n-- W 1 / ^^ //^o 1^ ? DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Treasure %oom k «• >N / / ;^ / . / ' J OF THE VSEFVLNESSE OF Natural Pliilofophy, The Second Tome. V Imprimatur T, Me\»s Ftce-Qan, off, 24. 1^7©; SOME CONSIDERATIONS touching the VSEFVLNESSE Of Experimental Naturall Philofophy, ^ropos'd in a familiar difcourfe to a friend by ypay of Invitation to thejludj of it. THE SECOND TOME, Containing the later Section Of the Second Part. Sy the Honorable ^0 BE (IIT (BOYLE Efq^ Felloe of the ^OYAL SOCIETY. OXFORD Printed by He/try Ball , Printer to the University tovRic. Davis. i6ju THE TV'BLISHE'R TO 7 HE %,EAT)E%_. Hercas the Preface of the Noble Author to this Second Tome of the Ufefullncfle of Experimental Phi* lofophy , written with defigne it fliotild come forth a Year or two before the laft, it is fit that fomething be now added about the preftnt Publication. Firft ^ iflnquirybemade, why the Essays^ that now come abroad, are not accompanied with ihofe others ^ that according to the forts of the tides, fliould precede fbmc of them • He re* prefcnts , That it was not thought fit , that thofe that are now publifh'd, having no neccffary de- pendance on the reft , and being fufficicntly intelligible wichout them , ftiould ftay for Dif- T 5 ^9^?^^^^ 5nnfe3B To thi Reader ^ couifeSj that are not at prefent ready, and per- haps will not (uddenly befo, partly ^ in regard they confift of no fmal number of loofe Papers , which byreafon of fome , yet inruperable,ob. ftacles ( ofwhich want of health is none of the leaft} he cannot convcnicmly feck ouCjrange,and compleat; sLndfartlj^ becaufe hecannoc^mthe place where He is now detained, be mafter of di- vers uncommon Minerals , and fome Chymi- cal produdlions, whofe Defcriptions through haft he omitted , bccau/e he had them at hand in the place, where thofe Essays were writ* ten^and prefumed^ He could at leifure fill up thofe Vacancies he left for fuch Defcriptions. Secondly^ as to the Essays tfaem(elves,which, for the Rcafons juft now mention'd ^ come not abroad with the reft, though the Excellent Au- thor hath of late years conftantly refufcd to pro- mife any thing to the Publick, yet that the ^kea^ der may the better Judge of the Scope and De« fignc of rhewholetreaci(e,Hewill not deny him an Intimation of what Subje<5ls thofe Essays relate unto , by telling him , That one of them, treateth of the Ufefulnefle of Chymiftry ( not to (Phyfick, but ) to the Etnpire of Man over the Inferiour Works of Nature: Another^ ofthe Ad- vantages that a Naturahft's Country ntiay derive from To tie ^eaJer. from his Guriofity: Mother, of the mutual A f- fiftance that the Speculative and Pradical part of Phyfiology may arford each other: After which, comes a Difcourfe containing inducements to hope for much greater things from Experimental Philofophy , than men have hitherto obtained. La[lly,As to what the Author takech notice of, about the Coincidence of fome Experiments ^that may be mentioned as well by Others as by Him ; tis very poffil^^, that the fame things may, by the fame, or other, ways^cometo the knowledge of different perfonsBefides, that I have heard Him mention with fome complaint,thar,when divers years fince he writ feveral Difcourles ( whereof (bme belonged to the Ufefutnefs of Experimental Thilofophy, ) for the Ufe of a private Friend, not forthePrefTe, he was not fo fhye, ashad been re- qui(ite,of [l)e'n>inj^ divers Experiments, and of im- parting others in difcourfe, to Inqiiifitive men, whether Englifhor Forrciners, that came to vifit him ; divers of which things he afterwards found in print/ometimes indeed with, but for the mofl part without, mention of his Name.So that fome- timeshis unwilUngneffeto difoblige fuch Writers, and to contend about fuch matters, made him ei' thcr wholly o;w/7 fome of the particulars he after- wards intended to publifh , or even to crojje out levcrat To the ^idJeh feveralpaffageSjthat hehad already writtcS^vvhcre he would, without much inconvenience (for that did not al wales happen) either quite leave ihetn outjOr fubftitute others(thoughlefsproper)in their flead. Headdedalfojthat fometimes obftrvino- his Notions and Experiments to be adfcribed to other Writers^ and fomewhat wondring at it, he found indeed fuch Writers to have mentioned fuch things, but in £^f//(?«J that came abroad after the publication ofour Author's Writings,from w hence fuch things might with the greater likelihood be prefumed to have been borrowed, both becaufe fome of the Writers had coverfd with /;/w,and he could not find them in the Fir/l Edition of fuch Books. Butthefe unfair proceedings being the faults but of afeipj^c faid, he was far from inipu* ting them to the Generality of thofe^that have men- tion'd;» ( vAzhich divers of thofe have very civilly done J his Experiments,or writings in theirs. The Particulars being thus taken notice of, the Curious Reader ought not to be any longer de- tained from convcrfing with the Author himfclf in this InftrmSive Treatifc. fare* well. •r The Preamble, Have, in the Preface^ and Bo^j of the f of mer and already puhlijh'd Part of this Treatife, taken notice of fo many of the things 5 that cone erne the whole work in General ^ that I prefume it mil not* here be necefary to detein the Reader with any other Particulars , than thofe , that voill be offer'dhj way of Anfwers to [ome J^efiions , that are like to be as k'd about the Publication of this Prefcnt Tome, %^nd in the firft place, Jf it be demanded ^ why this -Lat' ter part did not more clofely follow the former , 1 have this to n^nfwer , That the' Papers it confi/led of chanc'd to be fo unfortunately di[pos'd of ^ during the late Publick Confufions^ that for a great while I was not the MAfter ofthem^ and in the mean while wa^^ fometimes upon one occafton , and [ome- times upon another^ engag'd to n^enture abroad the Hiftoryof Colours, the Hiftory ot Cold ( with the Preliminary and JLdditionall Travis ) Hydroftacicall Paradoxes , and the Crigine of Formes aod Qualities ; the Publication of which Treatifes, be fides that offome Anonymous Papers, as it took up much of the time 1 had to [pare for the Prefc', fo it may^ I {^^pofe^ keep it from being thought ftrange^ that I did not trow vi- The Preamble; hie my felfe and others rvith this Book al[o. And indeed^ this having been {as the [cope and divers FajSages ofitfufficientlj intimate)one of the firfl J wrote to the Gentleman I call PyrO' philuSj 1 had afterwards occafton^ while (iit was out of the waj^ to make ufe offo many of the Experiments and obferva* tions^ that belongd to it, that fearing I had thereby too much robbed and disfgurd it to leave it any way ft for Publick view , I had the greater Temptation to negle^ the looking after it » But if it be further demanded ^ why then^ ft^ce it was not ready to come out more early ^ I did not condemn it not to come cut at all ? I have two things to returne by waj of Anfwer. The firfi is , That fome Eminent Virtuoft^ to whom I owe a peculiar Refpe^^ were pleas'dto challenge the Edition of this Tome , as if I had made my felfe a Debter to the Publick for the Second Fart of this work ^ by having [uffer'd what I wrote to a private Friend to be divulg'd in the firfi. Efpecially ftnce the Publick had given that fo very favourable an Entertain- went •, as be fides other things^ the Early reprinting of it mA • nifefled, . * ; The other part of my Anfwer , and that which made the former Conftderatien prevalent ^is , that I was overcome either by the Reafons, or by the Authority, oftbofe Ingenious Perfons, ihat were pleased to think , that this 'work would not prove unferviceable to Mankind^ to who fe good ^ both as a Man , and Chriflian^ I have been long Ambitious to contribute^aswell upon the account of the Great Author and Divine Redeemer of CM en 5 as of that common Nature whereof ail men partake. What the Utilities of this work were conceived to be^ the Re a' der will find dtlclofed at the end of this Preface. To which I will therefore reftrre him for an Account of them ^ and now only take notice , that as to one of the fcruples 1 had againfl the Publication^ 3^amely^ That 1 hadplunde/d this prefent Trea- tife of divers Particulars^ whertwith I had accommodated fom^ The Preamble, lome ofmf ether Writings, 1 could not well reje^ thU Anjrver^ 7hat in [o many years as had pajSed fmee the writing of this ■ Book^ 1 had not been fo negligent a Commtr[er with the works of Nature^ and Art, as not to be able to make fome amendi for what I had taken away^and eafily fub/iitute other Experiments, and obfervations , to fttpply the vacancies left by thoje I had transferred to other Di/courfes. And as to another of my fcruples about venturing abroad this Tome^ namelf^ that it mufi come forth fo late^ if itfhould come forth at ally it was anfwered ^ That it could (car ce come forth wore [eafonably to recommend the whole Defigne of the Royal Society , whofe generous aimes being to promote the knowledge of Nature^ and make it ufefull to humane Life* 7hisTreatife may procure them fome number of t^jStftants in a worke, whofe Faflneffe and Djfftculty w/ll need very ma- nyt if mens Curio ftty and mduflrj can by this Treatife {or any to the like Furpofe) be well excited by a C envision of the re all and wide ^if parity betwtxt true Natural Phylofophy , & that €f the Peripatetkk Scholes ^ and that in cultivating the for' fner, they will not meet with a field that will afford them no- thing, but (the wonted Production of the Latter) the Thornes and Thi files of acute indeed, but ufelejfe, and oftentimes trou- hie fome ^ Subtlety es'^ but that they may expert a Soyle that may by a due Culture be brought to afford them bsth Curious FloW' ers to gratifie their Curioftty , and delight their fenfes , and Excellent Fruites^ and other (ubfiantiall Productions to an* fwer the Neceffities and furnifh the Accommodations of Hu- mane Life, And I will not deny, that I have had the fortune to be looked upon, as not the unfitteft Per (on in the World to offer (omething in this kind. For thofe that are meer Scholars, though never fo Learned and Criticall , are not wont to be acquainted enough with Nature andTrades , to be able tofuggefi thofe Inflances , that are the tnofi proper t9 manife(i that , which men are to be a convinced 'T The Preimblc. convinced of. The meer Chymifts^ beftdes that their Curlofttj Is xvont to be too much confind to let them be fitteft for fuch d work, have the j/l fortune to be diftrufied by the Generality of wen, not Credulous^ which is a great unhappinefje in this aafe^ becaufe that though their Experiments wen never fo true (as divers of them are) yet skill in their Art being requtftte to make them , mens diffidence of the Propofers , joyned with the difficulty of examining the things y wtll not allow them , either to Believe what is propofed, or to Try it. And as for the New fhilofophers {oi they call them) though^ if they were to write but for Philofophicall Readers, I know fever J of them , that would que flionlefje do it rarely well-^ yet the generality of thofe Readers to whom we would give good JmpreJItons of the fludy of Nature , being fuch a^ will probably be more wrought upon by the Variety of ExAmples^and Eafy Experiments than by the deepeft pfotions^ and the neatefi Hypothe[es , fuch a TreatifeiorthskM, as that which follows^ containing many Trail ices of Artificers and other P articular s^ that are either of eafy Tryalor immediate Ufe , may perhaps by that Variety gra- tifie^ and per fwade a greater number of differing forts ofRea^ ders^ thanafarre more Learned and Elaborate Piece, that might be welcomer to more intelligent and Philofophicall Perufers. jf it be askt by Some that knew me ^ Whence it copies , that the Second part of the UfefallneJ? of Experiment all Thilofophy bang written ( as very credible Perfons that faw it can witnef ) about the year 16^^, there may be met with inthe following Treattfe feme Experimens of my ewne^that they know were fince made^ andjome ( though few) Citati" ens out of Books puhlilht fmce that time ? If J fay this be afkt , the Anfwer is intimated a little above 5 For have* ing transferred to other Tracts many pa(fa^es that belonged to thofe I new publifh , / was obligd to repair e the injury I had done them , by fupplying them with fuch Particulars as offered The Preamble' effer^d themfelves to my mentor j when I ha/lily reviewed this Tome , without fcrupuloufly minding the times , when the FarticuUrs infer ted did fir jl occurre. And if this s^dver- tifement heapply'd tofome other fif my Writings , that ei' ther the importunity of Friends , or jome unwelcome Acci- dents ^ engag'd me to fuhlijh out of their due time, and not in their intended order , it maj keep men from thinktng , that when I fifft wrote them , / had read over , or at lea ft feen^ ( which indeed I neither dtd nor could ) every Book of a recenter Date 9 of which upon occafion I mentions Paffage or two , and ihofe perhaps as they are cited by other Authors ^we being here in En gland but (lender ly and verj jlowlj furnifht with modern forrein Books. t^llthefeinferted pa f ages the Reader fhould find included in Parathefes( as the Printers call thefe markes [_ '])by which he will yet be able to dtfiingutjh (everallofthem ^ thought new find.that [ome others by the negligence of the Tranfcnbers or of the Pref or of Both have btn omitted^ which Advertife- went 1 feare may have need to he extended to fome other prin" ted TraSfs of mine, wherein Paraihefes are to be met with. Bating thefe few additional! pa(fages ^ the infutng Booke comes forth without taking notice cf what changes or dtfco- veries have happened tn the Common wealth of Letters, ftnce the time it was written in. On which account, if fome few of thofe many particulars delivered there fhould chance to be cO' incident , with what [ome other man bath written , I would neither on the one fide be thought a Plagiary my felf ^ nor on the other fide deny any man^to whom it may be due , the honour of the earliefi Publication^though , to fhun needle fs Contro- vcrfies, J am fomewhat fhye of naming this or that Perfon^as the firft Propofer orinventourof an experiment iWhicb ( efpeci' ally if theperfons or things be not con fider able ) is often diffi- cult enough to difcover^witnefs the contefts that havebin^and V* Tlie Preamble. yet cvpttifjue, ahout the fir/i Inventors of Common wedther* gUffes^the J [cent ion cf water in (lender Pipes, theglafs drops that fly in pieces ^the meafuring of time hj a Pendulum which is more fir ange ^ the art of Printing it felf if it be ask*d why I did not for be are to make ufe of fome PraBifes of trades- men and other known^ and perhaps feeminglj triviall, Expe* riments. ihefe things may be reply ed , 1. Thatftnce on divers occafions itw/ts requifttCy that my difcourfe fhould tend rather to convince than barely to inform my reader , it was proper , that Ijhould imploy at leafl Some inflances , whofe truth W45 generally enough known , or eaf-j to he known ( bj making inquiry among Artificers ) even by [uch as out of laflnefs , or want of Sktll^ or accommodation cannot conveniently makethemfelves the tryals. 2. But yet , I have taken care^ that thefe jhouldnot be the only , nor yet the moft numerous tn Fiances^ I make ufe of: it being in this Tome^ as weUasin my other Phyfiologicall wri» tings , my main buftrnfje , to take aH jufl occaftons to con' tribute oi much^ as without tndifcretion lean ^ tothehiflory i>f Nature and Arts^ 3 . As to the Practices and ebfervations of Trade fmen^ the two conftderations already alledged , may both of them be extended to the giving of an account of the mention I make of them, of the truth of df vers of the Experiments I alledge of theirs , one may be eaftly fatiffyed by inquiring gf Artificers About it , and the particular or more circumstantial accounts J give of fome of their experiments, I was induc'd to fet down by my dcfne to contribute toward an experimental Hiflory* Tor I have f^undbj long and unwelcome experience^ thu very few Trade fmen will and can give a man a clear and full ac count of their own PraBices 5 partly out of Envy , partly out of want of skill to deliver a relation intelligiblely enough^ and partly {to which I may add chieily )becaufe they omttt generally^ toexprefseitheratalhratlcafi clearly fome im^ portant The Preamble. tortdfit clrcttfnflancey which becaufe long ufe hath made very familiar to them , they frefume alfo to be known to othersiand yet theowiffton of (uchcircuwparices ^ doth often rtnder the K^ccounts they give of fuch practices J fo darke and fo defec* tive^ that 1 if their experiments be any thing intricate or dtf* fcult (forif^hcj be Simple and eafy\ they are not [o liable to produce mi flakes ) I feldom thinke my fulf fure of their truth ^ andthat I [ufficiently comprehend them , till I hxve ^jtithertryedthem at home ^ or caufedthe Artificers to make theminmyprefence. 7 hey that have given themfelves the trouble ofendeavcur^ • ingto make the experiments of Tradesmen ^ tobemet rvnh in the writings of Cardan J Weckar ^ and Baptifla Porta for injlance^ and have thereby difcovered ( what ts not ufuilly ob- vious upon atranfient reading ) how lamely and darkely^i not to a^d unintelltgiblely ) feveraU things are written , will probably afford me their j^ffent^ having found upon tryal the in fir u6i ions of fuch learned and ingenious mtn , to be often obfcure and infuffieient for praBicc. But here I mujlgive the reader notice ^that ai UHechanical Artes for the mofl part advance from time to time towards perfe^ion , fo the Pra6iices of Artificers rnay vary in differ, ing times , as well as in differing places , as I have often had cccafionto obferve. And therefore I would neither have him condemn other writers or Relators t for delivering accounts of the experiments of Craftsmen differing from thofe I have gi- ven ^ nor condemn me^^ for havtng contented my [elf to fet dcwnfuch Pr apices faithfully ^ as I learn' t them from the be ji Artificers ( efpecially thofe of London) 1 had opportunity te converfe with . But here perhaps it will be demanded by way of obje^ion , whether I doe not injure Tradefmen by discovering fo plainly thofe things^ which our Laws call the My fieries of their Arts* Toaquejlionythatway perhaps by [ome be cUmeroufly prtffed^ The Preambled mtonlj upoff me^ hut much more upon Some ingenious men of cur Nation^ ivhofe pens have bin more hold than mine in dt[' cloftng Craftesmens Secrets ^*twill he reijuifite to return feve^ rail things hy rvay of anfwer^ hut that fuch Readers as are not troubled with the Scrttple, may not he fo with the Apology^ theywiU find this printed in another charaSfer ^ fo that t if theypleafe^ they maypa^ it over unread, Pitft then> It may be reprefented, that I never divulge aU the Secrets and pracSlices neceflary to the exercife of any one Trade , contenting my felf to dehver here and there upon occafion fome few particular Experiments, that make for my prefent purpofe: So thatjor much more than I al- low my felf to doe, I can plead the example, not only of other writers , that have publiflied Books to teach the whole Myftery of this, or that trade, ss the Priefl /^»/^- fiio Neri hath diligently done in his IfuMzn Arte Fetraria, and fome Englifh , as well as forreign, Virtuofi have done onotherSubjed^s; But alfo fome of the Artificers them- felves, as the famous Gold-fmith and Jeweller Benvenuto Cellini in his much efteemed Italian Trads of the Lapida- ries and Goldfmiths Trades. Thus alfo the famous Mine- ralift Georgius ^gricola publifhed in Latin a whole Volume of themore pra(5lical part oi Mineralogie, wherein he largely and particularly defcnbes Experiments, tooles,and other things that belong to the Callings of Mein men* To which I might add divers other Treatifes , fome of them French, others Italian, ^ which, though I could not procure them, I have feene among curious colledions of books ) that have bin publiflied about Severall Artes by the Artificers themfelves. And 'tis notorious, that in En* glifh, as well as in divers forrein languages, we have Books of the Artes of Gunnery, Diilillacion, Painting, Gardening . "~ ^ &o ^ The Preamble. &C. divulg'd by perfons , that Profeded thofc Callings.' Secondly, it is not the Cuftome ofTradefmen to buy Books, elpecially fuch as are not intended for fuch Rea- ders , and treat ( for the mod part ) of things cither be- yond their reach or wherein they feem not likely to be con- cerned 5 And as for Gentlemen and Scholars, though fomeof them may, to fatiffy their curiofity , make afe\f tryalls , yet their doing fo will fcarce in the Icaft be preju- dicial to Tradefmen. Since ( to omitt other Arguments ) it will not be worth while for 3 Viituofo to be at the charge and trouble of buying tooles, and procuring other necei- fary accommodations to fell a few produdions of his skill, though he fhould not fcruple to defcend to fuch a Pradice. For ilhe make but a fmall number of Expifriments, their cffe^s will coft him more than the like may be bought for, of thofe that make them in great Quantities, and whom their trade obligeth to be loliicitous to buy their inftruments and materialls at the bed hand , and fell them to the beft profit. Befides that moft of the workes of Artificers , are chiefly recommended to the more curious fort of buyers by a certain politenefTe , and other orna-» ments ( comprifed by many under the name of Finijhing: ) which require either an inllrutied and dexterous hand, or ac leafl fome little peculiar diredions , which I did not ali- wayes thinke my felf oblig'd to mention , in a treatife defigned to affift my friend to become a Philofopher,noc a traderman,and publifh'd to help the Reader to gain know- ledge not to get mony. Thirdly, to publifh an Experiment or two , or in fome cafes a much greater number belonging to a Trade , is not fufiicient to rob a Tradefman ofhisProfefiion. For, befides that moft trades confi It of Severall parts , and are each of them made up of divers Pradices ( that common- ly are moce than aiew^ Thofe nuoierous MechanicallArts^ *♦ that The PrcamWe; that are called handicrafts, require C as their very namear- gueth a Manuall dexterity ) not to be learnt from Bookes^ but to bcobtaind by imitation and ufe. And to thele con* fiderations Iflialladdthis more important one, that Me- chanicall profelTions are wont to be as it were made up of two parts, which, for diftin(5lion fake, I take leave to call the Art and the Craft 5 by the former whereof I mean the fkill ot making fuch or fuch things , which are the ge* nuine Produ(5lions of the Art, (as when a Taylor maketh afuit, or a cloak, ) and by the latter I mean the refult of i^! thofe informations and Experiments, by which the Arti- •V ficer learns to make the utmoft profit , that he can, of the . >-. Productions of his Art. And this Oeconomical Prudence * IS a thing very diftin(a from the Art it felf , and yet is of- ten the moft beneficial thing to the Artificer, informing him how to chufe his materialls and eftimate their good- nefleand worth, in what places, and at what times,the beft and cheapeft are to be had , where, and when, and to what perfons the things may be moft profitably vented . In ihort, the Craft is that which teacheth him how both to buy his materialls and tooles , and to fell what he makes with them to the moft advantage. Fourthly , it may often prove more advantageous than prejudicial! to Tradefmen themfelves, that many of their pradices (hould be known to Experimental! Philofophers*. *neZifayheve This I fuppofe that Ihave fufficiently prooved in fome,and M Imfof especially in ^ one ot the following Eflayes. ihe Utility o/"//;f Yet I fhall now reprefent, that though fome little incon- Naturdtds in- yeuience may happen to iome Tradefmen by the difclof- (ignmtoua es, -^^^ iome of thtir Experiments to practical! Naturalifts> yet that may be more than com pen fated, partly, by what may be contributed to the perfc<5iing of fuch experiments themfelvcsj and, partly by the diffufcd Knowledge and fa- gacity The Preamble. gacity of Philofophers, and by thofenewInventionjjWhich may probably be expe(5led from fuch perfons, efpecially if they be furm'flied with Variety of hints from the pradi- ces already in ufe. For thefe Inventions of ingenious heads doe, when once grown into requeft, fet many Mechanical hands a worke , and fupply Tradefmen with new meanes of getting a livelyhood oreveninriching themfelves. As to the difcipline fubordinated to the pure Mathematicks, this is very Evident J for thofe fpeculative Sciences have ( though not Immediatly ) produced their trades that make Quadrants, Sectors, Aftrolabes , Globes, Maps, Lutes, Vialls, Organs, and other Geometrical, Aftronomical , Geographical, and Mufical inftruments ; and not to inflance thofe many Trades, that fubfift by making fuch things as Mechanicians, proceeding upon Geometrical Propofitions, have bin the Authors ofj we know that whether the excel! ec Galileo was or was not ihe fir ft finder out of TelercopeS5yec he improved them fo much , and by his difcoveries in the heavens, did (o recommend their ufefullnefle to the curi- ous 9 that many Artificers in divers parts of Europe have thought fit to take up the Trade of making profpciftive glaffes. And fince his death, feverall others have had pro- fitable worke laid out for them , by the newer diredions of fome Englifh Gentlemen, deeply fkill'd in Dioptricks,and happy ac Mechanical contrivances; info much that now we have feverall (hops , that furnifti not only our own Vir* tuofi, but thofe of forrein Countryes with excellent Micro- fcopes and Tclefcopes, of which latter fort 1 lately bought one ( but I confefTe the only one that the maker of it, or any man, that I hear of, hath perfeded of that bignelle ) which is of threefcore foot in length , and v\hich the Inge* nious Artift , that made it M' Reeves, prized conftsntly atnolelTe than an hundred poundsCEngliili mony) I know ** 2 not. The Preamble. not , whether or no f (hould add, that poflibly fome parti- cular experiments ofmine have not bin hitherto unprofi- table to ieverall Tradefmen : But this 1 mayiafely affirm , that a great deal ofmony hath bin gained by Tradefmen, both in England and elfwhere upon the account of the fear- let Dye , invented in our time by Cornelius Drebbell , who was not bred a Dyer nor other Tradefman. And that wedaylyfee the (hops of clockmakers and watchmakers more and more furniflied with thefe ufefull inftrumcnts , Tendulum Clocks, as they are now called , which , but very hv9 years agoe , were brought into requeft , by that moft ingenious Gentleman, who dilcovcrd the new Planet about Saturn. I have handled the Suhjcd of the foregoing Arguments Tnuck more particularly^ than I would have done, had not my fen bin draw*n on , hj a Hope that the things 1 have repre^ fented majfurmjh Apologies to many inquifttive men , who may he thereby enbolden'd to carry Philofophical materialls from thefhops to the Scholes, and divulge the experiments of Artificers^ both to the improvement of trades themfelves y and to the^XQuinriching of the Htjiory of K^rtes and Na*, ture. if it he farther demanded , whether I have furni/hed thefe Bfjajes with the chief efl things I could have afforded them , J rnusi confefe , that I have not , for though I had lying by me Sever all Experiments andohfervations^ lefinconftderable th^n many of thoje ihave made ufe of^ which would have bin -pertinent enough to the Subje^s hers treated of^ yet 1 pur- pof^lj forbore to imploy them in thefe tra^s,becaufe I would not dt fraud thofe others , to which they were more proper ^d* fome'of them neceffary. For J freely declare, that my defigne inthi^ prefent tome was not to fur mf}) it as well O'S l could ^ but The PfcamblcJ ht to preferve , a^itt a repoptorj , fever al fcatterd Expert- ments dnd Remarks ^ which 1 could heH [pare from the other Treatifes 1 haddeftgnd ^ which might othcrrvtje probably be loB 5 bftt jet I jhaQ. not denj^ that 1 did not careleffly draw up fome of the following Tra5is ^ but that lendeavourd to write themh fuch ESSAY I. Containing fome general (^on/t derations about the Means J whereby Experimental Thilofofhy may be-^ come ufe/ul to Humane Life, Hitherto, my Dear TjrofhUus, I have attempted to fatis- fieYou of the Ufefulncffe of Experimental- Natural Philofophy to Phyfick: it followes, that I proceed to en- deavour to fhew you, that it may be alfo very fervjceable to Husbandry, in all its fubordinate parts, and to thofe other ProfefTions that ferve to provide Man with Food or Ray- ment,or do otherwife minifter to the Neceilities or Accom- modations of Life . as the Trades of Brewing, Baking, Fifhing, Fowling, Building, and the reft not needful here to be enumerated. For though the Humane Body, in refpet^: ofthe Rational Soul, (which is the Inventrefs and Seat of Sciences) be one of the Corporeal things, over which the Empire of Knowledg is to be eftabhfh'di yet taking Man as a Creature made up of Body and Soul, the Advancement of his Empire feemstoconfiftmore properly in the Inlarge- mcnt of his Power over the other Creatures; Phyfick feem- ing rather to defend him againft Revolts and lQfurre(5tions at home, than to increafe his Power, and extend the Limits of his Empire abroad. But, Pjrofhilus, I hope You do not exped^, that 1 fhonld now iftpfl on each, or fo much as on any of the above menti- oned Trades, by whofe intervention tis, that Man esercifes his Dominion over external Bodies. For fuch a work would A 2 reauire 2 How Experimental Thitofophy rcqnire little Icffe than an Age, and much more than aVo* lumn; and befides (that it is vaftly difproportionate, both to my flenderftock of Mechanical skill, and to the little leafure I have to conclude this Section in^ I could not ac- quaint you with all that I could pertinently enough deliver about thefe matters, without too much defrauding fome o- ther Trcatifes that I defign You: and therefore I hope youl be content, if, in the remaining part of this Tra(5l, I doe fjot finely prefent you a not defpicable number of Confiderati- ons proper to manifeft That^ and to intimate Hcrv Experi- mental Fbilofophie may be of great Ufe to the promoting of Mechanical Arts and Trades, ?«nlluftrate and confirm all, or mofl of thofe C onfiderations by particular Inflances, de» riv'd from Obfervations and Experience. This I (hall, God affifting, endeavour to do in the follow* ing EfTays. But before I defcend to particulars , it will be expedient inihis place to premife fome general Confiderati- ons relating to the influence of Experimental Fbilofophie upon Trades,and two or three Advertifemenxs,tha£ concern the enfuing Difcourfes. tBE /. SECT 10 IT. "pirfl then, to make it probable, that a true infight into ^ Natural Philofophie may be capable of affordmg fome reformation, or other kind of improvement to Trades, I fliall defire You to confider. That being, for the generality of them, converfant about fome few particular produ<5tions of Nature, fuch Men as are throughly skill'd in her general Laws, and acquainted with a vaft number of her Produdi- ons, and vers'd in the waycs of applying Nature and Arc jointly to feveral purpofes, according to the feveral Exi- gencies of things, fuch fagacious perfons (I fay) will, in all kkelihood, be able fome way oi: other, to meliorate the In- ventions i ISaj hecome ufefulto Humane Life. z vcntions of illiterate Tradefmen. As the Husbandman's skill, for inftance, confifting chiefly in the Obfcrvations of the Nature ofa few Plants and Animals, their relation to fuch and fuch Soils and kinds of Culture, and the Operati- ons of Stars and Meteors upon them, which are Subjeds that properly enough fail within the cognifance of the Na« turalift, it cannot feen:3 improbable, that He that has ferionf- ly and induftrioufly enquired into the Nature of Generati- on, Nutrition, and Accretion, both in Plants and Animals, and knows how to vary an ufeful Experiment, when once found out, fo as to remedy the inconvenicncies, or fupply the deficiencies, or improve theadvantagioufnclTe, or tranf- lateandapply theufeof it, and (in fumme; He that can knowingly and dexteroofly manage, what his own and other mens Obfervations have afforded him, will be able to culti- vate the ordinary Husbandman's skill with as much improve* ment, as that confus'd skill enables the Husbandman to cul* civace his Ground* THE 11. SECTION^ nro carry on the foregoing Confiderations a little farther, *• I will adde, That it may as well conduce much to the minifefting how much Trades are fubordinate to Natural Philofophie, as to the improvement of Trades thcmfelves, that it be attentively coniider'd, what things each particular Trade is, as it were, made up of. As, for Example, the chief things in the Refiners Trade are, T^ know the wayes of making, and the Operations of Lyiqua fortis upon Silver, Gold, and Copperj to know how to purge that CMenflruum^ that it may diflblve no Gold, nor precipitate any of the Sil- ver it diflblvesj to know what proportion there ought to be dillolv'd in it; to know with what quantity of Water to weaken the Solution, mihovfhng Copper- plates need lye ia 4 Holi> Uxpermental fhttofoplj 10 ic, to precipitate all the Silver cut of it; to know how Lead is to be coUiqnated wiih them, and what froportion of it is necefTary and fufficicnt to carry ofF with it (when tis blown off upon the Teft^ the bafer Mctalsj to know how to make Gupples of feveral forts and fizes, and upon them to draw off the Lead or Antimony from the Silver or Gold, and difcern when the Metal is fufficiently refin'd; to know what proportion of Gold and Silver is reqaifite for the mak- ing of ir4^^r- (7 (which we elfewhere have oaafion more par- ticularly to cake notice of with Refle(5^ions on it) is briefly this. We cook Pot-afhes, which you know contains buc the Sale of burnt Vegetables-, and on thofe, firft dilTolv'd in a little fair Wacer^ we dropt Jcj: fortis (whofe Saline part confifts indeed of licde eife than the Spirits of Nitre,) till ail Ebullition and Hiffing betwixt It and the refolv'd Pot-afhes were perfectly ceas'd; and having filtrated this Liquor, and fet ic in an open VelTel in a gentle heat to evaporate, it did within two or three dayes after, (and foracrimes, for we made it more than once, even in a few hours, J being removed to a cold place, afford us very pure Ghryftals of Salt-pecre, as both their fhape,and flafliing (on live Coals) into a blew halituous flame, informed us< And fince I have had occafion to mention thellfeof Salt^petrein Husbandry, I fhall noc forbear to adde. That che knowledge which the Naturalift, asadifcerningChymifl, may give the Husbandman of the natures and di{lin<^ions of Saline Bodies, may be of no mean ufe to him, by affifting him to difcern and obferve the confiderableft differences of the various SaltnefTes to be found m Soiles, and what fort of SaltnefTe each particular Seed or Plant moft affeds. For by this means, noc onely ma^ ny Grounds might be made ufeful, which are thought bar- ren, onely by reafon of our not knowing for what Plants the Saltnefl'e predominant in them may be proper; but the fame Ground may yeild much frequenter Crops than commonly ic doth,when it vi fucceffively fow'd onely with one fort of S^td, by the due alteration of Plants delighting in the feve- ral forts of Salts,to be met with in that Ground-,which often- times, by being impoverifh'd, or rather freed from one fore of Salt, doth but the more plentifully feed thofe Plants thac delight in another: which in fome places we have obferv'd that Husbandmen Teem to have taken notice of already, by fowiog (infields too remote from their Dwellings to have B Compofl 8 Hvw Experimental fhilofo[/hy Compoft brought to themj Turnips, to fit the Ground for Wheat, and ferve for a Manure, though in this method fome other Circuno fiances maypoflibly concurr with the nature of Turnip- feed, to the preparation of the Ground for Wheat. And I am prone to think, that there is fcarce any Ground or Soile, (except perhaps meer SandJ that might not, even without much Culture, be made fertile,or at leaft kept from being altogether barren, if we were on the one handskiirdin thewayes of difcerning the Nature of the Ground ; and on the other hand acquainted with , and provided of, all the varietiy of Seeds and Plants that Na- ture has ( though not all in one Countrey ) afforded us. For there arc divers Soiles, which here in England^ or in other Regions, are, as ufelefTe, left quite uncultivac* ed 5 which , Seeds or Plants , that abound in other Countries ," and would probably be made to grow in thefe, would make ferviceable to the Husbandman. Many fteepand abrupt portions of Ground flome of them very large) expos'd to the Southern Sun,are left altogether waff, notonely in En^Und, but in divers hot Climates, where the planting of Grapes for Wine is not yet in ufc^ though fuch pieces of Land in Fra/ice and Kaly^ and fas I have obferv'd) even in the Rhctian Alpes» nourifh excellent Vineyards. I know an ancient and Landed Gentleman, who commu- nicated to me upon his own knowledg an experienc'd wjy of making Wheat grow and profper well on meer Clay, where there was no Grain at all did thrive: which though 1 have not hitherto hal opportunity to try, yet upon the credit of a Perlbn fu fober and qualified, I fcruple not to mention it here, becaufe the Art confiflmg mainly in the Imbibition of the Seed for a determinate time in a certain cxprefs'd Oyl that is not dear^ it may make it probabIe,that without altera ingthewhole Soile by Manures, a flight, but convenient change made in the Seed it felf^ may ferve to make ibem He for May hecome u/eful to Humane Life^ 9 for one another. And ( to adde that upon the by) to fliew that the particular dilpofitions of fome forts of Seeds may enable them to make the Ground they arc fow'd in, much more produ(5tive than it would otherwjfe be, I (hall relate to you, that being not long fince in the Gompany of a Learned and Curious TravelJer,! faw, among forae Rarities of a quite other nature, an Ear or two of Corn, not ranch unlike our common Wheat, at which being fomewhat furprized, I askt him what peculiarity had procured that Grain admiflion among fuch Rarities? To which he replied. That in the warmer Region where he begg'd it of a Virtuofo^ one of chofe Grains would afford fovaft a multitude, as he wasalmoft a- iham'd to name, and I am more than almoft afraid to repeat: but before I went out of the houfe, an Englifh Gentleman, that had a more than ufual Curiofity for fuch kind of Trials, aflbr'd me. that having obtained fome Grains of that Corn, and carefully fow'd it in fome Land of his own, not far from the place we were m, he had out of a fingle Grain feveral Hundreds? though not near fo many of them, as the other Traveller, who yet was a very fober and judicious man,relat- ed to have been produced in a better Climate and Soile. Of this ftrangly prolifick Wheat,the Gentleman readily grant- ed me a promife of a (ufficient quantity to make a Trial, whereof, when I (hall have received it from a Servant of mine in the Countrey, You may command the Succefs. And this brought into my mind what I read in the Learned Tefu- » . ., ^ . , , ite Acepa^ who aftirms, that in divers parts of America^ asheispuMiiiic where tis known that our European Wheat profpers not^the >y ^unbx[. JndiAn {ox^^% many Engli^ have ftil'd it, Virginian) Wheat they call CMa/z docsfo Wonderfully thrive, that although the Stalk bear often more than one Clufter, and the Grain be bigj yet in fome Glufters he has reckoned feaven hundred grains: to which he addes, That it is not grange in thofe coun- tri(s tfi gather three hundred {Faneques^ cr) meafuresfor one B 2 fown to Hotp Experimental fhtlofophy (orvn. Which paflages,erpecially the former, fpeak of an Tu- creafe that fcems fo Jittle Credible, that I ftiould on that ac- count forbear to mention it, were it not that in Europe^ and even in England^ I my felf have reckoned fuch a multitude of Grains upon one of the very numerous Ears producd by the famefingle Grain, that 1 found my lelfvery inclineable to abrdve Acofta, and continue to look upon him as one of the beft Writers of the Natural Hl^ork oi \^7nerfca. We now proceed to take notice, that in fome Eaflern Countries, a fort of Rice (a Grain that makes the chief and moft ufual food of the Natives over almoft all thofe parts) profpers very well upon Land fo drencht with Waters, that Seeds- men, to fcatter the R ice^ do rather Wade than Walk. But this it felf ("which, for the main, wasconfi'm'd tome by Eye-witDefres)isIelI'eftrange, and doesleffe illuftrioufly confirm what 1 was propofing, than what the inquifitive Je- fuite Martini u^ z^xm^ to be thepradiceof fome (as well great as fmall; Countries in China^ where, in divers pbces • that are all the year under water, and would by our Europe' an Husbandmen be thought capababie of no other ufe,than that of Ponds or Lakes, the Chinen[es caft a certain Seed fo well appropriated to the place that is to receive it^ that though it fals not immediately on the Land but on the Wa- ter, cCothatonewouldthink they were not about to fowa Field, but bait a Pond for Fiflies)yet this Seedpbeing adapt- ed to the Soile it meets with at the bottom of the water, does fo well profper and ihoot up to the top, that in its pro- per Seafon the furface of the Water looks as frefh and ver- dent as a fruitful Meadow, and yeilds as rich a Crop. But for fear of digreffing,, I Avail, Pyrophiius^ proceed to tell you, that perh.psalfo Chymiftryjcfpecialiy in conjunflion with Hydroft^ticks,ra3y prove ferviceable to the ingenious Hus- bandman, by aCTifting him to difcover the kinds and degrees oiSaltoeiTes^thatareinieveral other Bodies that he much dedl& }/iay hecome ufefulto Humane Life. i i deals with* I remember I have met with things farprizing enough, in examining fome forts of Earths by Diftillation, and by feveral Chymical Inftruments of Difcovery^ but though I have likewife had the Curiofity to diftill Dungs and Grain, and Fruits, and fome other Subjedls, wherewith the Husbandman is conver fan t, to obfcrve what kinds of Saline and other Liquors, and in what proportion, and of what ftrength, they could afford me; yet not having any Notes by me of the particular Trials, I fliall content my felf to have given you this hint of a new fort of Experiments in Husbandry, and fhall onely adde, as to Salts, That fince the fertilizing power of Dungs feems to refide in the Sali- no-fulphurcous part of them, (and the like I have by Chy- mical if rials found in Lime-, J a prcdical infighc into the dif- ferences and differing Operations of Salts (about which I elfewhere entertain you; may probably very much affift the Husbandman to examine the feveral Dungs, and other Compofts, (the knowledg of which is of great moment in his Art,; and to multiply, compound, and apply them skil- fully. And as Chymiftrie, that is converfant about Fire-, foevet> Hydroftaticks and Hydraulicks, that teach us to make En- gines and Contrivances fbr the lifting up, and for the con- veying of Water, may in divers places be of no fmall ufe to the Husbandman. For not to mention what is done in fome more known parts of the Eaft, of the like nature with what I am going to mention, Martinitis informs us, That in one Province of cto^f whofe Name I remember not j they are fo curious to water their Fields of Rice, that they have upon the River excellent Mills fo made, as that great quan- tities of Water are continually r^is'd in Buckets, or other convenient VefTels, faflned to vaft Wheels driven by the ftrearo^ which watering- Mils (to add that notable Inftance upon the by) arc not (as our Eur of can Mills arc wont to be) 6xt t 'i HOI0 Experimental fhito/ophy fixt to one place, but built npon VefTels, with which they may remove theMill$,how great focverjrom place to place, as occafion requires. Nor is this Eaftcrn way of raifing Water by Wheels, (o as that it may be conveyed by conve- nient Channels to places many foot higher than the River, or other Receptacle of the Water that is to be diftributed, the onely way whereby the Hydraulift and Mechanician may aflift the Husbandman, fince he may confiderably do it by the Art of Libellation, or condu(5ling of Water upon the Ground. For the Improvement that may be made of Land by water, in Soils fit for that wdj of Culture^ may be far more confiderable than is yet wont to be taken notice of, fas indeed this Husbandry it felf is in many Countries both elfe where, and in England^ as yet unpradis'd. j 1 have had fomeLandsofmy own much better 'd bv being skilfully overflown, fo that when I obferv'd the difference, the Te- nant, though (by of acknowledging the utmoft Advantage, confefl to me, that he thought it yeilded him double the former Income. And a Gentleman of Quality of my Ac- quaintance! whofe Improvements I went lately to view, fhew'd me a Scope of Ground, which at his firff coming to that wild place (four or 5 years agoe) was boggifh,and which yet he had turn'd into a good dry Soyl, by onely trenching it here and there with fliallow Trenches of not a Foot deep, and overflowing it (by the means of thofe Trenches, and conveniently plac'd Dams) as evenly as he could 5* ^3 or 7 times a Year, betwixt the beginning of October, and about the middle of April with the Water of a neighbouring Spring, which was no way cnrich'd by Land-flouds, arifing but in a very barren and uncultivated place, far from the neighbourhood of Grounds capable of enriching it. and yet this Spring drain'd away (if I may fo fpeak) that Ancient Hydropical Diftemper of the Land, and turn'd it, as I found hy Trial, into a good compa(ft Soile, on which flore of Mowers May he come ujeful to Humane Life. i j Mowers were (whenlfawit) imploy'd in making of Hay, which this Medowycilded plentifully enough to be worth 20 times its former value. Nor is this the iingle Confide- rablelnftaoce we have met with, of the Improvement that may be made of divers kinds of Land, onely by skilfully o- ver flowing them with common waters^ But, Pjroph, I may hereafter have fo many occafions to mention particulars relating to Agriculture, that I fhould prefently difmifle them in this Efl'ay, were it not that I am by my having nam'd Husbandry to you, put in mind to im- ploy It as an Inftance to confirm this Obfervation, That the morecomprehenfivc aTradeis , the more likely it is that it will be capable of being meliorated by Natural Phi- lofophie. For fuch Trades, as are of great extent, are ob- lig'd to deal with a confiderable number of Natures Pro- du(5tions, and to make ufe of divers of her Operations, and confcquently muft comprehend the more particulars>where- in the ManuMure or ProftlTion may be reform'd , and o- therwi^eadvantag'dbyaknowingand dexterous Naturalift. Thus the Husbandman's Corn makes it fit for him to have a competent skill /"» the whole Art of Tillage, the keeping of Cattle great and fmall, the ordering of Dairies,^/ Wood, £?/ Flax 4»^ Hemp, /?/ Hops, x,and is fometimes brought uncorrupc- ed into thefe parts again, may perfwadcus ofthe Benefit that may accrue to the Husbandman, by the Difcovery of the wayes of keeping the Produ(ftions of the Earth from Corruption 5 efpecially if his skill be extended to weak Wines, Cidar, Perry, and other Liquors, which are wont to be made in great Quantities, and yet apt to decay at home, and unfit to be tranfported far abroad. And the ufe of Sugar CO ftrengthen vinous Liquors, and make them durables and , without the help of Salt or any fliarp thing, to preferve great variety of Fruits, and of the juices of Herbs, may en- courage us CO think, that there may be very differing wayes Cand yiay hecome u/eful to Humane L't/em i 5 fand fome of them feemingly oppofite)to make many things cutlaft their Natural periods of Duration. But my Trials and Obfervations (whether about the con- fervingot Fruits, Flowers, and Fleih, or of other things of this fort) belonging more properly to another Difcourfe (of the Prefervaticn of Bodies)l (hall now mention no more of them>but pafTe on to tell you, that very much prejudice, which often happens to the poor Husbandman Cand fome- times even to his utter ruine) by thofe either ftabborn or contagious Difeafes, Cfuch as the Rot in Sheep , and the Glaundersin Horfes,} that make havock of his Cattel^may in great meafure be prevented by the inftru^iiions of a know- ing Naturalift, efpecially if he be an expert Phyfitian too« For, as many Difeafes, fo many Cures ate analogous ia Men and Beafts, and the Remedies prove frequently more fuccefsful in thefe than in them , as well for divers other Reafons, as bccaufe the Bodies of many Brutes are more a- ble to bear the Operation of ftrong Remedies-, and yet the unaccnftomednefs of almoft all of them to Phyfick, makes them more rehevable than Men by any (not improper) Re- medies. I will not now relate that I have in fome Countries found Medicines that have been ufefully tried againft Difea- fes in Men, cry 'd up for their efficacy againft their analogous ones in Horfesj nor with what difference in the Dofe thefe may be purg'd by feveral of the fame Catharticks, efpecial- ly Aloes, that are employed for the Purgation of humane Bodies. I (hall rather inform you, that #^ in thefe, Sale is Cyouknow) reputed a great refifter ot Corruption, and an Enemy to Worms , (with a fort of which the Livers and neighbouring VelTels of Sheep have been obferv'd to beintefted*,) \o by the bare ufe o{{SfAnifh) Salt, of which each Sheep, being firft made to bleed a little under the Eye, was made to take down a fmall handfuU two or three times (with fome dayes of Interval,) without being fuffer'd for C fome 1 6 How Eoc[>ertmental Thilofo[/hy fome hours to drink any thing after it: by this Remedy.I fay, given at the time of the Year when there is danger, that the Sheep will begin to be botcht, many Flocks have for divers Years been prefer ved by a rich intelligent Gentleman of my Acquaintance , that is a great Sheep- mafter, and has there- by (and that alfo lately) preferv'd his Flocks in a moift Countrey, when moft of his Neighbours loft theirs. I might here mention to you, Pyr. the Virtues of crude Anti- mony, to cure the foulnelTe of Blood,3nd even the Leprofy in Swine*, tf/ Quick filver, to cure the Worms in Horfesj cf Talviarius his famous Remedy,which he folemnly affirms to be a conftant one againft the Bitings of a mad Dog in Gat- tle 5 and cf a more parable one for Men alfo, whofe fuccefle I almoft admir'd in a neer Relation of Yours and Minej of the ufe of the AntimonialGup for feveral SicknefTes in Horf- cs and Sheep, which ^if I mif- remember not)was fuccesful- ly tried by one to whom I recommended it-, and ^/another Antimonial Medicine, which (though much commended to me by a Firtuofo that took it himfelfj a Gentleman of my Acquaintance refidcnt in the Countrey, who prepares it, zt furcsme,thathe ufes it with ftrange fuccefle to fatten his Horfes, (made lean by occafion of, SicknefTe,) with whom 3 et it works not, either as an Eth^plk, or a Purge. And I could here prefent you divers other Receipts much priz'd for their having (as well as the newly "Vhention d Remedies) fre- quently been found effectual againft the fame Difeafes both in Humane Bodies and in Brutes , if I did not think it lefle proper to make in this place a Veterinarian Excurfion, than to tell You, that, if You have any Curioficy for them, You may command them. I might adde, if I had leifure, fome Reafons why I defpair not that in time the Husbandman may, by the Affiftance of the Naturalift, be able to advance his Profeffion by a The- rapeutical part^ which may extend Qoconety to the Animal Produ- May hecome u/tftd to Humane Life^ 17 produ(3:ions of the Ground, and to the Vegetable cnesj but fin a large reception of the Termj to the Diftempers of the G oun i it felf. For if the Caufes of the Barrennefs of Soils in general, and of their Indifpofition to cherifli particular Plants or Animals, were by the Philofopher's fagacity dif- cover'd , I fee not why many of thofe DefecSls may not be remov'd by rational Applications, and proper wayes of curej as well as wee fee Inconveniences remedied m many other inanimate Bodies,without excepting the clofc and ftubborn Metalline ones themfelves* And perhaps alfo^that by a way of management fuggefted by the knowlcdg ofCaofes, the barrennefle of a Soil may be cured, or its Fertility much promoted by methods, that do nothing neer fo much require Coft as Skill. Some in- genious Husbandmen have of late proclaim'd themfelves much fatisfied with a way of corre^ing two of the barren'ft forts of Land, not by rich Mannres or other coftly cultures, but by skilfully mixing the Sand and Clay themfelves in a due proportion, according to the Ufe the Husbandman de- figns to make of it. And whereas one of the beft modern Writers of Agriculture reports, as he may, for a ftrange thing, that he had feen feven or eight and thirty Ears of Bar- ley that fprung from one Grain; I remember, that an Inge- nious Gentleman, to fatisfie fome Curious perfons what might be done in that kind, Jow'd Corn upon a piece of Land, very neer the place of my abode, which profper'd fo ftrangely, that one Root that I took particular notice of, though perhaps not the fruitfulleft in the field , produced fix- ty and oddc Ears of Corn, and yet, which was the ftrangeft, this wonderful Increafe depended upon a Philofophical Ob- fervationj nothing extraordinary having been done, either totheLandjOrfomuchastotheSeed; as I had opportuni- ty to know, both by the informations of obferving men, and by the confeflion of the Gentleman himfelf, who was C 2 pleas 'd i8 How Experimental fhllofophy plea$'dto make choice of metointruft his Secret with, that in cafe he dyed before me, the publick might not loofe it. Upon which account he alfo confided to me another Speci- men of his skill. He once prefented your Excellent Mother a company of feveral forts of choice Apples, among which there was one fort excellently tafted, but very fmall; the following Year he prefented her another Basket of the like Fmit, but finding no fmalloncs among them, ihe took oc- cafion to ask him, What was become of the Tree that pro- duced thofe delicious little Apples, that made part of his former Prefent.? to which he replied, that he had brought feveral of its produdliOBS among the other Fruits ftie was looking on^ and thereupon fhew'd her fome that came from the fame Tree, and appeared by the peculiar Rellifli to be of the fame fort, though exceedingly differing in Bulk, that neither your Mother, nor I, had any fufpicion that the fame Tree bore them. Upon which occafion be readily gratified my Curiofity by acquainting me with his way, which de- pended almoft onely upon a Phyfical Obfervationj all that he added being not any rich Comport, but fome defpis'd Leavesofa very cheap and common Vegetable. But Hus- bandry is too large a fubjed for me to profecute in thisplace^ sod therefore I (liall here difmilTe it. 7'HB Til, SECTION. n^He next thing I fhill obferve to You, Pyroph, is, that ^ tis not onely to the Trades th it minifter to the necelli- tics of Mankind, but to thofealfo thatferve for Man's ac- Gommodation or delight, that Experimental Philofophie may bring Improvements 5 forthefe Arcs alfo do for the moff part confift in the knowledg and application of fome of Natures Produiflions and courfes, whofe being referred ta the accommodation or delight of Men, rather than to any or ther May become ufefulto HnmaneLife, "jip other purpofc, does prodace nothing that is truely Phyfical in the things fo referr'd, which thereby acquire onely fuch a kind of refpc(5l to M^n, as that which the Mecaphyficians call an Extrinfecal DenominAtions and we fee that the iame things, without varying their Nature, are ferviceable to men in very differing capacities: as Wine ferves one that is dry to quench his Third, ferves a fainting per fon to revive bis Spirits, and the Drunkard to inebriate him 5 the fame fpiri t of Wine that ferves the Phyfician to make Tin(5lure$ and Extra(5ls for the recovery of Health, may ferve the La- dies to difTolve Benjamin into a tini^ed Liquor, that diluted with fair Water, may be us'das a Cofmetick, which I have received many thanks for? and the fame Spirit skilfully in> ployed upon Ingredients to be nam'd to you ere long, is of cxcclientufefor making of divers fine Varnifhes made with rectify 'd fpiritof Wine-, nay the newly mentioned Solution of Benjamin may it felf be applied to all thofe differing ufes 5 for of it fell it is a pretty and odoriferous Varnifli,and I have us'd it Cihough not often, for want of opportunity j with very good fuccefs againft a fort of Tetters, which Icaus'd frequently to be bath'd with it. What happy applications Kn^wledg and Skill may make even of anpromifing things, to thefurnifliing men with Delights, is me thinks very evi- dent in Mufical Inflruments, (as Lutes, Viols,&c.) For who would think (if Experience d^id^ not affure us of it j that with a few pieces of Wood /oin'd together, and the Guts of Cats or Lambs wrcath'd or twifted into Strings, the skilful Mu- fitian, by the help of Mathematicks and Exercife, fhoold be able to charm the Ear with thegreateft, as wellas mofl in- nocentjDclights, the Senfe belonging to the Organ is capa* ble of, and which fometimes does not onely flcafe^ but rA- *vijh the tranfported Hearers, But though, Pjro^hilust as I was lately faying, Pbyficks may not onely be very improv- iag to thofe Arts and froteffions that fervc to provide man- witU 1 6 Holo F xperhmntal fhil^fcph^ with the Nectflaries or Accommodations of Life, hut alfo to thofe that fervc chitflv co furnifh him with Plt.^^ures and Delights^ as might be inft^nc'dm Experiments of Colour- ing, Pertum'ng, making Sweet- meats of ail Sorts, embel- liihing the Face with Cofnleticks, and divers othtrs of the like voluptuous nature: and though I mayelfewhere have occafion , when I come to treat of Colours, Odors, Tafts, and other Qualities, to acquiintyou with fomt Receipts and Experiments of this kind, yet now I do not onely want lei- fure to mention them, but am defirous that Natural Philo- fophy fliould engage You to Court her, rather by Her gra- tifying andenamouring your Realon, than by Her bribing andinveaglingyour Senfes. THE IF. SECTION. nr Hough what has been reprefented about theUfefuInefle "*• of Experimental Philofophy to Trades, does chiefly belong to thofe, wherein Natures Produdions are Imployed to Humane Ufes, by thofe Operations wherein Nature her Self, rather than the Artificer, feems to have the chief hand, as the Trades of Brewing, Baking, Gardening,Tanning,5;c. ye 1 1 would not exclude thofe very Trades wherein the Ar- tificer feems to be the main Agent, and in whofe ultimate Pfodudions the chief thing, that is wont to be confider'd,is the adventitious Shape or Form, which the Artificer, as an intelligent and voluntary Agent, does, by the help of his Tools, give the Matter he works on, as in the Trades of the Smith, the Mafon, the Cutler fwhen diftini^from that of the Sword- maker,) the Watch-maker, and other Handi- crafts. For though thefe confift rather in the Manual dex- terity of Men, than the skilful ordering of the Produdlions of Nature, by their material Operations upon one another; yet to many, if not all, even of thefe, the Naturalift may fomeway or other be a Benefai^or* For May lecome ujeful to Humane Life. 2 1 For tbere are divers of thefe Manual Trades, that, efpe- cially as they are exercis'd in Gities and greater Towns, confift of feveral parts , and have need of feveral other Trades to prepare Materials for them, and difpofe them to receive the laft Form which the Artificer is to give them, to fie them for Sale. And we may in many cafes obferve, that though this Artificer, that gives the Matter this laft Form, does it chiefly with his Hands and his Tools^ yec thofe other Tradefmen, to whom he is beholding for his Materials, do fome or other of them, to prepare and quali- fie them for his Ufe, need (ome Obfervations of the condi- tions of the Body they deal with, or muft imploy fome Phyfica! Operations, wherein they may be much affifted by the knowing Naturalifl, who may alfo teach the manual O- perator hlmfelf how to make choice of his Materials, and examine the goodnefl'e of thofe that fubordinate Work- men (hall bring him. Thus though Stone- cutting be a Trade, that feems to confift almoft wholly in giving, with proper Tools, to Marble, Free-ftone, and other Materials, the Shape which the Artificer defignesj yet,if I had leifure, 1 could eafily fliew You, that even in this Trade there are many particulars, wherein Experimental Philofophie might be helpful to the Artificer. For wayes , hitherto unus*dj_ may be found out (as I have partly tried j to examine the nature and goodneffe of the Marble, Alabafter, and other ftones which the Mechanicks deal with. A competent know., ledg of the Sap that is to be found in Stones imploy*d for Building, is of fo much importance, that the experienc'd M"^ Workmen have confeft to me. That the fame fort of Stone, and taken out of the fame Qiiarry, if digg'datoneSeafon, will moulder away In a very few Winters; whereas digg'd at another Seafon, it will brave the Weather for very many Years, not to fay. Ages: (but of my Obfervations of this kind more elfewhere.; The Cements alfo, and Stoppings 2 1 How 'Expirimen'tal ^hilofo^lj (zs they call them) which are of good ufe in this Trade^ may be eafily better'd by the Naturalift that is vers'd in fuch Mixtures. And I remember I had occaiion to teach a Hne Cement for the rejoyning of the broken Limbs of Statues to their Bodies, to an inquifitive Artificer, who by fucb like helps did in other cafes fo well counterfeit Marble with a Cement^that even where there wasoccafion to fill up great Cavities with it, the work would palTe for entire; the Ad- dicamenrs being not diftinguifhc from the Natural Marble. Want of Curiofity alfo keeps our Stonecutters here in j?»^/4»^ unacquainted with the ways of working upon Por- phiry , which they will not undertake either to poliili or to cut. Nor is England the onely Countrey where the Art of working uponPorphiry f which appears to have been in great ufe amoogfl the Ramans) is unknown, though at Rome there are fome tew that do with great Gain exercife it. And though I know not precifely what tis they imploy, yet I prefume it may be Powder of Emery: for with That and Water, and Steel- fa ws, I have herein England cmkd a Por- phireftonetobecut. And the mention of Porphire puts meinmindof telling You, that by an Art I have, white Marble may be fo ftain'd, and that durably, with Spots great or fmall, and red or brown, as it pleaseth the Artificer, as I may hereafter have occafion more fully to relate. Twonld be too long to difcourfe to you here of Artificial Marble, and divers other things that Stone-cutters affirm to belong to their Trade, wherein you will fcarce doubt,but that it may be capable of improvement. Wherefore I fhall onely adde, that whereas this Profeffion does much require very good Steel- tools, and they vnuft have thefe from Smiths, and o- thcrs that deal in Iron, if thefe Mens Trade were better'd by the Naturalift, they might be able to afford the Stone- cutter the better tempetM Tools: and that even the Smiths Craft, though it fcems to be raeerly a Manual Art, is yet ca- \tay hecome ufeful to Humane h'tfe^ i j capable of much melioration by the knowlei^gof Nature, were not difficult to manifeft, if t were proper here to infift on the Proofs of it; yet thus much I (hall here take notice of to confirm this IV. Obfervation, That not onely the Phi- lofopher may, as a Mineralift and a Mechanician, improve the wayes of making Iron and Steel, before they come to the Smiths handjbut likewifemay devife better Expedient? , than are among us inufejfor the ordering of Iron and Steel, when it comes to be formed into Weapons and Tools. The Sword- blades, and other Arms, that are made at Damafco , are very famous every where, and Cas far as fome Trials have informed us) juftly for their excellency in cutting even Iron. And yet it feems to be onely the skill of the Artificers in or- dering it, that gives the Swords and other Inftruments made at Darf>afco, fo great a preheminence above others. For though the goodnefle of them have been prefum'd to pro- ceed from that of the Iron- mines, and Steel, peculiar to the Region of that City i yet the judicious 5^/7^;;//^ , having made particular Enquiry at his being there, informs us o- a^^'//'"'!-? ' "^' therwife, and tels us, that Iron and Steel, being brought thi- cap.l\, ' * *" ther from other parts, (the Countrey having no Mines of it j receives there from the skill of the Workmen its Temper and Perfc6lion. And I fee not why I may not reafonably fuppofe, that in the tempering of Steel, tis not onely the goodnefle of the Mo^ ^d the determinate degree of Hear, though thefe be thewflfly things Artificers are wont to look after, that give the b^ftT^nper; but that much may de- pend upon the Nature of the Liquors , or other Bodies, wherein the hot Steel is plung;*d, and upon other wayes of ordering it, if thofe be skilfully chofen and imployed- I have had a Graver fo well teraper'd, (but by whom I know notj that all the known wayes us'd by me and others, f who wondered, as wellasi, attheunfuecesfulnelle of our Endea- vours, j could not deprive it of its Temper, as they would D have 14 H^ Experimental Thllofoifhy have done any Gravers that we make here 5 and twas after* wards affirm'd to me, that it was made of Steel temper'd at D4mafc0- I may elfewhere tell You, Fyophilus^ both of a way I have tried, of hardening Gravers, without quenching them in any Liquor or Tallow, or any other Un(5tuous Body-, and that having perfwadedan Ingenious Artificer to try an un- pradlic'd way ot tempering Gravers, hefoon after brought meonetofeethegoodnefleofit, which , by being plung'd in a certain cheap Mixture , (wherewith I may hereafter ac* quaint You) had been harden'd and temper'd at once: which though moft Artificers would think fcarce poilible, yet up- on the Authority of Trial, I (hall venture to deliver what fome may think as ftrange, namely. That though Ignition andExtindion in cold Water, be the common and known way to harden Steel (Gravers,) yet by that way, onely ob« ferving precifely a Nick of Time,Steel may be made ftrang» ly Soil* But of this more elfewhere. 1 (lull now adde. That having enquir'd of one of the Curioufeft, and moft obferving Makers of Steel-Tools , whether he did not find a difference in the imploying of Pump-vvater,or River- water in giving them their Temper, he fatisfied me that he did fo-, and obferv'd the former to be fitter for fome forts of Tools, and the later for others. There may be divers o- iher Particulars, wherein Iron and Steel may be improved by theNaturalift. The firft may be this: that the Metal berendcr'd fo fof t, as to be, by the helpofftrong Moulds, put into Shapes. This an Eminent and credible Artificer af- fur'd me, he hud often feen his Mafter do to Iron, with con- fiderable profit. Or eUe it may be made fufible like an o- ther Metal, as I remember I have (fometimes with acert^n Plux' powder, which I composed, it I much forget not, of Tartar, Sulphur, and Arfenick) made it run, even with a Charcoal fire, into 3 M^ffe exceeding hard, and very polifh- able. ]^ay lecome u/eful to Humane Life^ 2 5 able. A third way may be this: That it be fo ordered, as to be preferv'd very long from Ruft, which an Ancient Firtu- efo, who had purchased the Secret of a rare Artirt, for a great Prince, and ufed to (hew his Friends Steel fo prepar'd, af- far'd me was done chiefly by tempering it in Water well impregnated with the Bark of a certain Tree. In a word. there may be divers other wayes whereby Iron or Steel themfelves, or their Trader that imploy them, may be me- liorated; andtoadde, that on this occafion there are many and very differing accounts, upon which a Trade or Profeflfi- on may be benefitted by the Experimental Philofopher: tor he may either find out variety of Materials wherewith to perform the things defired by the Traderman,ffr he may ren- der thofe Materials that are already in ufe, better conditi- on'd; <>r he may di fcover and reform the unheeded Errors and Miftakes to be met with in the Trade; or he may devife more eafie and compendious wayes of producing the Effe<5l that is required; ^rhe may improve fome of the auxiliary TradeSjOf which the Trade fpoken of has need or ufe; cr he may inflru^ the Artificer to choofe, and examine , and prefeive his Materials and Tools, better than is ufual , er can make the ultimate Produ(aions of his Trade fooner, or cheaper, or eafier, or better conditioned, or applicable to more Ufes, or more durable, than they are commonly made. Nor are thefe all the particulars that might here be enume- rated to the fame purpofe, if this I V^ Confideration had not detain'd us coo long already. THE r. SECTION. 'T'He Naturalift may increafe the Power and Goods of "■• Mankind upon the account of Trades, not onely by meliorating thofe that are already found out, but by intro- ducing new ones, partly fuch as are in ao abfoloce fenfe mi9' D a Ij 26 How Experimental ^hilofophy /y invented^ and partly fuch as are unknervn in thofe places, into which he brings rhem into requeft. For twere injuri- ous both to Nature and to Man, to imagine that the Riches of the one, and the Induftry of the other are fo exhaufted, but that they may be brought to afford new kinds of Em- ployments to the hands of Tradefmen , if Philofophical Heads were ftudioufly imployed to make Difcoveries of them. And here I confider^that in many cafes a Trade dif- fers from an Experiment, not fo much in the Nature of the thing, as in its having had the luck to be applied to Humane Ufes, or ^7 a Company of Artificers made their BafinelTe, in order to their Profic; which arc things Extrinfecal, and Accidental to the Experiment it felf. To illuftrate this by an Example, the fljfliing Explofion made by a mixture of Nitre, Brimftone, and Charcoal, whilft it part not further than the Laboratory of the Monk , to whom the Invention is imputed, wasbutanExperimen-. ; hut when once the great(thoughunhappy)Ufe that might be made of it, was taken notice of, and Mechanical people refolv'd to make ic their Profeffion and buflnelTe to make Improvements and Applications of it 5 this (ingle Experiment gave Birth to more than one Trade: As namely, thofe of Powder- makers. Founders of Ordinance, Gunners (both for Artillery and Mortar- pieces,) Gun-fmiths-, under which name are com- priz'd feveral forts of Artificers, as the makers of Muskets, imall Piftols, common Barrels, fcrew'd Barrels, and other varieties not here to be infifted on. The Difcovery of the Magnetical Needles property to refpedthe Poles, has given occafion to the Art of making Sea- Compa{Tes,as they call them, which in London is grown to be a particular and diflin(5l Trade. And divers other Ex- amples may be given to the fame purpofe, efpecially where Mechanical Tools and Contrivances cooperate with the Difcovery of Natures Produi^ion. So that oftentimes a very i^fay lecome ufefulto HumaneLtfe, ij very few Mathematical Speculations , or as kvt Phyfical Obfervations, being promoted by the contrivance of In- ftruments and the pra^ice of Handi- crafts men, are turn'd into Trades; as we fee that a few Dioptrical Theories light- ing into Mechanical hands, have introduc'd into the World the Manifadures of SpetStaclcmakers, and of the makers of ihofe excellent Engines, Tclefcopesand Microfcopes. The ob(erving,that though Quick-filver will Amalgame with Gold (and thereby feem to be deftroyed, (which made Tltn-j think it an Enemy to Metals,) yet it may be feparated from the Gold again without diminution of that noble Me- tal ) has brought forth the Trade of Guilders, whofe Art con- fifts chitfly in mixing,by the help of a competent heat, good Gold with five, fix, or feven times its weight of Quick- fil- ver, till the mixture come of fuch a confidence that they may fpread it as they pleafe upon the Silver or Copper to be guilt. For having by this means overlaid it evenly with Gold, they can eafily with fire force away the Mercury? and with a liquor impregnated with Nitre, Vcrdigreafe, Sal Ar- tnoniack, and other Saline Bodies , which they call a Co- lourifh, reftore its luftre to the remaining Gold, which the/ after make bright by polifhing. The almoft obvious and trivial Obfervation made hf fome fagacious perfon (whoever it was) that a Spring was a Phy ficaUcontinual and durable Power or Force, and the Co- rollarie he thence dtdwdd^thatthis Force^ skilfuUj applied^ tnight be eqttivAUnt to the Weights that were thought nea (J ary to wove the wheels of Clocks: thefe Reflexions, 1 fay, join'd with a Mechanical Contrivance, prodac'd thofeufeful little Engines, Watches, that now afford a plentiful Livelihood to fo many dexterous Artificers; which though Cuftome has made familiar to «^, yet were unknown to the Ancients, and highly priz'd and admir'd in China it felf, when firft (ia thelaft Centurj) brought thither. The Difcovcry of the virtue. iS Hof^ V.^permental fhilofophy v\xt\XQO^K^qttdfortis todiflblve Silver and Copper with- out working upon Gold, added to the Obfervation, That Lead melted with either of the two noble Metals, and thea iorc*d from them by Fire, will carry away with it any of the bafer Metals that may have been mixt with them 5 Cthefe two particulars, I fay j have begot in later Ages the Art of the Refiners we now have. Mens having obferv'd the Operations of fome Lixivioms, Claies,and a few other familiar things upon the Juice of the Sugar-Cane, hasnotonely occafion'd the adding of the Culture of thofe Reeds to the other parts of Husbandry left us by the Ancients; but has produc'd the feveral Trades of Sugar- boilers, or makers of Sugar, Refiners of Sugar, and Gonfe(5liOners: not to mention the great addition the con- creted Juice of the Sugar- Cane brings to the Apothecaries Profeffion, upon the fcoreof Syrups, Confer ves, Eledua- ries, and other Saccharine Medicines. Nay, a very flight manual Contrivance or Operation, if it light fortunately, may fupply men with a Trade, as in the Art of Printing. To which I (hall onely adde, that in china, and fome other Eaft- ern parts,the lucky Trial that fome made to bore very fm jII Holes through Porcellaneox China Cups, and employ very flender Wire in ffead of Thread or Silk , has given being to the vulgar Trade of thofe people that go up and down in thofe Countries, as Tinkers do with us, getting their Live- lihood by fewing together the pieces of crackt or broken PorceUane Veflels: as I have been informed by more than one credible Perfon that liv'd in the Eaft,3nd had Experience of the ufe of Cups fo mended, though fiU'd with Liquors as hot, as they are wont in the Eafl to drink their Coftee and The mention frefhiy made of China, brings into my mind. That whereas the knowledg of fome Gums and Liquors in that Countrey, afforded them thufe ufeful^ as well as mod: beaatifuU May heeome ujeful to Humane Life. j 9 beautiful, Varniflies, which we call by the name of the King- dom that fupplics us with them5and which do both there,& inJJ^f i^jimploy multitudes of TradefmenJ am credibly in- form'd, that the Art of making the like Varniih'd Wares, is now begun to be a Trade at tariSy and I doubt not but ic will ere long be fo in London too. For though fome Ac- counts, that were given me by Virtuoftoi that Varnifli, were fuch, that the Trials of them did very ill anfwer ExpeiSati- on-, yet having read in Linfchotens Voiages, that in China, and fafan they make this excellent Varnifli of Gum Lucca^ I found by fome Trials, that I was able to imitate one of the beft forts of it, by dilTolving the Gum in high rciSified Spi- rit of Wine, and then giving it a Colour, and laying it on itt ^^^ ,/-,; .^pp. j,, fuch a manner as I may have ere long a fitter occafion to in- iht v. Bjj'ay, form You. And without much impropriety , I might alleadg the Art of cultivating and gathering Sugar-Canes , and of ordering their JuicCjas a recent Inftance of the tranfplant- ing of Arts and Manifadlures. For, as I am inform'd by ve* ry credible Relations, there are not yet very many years ef- flux'd, (ince, in our memory, a Forreigner accidentally bringing fome Sugar-Canes, as Rarities, from Braftlinio EfsropCi and happening to touch at the Barbadocs^ an Englifli Planter that was Curious, obtained from him a few of them, together with fome Hints of the way of cultivating and ufc- ing them. Which , by the Curiofity and Induftry of the Effglifh Colony there, were in a fhort time Co well improved, that that fmaltlfland became, and is dill, the chief Store- houfe that furniflies, not onely England^ but Europe with Sugars. And this Inftance I the rather mention, becaufe ic is alfo a very notable one, tofliew, how many Hands, the lntroda(5tioa of one Phyfico- Mechanical Art may fet on work; (ince I have had particular opportunity to learn by Enquiry, tbatthe Negrosst or, as they call them, Blacks ^ liv- ing 20 »JJow Experimental fhllofo^hj ing as Slaves upon that fpot of Ground, and imploy'd al- moft totally about the planting of Sugar-Ganes and mak- ing of Sugar, amount at lead: to between five and twenty and thirty thou fandperfons. And that you may fee how Lucriferous in that place this fo recent Art of making Su-: gar is, not onely to private men, but to thepublickj I ihall adde, that by divers intelligent and iober perfons interefted in the Barhadoes (and partly by other wayes j I have been inform'd, That there is, one Year with another, from that little HI and, which is reckon'd to be (liort of thirty Miles in. length, (and fo I found it,by meafuring iz on one of the lair- eft and recenteft Maps,; fhipt oft for £;?^/4;z^ (efpecially,) ten thoufand Tun of Sugar, each Tun being eftimated at two thoufand Pound weight , which amounts to twenty Millions of Pouncis of that Commodity; which though it may feem fcarce credible, yet one of the Antient Magiftrates of thatlfland lately afTur'd me, that forae Years it affords a much greater quantity. I fhall notfortifie what I have hitherto difcours'd with Particulars, that will elfe where more properly fall in-, it be- ing lufficient for my prefent purpofe, that the Inftances al-^ ready mention'd may render it probable, That the Expert' ?n^ntal philefofher may not omlj Improve Trades y but Mut^ tiply them^ till I have occafion in the Lift Eftay of this Book, to make it out more fully. Nor do I defpair, that among other wayes whereby Trades will be increased, one may be the retrieving fome of thofe that were anciently pra(5tic'd, and fince loftj of which we have a Catalogue in the Learned Tancirollus. For as tis the skilful Diver's work, not onely to gather Pearls and Coral that grew at the bottom of the Sea, and ft ill lay conceal'd tberej but alfo to recover fhip- wrack'd Goods, that lay buried in the Seas that fwallowcd them up: fo tis the work of the Experimental Philofopher, aoc onely to ^iv^ into the deep RccefTes of Nature , and thence May hecome ujeful to Humane Life. 5 f thence fetch up her hidden Richesj but to recover to the ufe of Man thofe loft Inventions, that have been fwallowcd up by the Injuries of Time,8nd lain buried in Oblivion. This I do not fay altogether groundlefly, though for feme Rea- fons I here decline mentioning the things that induc'd me to fay it. THE ri. SECTION. ^O what has been hitherto faid, I fliall venture to adde, ■* not onely that the fagacious Philofopher may better moftofthe Trades that are already in ufe, and adde to the number of Mechanical ImpIoymentS; but that I am apt to think it might without much Hjperbok be affirmed, that there is not any one ProfelTionor Condition of Men fpcr- haps (carce any fingle Perfon of Mankind) that may not be fome way or other advantag'd or accommodated, if all the Truths difcoverable by Natural Philofophie, and the Ap- plications that might be made of them, were known to the Perfons concern'd in them- So that befic'es thofe Dif«ove« ries that are compil'd or formed into Trades, there are, and may be, found, a multitude of loofe particulars, whereby the Naturalift may much gratifie and aflift men^ according to the exigency of particular occafions. The nature of the thing ivill fcarce permit me to illuftrate fo unlikely an Aflertion, without imploying inftanccs in themfcives trifling, if not defpicable-, of which I will therefore give you but a few,be- caufe it they were not pertinent to my prefenc purpofe, they would be fitter to divert, than inform, You, I had, not long fince, the honour to be known to a very great Court -Lady, who was much troubled, that having frequent occafion to write Letters, (he could fcarce handle a Pen without blacking her Fingers with Ink-, I fmilingly un- dertook to make her write without Ink ^ which I my felf was formerly wont to doe, by firft preparing my Paper with E a ji How E^perhnentaWhilofoi/hy a Powder made of Copperas, flightly calcin'd upon a Firc- fliovel till it grow friable, and Galls, and Gum-Arabick finely pulveriz'd, and exquifitely incorporated with the Vi- triol in a certain proportion; which though a few Trials will better teach than Rules, Cbecaufe according to the Goodnefs and Calcination of the Vitriol, the proportion of the other Ingredients muft fomctimes be varied,) yet to afTift you in your firft GuefTes, I fhall tell You, that (for the mod part) I ufcd ray felf 5 parts of calcin'd Vitriol, 2 parts of Galls, and I part of Gum- Arabick, and mixt them not before! was ready to im ploy themj for this Powder being with a Hares foot, or any other convenient thing, carefully rubb'd into the Paper, and theloofer Duft (truck off, doth,without difcolouring it, fo fill its Pores with an Inky mixture, that as foon as it is written upon with a clean Pen, dipt in water. Beer, or fuch other Liquors, the Aqueous part of the Li- quor difTolving the vitriolate Salt, and the adhering particles of the Galls, makes a legible BlacknefTe immediately difco- ver it felf on the Paper. This mention of Writing brings into my mind, that fcveral times having bad occafion to make a Word or two, that was but lately written, look as if it had been written long before, I performed it, by lightly moiftening the Words I would have to look old, with Oyl of Tartar per deliquium allay 'd with more or lefTe fair Wa- ter, according as I defir'd the Ink (hould appear leffe or more decayed: which Experiments may be often ufeful in Manu- fcripfs, to keep the recent interlineations, or other Additi. onSjfrom betraying themfelvesby their freflinefs not to have been written at the fame time with the reft of the Manu- fcript. And the Defignlhad in making ufe of the lately menti- oned Powder of Galls and Copperas, puts me in mind of a-j nother way of writing without Ink, (and too without dan- ger of blacking ones Fingers or Linnen J which I remember '"■- •" ■ "" "'■ I May hecome u/eful to Humane L//^. 5 5 I have pra6iisM fometimcs with one Powder, and fometimes with another* For confidering that common Silver being rubb'd upon Bodies, whofe Surfaces are a little rough, and even upon coloured Cloath the Metal would leave a Black- neileon it,twas eafie to conclude, That it the furface of the white Paper were afperated by a multitude of irregular Grains of a Powder as white as it, wolild retain a Blacknefle wherever a blunt Silver Bodkin (hould be drawn over the grating Particles: and accordingly I found, that either ex- quifitely calcin'd Harts.horn, or clean Tobacco-pipes, cr Cwhlch is better than that) Mutton- bones (taken between the Knuckles, and j burnt to a perfect WhitcnefTe, being finely powder'd and fear f'dj and well lubb'd upon Paper, would make it fie to be written upon with the point of a Sil- ver Table- book pin, or Bodkin of Silver Cwhich Metal is not abfolucely necefTary in this cafe,) as well as that which is called Mathematical Paper, (if the being prepared with one, or other of thefe Powders do not make it the fame.) And now I am upon the mention of fuch Preparations of Paper, I remember , that I was once in a place where I could get . no white Leaves > to fupply a fine Table- book that I had much ufe for •, nor could I hear of any Tradefman in the whole Countrcy, that knew the way of making fo much as ordinary Table-books: wherefore I be- thought my felf of trying to make fomething by way o(fuC' cedamum, which fucceeded at the firft attempt. And though there may be better wayes to make white Table- books, yec perhaps you will find none more fimpleandeafiei the two onely Ingredients we had in iu being to be had at every A- pothecaries Shop. I onely take Ccrufs, rubb'd to very fine Powder, fwhich is done in a trice) and temper it Op with fair Water glutted with clear Gum- Arabick. With this mix- ture (being brought to the confiftence of a fomewhat thick Salve/ I rub over the Paper I prepare, putring on more or E 2 klTe 'ij4 How Experimental fhilofophy leffe according as I would have it laft., and having fufFer'd ic to dry (which it will quickly do) it may, if there be occafi- on, be prelently us'd with the point of a Silver-pin, which will make the Letters appear very confpicuous upon a Mix- ture, that does not at all impair the Whiteneffe of the Paper; and what was thus written I could, with Spittle or Water, blot out three or four times fucceffively without fpoiling the Pjper. Which queftionlelfe had been much better pre- pared, if divers Couches of the mixture had been laid on and fuffered each to dry, and if after wards the Paper had been fmoothed by being fcrap'd with a Knife, and poliQit. A very ingenious Artificer, who had contriv'd an Inftru- ment ufeful to others, and profitable to himfelf, whereof an abfolutely necelfary part was a Giafs fiU'd with fair Water, and exadly ftopt, complained to me, that though his Inftru^ ment did exceeding well in all buc Frofty weather, yet then it was apt to be fpoil'd by the freezing of the included Li- quor , which too often broke the Glafs. Whereupon I taught him to remedy it, by fubftituting in ftead of Water good fpirit of Wine, which has not in our Climate been ob- lerv'd to freeze^ or rather (becaufe in his bigger Glafl'cs that Liquor would be chargeable) either Sea-water ftrengthned with a little Salt, or elfe common Spring- water with a twen- tieth, or at moft a tenth part part of Salt difTolv'd in it. For though this Brine look Cifwell madejas clear as common Water, yet I have not obferv'd , that the fliarpeft of our Engliih Winters would make it freez- To a Perfon of Quality, that was very Curious of the way of writing fecretly, I undertook to teach an eafie way (which after 1 knew it , I found alfo in an old printed Book) of fend- ing a written Meilage, without putting it into the power of the Bearer to betray itj which 1 could eafily have performed my felf, if the mefiage were to be delivered in a (hort time, and not too far off, by writing on his Back, or other conve- nient 3/ V.xp~enmintal fhitofophy Some Ingenious Perfons, that deal much In Lixivmms and Brines, complaining the other day»that befides that they could not fometimes eafily come at an Egg, to try, by its finking or floating, the ftrength of the Saline Liquors they would examine, there needed a good quantity of the Liquor tomakefucha Trial in? I allow'd their complaint to be juft, and the rather, becaufe lobferve, for nicer Eftimates of the ftrength of Liquors, the Trial by Eggs is uncertain enough, in regard that even the fame Egg will, as I have found, by being kept grow lighter, whence ftale Eggs have ufually agreat Cavity fthat feems fill'd onely with Air) at the bigger end; and f told them, to omit the more Artifi- cial, but more difficult, wayes of examining fuch Liquors, I fometimes us'd a way, whereby I could try the ftrength of the Lixiviums made with Chymical Salts, though I had not above a Thimbleful of the Liquor , and this with a Body that will not eafily waft like an Egg, (and therefore may be kept.; For I fubftituted, in ftead of the Egg, a fmall piece of Amber, about the bignefte of a Pea, which in a very ftrong Solution of Lixiviate Salt, will , as I let them fee, fwim on the top, but fink in a weak one* And as you may take a piece of Amber lefte or bigger than a Pea, as beft fits your occafions, and need not beat all fcrupulous about the figure, ('provided the Amber be once well duckt in the Li- quorO fo it is fome convenience that two pieces of Amber, whereof the one is far more reddi(h,and the other paler, will be, as far as I have tryed, of fome what differing Specifick Gravities, fo that the one will flote in fome Liquors, where- in the other will fink. I remember I was once in a Countrey, where I had a great mind to try fome things with Damzick Vitriol, or fome o- ther blew Copperas, but by reafon of the Wars could not poffibly procure any, though there were in that Countrey a place, where Green Vitriol was made by the help of Iron; wtieretore May hcome ufeful to Humane Life. g y wherefore getting fome of that Liquor which the Raia had wafh'd from the Copperas ftones, I did, by putting into it a convenient quantity of Copper reduc*d into fmail parts, make the newly mentioned Liquor ferve for a Menftruam to work upon the Metal, and by exhaling the Solucion to a dew confiftence, I obtain'd the Blew Venereal Vitriol I de- [ired. And the like, I doubt not, may be done with fuch of thofecommon Green Vitriols made of Iron, wherein the Saline part is not too much fatiated with the Martial. An ingenious and well known Perfon , that is a great Dealer in Cider, coming to vifit me, and exprcfling a gieac defire to be able to make fome that would be ftronger, and thereby likelier to keep longer than the ordinary way, I ex nmfore dire I undertook, that out of a Parchment- writing with his hand annext, I would take out all that was written above his Name, without fpoiling or disfiguring the Parchment, on which I would afterward write what I pleafedjand whereby I might make People believe that he had acknowledged un- der his Hand fuch things, as never came into his Thoughts. And to fatisfie him of the pofTibility of this, I did in a few Minucs take oft from the Parchment all that was written on it. Without defacing the Parchment. Some attempt to free Paper from what is written upon it with ^^quafortiSy but that by difcolouring the Paper, makes men apt to lufpecS fome intended Deceit. And for the true way of performing fuch an Effedl, and divers others of the like nature, which / have fomerimes for Curiofity profperoufly experimented, I think it much fitter to be conceal'd than communicated, becaufeif fuch Secrets fhould fall into the hands of perfons incin d to mif- apply them, they might very much difturb Humane Mtiy hecome nfeful to Humane L't/e* j p Humane Society. And therefore it is better n:ien fliould want the light afforded thcra by fucb Experiments, than be brought into the danger of fuch Mifchiefs, as they may be made to fufter by the mif-imployraent of Tuch Dilco- veries. I remember, that notion^ fince, a Virtuofo happening to have made aSjlutionotGold, wherewith he thought to mzk^ i^ur urn fu(mi nans ^ thought hehadcaufe to fufpedl that It had been enbas'd with Copper, and therefore would not be fo fit for his work; whereupon I confider'd with my felf, that a good Urinous Spirit being imployed in ftead of theufualMenftruum (OylofTartari; as it would precipi- tate Gold out of l^^«4 /Je-^^, fo it would readily diffolve Copper, I conje(aured,[hat by the afFufion of fuch a Liquor I might both difcover whether the Solution fwhofe colour didnot3tailaccufeit)contain'd any Copper, and if it did free the Gold in great part from the bafer Metal; and indeed I found, that after the Urinous Spirit had precipitated the Gold into a fine C^/at, the fupernatant Liquor was highly ting'd with Blew, that betray'd the Alloy of Copper, thac did not before appear. I hope you think., Pjropbilus^ that tis becaufe thefe In- (lances are more pertment to my Defign , than many others (that might have been fubftitutedj in themfelves more va- luable, that I have mention'd fuch inconfiderable ones; and I (hall not repent the naming of fuch Indances, if they have let yoa fee, that even mean Experiments are not to be de- fpifed, but that the mcaneft may be fometimesnotonely ufeful, but more proper to convince Sinngers to Natural Philofophieof the manifold Ufes of ir,than Experiments of a higher and abftrufer nature. For as in a Ship wrack, it may more advantage the diftrelTcd Pilot to know the fupport- ing nature of a Bladder fiU'd with Wind, though ntherwife but a defpicable and aiery thing, than to know the abftrufeft F properties 46 Horn ETCpermentalfhilofophy properties of the Magoctick Needle; fo in fome cafes the more obvious and flight Experiments may be moch more welcome and ferviceable to us , than others at other times much more confiderable. So true is that of the Wife man That every thing is beautiful in its Seafon; For ray part, lam very apt to hope, that Natural Phi- lofophy will prove mere and more ferviceable, both to (ingle Perfons in their particular Occafions, and to Trades them- felves in General: as by other wayes, fo efpecially by mak. ing a further fearch into, and thereby dete^ing new Quali- ties, or difcovering unheeded Ufcs, of the Produ(5lions of Nature, and of Art that are already known. I will not here take notice of what may be further hoped for in the detc<5tionof the Medical Virtues of thingSjbecaufe I treat of that Subje(5l in a more proper place: and as for the Mechanical Ufes (if I may fo call them j and Applications of the works and Laws of Nature, though \\ti\\ii gazes upon the feemingly great variety of Produdions to be met with among Tradefmen, and in the Shops of Artificers, may be tempted to think, that Art has curioufly pryedinto, and imployed, almofl all the Materials that Nature could afford it; jet he that fball more narrowly and feverely confider them, may eafily difcern, that Tradefmen have really dealt with but very few of Natures Productions, in comparifon of thofe they have left unimployed; and that for the moff part they have, in the things they daily converfe with, fcarce made ufe of any other, th^ the more obvious Qualities of them; befides fome few more lurking Properties , which cither Chance, or a lucky Sagacity, rather than Inquifitive- nelTe or Skill, difcover'd to them. And indeed this great variety of Produdions we have mentioned, proceeds more from a Manual dexterity of Diverfifying a fmall number of known things into differing lliapes, than, either from the Plenty of Natural or Artificial Produdlions they work up- on. May hecome u/eful to Humane Life. 4 1 bn$ ^r any diligent or accarate Search made into the Quali- ties of thole Produ(ftions. But becaufe to a Conlidering inan, itcaonocbut be Obvious enough, that the Ufes of the things they deal iOjand much more thofc of other Concretes, which they are not engag'd to obferve, have not been hi- therto fufficicntly enquired into; I (hall content my felf to add, That if men were but fenHble enough of their own Intereft,and in order thereunto would keep their Eyes heed- fully open, partly upon the Properties of thing$,and partly upon the Applications that may be made of thofe Proper- ties to this or that ufe in humane life, they might not onely difcover new Qualities in things, ('fome of which might oc- cafion new Trades,) but make fuch Ufes of them, as the Difcoverersthcmfelves would never before hand have fu- fpe(5led or imaginU* whereof 1 may, God permitting, give you elfewbere divers In^laoces. VTHE ril. SECTION. A Fter the foregoing general Gonfiderations ^about the Ufefulnefle of Natural Philofophy to the Empire of Man over things Corporeal,) which I thought fie to take notice of in this /• Bf[ajy it remains , Fjrofh. that I alio add a word or two about tbo[e that are to f ollotv. And firft you muft not expect that I (faould MethodicaL ly enumerate* and particularly difcourfe to you of all the Grounds and Motives I may have of looking for great Ad«; vantages to accrue to Mankind, by Mens future progreiTes in thcdifcovery of Nature. To entertain You with Con- fideratiOQSf which perchance you would jadgbut Specula, tive and remote Conceipts, would exceed myleifure, and perhaps be unwelcome to You: and therefore I chooie to confine my felf to the ioiifling on thofe Grounds of Expe- ^atioo, which I can render probable by Examples and In- ~ " F a ftanccs 1 At H'ow^%j^ertm€ntalfhilofopl)y \ ftances of what is already actually atcain'd to, or at leaft ve- ry likely fin no long timej to be fo. And this Advertife- ment I thought neccfTary to premife, partly indeed that you may not think that I have overlooked all the particulars per- tinent to my Subje(5t that I ihall leave unmention'd, hue much more that you might not furpc(a,that there are no o- ther Inducements to hope much from Experimental Philo- fophie, than thofe you will find treated of in the following EfTayes. And this one thing in particular I dare not for* bear to give you notice of, that for the freihly iuiimated reafon , you will there find omitted one of the principal Grounds of hoping great matters from improv'd Phyfiolo- gie,namely, thatby the fagacity and freedom of the Lord* reruiam^ and other Lights of this Age, confidsring men are pretty well enabled both to make Difcoveries, and difcern a poffibility of removing all the Impediments and other cau- jfes of Barrenefs that have hitherto kept Phy ficks from be- ing confiderably ufefal to Mankind; fuch as ntanj faUe and fruitlefle Do(5lrines of the Schools; r;?'^ prejudices by which men have been hitherto impos'd on about Subftantial Forms, the unpafl'able bounds of Nature, the effential diffe- rence betwixt Natural and Artificial things See. a too plau- iibledefpondency; ^wantof belief that Phy ficks much con- cern'd their Interefts^ want of Encouragement; n'tf^^ of Na- tural Hiftoryj »v4»/of Curio fity; n^^;?/ of a method of En- quiring-, want of a Method of Experimenting; jr4»/ of a Phy- fical Legick'^ want of Mathetnaticks, and Mechanlcks; want of afi"ociated Endeavours; to all which but too many other particulars might be added. 2. You will not think it ftrange, that in the following Tr3<5ls much of the Ufcfulnefle, for which 1 would recom- mend Phyficks, fuppoles futu< e Proficiency in them, if you confider the nature of my Defign 5 which i^ nbt to make an Mlogittm of Natural Philofophy imperfe(^ as it 'jet is^ but to {hew l^ay hecome ufefulto HamaneLife, 4} fliew that as it maj bi^ and probably wiU be, improVd, ic may afford confiderable advantages to Mankind. And fince, as I long agoe intimated to you, my purpofc in this Book is to invite you, and aflift you to invite other Ingenious men to a farther ftudy of Nature, tis very agreeable to my Defign to reprefent the greateft Benefits I make it promife You, as EflPe(5ts and Recompences of your future Attain- ments; and I fhould allowably enough difcharge my pare inthisTreatifejiflfliouldnot do any more fwhich yet I hope I (hall do) than give you Reafonable inducements to entertain high Expe(5tations of the Fruits, that may be ga- thered from Natural Philofophie, if it be induftrioufly and skilfully cultivated: and the very rendring fuch an Expe- dation probable, I take to be a good ftep towards the at- tainment of the things expedcd 5 many of which would qutflionkfife be obtain'd, if men were throughly perfwaded that they are moft worthy to be endeavotir'd, and very po{fi- bleto becompafs'd. And therefore I wonder not, thacfo Judicious a Friend to Philofophie and Mankind ss Sir Francis Bacon , fhould in fcverai places reprefent mens Opinions of thcImpofTibility of doing Great matters of the nature of thofe things we are fpeaking of, as One of the chief O bftacles to the advancement of real and ufef ul Learn- ing: and I the rather infift on the things that may height- en your Expediations, notonelj becaufe many prudent and Learned men, who have been bred in the Philofophie of the Schools, are apt tojudg of all Philofophie by that which for fo many Ages has been barren, as to ufeful Produ(fli- ons, (though fruitful enough in Controverfies, ) but be- caule I have met with fome morofe Authors, and others as defpondent perfons, who becaufe they have unfuccesfully attempted to perform fome things according to the Pre- fcriptionsof fome unfaithful Writers of Natural Philofo- phie,fall prefently to believe themfelves, andtoperfwade others, That nothing Conijderable is pow (at lead wiibou& 44 Ho'?i;f V^xperimtntal^hilofoply almoft infupcrable difficulties) to be perform'd by Natural Philolophie it felfjcfpecially whilft men amufe themff Ivcs a* bout Speculations and Trials chat feem not to tend dire(5tly to Pra(^icei our Anceftors having had the luck to light upon all thQprtfitahle Inventions, which skill in Phyfiologie is a- ble to fupply Mankind with. But (to take notice fir ft of what was laft fuggeftedj / make no doubt but that many Experiments, whereby men are not prefently enabled to do what they could not before, may yet be very ufeful to mens interefts by difcoveriag or illuftrating the Nature or Cauf- es of things. For though that famous Diftin<^ion, intro- duc'd by the Lord FeruUm, whereby Experiments are fort- ed into Luciferoui and FruiiiferouSi may be (if rightly un- derftood) of commendable Ufe; yet it would muchmiflead thofe that fhould fo underftand it, as if Frudiferous Expe- riments did fo meerly advantage our interefts, as not to pro- mote our Knowledg5 or the Experiments called Lucife- rous, did fo barely enrich our Underftandings, as to be no other waies ufeful. For though fome Experiments may be fitly enough call'd Luciferous, and others Fi u<$liferous, be- caufe the more obvious and immediate EfFe(5t of the One is todifcover to us Phyfiological Truths, and of the other to enable us to perform fomething of life to the Poffeffourj yet certainly there are few Frudliferous Experiments, which may not readily become Luciferous to the attentive Gonfi- dercr of them. For by being able to produce unufual EfFeds, they either hint to us the Caufes of them,or at leaft acquaint us with fome of the Properties or Qualities of the things concurring to the produdion of fuch Effeds. And on the other fide thofe Experiments, whofe more obvious ufe is to deted to us the Nature or Caufes of things, may be, though lelTe diredly, and in fomewhat a remoter way , exceedingly Frudiferous. For fince, as / have formerly obferv'd, man's Power over theCreatures confiftsin his Koowledg of them; wh^it- May Become ujeful to Humane Life. 45 whatever doci inaeafe his Knowlcdg, does proportionate- ly increafe his Power. And perhaps I fboold not much Hyperbolize, iflfhoDld venture to fay, that there is fcarce any confiderable Phyfical Truth, which is not, as it were, teeming with profitable Inventions,and may not by humane Skill and induftry be made the fruitful Mother of divers things nfeful, either to Mankind in general, or at leaft to the particular Difcoverer and dexterous Applyer of that Truth* To countenance this Opinion of Mine, I have al- ready given you fome inftances, and referve more for the la ft EflayesofthisTreatife i efpecially having obferv'd it to have been a fault, which though prejudicial enough to the intereft of Mankind, is very incident to the more fober and fevere fort of PhiIofophers,and perhaps more toThem,than toOchers, to conclude every thing to be Impoflible, orac leaft unfit to be attempted, that cannot be perform'd by the already known Qualities of Things and Wayes of applying them: without confidering, That as many Simples ot excel- lent Virtues grow in WildernefTes, and not by the High- wayes fide, fo diverfe admirable Properties of things may be found, out of the cuftomary progr efie or beaten Rodes (if I may fo fpeakj of Nature. And that Philofophers are oftentimes deceived, when they think they have made a true and perfe(Si Analjfis of the poffible wayes,whereby fuch and fuch EfFedls may be produc'd. For Nature by her Sub- tlety oftentimes tranfcends and illudes the greateft fubtle- tie of humane Ratiocinations. And asfhe may have quite other wayes of working, than we are aware of, fo the know- ledg of fome peculiar and conceal'd property of a Thing, may enable them that are acquainted withit,to perform that with eafe, which by the known Qualities of things, is either not at all to be perform'd, or not without great Difficulty. This feeming Paradox you may find in due place con- firmed; aod in the mean while to return to thole Learned '46 How 'Exfermetital fhllofophj men, who having attempted fome things, and poffibJy.per- form'd a few in Natural Philofophy, would keep the world from expe(5ling any great matters from it, I fhall venture to fay of them, That^e^ the Jewiih Spies though they brought Kumh. 13 and their Countrcymenoutof the Land of Canaan feme kw of *'*' the goodly Fruits of that Soyl, yet bringing them withall a difcouraging account of the difficulties they were like to meet with m conquering it, did the Ifradites more harm by their Defpondency, than Good by their FruitS; fo divers of the Authors we are fpeaking of, though they may have prefented us with fome acceptable Fruits of their Enquiry into Experimental Learning,yet by bringing up an ill report concerning the fludie of it, and thereby deterring irrefolute Perfons from addiding themfelves ferioufly to it,they have more pre/udic'd them by their Defpondency, thm advan* tag'd them by their Experiments. And though I dare nor, a Chymift would not, fcruple to purfue the Simile, and tell you, that as onely thofe two of the Spies, Caieb and Jofhua^ who made no doubt but that they fliould conquer the tcrtile f though never fo well fortified) Land of Canaan* did really ijl'j'so?^'* ' polTefs it, all their difanimated Brethren wandring and dy- ing in the WildernclTej fo none but thofe Generous At- tempters, that dare boldly venture upon the Difficulties that furround the knowledg of Nature, are like profperoufly to overcome them, and poflefle what they contend for. But I muft leave this Digreilion to proceed to the laft Advertifemf nt I am to give you, which is, that I know you may (pofTibly) expedthati fliould fay fomethingto Yon diftini^ly of the chief Means by which the Naturalift may probably advance Trades, and affift Man, by the bleffingof the Author of Nature, to recover part of his loft Empire over the works of Nature. And I confeffe, I have more than once had thoughts of a kind of Projed (if I may fo call k) for the Advance of Experimental Fhilofopby, confifting of Maji become u/e/ull to Humane Lifel 47 of fuch Heads as thcfe; A Profpcdl of what probably M A Y be atiain'd to in Phyficks (both as to Theory and PradiceJ A fummary account of What I S attain'd alrea- dy, r^flmperfedtnefte of our prefent attainments. Whaf Helps men now enjoy. T/;^ Incompetency of our prcfent Helps. 7/^f Hindrances and the Caufes of them. And The Means and Helps that M A Y be employU To which other Heads might in cafe of need be added. But notwith- ftanding the expc(5tations yoii may have, that I (liould han- dle fuch fubje»5ts , and the Thoughts I have had about them-,I purpofely wav'd the treating of them by themfelves in the enfuing ES S A Y E S , partly^ becaufe thefe unela- borate Difcourfes are notdcfign'd for a juft Treatife on the Subjeds handled in them, containing but fuch loofe Experi- ments and Obfervaiions, as could without too much impo- verifhingQiher Papers, be put together on this occafion 5 and p4rilj^ becaufe I have in efFcdi bin careful to mention feveral of thofe things, that you might exped to find fe- perately created of $ but knowing that a far lelTe difcern^ ing eye than yours may eafily , if there be occafion, diftin- guifh them, I thought it more convenient to interweave them with the other parts of the following Difcourfe , (ince every propofition of a probable way to Improve Philofo- phie 5 is alfo a ground of expe<5^ing thofe advantages thac may behop'd for from Philofophie Improved. ifH^ffff I Of the V S E F U L N E S S E of MATHEMATICKS TO Natural Philofophy. Of the rfefukes of U AT HEM \r I CKS. to Natural Philosophi e, oil jhatthe Empire of Man rfjaj be promoted bj the Naturalift's ski/i in Mathemaiicks, (as well Pure^ as LMlxt*) IF it were not allowable for any but thofe that are through- ly skill'd in the abftrufer Myfteries of the Mathema- ticks, to difcourfe of thofe Difciplines; the Title of this Efl'ay would I fear (Pjrophilus) make you think me guiU ty of Prefumption, fince you may perchance remember, that when you were converfant about thofe Studies, Iconfefs'd to you, that the great Authority ot fome famous Modern Naturalifts had, for a while, diverted me from making any great Progrefs in thofe Sciences, by their rtfolute denying them to be ufeful to Phyfiologie. But as I do not pretend to have taken that pains, which elfe I might have done, to become a Speculative Geometrician-, fo I confider, thac without iinderftanding as much of the abftruferpartof Ge- ometriie, as Archimedes^ or JpoHomtss^ one may underftand enough to be alTifted by it in the Contemplation of Na- ture; and that one needs not know the profoundeft Myfte- ries of it, to be able to difcern its Qfefulnes. And therefore I ihall venture to propound fomething to you concerning this laft nam'd Subjed, efpecially fince otherwife you may be influenc'd, as I once was, by the great Authority of thofe Modern Philofophers, who would have theiufeof Mathe- •OMticks, as Difciphnes that confider onely Abflradled Quantity and Figure, to be rather hurtful than advantageous to a Naturglifl:, the Objedof whofe Studies ought to be ^ 1 Matcter. 2 Of the Vfefuhes ofMathemaiicks Matter. But though thele endeavour to keep men from thinking the Mathematicks tobeofany great Ufe toward jnakingaManagood Naturalift, by alledging the extrava- gant Opinions that Kepler himfelf, who was Mathematician to three Emperours, and feme other Modern Aftronomers , have broach'd or maintain'd concerning matters Phyfiolo- gical 5 yet Iconfefl'e, that after I began, by refle(fting up- on divers of my Experiments, efpecially Mechanical, to di- fcernhow ufeful Mathematicks may be made to Phyficksj 1 have often wiih'd that I had imploy'd about the Specula- tive part of Geometrie, and the cultivating of the Specious Algebra 1 had been taught very young, a good part of that Time and Induftry that I fpent about Surveying and Forti- fication, fof which I remember I once wrot an entire Trea- tifc) and other Pradlick parts of Mathematicks. And indeed 1 think, that a Competent Knowledg in Mathematicks (for a Profound one is not always necelTary) may be fofervice- able to thofe that would become Philofophers, thatlfliall not fcruple to mention it as another thing which may increafe your Expedation from Phyfiologie, That thofe who pafs for Naturalifts have, for the mofi part, been very little, or not at all, vers'd in the Mathematicks, if not alfo Jealous of them. And I the lefs fcruple to write to you on this Sab- je<5l, becaufe I do not know that others have prevented me: For though the Learned cUvhs ^^nd fome other Expofitors oi Euclid^ have faid much of the Ufefulnes of Geometric to other Mathematical Difciplines, and though not a little has been faid in the praife of Mathematicks in general; yet tis left free for me to difcourfe to you of ( what is the Subjed of this EfTay) the Utility of Mathematicks in reference to Modern Phyficks, and therein not onely to the Notions of the Corpufcular Philofophie, but even to Pra(5tical and Ex* perimental Knowledg. Now there are are feveral Scores^ upou which skill in Ma- thematicks To Natural fhilofophte. j thiematicks may be ufef ul to the Experimental Philofopher. For there are fome general Advantages , which Mathema^ ticks may bring to the Minds of men, to whatever Study they apply themfelves, and confcquently to the Students of Natural Philofophie; namely, that thefe Difciplines are wont to make men accurate, and very attentive to the Em- ployment they are about , keeping their Thoughts from wandring, and inuring them to Patience of going through with tedious and intricate Demonftratioos 5 befides, that they much improve Reafon, by accuftoming the mind to deduce fucceffive Gonfequences, and judgof them without eafily acquiefcing in any thing but Demonftration. And indeed the Operations of Symbolical Arithmetick Cor the modern Algebra) feem to me to afford men one of the cleared Exercifes of Reafon that I ever yet met with, nothing being there to be perform'd without ftrii^ and watchful Ratiocination, and the whole method and progrefs of thit appearing at once upon the Pdper when the Operati- on is finifli'd, an i affording the Analyft iUdmg ^ and, as it /were, vifible Ratiocination. But, Pyrophilus, I may not infifl: on thefe, or the like ge- neral Ufes of pure Mathematicks, (ince there are divers o- rhers, which more immediately lefped Natural Philofophic And to (hew this the better, give me leave to premife to the following Particulars a couple of Obfervations. The Uril Is^Thzt the Fhdnomena^ which the Mathemati- cian concurs to exhibit, do really belong to the Cognizance oUheNituralift. For when Matter comes once to be en- dow'd with Qualities, the Confideration how it came by them, is a Quellion rather about the Agent or Efficient, than the nature of the Body it felf. So the Image or Pidure, thataman fees ot his Face in a Looking- Glafs, though that be an Artificial Body, fals as well under the Speculation of the Naiuraliftj as when the like Pi(5iurc is prefented him by " ' " calm 4 0] the ufefulnes of Mathematkh calm and clear Water. And the Rain Bo^ s that are often artificially madefn Grotto's, by difperfing the water of Fountains into Drops and Showers, have a juft Titlttohis Contemplation, as well as the Rain-bow that is formed in the Clouds. And the Eccho's that are admir'din fome of thofe Grotto's, purpofely and artificially contriv'd to afford rare ones, do as well belong to his cognizance, as thofe that Nature makes in ruder Dens,and other Cavities of Hills and Mountains. And indeed moft of thofe P^ff//4»j, Phyficians, and other Writers, with- out excepting many good Anatomifts, that have been Gran- gers to Mathematicks, in comparifon of what has been done fnot to mention Buclid^K^lhaz^n^ and riteliu^) by KepUr, Schcincr^ Hcnigon^ and fome other modern Mathematici. an<- And tis evident to thofe that are acquainted with Dio- ptricks, thst without fome koowledg not onely of the pro- perties of Convex Bodies, and of the Laws of Refraction from and towards the Perpendicular, (as the Mafters of O- pticks fpeak) but alfo of the properties of LineSjas Circular, Parabolical, Hyperbolical, &c. and Figures, as Ellipfes, Circles, Parabola's, Hyperbola*s,&c. tisalmoft impoflible, cither well to explicate moft of the Phenomena of that no- bleft of our Senfes, Sight it felf, or to make a well grounded judgmentol others Explications of them. He that is al* together a Stranger to this part of Mathematicks , will fcarce be able to conceive the Reafon of the admirable Fa- brick of the Eye, and how the Chryftalline Humor does by its Convex Figure (like a Lenticular Glafs j refrad and con- verge the Beams, (or at leaft the Pencils) that proceed from the vifible Objes^, that they may paint the more lively pi- cture of it upon the iff /i^4 at the bottom of the Eye: nor will he undeiftand why, by reafon of the Decuffation of the Beams To 2{atural fh'tlofophie. 1 1 Beams within the Eye, this Figure muft be made inverted, though we apprehend the Obje^s themfelvcs in fl right po- fturej norwhy fmallObjeds, plac'd near the Eye, where they are feen under a wide Angle, appear as big, as very much greater that are feen at a greater diftancefrcim it. And much lefs will he be able to underftand the reafon of thofe many Delufive Apparitions, exhibite#by Concave, Con- vex, Conicaljand Cylindrical GlafTeS; the Catoptricks, or DeBrine of Reflex vifton^ belonging yet more to the Mathe- maticks than Dioprricks do. 4. And ftnce that from the Magnitudes of divers Bodies, oroffeveralpartsof the fame Body, and fo liktwife from their degrees of Celerity in their Motion , there will arile a certain Refpe(5i, which if they be but two, Geometricians call a Ratio, and if more than two , a Froforthnt (though thefe Terms are oftentimes confounded, and promifcuoufly imploy'd by Authors:) and (mce Proportion is fo frequently to be met with in the Works of Him, who by an Eminent, though Apocryphal Writer, is truly faid to have made all things in Number tWeight, and Meafure^ and ftnce the Do- ctrine of Proportion, as fuch, belongs to the Mathematician as the Noblefl part of thofe Sciences he treats .ofj I think it may fafely enough be affirm'd, that he that is not fo much as indifferently skill'd in Mathematicks, can hardly be more than indifferently skill'd in the fundamental principles of Phyfiologie. Nor perhaps would it be rafti to fay, that the Fifth Book of £»f///s Elements, where the Dodrine of Proportions is chiefly delivered, may prove moreinffrui^ive to the Naturalift, than the Fifth Book of Arijlotle'i Phy- ficks. And therefore I do not fo much wonder, that Plato fhould over the Gate of his School place an Infcription, (iAU *>»!*»' jy^T®" f*«'7w,) forbidding the Entrance to perfons unac- quainted I » 0/ the Ufefulnes of Mathematicks quainted with Geometric, as unfit to judgof what was there taught. Nay this, though you may think it ftrange, is very true, that there are fome confiderable Phdnomena of Nature, which are fc^far from being Explicable by their Caufes, thac men cannot fo much as underftand what is Meant by them, without fome knowing of the Dodlrine of Proportions. As, for Inftance, when the Teacher of Opticks tell us, that the Increments of Light are in duflicata ratione diftamiarufn, [ecundum quas a Corforibus recedttnt^ a quibus fritnum (ffici^ untur. He that knows nothing of Proportions, cannot tell fo much as what they mean by this Theorem, much jefs whether or no it be true. And fo, when the fame Propofi- . tion is by the diligent 3/^f/^;;;?/^appIy'd alfo to Sounds, a ^'"'^'"'^''^•^^■•^ 'common Reader would not at all underftand him, if be did '^^^***' not adde by way of Explanation, that if, for Inftance, the Noifeofa peece of Ordinance be heard a League off, that Noifewillbe four times ftronger, if it be heard but at the diftance Of half a League. Nor will this Example it felf give fuch a Reader, as wefpeak of, a clear underftanding of ihe proposed Theorem. But a confiderabler Inftance in this kind may be afforded us by the noble Difcovery of the Mo- derm, efpecially GaliUo^ who obferve, that when a heavy Body defcends through the Air, the Spaces paft through, from the beginning to tlie end of the Motion, are among themfelves in a (not double but) dupUc4teKziio of the Mo- ments or equal Divifions of Time fpent in the full; which requires the knowledg of what a D«^/i^4/tf Proportion is, to be wellunderftood: But it may in fome fort be explain'd, (and fonoblea Phznomemn muftnoc be here orr^ittedj by {i^;z. that the grand Theorem or Rule of the Staticks, That in theSallance^ox refembling Inftruments the Proportion betwixt the equivalent Weights^ and their diftancesfrom the fuUimentum or Prep, is reciprocal, (Cothat tis ufnal with Butchers, and other Tradefmen, to weigh in theStatera,commonly call'd the Stvliards,io or 20 pound weight, for Inftance, hung neer the Fulcim.ent, with one pound weight, plac'd on the other fide of the Beam, ac I o or 20 times diftance from it,) and many other Theorems, that ferve to explicate the properties of the grand Inftru- ment of Nature, Motion, (efpecially as produced or modi- fy*d by Weight, or equivalent Force varioufly adapted , and 1 4 Of the V/efulnesofliathematkks and apply'dj cannot well be underftood without an Infight into GeometriCjand efpecially the Dofii me of Proportions; and how much the knowledg of the Principles and Theo- rems of theMechanicks may aflift the Naturalift both to ex- plicate many of Natures Phxnomena^ and to try Experi- ments, and work great Changes onherProduiSions , men will then more readily confefs, when they (hall better difcera how many of her works are but Engines, and do operate ac- cordingly. 5. And give me leave^ Pyrgphilus, to adde in this place, that the Do(5trine of Proportions, as it is the Soul of the Mathematicks themfelves, fo it may be of voO: (though per- haps yet unheeded) Ufe in Phyfiologie tooj not onely as it helps the Naturalift(as we have newly feen it does)to under- Hand divers Fhdfjtmena of Nature , but as it may inable him to perform divers things, which he could not perform without itj of which, though I may have occafion to give you hereafter in other papers feveral Examples, yetlSiall now mention two or three for Illuftration fake. That the Pendulum is the accurateft Inftrument that we yet have of meafuring iliort fpdces of Time, I prefume you do not doubt: and I need not tell you, that he who would know what Length a Pendulum muft be of, to meafure by its Swing fome determinate fpace of Time, as, for Inftance, a half Second , (ov half the fixtieth part of a Minute,^ muft find it out by Trial and Obfervation, if he be not unacquain- ted with the Dodrine of Proportions: but in cafe he is vers'd in that, as well as in the P^^»tfw^^4 of Pendulums, he may from the length of one Pendulum, that exactly meafures a known part of Time, without making particular Tryals and Obfervations, deduce the length of Pendulums that will ferve to meafure other Divifions of Time. For Inftance, that Yb t^aturd fhilo/ophie. i 5 that diligent Obferver Merjennus affurcs u$, that he found by frequent Tryals, thataflender String with a Piftol or Muskec Bullet at the end of it, whofe Length comprehend- ing the Bullet was 3 Foot and a half, (elfewhere he mentions 3 Foot and a 27'^) vibrates Second (Minutesrj This now being taken for granted, and it being a receiv'd Theorem concerning Pendulums alike in all things biu Length, 7hat the Lengths are in Duplicate Proportion to the times in which their Vibrations are re[pe£iivelj perform'd , or are as the Squares of the Vibrations thej performe inth^ fame time, and confequently, the times are inSubduplicate Proportion to the lengths of the Pendulums*, if a man would (as I was fay- ing) have a Pendulum thatiliall vibrate Half- feconds, he muft not take, as one unacquainted with thefe things would be apt to do, a Pendulum of a Foot and v , which is 7 the length of that which vibrates a whole Second, for fuch a Pendulum would prove much too long for his purpofe, nor need he by multiply 'd obfervations laborioufly find ouc how much it is too long, (which oftentimes for want of a Standard he cannot do,) but fince the proportion between a Second and 7 a Second is double, and the proportion be- twixt the length of the Strings, that are to vibrate thefe two differing fpaces of time, muft be Duplicate of the pro- portion of the times themfelves, it follows, that the length of the Strings muft be as 4 to one, (which is the Duplicate of the proportion of 2 toi,j and fo the length of the fhor- ter String muft be but a 4 of that of the longer. This, if it were needful, might be confirm'd by a Pro- bleme of the LeaxntdRicciolo'syWhQxcci 1 il:ali here give you an Example, becaufe I may hereafter have occafion to (hew you the farther ufe of it. Let us then fuppofe,to avoid fra- i^ion$> that g Pendulum that vibrates Seconds, is 3 entire C Foot 1 6 Of the Vfeftdnes ofMathematicks Foot long, fas indeed fome modern Mathematicians tell as it is and as it may well be according to the.meafures us'd in fome places.) If then you multiply 3600 the Square of the Vibrations, (which are 60, j that yoar 5 foot Pendulum makes in a Second, by the length oif the Pendulum, which is 36 Inches, and divide the Produdi' viz. i2p6ooj byplnch- esjthe 4'^ part of the length of the former Pendulum; and if laftly, of the Quotient (14400) you extra<^ the Square root, you fhall find it to be 1 20,th3t gives you the number of Vi- brations that will be made in a Second by a Pendulum of 9 Inches long, and this Root being/20, which is thedonble of of 60, you may fee, that to make a Pendulum, that fhall vi- brate Half- Seconds, it muft be but '- as long as tbi?t which vibrstes whole Seconds. And if I thought you were like to think thefe Rules as ft range , as a perfon wholly unac- quainted with the nature of Pendulums, and the Dodrine of Proportions may do^ I would invite you toconfult Expe- rience, as 1 have purpofely done in difiering Pendulums, that divide a Minute into Seconds, Hilf feconds, and Quarter- Seconds*, fince though your Tryals iliould not be very nice- ly made, they may fuffice to perfwade you, that the above mention'd Rules are either accurately true, or at ieaft true for the main, and therefore true enough to be very ufefal ia many occurrences. To the above mentioned Inftances afforded by Pendu- lums I ftiall here adde but one raore,tbat comprehends many thoufandsj for the Art of compofingof that great variety of Harmonious Tunes, that makes Mufick fo delightful to us, depends upon the Dovflrine of Proportions. And he that being well skill'd in thar, knows how to apply it to the Notes or Words proposed, according to theObfervations which Experience has afforded, of the gratef ulncfs of fuch and To l^atural ^lilo/ophle. i y and fuch Confonancies &c. may oat of his own head com- pofe a ftrange variety of new and plea/ing Tunes, which are fo m^ny Exercifes that mm makes of the power his Skill gives him over the Bodies of which his Mufical laftraments coafifh and over ihufe which they affed. 6* I know not, Pyrcphilus^ whether I may not reckon a- mongftthe Advantages chat Machematicks may afford the Naturalift, That they will in many cafes fuggeft to him di- vers new Experiments, whereby to vary thofe wherein the Figures of Bodies, the Lines of Motion, as alfo Numbers, Proportions, and the like Affediions, which the Mathema- tician is wont to treat of, may come into confideration. For tis very likely, that thofe fuggefted Experiments, which ei- ther would not be thought on,or could not be skilfully pro- posed, by a perfon not vers'd in Mathemacicks, may, either ioimediatelyjOr upon the fcore of the Applications that may be made of them,prove fcrviceable to men:(of which I hope ^^^ ^j^^ j^ in one of the following Eflays, to give you fome Inftances.) Epy. I care not to mention to you, how great a variety of Try als and Obfervations, about the beft way of Levelling great Guns,and the differing Diftances to which they will carry at fuch and fuch Elevations, and the Lines defcrib'd by the motion of the Bullet, acd oiher particulars belonging to the Art of Gunnery, have been proposed and try'd, upon the Hints fuggefted by Geometrie's Mathematical Difciples fe- fpccially,) and others, becaufe many Good men wjfluhefe fatal Arts had been leflTe underftood. And therefore I flull rather put you in mind of the great variety of Ph^nomena^ whichpureMathematickshave help'd men todifcoverand derive from thefe familiar Obfervaiions^ That a Beam of * Light, paffing through differing ^Mediums, is not conti- nued in a ftieight Line, but broken or reh'a(5ted-, and, That in C 2 fuch 1 8 Of the Vfefuhes ofMathematicks Ibch and fuch conjun6lures of Circumftances the San or Moon will fufFer an Eclypfe, that will obfcurefuch apart of the Body, and laft fronn fuch a time to fuch a time: from which Obfervations of Eclypfes divers very confiderable things have been deduc'd by Mathematicians, not onely as to Aftronomy, buc alfo Geographie,Navigationjand Chro- nologic, And he that confiders what the Dodrine of Pro- portions, and of Concords (or, as our Muficians call them, Cord?,) and Difcords, has contributed to the great number of Mulical Inftruments, that have been sexually made, and delightfuilv? pradis'd, and that it may afford the N.turalifl; divers Hints applicable toother purpofes, (which I (hall hereafter have occafion to intimate,) He, I fay, thatcond- ders thefe things, efpecially if he be alfo acquainted with In- genious, pleafaiit, and fomeofthem ufeful, Experiments, that have been or may be deriv'd from the Obfervations, That when a Beam of Light falls upon a Bodyjand rebounds from it, the Angle of Incidence is equal to chat of Rtfleaad which tis now time that I pafib on to conlider. MiMAkMi^^^M ^^'*j. ffffffffffffffffifffff D3 o r m V O n s: to > o r Of the VSEFULNESSB of MECHANICAL Difciplines TO Natural Philofophy. Of the Vfeffdna of Mechanical Vi/ciplines to- Natural Philosophie, SHEWING 7hj.l the Powir of Man ntay be much promoted by the Naturs- l/fl's skill in Mechamcks, TO prevent the dcnger of Stumbling ( as they fpeak) attheThrcflijld, Iflull begin this Difcourle with advertifing you, ihu I do not here take the Term Kji^tech Attic ks in that ftricter and more proper fenfe, wherein tis wont to be taken, when tis us*d onelv to fignifie the Do- drine about the Moving Powers ( as the Beam, the Leaver, the Screws, and the Wedg,) and of tra'Ping Engines to mul- tiply Forcej but I here nndeiftand the word Mechanicks in 3 largerfenfe , for thofe Difciplines that confift of the Appli- cations of pure Mathematicks to produce or modifie Moti- on in inf(irior Bodies: fo that in this fenfe they comprife not onely the vulgar Staticks, but divers other Dii'c'plines Tuch as theCentrobarricks, Hydraulicks, Pneuiiaticks, Hydro- flaticks, Balifticks, &c. the Etymologic of whofe n.'mes may inform you about what Subjeds they areconverfanr. Now that thefe Arts (if you will allow them that name) may be of great Ufe to the Experimental Philofopher, and alTift him to enlarge the Empire of Man. may bemacie pro- bable by this general Conlideration, That divers of thofe things which in the former EfTay have been evinced to m.ike the Mathcmaticks uieful'to the Naturalilf, may be applied mutatis mutandis to the Mechanicks alfo. Befides that thefe Difciplines have fome Advantages peculiar tothemlelves. But the truth of what is thus repreftTited in general Tern's, A a will % Ofth P^fefuhm of Mechanical will poflfibly be better difcern*(j, and more perfwafive, if we defcend to fome Particulars, I. Firft (then] the PhAnomena afforded us by thcfe Arts,' ought to be lookt upon as really belonging to the Hiftory of Nature in its full and due extent. And therefore as they fall under the Cognizance ot the Naturalift, and challenge his Speculation^ fo it may well be fuppos'djthat being through- ly underftood, they cannot but much contribute to the Ad- vancement of his Kncfwledg, and confequently of his Pow- er, which we have often obferv'd to be grounded upon his Knowledg, and proportionate to ir. When (for inftance) we fee a piece ot W ood,duckt under water, emerge again and float, even Vulgar Nacuralifts think that \t belongs to them toconfider therealonof this Emerfion nnd Floating, which they endeavour to render from the Pofitive Levity, which they fancy to be (upon the account of the Air and Fire; in- herent in the Wood, though fome Woods,that will fwim in water, being put into Oyl or high re(5lified ffiiit of Wine may fink. But I fee not why it fliould not belong to Philofophers to confider and inveftigate the ReafoUjWhy one part of float- ing Wood appears above the Water, whilft the other keeps beneath it, and why the extant part is equal to the immerf'd, or either greater or lelTer than it in fuch a determinate pro- portion, and ^^'hy the fame Wood will fink deeper in fome waters than in others, (as in a River than in the Sea,) as on the other fide fome Woods will fink lower than others in the fame Water. For if thefe things be duely exammd, as they may by the help of Hydroftaticks , not onely the Caufeot thefe and the \\kft Phenomena, will be difcovereJ; but by the Applications of that Difcovery aneafie way may be devis-d to mcafure a^d eftimate the differing ftrength of feveral Salt Springs, and alfo of divers kinds of Lixiviums, and Brinesj to which may be added divers oiher Pra becaureChymiftsobfervethatil: it be burnt, it leaves f^r kfle A(hes f and fuch are fuppos'd to contain the Terreftrial and heavy parts) behind it, th^n many Woo Js that we know Will float in water. And though Stones and Iron be upon the fcore of their weight, believ'd to be bodies that have little Air in them, yet if the Liquor into which they are put be heavier, bulk for bulk,th3n they, they will not fink but float, and if forcibly depreft, they will emerge, as you may try when you pleafe, by putting Stones or lion or the like ponderous Body upon Quick- filver, or melted Lead ; fo that we need not here confider whether Air be or be not predominant in a propos'd Body, when we would know whether it will or will not fink in an aRign'd Liquor. And though we fliould admit the Air, whether included in the Pores, or lookt upon as an Elementary Principle to be the Caufeofits being lighter than an equal bulk of Liquor, yet the Air would be but the remote Caufe of its fwim- ming, its immediate Caule being that the floating Body is lighter Difciplines to Natural Vhilofophk, 5 lighter than an equal Bulk of the Liquor, and therefore the fame Body without acquiring or loofing Air, may fwim ia one kind of water, and fink in another. As in the cafe of hea- vy Bodies, as Loaden Ships, that having profperoufly fail'd over the Sea , are recorded to have funk as foon as^ they come into Harbour, i. e. into a more frefli watery and an Egge that will fink in common water, will fwiminaftrong Brine. Nay a Body may (as I and others have tryed) be fo pois'd in water, that if the Liquor be a little warmer then " when the Body was pois'd in it, the Body will fink-, as twill emerge again upon the Refrigeration of ir. And i{ this general Anfwer of the Lightnes of the Air will not give fo good an account as Hydroftatical principles, why a piece ot Wood will float or fink, it will much lefs give fo fatisfa(5tory an Account, why differing Woods in the fame Water,or the fame piece of Wood in differing water5,will fink joft fo fir and no farther,whereas by Hydroftatical principles the phAnomenofi is eafie to be accounted for,according to that Theorem of ^^rchimedes, ■uf^^' ^ i-^^j^Par, That Solids lighter ub. x. ?rof, iJ than the Liquor ihey aie put into, will fink in it fo farjas that as much of the Liquor as is equal in Bulk to the demerfed part, be equal in weight to the whole floating Body.- whence ihefe Corolhriesarederiv'd, That a floating Body has the fame proportion in weight to as much Liquor as is equal to it in Bulk, as the immf r f'd part of the Body has to the whole Body. Andlikewife; That as much Liquor as is equal in Bulk to the whole BoSy, has the fame proportion in weight to the faid Body, as the whole Body has to that part of it felf which is beneath the fui face of the Liquor. And as thefe Corollaries deter mine, the Proportion between tbeimmers'd and extant part of the floating Body • fo (to (her//V^///^, and others, have of late apply'dthe Principles of Hydroftaticks to that ponderous Body (which the Chymifts reckon among Metals j Mercury. My next Advertifment is, that mentioning Mechanical Inftances, not fo much to acquaint you fully with the things themfelves, as to make the Medium's to infer what I would prove, I have taken the Mechanical Propofitions that I im- ploy 'd, as they are delivered by the /\rtifts themfelves, with. ouc Dlfcipl'mes to Katural Vhilofophte. i j out warranting that their Proportions will hold true in Ma- thematical ftric^nes. For though I have made Tryals my feif of feveral things of this naturCjyet having often obferv'd how difficult it is to find a Mathematical preafenes in Phyfi- cal and Mechanical things, I think itnotamifs to intimate thus much to you, though I may clfewhcre have a fitter op- portunity to make it out, that fo greit an exadlnefs is in ma- ny cafes not neceffary to make the Rules that want it, ufe- ful in Pr3<5tice. ' The Concluding Intimation I mean to give you, is, That I have not hitherto mention'd a Seivice, that Mathematicks and Mechanitks may often do the Naturalift, which is not fie to be filently pietermitted, and it is , That by Lineal Schemes, Pidures, and Inftruments, they may much aflift the fmagmation to conceive many things, and thereby the Underftanding to judg of them, and deduce new Contrivan- ces from them. That I do not groundlcfly fay this, yoa will grant, if yoa confiderhow difficult (not to H^y impolTible) it were to go through with a long Geometrical Demonftracion, without the help of a vifible Scheme, to affift both the Fancy and the Memory; and how difficult it is to give Beginners 2nldea of the Grounds oi Colmographie and Geographic, without Material Schemes and Globts, your own very recent Experience, as wei! as that of others, vvill,! prefume, inbrm you. As it alfo may, how ureful.not to fay how neceffary, Pidures, and in fome cafes, Models, are wont co be, when Engines,Houfes,Ship<, and oiher StrUL*lurcs are to be judg'd of, that they may be approv'd, or improved: buc I {hall fa- ther take notice, that not onely Mechanical, Mathematical, and Anatomical things, need Schemes and Pi(5^ures/tore- prefent them clearly ro our Conceptions; but m.any things that are looked upon as more purely Phyfical, may, in my Opinion, bemuchilluftratcdthe fame way. Of which if DCS 14 Of the Ffefuhes ofMechanlcal Des Cartes has, as fome fay, been the Introducer, I think he dcfetves our Thanks for ic. For as Plato faid, God docs al- ways Geomctrize-, fo in many cafes it may be as truly faid, That Nature does play thfrj/lechaoitian, not onely in Ani- mals, but in Plants and tfifir parts, and divers other Bodies; in the Explication of which GurioaSi and oftentimes invifi- ble Contrivances of Hers, Pi<5lures, that reprefeut them well to the Eye, and, it twcre needful!, in Dimenfions much greater than Natural, may very much farther the framing of right lilaas of chem in the Mind. iiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiii^i^^ii fffffffffffffffffffff^f,^. «fe That the gOOVS OF MJ.XKJ^^'D may be much cncrcafed bythc NATU R A LIST'S Infight into T^AV E S. 1 w That the G0ods »f Mankind may be much encreafed by the Naturalifi's Inftght into Trades. TO make out what is propof'd in the Title of this Difcourfe, I lliall endeavour to fliew two things. The One; That an Infight into Trades may Im- prove the Naturalift's Knowledge. And the Other, That the Naturalift, as well by the skill thus obtam'd, as by the other parts of his knowledge, may be enabled to Improve Trades . The LSe6iim» ANd firft, it feems to me to be none of the leaft prcju- dicesjthat either the haughtinefs and negligence, which moft men are naturally prone to,or that wherewith cheymay have been infe<5ted by the Supercilioufnefs and La2inefs,too frequent in Schools , have done to the Progrefs of Natural Philofophy, and the true Intereft of Mankind, that Lear- ned and Ingenious Men have been kept fuch ftrangers to the Shops and PratliCes of Tradefmen. For there are di- vers confiderations that perfwade me.that an Infpe<^ion into thefe may aot a little conduce, both to the Increafe of the Naturalift's knowledge, and ro the Melioration of thofe Mechanical Arts. I. And,I confider in the firft place, that the Phienomcna afforded by Trades, are Cmoft of them ) a Part of the Hifto- ry of Nature, and therefore may both challenge he Natu* ralift's Curiofity, and adde to his knowledge. Nor will it fuffice to juftifie Learned Men in the neglect and contempt of this Part of Natural Hiftory,that the Men^frora whomi A a ■ iC; 2 The Goods of Mankind may he much encreafed it maft be learn'd, are illiterate Mechanicks,and the things that are exhibited are works of Art and not of Nature. For the Firft part of the Apologie is indeed Childifh, and too unworthy of a Philofopher to be worthy of a folemne An- fwer. And as for the Later part , I defire, that you would confider whatwcclfwhere exprefTely Difcourfe againft the onreafonable difFerencCjthat the generalityof learned Men have feem*d to fancy betwixt all Natural things and fa^iti- ous one«. For befides that many of thofe Pfodu6lions,that are call'd Artificiall,do differ from thofe,that are confelledly Natural, not in Effence, but in Efficients 5 there are very many things made by Tradefraen, wherein Nature appears manifeftly to do the main parts of the Work: as in Mault- ingjBrewing, Baking, making of RaifonSjCurrans and other Dried Fruitsj as alfo Hydrome],Vinegar,Lime5&c. and the Tradefman does but bring vifible Bodies together after a grofTe manner, and then leaves themtoa<5l one upon ano- ther, according to their refpcciive Natures 5 As in making of green for courfe) Glalle,the Artificer puts together Sjnd and Afhes, and the colliquation and union is performed by theadlionof ihefire upon each Body, and by as natural a way as the fame fire, when it refolves wood into Afhes,2nd Smoak unites Volatile Salt, Oyle, Earth and Flegme into Soot; and fcarce any man will think, that when a Pear is grafted upon a white Thorne, the fruit it bears is not a Na- tural one, though it be produced by a Coalition of two Bo- dies of diftant Natures put together by the induflry of Man, aid would not have been produc'd without the Manual and Artificial Operation of the Gardener. II. Butmany of the Phsenomcna of Trades are not only parts of the Hiftory of Nature, but fomeofthcmmay be reckoned .among its more noble and ufefull Parts. For they ihew us Nature in mothn^ and that too when (he is ( as ic were)pat oucof her Comie^^by the ftreogth or skill of Maa hy the i^aturaltU's Infight intoTrades . 5 Mani which I have formerly noted to be the moft inftru- dtive conditionjWhercin we can behold her. And as 'tis ma- niteft that thcfe Obfervations tend dire<5^1y to Pradife, fo, if I miftake not, they may afiPord a great deal of light to di- vers Theories, efpecially by affording inllances, wherein we fee by what means things may be effecfled by Art , and confequently by Nature that works Mechanically. III. The Phienomena afforded by Trades are therefore the fitter to be tranflated into the Hiflory of Nature by PhilofopherSjbecaufe they, whofeprofeflion 'tis to manage thofe things, being generally but Shop- keepers, and their fervants being for the moft part but Apprentices and Boyes, they neither of them know themfelves how to defcribe ia writing their own Pradices, and record the Accidents they meet with : fo that either Learned men muft obferve and Regifter thefe things, or we muft,to the no fmall Prejudice of Philofophy, fuffer the Hiftory of Nature to wantfo confiderable an Acccflion, as the Shops and Work.houfes of Crafts- men might affbrd it; which accefTion would be much the more copious, if the Experiment of Trades were made by a Naturalift, who would doubtlefs fo manage them, as to make them farr more Inftrudive and better fitted for thedefigne of a Natural Hiftory, than the fame Experiment would be,if they were related but by an illite- rate Tradefman,thoDgh never fo honeft. And, Fjrofhilus^ to invite you, as you defigne a further Progrefs in Natural Phylofophy ,to difdain as little as I do, to converfe with Tradefmen in their Workhoufcs and Shops ; give me leave to tell you^ihac as he defervcs not the knowledge of Nature, that fcornes to converfe even with mean Perfons, that have the opportunity to be very convcrfant with Her 5 fo oftentimes from thofe, that have neither fine Language nor finedoaths coamurebim with, the Naturalift may obtain iDformatioos^tbac may be very A3 nfcfttll 4 ^/^^ Goods vf Mankind may he much encrea fed ufefuli to his defign , and that upon feveral fcorcs. For firfti Tradefmen are ufually more diligent about the particular things they h!?ndle, than other Experimen- ters are wont to be 5 becjuie thefe, if they want diligence, loofe nothing , but what that very want of it keeps them from taking not'ce of, or ^t rroft the fatisfj(5lionof an un- necclTary curiofit) 5 whireas Tradefmen have another gbelTe concern in the mari.igement of what they imploy themfelves about, for their livelyhood depends upon it; And as , ij- they be carelefs, others more diligent will get away their Guftomfi So^ if they do any thing extraordini- rily well, the chiekft and for fometime, the whole Benefic u^illaccrew to themfelves, and by improving their Profef- fion they better their Income. Secondly, As it is Proverbially faid, that Neceffiryis the mother of Inventions, fo Experience daily (hews, that the want of a Subfiftence, or of Tools and Accommodati- ons, makes Craftf-men very Induftrious and inventive, and puts them upon im ploying fuch things to ferve their prefenc turnes, as nothing but neceflity would have made even a knowing man to have thought on. By which means, they difcover new ufes and Applications of things, and confe- quently new Attributes of them 5 which are not wont to be taken notice of by others,and fome oi which,! confefs, I have hot look'd upon without wonder. Thirdly, I have feverall times obferv'd Trades deal with things unknown to Claflical writers , and unuf'd, fave in their Shops, And thefe are not only fa(51:itious, but divers of them Natural-, as Manganefe fby fome calfd Magnefca*,) &Zafora Cif atleaft it be what many repute it j Emery, Tripoli,&c. and of both forts there are fome, that are ex- ceeding ufefulU as of thofe formerly mention'd, the two fir ft are to GlafTe-menand Potters; and the two Later to a number of other Tradef-menj and as among Artificial ^Cpncrctcs, hy the KaturAlHis Infight into TraJesl 5 Concretes, Soaders are of ncccffary ufe to Gold- fmiths. Lock ♦fmith$5Copper-fmiihs5Brafiers,Pewterer$5Tin- men, Glafiers, &c. Amels to Gold-fmiths, Glafs-mcn, &c.Lake$ of feveral forts to Painters, Hcraulds,&c. and Putty to Amel founders, Potters,Stone-cutters,Gold-fmiths,Glars- grinders, and divers other Profeffions . I fhall adde, that ev'nof thofe natural things,cf which feme mention is made in famous Books, one may learn many things in Shops, not to be met with there,both as to the differing kinds of things, and as to the marks of their goodnefs, and as to other Par- ticulars conducive to the knowledge of thofe fubjedts. And I freely confefs to you, Pjrophilm ^ihzt I learn'd more of the Kinds, Diftin(5tions, P«Dpcrties, and confequently of the Nature of Stones,by converfing with two or three Mafons, and Stone- cutters, than ever I did from Plinj or Arifotle^ and his Commentators. Fourthly,Youiliall often find,that Tradef-men,being un- acquainted with Books,& with the Theories & Opinions of the Schools,examine the Goodnefs & other Qualities of the things they deal with, by Mechanical waies,which their own fagacity or cafual Experiments made them light upon. And though thcfe , having litle or no affinity with thofe that a Book- man would have taught them, will appear to him cxtravagant-5 yet being fuch, as, if they really ferve the Crafts- man's turn, muft be true and u(eful, their being extravagant will but make them the more new and Inftru- ^ive, and confequently the more fie to be admitted into the Hiftory of Nature. Fifthly, The Obfervations that Tradef-mencanfupply us with , though they are notj probably at any one time fo accurately made by them, as they would be by a Learn- ed man 5 yet that defed is recompenfed by their being more frequently repeated, and more aflfiduoufly* made, than moft of the&xpcckneats wherewith mea of Letters have f • " ' '" " * furnifhed 6 The Goods of Mankind may he mtich encrea/ed forniihed Natursl Hiftory : fo that thofe CircumftaoceSy which are not heeded by the Artificer at one time , may ol> trude upon his obfervation at another, and by reiterating the fame Proccfles fo often, it can fcarce be doubted, buc that divers Phaenomcna will offer themfelves, even to an unattentive Eye , that would not have been all of them taken notice of by a more heedful Experimenter^ that had perform'd the Operation but once or twice. Buc this will be further confirmed in the next Paragraph. Sixthly, There are Tradefmen, that do often obferve in the things they deal about , divers Gircumftances unob- ferved by others , both relating to the Nature of the things they manage , and to the Operations performable upon them. Of the particularsjwherein the Obfervations of Trades- men (for the Utility of many of their Pradifes is not que- ilioned ) may help us to invedigate the Nature of Bodies, I could name more than my prcfent haft allows me to mention , and I (hall , as a Specimen, take a little notice, fir(t,offomeof the Remarks they have to diflioguifh and eftimate what they call the Good^efs and Badnefs of the things they deal with 5 and then of fome few of their Ob- fervations, that depend upon the Influence, that Time and Seafon have on the Things they handle, and upon the Ar- tificers Operations on them. For (to begin with the fird) although they commonly mean by fuch termes (of Good- neis and Badnefs ) no more, than the fitnefs, or unfitnefs of fuch things to yeild a good price, and in order thereunto for the purpofes they are to beimployed about in their par- ticular Trades-, yet this fitnefs or unfitnefs is wont to con- fiif in, or to fuppofe, Qualities, that may relate to divers other things, and be apply 'd to many other purpofes^ For fome of the Tradefmen's Criteria difcovcrto us a variety 2od a difierence of kinds in Bodies oi the ffine Dcaomina- hy the ISlaturalifts infght into TfaJesl 7 tion •, as from the Potters, rhs Tobacco-pipe- makers, and the Glaffemen, we may learn a confiderable variety pi Clays 5 and from Stone- cutters and M^fons no lelTe variety ofStonesuntak'n notice otby ClalTKk Authors. So from Carp.-^nters, Joyners, and Turners we may leain, that fome woods, as Oake, are fit to endure both wet and dry wea- ther; others will endure well within doores, but not expos'd to the weather; others will hold out well above ground, hue not underwater; 3nd others on the contrary will laft better under water, than in the Aire. And as the Diflinguifliing markes we were fpeaking of may informe us of the difi^:renccs and kinds of Bodies ; fo ihey may likewife on other Accounts give us notice of di- vers of their Qualities. Thus we find by the GTifl'e men and SoapeBoyltrs, that fome Allies, as thofe of Kely, Besn- H'Aksc^c, do much more abound in S^lt, than other fome; and yet fome of thofe forts of Afhes make cieerer, or other- wife better glMfe, than the reft do. We m^y likewife Jearne of the Mjulfters the differing Impreflions, tint the Barly receives according to the fewel, whether Straw, Wood, Furs, e^^- that makes the Fire wherewith 'tis dry'd. And I remember, I have known an Ingenious M?ul(ier much advantag'd by a way hehadot foprep.iring Mault, asific hadnot been dry'd With Wood,(uru illy the cheapeff,butnot the befl,fewel for that purpofe) whereas indeed it was a Se- cret conftfting onely in the choice and feafoning of foch a kind of Wood, that ev'n the folid parts of it cleft, burnt: almoff like ftraw with a deer flame, fo ftrangely fiee from Smoake, that I could not behold it without fome won- der. The other fort of Inftruftivc obfervations to be learnM of Tradefmen confifls of thofe, that are made about the Operation, that continuance of time, or change of feafon and leather, may have upon certain Bodies , and wayes of haa- B dliog 8 That the Goods of mankind may he much encreas'd dling them. For naturalifts, ufually contenting themfelves to make their Experiments but once or twice , when their leifure beft ferves, or their occafions mod require, have not the fame opportunity to difcern what influence the temper, which the Aire then is put into , either by the feafon or the weather or both , may have on the Event of the Tryall 5 whereas TradeCmen , by long and fometimes unwelcome Experience,are taught fuch and fuch things will be beft done at fuch feaions of the year , or in fuch kind of weather ^ which if they be not in fome cafes obferv'd , either the thing willnotfuccced, or the Trades- man will be damnify 'd by hisTryal. Thus we fee, that Tanners make choice of that part of the fpring , when the Bark abounds with the rifeing iapp,to take it oft from the Trees ; becaufe at all feafons it will not be fo good nor come off I'o eafily. Thus Joy ners think not Wains-coat fufficiently (eafon'd till it be fo many years old^ And in feveral Countrys, Batchers obferve , that though a young Bullock may be very good meat , if fpent foon after 'tis kill*d 5 yet if powder'd, to be long kept,before the beaft be 4 or 5 year old, the fait will too much fret it, and make it little worth. And I look upon it as one of the Advantages the NaturaJift may derive from Trades-mensObfervations ^ That the fame things being fucceffively dealt with by the Father and the Son, the Mafter and the Apprentice, they fometimes make fane more long winded Obfervations, than the Philofopher has opportunity to do. As for inftance , thofe that make Mortars of Ligmm vita^ and will make them good, will keep it in the houfe 20 years, or perhaps more, to feafon fas they call it) before they will Imploy ir» And Experienced Mafons tell us (and as farre as I have ob- ferv'd truly enough) that as there are fome forts of Lime and Stone, that will decay in few years-, fo there are others, that will aot attaine their full hardnefie in jq or 40 , or a much lODgeE hy the T^dtutaUfts Inf^k into Trader, 9 longer time. Of which I may elfwhere give yoa fome Inftances. To the fix foregoing particulars, one more may be added to the fame purpofe with the reft , and it is ; That by frequenting the workehoufes and fhops of Crafts- men, a Naturalift may often learn other thingSjbefides the truth and falfity of what they relate, concerning the Hiftory of the Arts they make Profeflion of. For though a Trades- man, being for the moft part unlearned andaimeingonely at ma- king or performing thofe Particular things, which when done, are to bring profit, ufually overlooke thofe Phaeno - mena, that make not to his Purpofe? yet Nature, {'who minds as little his Defigne, as he do's thofe works of Hers, that conduce not to it) is by fome Agents and Operations, that he imploys tocompaflehis Ends, engag'd to do feve- rall things that have a conne(5lion which thofe the Artificer Profecutes, or elfe doe depend upon them : fo that the Na- turalift may oftentimes obferve in Shops divers confiderable Phtenomena, that the Trades- man regards notj becaufe they neither further , nor hinder him in his work , and will be look'd upon by him as impertinent to the Hiftory of his ProfefTion, in cafe he (hould be put upon delivering it. And yet iome of thcfe occurring Pha?nomena being pro- duced by nature , when (he is as 'twere vex'd by Art , and roughly handled by ways unufual , and fometimes extrava^ gant enough, may difcover to a heedful and rational man, divers Luciferous things not to be met within Books, or probably not fo much as dreamt of by the Authors of them. Sundry Examples of this I (hall have occafion to difperfe in the following E S S A Y and other Trads,that are defign'd you in this Second Volume of our prefent Treatile. B 2 The • I o The Goods of Mankind may he much encreafed The II. SECTION. T Will now therefore proceed to fliew, that as the Natura- -* lift may fas we have leen)derive much knowledge from an [nfpedlion into Trades i (o by virtue of the knowledge thus acquired , as well as by that , which he has upon other Accounts , he may be able to contribute to the Improve- ment of Tiades. This he may do by feveral wayes , and efpecially by thefe Three. The firft, by increafing the number of Trades, by the addition of new ones. The fecond by uniteing the Obfervationsand PraWes of differing Trades into one Bo- dy of Colledions And the third by fuggefting improve^ ments in (ome kind or other of the Particular Trades. Thefirftof thefe I (hall here lightly pafle over , having elfewhere Occafion to difcourfe of it more fully-, only I (hall here take notice,that,For theExperimental Philofopher to increafe the number of Trades now in ufe among us, it will not be abfolutely nece(rary,that he fhould invent new ones , (ince he may do it by reviveing the Trades formerly known to the AntientSjbutlofftous: fuchasthemakeing incombuftible Cloath of Lapis Amiantusi the Tyrian Pur- ple, the Makeing of Mofaick work, and thofe many other Inventions which you may find mention 'd in FancirolluSi and his Learned Commentator Salmuth, Of which it were not amide that a Catalogue were made publick ^ for i'uch things, having been once adually done by men, are not im- poflible to be done again, and therefore I fee no Reafon to defpair, that in fo Ingenious an Ageas this,(ome,itnotmoft, of them may be retriv'd. The fecond Advantage, that Trades may derive from an Inqaifitive Naturalift, is ^ That by this means the feve- u\\ Obfervations and different pra(^iccs of Trades, whofe managers. ly the l>latur aim's Infight into Trades . 1 1 managers want theCurioficyjthe skill, or the Opportunity* to make a general Infpedion into Trades, which they would find the more difficult to do^ becaufe Crafts- men will often be morcfliieof one another,and more backward to difclofe the myfteries of their art to onejthat may make a gain of it f and thereby IcfTen theirs,) thantoa Philofopher, that Inquires ^ tofatisfie his Curiofity , or Enable himfelf to be helpful to I them. And certainly , if fo much as the known hints , that maybegivenby the Experiments already difpcrs'd among men of feveral Profeffions vvere known to any one man, though otherwayes butof common abilities*, (as my own Experience has in fome meafure inform'd me) thofe united Beams, which fcatter'd are fcarce confiderable, would afford him light enough to better moftof the Particular Trades, that arc Retainers to Philofophy. And perhapsi it were not amifTe, if there were feme knowing & Experimental Perfons appointed by thepublick to take an exad furvey of the Trades in ufe amongft us , & informe themfelves parti- cularly of all the Secrets & praiSiices belonging to them , that thus difcerning the Errors and Deficiencies ot each, they may redifie the one,and fupply the other jpartly by the hints afforded by the analogous Experiments of fome othec Trades, and partly by their own notions and Tryals. . Thus a few of the more Ingenious French Gardeners have of Ijte uCefully apply *d, to the watering of young and tender Plants, that way of filtration, which is us'd by Apothecaries with moiftn'd Cotton weeks or Rouls, or eUe with lifts of either Linnen or Woollen Cloath, fo order 'd , that one end being immers'd in the Liquor to beftrain'd, the other may hang over the Brimme, and out of the veflel fomewhat low- er, than the Bottom (or at leaft the furface) of the Liquor. For if this Lower end of the Lift be plac'd over the Root of any feed or tender Plant, it will, by conftantly & leifurely flopping on it, water it much more temperately and uni^ formlys, 1 2 Tl)e Goods of Mankind may he much encfeafed formly, than can be done by common watering Pots. And ev'n this way of Irrigation may by a cheap and eafy mecha- nical contrivance be very much improv'd. There is another Pradice among Stone Cutters, that caft or mold things with Plaifter of Paris, to obtain finer Powders, than Searces are wont to give them, by ftirring the Powder well in wa- ter,and after it has refted a little while,powring off the upper part of the troubled Liquor into another clean veffelj at the Bottom oi which there will in time fettle an Impalpable Powder. I will not here tell you what ufe I make of this in Chymiftry, to obtain much finer Powders than are ufually , to be met with of the fame Denomination. And I fhall but intimate to you, that by letting the firfl water ftand but fo much the longer before you pour o& the upper pare of it, 'till not only the grofler and heavier, but thelefle fine parti- cles be fubfided, you may get a Powder,yet much more fub- tle, than thofe Artificers,that imploy the former way, with- out this Circumftance, are wont to obtain. This, I fay, ic fliall fuffice me to have pointed at , becaufe 'tis more pro- per to take notice, that the way of obtaining fubtlc Powders by the help of water is ufeful, not onely to the above menti- onM Craftfmen, butlikewifeto ClafTcmen.Potters, makers ofTelefcopes and Microfcopes, thole that caft metalls in Spaud,and other Tradefmen too. Befides that I may here* after have occafion to tell you,th3t 'tis of great Ufe in Chi- na for the makers of Porcellain. But 'tis not only by acquainting Artificers of different ProfefTions, with one anothers pradices, that the Naturalift may furtherTrades,but by makingMaterials imploy'd byone forcof Crafts-men ferviceableto another. That Philofopher, who has fuiveyd a great number of Trades,and compar'd them together, may do this with advantage, you will eafily grant, when I fliall have advertis'd you, that without any fuch affiftance as that of a Philofopher, in whom their di- hy the NaturalsH'S Infight into Tradesl t J ftin6^ knowledg may concenter,and who has skill to enlarge the Applications of them , we may obferve that fometimes Trades-men themfelves can make ufe of one anothers Pro- du(5tions. Of which I fliall give you a couple of Exam- ples, theonefurni(h'dmeby Ly charge, the other by Aqua Fortis^ The former of thefe , which is but Lead powdcrd and al- moft vitrifyd, by being blown off (or melted into) the Refi- ners Teft , as it ferves the Chymift to make his Sugar of Lead f which it has been obferv'd to do better , than Mini- um) and other Saturnine Medicines i fo it ferves divers Comb-makers to die Homes Cas we have try*d by the mix- ture of Lytharge, Quicklime, and fhjrp Vineger. It ferves alfo fome Painters and others to accelerate the preparations of their fat-Oyles,as they call them. And fome Varniihers to make their Varnilhes dry quickly. It likewife ferves fome Aiiifh to make counterfeit Gemms, and we have try 'd, that by melting it with about a third part of pure white Sand , or calcin'd Chryftalls and then putting in a fmall quantity of Mineral Concret's, according to the colour intended to be introduc*d,one may makeSapphyreSjEmerauldsc^^.colour'd like the Nacurall ones-, though this way makes thefe pro- dudions too ponderous, foft, and dimme, and is far inferiour to another we may elfewherehaveoccafion to difdofe. Other Mcchanicall ufes of Lytharge I omit , to come to the fecond Inftance I was mentioning , which is ta- ken from Aqua Fortis. For not only Refiners ufe it to part Silver from Gold and Copper f whence the French call it Eau de dej>art)h\ii divers makers of curious wooden works ufe it for the difcolouring and flaining of their woods. Dyers make great ufe of it about their Colours, and ev'nabouc Scarlet it felf. Other Artificers imploy it to colour Bone or Ivory, fleep'd for a convenient fpace of time therein, having firft made it of the colour they defire, by diilbiving in ic Copper j4 The Goods ofMankiKclwny hettiuch encrea/ed Copper { inftead of which I hive fometimes us'd Verdi- greafc/) oroiher Bodys, fie for their piefeni turn; and fome too by dillolving in it the fourth part of its weight of Sal Armoniac, turn it inro Aqua Hegia, and in that make a So- lution of Gold, wherewith m:iy be ftain'd ( as we have try'd and taught fome Artificers) the Ivory hafts of Knives, and Boxes of the fame matter, with a fine kind of purple colour, which yet will not fuddenly difclofe it felf on them. Some Book- binders alfo imploy Afpertions of Aqua Fortis to (lain the Leather 5 that makes thofe fine Covers of Books, thatjfor their refemblance to fpeckld Marble, are wont to be caird Marbled. Tis alfo imployd ^as themfelves have ac- knowledg'dtome) by fomeof the Diamond Cutters, to free the dufl of Diamonds from Metalline Powders , as I {lull hereafter declare. 'Tis likewife of great fand as they imagine of neceffary) ufe to thofe that Etch Plates ot Cop- per or of Brade. To which may be added, that we have cauCd Csnes to be flain'd into the likenefle aJmofl of Tor- tois -fliell by a mixture of Aqua Fortis, not too well redifyd (which is unexpedicnt in this work) and Oyl of Vitrioil lay'd on at feveral times and places upon Canes, held over a large chafing-difh of Coales, that by the heatthe ftaining Liquor may be the better luckd in by the Canes, which muft after- wards have a GlofTe giv*n them, by being diligently rub'd with a little foft wax and a dry Cloth. Nor are thefeali the Ufes made ot Aqua Fortis , as you will find hereafter by Inftances, that I referve for other places. But I thought fit to mention this Liquor in this place, rather than any of thofe many faditious Bodys I might have taken notice of, for thefe two particular Reafons. The one, that the ufes,hi' therto enumerated of this Mcnff:ruum,may ferve to confirm what I told you in the fecond Eflay, of the great Utility of Menftruums. And the other. That though Aqua Fortis -be a Liquor of exceeding common ufe, and wont to be di- ftilld hy {he Ts^atUYalifts infigU into Trades] 1 5 ftilldby men of fcveral Profeffions, as Chymifts, Refiners, Goldfmith'i drc. Yet they have had hitherto fo little cu- riofity to enquire into the Nature of itjor vary the waycs of making it,thatnotonely thewayes, that a skilful Naturalift might diredt for improvcing it , have not been taken notice ofjbut no fmall overfights may be obferv'd to be generally uod dayly made about it.And an ingeniousG«ntlcm3nof my acquaintance, by making fome Tryals to improve it, has bin fo tar fucceffefull in his attempts, that he makes it by great odds better 5 than that which theRtfiners are wont to im» ploy, or (as farrc as my Tryals have mformd me) than any I have us'd-, and affords it for not much above half the price , that is commonly giv'n for it. Nor have his Experiments this way alone proraoccd the Refiners Trade , but have alfo difclos'd to him a way of cleerly recovering moft of his Aqua Fortis, alter hehasus'dit in the feparationofMecalls, not only in its former ftrengtb, but fomewhac encreas'd in Virtue 5 which you will the more eafily think poflible, if I tell you, that Aqua Fords may be made and receiv'd inothcr VtfTels, than thofe that are ufual. As alfo , that without dreaming of this Chymifts way,I have reobtain'd that Men- ftruum exceedinglftrong, after haveing imployd it upon cer- tain Mineralls (tor from others I know not whether it may be fo regaind.) And laftly, that there are fome Bodies , befidesGlais?nd Earth, that are not brittle like thefe, and yet fervefor the lecond Deft illation of AquaFortis, though made very ftrong at the firft* And fince I am mentioning of this Liquor , I (hall inti- mate (and onely intimate here)th3t,by adding to Salt- Peter infteadoftheufual Additament of three times its weight of BrickjOr Clay,or the like,about an 8th or 1 oth part only of its weight of another fubftance, we have, evn in ordinary Sand Furn 'c^s, obtained, though (lowly, a Nitrous Spirit, or Aqua Fortis much itr onger at the firft deftiUation , than G that 1 6 TI?e Goods of mankind may he much encreasj that which is wont to be fold by our Refiners, for doable or rectify 'd Aqua Fortis. You, PyrophilM, and divers other Firtuop, have much more opportunity to make an infpe(5lion into particular Trades , than my other Studyes and Occafions will allow me, and yet I have bin more than once able to fuggeft to eminent Artificers fuch things, concerning their ownPro- feflion , as they try*d and thank'd me for. And therefore 1 have often wifh'd, that fome ingenious Friends to Experi- mental Philofophy would take the paines to enquire into the My fteries, and other pra<5lices of Trades, and give us an accountjforac of one Trade,and fome of another, though the more are handled by thefame Perfon 'twill bs cateris pari' h^s the better , not only delivering Hiftorically what is pra(flis'dibuc alfo adding their own Refle(5iions,and any other thing they think fit to propofe, towards the melioration of the Profcflions they write of. And to give you, for a fpecimsft of this Cnot perhaps the beft that 1 could^but)fuch an one,as will be fure not to make you defpair of out- doing it , I will adde at the clofe of this ESSAY, what came into my mind, and coft me about an houre to fet down about the Trade of thole that fell Var- nifhed wares. Some Italian Writers (who i^jdcedare to be commended for it) have given us accounts of fome particular Profeflions, as befide others , that I have heard of, but could not pro- cure, Antonio Neri has written DeU' Arte Fctraria, and Ben" venuto Cellini of Sculpture & the Statuaries Art,and of fome other ProfefHons, worthy, with the Art of Glaife- making, to be made Englifh* And indeed, I would willingly invite both you and other Virtuofi of our own Countrey, as well as of others , not to difdain to contribute their Obfervations to the Hiftory ot Trades.- Aod if you pitch upoo any,you may command my thoughts hy the Tsljiturallfts In/ight into Trader, 17 thoughts of the method wherein an account of it may be the moft conveniently giv'n. For I look upon a good Hiftory of Trades, as one of the belt means to give Expevimentall Learning both growth and fertility , and like to prove toNa- turalPhilofophyjWhatarichCompoftis to Trees, whichic mightily helpes, both to grow faireand ftrong, and to beat much fruit. And this I was fo perfuaded of, that I once defign'd, if the Publique Calamities of ray Country had not hinder 'd, to bind feveral ingenious Lads Prentices to feveral Trades, that I might the better by their meanes , both have fuch Obreivationsmade,as I (hould direft, and receive the better Hiftoricall accounts of their Prof cfTionSjWhen they (hould be Mailers of them. III. But *tis not only ty making the Practices and Pro- du(Stions of fome Trades fetviceable to others that the Ex- perimental Pbilofopher may be a BenefacStor tothofe Pro- feflions. For he may do it by the third of the formerly mentioned way's (which in fome cafes is coincident with the fecond) Namely,fir(l by furveying the Rules and Obferva- tions already receiv'd , and the Pra(5^ices already in ufe of each particular Trade, he would improve,and then by taking notice of two things concerning it, viz. the Deficiencies and Inconveniencies that blemifh it, and the Optatives thac may be made about it; that he may alfo in the laft place pro- pofe Rational(if not certain; Methods or Expedients to fup- ply or remedy the firit 5 and cither accomplilh the fecond , or make Approximations to it,as far as 'tis feafcabie , or as his skill reaches. By Deficiencies and Inconveniencies, I do not here mean thofe things, which arc wanting to the abfolute perfedion, which a Philofopher might wifli to find in the Trade he coniiders s C^or thefe belong to the Optatives) but thofe, C a which 1 8 The Goods of Mankind may he much fncreafed which are wont to be complained of, an J not irremediable,' or that arc wanting to a more eafily obtainable degrte of Perte^ion. I (hall not pretend to enumerate thele in particular Trades , but only obferve in general, that the chiefeft of them feem to be fuch as thefe. Firftjthat ihe Artificer may be too muchconfin'd to cer- tain Materialls , fome of which may be fcarce, or dear, or ill conditioned, in comparifon of others, that the Naturalift might propofe. As I remember^that being in a place wheie we could not procure good Vitriol to make Aqua Fortis with, after the manner of our Engltfh Refiners , by a f ubfli- tution of burnt Allom for Vitriol,but in a farre lefle propor- tion, we made Solvents for Silver, as good as theirs, if not much better. And cfpecially in fuch cafes as thefe 'cis that the Natura- lift may be very much afliftant to Trades- men. For there are many things which he, who is acquainred with variety of Bodies, and the accounts on which they work on one ano- ther, will either quickly difcern to be performable by other Materials, thanthofe that Trades men confine themfelves to, or probably ghelTed ro be performable by other Agents more in the Trades -mens power, and by making Tiyals of his Conjectures, 'tis like he will within a few Tryals difco- ver what he feeks. I know an ingenious Perfon, that upon the general complaint made by Tanners, of the fcarcity and dearnefs of the Bark of Oak, found a way to prepare Lea- ther without that or any other Bark, as well , if not much better, than 'tis wont to be done the ordinary way, at leaft as far as I, and divers other more skilful than I, could ghefle by fome variety of it, which he lliowd me. And this varie- ty of Materialls, which may be fuggcfted by the Naturalift, is therefore the more confiderable , becaufe that though the fuggefled Materialls bcdeerer,than that in common ufe, yet it may be fo much better conditioned in other regards as hy the 2^aturalifi's h fight Into Trades . i p as to be preferable to it. And though Diamond Dud be very many times deerer, than the Powder of Emry, yet I fometimes caafe work to be done for me in a Shop,\vhere to cutfome Gemms, and cv'n Loadftones thcmfelves , the Crafts-men I made ufe of did by my encouragement im- ploy thepretious Powder of Diamonds , in'lead of that of Emry^becaafe the former makes fo great a difpatchj and ob- liges them fo much the feldomer, co change their Tools they apply it with, as makes an advantagious amends for the decrnefs. And fo , though common Spelter- foder be much cheaper, than that which is made with Silver inftead of Spelter, yet in divers cafes, this laft is preferable even by Artificers themfelv- s. For tryall informs u$,that this will run with fo moderate a heat , as often needs not endanger the melting o{ thin and delicate Peeces of work, that are to be foder'd^ and if this Silver loder be fo well made, as fome I can fliew , you may with it Soder ev'n upon Sodcr it ielf made the ordinary way , with Braffe snd Spelter , and fo fill up thofe little hoales or| Crsnysthot may have bin left or made in the 6i fl Sodering, and are not fafely to be mend- ed, but by a Soder more eafily fufiblc,thanthe firft. Secondly , that the Tradcf man may be confin'd to certain w.iy*s of working, when perhaps it would be much moreadvuntagioustohim,ifhehad others propos'd him by the Expermental Philofopher, who may perhaps difcerne, that what is Mechanically done by the Artificer, may be better done Phyfically , and on the contrary. Whereas Goldfmiths, fiiff dire^ed probably by fome Chj mift, by boyling Silver Spurrs, Hiirs, &c, of cuiious Workman- fhip in S lit, Allome, and Argol, give it that whitencfTc and cleanneflfe, which it would fcarctiy be fecurely brought to by brufliing, or Pumice- ftone, or Putty. And the like Cleannefs.Experiencehas inform'd us, that old fullyed pie- ces of good Gold may be brought to in a trice, by the help C 3 of 10 The Goods of Mankind rna^hemuchencreafed of warm Aqua Fortis. And as there are divers other things rfome ot which you will find mentioned in a following ES S A Yj that, though wont to be done Meehinically, maybe done better by Phyfical means; fo of thofe things, that ought to be done Mechanically, many things that are wont to be done by the labour of the Hind, may with far raoreeafe and Expedition (the quantity confidered; beper- formed by Engines-, by which, if they be skilfully devifed, our Obfervations make us bold to think , That many more of thofcjthat are wont to require a laborious or skilf ull Ap- plication of the hands, may beeiFeCled , th3n either Shjp- men or Book men feem to have imagined. For not to men- tion thofe feveral] Inftruments on which I have ex fempgre played divers Tunes, that I had never learned, when we fee that Timber is fawd by Wind-mills and Files cut by fl'ghc Inftruments 5 and even Silk- ftockings woven by an En- gine , befides divers other Artificial Inventions left not nam'd, becaufe they cannot intelligibly be fo in few words, we may be tempted to ask, what handy work it is, that Me- chanicall contrivances may not enable men to pci forme by Engines. Thirdly, there may be deficiencies alfo in this, That what the Artificer undertakes, is either long in doing (as in the ordinary way of Tannings Brickmaking , feafoning Wood c^c.) or takes up morepaines, or requires a greater Apparatus of Inftruments, or elfe is feme other way more chargeable,or trouble fome,or laborious to be efFeded, than it needs be. And thefe kinds of Deficiencies may in very many cafes be fupplyd by the Experimental Philofopher. As I knowanlnquifitivcPerfon, that has, uponafolemne Tryall, tanned as well as the Matters of the Profeflion, in far lelTe time, Cand if I much forget not , in lelTe by above half) than they; fo in fome places they have a quick way of feafoning Come kinds of Wood , for the ufe of Sea-Tim- " beri hy the NaturaliH's In fight into TraJesl 2 1 bcr, by baking it in Ovens, (which way I have alfo known ufed here in England to feafon fome forts of Wood for other ufes in a few Howres ) fo whereas our Giinders of Dioptricall Glaffes have hitherto beleivcd, that they maft make ute of Venice Glafs,which is very deer and oftentimes very fcarce to be come by, fome Virtue ft^ confidering, that the great cleernelTe of an Obje(5t Glafs is rather an loconve* nicnce, than a very defirable Qualification, have newly taught fome of the Artificers to iroploy that courfer and cheaper fort of Glafle, they call Green- Glafie, which is made here \^BvgUnd, infteadoftheother> which now be- gins to be thought by the skilful C with whom my Obferva- tions difagree not j to be inferior to it. And fevcral Dyers imploy our Woad , which is not farfetched and much chea. per, inftead of the Eftern Indigo for Dying of fome, (if not all ) forts of Blews , and thofe other colours, which that Grand Tin(5lure prepares the Cloath to receive. Fourthly, another fort of Deficiencies or Inconveniencies maybe the want of DurablenefTe, either, as to the very be- ing of the thing produced by the Artificer , or , as to the Beauty or the goodnelTc of it. Of the former fort may be (not to mention the Decay andfowring of Cyder, Perry, ^c*) the Cracking of GlafTe o^ its own accord, and particularly that, which is complained of by divers, who deale in Telefcopes , That the Obje(fl Glaffes, which are wont to be made, as I was faying, of fine Venice Glafi'e, will fometimes, Cefpecially in the WinterJ flaw of themfelves, and fo grow ufelefs, to prevent which, fome, that are very curious, carry them in their pockets. Of the latter fort, is the fading of the Bowdie and of Wa- ter Colours in Limning, and the Ruft of fhining Arms, and other polifhed Steel. Divers of thefe Inconveniencies alfo the Naturalift msy obviate or remedy-. As fome of the Vir- tuofi above memiooed, by teaching the Glals-Grinders to make Z 1 The Goods of Mankind may he much encreafed make the Object GlalTes of their Telefcopes of Green- Glaflfe, have taught them a way to make them durable ia fpight ot the vicifTitudes of weather. And 1 have had pieces otArtificiallChryftall, whereof fomt, though in no long time, crackd in fo many places, that they changed their tranfpai ency for whitenefle 5 yet another, though much lar- ger, did, as I conjc(5lured it would, hold found during fome Winters, nor was ever broken, but by Accident: and I re- member, I told the Arcificer inwboreFurnaccjtheChiyftal^ that lafied not.had bin made, that I took,as 1 do ftiil, the 1 ea- fon of the difference to be, that the durable Chry flat had buc a due, and the ether an over great proportion of fixe Silt, The reafons of which conjecture I llijil have occalion to give you in another place. And as to the Scarlet Dye C whereof /lately mac^e men- tion) that it may be much sdvanc'd, as to point of fixtncfTe ?nd la(fingnefle,bcyond the common Bowdye, / was petfua- ded by an bontft mtrchsnt o( Amfierdam ^ who hid got a grest Eftate by colouring of Cloth, and was particularly cu- rious about the Scarlet dye. For he preitnted me with a piece of Scarlet ( of which he faid he could make enough at a reafonable race , wherein he almoft defy'd me to find ei* ther any part undy'd, or to ftain it with Viniger , Lixivium and other Liquors, that he nam'd, and indee J by cutting it / found, that though it were a thick ptece ot Cloth, the mid- dle of it was not (as is ufuallin Scailets; white or pale, but itwasdy'd quite thorough j and though of Scarlet / fliall elfewhere have occafion to fpeak farther, yet /therather mention it in this place 5 becaule it affords me a notable inffance^ that Trades may be confiderably improv'd by thofe, that donot profefle them. For the moft fjmous Cornelius Drebel^ who was the Inventor ofttie true Scar- let dye, was a Mechanicien, and a Chymift, not a Dyer; and as an ingenious mao , that marryd hi$ Daughter, related to me. hy the l^aturali/ts wjjgk into rraJesl 2 j me, was fohr from having bin vcrs'd in that Profeffion, when fome Merchants put him upon the Advancement of a certain way of dying a fine red, or rather Ciimfon, that had bin a while before cafudly lighted on in Holland^ and prov'd very gainful to the Finders, that he did not know fo much as the common way of Dying the ordinary Reds, though the Merchants having once taught him that , by the help of a fagacious Conjediure (to be told you in one of the following ElTays) hefoon invented the true skarlet dye, which has fioce bin fo much efleemed. It now remaines,,that I mention in a few words the Op- tatives, that may be proposed by the Naturalift about the particular Trades he would improve. By which name of Optatives, I mean all thofe Perfecfiions, that being delirable^ are rather very difficulc,than abfolutely impofIible,to be ob- tained. Of which Optatives, there may fometimes belong feveral to one Craft or Profeffion. Of this fort in the Black- fmiths Profeffion may be the making Iron tobe fufibfe, with a gentle heat (as the flame of a Candle j and yet hard enough for many ordinary ufes. In the GlafTe- mens Trade, and the Looking- Glafte- ma- kers , may be the making of Glaffe malleable or flexible. In the Clock makers Trade, the making the newly devis'd Pendulum Clocks , ufeful in Coache? , Boates , Ships , and in other cafes where they are put into irregular moti- ons. In the Brafierand Copper- fmyths Trade, the makeing of malleable foder. In the Shipwrights Art , rhe making of Boats and other Veflels to go under water. In the Diver's Profeffion fcmefmall and manageable Inftruments to pro- cure conftantly,at the boitomcot the Sea, frefh aire not on- ly for Refpiration , as long as one plcafcs , but alfo for the burning of Lights. D la 24 "^^^ Goods ofmankhd may he muchencrea$*d In the Say.Mafters Trade, the quick melting down of Oarcs & cupelling of them, or at leaft of Metalls, in a trice without Bellowes or Furnace. In the Carvers & Joyners Trade, the way of giving a {hape to wood in Molds, as wedotoPlaifter of Paris and burnt Alabafter. I ktiow^PyrophilM , that fuch Optatives may be thought but a civill name for Chymerical Projeds; but I (hall hereafter more fully declare to you , why I think it not al- together unufeful, that fuch Optatives fliould be proposed, provided,as I hinted above, that they be very difficult, & not impoflible: That is, that they be fuch, as are not repug- nant to the nature of the things, nor the general Principles ofReafon and Fhilofophie, and feem no other wife to be Chymically or Mechanically impoffible , than becanfe we want Tooles or other Inftruments and wayes to perfortn fome things neceflary to the compaffing of the proposed End,or to remove fome difficulties,or remedy fome Incon- veniences, that are incident to us in the Profecution of fuch difficult de(igns» And let me here tell yo\i, Fyrophilm, that this Ad- vantage may be deriv'd from the devifeing of fuch Opta- tives to bold and fagacious Men , that if they defpair of at- taining to the Perfedion they are invited to aime at, they may at leaft endeavour to reach fome Approximation to it. Thus unfufpe^ted Eyewitneffes have informed us, that in fome Countries , they are wont to (hoe Horfes without the help of a forge, bringing their Iron to fuch a temper, that,having a company ot Shoes ready made,they can ea(ily hammer them cold, fo as to fit them to the (ize of anyHorfes foot, which the heat of the Climate, where this is us'd , makes the greater Convcniency.; Nor do I much 'hy the T^aturalifts hftght into Trades , 25 mnch doubt, but that by various Tempers, Iron may be made very fof t and afterward hardened 5 and the rather, be- caofe, aslelfcwheretellyou, we have, without Antimony or Sulphur, melted it in a Crucible, fo as to pour it out like Lead, and yet afterwards it grew harder , than it was at firft. So that, flexible Looking- Glaffes may be made with the help oifeUmtis, you m\l tlfe where be fhewn: As alfo ^ to foliate with eafc all kinds of hollow Glades, and fo turn ^ them into fpecula. That malleable foder may be made, though we have not yet perform'dit , we do not much de- fpair, and by good Silver Soder fome Approximation to it has bin already made. Submarine Navigation, at lead for a fhort fpace, has bin fucceffefully attempted by the excellent Cornelius Drebell^ as Merfennus allures us , and as I have bin intbrm'd, both by Drehels fon-in-Law, and by other judicious Pcrfons, that have had the account of the Tryals from the very men, that went in the Vedel under water for a good while together -, who affirmed, that though there were many in the Boat, yet they breath'd very freely , and complain'd not of any inconvenience for want o( frefh aire. And here alfo give me leave to take notice , that this Inventive Vrebdl was no profefs'd Shipwright , nor fo much as bred a Sea- man' As for the Optative proposed for the Divers , I know one ofthtm , who by a flight Inflrument that is all under water, and has not as others, any Chimney open to the aire above the furface of the water , has bin able to ftay divers houres at the bottome of the Sea , and remove his Refpi* ratory Engine (if I may fo call it; with him 5 and Merfen^ nu4 allures us that a much better way , and in my opinioo an admirable one, (if th« thing be certain^ was found cue and pradis'd in his Country, by one Barters who was able to ftay fix houres under water, by the help of an al- D a mod i 6 The Goods of Mankind may he much encreafed moft incredibly fcant proportion of aifjand ev'o to preferve,' at the bottome of the Sea , the flame of a Lamp or Can. die, in a Veflel not much bigger, than an ordinary Lan- thorne. As to the Optative proposed in the Say- matters Trade, I fliall in the next Effay teach you a way of Cupelling in fmall Quantities, without a Furnacei or Coales, or ordinary Cu pell, or other Veflell. And I remember, that by way of Approximation , I made a certain Powder, with which, without a Furnace , I have in a trice melted Lead- Oare (which very often holds Silver) into Metalljand perhaps confum'd fome of the bafer Mctall too. And laftly, as for the making of Embofs'd works of Wood in Molds, /am credibly informed by a Learned man, that it was a(5lually perform'd lately at the Hague , by the Secretary of a forreign Embafladorj but ot the way / could not procure the leaft Hint , though fuppofing the truth of the Relation, / fufpeift it was dons either by fome Menftruum, that much foften'd the Wood, which may af- terwards be eafily harden'd again , by which way Tortoife- ^ell may be molded; or elfe, by reducing the Wood into Powder , and afterwards uniteing ths pares into one Body with fome very binding and 'thin kind of Glue , whole fuperfluous parts may afterwards be prefTed our. And I remember, I began ( but was accidentally hinder'd to pro- ceed, j aTryall to make an Approximation to this, by the help of a rare Glue, of which I had the hint, without being much beholding to him for it , from the pra(5tife of an In- genious Tradefman, which as 1 now prepare it, is made by foaking the fineft Ichthyo-CoUa (ie. Izeing- GlafTe j for 24, or at Itaft for 12 howres in Spirit of Wine (or even common Branny, for the Menflruum need not be very good, unleHc for fome particular ufes J When by this Infu- iion hy the 2{aturaliH's Infight into Trada: ij fioD, the Liqaor hasopen*d and foftcn'd the Body ( which will much (well; both the Ingredients are very gently to be boyld together (and kept ftirring that the Ichthyo- Colla burn not, till all be reduc'd to a Liquor, fave perhaps fome ftrings, that are not perchance very difToluble ) whea ti5 boyld enough, a drop, fufFerd to cool, will foon turn to a very firm Gelly, and whilil tis hot it fhould be drained thorough a piece of clean Linnen into a Glafle or other Veflel, that may be kept well ftopt5 a gentle heat fuffices to melt this glue inio a tranfparent Liquor with little or no Colour, and yet this fine thin Glue holds fo ftrongly, and binds fo very faft, that having fomecimes taken two ordinary fquare Trenchers ( for the round ones are wonc to be too thick j and layd the one a pretty way over the other, a little of this Liquor put between them, and fufFer'd to dryofitfelf, united the Trenchers fo faft, that when force was imployed to break them , it did it elfe where,not where they we-' e joynd together .• So that it feems , the Gluten, that fafttn'd the Tienchers together, wajftronger, •than that, which joynd the parts of the fame Trencher to one another. The other ufes of this Gelly ( which by rea- fon of the Spirit of Wine, will not eafily corrupt like other Gellys) belong not to this place. Only I (hall adde to our prefent purpofe, that having taken fome common Saw- duft, and after having imbib'd it with melted glue, drained out flighily what was fupeifluous, through a piece of linnen, and fhaped the reft with my hand into a Ball, this negligent Trial (which was only made to fee whether a more accurate might behopefull) made the Ball, after it had been leafurely dryed, fo hard, that being thrown feveral times againft the floor,it rebounded up without breaking-,but as I was faying, an Accident hindered me from profecuting the Experiment^ which therefore I recommend to you, I iS T7;e Goods of Mankind may he much encrea fed I will not now (lay to tell yea, fjrophilm^ how it may sffift you toward the making fuch Approximations, as we have bin (peaking of a little above. To take each of the difficulties, you would furmount into the feveral parts it may be conceived to confift of , and make an Enumera- tion of the polfible wayes of mattering each of thefe, accor- ding to fome Methods, that might be propofed; becaufe to difcourfe of this rubje<5l would take up too much of the time allotted to the following Effays, and therefore I fhall conclude ?/;/if by obferving to you, thacasyou are, I hope, fatisfyed, that Experimental Philofophy may not only it felf be advanced by an Infpedion into Trades, but may ad- . vance them too i fo the happy Influence it may have on them is none of the leaft wayes , by which the Naturalift may make it ufeful to promote the Empire of Man. For that the due Management of divers Trades is manifeftly of concern to the Publick , may appear by thofe many of our Englifh Statute Laws yet in force, for the regulating of the Trades of Tanners, Brick- burners, and divers other Me- chanical PfofeffionSjin which the Lawgivers have not fcorn'd * to defcend to fet down very particular Rules and Inftru- ^ions. ffflffffffffrffffffffiff The CONTENTS. Eflay !• Containing fome GeneraU Conftderatiom ahout the Meanes ^whereby Experimental Thilofo^hj may hecome Vfefull to Humane Life . II. OftheF^JefulneJfeofMathematicksto t^atu- rail fhilofofhj. III. Of the Vfefulneffe oj McchanicaU Difciplines to ^aturall fbilojophy, IV. Tkit the Goods of Mankind may be much en- creafed by the l>laturalijls Infight into Trades : with an Affendix, V. Of doing by Thyficall knoTi^Iedge what is wont to rec^uire Manual! Sk'dL VJ, Of Mens great Ignorance of the Vfes ofTSla^ turall Things, *** 1 ESSAY X. Of Mens g%BAT igHO'B,A:H,€E of the Vfes of NATVRAL THINGS. ESSAY X. Of mens great Ignorance of the Ufes of Natural things. OR 7hAt there is fcarce Anj one thing in Nature, whereof the Ufes to Humane Life are yet throughly under flood, THis being an entire Propofition, and dear enough of it fclfjwill not need to be Explicated but Evinc'd; And evinc'd fomewhat folemnly it will require to be, not onely becaufe tis a Paradox, but fuch an one as will meet with a peculiar Indifpofition to be entertain'd; fincc Men cannot allow this Paradox to be a Truth, without fuch a Confeflion of their Ignorance as muft implicitely ac- cufethemofLazinefstoo. But however I think we may juftly enough apply, with a little variation, to our prefenc purpofe, that true faying of Seneca^Multi ad Sapientiam per' ^ventflent^nifi ^c, and affirm, that many had attain'd to a greater knowledg and command of Nature, if they had not prefum'd that what isarriv'd at already, is much greater and more confiderable than indeed it isj efpecially in compari- fon of what is ftill behind, and yet attainable: and therefore I think it not fit to fupprefs the C oDfiderations I was about to mention, fince the difplaying them may perhaps do ycu and others Sei vicCjif they rooze up your Curicfity by (hew- ing how much it has been defective, and itf which they ought to do) they encourage it alfo, by fliewing You how much of Nature undifcover'd there yet remains, to Recompenfe as well as Exercife your Induftrie. A 2 But t Of mens great Ignorance 6ot becaofethat of the Particulars, whereby our Paradox may be confirmed, there are divers that properly belong to the next enfuingElTay, the Proofs that we (hall mention in this Difcourfe, though I hope they will appear fufficient a- lone, will yet be much ftrengthned both as to number and weight, if you pleafe to adde to them thofe Inftances to be mentioned in the next Difcourfe that may be conveniently referr'd to This. In which I (hall therefore infift but upon V. general Confiderations •, In all which I hope You will not forget that I have already taken it for a Suppofition, which I doubt not of your granting me, That the Ufefulnes of the works of Nature to us depends chiefly upon the knowledg we have of their Properties and other Attributes; and confequently^that the more we know of thefe, the grea- ter life we are like to be able to make of thofe Phyfical things, (and on the contrary.) And therefore that ought to be looked on as an Ufe of a Phyfical thing, even though not immediately pra(5tical,that helps us to make Difcoveries of things that probably may prove fo. AND I confider in the firft place, 7h4t there are very ■** few of the Works cf Nature that have been (ufficiently confider' d^artd are throughly known, even as to thofe Qualities and other Attributes of this and that Body (or other Phyfi- cal thing) which belong properly to it, and are not thought to be fo relative to other Bodies. Tis not onely in the Ter- reQrial Globe, but in almofl every Body to be met with in it, that there may be a kind oi Terra incognita, or undetedied part, whole Difcovery is referv'd for our further Induftry. This will appear the lefs improbable, if we confider thefe twothingsj whereof the one is, that there are divers wayes 01 inveftigating the Attributes of Bodies, asChymical, Optical, Of the ^fes of l^atural Things^: j Optical, Statical, &c. which being Artificial, and requiring Skill, and Induftry, and Inftruments, there are very kvj men that have had the Curiofity and Ability to examine thera after theie feveral wayes: Without which neverthelefs, di- vers other Attributes, fome of which probably are capable of ulefal Applications, are not like to be difcover'd. To tke Proof of which, if it were needful, a multitude of Pallages in ihefeprefentEflaies, as well as in our other Writings, might be eafily referred. I flijU therefore rather in fi ft a little on the 2'^ of the two particulars lately mentioned. For it will ealily appear noc unlikely, that there ihould be many things undifcover'd in the other Works of Nature, when there are fo even in thofe obvious and familiar Ob;c<^s that men are frequently con- verfant with, and haveoccafion to take Notice of; nay even in thofe Nobleft of meer Corporeal things, our own Bo- dies, whofe StrU(5lure does fo much merit our Curiofity jand of which it fo highly concerns no lefs than our Healths and Lives, thic we have an Accurate knowlcdg. How many new Difcov^ries have been made in the prefcnt Age, beyond what the Induftry of the Phyficians and Philofophers for a- bave 20oayears has been able to take notice of/* Witnefs •heCirculation oftheBloud, i\\q Afellian, Pecquetian, and BarthoUnian Vellels; to which may be added the Dtt^us FancreattCHs^ and to which I doubt not will be added divers other Difcoveries, to recompenfe the Induflrie of the Ana- toraiftsof this inquifitive Age^ In fo familiar Bodies as Eggs and Chicken are, which fo many thoufand perfons do daiely fee and handle, and perhaps cut, though many Ages fince even AriftotU was folicitous a- bout the Hiftory of them, concerning which he has deliver 'd diversnotinconfiderableparticularsj yet there has been lit- tle within thcfe few years fo much undifcover'd, that vvhilfl: men were hotly difputine whether the Chick was firftform'd o£ 4 Of Mens great Ignorance of the Yolk or the White, our excellent Harvey mzdc it e- vident (which our own Obfervations have confirm 'd to us) that it is made of neither, nor yet of the Tredie , (as fome modern Obfervers have taught J but of the CicatricuU or Speck that appears on the Coat of the Yolk. Who would imagine, that in a Body To familiar, and fo often treated of by Philosophers, as Snow, Mankind fhould for fo many Ages take no notice of a thing fo obvious as the •Figure of it frequently isj and yet Keflcr is by a very learn- ed Writer acknowledg'd to have been chefirfl,thac acquaint- ed the World with the Sexangular figure (asris wont to be call'dj of Snow, in a Difcourfe by him publiiht on that Sub- jev^5 and though I find mention made of it m olau6 Magntis^ and have obferv'd it fo often (but not conflantly in the fame fhape,) eipecially about the beginning of the feafon of Snow, that I cannot but admire, men fliould not have very early heeded fo obvious a Ph^tnomenon^ yet I find not the Difco- very of it had been made fo much as an Age agoe. As many Ages as Vinegar has been one of the commoneft Liquorsin the World, yet that it oftentimes abounds with Shoals of Living Creatures, that move, and in the Micro- fcope look like little Eels, was lookt upon but few Years fince as fo new a Difcovery, that when, as I formerly note4 I firft proposed it here in England to divers very Learned Men and Firtuoft, as a thing to be feen evea without the help of a Magnifying Glafs, they took it to be a deception of my Eyes, till their own alTur'd them of the contrary. That the Milky Way, though confifting of innumerable Stars, fhould for 2000 Years pafstor a Meteor, the incon- fpicuoufnes of thofe Stars keeps me from much admiring; And for the fame Reafon I wonder not, that the men thac liv'd before Galileo^ reckon d no more than 7 Planets, or fufpe<5led not that Venus her felf is fometimes Horn'd , and has her Full and Waaeas the Moon. Though thefe In- ftances Of the Vfes of l{atural Things] 5 ilanccs may ferve to confirm what I lately told You, That many of the Attributes of Bodies are not like to have been difcover'd by thofe that iroploy'd not Artificial Helps. But what may we not exped that Mankind may overlook, when the Sun himfelf, which is not onely the moft confpicaous Body in the World,butthat by whofe Light we fee all the Others, may have vaft and dark Bodies ^perhaps bigger than Bur ope or C/ifid) frequently enough generated and dcftroy'd upon him, or about him5 and men, without excepting A- ftronomers> never took notice of it, till of late Years the Excellent Galileo^ or the induftrious Jefuice Scheiner , in- formed the World of them. And though I grant that they difcover'd them by the help of Telefcopes, flnftiuments unknown to the Ancients.) yet if Men had been as watch- ful, r.s the Noblenes and Confpicuoufnes of the Obje(5t would make one ex pe(Sb, they might have difcover'd fome Spots at leaft without thofe Helps, For I find by an Italian Letter of Galileo's^ thatfome Curious perfons of his Ac- quaintance, after his Difcoveries had awaken'd them, de- fcry'd and difcover'd fome of thofe Solar Spots with their naked Eyes unoffifted by his Tubes. It may belong to this firft Sedion of our prefent Efiay to take notice, that one Account, on which we may reafonably fuppofe men to be ignorant of the Ufes even of thofe things wherewith they think themfelves. well acquainted, may be, that the bare difference of Climates,and of Places, may even in fuch Bodies as we familiarly, con verfe with, beget fuch new Relations betwixt them,as may endow them with Qualities, and fit them for Qfes we dream not of* I will not here mention the differing Qualities that Bodies, vulgarly refcri'd to thefame/p^^/>j of Plants, Animals, and other Bodies in almofl all Countries, are endow'd with ir> fome Countries; (as that Spiders are not vcnemous in irc' Und^ mdlrfjh Wood in general, if the received Traditioa 6 Of liens great Ignor4nce be true, has an hoftile facalty ggainft venemous Creatures,) becaufe the infifting on this Subjed would take up too much room in this place, and is referv'd for another; and therefore Ileonely adde a Couple of Inftances, the One to manifeft what difference of Climates may dp, and the Other to ihcw the unexpe(5led Influence of difference of PlaceSjthougb per- haps in xhe fame Climate. The Firft of thefe Examples is afforded us by Water and Ice- for thofe that live in thofe warmer Regions where it never freezes, and who have divers of them derided the Re- lations of what happens in gelid Climates as ridiculous, in probability would never dream, that it could be a familiar ufe of a Liquor they were fo well acquainted with as Water, to be broken or beaten in Mortars like a dry Body, and car- ried in Carts or Wheel'Barrows from placet© place, and kept all the Year in that form,^o make other Water intenfe- ly cold in the greateff heats of Summer. And even amongft us, thofe that have not been very inquiiitive , can fcarce imagine that one of the ufes of Water fhould be to ferve for High- Wayes, whereon Armies may march for divers dales together, with all their Carriages and Artillery, and where- on they encampand fight Battels with as much alTurance as on the firm Land; and yet thofe that have been in Rujfia^ and the neighbouring Northern Countries, afTure us^ that during the Winter when the Rivers are frozen over, they ufually take great Journeys on them, and ottentimes rather than in Summers, and choofe that rigorous Seafon, which aU lowsthem to march every where without linking into the Ground, to profecute their Wars in. The Second of the forementioncd Inflances we are fup- plied with by the Declination of the Magnetick Needle from the true North and South points , and the variation of that Declination. For though the Loadftone were high- ly admired, as well by Philofophcrs and Mathcmaticiaos, as Of the T^fes of Katut al Things. y astheVulgarj and though fince the great and happy ufe of it to Navigation has been genet ally known, men have been upon Teveral accounts invited to confider it with a peculiar attention and regard, yet that infome places theMagnctick Needle does not point dire<5tly, perhaps not by a great ma- ny degrees^ at the Pole^ as in others it does , is no ancient Obfeivation, fiocetisafcrib'd to ScbaftianCaht^ and it ap- pears by the Writings ot our famous Conntrey man Gtlhert oubert deMt^ himleU, *That it muft be fome body tharliv'd fince he wrot,^'*'* UbAx.u that moft have the honour of being aliow'd the firftObfer- ver of that ftrange and unexpected Phdnomenon^ that often- times inthefelf fame place, the decUnatioH of the Needle to* « sce th- fame wards the Eaft or Wefl^does in froceJS of time confiderahly alter. ^'^^^'^ ''^•4- Which Difcovery 1 could confirm by comparing fome Ob- "^^' feivations I havehad Opportunity to make, with thofe re-; corded by fome modern Authors. And as the fame kind of Bodies may have differing Qua- lities, and confequently Ufes in differing places^ To they may have,if cxamindorimploy'd at differing times, comprifing under that name, together with the 4 Seafons of the Year, thofe peculiar Seafons or Periods of Time, to which fome fignal Change of Qualities orffate in particular Bodies do belong. The Mutations, upon the account of Time, which I am here fpeakmg of , are not thofe that are obvious to every Eye, fuchas the differing Qualities of Fruit green and ripe, or the Degeneration of Wine into Vinegar, but fuchas are not vulgarly taken notice of, and require either Skill or Cu- riofity, or both, in the Obitrverj and of thefe a few Inftan- ces wilHufiicefora Taft, When common Urine either is freftily made , or has not long been kept, the volatile and pungent Salt is fo clogg'd with other particles wherewith tis affbciated,ihatufually,to obtain it, one muff evaporate or diffill away near 8 or p parts B cf 8 0/ Mens great Ignorance of 10 of the Liqaor, and then at length give a not inconfi- derableHcittoforceuptheLaft: but though the Tradef- men that deal in Urine do commonly overlook the diffe- rence, yet if the crude Liquor be kept 6 ox 'j Weeks, though not near the Fire, the Saline and Noble p^rts will have fo extricaftd themfelves, that a very gentle Heat will mske them afcend, and leave behind them that Phlegm that formerly would have preceded them. That the Thames Water, which our Navigators are wonc to take with them in long Voyages , after a while , if they fail into hot Climates, ftincks very often too offenfive- ly to be potable,that,which happens ufually to Water which is vulgarly obferv'd toputrefie by long (landing, will eafily perf wade u$ 5 and yet tis found, that this Water, by being kept long enough in the Came Vell'els, though it be in the fame or even in an hotter Climate , will at length loofe its Stinck, and grow potable again; as I have, upon Enquiry purpofely made, been affur'd, not onely by the vulgar Tra- dition, but by two very inquifitive Perfons upon their own knowledg: the one having particularly obferv'd it, fayliog betwixt Europe ^nd i^frica^ and the other in a Voyage to^ sndfrora k^merica. And I the rather mention this,becaufe I am very credibly inform'd, that there are divers other wa- ters, that have this faculty of recovering after Putrefddion, which is fuppos'd to be peculiar to the water of the Thames And, ii I much miftake not, one or both of thefevery P^erfons nam'd another River to me, with an affirmation of its having the f^^me power of Self- Recovery. And having held fomeCuriofity to try Experiments, how Pump- water, or the like rough Water, as they call them, that would not bear Soap , may be help'd^ an Induftrious Perfon I im. ploy*d aflur'd me, That he met with Pump- waters, which after having ftood a few dayes, without having any thing done to them, would bsar Soap, which before they would not do* Coriander Of the I^iowhdg of Natural Things] p Coriander Seeds, being frefhly gathered, have been ob- ferv'd to have fo much Acrimony, thac divers of the Anci- ent Phylicians reckon them among Venemous Plantsj and in Difpenfatories they are ufually prefcrib'd to be prepared with Vinegar, or fome other Corre^ive; whereas the more accurate Obfervers take notice, that within a competent time after the Seed is gathered, it loofes of it felf thac excef- iive Acrimony that at fiift blemi(h*d it. And the like I find obfeiv'd, by good Apothecaries, of the roots of Aron, which are mitigated by keeping, fand which fome noted Phyficians of my Acquaintance do little le(Ie magoifie to me than does ^ercetan himfelf.) tThat Vegetables, what known way foever they are wont to be laid up, 2nd ordtrd^ do not aftord, unlefl'efirft reduc'd to Soot, any dry volatile Salt, like that of Animal Sabftan- ces, Iclfewhere more particularly declare, andthofc thac have had theCuriofity to try it will confirm*, but yet by fome Difcourfe I lately bad with a very Ingenious perfon, and fome fubfequent Tryals made after a way I devis'd to examine diftiird Liquors, I was fatisfied that there are di- vers Vegetables, and thofe very commonly growing here in England^ which being gather'd and laid together at a cer- tain Seafon, and diftill'dalfo at a certain nick ot time, wiU yeild, in {lead of the Vinegar- hke and other Liquors wont to be afforded by fuch Plants diftill'd the common way, a volatile Spirit^ which in Smell, Taft, and divers operations, as tprning Syrup of Violets green, hifling with acid Sp rits, &c. refembles the volatile Spirits and Salts of Animal fub- (tances^ and, wfiich I doubt not but You will wonder at, this great Change, whofe Secret I wifh I durft teach You, is tffe- 5ed without the help of any Additament.] And that You may not think that tis onely in Vegetable & Animal Subftances ,that are commonly of a moreloofe or alterable Texture , that the trying things at one time B 2 rather ^10 Of 'SUns great Ignorance rather than another may be very confiderablc , I will add a Gouple of Inftances even in Mineral Bodies. It is a Cbymical ComplaintjCven of the Curious and Ex- perienc'd, that though Authors teach us to make the Salt of violently diftill'd or calcinM Vitriol, by forthwith taking the Caput mortnum^ (from which all the Oy 1 has been by the violence of Fire forced out J and extrad^ing the Saline pait by afiufions of Waterj yet thofc that make exad tryals of it find, that when the dark red Mafs of Powder is newly taken out of the V<:fl'els,tis fo totally robb*d of its Saline particles, that no AfFufionof Wker ivillatall obtain from it the ex- ptdled Salt. Notwithftanding which, having purpofely en- quir'd of fome, that diflill great quantities ot Oyl of Vitri- ol, whether or no, when they had made an end of one Diftil- lation,if rhey lay by the Caput mortuum for a p: etty while in the Air, they could not find it impregnated enough with new Saline particles, to befit to yeild more Mcnftruum, and be worth another Diftillationf I was anfwer'd in the Affir- jmative, provided that fas ImentionM in the flate of the Cafe) there were a competent time in^erpos'd between the former and the latter Diftillations. (The reafon which, ac- cording to my Tryals and Conjedures, may be affign'd of ihlsod^dPh^notnenofJ^ belongs not to this place, but You will hereafter meet with it in another.) The fecond Inflance I promis'd You, is afforded me by Stones*, tor there are, and not far from this place, Quarries offolidandufeful Stone, which isimploy'd about fome ftately Buildings 1 have fecn, and which yet is of fuch a Na- ture, wherein divers other forts of Stone are Tiid to refcm- ble it, That though being digged at a certain Seafon of the Year,it proves good and durable,as in thofe Sttudures new- ly mentioned^ yet imploy*d at a wrong time it makes but ruinous Buildings, as even the chief of thofe Perfons, whole ProfcffioQ makes him more convcrfant with it, has himfelf ackaow- Of the I^nowUdg of2{atural Thh^s^ 1 1 acknowledg'd to me to have been found by fad Experience. But concerning this Obfervation , You may expe.fl to meet clfcwhere with a further account. And though Time and Place be two of the principal, yet they are not the onely Circumftances, whofe Variations may make fome fuch Attributes difcover'd in Natural ThingSi as are not ufually heeded; of which I (hall mention but a Couple of Inftances, becaufe they may ferre to fhew You, That fuch Circumftances as are thought the flighteft, may afford new Ufes even of Solid and iafting Bodies. Skil- ful Artificers, that grind Optical GlafTes for Tubes , have coraplain'd to me. That oftentimes the convex Glafles they fafliion, will prove Veiny, and confequently, after all their labour, of little value; and yet they are not able to difcover thefe unwelcome Veins in the Glafs, by the moft careful viewing it againft the Light, till they have fpent a pretty dealof time about working of it, and even then they are un- able to defcry thefe Blemifhes, if they hold the Glafs at an ordinary diftancefrom the Eye-, but they are oblig'd to re- move it a great way C perhaps 6 or 7 foot) farther, fo much may ati increafeof Difiance become ferviceable, even where one would expe(5l the quite Contrary. But probably You will look uponPoftureas a flighter Circumftancethan Diftance it feJf, and yet D' Gilbert hzs obferv'd, and I have found it true by many Tryals, That long Irons,as the Bars of Windows, that have ftood upright for a great while, do, by that perpendicular Pofture, acquire a Vcrticity or Magnetick virtue, as having acquir'd Magne- tick Poles. So that if You apply the Needle of a Dial (which I mention as the readieft way of Tryal) to the lower part of the Bir, it will draw the South end of che Needle; whereas the upper Extream of the Barr will fcem to drive a- way that end, and will draw the Northern. Butliere i muft not f orgt t to take notice, that I can fcarce think 12 Of Hens great Ignorance tbiok Men will be able to know all the Properties and Ufcs even of familiar Bodies and other things, till they have Ma- thematically conlider d them? there being feveral Attributes belonging even to fuch things, which a Naturalift, though Curious, will probably never findout,unIe(Tehe be both ac* quainted with Mathematical Difciplines, and have the Curi- ofity to apply them to Phyficai Subjeds. And though in other ElTaysof this Book divers things are deliver'd,that do diredly enough tend to manifeft what f have now faid} yet lisof fuchimportancejthatNaturalifts iliouldbe throughly perfwaded oU Truth, that may be fo much more ufeful than tis yet generally admitted, that I am content to inculcate it by fctting down here a few Inftances of fomewhat a differing fort from thofe elfewhere delivered, and more appropriated totheprefent fubjedi of our Difcourfe. V You will not -doubt, but that ever fince the firft Ages of the World, the majority of Men have had fome occafion or oth?r to fee Bodies fwing^ and yet till Galileo (for he is ge- Derally believ'd the Difcovererj took notice of the Vibrati- ons with a Mathematical Eyef men knew not this property of Swinging Bodies, That the greater and fraaller Arches were, as to Senfe, equitempor2neous5 from which Difco- very have been deriv'dfeveral Pradltces ofgoodUfe, fome of which have been already mentioned in thefe Effaysi ' That Water, running out at a Hole made in the iides •dearthe bottom of the Veffel, makes a Parabolical line, or one that neer refembles it, and that in fuch effluxions of wa- ter there is a determinate proportion afTignable betwixt the perpendicular height of the Liquor, and the Diameter of the Hole, whereby the Velocity and Quantity of Water that would'run out, may be computed- has not been, that I know of, taken notice of, till the Obfervations of the above nam'd Galileo and the dilgent CMerfennui (to which we may elfe- where add fom^ of our own3 h^ve endeavour'd to define thofe matters. ^ As Ofthi I(not0ledg ofKaturd Things. 1 1 Asconftamly as we have occafion to take notice of Air ^ and Water, and Glafs, yet the Curioficy of our modern MaftersotOptickshasobferv'd many things touching the Refra^ionofthe beams of Light, made in thofe mediums in differing Quantities, and To and From the Perpendicu- lar, not tofay any thing of the Equality,of the Angles of In- cidence, and of Reflc(5tion made on the Surface of ftili Wa- ter, unheeded by thofe that are not verft in Opticks; The drops of Dew, that hang in nnmberlcfs multitudes upon the Grafs and Leaves, are things that every Eye has been invit- ed to take notice of, by the Orient colours the Sun is wont to make them afford us^ but till the Excellent Def Carta, mmnmia^X contemplating thtm with a more Critical Eye, found, That • in fuch a determinate Angle made at the Spe(5lator's Eye, between the ray of Light coming from a certain part of the Drop, and the imaginary ffrait Line reaching from rhe Eye to the Sun's Center, the Drop appeared red, and in another determinate Angle exhibited Yellow, Blew, and other Co- lours, and at other Angles fhewed no Colour at all; the World ignor'd a confitierable property of Spherical Dia- phanums irradiated by the Sun, and feems not to have dreamt of a neat Hjfothefis , with which fome Ingenious mens Minds are no lefTe taken, than their Eyes are with thofe vivid colours of the Rinbow, which it pretends togive a clear account of. And though we daily fee pieces of Wood and Timber broken by the weight of over heavy Bodies> yet till the often nam'd, and (fill to be commended Galileo apoly'd Geometry and the Do^rine ot Proportions to mac- teisofthis kind, the refiftance of Solid bodies tobebrokea by Weight f whether their ownj or that of other Bodies) feems not to have been fo much as fu^ped^ed to be reducible tofuch anEftiraate , as he and others have brought it to. And a Virtuofo of my Acquaintance, (for whom CMcrfenntis laid the way) in a Mufical Inftruracnr, that I have with plea- Core 5 4 Of Mens great Ignorance fare heard him play on, can obferve a property of Metals that Chymifts thought not of, namely, that equal Wirc- ftrings made of diftering Metals, and having a due Teofion, will yeild Sounds 3 differing as to Sharpnes by determinate Mufical Notes, or the Divifions of them. And to thefe I might add divers other Remarks of Merfennus and Galileo a- bout the force of Guns , (which were found to increafe with their Length but till fuch a number of Feet, beyond which the Length did but leffen it,) and the Parabolical line in which Bullets (that are thought of all other Bodies to move the ftraitcft; are faid to move5 and I know not how many other Mathematical Attributes (if I may fo call themj of Natural things, that Geometricians, Aftronomers, Engi- neers, & c. have already obferv'd, might be here added, buc that I think it fofficient to fubjoyn one Inftance more , that tnay well ierve to keep us from imagining, that even the moft familiar Objeds in the World, and that feem likely to afford the leaff Difcoveries.have been fuificiently confider'cL For how few PhanomenA in Nature are there, that occur to us more frequently than the falling of heavy Bodies f and y€t though the Ancients and x^riflotU himfelf took notice, that there was an Acceleration of Defcent in falling Bodies, yet we find not that any fo much as fairly attempted to de- termine that acquir'd Velocity, till Galileos Obfcrvations reduced it to the Proportion mentioned in fome of the for- mer Edays, wherein moft of the following Mathematicians (for I have fcarce met with two Diflenters j have acquiefc'd; and whereby in the \\W^ Effay we endeavoured to meafure Heights and Depths without Geometrical Inftiuments. In a word, till Geometry, Mechanicks, Opticks, and the like Difciplines be more generally and skilfully applied to Phy- fical things, I cannot think otherwiie than that many of the Attributes and Applications of them will remain unknown; there being doubtles many Properties and Ufes of Natural ; things, Of the Vfes of TJatural Things. 15 things that are not like to be obferv^d by thofe men, though otherwile never Co learned, that are ftrangcrs to the Mathe- maticks. And as 1 hnve hitherto obfcrv'd of Bodies^ Co I fhall ven- ture to add of Qualities , and divers other Natural things, that even thofe, that are very familiar, may have Attributes and Ufes, which the Generality of Men, without excepting thofe that are otherwifc Learned, are not wont to take any notice of. That Black bodies Cfor Inftance) as fuch. are much more flrongly and eafily warm'd by the Sun beams than White ones, nay (though the difparity be not b great) thin Bodies of any Ugta Colour^ cdterif paril^us, is perhaps more than even You have taken notice oh and yet I (hdl hereafter have occaiion to prove it by divers Inftances, and You may eafily try it, either by expofiog for fome time to the Sum- mer-Suna White Glove and a Black, or a couple of Eggs, whereof one is Ink'd, orotherwifeBlack'd, all over. Cold is one ofthemoft familiar QuaHties Men have to deal withjand ttiough they otberwife are not wont to expedl much from It , yetltaftof A\ would they ex pe(a that it fliould 5 contrary to the receiv'd Definition of it,which xs^con^ gregare tarn HtterogeneaquamHomog€nea, that it fhould, I lay, perform the oSiceof Heatin Spirit of Wine, nay and in prefcntmg us ardent Spirits from Beer and other Liquors in- teriour to Wine; and yet, not to mention Paracetfui's Pro- cefs of making the Effence of Wine by ireezing ail the Flegm,wehave the repeated Experiments of Navigators in- to the Frigid Zone, who aflur^ us,that not onely from Wine, but from Beer, by the Congelation of the Aqueous parts, there may be feparated or obtain'd a Liquor ft rong, hot, and Spirituous, almoft like oiquavitx. And even in our temperate Climate fome odd Separati- ons may be made by Cold} for^not to anticipate thofe tri- C als 1 6 Of Mens great Ignorance als of mine that belong to other Papers, there may,by fuch Cold as we have here, be made a Separation in Oyl^of a Li- quor much finer and more Spirituous than the reft 5 for I know an Eminent Artificer, who kept it as a choice Secret to refort (as himfelf confeft to me he did) in hard Frofts to the great Jarrs of Oyl, where he often found greater or leflec Cracks or Chinks in the congeal'd part of the Oyl, in which Cranies was contain'd an unfrozen Liquor , that appear'd thinner and finer than common Oyl, and was much better than it to preferve things from rufting? (as perhaps having left many of its Saline parts in the Concreted Oyl,J and tor that purpofe was much prized not cnely by him, but by fome WatchmakerSsthat were made acquainted with the vir- tue of it. But twere tedious toinfift on all the Inftances that may be brought, of the Applications that may be made of Co- lour, Sound, Levity, Springines, Fermentation, and even .Putref3(5iion5 and twouldbenot onely tedious, butalmoft endlcfsto profecute thofe Inftances that might-be afforded by other more general and operative ffates »nd faculties of Bodies. For not onely Motion and Reft, Fluidity and Firm- nefs, Gravity, and the like, have a more univerfal Influence on Natural things, than even Philofophers are wont to take notice of: but thofe lefTe Catholick Atfedtions of Matter, that are reckoned among but pjrticular Qualities, fuch as Gravity, and Heat, may have fo diffused an Influence, and be applicable tofo many differing purpofes, that I doubt whe- ther all the Ufes of that particular degree or Pitch of Heat that reigns in Fire, wiUJiave all its Ufes difcovered, before the laft great Fire ihall dilTolve the Frame of Nature. Normuft I pretermit one confideration more, that be- longs to my prefent Subjc«5l> which is, that probably many moreQuahties(or other Attributes) would be taken notice of, even in thofe Natural things that are reckon d among the moft 0/the I^owleig of Natural Thing f, i y moft known , if Men did not want a meafure of Curiofity that noight juftly be cxpeded. Foi I fpeak not here of Ca- riofity in general, fwhich I doubt not would make far more numerous Difcoveries, than were neceffary tojuftify my prefent Difcourfe,) but I onely fpeak of fuch a Curiofity about the things of Nature we familiarly converfe with, as we could fcarce want,if it were not out of Lazinefs, or a pre- judicate Opinion, that makes us take that for granted, that we fhould find to be quite other wife, if we did not choofe rather to pre fume than to try. Thus that falling Bodies, the heavier they are, thefafter in proportion they tall, has been a received Opinion in the Schools fince AriftotU's time, and has kept the Equiveloci- ty fas to Senle at leaft) of Bodies of very differing bulks and Weights falling from moderate Heights Cfuch as furpafs noc ordinary Towers and Steeples) from being taken notice of, till of late Inquifitive men by Experiments found it out. r That Water by Glaciation isreduc'd into a lelTer Room, has been and is ftill the opinion not onely of the Vulgar, but of the generality of Learned men-, and yet that Water is not condensed but expanded by freezing, he that will congele that Liquor in velTels ftrong enough, may cafily find by try- aL Andthefloatingof Ice upon Water, and the Bubbles that are ufually to beobferved in it, may alone to luffice to makea confidering man diflruft the vulgar Opinion. That the common Air we breath and live in, is a Body en- dowed with pofirive Levity, has been for many Ages, and continues tobealmoft univerfally believed^ and yet it men had the Curiofity to examine this Suppofition by one or o- thcr of thofe feveral wayes, by which the Gravity or Levity of the Air may be difcovered, ihey would quickly find that lis not devoid of Weight. And even fo flight a way as the condenfing the Air in a blown Bladder, by tying a String fomething (Irong about the middle of it, may bear witnefs C 2 to i8 Of Mens ^r eat Ignorance to what we fay. For though we fhaold oppofe , as fome have lately done , That in fuch cafes the Air is not in its Natural ftate,butcondens*d 5 befides, that is an Ob;e(5tion, to which all the Expedients of weighing Air are no way lia- ble, it makes rather againft the ObjeiSlors^than the Condu- fion againft which they urge it-, fince, if the Particles of the Air be really light, the filling the Bladder the fuller of them ought to make it rather lighter than heavier. That greater and lefler Sounds do, as to Senfe, move with an equal Swiftnefsjis that whole Contrary is taken for grant- ed^ and the more exculably, becaufetis evident and confeft, that great and fmall Sounds do not move equally tar: and yet that this Equivelocity of Sounds has been made out by the •The lix- ^^^^ Obfervations of the diligent Mcrjennus, and otherSjyou may remember to have been delivered in a * foregoing Ef- fay, where I alfo endeavoured tofliew, That this property of Sounds is not unappliable to Humane Qfes. That the Loadftone , which by immediate contad will take up Iron, (hould have fo ftrange a Property as to take up far more when a Cap, or conveniently (hap'd piece of Steel IS interpos'd betwixt it and the Body to be rais'd, is a thing fo unlikely, that though the Ancients knew and much ad- mired the Attra(5tive Virtue of the Loadftone, yet they I'eem'd not to have rurpe<5led it enough to vouchfjfeita 3 Trial : and yet (ince Gilberts Writings came abroad, he muftbea great Novice in Magnetical Affairs, that cither ignores or doubts it« Bur I muft not do any more than touch upon Magnetical Experinaents,fince they alone would iiftord me fo many Truths C which the generality of men would n:)t have thought likely enough to be worth trying) that to enumerate them,though it m\%\\i convince Your Un- derftanding, would \ k^r exercife Your Patience. That tis the property of unllak'd Lime to grow hot by K^fifipenftafis, upon the pouring on of cold Water, and u- tber OftheB^fiowleJgof2^aturam?tn^s^ 19 ther cold Liqaors, and confequently not to grow hot upon the Affafion of Liquors that are not Cold, is not onely ge- nerally beleived both by Learn'd and Unlearned, but this property of Lime has been imployed as an Argument to prove other Matters, as well by divers of the new Philofo- phers, as by many of them that imbrace the old ArifioteUan principles; whereas I doubt not but a little Tryal might ea- fily difabufethem: for by the Affufion of divers Liquors a- ^ually warm, I have made Lime flake with its wonted vio- lence, if not with a greater. And in other Liquors a(5tu3lly Cold like unheated Water, and one or two of them far more thin or fubtle than It, I have kept Lime long without flak- ing, and without imparting to the ambient Liquor any fen- libleHeat. The Quality of thefe Inftances makes me think it needlefs to increafe their Number , (ince we can fcarce wifti a greater inducement to expect, that many new Attri- butes may be difcovered in the works of Nature, if mens Curiofity were duely fet on work to make Tryals, than thac divers have been found out that feem'd ^o unlikely,that men thought it would be in vain to try them. To thcfe feveral forts of. Inftances, that have hitherto been reduc'd to our firft Confideration", might well be ad- ded, That Bodies which have the fame Denomination, and from whence men are therefore wont to exped the fame, and but the fame, Operations and Ures,may yet have pecu- liar ones, and fome of them very differing from thofe of the Generality of other Bodies that bear the fame name. Buc Ex im pies of this kind will more conveniently be mentioned inthelaft ElTa)i and leaft this fhould fwell too much, dif- miflTing this prcfent Confideration, we will advance to the Next. THE 20 Of Ifens great Ignorance tffE //. SECTION. T Confider in the Tecond place, That the Faculties and •*• Qualities of Things being ffor themoft part; but cer- tain Relations, either to one anothers{3$ between a Lock and aKeyjjor to Men, as the Qualities of External things referr'd to oar Bodies, (and efpecially to the Organs of Senre5>when other Things, whereto Thefe may berehted, are better known, many of Thefe with which we are now more ac- quainted, may appear to have ufeful Qualities not yet taken notice of. I fliall elfewhere, Pyrophilus, have occafion to fhew You more fully on what Grounds, as well a*; in what benfe it is, that I take the moft of the £lualities of Natural Bodies to be but Relative Things. To our prelent purpofe it may fuffice to adumbrate my Meaning by the newly hinted Example of a Lock and a Key, where, as that which we confider in a Key, as the power or facultie of Opening or Shutting fup- pofes and depends upon the Lock whereto it correlpondsj fo moft of thofe Powers & other Aitributts that we call Qua- lities in Bodies,depend fo much upon the StrudureorCon- (litutions of other Bodies that are difpos'd or indifpos'd to be a<5ted on by them, that it there were no fuch Obje(as in the World, thofe Qualities, in the Bodies that are faid to be endow'd with them, would be but Aptitudes to work fuch Eftt(5ts, in cafe convenient Objej, he found, That by the length of the Voyage by Sea his Musk had very much loft its ftrength, which he afterwards reftor'd co ic by following the Advice of fome skilful Perfons, according to\yhich hetyedthe Musk clofein a Bladder, wherein having prickc many little Holes with a Needle, he hung ic up for fome daycs in fuch a ftink- ing place as has been newly mentioned. Whereto agrees very well what I have read in a lace Eminent Phyfician of Rome^ (where che Arc of Perfuming is very much cultivated) who communicates ic as che chief Secret pradic'd by the Perfumers there, for recovering the Scent of decayed Musk, That ic be kepc for a competent time in Linnenwell moift- ned wich rank Urine. The MksoiGeQo (as the Spaniards and Italians c:x\\ it) or Gy/'f^Wjare numerous enough in the Shops ot Stone- cutters. Moulders in Plaifter or Wax, and divers other Artificersj D buc 24 of Mens great Tgnorarjce but one would fcarce furpe<5t, tint befides the various ofes thefe Tradefmen put it to, it (hould have one fo very differ- ing from them, as to be an excellent Medicine, if I may fo call itjfor W ioe: and yet that they ufe great ftore of it about thofe Choice ones that comes to us from the Canaries^ is a noted Tradition among thofe that deal in in that fort of Li- quor, and has been confirmed to me by an Eminent Wme- Mtrchant,that liv'd fevcral Years in thofe lil inds. And that about LMalagd they put a good proportion of it into the juice ot their Grapes,wtien they tun it up, is affirm'd to me by a Curious Eye.witnefs, who was therein Vintage time, and ot whom I purpofely inquired about it. Though Silver be fo Noble a Metal, and fo much known and us'dj that twas the Price of things as early as K^ha- hams timci yet one very fine ufe of it has been known,buc iince the Art of Annealing upon GhlTe came to be pradifed. For among other Experiments of this Art we find, that pre- pared Silver fand I have fometimes done it pretty well with the crude Metjl) being as it were burnt upon a Plate of Glafs, will tinge it with a fine Yellow or Golden colour; There are alfo divers Mineral Earths, and other courfe Fof- fileSj of ufe in this Art, which, bv the help of the Fire, makes them impart colours to Glafs^ both tranfparent, and fome- times very differing from thofe of the Bodies themfelves, as I may elfewhere have occafion to fpecifie. In the mean time give me leave to name this Rtfle<5tion upon the Art of Paint- ing, That tis very hard for us to be fure that we know fo much, as all the feveral forts of Ufes that may be made of the pirticular Bodies we converfe with, fince upon the in- vention of a new Art or Trade, of which we know not how many remain yet to be found out, divers Ufes and Applica- tions of Bodies come to be difclos'd, that were never fufpe- ^ed before. The ufe of Lyes made with common Afhes to vvalhLtn- nea Of the ^Ql0kJg ofVaturjtl Things, 15 nea> has rendcr*d them for chefe many Ages very familiir; But though their Eftedts on the other Bodies , upon which they have been imployed, {eem'dnot to have any affinity with what I am going to mention*, yet when a ftrong Lixivi- um is applied to Syrup ot Violets, (which isalfo a very known Liquor j to which it has a peculiar Relation , it will then immediately change the colour of th^t Syrup from a Blew to a perfect Green, and fo it will the Violet leaves crufli'd on a piece of White Paper, without the help of Su- gar, or any Preparation. Rednefs, though a Colour as obvious as moft others, and to the generality of men very pleafing , however it hach no offenfive property in reference toother Animals, familiarly known amongft us, fat lead that we have taken notice of;) yet being prcfenred to the Eyes of Turkey- Cocks, it has fuch an incongruity with them, that oftentimes tis obierved to make them very angry, as far as can be judg'd by the to- kens of being difpleafed, it produces in them. The Leaves of Oaks, that are fuch common things, and are not obferved to have, in reference to any other Body, which Chance or Induftry applies them to, any fuch Proper- ty as that I am about to name- thefe Leaves I fay, if when frtfh, they be immers'd in the water of Mineral Spring$,im- pregnated with the fubtle Corpufcles of Iron, I have feveral times found to turn the Liquor Blew or Black, according to the proportion and vigor of the two Ingredients. One would not expe(5l that fo dark and black a Body as Char-coal, fliould be the mam thing imployed not onely to cleanfeand brighten fome Metals, but to procure a dea- nefle, and give a Glofs to fome tranfparent Bodies. And yet I Icarn'd from the makers of Mathematical Inftruments, Gravers, and other Artificers, that the befl way they have, and which I have leen them imploy, to polifli their Plates of Brafs and Copper, (after they have been rubb'd clean with D 2 pow- 26 Of Mens great Ignomnce powder'd Pumice ftone) is with Char-coal, f which fome of the more Curious burn a fecond time, and quench in appro- priated Liquors,) as that, which both ferves to ff tch out the icratches of the Pumice- ftone , and it felf fcours without Scratching, and thereby poliihes very fmoothly. And by the fame way they ra^y cleanfe and polidi the Plates of Horn, of which they make Lmthoms, Drinking- Cups, &c. To which, as to the Metalline Plates, a Glofs may beafterwards given with Tripoly. Perhapsit will not be improper to take notice to You, Pyrpph in this place. That not onely the Nature of the Bo- dy to be wrought upon, but iome peculiar Circumftances relating to it, may contribute to the EfFcds ot fuch Experi- ments a^ thofe treated of in this Sedion. As f^ir Example, one would not expe(ft that Water, which is fo apt to run out at the Chinks of wooden VeflTels, fhould, without addition, become the fi tteft Inftrument for clofing them. And yet I have more than once found by Tryal, as I prel'ume many Tradefmenhave done,that when wooden Barrels or Firkins, and the like VcflTels^by having been long kept too dry, come to have Clefts and Commillures , this inconvenience may be remedied by pouring Water into them. For though at firft the Liquor quickly runs out again, yet by frequent iiftu- fionsof itjthe Woodjcfpecially thofe Edges between which the Water runs out, becomes fo fofcned and plumpt up, that the little Intervals or Chinks are, by the fwelling of the neighbouring parts , cios'd up , and the Vcflel becomes itanch. And upon a like Reafon Teems to depend that odd Expe- riment, much talkt of by fome of our Eminent Englifh Sea. men, who, for the hafty flopping of a Leak that is not too great, much commend the thrufting inroita piece of pow- dered Ecef', ior this being much more fait than the Sea- wa- ter, that liquor pierces into the compa(a and (in great part; Of the I\jiowledg oftlatural Things , 17 dry Body, and by opening the Salts, and foaking into the Flc(h, makes the fwelling Beef expand it felf, fo as to bear ftronglyagainft the Edges of the broken Planks, and there- by hinders the Water from Eowiog into the Ship as it did before* I THE 111. SBCTION. Confider in the next place. That a Body in aflbciationi with orhers may be made fit fornew Ufes, and fome of them quite difiering from thofe that were proper to it be- fore. This III. Confideration is, in fome regards, of Alfinity with the firft, but yet is not the fame, lince m the former we confider the Power that one Body has to a(5t upon ano- ther, or the dUpofition it hath to be adied upon by itj where- as now we confider the two Bodies or more ,• as being by Conjundion qualified to ad on a third Body, or fuflPerTroai it, as one entire Concrete, upon the account of new and e- mergent Properties, accrewing to the Compound by the AiTociation of the more fimple Bodies that compofe it. You will meet with flore of Inflances, both in thefe Ef^ fayes, and other of my Writings, eifilyapphcable to the iU luftratioh of what is here delivered, and therefore it will fuf- fice to name in this place the fewer. He that takes notice how flexible a Metal Tin ht and how deadanoife it yeilds, will fear ce dream that one of its Ufes, and that none of the defpicableft, lliould be to m^ke another Metal, which IS IcHey eliding, and has a lefTc dead Sound than its felf, not onely hard, but fonorous; and yet we fec,thac Bell -Metal, which, when caft into Bells, makes a hard Mix- ture that founds fo lowdly, is made principally, as has been already noted, by the addition of a certain proportion of Tin to Copper. la 2 8 0/}^ens great Ignorance In the common Experiment of making Ink, the Infufion or Decodtionof Galls is yelIowifh,orreddilTi, and the Solu- tion ot Vitriol will, as the Concrete parrkipates more of Iron or of Copper , be either green or blewifh; but from the mixture of thefe two Liquors there will emerge an Inky Blacknefs. That Oyl, that i$ a Body fo mollifying and flippery, and whofe Un(^uofity makes its moiflure fo much more difficult to be wafted or deftroyed than that of Water, Wine, or o- ther not tenacious Liquors, fliould be one of the 2 or 3 main Ingredients, and the onely moid one of a hard and durable Cement, is that which probably You would very little ex- pcd from i:: and yet, not to mention what Trials of that nature I have made, becaufe I had not time to obfervethe full Event, a very ingenious man, much imploy'd about coftly Waterworks and Dams, allures me, That the beft way he has to')oyn together, and,if need be, piece and mend with a clofe and lafting Cement the Pipes, that are us'd for fubterraneal Aqueduds, that are long to hold running Wa- ter, is to take good Clay (Tuch as Tobacco-pipes are made of,) and having dry'd it, and reduc'd it to very fine Powder, and mixt good ftore of (hort Flocks with it , beat it up very diligently with as much Linfeed Oyl, as will ferve to bring it to a ftiff Paft, almoft like well kneaded Dow. This Paft he fafhions into Pipes of the length and bignefs required, which though they will be long a drying in the Air,yet,whea once throut.hly dry, are very ftanch and lafting. And I re- member, that before I learned this, having occafion to try divers Experiments about Cementf 5 I chanc'd to meet with an ancient Artificer, imploy'd to keep in repair the Con- duits that brought Water to London^ and in exchange of a Lute or Cement that I taught him, he was forward to (atis* fie the Curioiity I had to know what Cement he imployed about fo important a Work, and heaffur^d me, That Oyl was Oftht K^owledg of Natural TJmgf. j p was one of the main lagredientsfand the onely Liquid one) he imployed. He that confiders that Lead is one of the inof^ opacoos and flexible Bodies that the World affords us, will not eafi- ly imagine, that one of its Ufes ihould be to make up abouc 3 parts of four of a Mixture tranlparent,and exceeding brit- tle? and yet this is eafily perform *d by divejsChymifts (and I elfewhere mention my having often done it; in making ot calcin d Lead, and powder'd Flints or Sand, a brittle and Di- aphanous Compofition , call'd by Spagyrifts ritrum Sa- turnip And this mention of Glafs fuggeftsto me another Infl^nce, fit for my prcfent purpofe; for who would imogine thac fuch a Body as the fix'd Salt of Chaly , which, as other Al- kalyes, that take their Denomination from it, ha^ a ftrong and fiery Taft, and is not onely readily dilToluble in Water, Wine, or any fuch liquor, but will in a fliort time, being buc left in the Air, bereduc'd into a Liquor? who would exped, J fay, that it fhould be of any Ufe, much lefs the Main of this Cauftick, and eafily diffoluble Body , to be one of the two main Ingredients of Subftance both perfedly infipid, and in- dilToluble, not onely in Water, Wine, ^c, but even in Aqua fortfSyX^quaregiay Spirit of Wine, Quick- filver, Spirit of Urine, and other Menftruums, fomeof them highly Corro- iive, and others extremtly fubtle and piercing: and yet fuch a Mixture is ufually afforded us in Glafs,(efpeciaHy the molt durable fort of it) wherein. That there is ad u ally a great proportion of Alchalizate Salt I confefl'e I doubted,till hav- ing purpofely enquired of an Ingenious Mafter of a GlalTe- houfchow much Glafs he ufually obtained when he put in fuch a Quantity of Sand, I found by his Anfwer, That the Glafs obtain'd was many Pounds in the hundred more than the Sand that was imploy'd to make it , whence I gathered, (what he alfo iSinnd) That fhe AicaJy did not onely (eem as 20 Of Mens great Ignorance (as one might fufpc(5^) to promote the Fafion of the Sand, but does rmcerially and plentifully concurr with it to com- pofe the Glafs. And whereas I intimated at the very beginning of this 3'* Section of this Eflay, That Bodies, when affociated;! may be applied not onely to new Qfes, but perhaps to fome chat are quite differing from thofe that belong to /ome of the r€rpe(!^ive Ingrcdients.This Oblervation may be made good by feveral Inftances, and even by fome that are very obvi- ous, as well as by others that are not fo familiar. For we may take notice, that though Oyl, and Tallow, and other fuch Un6f uous bodies, be thofe that do greafe and fpot Lia- nenand WollenCloathsj yet thofe very Bodies,beingskil- fuUy aflociaced with others, though with but a Lixiviate Salt and fair Water, do plentifully concur to the making up of Soap, by the Solution of which, Greafe is readily wafh'd out of Linnen Cloaths,and others befides thofe are ajfo freed from the Spots of it. But divers other Inftances applicable to this purpofe, belonging more properly to the follow- ing part of this Effay, till we come thither it may fuificejthac 1 illuftrate and confirm what haih been propos'd by the (in- gle, but noble inftance oi^^urumfulminanst For though Salt of Tartar bea fixt Body, and of a fixing Quality, yec being skilfully alTociated with Gold diflblv'd m Aqua Regis , though that be thought the fixedft,not onely of Metals, but of Bodies, yet the Gold precipitated by this fixt and incom- buftible Salt, becomes fo exceeding fugitive,that by a gent* ler heat than would kindle any known Body in the World, ic is made to Fulminate like Gun-powder, ('but many degrees more violent than itO and (which you will alfo think flrange) though Sulphur be a Body of fo quick Accenfion as is ob- vioufly known, yet by an ealie way (eKewhere to be taught Youj oi mixing thofe two onely, You may, as Try al hath kiform'd us;aiake it (which You will eaiily allow to be one of Of the Vfes of Natural Things. j i of the unlikeliefl ufcs of Sulphur j even by Its being feton fire, to hinder the Acc^^nfion of this foeafily k'ndled Gold, which I have known thereby readily turn'd into a Medicine, that feme cry up for excellently Diaphorecick, f though I doubt whether Aurumfulminans work not rather another wayO and which I remember I have (in a Crucible)kept long in the fire without loITe. I (hall onely adde to this third Confideration this one par- ticular,th3c is ot too great moment to be pretermitted here, chough it have been already in part taken notice of on ano- ther occafion, namely. That the Effetfts and Ufes of Mix- tures do not onely depend upon the nature of the Ingredi- ents, but may be oftentimes much varied by their Propor- tion. And of this the Mineral, which at theGlafs-houfes they are well acquainted with,under the name of Manganezt will aff^brd us a pertinent and confiderable Inftance. For though it be a courfe and dark Mineral it felf, and though being added to the Materials of Glafs in a fuller Proportion, it make the black GlaHes that are fold in fliops? yet not one- ly a moderate proportion of it is us'd to make Glafs red, but which is more remarkable » a fmall and due proportion of ic is commonly im ployed to make Glafs the more clear and Diaphanous. tHE ir. SECTION* .]N the Fourth place I confider, That a Body,by a differing •* preparation or management, may befit for new, and per- haps unthought ofjPurpofes. For the Qualities ot BaJies depending for thejnoft part upon the Texture of the fmall parts they are made up of, thofe wayts of ordering greater Bodies, whichdoeither by Addition, Detra<5lion, or Tranf- pofition ot their Component Corpufcies, or by cny two, or ali of thole vvayes, make any notable Change oi the former E Texture J 2 Oj liens great Ignorance Texture of the Body, may introduce new Qiialities, and thereby make it fit for diverfe Ufes, for which cwas not pro- per before. We fee to how many feveral Ufes Men, that were nei- ther Philofophers nor Chymifts, but tor the the molt part illiterate Tradefmen, have been ableto put lion, by but va- rying the viiible Shape of certain Portions ot it, and con- neding fome of thera after a pecuh'ar mjnnei: as is obvious irv the fliops of Blackfmiths, lock Smiths. Gun- Smiths, Cutlers, Clock-makers, Iron- mongers ,and others. But to give You a more Phyfical Inftance in the fame Mcttal, be pleafed to take notice, how much a Change, made by a Na- tural Agent, the Fire, in the invifible Texture of Iron, does fpeedily alter it-, when of the fame Bar ot Iron, by the help of Fire and Water, the Artificer makes hirden'd Iron, and Iron ot a temper fit for Drils, and Knives, and Springs, and I know not how many other Inftruments, which require di- ftind Tempers in the Metal they are made of^ that Temper which renders them fit tor one ufcleaving them unfit tor an- other. But we need not confine our felves to Inftances, wherein no new Ingredient is added to, or taken from the Body to be alter 'd^ it being fufficienr, that the Additament upon its own account do not bear fo great a ftroak in the Change pro- duced, but chat it be principally afcrib'd to the way ot order- ing the Body wrought upon ; and fpeaking of the manage- ment of a Body in this Senfe, ^which is ufual and pioper e- ni'Ugh,; I Ihall fubjoin a tew Inftances, of the many I might adde, to make good our Propofition. Though Paper be one of thecommoneft Bodies that we ufejyet there are very few that imagine it is fit to be impioy- cd otherwaies than about Writing, or Printmg, or wrapping up of other things, or about fome fuch obvious piece ot Ser- vice, without dreaming that Frames foi Pi(^urcs, and divers 6ne of the IQiowleJg of Natural Tl?hj^s» g > fine pieces of Embofs'd work, with other Curious Move- ables, may (as Trial has informed us j be made of ic , after this or the lik« manner. Firft, foak a convenient quantity of whitifli Paper, that is not fine, about 2 or 5 dayes in wa- ter, till it be very foft; then mafli ic in hot water, and beat or work it in large Mortars or Troughs, (much after the manner us'd in forae places to Churm Butter; till it be brought to a kind of th'n Pap, which moft be laid on a Sieve (without preflure,) to drain away the fuperfluous Moiftnes, and afterwards pat into warm Water, wherein a good quan- tity ot FiQi Glew or common Size has been difiblvU Being thence taken out by pai eels with a Spunge,ic muft therewith (for the Spun^e will dry up the fuperfluous moifture) be prefs'd into Moulds of Iron, or of iuch PJaifter as Statuaries ufe, wherein having acquir'd the Figure which is intended to be given it, it is thence to be taken out,and permitted to dry, and is to be fttengthned, where need requires, with Plaifter, or grated Chalk (m;^de into Pap with Water,) or fomeo- ther convenient matter; and afterwards, having firft been lei- furely dried, ris to be eirher painted or overlaid with foliated Silver or Gold,as the Artift pleafes. I may elfewhere have occafion to mention another unlikely ufe of Paper, namely, to ftop the Clefts k Gommiflures of Wooden Inftruments and Vefiels, that are to hold Water. For Paper being thruft into thefe narrow places, the firft Water that comes to it be- ing foakt up, occafions a forcible Dilatation, which makes the fwelling Paper fill the Chinks tis lodged in, according to what was lately deliver'd at the dofe ot the fccond Se(^i- on. The Sugar- Cane has been a Plant well enough known ro many Countrcys and Ages, who were not unacquainted with the Swectnefs otits Juice, and yet (eem never to have made Sugar of ic, for want of knowing the way cf fo ordering it, as to coagulate icincoa Durable as well as Delicious fub- itancet E 2 Tchccif 34 Of Mens great Igmrayia Tobacco was likewile a noted Plant in the Weft-Indie$j nhich was yet fufFer'd yearly to rot and perifli like other Ht:rbs>tiU the Induihy of the Moderns finding the way of Curing ic, (as they call the method ofOrdering it; made it, by thehelpotraeer Skill,laft in an improved condition for divers Years, andfitto be tranfported (as it plentifully is) o- verall the World. The Leaves iikewife of Indigo^ which would ufelefly periHi likethofeof other Shrubs 5 by themeerway of ordering ihem, which too is rather by Subftradion than Addition,has been long made a lading Pigment or Dying ftufF, and one of the moft Staple MerchandiT^s that even the Eaft-Indies fend us. I might add thegreatUfethu we are enabled to make of Madder, Woad, and divers other perifliable Plants, by the way of ordering them; but there is one Inftance of this kind lo confiderable, that though I have formerly nam'd it to ano- ther purpole, and though I am willing to mention but one Example more of this fort,I cannot but pitch upon this; fince it excellently manifefls what may be expected from a skilful ordering of Natures Produ(5tions, by fliewing us, what even the Savages of Americahzve been able to perform in this kind. For though their CMandioca be confeiledlya Poy- fonous Plant, yet without Addition they make of it their CA^Avt'VitA^ whereof not ondy the Indians y\iMi alfo many £ (4r op can J T:r\^ke their Bread, (which I alfo have made fome u(e of without diflike.) And with no AdditioUj unleU'eit be perhaps that of Spittle, they make of the poj fonous Juice of ifie fame Root a not unpleafant nor firengthlefs Diink, which divers even of the BnQlijh compare with pur Beer. And of the Bread made of that Cafavi Root, they brew, in fome of our y^merican Colonies, a Liquor by the Planters called Perino^ which J have known, even by Pcrfons of Qua- lityp equaird if not preferred to Wine ic k\U The Of the B\nowledg of 2{atural Things ^ J J The Shreds of Leather par'd away and thrown afide by the Glovers, by Co flight a way of ordering them, as onely the boyling then:! long in fair Water, difiolves them in that Li- quor, and reduces them with ic, the Decodlion being ftrain'd and coord, into a kind of Gelly that they call Size, fwhich may be alfo made the fame way of Cuttings of Parchmenr, and better yet with thofe of Vellim,) which is of great ufe towards the Production of very diffiering Trades; iome of which Produ(5lions are already touch'd upon in this Book, to which lihall here onely add, for theeafinejs of the Experi- ment, That the fine red Stands, and Hmging-Shelves , are made with ground Vermilion being onely temper 'u up with it, and laid upon Wood, which being thus coloui'd, is,vvhen it is dry , laid over with common Varnifli , which prtiei vcs ic from Wet, and gives it a Giofs. It would fcarce be fufp.'dcd that Co white a Body as Ivory, fhould, among other ufes, be proper, without the addition of any Black, or fo much as dark- coloured body, to yeild one of thedeepeft Blacks that has been hitherto known; and yet many ot our Emment Painters count that Black, which they call Ivory-black, the perfected that hath been hitherto imployed in their Art., And this Sable may be made of Ivory without Addition, onely by burning it a while in a clofe Pot-, and vve have made ic by keeping it a while among Coals and Allies , onely wrapt in (lore of wet Paper to keep it from fpencing its denigrating Sulphur in an aftual Flame; (to prevent which, the Pots, it is burnt in, are wont to be clos'd with Lute, or otherwiie fufticiently ftopr,) as it Arti- ficers were acquainted with the old Rule, jidufta nigra^ fer-^ ujiaalba And on this occafion I fliall add. That this Black made of Ivory is Co excellent in its kind, that I fcarce know any thing fo proper to make Foils of, for that nobleft fort ot Gems, Diamonds. And I remember, ihac a very skiliul Jeweller, of 3|5 Of\fensgreat Ignordnce pfwhomlboughcfomeofthofe Stones, and whom lem- ployed to fet others for me, confefttome, That burnt Ivo- ry was the thing he made ule of, for Foils to the Diamonds he had a mind to fet well. Another Inftance there is, which I mnft by no means pre- termit, now that 1 am endeavouring to (hsw, What the Pre- paration or management of a Body , even by ilhterate Tradefmen, may do to make it fit for unlikely Ufcs. For one would fcarce imagine, that from To grofs and foul a Bo- dy as the Inteflijjum reUnm of an Oxe or Cow, there ilioiild be obtained a traofparent Subftance, more thin by far chaa Paper jand yet of (o great a firmnefs and toughners,as is (carce at all credible to thofe that have not beenCas I hive;coovinc'd of it by Experience. But tis cei tain that ibme of our Gold- beaters in London^ and perhaps not thtreonelyfdo,by cleanf- ing and otherwife preparing the^^bove mention'd nsfty Gut of an Oxe, obtain exceeding fine Membranes,fome of which I keep by me, that though clear and ftrangly thin, are yet of luch tenacity, that when the thin Plates of Gold are put be- tween them, or in their Folds, the forceofaman frequent- ly ftriking them, with a vafl Hammer made of purpofe, al- moftas heavy as he can well lift up, does ufually, as I have feen with fome wonder, attenuate and dilate the included Gold, without being able to break thefe fo fine Skins. Thefe Inftances, Pyrophtlus^ we have hitherto produc'd, are almoft all of them fucb, as either Nature her fclf, or Na- ture alTifted but by Tradefmen , and other illiterate perfons, has prefented us. An*^ therefore queftionles the Power that a skilful ManAgement i^ay have to produce great Changes in Bodies, and thereby fit them for new Ufes, will be much ad- vanc'd, when they (hall be order'd by fuch as are either good Ghymifts, or dexterous at Mechanical and Mathemaiico- Mechanical Contrivances, cfpecially if in the fame Perfons a skill in thefe two forts of Kaowledg iliould concur. Thac Of the F^nolpledg of Natural Things, 57 That skill in Matheiiatit ks miy teach a man fo to manage Natiual th.ngs^as to enable bim to make other Ufcs of them thin thule thu want it will dream of, we may be ptrfwaded by feveral Particulars. For we fee that from a bare giving tea piece ot ordinary Glafs a Prifmatical fliape, that Dia- phanous and col ourlefs Body may be made to exhibit in a xnomtnt all thofe delighttul and vivid Colouts for which we admire the Rainbow^ and though meerly by giving a piece of foliated Glafs or Metalline Speculum a Concave figure^ it may be made to burn ftrongly by Rtfledion, yet by giving apieceofGlals a Convex figure. You may qualifieitto burn by Refradion, and even with Water fitly figur'd You may readily kindle Fire. For though a round and hcllow Spherical vial of pure Glafs will tranfmit the Sun-beams without making them burn, sndconfequently has not of it felf the faculty I am going to name, but ferves chiefly to ter- minate the Water that is to be pour'd into ic, and give it its duefiguration, yet by filling a Spherical Vial, I have taken pleafure fo. to unite the Sun- beams, as when Froft an J Snow was about me, to make them burn; (andperhjps Ice it felf, ifchofcn free from Bubbles, and conveniently fliip'd, may, asfome incompleat Tryals makeme hope, be made fit e- nougti for that puipofe. j And much more vigorous the Ac- cenlion would be, if two bote Concave GlafTes ot I ke ihape, equal bigntfs, and truely ground, h-d their Edges (^o)rtyn'd by a clofe Frame, that the Cavity contain'd between the in* liuc of the G'alles anc the Frame, may be fill'd with fair wa- ter; for by this means (the Convex, fide of each Glafs being outermoft; the whole Inftrument foneortwoof which I have feen in a Virtuo(o*s h^nds) will ferve for a double Con- vex Glafs, which miy by this means be m ide far larger, and more efficacious thJn other Burning- GlafTes of that figure, which confiftng each of them of a fingle piece of Solid Glafs, are wont to be far inieriour in bigncs to fuch hollow ones* 2 8 Of Mens great IgmmKe ones, ?s may be eafily enough attained. And now l:have named Solid Glafs, give me leave to take luncea Rife toadde, That ihcugh Giafs ftopf)ies are made onely by giving them an almoft Conical figure, and a fupev ficies fitttd bygrin ing, for anexquifitt Conca<5lwich the infideoi the neck of a Glafs- bjHtle^ yec this way of ordering Glades, which is afcribed no* to meer PhilofophefSj but men vers'd in Optical and Mechanical Trades, produces Stopples much furpaiTing all known before 5 not onely in this, that neither \yiqua fort is , nor other Corrofive Li- quors work upon them, but alfo in their being able to keep in even the fubtileft Spirits fo ftrictly, th.^t I remember hav- ing once forgot (ome Spirit of Sai ^^rmoniack in a large Bottle, which it did not neer a quarter fill, when I long af- ter (as I remember about feaven Years) came to ihar part of England z^cXn, I chanc'd tofind this Bottle ina place, where ibeing without an Infciiption, I knew not what the contaio'd JL'quor was. And taking ofJ the Glafs- ftopple, to e'iil'over by the icent what it might be, upon fraelhng to that folid Body, the adherent Spirits operated ftrongly enough upon my Nofe and Eyes to make me almoft ftagger, and wifli my Curiofity had been more Cautious. What I have further obferv'd about the way of making, and the Applications of, this kind of Gliiffes, belongs not to this place, where twould be fit to profecute my former Dif- courfe by fhewing You, How much rhe Chymic.il manage- ment of things may alter and improve them; wtre it not that it would be improper to venture upon fo copious a Sub- ;e(^in oneoftheSeClions of an Eifay, wherelfluli there- fore but point at it, without pretending to treat of ic. . We Tee, that Chymiits can out of (ome FruitSjthat grow wild in the Hedges, and are not edible , as alfo out of the Leesof Ale and Beer, draw an inflammable Spirit, which, for many purpofes (not Medicinal,) may be made ufc of for thac Of the f^rioufleJg of2{atural Things ^ J 9 that of Wine* We fee that out of the dry Body of Harts- horn, as likcwife out of the Skull and Bones of Dead Men, and other Animals, which h.ive been wont to be lookt up- on to be fo devoid of Moifture, that Men Proverbially fay, /udry as A Bone ^ Ghymifts do ordinarily, to the wonder of the Ignorant, draw ftore of Spirit, and Oyl, andFlegm, as they like wife do from thedryeft Woods. Some of them alfo, oftheopacous Body ofLeadmixc with Sand, and a few Grains perhaps of Metalline Pigment, can make in a few hours variety of Amaufesor Metalline Stones, which by their Tranfparency and lovely Colours do pleafingly emu- late Rubies, Emeralds, and other native Gems-, about the imitation of which, I may elfe where acquaint You with fome of my Trials. How unlikely Effe(^s may be fometimes produced by a flight Spagyrical preparation of things, may fufficiently ap- pear by the Bolonian Stone, from which (though one would not upon the fight of ic expebecaufe my fcope in the Volume, whereof this Efl'ay is a part, obliged me fo to do. But yet I am fenfible, and would have you To too, that hereby I have forborn to employ a multitude of particu- lars, that would have much enrich'd this Trcatife. For there is a great number of Bodies both Natural and Fai5iitious, that being employ 'd as Medicines for humane Bodies, have there very various andfomctimes {eemingly repugnant O- peraiions, many of which would ferve to illuftrate and con- firm fundry parages of this EfTay, Thus Rhubarb, whether taken in Subftance or Infufion, does by virtue of its differ- ing parts, firft purge and then bind. Spirit of Wine taken inwardly, exceedingly heats the Body^ whereas outwardly tis employ'^ to appeafe the heat cauf'd by fome hoc humors G a " aod Jo of 'Mens great Ignorance and inflammations. Mercury taken inwardly crude as it ii, has often, though not alwayes, prov*d an effeftualand harmelefs Medicine in Worms, and fome other Diftempers , even to Children and Women in Labour: but the fame Mercury rarified into fumes, Cwhich yet may be condens'd again into running Mercury,) and in that form ta- ken into the body, does too often caufe vehement and dangerous Commotions in the juices of the Body, as exceffive Salivations, Flux- es, &c. declare. And he that (hall attentively confidcr the various o- f erations ot that one Mineral Antimony ,and the not onely differing, but oftentimes contrary Effeds that it produces, according to the Complexions and Difpofitions of the Taker's body, and the Prepara- tion of the Mineral it felf, will not, I prefume,{lickto allow me.That theMedicinal ufes of things,if Ihad not thought fit to decline them in t'hisEffay, might have much increased the number of Inftances ic containsi the effeds of other Bodies upon thofeofMenbeing no kk proper Inftances of Natures wayes ofworkmg, than the changes they produce, when they work onely upon one another. The fecond Advertif ement(vvherewith I (hall conclude this Eftay) is. That though what I have hitherto difcoursM, hath almoft iolely related to the negleded ufes of particular Natural Bodies: yet I would not have You thence take occafion to imagine, that there are cot other Natural things whereof divers Ufes may be made, that men •have hitherto either ignored, or overfeen. By other Natural thingi I mean the differing /^r^i of Matter, or of Bodies,(fuchas Rarity and Denfity, Fluidity and Firmnefs, Putrefaftion and Fermentation,may feem to be, j as alfo /^f more operative qualities, such as Heat, CoJd, Gravity, &c. the Lawsof Local Motion an»ong the parts of Matter- and the prefent Fabrick of the Univerfe, and efpccially that of our Terretlrial Globe and its EiRuviumsito which might be added other things m Nature;, that are not properly ^o^^Vj in the ufualfenfeof that word, but may be called Thi»j€ Corporeal as they belong to Bo- dies, and entirely depend on them. In favour ot this Advertifement twere eafiefor me to fuggeft to You fuch a multitude of Particulars, that referving fome few for the laf} Effay, i here purpofely forbeac to mention any at all, to avoid being entic'd or engag*dto enter upon a fubjed, that could not be otherwife than very lamely hand- led, without enormoufly fwelling an Effay, that does already exceed itsjufl Dimenlions. Of doing hy PHYSICAL KMOVVLEDG What is wont to require MANVAL SKILL. A i (») O/Voe'wg hj Phyfical Knowledg what is wont ' to require Manual Skill. OR That the KotvUdg of peculiar £)uaUties^ or U\es of PhjpcaL things f mdy enable a Man to ferform thofe things PhyftcaU ly^ thatfeem to require Tools and Dexteritj of Hand, proper to Artificers* THe Particulars to be mention'd in this 8^^E{ray,mighc have been rang'd partly under the preceding Di' fcourfe, and partly under the Xr^ ElTay, (which will be the iaft oi this Treatifejwhofe Titles are comprehenfive enouf^h to take in the Inftances that make up this prefenc Difcourfc; which yet I have rather chofc to deliver apart, not onely bccaufe they feem fomewhnt differing from the Examples alledg'd in the^two mentioned Ellays, but chiefly becauie the Ufes that may be made of fuch Inftances, may ni:kethemdererveadiftin(5land peculiar mention. Fortis both a notable Argument of the Induftry ot Mankind , and may prove a great encouragement to it, that the Help of Philofophie may fupply the office of Manual Dexterity, Strength , or Art, and a knowing Head may do what is thought not performablejbut by a skilful Hand, or an Arm afTifted by fome Inftrument or Engine. And of thefe loftan. ces C which may bejuftly look'd upon as fomany Trophies of Humane Knowledg, and fo many Incitements to Humane Induftry) it will be needlts to make any Divifion, and there- fore I Ihall barely fet them down as they come into my mind, ao other Order being necelTary for Particulars that are As brought 2 0/ doing by fhy/tcal I\no"ti!fledg brotight but as Proofs, and have not a dependency upoD one another. The Affertion, that makes the Title of this Difcourfe, the King of Spain finds true fo much to his Advantage, that, if t miftake not, it amounted for a good while to divers mil- lions yearly. For whereas formerly in the Silver Mines of Totozi in Peru, faccounted the richcft in the World j it was wont to be a very tedious, laborious, and confequentiy chargeable work, to fever the Silver- particles of the Oar from the ignobler parts of it, by many flow and coftly5both Manual and Metallurgical Fufions, and other wayes of Se- gregation, much of that labour is now hv'd by Pero Ferfmn' ^esde Falefco^who, as Jcofta informs us, firft made ufe at Ptf;<)^:,ioftheproperty of Quick-filver to Amalgamate with the nobler Metals. For now, by accurately grinding the powder'd and fearc'd Oar with Quick filver(ftrain'd through a Clo3th,j and Salt, and decoding them for five or fix dales, in Pots and Furnaces fitted for the purpofe, the greedy Mercury licks up the Silver and Gold ('which it fotnedmes meets with j without medling with the ignobler^^artsofthe Oar^and being cnricht with as muchof them as it can imbibe, and diligently wafh'd from the adhering fordes^ the Amal- gam is, by Diftiilation with a ftrong Fire, heed from the Mercury^ which coming over revived into the Receiver, leaves behind it the fixt Metals, (viz. Gold, and Silver,) which may be afterwards (if need be) eafily reduc'd into Bo- dies, and parted by the common way. And by a not unlike way fomeof our Gold-Smiths and Refiners are wont (as themfelves inform rae)to regain out of the Duft and Sweep- ings oftheir Shops, the Filings and other fmall particles of Gold aud Silver, which fall to the ground in their Operati* ons,and in procefs of time may amount to a confiderable value. To make an Head, exadly reprefencing the Size, Shape, and Ff^hat is ^ont to require Manual ShlL } and Lineaments of the face of any living man, feems to re- quire an exquifite skill in the Scatuarie's Arti and yec ac my defire, and in my prefence, that was lately perforra'd by a Tradefman, after the following manner. The party, whole Face was to be caft off, was hid flat upon his back, having round about the Edges of his Forehead, his Cheeks, and his" Chin, fomething plac'd to hinder the liquid Plaifter from running over on his Hiir; then into each of his Noftrils was put a hollow piece of ftiff Paper,of about a quarter of a Foot long, and of the figure of a Sugar^ loaf, and open at both ends, that the Aflufion of the Plaifter a\ifiM^ not hinder hinri to take Breath. And of thefe Pipes, (which were carefully oyTd over,) the acuminated Extremes refted upon hi=. No- fliilSj and the other were fupported by one of the Aflilbnt's hands. Then his face being lightly oy I'd over, to hinder the Plaifter from fticking to it, with oyl- Olive, and his Eyes being (hut, Alabafter newly caicin'd in a Copper- Kettle, till it was as white as before, was tempered up with fair wa- ter to the confiftence of Batter, and by Spoonfuls nimbly put all over his Face, till the matter lay every where neer ao Inch thick. Almoft as Coon as it was ail laid on, it began to grow fenfibly hot, and in about a quarter of an hour hard- ned into a kind of Lapideous Concretion^ which being gent- ly and eaflly taken off, fliew'd us in its Concave Surface the exa(5l Impredions made there by the parts of the Face, and even by the imgle hairs of the Eye- brows. In this Mould they cjft a Head of good Clay, tby working it in,) and on that Head they open the Eyes, which in the Prototype and Mould were lliut, and (if need be) heighten the Forehead, and make what other amendments thev think fie-, and anoint- ing this new face with Oyl, they after the former manner make a fccond Mould (of two parts, contiguous all along the rjdg of the Nole) with caicin'd Alabafter , and in this fecond Mould (lightly oyi'd pa theiqfidc; they caft with the fara« Mattes 4 Of doing hj ^hyftcal I^owUdg Matter the fore partofanHe^d, more like the Original, than ever I faw made by the mod skiUal Statuary, and yet with fomuch eafe, that the very firft Tryal I made my felf to caft a Face thus, fuccecded. To take the Impreffion of a Leaf, or other flattifli part of a Plant, it may feem requiffte that a man be a good Painter: and yet I found, that the thing may be performed, onely by holding a whole Leaf (or Sprig of Roiemary, ^c») in the Smoak of a piece of common Gum SandarackjRo2in,Gam- phirc,or fome fuch Body that emits a copious and fuliginous Steam, ffor which purpofe I have made ufe of a common Lmka when that was moft at hand:) for the Leaf being well black'd by thefe Fumes, and plac'd betwixt the Leafs of a Sheet of white Paper, if you carefully prefs the Paper upon the Leaf with the Haft of a Knife, or fome other Imooth thing , you may thereby print on the Paper in a few moments the exa<5t Size and Figure Cbut not Colour) of both fides (but efpecially the back- fide) of the Leaf, with the very Ramifications of the Fibres that are dif- feminated through it. And this may be performed, though not io lively, by blacking the Plant , whofe pid^ure is required, with the fumes of a Candle or Taper, (efpecially if it be of Wax) inffead of thofeof the aforementioned Refi- nous Concretes, and afterwards proceeding as in the former Experiment: which fometimes may be ofgoodufetoyou, when you turn Botanift, and in your Travels meet wi:h Plants whofe pictures you think v/orth having, but have not time or conveniency to Draw them. Another Inftance, of the fame import with the foregoing ones, may be afforded us by the Art of Etching , whereby Copper and Silver-plates may be enrich'd v;ith Figures, which may feem to have been made by the Tool of fome ex- cellent Graver; and yet thofe Engravings do not require the prefumed Manual skill, and are made without fuch Tools, hyhmng^ peculfar fmqi Varnilh (for on the goodnefs of Ff^hAt is T^ont to require Manual Skill 5 that, depends much of the fuccefs of the Operation j on the Plates, and drawing on ic the Figures to be engrav'd. For ail thofe Lines, where the Plate is freed from the Varnifh, by skilfully temper *d K^quifortis f from whofe Corrofive violence the remaining Varnillifecures the reft of the Plate) may be focurioufly wrought on by thofe few Artifts that are skilful in it, that I have very (eldom feen lovelier Cuts made by the help of the beft temper'd and beft handled Gra- vers, than I have feen made on Plates Htch'd, fome by a French, and others by an Englifli, Artificer, But the knowledg of the Phyfical properties of things may fometimes enable a man to perform, not onely things to which Mechanical Tools and Manual Dexterity fetm to be necella'ry, but fome things alio whereto even Mathema- tical Inftruments, and skill m Mathematicks are thought re- quifite^ of which I fliali at prefent propofe a Couple of In- ftances. In theelfewhere mention'd French Abridgment of C4/i- Uo's Italian Book, I find a pallage very pertinent to our i^ouveiUi pen- prefent Defign, which agreeing very well with our Obfer- [f" '^^ cdiic^ vation of that kind, we fhali propofe it a little more clearly '^* *' as follows. Suppofe in a high Church (the Book exemplifies Ncftrc dame) the great Candleftick that hangs from the top of the Church being made to fwing, a Philofopher that has ob- ferv'd that the Vibrations of a Pendulum , though the Arches it defcribes be unequal, are in the fenfe formerly de- clar'd equiteaiporaneous •, and that, when the Strings, at which inch Pendulums hang, are very unequa),their Lengths will have the fame proportion, as is between the Squares of the Numbers of their lingle Vibrations pertorm'd in the fame time: Suppofe, I fay, that fuch a Perfon have a Pen- dulum with him,v\'hofc String (which may be ot any length, fo it be determiaaie) is, for Example, a Yard long, it will not J 6 Of (Joeing hj Thyfial I^noThkJ^ not be difficult for hinijWithout any Quadrant or Geometri- cal Inftrument, to find out the length of the String that fup- porcstheCandkftick, and confequencly the height of the Church. For the Candleftick and the fliort Pendulum be, ing made to fwiag, beginning both at the fame time, let us fuppofe, that when the Candleftick has made nine Vibrati- ons, the Pendulum of a Yard long has made 54, the Squares of thefe two Numbers will be 8 1 and 29 1 ($; and becaufe, as we lately faid, the length of the Pendulums will hive the fame proportion with the Squares of the Number of their Vibrations, dividing 2916 by 81, the product will be 35j which (liews, that the String, at which the Lamp hangs, is 56 times as long as that of the iliorter Pendulum^and con- fequently a Yard (containing 3 Feet) amounts to (36 Yards or) 108 Feet. Upon the knowledg of another Phyfical property of hea- vy Bodies I remember 1 have grounded a way to meafure vaft Heigths and Depths without any Geometrical Inftru- ments, and in fuch cafes where fuch an Inftrument cannot be imploy'd, by the help of a Pendulum? whichjbecaule in this cafe it muft be very fliort, will require an artentivc and ex- pert Obferver. For it being known that a Stone, or a piece of Lead, or the like iblid weight, falling from a height does fo accelerate its Defcent, that the difFcimg fpaces it has ,tranC» mitted, at any differing times aflign'd, will have betwixt them the fame proportion with the Squares of the times, wherein the refpeClive fpaces were tranfmitted? if it be once known by diligent Obfervation how far a Stone, or fuch a folid Body, (whofe greater oritfferbulk is not hcreconfi- derable^ does fall at the end of the fir (t Second-minute of its motion downwards, it will be eafie enough for a Natura- lift, vers'd in the Dodrine of Proportions, to colled from the time that the Stone imploies in defcending perpendicu*. larly fiom the top of a high Tower or Steeple, how high thac VP^hat is wont to require Manual Skill. y that Building is. This way of meafuring, provided Atten- tion and Accuracy be not wanting , we found agreeable e- nough to divers Obfervations of our own and our Ftiends; and by this way one may meafure the Depth of a Well (to the furface of the Water) how deep foevcrj though the bot- tom, as tisufualbyreafon of thedarknes, cannot be feen, which makes the depth unfit to be raeafur'd by Quadrants, and fuchlik^ Geometrical Inftruraents: For if at the fame time that you let fall a Stone or other Weight, you alfo lee go a Pendulum that vibrates Quarter- feconds, that is,makes twoExcurfionsand as many Returns in the 60'^' part of a Minute, and reckon its Vibrations till you hear the noife made by the Stone dafliing-againft the Water in the Bottom of the Well, you may eafily enough collei^ the Depth. For let it be fuppofed, that it be found by Experience, that a falling Stone, or otlier like Weight, do in the firft Second- Minute of its Defcent difpatch (zs the diligent Merfennus aftirmeshimfeifto have often found) 12 Feet, (which I un- derftand of French, not having found it hold in Englifli mea- furej and lee us alio fuppofe the Pendulum to have perfed- ed 6 fingle Vibrations before the dalliing of the Stone a- gainft the Water was heard-, ifwc proceed according to the Rule formerly given, we (hall find, that [{ the time, wherein the falling (lone transmitted thofe fpaces that are to dirc(^ our Calculation, be i , and 6, the Square of thofe two Numbers being i and 36, the Stone muft Uave fallen at the end of the 6^^ Second ^6 times as far as at the end of the firft. And fmce by Obfervation (about whofe Accuratenefs we need notbefollicitoushere, where we defign onely the giving nn explanatory Example) a falling Stone in the firft Second de- fcends 1 2 foot, we need but multiply 35 by 12, to obtain in the produ<5l432, the perpendicular Depth of the Well to the furface of the Water. And the fame number may be coUei^ed , and perhaps you will think more eafily , by B Cup- i 0/cIo'm^hifThylualI(jiowleJg . fuppofing^as Galileo's Experiments feem to prove, that a tailing Body accelerates its Defcent according to a Progreffi' on of odd Numbers, beginning from an Unite*, fo that if in the firft Second-minute , or any other determinate part of time, it fals one fpace^whatever that be, in the next Second it will fall 5 rpaces, and in the third 5 fpaces, and fo onwards: according to which reckoning, if the falling Body befup- pos'd todefcend 12 foot, during the firft Second it will de- scend 35 (befides the former 12 in the next Second,) in the third 60, in the fourth 84, in the fifth 1 08, in the fixth 1 5 2, which fumm'd up together araount to 43 2. And by the fame way one may meafure the Height of divers Precipices how great foever, as far as one can reach downward in a per- pendicular Line. And one may alfo give fome guefs at the depth of fome Volcans, which are not acceifible to thofe that know but the common wayes of Menfuiation, or which have burn'd the Ropes, and even melted down the Chains and Weights,by«which fome Curious perfons have attempt- ed to fathom their Depth. Tis true, that in Mathemati- cal rigour fome Abatement ought to be made, becaufe the Stone ftrikes the furface of the Water, or the bottom of the Precipice, fome little while before the found, produced by that (Iroak, can arrive at our Ears. But unlefs the Hcigth or Depth to be be meafar'd be very extraordinary, this allow- ance^for the delay of the NoifcjCither may be negle(fied with- out much Inconvenience, or in probability will fcarce ex- ceed a quarter (or at moft half j of a Second^ fince, as has been elfewhere noted,it has been found by Obfervationjthac a Sound in the Air moves above twelve or thirteen hundred foot in one Second. And in what I have here deliver 'd con- cerning the way of meafuring Depths and Heigths by the falling of a heavy Body, I have been much confirm'd by an Obfervation I chanc'd to meet with in an Outlandifli Book, which I have not now by me to look out the place^ where the yp^hat is Itont to require Manual SkilL p the Mathematician that writes it, who feems to have been a dih'gcnt Obferver, affirmes, that he found a Weight Jet fall from the top of a Church or Steeple ffor I remember not which, nor is ic material,) fo high as to amount to 300 toot, to reach the Ground in about five Seconds; which agrees very well to what we have been delivering. For iuppofing the Weight to fall 12 foot, the firft Second, at the end of the fifth Second it muft have fallen 25 times as far, (i and 25 being the Squares of the Numbers of the Seconds of time,) and confeqncntly 300 foot. To flit (or divide tranfverfly into Flakes or Leaves) fo thin a piece of Metal as an old Groat , which feems not to exceed, if it fo much as equal, the thicknefsof a Leaf of w hite Paper, may be thought, if it be feafable, to require fome very fubtle dividing Inflruraent, with an Edg finer than that of a Razor; and yet the way of performing this by Phyfical means , is but an almoft ludicrous Experiment, which (if you know it not already) is eafily thus made. Take three Pins, and ftick them in the form of a Triangle, at fuch a diftance from each other » that the Groat may reft upon the heads of them: put upon this thin piece of Metal almoft as much flower of Brimftone, or atleaft finely powder'd Sul- phur, as will conveniently lie on it 5 then kindling the Sul- phur, let it burn out of it felt; which done , take oft the Groat, and throwing it hard agiinft the Floor, the upper part, with th^ adhering remains of the Sulphur, will be part- ed from the lower: which (lower) if the Coin were not very thin, will retain its former fliape, I have obfeiv'd in this Experiment a pretty Circumftanceor two, the knowledg of which is very apt to be mifimploy'd, and need sot here be mentioned: though I wouldnot filently pafTeby the Expe- riment it felf, becaufe, as ludicrous as you may think it, it may fuggeft uncommon Speculations to a confidering Na- turalist 3 andalfo intimate a way of preparing Silver, of B 2 which 1 Of doing hy fhjftcal Kjiolipkdg which I mayelfevvhere tell you the pra(5lic2l Ufe.' He that takes notice of fo preccy a variety of Colours and Shapes, as may be difcero'd on a skilfully made flieet of Marblepaper, will be apt to conclude, either that the diffe- ring Colours were laid on one by one with a Pencil, which would requires great deal of time and pains ; or that the Sheet was marbled by being printed off from fome Plate, on which the differing Shapes were cue or engraven, and the dif- fering Colours fingly plac'd, which would require yet more labour, and a greater apparata^-, whereas the whole Sheet is painted thus virioufly and delightfully at once,and in a trice, by the contact of the furface of a Veilel full of Water, on which the Colours (firft blended a little by a quick and eafie motion of the Artift's hand) are fo order'd, as to fwim with- out being confounded. This Artifice hath, as I am informed, been deliver'd by the Curious Kirchcruj, But if you have a mind CO know the Particulars of it more fully, you may command me to acquaint you with what I h we learn*d from Experience,by which the Practice is fuppos'd to have been of late improved. If it were proposed to free weak fpirlc of Wine or K^qita njitd from a great part of its Flegm, the Generality of Di- rtillers would think it not to be effc^(5ted, but by the help of Fireanda Furnace.^an Alimbeck, or fome other Diftillatory Veffcls? and yet, without the help of any of all thele Inftru- raents,Ihave fometim*-s taken pieafure to defiegme Brandy, (as they call weak fpiritof Wine of the firft DiftilhtionJ onely by putting it into Salt of Tartar. For confidering the faculty this Alkalizate Body has to attrad Cas men com- monly fpcak) or imbibe the Aqueous particles that fwim in the Air, and refolve it felf with them into that Liquor, that the C hymifts call Oyl of Tar tar /'fr DeUquium, there feem'd fufficient reafon to exped, that the fame Salt being put very dry iniiophlegmuick fpiritof Wme^ wc;ald embody* with the P^f^hat is %ont to require Manual SkilL i r the phlegmacick parts,with which,if it were not overcharg'd, it would probably keep them feparate from the more fpl- ritaous Liquor-, fince fuch Oyl of Tartar as I have juft now mention'd, and dephlegm'd fpirit of Wine, will fwim upon one another without mixing? and accordingly I have forae- times taken pleafure, by putting a fufficienc proportion of dry Salt ot Tartar into Brandy, and leaving it there for fume time (for the Experiment will, to bccompleatedjre- qairefome while) to make fome feparation of a great part of the Flegm, which by degrees diHolving the Salt, will re- duce again part of it into a Liquor, that will keep its furface diftiniftfrom that of its fupernatant Spirit, and if confound- ed therewith by the lliaking of the Glafs , would fpeedily paitfromit, and regain its own ftation? and if you would have a reparation of the phlegm begin to appear quickly, youmay comp^fTe what you intend, by tying up a conveni- ent quancity of dry Salt of Tartar in a dry rag of Linnen cloath, and immerfing ita little while in the Brandy, and then lifting it up a little above the Liquor? for the phlegma- tick parts being copioufly Imbib'd in the Salt, which will be thereby relolv'd into a ponderous Liquor, will in drops fvvhofe defcent wiU be diftinguiiliable enough, if the Glafs be held againft the L'ght) fall to the bottom of the fpirit of Wine. And left you lliould fufped, that this defcent comes not from their Weight, but from the force they acquire in falling through the Air,you may keep the Rag iramerT'd be- neath the furface of the Liquor, and yet may perceive the Efflux and Subfidence of the Lixivium \ve have been fpeak- ing of. There are tome cafes, wherein Bodies, that are tobeheld very foftly,are either fo brittle, that 'twould be hard to hold them faft enough without danger of breaking them? or elfe fofmall, and fo inconveniently fliap'd, that twould be very dilficult to procure laftruoients to lay hold on them, and keep 1 1 of doing h] fhyftcal ^nowleJg keep them tnoveleffe in the Inftrument: and in feveral fuch cafes the ufe of Tools, to hold faft fuch Bodies, may be ad* vanragioufly fupplied by Artificial Cements. As I re- member I have known the Glafs- grinders , inftead of more Mechanical Tools, imploy Pitch, melted and made up with Afhes, very well ftirr*d and incorporated with it, into a ftifFPaft. For this Mixture, being by a fit Heat brought to a convenient Softnes, the Glafs to be ground or polifh'd is bedded in it, in what pofture, and as far as, the Artificer pleafeth-, and by the fame Mixture the Ghfs being faften'd, £t the end of a Stick or fome proper Inftrument of Wood, the Glafs, upon the cooling of the Cement, remains firmly faftnedjtill the Artificer have done with it what he defigndj after which, by foftning the Cement with Heat, he can rea- dily take it ofFagain. And even the Diamond- Cutters, who, to grind thofe Stones into Shapes, are wont to imploy a very vehement Attrition, make ufe, for holding their Diamonds, elpecially when they would polifli them, of a Cement, the like to which I remember I have fome times made to other pur- pofes: for themfelves have confefs'd tome, that they made theirs chiefly of Rofin , melted and brought to a ftiffPaft. with fine Brick.duft,to which one of the Emincnteftofthem for skili adds a proportion of Sealing-wax-, (\ told him I preferr a plaifter of Paris before Brick- du(t, and he told me he did the like.) And indeed by variety of Cements we may be afTifted to make divers Experiments, that we could not otherwife make fo well, if at all; for whichreafoni have been fomewhat Cu- rious about making a pretty number of fuch Mixtures, whofe Compofitionsyou may command of me. There are divers Artificers, efpecially thofe that flit and polifli Chryftal, Agats, and other hard flones, and cut Seals inCems, who have need of Powders of Emery, of differing degrees Ff^hat Is tt)ont to require Manual Skill i J degrees of fincneCs, and fomeof them extremely fubtle: to obtain thefe one wonld think it neceffary to have variety of Searces, and fomeof them as fineastis poflible. But the skilfullcft Artificers /udg they can obtain their defire much better by fair Water, than by the beft Searces. For having in a Mortar beaten the hard Body oi Eipery , as long as they think neceffary , they put the powder into a Pail or other fit veffel full of Water, and then withaftick, or fome fuch thing, they ftir very well all that is at the Bottom, that it may be rais'd and throughly mingled with the Liquor; then pouring it out into another veflel, the grofleft, and the moft ponderous Grains of the difpers'd powder , will fir ft fall to the Bottom, and give a powder lefl'e grofs than that which remain'd inrhe firft Veflel, (which may be again beaten fmall in the Mortar.) Afterwards they powr the troubled Water of the fecond veflel into a third, and there fufiPer the Duft to fubfide, and then decanting the Liquor, if this Duft be not yet fine enough, they trouble the Water again, and after a little while powr it off either into one vefTel, or two, or more fucce (lively , according to the exigency of their ufess and then lufFering the tranfvafated Water to fettle for fome Hours (more or fewer,) as the difperfed Duft is more or lefs lighc,chey decant the Liquor,or fuff er it to exhale,and take the remaining powders, of which that which fettles floweft will oftentimes be ftrangely fubtle. And by this way, if a man will have patience to pour fucceflively the troubled Liquor into Vellels enough, and give the difpers'd powder a competent time to let fall the lefle light parts, be- fore the upper part of the water be pour'd off into the vefl'el tis finally to fettle in*, he may obtain feveral degrees of pow- ders, lefs and lefs groife, and fome fo fine, as one would ad- mire how twas made fo. And this (Pyr-) I the rather men- tion to you, becaufe tis not onely from Emery, but from di- vers other Bodies that Qne may obtain e:ctreaiely minute^ aiK} 14 ^/^^''^c? h '^^/^^^^ ^o^ledg and fas they fpeak) impalpable Powders, of great ufe in fomeot the moft Curious Trades , and perhaps in Phyfick too. For I may elfewherc tell yoa, how 1 apply this way to Magifteries of Chryftal, and of Gems, and even to Cro» cm MAYtis'^ the naming of which laft puts me in mind to add, That a Chymiftmuch priz'dfor finer Crocta MATtis^\\\zvk o- thersof his ProfeiTiobjand thereby enabled to feii it at an ex- traordinary rate, confelTd to me, that twas to the Artifice I have been commending, that the Crocu6 he fold ow'd all its Advantages. Ic has long been, and ftill is in many places a matter of much trouble and expence, as well of Time as Money, to cut out of Rocks of Alabafter and Marble, great pieces, to be afterwards (quar'd or cut into other fhapesj but what by the help of divers Tools and Inftruments cannot in Come Quar- ries be effeded without much time and toyl, is in other pla- ces eafily and readily perform'd, by making with a fit Inftra- ment a (mall perforation into the Rock, which may reach a pretty way into the body of it, and have fuch a thicknefl'e of the Rock over it, as is thought convenient to be blown up at one time; for at the farther end of this Perforation(which tends upwards) there is plac'd a convenient quantity of Gun- powder, and then all the reft of the Cavity being fill'd with Stones and Rubbifh ftrongly rammed in^Cexcept a litile place that is left for a Train,) the Powder by the help of that train being fit*d,and the impetuous flame being hindredfrom ex- panding it felt downwards, by reafon of the newly mentioned Obftacle, concurring with its own tending another way, di- fplayes its force againft the upper parts of the Rock, which in making its Celf a pafTage, it cracks into feveral parts, moft of them not too unweildy to be manageable by the Work- men. And by this way of blowing up Rocks a little varied and improv'dj fome ingenious Acquaintances of ours, iniploy'd .; ' ^ by Vf^hat is wont to require Manual Skill. i y by the Publicktomake vaft Piles, have lately (as Treceiv'd the account of themfelves; blown up or fcatcer'djWith a few barrels of Powder, mnny hundred, not to fay thoufand. Tuns of common Rock.] To give (mall GlalTes the(hipe that is requifite to fic them to fervefor Covers to the Dial- plates of Watches, and for other purpofes, to which Artificers fometimes im- ploy them, one would thmk it necefTary, that theyfliould be ground, or other wife wrought, with Tools,' by a skilful hind, to give the Glaffes the Concave, as well as the Con- vex, figure they ought to have. And yet I have learn'd by tryal, that a flat plate of Ghfs ofa competent thicknes, than has its two furfaces fmooth and parallel to each other, being carefully laid upon a deep Ring of Iron,or a ili.illow and hol- low Cylinder of the fame Metal, and of the Diameter re- quired, fo that the edgof the Glafs Cwhich is to be reduc'd to rouadnes) may every where reft upon that of the Cyim- drrcal piece of Metal-, the heat of the fire, warily and skilful- ly admitiiftred, will to foften rhis Plate of Glafs,that its own weight will fo deprcfle the middle parts, that the Glafs will thereby obt.^in the Figure required. And though fuch Glaf- fesdo not conftantlyfall juft into the defired figure, yec when they are skilfully order 'd, they fall into it fo often, that 1 am told, that fomelngenions Artificers have quitted the ordinary way of making Covers for Watches, for that we have been defcribing; which though not free fromCafual- ties> is yet fo much more cheap and eafie. gi We have m fome parts of England various kinds of Talk, or Lafis Specular is ^ (fcveral of which I have been Pof- fefibr ofjjand of fome of them there is fo gteat plenty, that one may procure good ftore for little or no charge; bat the reducing of a great Lump of this Talk to fine powder, it i: muft be done the common way, by beating it'^in Mortars, and fearcing it often, will require much time and pains; but, C as 1 6 Of ioing hj Thyfual I(nowleJg as I have feveral times tried, the fmaller pieces may, by the help of an actual flame, be quickly reduc'd to a Snow-white Cdlx-y fo by the Experiment of a fagacious Acquaintance of mine, even great Lumps of it may, almoft in a trice, be brought to fine powder5by heating them red hot,and cafting them, whilft they are fo, into cold water, whereby there will preiently be made a Comminution of them into a Hne^ and as it were mealy Calx. The ground of this Operation is much the fame with that, whereby fome Chymifts granulate Mafles ot Gold and Sil- ver, when they pour the ftrongly melted Metal from a com- petent height into cold water, whereupon there happens a DilTilition oi the parts of the Metal-, many of which fall to the bottom in little fragments. But the more eafily f ufible metals. Tin and Lead, may be quickly and better granula- ted by the Mechanical way, frefhly mention'd, as to Talk. I remember I was wont (efpecially if the Ignition and Ex- tindionwere repeated 2 or 3 times )to reduce Cbryftal Flints, almoft in a trice, to a fitneffe to be eafily brought to a very fnbtle Powder, proper 10 mik^K^maufes (or counterfeit GemsJ of. The mention I have already made in this Eflay, of what may be perform*d by the faculty that burnt Alabafter, made liquid with Water, has to grow hard again, puts me in mind of another Inftance, very properly referable to the Subjedi of this Eflay. For one that beholds how curioufly Oranges and Lemmon|j|and other Fruits, are counterfeited in Wajf, would imagine, that fo lively a reprefentatien of them could not betffe^ed, but by a hand, as skilful at leaft as that of a Painter- fince by this Plaftick Art, not Oranges, and Lem* monS) &c. in general, but this or that particular Orange or Lemmon may be moft lively reprefented; and yet you miy learn this Art within one hour or two, the thing being per- formable eafily and quickly: for having the Orange &c. we would PThat Is Itfont to require Manual SkilL 17 would imitate, we bury it half way in a Coffin of Clay,' whofe Brim, together with the extant part of the Fruit be- ing oyl'd over, to keep the mixture from flicking, the tem- per 'd Alabafter(or plaifter of Parish is nimbly laid on to i good thicknefs,and, upon its Concretion, remov'd, where- by you obtain an Hjlf-mould for that part of the Orange; then the formerly latent half of the Fruit being likewife placd nppermoft in the Half-mould, which fliould have fomepretty deep Notches cut in the Rim of it, which, with the protuberant part of the Fruit , ought to be oyl'd, the temper'd Mixture is likewife put upon that, and thereby an €xa<^ Mould is compleated, at any convenient part of which a Hole being raade,to pour iaa little temper'd and colour'd Wax, when tis brought by Fulion to a due Heat, (for ever v degree of thst Quality is not convenient, ) fhaking the Mould nimbly and every way, the Wax comes to be fo ap- plied to the internal furface, that when the Mould is cold, and the parts taken afandcr, you have an Orange of WaK very livtly reprefenting the Original, There are fome Circumftances belonging to this eafie and delightful Art of Moulding and cafting in Wax, (which is pleafant enough to be pradtic'd even by Ladies) that I pur- pofely omit: what has been mentioned being fufficient to ihew you as much as is necelTary for ray prefent purpofe. And I the rather pitcht on this Experiment, bccaufe it may afford us another Inflance, not impertinent to the defign of this Tradt. For one that fliould fee how great a Cavity is left within the counterfeie Orange, would think that there were fome great and rare Artifice requifite to caft it thus hol- low, and make fo fmall a quantity of Wax reach to the countcrfcitmg of fuch a Fruit; whereas the bare fluking of the Mould when the melted Wax is in it, together with the expanfive endeavour of the included Air, applies the Wax to every part of the infide of the Mould, and thereby turns it C 2 into 1 8 Of doing by fhyficdl Kjiol^ldg into one great Film, which one would think it very difficult to feparate, without injuring it, from the Mould, to which tis applied foclofej and indeed it might be fo, if Nature did not again afTift theArtift, by making the Mixture, when it cools, fhrink a little , and thereby part eafily from the Mould it ftuckto. But one of the prettieft and the flrangeft Artifices that belong to this EiTay, is that whereby the knowledg of a few unheeded Phyfical properties of two or three Bodies, may enable a man to perform that, which feems to require, not onely good Tools, and great Dexterity in the Art of Graving, butlikewife an cxquifice skill in Caligraphie, or the Art of writing fair: tor I know a Graver, famous for skill in his Profeflion, who writes, as I have had good opportuni- ty to obferve, but a bad hand^ and yet this man with his Tool writes rarely well, and will imitate and emulate the fineft Copies of the choiceft Writing-mafters, fo that even Virtttofi have much admir'd how a man, with a ftiff Iron- Tool upon a tough Copper- plate, can write incomparably fairer than the fame perfon can with a good Pen upon Paper. But to eafe you fomewhat of your wonder, I (hall adde, that though this Artifice be J»epc for a choice Secret, and though I could not learn a confiderable Particular or two, which belong to the Delicacy of it-, yet (partly by putting Queflions, and partly by fome Tryals of my o wn^ I attain'd to the fubftance of this Myftery, as they call it^which feems to be this. A Writing- Mafter, or fome other that writes a very fair Hand, is defir'd to write a Copy, or what elfe is to be engra- ven, with a peculiar kind of Ink, which differs not in lliow fromcommonink, being fully as black as it. Then they take a very clean and well-fmooth'd Copper-plate, which being moderately warm'd, is to be fo rubb'd over with a cer- tain white Varnilii^or fomething cquivaknt(to be mentioned • ■■ •' "■" ""■ ' " ' ■ a Vl^hat is T^ont to require Manual Skill, ip a little beneath,) that when the Plate grows cold again, it may be thinly and evenly caft over with a kind of Skin or Film (if I may fo call it J of Varniili-, then lightly moiftning the Paper, thatit may part with its Ink the more readily, the Written fide is to be laid on the prepar'd fide of the Plate, and That, together with the Paper, being pafl'd through a Roling-Prefs, enough of the Ink will (lick (buc in an inverted pofture)to the Varniili, whofe Whlcenes rend- ers the black Letters very confpicuous-, fo that tiseafiewith a Needle cfittedwith a wooden Handle) to draw over the very fame Lines and Stroaks throuph the yielding Varnifli upon the Metalline Plate, whence they may, after the Plate is by Heat, or other wife, freed from the Varoifh, be com- pleted with a Graveri and laftly, when the whole Engraving is finiflVd up, may be printed pfFin a Roling- Prefs like ordi- nary Cuts. And even without a Roling- Prcfie I have fome- times t.iken off written Chara«^crs, onely by laying the moiften'd Paper very fmoothupon the Varn'ih'd Copper, and rubbing it hard thereon with a Convex piece of Glafs, or fome fuch fmooth and hard Body, whofe prelTure makes the Ink ff ick to the Varniili, for which J have uf*d the purer fort ofFirgin tvax^iUhe Ink be good, and have been laid on plentifully enough by the Pen. ("That Ink which I moft us'd, I made onely of fine Fratickford Blacky as the Painters that fell it are wont to call ir^ by grinding it little by little, buc very diligently, with Water, till it hadatt:iin'd thecon- fiftenceof a fomewhatthicklnki in which this onely Cir- cumftance is carefully to be obfeiv*d,ihat no Gum be added, as is ufual in other Ink,s, leaft that hinder its coming ofl.) And here tvvill not be impertinent to the Argument in hand to adde another Artifice, whereby a printed Gut may befo far taken off, thjt at leaft the Out-lines and the princi- pal Stroaks may be ready copied for the Gravers hand, by which way, befides other Ufcs that may be made of it. Co- pies ao Ofiomg Jjf ^hyftcal ^mutleJg pies of rare and choice Pieces may be procur'd, and the pe- rifliing or want of the Originals fupplieJ? if then the Print to be taken off be recent enough, Cas it is wont to be,if it ex. ceed not a Year, or perhaps two,) then the P^per'needs one- ly be well moiften'd, as if it were to be printed off .it a Rol- ing-Preffe (with the Ink , proper to which tis fuppos'd that the Cut was , as uCually Cuts are, printed off:) but if the Pi(5fure or Scheme be more ancient, it muft be laid ail night to foak in water, and thenhuagin the Air;, till it have but fuch a degree of Moifture as makes it fit for the Roling- prefTe: The Paper being thu5 p^epar'd, either by bare wetting or by fteeping, the printed fide is to be laid upon a Copper plate, thinly cas'd over, as was formerly di- reded, with Virgin-wax; for the Plate and Paper being put into a Roling- preffe,the Compreflfion of that will maks the moiflen'd Ink ftick to the pure Wax, which confequrTiily v?ill take the Impreflfion of the Cut, or at leaft of the Out- lines and chief ftroaks of it. There is another thing which feems above all thefe to re- quire rheexpreis and immediate Operation of the Hand,and ic is a Phyfical way,if I may fo fpeak, of tranfcribing a whole page of a Letter, or other Wnang,all at once. Whether this can be performed cheaply and eafily enough far com- mon ufe, is hereafter co be coniiderU Buc that abft^a<5ting from thefe Circumftances tis poflibleto be doae^ (by m Ar- tificial Application of Phyfical things) I have been perfw<2d- ed by fome Experience? of which I may in one of the follow- ing Papers give you a more particular Account, than I now conveniently can. In the former part of this Efiay,F;r(?/>/^/V»iJhaveprefent- ed you Come Inftances, wherein Phyfiological Knowledg may befubfticuted for Manual Dexterity, Mechanical Tools, and even Mathematical Inftruments: but now to (liut up this Difcourfe, I (hall fubjoin a Relation that will manifefl, that even FFhdt u Ttont to require Manual Skill a i even'a Mathematician and an Engineer may fometimes per* forme that by the knowledg of a flight Phyfical Quality of obvious Bodies, which without that knowIedg» all his skill in Mathematical Difciplines, and his vaft and Artificial En- gines, will not have inabled him to accomplifh. For who would think that by a comparatively few Pounds of Water (perhaps the Moifture of the Air in wet Weather might have fuffic'd) a malfy Body of peradventure fome hundred thoufand pounds in weight (hould be rais*d,3nd yet that this was performed at Conjl amino fle^ is one of the remarkableft things I remember I met in the ingenious account of his Voyage, that is given by the Learned Bufhequius^ EmbafTa- doi from the King of ths Romans to the Turk tfh Emperour. His words are thefe. D^obelifco^ CMJttsfupra memini^ (jui eft in Hipodromo. fie Gr/tci cotnmemorant'^ a baft convulfum i% ^*^*^f' * multts lecuLis]dCutpe humt: tempore po/tertorum Imperato- rum repertum K^rchiteiiuru^ qui operam juam in to fud bafi reftituendoe^effrreti, tUttn/^, pojiquam de pretio conventum efet, ingcntem apparatum organorum tx trochleis (^ funibui frd[crtimin[iituipe^quib»slaptdem ilium ingcntem erexerit^ Juhlimeznq^ eo evexent^ ut uno tantum dtgtto abefiet k dor fa jiftragalorum quibus imponi debebat^ turn indicate populum fpe£iatorem oleum illi & operam tanti apparatus periifje^ mA- gttij^ denuo labor ibus & impenfis opus inftaurandumi at ilium minimi difft [urn peril a rerum naturalium [cientia [ubftdio^ iuffiffe afferri immenfamaqua vitn^ qua mult is horisin tJ^lA'^ cbtnam iUamin]eHa^funes qutbus obelifcus librabaturt fen* fim made fa^ OS rigentef^ (ut cor urn efi natur/t) fe contraxt^Cy ftc ut obtltfcum aittm fublafum in Jftragalis ftatuerunt^ ma' gna cum admtratione (jr plaufu vulgi. And for confirmati- on of this Narrative, it may be added, that the fame thing is mention'd by good Authors, as having been pradic'd elfe- wherci and a like ftory is allow 'd, and fomewhcre made a» Argument of (to another purpofej by tbatgrcat Mailer of Mechaaicks GaliUo himfelf* ~ Tq 2% Of Mng hj fhyfial I^Medg To catch any ftore of Fifli the ordinary way, you know • tis cuftorasry that even in Riv-ers,either ftore of Angles, and- fomc skill in ufing them, or Nets, or fome other Artificial Inftruments be made ule of; and if it be in the Sea that men are to fifli,large Nets or fome peculiar Contrivances are im- ploy*das necefl'aryj and one would not exped from fuch people as the Americans^ eafier wayes of Fifliing th:m thefe^ and yet thefe illiterate Barbarians, by having found out(pro- bably by chance; the Phyfical property of a Wood , make that ferve them to catch F;(lim great plenty, and with as mucheafe. For our late Englidi Navigators haveobfervd, as their Voyages witnefs, that in fome parts of the Weft- Indies, the Natives, by impregnating the Water with this Wood, do fo ftupifie the Fifhjthat foling up and down upon the Surface of the water, as if they were fox'djthey are eafily taken up in gre<^t numbers in their hands: which Relation of our Seamen, I therefore, notwithftanding its ftrangeneft'ej fcruple not to alledge, partly becaufe that though we do not uiea(impleDrug,muchleflea Wood, for the fame pur- pofe,yetour Foxing-ftufl (as they call it j which is but a (light Compofition, produces Effeiflsnot much inferior? 2nd partly becaufe having purpofely enquired of a Learned Phyfitian, that came not long (ince out oU part of America^ ^ where this pr;i(5tife is in requeftjhe aftur'd me, that he faw (he ^ ' . Mngltjh themfelves ufe this way of F,{h ng, onely by tying a /^, Log of this Wood, to which (for what reafon I know not) they have given the n^me of Dog wood,to the Sterji of their Boats; foeafily does the odd Property of this Wood ena- ble them, that make ufe of it, to catch Fifli. To take off the Hair is generally fuppos'd to require both ^' a Rafor and other Implements, and the Manual skill and O- peration of a Barbour, efpecially if the Hair be grown under the Arm- pits, and in other places, which an inconvenient fiituacion or Figure makes to be of difficult accefsj and yet by -S i T^f^hal is fi?orjt to require Manual Skill* 2 j fcy theknowledg of a property of that Natural produ(5lion, fcrmerly mention'dinthe VI EfTay, under the name of jRfsfma, the Hair may be, without Inftruments, taken off ■ from any part of the Body, and that not onely in much fhort- er time than is requk'd to Shaving, but, as far as the Eye is wonttodifcern, bythe roots, which nrvakes It much longer before the part be again cover'd with hair of the former Di- menfions. The way us'd in the Eaft to effed^ this, the fore- cited Bellonius annexes, in (lead of which I fliall tell you what I try *d with a parcel of it, brought into England before I mec with his Obfervations about It. We mixtthe fine Powder ofit with an equal weight of ftrong powder 'd Quick- lime, (BcHonius^ probably not without reafon, prefcribes but half as much Quick* lime,) and having fuffer'd them to foak to- gether a (hort while in a little fair water, we thinly fpread the foft Pad or Slime, made by the water and Ingredients, upon that part of the Body which we defign'd to free from Hairj and having fuffer'd this Mixture to (lay on about 3 minutes (or 60 part of an Hour, ) meafur'd by a Minute- watch, (our Author prefcribes as long time as is requifite to the boyling of an Egg,) we wip'd it off with a Linnen Cloatti dipt in warm water,and found the Hair taken ofFby the roots, without any inconvenience to the part,that we could difcern, though I feveral times fliew'd the Experiment to others,and the Trial ofit was more than once made upon my Self. It may feem fcarce pcflibie, without the help of Water, or any Engine made with Springs or Wheels, to meafure Time, though but for a little while, asexadly as ourbeft Clepfidra's, Clocks, or Watches are wont to do. And yet [which is now a known, and almoft vulgar thing j fuch an ac- count of Time may be kept by him that has obfeiv'd, that the Vibrations or Diadromsof a Pendulum are made in fen- fibly equal Spaces of Time,though the Arches continually decreafe that are made by the fwinging Pendulum, (as you D know 24 Of doing I J Thyfual I\nQwleJg know they now call a Bullet, or the like weight hanging at the end ofa String from aNaile, or other fixt Supporter./ For by Co flight a thing, as I have been mentioning, if you watchfully obferve and reckon the Returns that the Twing- ing Weight makes towards you in a Minute, or other deter- minate fpace of Time, doubling the Number of thofe Re- turns, and adding thereto an Unite, if you left off counting, when the Weight was at the further end of the Arch de- fcrib'd by its motion, you may obtain a more accurate Di- vifion of Time than by any of the formerly known wayes of meafuring it. For i f You make your Pendulum of the length of very little (perhaps a Tenth of an Inch)lefs than ten Inches yB.rhe Author (or twelve parts ofour Engliflj Foot,) accounted from the has eifervhere NailejOt Other thing whencs tis fufpended, to the Center ^'^l^lhvmdtf- «>^the Piftol-Bullet, (or the like fmall round Weighty and, fen vevy little, removing this a pretty way from the Perpendicularltnatu- ifat aii/rom the rally jgfts in, fufJer it to fall gently out of your hand, each of ancient Tfomoit. . ■* r • • • . •' • • • • i r ^ Its two Iwingmg motions (the one whereby lis carried from you,and the other whereby it returns to you) will be (efpe- cially whilft the Arches are of a moderate 1 ength) Phy fically dquitempora/jecus', and thefe motions will verydiftindly enough, to an attentive eye, divide a Minute or fixtieth part ofan hour into an hundred and twenty pans, (called Half- Seconds,) and will confequently divide an Hour into feaven thoufand two hundred parts, if not perfecftly equal, yet lelTe unequal, as to fenfe, than the Divifions of Time made even by good Watches are wont to be. And therefore this way may beofverygreatufein making Aftronomicol and other Obfervations, that laft not long, but require exa, joyn'd to that I lately made of ^Equiveiocity of Sounds, bring into my mind another Inftance pertinent to this part ot our Difcourfe. For tis not impoflible by the knowledg of the Velocity of a Sound's motion in the Air, and the iEquivelocity Cas to fenfe) of great and fmall Sounds, to meafure without Geometrical Inftruments, in fome cafes the Breadth of a River though exceeding wide, or the di- ftance of the place oneftands in, from the top of a high Jow- crorHillontheother fideof aRiver, orfcituated in fome inacceffible place, and this in cafes where the difference of Stations ufual in Geometrical Menfurations is not allowed. The way is evident by what is elfewhere delivered. For it having been found by Merfertms's Tryals that Sounds (as well fmall as great) do move in a Second (as they call the 60^^ part of a Minute) 230 Fathom, or thirteen hundred and eighty foot; if I fee my Correfpondent fire a Gun on the o- the fide of the River, or if I fee Muskets or other Guns ca- fually fired on fome Tower or Baflion, though never fo far diftant, and never fo inaccceflible to me, tis eafie for me by letting fall a (hort Pendulum,as foon as Ifec the flafli of light produc'd by the kindled Powder, and by reckoning the Vi- brations (made by that fhort Pendulum, which diftinguiflies 5?f:Wj into halfes or quarters)thatih3ll happen to be made b'efore the Noife arrive at my Ear, to know how far off the place, where the Gun was dilch:.rg'd, is from that I am in. As if a Correfpondent, flanding over againft me on the other fideof aRiver, or fome Souldiers bemg there exercifing, I fee the flaih or fmoak of a Musket or other Gun two Se- D 2 ^ coods a 6 Of doing Jj ^hjftcal Kjiowledg^ conds fooner than I can hear the Report of it, I may con- clude the River to be 2760 foot broad 5 and if a Peece of Ordnance being fir'd upon the Tower of a befeig'd place, the noife arrive at my Ear in 7 a Second, I may colled 690 foot to be the diftance betwixt that Gun and my Station. And by this means may that Probleme be perforra'd that we elfewhere mention as a thing,which,when nakedly proposed, may Teem impoflTi ble. For if I fee a Ship at Sea be (hooting, whether in earneft, or for Salutation, or for Joy, tis very poflible for me to raeafure, without Geometrical Inftru- ments, how far tis off, though the Ship it felf be under fjyl. For Veflels that fire Guns, ufually firing more than one, whether to offend their Enemies, or to falute their Friends, tis ea^e to take warning, by the firft Gun, to be in readineile with a fliort Pendulum againft another to be fired,and in this way of meafuring (though not in any other yet known; one may takeDiftancesinthedarkefl night. For it matters not whether I fee the Ship or place, whofe remotenefs from me I would know, provided by fome Candle or Taper I fee my Pendulum before the Flafh of the fir'd Gun, which will fuffi- ciently difcover its felf by ics own Light. AndC to add That upon the by) I have had fometimes Thoughts, that if the Velocity of Eccho*5, which are but reflected Sounds, be fo well determin'd as thatofdirediSounds.Navigators might (ometimes make ufeful Eftimates in dark nights, whether they be neer Coafts, or confiderably great Rocks.For though upon difcharging a Gun they cannot conclude how neer the Shore they are,becaufe there may be parts of it leffc remote than thofe that fend the Eccho? yet if they follow very quick upon the difcharge of the Gun, they have reafon to fufpedl that the Shore, whofe approach the Sea-men do io juftly fear in the night , is at leaft as neer as the Vibrations of the Pendulum inform them that the Ecchoiog place is. Up) tyiTTE3^T>ZX. I tJFAving in the foregoing EflTay mention'd a way of ^^ making Spherical, and other hollow looking glalTes, with an intimation , that itfhouldnotbe a fecrettoyou, I (hall no longer delay to acquaint you with it, partly, becaufe > though it may feem but a curioHcy , yet it may not prove ufclefl'e to you in making, very eafily, divers Catopirical Experiments , that are otherwife difficult e- nough 5 and partly , becaufe tryal hath informed me, that fome wayes prefcrib'd, of thus foliating glafles^were much inferior to what was pretended. And even in a recent and famous writer » I lately found a procefs of performing this, which, when I had read over, 1 foretold it would not fuc- ceed , which predi(5lion wasfoon verifyed by experience; and indeed, they that know the way and difficulty of folia- ting much more tradable glafles , than hollow ones, will fcarce wonder that it fliouldnot be found avery eafy mat- ter to foil , efpecially, without heat , fpherical, Cylindri- cal, and other Concave glaflesonthe infide, to which the figure of the glafs prohibits ordinary foils to be faftned: yet a mixture, that by the fuccefs appeard to be fit enough for fuch a purpofe , Ichanc'd tofeeimploy'J by an illite- rate wandering fellow I met with in the Country, the con- Cderation of whofe pradtice did, I confeffejfuggeft to me sn other mixture that lafrerwards feveral times tryed, and found it to foliate not only Spherical glalTes C to which he confin'd himfelf; but other concave glaifes , at leaft as well, as his, if not better, which he held for a great Secret, and which indeed excell'd any I have met with in print.To E cive give you then tlie way I have praaif'd my fclf, Take tin3 and lead, "of each one part ( by weight ) melt them toge- ther,and forthwith add of a good xind-glafsCor Bifmouth) two parts 5 carefully 5kiiiim*off tlie drofs, ^nd afterwards taking the Crucible off the fire, before the mixture grow cold , put to it ten parts of clean Quickfilver , and hav- ing ftir'd all well together 5 keep this foliating liquor in a clean new glafs for ufe. When you would imploy it , ftrain it through alinnencloath, to fever it from drofs,and then by the holeof the Spherical or Cylindrical glafs, put in a long and narrrow funnell of paper , reaching allmoft to the bottom of the glafs, that the falling liquor may not Sputterto the fides: By this funnell you muft bftly pour in fome ounces otthemixture^and then dexcerouHy and leifurely inclining the glafs every way, endeavour to make it faften on all the inward cavity thereof, this being done for the firft time, and the vefl'ell being laid afide for fome hours, that the foil may the better flick to it , *tis befi: to take it in hand again , and after the former manner fre- quently , but flowly pafs the liquor over thofe parts of the glafs , which by holding it againfl the light you fhall difcern not to have bin fufficiently foliated thefirft timej afterwards the glafs being again laid afide for fome hours more , the former operation is to be reiterated once ( or if it be needfuU twice )more5 till you find the glafsequal- ly and fufficiently foild, which when you perceive ic is, you may gently pour out the Superfluous liquor* to bsreferv'dfor the fame ufe in other glafTes. Laftly,with a cloath well fprinckled with puttee or fcrap'd Tripoli, or for need powdet'd chalk, theoutfideof the glafs muft be carefully rub'd , to take off thefoulaefs it may have con- traded by being handled and to make it look clean and po- lifhU This way I have made ufe of in glaffes of fevcral feizes ; and and figures, an J prefer'd before that, which I remember, I once fawtryed, and was afcrib'd to a learned Italian, one CdneparitiSy as beiflg more eafie than it , and more fafe , in regard ours need no Arsneck. I found it alfo much bet. ter than another , which is kept as a Secret and highly efteem'd, becaufe though the ingredients, abating the tinn, be the fame in both, yet in the way allrea Jy delivered, the liquor or Amalgam being uCd cold , there is no dan- ger of breaking th|^glafs to be poleated, or miftakeing the degree of heat to be given to it, to both which incon- veniencies tryall taught me, that the other way is ob- noxious^. .. II. And on this occafion it will not be amifsjto acquaint you , that I made this improvement of our way? that hav- ing made the outfide of glalTes fo foliated very clean , I have C by laying on very thinly fuchakind ofVainiQijas that Yellow one elfwhere defcrib'd , as fit to make gilt- leathern hangings] made them appear richly gilt, and yet fo bright and poUiQit that they would, notwithftanding this gilding, ferve very well for looking glaffes . III. What other improvements I made of this experi- ment, I muft not here infift on, efpecially that I may com* ply with the haft which obliges me to omitt, what I had thoughts ofannexing hereabout varniQies,io that, though I have made many tryalls ( whereof an other time you may command an account) about feveral forts of them, fome that emulate guilding upon metals as wellasIeather,others that imitate and diverfifie (if not alfo cxcell ) the china Varniih , and others defign*d for differing purpofes , yet I can at prefent only tell you in generaUthat they are an ufe- iull , as well as ornamental, fort of produifiions , and capa- ble (if I miftake not^ of much improvementi ///(^ -r— ^ p- ^►*v- >■■'■,»«', » i/] )