creature is as lasting as the Sun or other Planets which was the reason that those Productions are not subject to decay as other Productions are nor can they produce new Creatures but only restore former Creatures as those that had been Produced and were partly Dissolved THE CONCLUSION AFter the Wisest Parts of my Mind had ended their Arguments there being some of the Dullest and the most Unbelieving or rather Strange Parts of my Mind that had retired into the Glandula of my Brain which is a kind of a Kernel which they made use of instead of a Pulpit out of which they declared their Opinions thus Dear Associates We that were not Parties of your Disputations or Argumentations concerning Restoring-Beds being retired into the Glandula of the Brain where we have been informed by the Nerves and Sensitive Spirits of your wise Opinions and subtile Arguments Considering that your Conclusion was as improbable if not as impossible as the Chymical Philosophers-Stone or Elixir We desire you being Parts of one and the same Society not to trouble the whole Society in the search of that which if it was in Nature will never be found But to prevent that your painful Studies and witty Arguments be not buried in Oblivion We advise you To perswade the Sensitive Parts of our Society to record them so that they may be divulged to all the Societies of our own Kind or Sort of Creatures as Chymists do who after they have wasted their Times and Estates to gain the Philosophers-Stone or Elixir write Books to teach it to the Sons of Art which is impossible at least very improbable ever to be learn'd there being no such Art in Nature but were it possible such an Art was to be obtained yet when obtained the Artist would never divulge it in Print But those great Practitioners finding after much Loss and Pains nothing but Despair write Books of that Art which instead of the Elixir did produce Despair which again though produced by Art did produce naturally that Vice named Malice and Malice being a Pregnant Seed sowed upon the Fertile Ground of their Writings produces so much Mischief that many men of good Estates have been undone in following their Rules in Chymistry And if your Books should be as succesful as Chymistry hath been I dare not say among Fools but amongst Credulous Men your Books will cause as much Mischief as theirs have done not by the ways of Fire but by the ways of Water for your Books send men to Sea a much Cooler Element than Fire but more Dangerous than Chymical Fire unless Chymical Fire be Hell-Fire Upon which Discourse the rest of my Thoughts were very angry and pull'd them out of their Pulpit the Glandula and not only so but put them out of their Society believing they were a Factious Party which in time might cause the Society's Dissolution FINIS
Quantity of Water so that the great quantity of water will cause a longer or a shorter time in the flowing or ebbing and certainly the waters are as long a flowing back as flowing forward As for Spring Tides they are only in such a time when there is a Naturall Issue of a greater quantity of water so that Spring-Tides are but once a Month and Single-Tides in so many hours but many several occasions may make the Tides to be more or less full As for Double-Tides they are occasioned through the Irregular dividing of the Half-Circle as when they divide not orderly but faster than they orderly should do which falling back in a Crowd and being by that means obstructed so that they cannot get forward they are necessitated to flow where they ebb'd The reason the Tides flow through Streams of Running-waters is That the Tide is stronger than the Stream but if the Stream and Tides pass through each other then the Tide and Stream are somewhat like Duellers together which make Passes and Passages for their conveniency CHAP. XX. Of the Figure of Ice and Snow A Circle may not only extend and contract it self without dividing but may draw it self into many several Figures as Squares or Triangles as also into many other Figures mix'd of Squares Triangles Cubes or the like being partly one and partly another and into other several ways and after several manners which is the reason Water may appear in many several Postures of Snow Ice Hail Frost and the like and in my Opinion when the Water-Circle is Triangular it is Snow when the Circle is Square it is Ice as for Hail they are but small pieces of Ice that is small Parts or few Drops of Water changed into Ice and those several Parts moving after several manners make the Exterior Figures after several shapes as great Bodies of Ice will be of many several shapes occasioned by many or fewer Parts and by the several Postures of those Parts but such Figures though they are of Ice yet are not the Innate Figures of Ice The same is to be said of Snow But the reason of these my Opinions concerning the Figures of Ice and Snow is That Snow is leighter than the Water it self and Ice is heavier at least as heavy And the reason Snow is so leight is That a Triangular Figure hath no poyse being an odd Figure whereas a Square is poysed by Even and Equal Lines and just Number of Points as Two to Two but a Triangle is Two to One. Also a Circle is a poysed Figure as being equal every way from the Center to the Circumference and from the Circumference to the Center all the Lines drawing to one Point But mistake me not for I treat concerning the Figures of Snow and Ice only of those Figures that cause Water to be Snow or Ice and not of the Exterior Figures of Snow and Ice which are occasioned by the Order or Disorder of Adjoining Parts for several Parts of Water may order themselves into numerous several Figures which concern not the nature of Water as it is Water Snow or Ice As for example Many Men in a Battel or upon Ceremony joyn into many several Figures or Forms which Figures or Forms are of no concern to their Innate Nature Also the several Figures or Forms of several Houses or several sorts of Building in one House are of no concern to the Innate Nature of the Materials The like for the Exterior Figures of Ice and Snow and therefore Microscopes may deceive the Artist who may take the Exterior for the Interior Figure but there may be great difference between them CHAP. XXI Of the Change and Rechange of Water WATER being of a Circular Figurative Motion is as it were but one Part having no divisions and therefore can more easily change and rechange it self into several Postures viz. into the Posture of a Triangle or Square or can be dilated or extended into a larger compass or contracted into a lesser compass which is the cause it can turn into Vapour and Vaporous Air or into Slime or into some grosser Figure For example Water can extend it self beyond the proper degrees of Water into the degree of Vapour and the Circle extending further than the degree of a Vaporous Circle is extended into a Vaporous Air and if the Vaporous Airy Circle be extreamly extended it becomes so small as it becomes to be a sharp Edg and so in a degree next to Fire at least to have a hot Effect but if it extends further than an Edg the Circle breaks into Flashes of Fire like Lightning which is a flowing Flame for being produced from Water it hath the property of Flowing or Streaming as VVater hath as we may perceive by the Effects of some few Parts of VVater flung on a bright Fire for those few drops of VVater being not enough to quench the Fire straight dilate so extreamly that they break into a Flame or else cause the Fire to be more brisk and bright and as the Water-Circle can be turned into Vapour Air and Flame by Extension so it can be turned into Snow Hail or Ice by Contraction CHAP. XXII Of Water Quenching Fire and Fire Evaporating Water THERE is such an Antipathy betwixt Water and Fire I mean bright shining Fire that they never meet Body to Body but Fire is in danger to be quenched out if there be a sufficient Quantity of Water But it is to be observed That it is not the actual Coldness of Water that quenches out Fire for scalding-Scalding-water will quench out Fire wherefore it is the Wetness that quenches out Fire which Wetness choaks the Fire as a Man that is drown'd for Water being not fit for Man's Respiration because it is too thick choaks and smuthers him and the same doth Water to Fire for though Air is of a proper temper for Respiration both to some sorts of Animals such as Man as also to Fire yet Water is not which is most proper for other sorts of Animals namely Fish as also for some sorts of Animals that are of a mixt kind or sort partly Fish and partly Flesh to which sort of Creatures both Air and Water are both equally proper for their Respiration or their Respiration equal to either for certainly all sorts of Creatures have Respiration by reason all Creatures subsist by each other I say By each other not Of each other But there are many several sorts and kinds of Respirations as concerning VVater and Fire though a sufficient quantity of VVater to Fire doth always choak smuther or quench out the Fire's Life if joyn'd Body to Body yet when there is another Body between those two Bodies water is in danger to be infected with the Fire's heat the Fire first infecting the Body next to it and that Body infecting the VVater by which Infection VVater is consumed either by a languishing Hectick Fever or by a raging Boyling Fever and the Life of VVater evaporates away
continue although the Innate Nature be altered But Air is as all other Creatures are both Beneficial and Hurtful to each other for Nature is poysed with Opposites for we may perceive that several Creatures are both Beneficial and Hurtful to each other as for example A Bear kills a Man and on the other side a Bear 's Skin will cure a Man of some Disease Also a Wild-Boar will kill a Man and the Boar's Flesh will nourish a Man Fire will burn a Man and preserve a Man and Millions of such Examples may be proposed The same may be said of Air which may occasion Good or Evil to other Creatures as the Amber may occasion the death of a Fly and on the other side may occasion the Preservation or Continuation of the Fly 's Exterior Figure or Form but Nature being without Vacuum all her Parts must be be joined and her Actions being poysed there must be both Sympathetical and Antipathetical actions amongst all Creatures The Thirteenth Part. CHAP. I. Of the Innate Figurative Motions of Metals ALL sorts of Metals in my opinion are of some sorts of Circular Motions but not like that sort that is Water for the Water-Circle doth extend outward from the Center whereas in my opinion the Circular Motion of Metal draws inward from the Circumference Also in my opinion the Circular Motions are dense flat edged even and smooth for all Bright and Glassie Bodies are smooth and though Edges are wounding Figures yet Edges are rather of the Nature of a Line than of a Point Again all Motions that tend to a Center are more fixt than those that extend to a Circumference but it is according to the degree of their Extensions that those Creatures are more or less fixt which is the cause that some sorts of Metals are more fixt than others and that causes Gold to be the most fixt of all other sorts of Metals and seems to be too strong for the Effects of Fire But this is to be noted That some Metals are more near related to some sort than other as for example There is no Lead without some Silver so that Silver seems to be but a well-digested Lead And certainly Copper hath some near relation to Gold although not so near related as Lead is to Silver CHAP. II. Of the Melting of Metals METALS may be occasioned by Fire to slack their Retentive Motions by which they become fluid and as soon as they are quit of their Enemy Fire the Figurative Motions of Metal return to their proper Order and this is the reason that occasions Metal to melt which is to flow but yet the Flowing Motion is but like the Exterior and not the Innate actions of 〈◊〉 for the Melting actions do not alter the Innate actions that is they do not alter from the Nature of being Metal but if the Exterior Nature be occasioned by the Excess of those Exterior actions to alter their Retentive actions then Metal turns to that we name Dross and as much as Metal loses of its weight so much of the Metal dissolves that is so much of those Innate motions are quite altered but Gold hath such an Innate Retentiveness that though Fire may cause an extream alteration of the Exterior actions yet it cannot alter the Interior motions The like is of Quick-silver And yet Gold is not a God to be Unalterable though man knows not the way and Fire has not the power to alter the Innate Nature of Gold CHAP. III. Of Burning Melting Boyling and Evaporating BVrning Melting Boyling and Evaporating are for the most part occasioned by Fire or somewhat that is in effect Hot I say occasioned by reason they are not the actions of Fire but the actions of those Bodies that melts boyls evaporates or burns which being near or joyned to Fire are occasioned so to do as for example Put several sorts of Creatures or Things into a Fire and they shall not burn alike for Leather and Metal do not burn alike for Metal flows and Leather shrinks up and Water evaporates and Wood converts it self as it were into Fire which other things do not which proves That all Parts act their own actions For though some Corporeal motions may occasion other Corporeal motions to act after such or such a manner yet one Part cannot have another Part 's motion because Matter can neither give nor take motion CHAP. IV. Of STONE ALL Minerals seem to be some kinds of Dense and Retentive motions but yet those kinds of Dense and Retentive motions seem to be of several sorts which is the cause of several sorts of Minerals and of several sorts of Stones and Metals Also every several sort hath several sorts of Properties but in my opinion some sorts are caused by Hot Contractions and Retentions others by Cold Contractions and Retentions as also by Hot or Cold Densations and the reason why I believe so is That I observe that many Artificial Stones are produced by Heat but Ice which is but in the first Degree of a Cold Density seems somewhat like transparent Stones so that several sorts of Stones are produced by several sorts of Cold and Hot Contractions and Densations CHAP. V. Of the LOADSTONE AS for the Loadstone it is not more wonderful in attracting Iron than 〈◊〉 Beauty which admirably attracts the Optick Perception of Human Creatures and who knows but the North and South Air may be the most proper Air for the Respiration of the Loadstone and that Iron may be the most proper Food for it But by reason there hath been so many Learned Men puzled in their Opinions concerning the several Effects of the Loadstone I dare not venture to treat of the Nature and Natural Effects of that Mineral neither have I had much experience of it but I observe That Iron and some sorts of Stone are nearly allied for there is not any Iron but what is growing or is intermixt and united in some sorts of Stone as that which we call Iron-stone Wherefore it is no wonder if the Loadstone and Iron should be apt to embrace one another CHAP. VI. Of Bodies apt to ascend or descend THERE are so many several Causes that occasion some sorts of Creatures to be apt to ascend and others to descend as they are neither known or can be conceived by one finite Creature for it is not Rarity or Density that causes Levity and Gravity but the Frame or Form of a Creature 's Exterior Shape or Parts As for example A Flake of Snow is as Rare as a Downy Feather yet the Feather is apt to ascend and the Flake of Snow to descend Also Dust that is hard and dense is apt to ascend and Water that is soft and rare is more apt to descend Again a Bird that is both a bigger and a more dense Creature by much than a small Worm yet a Bird can flye up into the air when as a leight Worm cannot ascend or flye having not such a sort of Shape Also a
own Parts and therefore might have that which we name Earth Air Water and Fire but for Sun-light Moon-light Starr-light and the like they are not parts of the World they appear to and are Worlds of themselves But there can be no such Appearances in the Irregular VVorld for the Irregularities do obstruct all such Appearances and the Elemental Parts if I may name them so are as irregular and therefore as horrid as can be so that it is probable that the Elemental Fire is not a bright shining Fire but a dull dead Fire which hath the Effects of a strong Corrosive Fire which never actually Heats but actually Burns so that some Creatures may both freeze and burn at once As for the Earth of that VVorld it is probable that it is like corrupted Sores by reason all Corruptions are produced by Irregular Motions from which Corruptions may proceed such stinking Foggs as may be as far beyond the scent of Brimstone or any the worst of Scents that are in this VVorld as Spanish or Roman Perfumes or Essences are beyond the scent of Carion or Assafoetida which causes all Creatures of Airy Substances that breathe to be so infected as to appear like Poysoned Bodies As for their Elemental VVater 't is probable that it is as black as Ink as bitter as Gaul as sharp as Aquafortis and as Salt as Brine mixt irregularly together by reason the VVaters there must needs be very troubled VVaters As for the Elemental Air I shall declare the Opinion of my Rational Parts in the following Chapter CHAP. VI. Of the Elemental Air and Light of the Irregular WORLD T IS probable that the Elemental Air of the Irregular VVorld is neither perfectly Dark nor perfectly Light for either would be in some part or kind a Perfection or Regularity but being irregular it must be a perturbed Air and being perturbed it is probable it produces several Colours But mistake me not I do not mean such Colours as are made by perturbed Light but such as are made by perturbed Air and through the Excess of Irregularities may be Horrid Colours and by reason of the AEtherial whirling Motions which are Circular Motions the Air may be of the colour of Blood a very horrid Colour to some sorts of Creatures but 't is probable this Bloody Colour is not of a pure Bloody Colour but of a corrupted Bloody Colour and so the Light of the Irregular VVorld may probably be of a corrupt Bloody Colour but by the several Irregular Motions it may be at several times of feveral corrupted Bloody Colours and by reason there are no intermissions of Air there can be no intermissions of this Light in the Irregular VVorld CHAP. VII Of Storms and Tempests in the Irregular World AS for Storms and Tempests and such irregular VVeather 't is probable there are continual VVinds and Thunders caused by the disturbance of the Air and those Storms and Tempests being irregular must needs be violent and therefore very horrid There may also be Lightnings but they are not such as those that are of a fiery colour but such as are like the colour of Fire and Blood mixt together As for Rain being occasioned by the Vapours from the Earth and VVaters it is according as those Vapours gather into Clouds but when there is Thunder it must needs be violent CHAP. VIII Of the several Seasons or rather of the several Tempers in the Irregular World AS for several Seasons there can be no constant Season because there is no Regularity but rather a great Irregularity and Violence in all Tempers and Seasons for there is no mean Degree and surely their Freezing is as sharp and corroding as their Corrosive-Burnings and it is probable that the Ice and Snow in that world are not as in this world viz. the Ice to be clear and the Snow white because there the water is a troubled and black water so that the Snow is black and the Ice also black not clear or like black polished Marble but 't is probable that the Snow is like black VVool and the Ice like unpolished black Stone not for Solidity but for Colour and Roughness CHAP. IX The Conclusion of the Irregular and Vnhappy or Cursed World I Have declared in my former Chapter concerning the Irregular World That there could not be any exact or perfect kind or sort because of the Irregularities not that there is not Animal Vegetable Mineral and Elemental Actions and so not such Creatures but by reason of the Irregularities they are strangely mixt and disordered so that every Particular seems to be of a different Kind or sort being not any ways like each other and yet may have the nature of such Kinds and Sorts by reason they are Natural Creatures although irregularly Natural but those irregular Natural Creatures cannot chuse by the former Descriptions but be Unhappy having in no sort or kind Pleasure or Ease and for such Creatures that have such Perceptions as are any way like ours they are most Miserable for by the Sense of Touch they freeze and burn by the sense of Tast they have Nauseousness and Hunger being not satisfied by the sense of Scent they are suffocated by reason of irregular Respiration by the sense of Hearing and sense of Seeing they have all the horrid Sounds and Sights that can be in Nature the Rational Parts are as if they were all distracted or mad and the Sensitive Parts tormented with Pains Aversisions Sicknesses and Deformities all which is caused through the Irregular Actions of the Parts of the Irregular World so that the Actions of all sorts of Creatures are Violent and Irregular But to conclude As all the Creatures of our World were made for the Benefit of Human Creatures so 't is probable all the Creatures of the Irregular World were produced for the Torment and Confusion of Human Creatures in that World The Fifth Part Being divided into FIFTEEN SECTIONS Concerning Restoring-Beds or Wombs I. AT the latter end of my Philosophical Conceptions the Parts of my Mind grew sad to think of the dissolving of their Society for the Parts of my Mind are so friendly that although they do often Dispute and Argue for Recreation and Delight-sake yet they were never so irregular as to divide into Parties like Factious Fellows or Unnatural Brethren which was the reason that they were sad to think their kind Society should dissolve and that their Parts should be dispersed and united to other Societies which might not be so friendly as they were And after many several Thoughts which are several Rational Discourses for Thoughts are the Language of the Mind they fell into a Discourse of Restoring Beds or Wombs viz. Whether there might not be Restoring Beds as well as Producing Beds or Breeding Beds And to argue the case they agreed to divide into Minor and Major Parts II. THE Major Parts of my Mind were of opinion That there are Beds or Wombs of Restoration as well as Beds of
the Rational Corporeal Motions 82 XI Of the Knowledg between the Sensitive Organs of a human Creature 83 XII Of human perception or defects of a human Creature 84 XIII Of Natural Fools 85 The Seventh Part. I. Of the Sensitive actions of Sleeping and Waking 89 II. Of Sleeping 91 III. Of human Dreams 92 IV. Of the actions of Dreams 93 V. Whether the interior parts of a human Creature do sleep 94 VI. Whether all the Creatures in Nature have sleeping and waking-actions 95 VII Of human Death 97 VIII Of the Heat of human Life and the Cold of human Death 98 IX Of the last act of human Life ibid. X. Whether a human Creature hath knowledg in death or not 99 XI Whether a Creature may be new formed after a general dissolution 100 XII Of Foreknowledg 102 The Eighth Part. I. Of the irregularity of Nature's parts 105 II. Of the human parts of a human Creature 106 III. Of human Humors 107 IV. Of Blood ibid. V. Of the Radical humors or parts 109 VI. Of expelling malignant disorders in a human Creature 110 VII Of human Digestions and Evacuations 111 VIII Of Diseases in general 112 IX Of the Fundamental Diseases 113 The Ninth Part. I. Of Sickness 115 II. Of Pain 117 III. Of Dizziness 118 IV. Of the Brain seeming to turn round in the head 119 V. Of Weakness 120 VI. Of Swooning ibid. VII Of Numb and Dead Palsies or Gangren's 122 VIII Of Madness 124 IX The Sensitive and Rational parts may be distinctly mad 125 X. The parts of the head are not only subject to madness but also the other parts of the body 126 XI The Rational and Sensitive parts of a human Creature are apt to disturb each other 127 XII Of Diseases produced by conceit 130 The Tenth Part. I. Of Fevers 131 II. Of the Plague 132 III. Of the Small-Pox and Measles 134 IV. Of the intermission of Fevers or Agues 143 V. Of Consumptions 137 VI. of Dropsies ibid. VII Of Sweating 138 VIII Of Coughs 139 IX Of Gangren's 143 X. Of Cancers and Fistula's 144 XI Of the Gout ib. XII Of the Stone 145 XII Of Apoplexies and Lethargies 146 XIII Of Epilepsies 147 XIV Of Convulsions and Cramps 148 XV. Of Cholicks ibid. XVI Of Shaking-Palsies 150 XVII Of the Muther Spleen and Scurvy 151 XVIII Of Food or Digestions ibid. XIX Of Surfeits 153 XX. Of natural Evacuations and Purgings 154 XXI Of Purging-Drugs 155 XXII Of the various humors of Drugs 156 XXIII Of Cordials 157 XXIV Of the different actions of the several Sensitive Parts of a human Creature 158 XXV Of the Antipathy of some human Creatures to some Forrein Objects 159 XXVI Of the Effects of Forrein Objects on the human Mind ib. XXVII Of Contemplation 160 XXVIII Of injecting the Blood of one Animal into the Veins of ather Animal 161 The Eleventh Part. I. Of the different Knowledges in different kinds and sorts of Creatures 163 II. Of the variety of self-actions in particular Creatures 165 III. Of the variety of Corporeal Motions of one and the same sort and kind of Motion 166 IV. Of the variety of particular Creatures ibid. V. Of dividing and rejoyning or altering exterior figurative Motions 167 VI. Of different figurative Motions in particular Creatures 168 VII Of the alterations of exterior and innate figurative Motions of several sorts of Creatures 169 VIII Of Local Motion 171 IX Of several manners or ways of Advantages or Disadvantages 172 X. Of the actions of some sorts of Creatures over others 173 XI Of Glassie-Bodies 174 XII Of Metamorphoses or Transformations of Animals and Vegetables 175 XIII Of the Life and Death of several Creatures 176 XIV Of Circles 178 XV. Human Creatures cannot so probably treat of other sorts of Creatures as of their own 179 The Twelfth Part. I. Of the equality of Elements 181 II. Of several Tempers 182 III. Of the change and rechange and of dividing of the parts of the Elements 185 IV. Of the innate figurative Motions of Earth 186 V. Of the figurative Motions of Air ibid. VI. Of the innate figurative Motions of Fire 188 VII Of the productions of Elemental Fire 189 VIII Of Flame 190 IX Of the two sorts of Fire most different ibid. X. Of Dead or Dull Fires 191 XI Of the occasional Actions of Fire 192 XII Fire hath not the property to change and rechange 193 XIII Of the innate figurative Motions of Water 194 XIV The nature or property of Water 195 XV. Of the alteration of the exterior figurative motion of Water 197 XVI Of Oyl of Vitriol ibid. XVII Of Mineral and Sulphurous Waters 198 XVIII The cause of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea 199 XIX Of Overflows 201 XX. Of the Figure of Ice and Snow 203 XXI Of the change and rechange of Water 205 XXII Of Water quenching Fire and Fire evaporating Water 206 XXIII Of inflamable Liquors 207 XXIV Of Thunder 208 XXV Of Vapour Smoak Wind and Clouds 209 XXVI Of Wind 211 XXVII Of Light 212 XXVIII Of Darkness 213 XXIX Of Colours 214 XXX Of the Exterior Motions of the Planets 216 XXXI Of the Sun and Planets and Seasons 217 XXXII Of Air corrupting dead Bodies 218 The Thirteenth Part. I. Of the innate figurative Motions of Metal 221 II. Of the melting of Metals 222 III. Of Burning Melting Boyling and Evaporating 223 IV. Of Stone 224 V. Of the Loadstone 225 VI. Of Bodies apt to ascend or descend 226 VII Why heavy Bodies descend more forcibly than leight Bodies ascend 227 VIII Of several sorts of Densities and Rarities Gravities and Levities 228 IX Of Vegetables 229 X. Of the production of Vegetables 230 XI Of replanting Vegetables 232 APPENDIX The First Part. I. Whether there can be a Substance that is not a Body 237 II. Of an Immaterial 239 III. Whether an Immaterial be perceivable 240 IV. Of the Difference between GOD and Nature 241 V. All the Parts of Nature worship GOD ibid. VI. Whether GOD's Decrees are limited 242 VII Of GOD's Decrees concerning the particular Parts of Nature 243 VIII Of the Ten Commandments 244 IX Of several Religions 245 X. Of Rules and Prescriptions 246 XI Sins and Punishments are material 247 XII Of human Conscience 248 The Second Part. I. Whether it is possible there could be Worlds consisting only of the Rational parts and others only of the Sensitive parts 251 II. Of Irregular and Regular Worlds 254 III. Whether there be Egress and Regress between the Parts of several Worlds 255 IV. Whether the Parts of one and the same Society could after their dissolution meet and unite 256 V. Whether if a Creature being dissolved if it could unite again would be the same 257 VI. Of the Resurrection of Human-kind 259 VII Of the dissolution of a World 260 VIII Of a new Heaven and a new Earth 261 IX Whether there shall be a Material Heaven and Hell ibid. X. Concerning the Joys or Torments of the Blessed and Cursed after they are in Heaven or Hell 263
Parts every altered Action causing both an altered Self-knowledg and an altered Perceptive Knowledg CHAP. III. Of the Variety of Corporeal Motion of one and the same sort or kind of Motion THere is Infinite Variety of Motion of the same sorts and kinds of Motions as for example Of Dilatations or Extensions Expulsions Attractions Contractions Retentions Digestions Respirations There is also Varieties of Densities Rarities Gravities Levities Measures Sizes Agilness Slowness Strength Weakness Times Seasons Growths Decays Lives Deaths Conceptions Perceptions Passions Appetites Sympathies Antipathies and Millions the like kinds or sorts CHAP. IV. Of the Variety of particular Creatures NAture is so delighted with Variety that seldom two Creatures although of the same sort nay from the same Producers are just alike and yet Human Perception cannot perceive above four kinds of Creatures viz. Animals Vegetables Minerals and Elements but the several sorts seem to be very numerous and the Varieties of the several Particulars Infinite but Nature is necessitated to divide her Creatures into Kinds and Sorts to keep Order and Method for there may be numerous Varieties of sorts as for example Many several Worlds and infinite Varieties of Particulars in those Worlds for Worlds may differ from each other as much as several sorts of Animals Vegetables Minerals or Elements and yet be all of that sort we name Worlds but as for the Infinite Varieties of Nature we may say That every Part of Nature is Infinite in some sort because every Part of Nature is a perpetual Motion and makes Infinite Varieties by change or alteration of Action but there is so much Variety of the several Shapes Figures Forms and Sizes as Bigger and Less as also several sorts of Heats Colds Droughts Moistures Fires Airs Waters Earths Animals Vegetables and Minerals as are not to be expressed CHAP. V. Of Dividing and Rejoyning or Altering Exterior Figurative Motions THE Interior and Exterior Figurative Motions of some sorts of Creatures are so united by their Sympathetical Actions as they cannot be separated without a Total Dissolution and some cannot be altered without a Dissolution and other Figurative Motions may separate and unite again and others if separate cannot unite again as they were before As for example The Exterior Parts of a Human Creature if once divided cannot be rejoyned when as some sorts of Worms may be divided and if those divided Parts meet can rejoyn as before Also some Figurative Motions of different sorts and so different that they are opposite may unite in agreement in one Composition or Creature yet when the very same sorts of Figurative Motions are not so united they are as it were deadly Enemies CHAP. VI. Of Different Figurative Motions in particular Creatures THere are many Creatures that are composed of very opposite Figurative Motions as for example Some Parts of Fire and Water also all Cordials Vitriols and the like Waters also Iron and Stone and Infinite the like But that which is composed of the most different Figurative Motions is Quick-silver which is exteriorly Cold Soft Fluid Agil and Heavy also Divisible and Rejoynable and yet so Retentive of its Innate Nature that although it can be rarified yet not easily dissolved at least not that Human Creatures can perceive for it hath puzled the best Chymists CHAP. VII Of the Alterations of Exterior and Innate Figurative Motions of several sorts of Creatures THE Form of several Creatures is after several manners and ways which causes several Natures or Properties As for example The Exterior and Innate Corporeal Motions of some Creatures depend so much on each other That the least Alteration of the one causes a Dissolution of the whole Creature whereas the Exterior Corporeal Motions of other sorts of Creatures can change and rechange their actions without the least disturbance to the Innate Figurative Motions In other sorts the Innate Motions shall be quite altered but their Exterior Motions be in some manner consistent As for proof Fire is of that Nature that both the Exterior and Innate Motions are of one and the same sort so that the Alteration of the one causeth a Dissolution of the other that is Fire loses the Property of Fire and is altered from being Fire On the other side the Exterior Figurative Motions of Water can change and rechange without any disturbance to the Innate Nature but though the Alteration of the Innate Figurative Motions of all Creatures must of necessity alter the Life and Knowledg of that Creature yet there may be such consistent Motions amongst the Exterior Parts of some sorts of Creatures that they will keep their Exterior Form As for example A Tree that is cut down or into pieces when those pieces are withered and as we say dead yet they remain of the Figure of Wood. Also a dead Beast doth not alter the Figure of Flesh or Bones presently Also a dead Man doth not presently dissolve from the Figure of Man and some by the Art of embalming will occasion the remaining Figurative Motions of the dead Man to continue so that those sorts of Motions that are the Frame and Form are not quite altered but yet those Exterior Forms are so altered that they are not such as those by which we name a Living Man The same of Flyes or the like intomb'd in Amber but by this we may perceive That the Innate Figurative Motions may be quite altered and yet the Exterior Figurative consistent Motions do in some manner keep in the Figure Form or Frame of their Society The truth is in my opinion That all the Parts that remain undissolved have quite altered their Animal actions but only the Consistent actions of the Form of their Society remains so as to have a resemblance of their Frame or Form CHAP. VIII Of LOCAL MOTION ALL Corporeal Motion is Local but only they are different Local Motions and some sorts or kinds have advantage of others and some have power over others as in a manner to inforce them to alter their Figurative motions as for example When one Creature doth destroy another those that are the Destroyers occasion those that we name the Destroyed to dissolve their Unity and to alter their actions for they cannot annihilate their actions nor can they give or take away the Power of Self-motions but as I said some Corporeal motions can occasion other Corporeal motions to move so or so But this is to be noted That several sorts of Creatures have a mixture of several sorts of Figurative motions as for example There are Flying Fish and Swimming Beasts also there are some Creatures that are partly Beasts and partly Fish as Otters and many others also a Mule is partly a Horse and an Ass a Batt is partly a Mouse and a Bird an Owle is partly a Cat and a Bird and numerous other Creatures there are that are partly of one sort and partly of another CHAP. IX Of several manners or ways of Advantages or Disadvantages NOT only the Manner Form Frame
or Shape of particular Creatures but also the Regularity or Irregularity of the Corporeal motions of particular Creatures doth cause that which Man names Strength or Weakness Obedience or Disobedience Advantages or Disadvantages of Power and Authority or the like As for example A greater Number will overpower a lesse for though there be no Differences as being no Degrees of Self-strength amongst the Self-moving Parts or Corporeal motions yet there may be stronger and weaker Compositions or Associations and a greater Number of Corporeal motions makes a stronger Party but if the greater Party be Irregular and the lesser Party be Regular a hundred to one but the weaker Party is victorious Also the manner of the Corporeal motions as a Diving-motion may get the better of a Swimming-motion and in some cases the Swimming the better of the Diving Jumping may have the advantage over Running and in other cases Running over Jumping Also Creeping may have the advantage over Flying and in other cases Flying over Creeping A Cross Motion may have the advantage over a Straight and in other cases a Straight over a Cross. So it may be said of Turning and Lifting of Contracting and Dilating Motions And many the like Examples may be had but as I have often said There is much Advantage and Disadvantage in the manner and way of the Composed Form and Figure of Creatures CHAP. X. Of the Actions of some sorts of Creatures over others SOME sorts of Creatures are more Exteriorly active than other sorts and some more Interiorly active some more rare some more dense and the like also some dense Creatures are more active than the rare and some rare are more active than other sorts that are dense Also some Creatures that are rare have advantage of some that are dense and some that are dense over some sorts that are rare some leight Bodies over some heavy Bodies and some heavy Bodies over some sorts of leight Bodies Also several sorts of Exterior Motions of several sorts of Creatures have advantage and disadvantage of each other as for example Springs of Water and Air will make Passages and so divide hard strong Rocks And on the other side a Straw will divide Parts of Water and a small Flye will divide Parts of the Air but mistake me not I mean that they occasion the Airy or Watry Parts to divide CHAP. XI Of GLASSIE BODIES T IS impossible as I have said to describe the Infinite Corporeal Figurative Motions but amongst those Creatures that are subject to Human Perception there are some that resemble each other and yet are of different Natures as for example Black Ebony and Black Marble they are both Glassie smooth and black yet one is Stone the other Wood. Also there be many light and shining Bodies that are of different Natures as for example Metal is a bright shining Body and divers sorts of Stones are bright shining Bodies also clear Water is a bright shining Body yet the Metal and Stones are Minerals and Water is an Element Indeed Most Bodies are of a Glassie Hue or as I may say Complexion as may be observed in most Vegetables as also Skins Feathers Scales and the like But some may say That Glassiness is made by the Brightness of the Light that shines upon them I answer If so then the ordinary Earth would have the like Glassiness but we perceive the Earth to appear dull in the clearest Sun-shining Day wherefore it is not the Light but the nature of their own Bodies Besides every Body hath not one and the same sort of Glassiness but some are very different 'T is true some sorts of Bodies do not appear Glassie or shining until they be polished but as for such sorts of shining Bodies that appear in the dark there is not many of them perceiv'd by us besides the Moon and Starrs but yet some there are as Fire but that is an Element There are also Glow-worms Tayles Cats Eyes Rotten Wood and such like shining-Bodies CHAP. XII Of Metamorphoses or Transformations of Animals and Vegetables THere are some Creatures that cannot be Metamorphosed as for example Animals and Vegetables at least most of those sorts by reason they are composed of many several and different Figurative Motions and I understand Metamorphose to be a change and alteration of the Exterior Form but not any change or alteration of the Interior or Intellectual Nature and how can there be a general change of the Exterior Form or Shape of a Human Creature or such like Animal when the different Figurative Motions of his different Compositions are for the most part ignorant of each others particular Actions Besides as Animals and Vegetables require degrees of time for their Productions as also for their Perfections so some Time is requir'd for their Alterations but a sudden alteration amongst different Figurative Motions would cause such a Confusion that it would cause a Dissolution of the whole Creature especially in actions that are not natural as being improper to their kind or sort The same of Vegetables which have many different Figurative Motions This considered I cannot chuse but wonder that wise men should believe as some do the Change or Transformation of Witches into many sorts of Creatures CHAP. XIII Of the Life and Death of several Creatures THAT which Man names Life and Death which are some sorts of Compositions and Divisions of Parts of Creatures is very different in different kinds and sorts of Creatures as also in one and the same sort As for example Some Vegetables are old and decrepit in a Day others are not in Perfection or in their Prime in less than a hundred years The same may be said of Animal kinds A Silk-worm is no sooner born but dyes when as other Animals may live a hundred years As for Minerals Tinn and Lead seem but of a short Life to Gold as a Worm to an Elephant or a Tulip to an Oak for lasting and 't is probable the several Productions of the Planets and Fixed Starrs may be as far more lasting than the parts of Gold more lasting than a Flye for if a Composed Creature were a Million of years producing or Millions of years dissolving it were nothing to Eternity but those produced Motions that make Vegetables Minerals Elements and the like the subtilest Philosopher or Chymist in Nature can never perceive or find out because Human Perception is not so subtile as to perceive that which Man names Natural Productions for though all the Corporeal Motions in Nature are perceptive yet every Perceptive Part doth not perceive all the actions in Nature for though every different Corporeal Motion is a different Perception yet there are more Objects than any one Creature can perceive also every particular kind or sort of Creatures have different Perceptions occasioned by the Frame and Form of their Compositions or unities of their Parts So as the Perceptions of Animals are not like the Perceptions of Vegetables nor Vegetables like the Perceptions of
all sorts of VVets and Liquors are of a watry kind though of a different sort But as I have said all things that are Fluid are not VVet as Melted Metal Flame Light and the like are fluid but not wet and Smoak and Oyl are of another sort of Liquidness than VVater or Juyce but yet they are not wet and that which causes the difference of different sorts of VVaters and VVatry Liquors are the differences of the watry Circular Lines as some are edged some are pointed some are twisted some are braided some are flat some are round some ruff some smooth and so after divers several Forms or Figures and yet are perfect Circles and of some such a Degree of Extenuations or Dilatations CHAP. XV. Of the Alteration of the Exterior Figurative Motion of Water AS I formerly said The Figurative Motions of the Innate Nature of VVater is a sort of Extenuating as being an equal smooth Circle which is the cause VVater is rare fluid moist liquid and wet But the Exterior Figurative Motions of the watry Circle may be edged pointed sharp blunt flat round smooth ruff or the like which may be either divided or altered without any alteration of the Innate Nature or Property As for example Salt-water may be made fresh or the Salt Parts divided from the watry Circle The like of other sorts of VVaters and yet the Nature of VVater remains CHAP. XVI Of OYL and VITRIOL THE Exterior Figurative Motions of Oyl are so much like those of Water as to be fluid smooth soft moist and liquid although not perfectly wet but the Interior Figurative Motions of Oyl are of that sort of Fire that we name a Dull Dead Fire and the difference between Salt Waters Vitriol or the like and Oyl is That the Exterior Figurative Motions of Vitriol and Salt Waters are of a sort of Fire whereas it is the Interior Figurative Motions of Oyl or the like that are of those sorts of Fire and that is the reason that the fiery Motions of Oyl cannot be altered as the fiery Motions of Vitriol may But this is to be noted That although the Interior Figurative Motions of Oyl are of such a sort of fiery Motions yet not just like those of Vitriol and are not burning corroding or wounding as Vitriols Corrosives and the like are for those are somewhat more of the Nature of bright shining Fires than Oyls CHAP. XVII Of Mineral and Sulphureous Waters IN Sulphureous and Mineral Waters the Sulphureous and Mineral Corporeal Motions are Exterior and not Interior like Salt waters but there are several sorts of such waters also some are occasionally others naturally so affected for some waters running through Sulphureous or Mineral Mines gather like a rowling Stone some of the loose Parts of Gravel or Sand which as they stick or cleave to the rowling Stone so they do to the running Waters as we may perceive by those waters that spring out of Chalk Clay or Lime Grounds which will have some Tinctures of the Lime Chalk or Clay and the same happens to Minerals But some are naturally Sulphureous as for example Some sorts of hot Baths are as naturally Sulphureous as the Sea-water is Salt but all those Effects of Minerals Sulphurs and the like are dividable from and also may be joyn'd to the Body of water without any disturbance to the nature of water as may be proved by Salt-water which will cause fresh Meat to be salt and salt Meat will cause Fresh-water to be salt As for hot Baths those have hot figurative Motions but not burning and the moist liquid and wet Nature of water makes it apt to joyn and divide to and from other sorts of Motions as also to and from its own sort CHAP. XVIII The Cause of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea THE Nature of water is to flow so that all sorts of waters will flow if they be not obstructed but it is not the Nature of Water to ebb Neither can water flow beyond the Power of its Quantity for a little water will not flow so far as a great one But I do not mean by flowing the falling of water from some Descent but to flow upon a Level for as I have said all waters do naturally flow if they be not obstructed but few sorts of water besides Sea-water ebbs As for the Exterior Figurative Motions of water in the action of flowing they are an Oval or a half Circle or a half Moon where the middle parts of the half Moon or Circle are fuller than the two Ends. Also the figure of a half Moon or half Circle is concave on the inside and convex on the outside of the Circle but these Figurative Motions in a great quantity of water are bigg and full which we name Waves of Water which waves flowing fast upon each other presses each other forward until such time as the half Circle divides for when the Bow of the half Circle is over-bent or stretched it divides into the middle which is most extended and when a half Circle which is a whole wave of water is divided the divided Parts fall equally back on each side of the flowing waves so every wave dividing after that manner in the full extension it causes the motion of ebbing that is to flow back as it flow'd forward for the divided Parts falling back and joining as they meet makes the head of the half Circle where the Ends of the half Circle were and the Convex where the Concave was by which action the ebbing Parts are become the flowing Parts And the reason that it ebbs and flows by degrees is That the flowing half Circles require so much time to be at the utmost extension Also every wave or half Circle divides not all at one time but one after another for two Bodies cannot be in one place at one point of time and until the second third and so the rest flow as far as the first they are not at their full extension And thus the Sea or such a great Body of Water must flow and ebb as being its nature to flow and the flowing Figure being over-extended by endeavouring to flow beyond its power causes a dividing of the Extended Parts which is the Cause of the Ebbing But whether this Opinion of mine be as probable as any of the former Opinions concerning the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea I cannot judg but I would not be mistaken for the flowing of the water is according to its Quantity for the further it flows the fainter or weaker it is CHAP. XIX Of OVERFLOWS AS for Overflows there be many and many more would be if the waters were not hindred and obstructed by Man's Inventions But some Overflows are very Uncertain and Irregular others Certain and Regular as the flowing of Nilus in Egypt but as for the distance of time of its flowing it may proceed from the far Journey of those flowing-waters and the time of its ebbing may be attributed to the great
CHAP. XXIII Of Inflamable Liquors THERE are many Bodies of mixt Natures as for example VVine and all Strong Liquors are partly of a watry Nature and partly of a fiery Nature but 't is of that sort we name a Dead or Dull Fire but being of such a mixt Nature they are both apt to quench Bright Fire as also apt to burn or flame so that such sorts are both Inflamable and Quenchable But some have more of the fiery Nature and others more of the watry Nature and by those Effects we may perceive that not only different but opposite Figurative Motions do well agree in one Society CHAP. XXIV Of THVNDER I Observe that all Tempestuous Sounds have some resemblances to the flowing of waters either in great and ruffling waves or when the waters flow in such sort as to break in pieces against hard and rugged Rocks or run down great Precipices or against some Obstruction And the like Sound hath the Blowings of VVind or the Clappings of Thunder which causes me to be of opinion That Thunder is occasioned by a Discord amongst some VVater-Circles in the Higher Region which pressing and beating upon each other in a confused manner cause a confused Sound by reason all Circles are Concave within the Bow and Convex without which is a Hollow Figure although no Vacuum which Hollow Figure causes quick Repetitions and Replies which Replies and Repetitions we name Rebounds but Replies are not Rebounds for Rebounds are Pressures and Re-actions whereas Repetitions are without Pressure but Re-action is not and Replies are of several Parts as one Part to reply to another But for Thunder it is occasioned both by Pressures and Re-actions as also Replies of Extended Water-Circles which make a kind or sort of Confusion and so a confused Sound which we name Horrid and according to their Discord the Sound is more or less terrifying or violent But this is to be noted That as Thunder is caused by undivided or broken Circles so Lightning is caused by broken or divided Circles that are extended beyond the Power of the Nature of the Water-Circle and when the Circle is extreamly extended it divides it self into a straight Line and becomes a flowing Flame CHAP. XXV Of Vapour Smoak Wind and Clouds VApour and Smoak are both fluid Bodies but Smoak is more of the Nature of Oyl than Water and Vapour more of the Nature of Water than Oyl they are dividable and may be join'd as other Elements also they are of a Metamorphosing Nature as to change and rechange but when they are Metamorphosed into the form of Air that Air is a gross Air and is as we say a corruptible Air. As for Vapour it is apt to turn into Wind for when it is rarified beyond the Nature of Vapour and not so much as into the Nature of Air it turns into some sorts of Wind. I say some sorts and certainly the strongest Winds are made of the grossest Vapours As for Smoak it is apt to turn into some sorts of Lightning I say apt for both Vapour and Smoak can turn into many sorts of Metamorphosed Elements As for Wind it proceeds either from Rarified Vapour or Contracted Air. And there are many sorts of Vapours Smoaks and Winds all which sorts of Vapours and Smoaks are apt to ascend but Wind is of a more level action As for Clouds they cannot be composed of a Natural Air because Natural Air is too rare a Body to make Clouds Wherefore Clouds are composed of Vapour and Smoak for when Vapour and Smoak ascends up high without transformation they gather into Clouds some higher some lower according to their purity for the purer sort as I may say for expression-sake ascends the highest as being the most agil But concerning the Figurative Motions of Vapour and Smoak they are Circles but of VVinds they are broken Parts of Circular Vapours for when the Vaporous Circle is extended beyond its Nature of Vapour the Circumference of the Circle breaks into perturbed Parts and if the Parts be small the wind is in our perception sharp pricking and piercing but if the Parts are not so small then the wind is strong and pressing but wind being rarified Vapour is so like Air as it is not perceived by human sight though it be perceived by human touch But as there are hot vapours cold vapours sharp vapours moist vapours dry vapours subtil vapours and the like so there is such sorts of winds But pray do not mistake me when I say that some sorts of winds are broken and perturbed Circles as if I meant such as those of Lightning for those of Lightning are extended beyond the degree of Air and those of Vapours are not extended to the degree of Air also those of Lightning are not perturbed and those of Wind are perturbed Again those of Lightning flow in Streams of smooth small even Lines those of Wind in disordered Parts and Fragments CHAP. XXVI Of WIND WIND and Fire have some resemblance in some of their particular actions as for example Wind and Fire endeavour the disturbance of other Creatures occasioning a separating and disjoining of Parts Also Wind is both an Enemy and Friend to Fire for Wind in some sorts of its actions will assist Fire and in other actions dissipates Fire nay blows it out but certainly the powerful Forces of Wind proceed not so much from Solidity as Agility for soft weak 〈◊〉 quick Motions are far more powerful than strong slow Motions because quick Replies are of great Force as allowing no time of respit But this is to be observed That Wind hath some watry Effects for the further water flows the weaker and fainter it is so the Wind the further it blows the weaker and fainter it is But this is to be observed That according to the agilness or slowness of the Corporeal Motions or according to the number or according to the manner of the compositions or joynings or divisions or according to the regularity or irregularity of the Corporeal Figurative Motions so are the Effects CHAP. XXVII Of LIGHT WATER Air Fire and Light are all Rare and Fluid Creatures but they are of different sorts of Rarities and Fluities and though Light seems to be extreamly Rare and Fluid yet Light is not so Rare and Fluid as pure Air is because it is subject to that sort of Human Perception we name Sight but yet it is not subject to any of the other Perceptions and pure Air is only subject to the Perception of Respiration which seems to be a more subtil Perception than Sight and that occasions me to believe That Air is more Rare and Pure than Light but howsoever I conceive the Figurative Motions of Light to be extraordinary even smooth agil Lines of Corporeal Motions but as I said before there are many sorts of Lights that are not Elemental Lights as Glow-worms Tails Cats Eyes Rotten Wood Fish Bones and that Human Light which is made in Dreams and Infinite other Lights not
subject to our Perception which proves That Light may be without Heat But whether the Light of the Sun which we name Natural Light is naturally hot may be a dispute for many times the Night is hotter than the Day CHAP. XXVIII Of DARKNESS THE Figurative Motions of Light and Darkness are quite opposite and the Figurative Motions of Colours are as a Mean between both being partly of the Nature of both but as the Figurative Motions of Light in my opinion are rare straight equal even smooth Figurative Motions those of Darkness are uneven ruff or rugged and more dense Indeed there is as much difference between Light and Darkness as between Earth and Water or rather between Water and Fire because each is an Enemy to other and being opposite they endeavour to out-power each other But this is to be noted That Darkness is as visible to Human Perception as Light although the Nature of Darkness is To obscure all other Objects besides it self but if Darkness could not be perceived the Optick Perception could not know when it is dark nay particular dark Figurative Motions are as visible in a general Light as any other Object which could not be if Darkness was only a privation of Light as the Opinions of many Learned Men are but as I said before Darkness is of a quite different Figurative Motion from Light so different that it is just opposite for as the property of Light is to divulge Objects so the property of Darkness is to obscure them but mistake me not I mean that Light and Darkness have such properties to our Perception but whether it is so to all Perceptions is more than I know or is as I believe known to any other Human Creature CHAP. XXIX Of COLOVRS AS for Colour it is the same with Body for surely there is no such thing in Nature as a Colourless Body were it as small as an Atom nor no such thing as a Figureless Body or such a thing as a Placeless Body so that Matter Colour Figure and Place is but one thing as one and the same Body but Matter being self-moving causes varieties of Figurative Actions by various changes As for Colours they are only several Corporeal Figurative Motions and as there are several sorts of Creatures so there are several sorts of Colours but as there are those Man names Artificial Creatures so there are Artificial Colours But though to describe the several Species of all the several sorts of Colours be impossible yet we may observe that there is more variety of Colours amongst Vegetables and Animals than amongst Minerals and Elements for though the Rain-bow is of many fine Colours yet the Rain-bow hath not so much Variety as many particular Vegetables or Animals have but every several Colour is a several Figurative Motion and the Brighter the Colours are the Smoother and Evener are the Figurative Motions And as for Shadows of Colours they are caused when one sort of Figurative Motions is as the Foundation for example If the Fundamental Figurative Motion be a deep Blew or Red or the like then all the variations of other Colours have a tincture But in short all Shadows have a ground of some sort of dark Figurative Motions But the Opinions of many Learned Men are That all Colours are made by the several Positions of Light and are not inherent in any Creature of which Opinion I am not For if that were so every Creature would be of many several Colours neither would any Creature produce after their own Species for a Parrot would not produce so fine a Bird as her self neither would any Creature appear of one and the same Colour but their Colour would change according to the Positions of Light and in a dark day in my opinion all fine coloured Birds would appear like Crows and fine coloured Flowers appear like the Herb named Night-shade which is not so I do not say That several Positions of Light may not cause Colours but I say The Position of Light is not the Maker of all Colours for Dyers cannot cause several Colours by the Positions of Light CHAP. XXX Of the Exterior Motions of the Planets BY the Exterior Motions of the Planets we may believe their Exterior Shape is Spherical for it is to be observed That all Exterior Actions are according to their Exterior Shape but by reason Vegetables and Minerals have not such sorts of Exterior Motions or Actions as Animals some Men are of opinion they have not Sensitive Life which opinion proceeds from a shallow consideration neither do they believe the Elements are sensible although they visibly perceive their Progressive Motions and yet believe all sorts of Animals to have sense only because they have Progressive Motions CHAP. XXXI Of the Sun and Planets and Seasons THE Sun Moon Planets and all those glittering Starrs we see are several sorts of that Man names Elemental Creatures but Man having not an infinite Perception cannot have an infinite perceptive knowledg for though the Rational Perception is more subtil than the Sensitive yet the particular Parts cannot perceive much further than the Exterior Parts of Objects but Human Sense and Reason cannot perceive what the Sun Moon and Starrs are as whether solid or rare or whether the Sun be a Body of Fire or the Moon a Body of Water or Earth or whether the Fixed Starrs be all several Suns or whether they be other kinds or sorts of Worlds But certainly all Creatures do subsist by each other because Nature seems to be an Infinite united Body without Vacuum As for the several Seasons of the Year they are divided into Four Parts but the several Changes and Tempers of the Four Seasons are so various altering every moment as it would be an endless work nay impossible for one Creature to perform for though the Almanack-makers pretend to fore-know all the variations of the Elements yet they can tell no more than just what is the constant and set-motions but not the variations of every Hour or Minute neither can they tell any thing more than their Exterior Motions CHAP. XXXII Of Air corrupting Dead Bodies SOME are of opinion That Air is a Corrupter and so a Dissolver of all dead Creatures and yet is the Preserver of all living Creatures If so Air hath an Infinite Power but all the reason I can perceive for this Opinion is That Man perceives that when any Raw or that we name Dead Flesh is kept from the air it will not stink or corrupt so soon as when it is in the air but yet it is well known that extream cold air will keep Flesh from corrupting Another Reason is That a Flye entomb'd in Amber being kept from air the Flye remains in her Exterior Shape as perfectly as if she were alive I answer The cause of that may be that the Figurative Motions of Amber may sympathize with the Exterior consistent Motions of the Fly which may cause the Exterior Shape of the Flye to
great heavy Ship as big as an ordinary House fraughted with Iron will swim upon the face of the Water when as a small Bullet no bigger than a Hasle-Nut will sink to the bottom of the Sea A great Bodied Bird will flye up into the air when as a small Worm lies on the earth with a slow kind of crawling and cannot ascend All which is caused by the manner of their Shapes and not the matter of Gravity and Levity CHAP. VII Why Heavy Bodies descend more forcibly than Leight Bodies ascend ALthough the manner of the Shape of several Creatures is the chief cause of their Ascent and Descent yet Gravity and Levity doth occasion more or less Agility for a Heavy Body shall descend with more force than a Leight Body ascend and the reason is not only that there may be more Parts in a Heavy Body than a Leight but that in a Descent every Corporeal Motion seems to press upon each other which doubles and trebles the Strength Weight and Force as we may perceive in the Ascending and Descending of the Flight of Birds especially of Hawks of which the weight of the Body is some hindrance to the Ascent but an advantage to the Descent but yet the Shape of the Bird hath some advantage by the Weight in such sort that the Weight doth not so much hinder the Ascent as it doth assist the Descent CHAP. VIII Of several sorts of Densities and Rarities Gravities and Levities THere are different sorts of Densities and Rarities Softness and Hardness Levities and Gravities as for example The density of Earth is not like the density of Stone nor the density of Stone like the density of Metal nor are all the Parts of the Earth dense alike nor all Stones nor all Metals as we may perceive in Clay Sand Chalk and Lime-Grounds Also we may perceive difference between Lead Tynne Copper Iron Silver and Gold and between Marble Alablaster Walling-Stone Diamonds Crystals and the like and so much difference there is between one and the same kind that some particulars of one sort shall more resemble another kind than their own as for example Gold and Diamonds resemble each other's Nature more than Lead doth Gold or Diamonds Crystal I say in their Densities Also there is a great difference of the Rarity Gravity and Levity of seral sorts of Waters and of several sorts of Air. CHAP. IX Of VEGETABLES VEgetables are of numerous sorts and every sort of very different Natures as for example Some are Reviving Cordials others Deadly Poyson some are Purgers others are Nourishers some have Hot Effects some Cold some Dry some Moist some bear Fruit some bears no Fruit some appear all the year Young others appear but part of the year Young and part Old some are many years a producing others are produced in few hours some will last many hundred years others will decay in the compass of few hours some seem to dye one part of the year and revive again in another part of the year some rot and consume in the Earth after such a time and will continue in perfection if parted from the Earth Others will wither and decay as soon as parted from the Earth Some are of a dense Nature some of a rare Nature some grow deep into the Earth others grow high out of the Earth some will only produce in dry Soyls some in moist some will produce only in Water as we may perceive by some Ponds others on Houses of Brick or Stone Also some grow out of Stone as many Stones will have a green Moss some are produced by sowing their Seed into the Earth others by setting their Roots or Slips into the Earth others again by joyning or engrafting one Plant into another so that there is much variety of Vegetables and those of such different Natures that they are not only different Sorts but are variety of Effects of one and the same sort and it requires not only the study of one Human Creature or many Human Creatures but of all the Human Creatures in all Nations and Ages to know them which is the reason that those that have writ of the Natures of Herbs Flowers Roots and Fruits may be much mistaken But I living more constantly in my Study than in my Garden shall not venture to treat much of the particular Natures and Natural Effects of Vegetables CHAP. X. Of the Production of Vegetables T IS no wonder that some sorts of Vegetables are produced out of Stone or Brick as some that will grow on the top of Houses by reason that Brick is made of Earth and Stone is generated in the Bowels of the Earth which shows they are of an Earthly Nature or Substance Neither is it a wonder that Vegetables will grow upon some sorts of Water by reason some sorts of Waters may be mixt with some Parts of Earth But I have been credibly informed That a Man whose Legg had been cut and a Seed of an Oat being gotten into the Wound by chance the Oat did sprout out into a green Blade of Grass which proves that Vegetables may be produced in several Soyls But 't is probable that though many sorts of Vegetables may sprout as Barly in Water yet they cannot produce any of the off-spring of the same Sort or Kind But my Thoughts are at this present in some dispute as Whether the Earth is a Part of the Production of Vegetables as being the Breeder or whether the Earth is only Parts of Respiration and not Parts of Production and so rather Breathing-Parts than Breeding-Parts as Water to Fishes But if so then every particular Seed must encrease not only by a bare Transformation of their Parts into the first Form of Production but by division of their united Parts must produce many other Societies of the same sort as Religious Orders where one Convent divides into many Convents of the same Order which occasions a numerous Encrease So the several Parts of one Seed may divide into many Seeds of the same sort as being of the same Species but then every Part of that Seed must be encreased by additional Parts which must be by Nourishing Parts which Nourishing Parts are in all probability Earthy Parts or at least partly of Earthy Parts and partly of some of the other Elemental Parts but as I have often said all Creatures in Nature are Assisted and do Subsist by each other CHAP. XI Of Replanting Vegetables REplanting of Vegetables many times occasions great Alterations in so much as a Vegetable by often Replanting will be so altered as to appear of another sort of Vegetable the reason is that several sorts or parts of Soyls may occasion other sorts of Actions and Orders in one and the same Society But this is to be noted in the Lives of many Animals That several sorts of Food make great alterations in their Temper and Shape though not to alter their Species yet so as to cause them to appear worse or better but