Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	great_a	part_n	sea_n	5,017	5	6.5391	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A28366	A preparatory to the history natural & experimental written originally in Latine, by the Right Honourable Francis, Lord Verulam, Lord High Chancellour of England ; and now faithfully rendred into English, by a well-wisher to his Lordships writings.; Sylva sylvarum. Preface. English	Bacon, Francis, 1561-1626.; Well-wisher to his Lordships writings.	1670 (1670)	Wing B317; ESTC R6927	11,755	15

it is as requisite that the things received be Penned succinctly as that superfluous matters be lopt of Although there is no doubt but that this kind of curtness and brevity will afford far less delight both to the Reader and Writer But it must always be remembred that this thing that is in hand is nothing else but the Garner and Store-house of things wherein men must not tarry or dwell with pleasure but must descend thereto as need requires when any thing is to be made use of about the work of the Interpreter which follows it IV. In the History which we require and purpose in our mind above all things it must be looked after that its extent be large and that it be made after the measure of the Universe for the World ought not to be tyed into the straightness of the understanding which hitherto hath been done but our Intellect should be stretched and widened so as to be capable of the Image of the World such as we find it for that custome of Respecting but a few things and passing sentence according to that paucity and scantness hath spoiled all Therefore we re-assuming that division of our Natural History which we made of it a little before that it be either of Generations Pretergenerations or Arts. We have constituted five Parts of the History of Generations Let the first be concerning the Firmament and Celestial things the second of Meteors and Regions as they call them of the Air to wit of the Tracts from the Moon to the Superficies of the Earth To which part also we assign for orders sake however the truth of the thing be all kind of Comets both sublimer as lower The third of the Land and Sea The fourth of the Elements as they call them of Flame or Fire Aire Water and Earth But we would have the Elements understood not for the First Principles of things but for the greater Masses of Natural Bodies for the Nature of things is so distributed that the Quantity or Mass of certain Bodies in the Universe is very great because that there is required an easie and obvious Texture of the Matter to the framing of them such as are those four bodies which we speak of But for certain other bodies their Quantity is in the Universe small and sparingly afforded by reason of the Texture of the Matter very unlike and subtill and in most of them Determinate and Organical Such as are the Species of Natural things Metals Plants Animals Wherefore we are wont to stile the former sort of bodies Greater Collections the latter Smaller Collections But of those Greater Collections the fourth part of this History treateth under the name of Elements as we said before Not is the fourth part confounded with the second and third in this that in all of them we make mention of Air Water and Earth for in the second and third part is contained the History of them as the Entire parts of the World and as they respect the fabrick and framing of the Universe but in the fourth part there is contained the History of their Substance and Nature which bears sway in the several similar parts of them and is not related to the whole In fine the fifth part of the History treats of the Lesser Collections or Species about which Natural Histories have hitherto been chiefly conversant But as to the History of Pretergenerations we have already said that it may very commodiously be joyned with the History of Generations but that part only which is Prodigious and Natural for we set aside the Superstitious History of Miracles of what sort soever for a Treatise by it self Nor is it to be at all received at the beginning but a little after when there is a little deeper entrance made into the enquiry of Nature But the History of Arts and of Nature altered and changed by Man or the Experimental History we make threefold For it is either drawn forth from Mechanick Arts or from the Operative Part of Liberal Sciences or from many Practices and Experiments which have not grown into a proper Art yea which sometimes we meet in most vulgar experience which do not at all require any Art Wherefore if a History should be made out of all these which we have spoken of out of Generations Pretergenerations Arts and Experiments nothing seems to be passed by whereby the sense might be instructed to inform the Understanding and then we should not any longer dance round within small Circles as if we were enchanted by a Spell but should equalize the Circumference of the World in our Circuits V. Amongst those parts of History which we have spoken of the History of Arts is of most use because it demonstrates things in Motion and leads more directly to Practice Besides it takes away the Vizard and Vail from Natural things which for the most part are hidden and obscured under variety of figures and outward appearances In fine the vexations of Art are indeed like the Bands and Fetters of Proteus which manifest the utmost endeavours and abilities of the Matter for Bodies will not be destroyed or annihillated but they will rather alter themselves into various forms Therefore the greatest diligence must be used about this History although Mechanick as it may seem and less Liberal without any arrogancy and pride Again of Arts those are preferred which exhibite alter and prepare Natural Bodies and the Materials of things as Husbandry Cookery Chymistry Deying the Workings of Glass Esmalta Sugar Gunpowder Artificial Fires Paper and the like But those are of smaller use which chiefly consist in a subtle motion of the Hands and Instruments such as are Weaving Forgery Architecture the Operations of Mills Clocks and the like although these also are by no means to be neglected as well because we may meet with many things in them which have respect to the alterations of Natural Bodies as because they do accurately inform us concerning the motion of Lation which is a business of very great moment for many things But through the whole compiling of this History of Arts this is always to be admonished and to be throughly committed to Memory that in experiments of Arts not only those are to be received which lead to the end of the Art but those also which intervene by any means As for example that Locusts and Crabs boiled though before they were of the colour of the durt wax red belongs not to the Table yet this very instance is not amiss to inquire out the nature of Redness seeing the same thing happens also to burned Bricks Likewise that Flesh is sooner salted in Winter than in Summer not only tends thither that the Cook season his Meats well and as much as is sufficient but also it is a good instance to discover the Nature and Impression of Cold. Wherefore he is quite out of the way that thinks to satisfie our Intention by Collecting Experiments of Arts

to this end only that the several Arts may be better perfected although we do not altogether despise this also in many things But this is plainly our mind that all the Rivulets of Mechanical Experiments may flow from every part into the Sea of Philosophy But the choise of Instances most eminent in every kind which must be chiefly and diligently sought for and as it were hunted after is to be looked for in the Prerogatives of Instances VI. We should resume in this place also that which we have elsewhere more largely handled but here by way of precept it will suffice briefly to command that there be received into this History first most Vulgar things such as any one would think not worthy to commit to Writing because they be so familiarly known Next things of no value illiberal and sordid for all things are clean unto the clean and if Lucre smell well though out of Stale much more doth Light and Information out of any thing Also trivial and childish things no wonder for we must plainly grow children again Last of all things that seem to be of too nice a subtilty and in themselves are of no use For as is already said those things that are proponnded in this History are not gathered together for their own sake wherefore it is not fit to measure the Dignity of them by themselves but so far forth as they may be transferred to other things and have an influence upon Phylosophy VII This also we give in precept that all things as well in Natural Bodies as Virtues may as much as is possible be propounded according to number weight and measure and determinate for we meditate of Works not Speculations Now Physicks and Mathematicks well intermingled beget Practice Wherefore the exact restitutions and distances of the Planets must be inquired after and set down in the History of Celestials The Circle of the Earth and how much place it occupieth in respect of the Waters in the Superficies in the History of the Land and Sea How great a compressure the Air will suffer without any notable change in the History of the Air How much in Metals one is heavier than the other in the History of Metals and innumerous such others must be enquired and writ down But when exact proportions cannot be had then indeed we must flye to those that are according to estimation or comparative indefinite ones As if we happily distrust to the Calculations of Astronomers concerning distances that the Moon is within the shade of the Earth that Mercury is above the Moon and the like Also when middle proportions cannot be had let the extreams be propounded As that a weaker Loadstone can Elevate a peice of Iron of such a weight in respect of the weight of the Stone it self and that one most full of virtue to a sixty fold proportion which we have seen done our selves with a very small armed Loadstone And we very well know that those determinate Instances are not easily or often met withal but they should be sought out as auxiliary in the very Course of the Interpretation it self when the matter most of all requires it notwithstanding if one do chance to meet with them they may be inserted into the Natural History so they do not too much retard the progress of its composure VIII But as to the Faith and Credit of those things which are to be received in this History they must needs either be of a certain Beleif of a doubtful Credit or of a condemned Faith Now the former sort of these must be propounded simply the second with some Note as it is reported or they say or I heard it from a person of Credit or the like for it would be too burdensome a business to set down the Arguments of Beleif on both sides and doubtless would be too great a Remora in the Writers way nor makes it much matter to the business in hand for the true Axioms will a little after convince the falseness of the Experiments if it be not too breif as elsewhere we have declared But if the Instance be any thing Noble either for its own use or because many others may depend upon it then indeed the Author must be named and that not only barely but with some mention whether he affirmed those things either upon credit as the relations or writings of other Men such as are very frequent in C. Plinie or else upon his own knowledge and also whether the thing was done in his time or before him further whether it be such a thing as needs must have had many witnesses if it were true in fine whether that very Author himself were fabulous and not credible or sober and severe and the like which make much to the weight of its credit Lastly things of a condemned faith and yet used and celebrated which partly by neglect and partly for the use of Similitudes have for many Ages together prevalied as that the Adamant binds the Loadstone and Gatlike enervates it that Amber draws all things but the Herb Basil must not be passed over in silence but be warned against in express words that they be no more troublesome to the Sciences Moreover it will not be amiss if happily one meet with the Original Cause of any Vanity or Credulity to note it As that the Herb Satyr●● or Ragwort is said to have a force and efficacy to excite Lust because forsooth its Root is shaped after the figure of the Testicles when the truth is that happens because every year there grows a new knotty Root which adheres to that part of the Root which was of the last year whence come those Testicles for it is manifest that the new Root is always found solid and juicy the old one is always withered and spungy Wherefore no wonder that one of them Sinks in the water and the other Swims which notwithstanding is counted a wonderful thing and adds authority to the other vertues of that Herb. IX There remain certain profitable additions to the Natural History and which may more commodiously incline and fit it for the Work of the Interpreter which follows it And these are five First Questions I say not of Causes but of Fact are to be added to provoke and solicite a further Enquiry As in the History of the Land and Sea Whether the Caspian-sea doth Ebbe and Flow and in what space of hours Whether there be any Southern Continent or rather Islands and the like Secondly In every new and more subtle Experiment the manner it self of the Experiment propounded should be added That the Judgment of Men may be free whether the Information by that Experiment be to be trusted to or be deceitful and that the Industry of Men may be stirred up to seek out ways if it may be more accurate Thirdly If there be any doubt or scruple lurking under any relation that we would