The Dibner Library

of the History of Science and Technology

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES

^jSeSw
^^^^^^^»

SCEPTIC AkCHYMlSf:

OR CHYMICO. PHYSICAL

Doubts & Paradoxes,

Touching the SPACYRlST'S PRINCIPLES

Commonly call'd

I hypos tatical;

As they are wont to be Propos'd and

Defended by the Generality of

ALCHYMISTS.

hereunto is premised f>art of another Difcour^ relating to the fame Subject

B Y

The Honourable ROBERT BOTLE, jEfe

L O JV.D O N> printed by J. Cadveil for J. Crooke, and are to %j IV Sold at the Ship in St. Paul's Church-Yard.

M D c L'X /;

;

A PREFACE

INTRODUCTORY

To the fallowing Trcafife*

Ogive the Render an account jvby the fallowing Treatife isfuffer'a to pafs abroad fo maim'd, and im- perfeBjt I mufl inform him that 'tis now long fine ey that to gratify an ingenious Gentleman, I fet down fame of the Pie afons that kept me from fully acquiefcing ei- ther in the Peripatetic al, or in the thymic al 'DoBrine , of the Material Principles of mixt 'bodies. This Difcourfefome years after falling into the hands offome Learned men, had the Ygood luck to be fo favourably received, and ad- vantageouflyfpokencifbythem, that having had more then ordinary Invitations given me to make it publick, I thought fit to review it, that '/might retrench fome things that feemi'd not fa fit to be fhewn to every Reader, And fubfliMe $me of tbofe other things that occurfd to me of <& the

A Preface Introductory. the try ah and observations I had fimt made* what bee ame of my papers , I elf e where mention in a Preface where I complain of it : But fine e £ writ That , I found many fheets that belong d to the fibjeBs I am now about to difcourfe of, H^jeref ore feeing that I had then in my hands as much of the fir ft Dialogue 'as was re qui file to Bate the Cafe, and ferve for an Introduction as well to the conference betwixt Carncade sandE- leu therius,^ to fame other Dialogues, which 'for 'certain re&fons are not now herewith publijh'd,! refolv d to f apply, 0 well as I could, the Contents of a Paper belongingtothefecond of the follow- ing Difcourfes, which I could not pojfibly re- trive, though it were the chief of them all. And having once moretrfd the Opinion of friends, bat not of the fame, about this imperfeB wo,!;, 1 found it fuck , that I was content in conveyance with their De fires, that not only it fhould be pub- ' liflod, but that itjbouldbepublijh'd as foon a- conveniently might be J had indeed all along th t- Dialogues fpoken of "my felf, as of a third Per fon 5 for, they containing Difcourfes which wet • among the fir fi-Treatifes that I ventured long ag ft to write pf matters Philofophical, ihadreafo f to defire,w'tth the Painter, to latere pone tabu h hm,andbear what men would fay ofthem,befor ^ / ownd my felf to be tieir Author . Butbefidt *'> that now I find^tis not unknown to many who it \ \t

A Prseface Introdu&ory. that writ them, I am made to believe that 'tis not inexpedient ^ theyfhouldbe known to come from a Per f on not altogether a granger to ChymicA jiff airs. And I made the lefjefcruple to let them tome abroad uncompleated, partlj^ecaufe my af- fairs and Pr<e~ingagements topublifh divers other Treatifes allow d me fmall hopes of being able in agreat while to comfleat thefe Dialogues. And partly j becaufe I am not unapt to think ^ that they may come abroad feafonably enough^ though not for the Authors reputation, jet for o- ther purpofes. For Iobferve^ that of late Chy- miBry begins ■> as indeed it defervesy to be culti- vated by Learned Men who before de f pis* d it 3 and to be pretended to by many who never cuhi* voted it, that they maybe thought not to ignore jfej : whence it is come to pajje/hat divers Chy- mical Notions about Matters Philofophical are Uken for granted and emplofd, and fo adopted %y very eminent Writers both Naturalifis and fhyfitians. Now this I fear may prove fome- m>hat pre judicial to the Advancement of folid fhibfophy : For though lam a great Lover of thymic al Experiments, and though I have no mean esteem of divers Chemical Remedies , yet diflinguifh thefe from their Notions about the <aufes of things, and their manner of Generation. \pd for ought I can hitherto difcern, there are a thoufand Phenomena in Nature, be fides a A 2 mul"

A Preface Introdu^ory.

Multitude of Accidents relating to the humane\ Body, which willfcarceiybe clearly & fatisfaBo*, rily made out by them that confine themfeljes to deduce things from Salt, Sulphur and Mercury , and the other Notions peculiar to the ChymiftsyL without taking much more Notice than they arc \ wont to do, of the Motions and Figures, oftkm fmall Tarts of Matter $ and the other more Ca- 1» tholick and Fruitful ajfeBions of "Bodies* where- \ fore it will not perhaps be now unfeafonable fejL let our Carneades warm Men, not to fubfcribel^ to the grand DoBrine of the Cbymtfis touching^ their three Bypofiatical Principles, till they l^ have a little examind it, and confiderd, how^ they can clear it from his ObjeBions, divers efy which'tis like they may never have thought on ^ fince a Chymififcarce would^andnom but a Ofy- ^ mifi could propofe them. J hope alfo it will not be , unacceptable to fever al Ingenious Perfons, who I* are unwilling to determine of any important % Controver fie, without a previous confederation of what may be faid on both fides, and yet have greater de fires to underfiandChymical Matters, than Opportunities of learning them, to find here together, be fides f ever al Experiments of my own prpofely made to Ilkfirate the DoBrine of the. Elements , diveri others feme to be met mth, oiherwife then Scattered among many Chy- mkal Msoks9 And to Find thefe Affo-

aated

A Preface Introdu&ory, tided Experiments fo Deliver d as that an Ordinary Reader 3 if he be but Acquainted with the ufuall Chymical Termes, may ea- sily enough Understand Them ; and even a pary One may fafely rely on Them, Thefe Things I add, becaufe a Perfon any Thing vers'd in the Writings of Cbymifts cannot but Difcern by their obfcure, ambiguous, and Ulmoft Enigmatical fray of exprejfmg what

Ifbey pretend to Teach , that they have no Mind to be under flood at all, but by the • I Sons of Arc ( as they call them) mr to be i&nderftood even by thefe without Difficulty

(and Hazardous Tryalls. Infomuch that fame of Them Scarce ever fpeak fo candidly, as when they make ufe of that known Cbymical ^Sentence; Ubi palam Jocuti fumus, ibi nihil 4 cliximus. And as the obfcurity of what fome "'r iters deliver makes it very difficult to be un-? erflood 5 fo the Unfaithfulnefs of too many o~ thers makes it unfit to be relfd on. For though unwillingly, Tet Imu&for the truths fake, 1 and the Readers, warm him not to be forward 1 to believe Chymical Experiments when they are I fet down only by way of Prefcriptions, and not of I Relations ; that is, unlefs he that delivers them

! mentions his doing it upon his own particular knowledge, or upon the Relation of fome credible ferfon^avowing it upon his own experience. ft r I A 3 am

A Preface Introdu&ory. am troubled^ I mufl complain, that even Emi- nent Writers, both Phyfitians and PhilofopherSy whom I can eafily name, if it be requird, have of latefitfferd themfelves to be fo far imposed upon, as to Publico and Build upon Chemical Experiments, which queftionlefsthey never \tryd$ for if they had, they would, as well as I, have found them not to be true. And indeed it were to be wifb'd, that now that thofe begin to quote Chy- mkal Experiments that are not themfelves -de- . quamted with Chymical Operations, men would Leave off that Tndefnite Way of Vouching the Chymi&s fay this, or the Chymifts affirme that, md would rather for each Experiment they alledge name the Author or Authors, upon whofe credit they relate it ; For, by this means I they would fecure themfelves from the fufpi- Hon offalfhood(to which the ether PraUice Ex- pofes them ) and they would Leave the Reader to Judge of what is fit for him to Believe of what is Deliver d, whilfl they employ not their own great names to Countenance doubtfuU Relations 5 and they will alfo do fuflice to the Inventors or Publishers of true Experiments, as well as up- on the Obtmders of falfe ones, whereas by thai: general Way of quoting the Chymifs, the candid Writer is Defrauded of the particular Praife, and the Impoftor efcapes the Perfond Difgrace that is due to him*

The

A Preface Intrpdu&ory.

The remaining Part of this Preface mufl be implofdin faying fomething for Carneades, ar/d fomething for my Self.

And firfti Carneades hopes that he will be thought to have difputed civilly and Modeftly e- noughfor one that was to play the Antagonifl and the Sceptkh. And if he any where feem to fleight his Adverfaries Tenents and Argu- ments3 he is willing to have it look'd upon as what he was indued to, not fo much by his Opinion of them , as the Examples of Tnemi- ftiustfWPhiloponus^ and the cvjtom of fucB - hindof Difputes.

Next j In cafe that fome of his Arguments [ball not be thought of the moft Cogent fort that may be^ he hopes it will be confiderd that it ought not to be ExpeBedjhat they [hould be So. For, his Part being chiefly but to propofe Doubts and Scruples 3 he does enough^ if he fhews that his Adverfaries Arguments are not flrongly Concluding, though his own be not fo neither. And if there (hould appear any dif agreement be- twixt the things he delivers in divers pajfages, he hopes it will be confiderd , that it is not ne- cefjarphat all the things a Sceptick Propofes, fhould be confonant ;fince it being his work to Suggejl doubts againf the Opinion he queftionSy k it is allowable for him topropofe two or morefe- verall Hypothefes about the fame thing: And to A 4 © fay

A Preface Imrodu&ory, fay that it may be accounted for this way, or thai way, or the other fVay, though the fe wayes be per- hays inconfiflent among Thetnf elves, Becaufeit ' is enough for him,if either of the propofed My- potheles be but as probable as that he calls a que- {lion. And if he propofes many that are Each of them probable Joe does the more fatisfie his doubts y by making it appear the more difficult to befurey that that which they alwayes differ from is the true, And our Carneades by holding the Nega- tive^ he has this Advantage, that if among all the InHances he brings to invalidate all the Vulgar j&oBrine ofthofe he Difputes with, any one be Ir- refragable, that ahne isfufficient to overthrow a Doftrine which tlniver fatly ajjerts what he op- pofesjor, it cahnot be true, that all Bodies what- foever that are reckon d among the PerfeBly mixt Ones, are Compounded offuch a Determi- nate Number offuch or fuch Ingredients , in cafe any one fich Body can be produced, that is not fo compounded , and he hopes too, that Ac- tus atenefs will be the lefs expeEted from himy hecaufe his undertaking obliges him to maintain fuch Opinions in Chymifiry, and that chiefly by Chymical Arguments, as are Contrary to the very Principles of the Chymifls; Iromwhofe writings it is not Therefore like he fhould re- ceive any intentiomll A finance t except from fume Faff ages afthe Bold and Ingenious Hel-

monta

A Preface Introductory, tflont 5 with whom he yet dif agrees in man) things (which reduce him to explicate Divert CkymicalPhxnomem, accordingto other ifo- tions 5 ) And ofwhofe Ratiocinations , not only fome feem very Extravagant, but even the Reft are not wont to be as considerable as his Experi- ments, And though it be True indeed , thatfonfa Ariftotelians have occasionally writt en againfi the Chymical DoHrine heOppugnes, yet Jince they have done it according to their Princi- ples, And fwce cur Came&des mufl as well op- pefe their Hyvdthc&s as that oftheSpagyrift,he was fain to fight his Adverfaries with their own Weapons , Tbofe of the Peripatetic k being Im- proper , if not hurtfull for a P erf on of his Te* vents -, be fides that thofe Ariftotelians , ( at Leafi, tkfe he met with, ) that have written again ft the Cbymifts, feem to have had fo little Experimental Knowledge in Chymical Matters, that by their frequent Miftakes and unskilfull Way of Oppugning^ they have too of- ten exposed Themfelves to the Derifion of * their Adverfaries ) for writing fo Confidently again ft what they appear fo little to underfland.

And Laftlyy Carneades hopes, he [hall doe the Ingenious this Piece of fervice, that by ha- ving Thus drawn the Chymifts DoHrine out cf » .their Dark and Smoakie Laboratories, and both brought it into the open light,and fbewn the weak-

tufs

A Preface Introdu&ory. &efs of their Proofs jhat have hitherto keen wont <. to be brought for it, either Judicious Men [hall henceforth be allowed calmly and after due infor- mation to dif believe it, or thofe abler Chymijis, that are zealomfor the reputation of it, will be . cblig'd to [peak plainer then hitherto has been done, and maintain it by better Experiments and Arguments then Thofe Carneades hath examind : fo That he hopes, the Curious will me tray or other Derive either fatisfaBi.on or itftfruBion from his endeavours. And as he is ready to make good the profejfion he makes inthe clofe of his Difcourfe, he being ready to be better inform d, fo he expeBs either to be indeed inform d, or to be let alone. For Though j if any Truly knowing Chymifls foall Think Jit in a civil and rational way to fhew him any truth touching the matter inDifpute That he yet dif- cernes not, Carneades will not refufe either to j admit) or to own a ConviBiomyet if any imper- I tinent Per fan fhall, either to get Himfelfal Name,or for what other end foever, wilfully or I carelefly mrftake the State of the Controverfie,or I Gn4H.F' defence of his Arguments, or (hall rail inflead] and o- of arguing, as hath been done of Late in Print ' thers,in ^ divers Chymijis ; or laftly, fhall wvite a-l\ books z-gainti them in a canting way -, I mean, fhall ex-t gainft prefs himfelfin ambiguous or obfcure termes,- or thek* ' argue from experiments not intelligibly enough

Ve~

A Preface Introdu&ory.

Delivered) Carneades profeffes^That he values his time fa much) as not to think the anfwering fitch Trifles worth the lofs of it.

And now bating faid thus much for Carne- ades,/ hope the Reader will give me leave t& fajfometbing too for ?ny felf.

And fir fc, if fome morofe Readers [hall find fault with my having made the Interlocutors up- on eccafion complement with one another, and that I have almofk all along written thefeDia^ hgues in a ft He more Fashionable then That- of meer fchoUrs is wont to be J hope Ijhall be ex* ctisd by them that [hall confider, that to keep a due decorum in the Difcourfesjt was fit that in a book written by a Gentleman, and wherein only Gentlemen are introducdas fpeakers ythe Lan~ guagefjjould be more f moot h, and the Expref- fions more civil than is ufual in the mere Scho- lajlick way of writing. And indeed, I am not

forty to have this Opportunity of giving an ex- ample how to manage even Difputes with Civi* lity ; whence perhaps fome Readers will be off

. fifled to difcern a Difference betwixt Muntnefi of fpeech and Strength of reafon, and find that a man may be a Champion for Truth ^without be- ing an Enemy to Civility\md may confute an O- pinion without railing at Them that hold it ; To whom he that de fires to convince and not to pro- yoke them, mufi make fome amends by his Ci- vility

A Preface Introductory. frets to evince that Their art is able to make amends even for the deficiencies of their Theory. And thus much I [kail here make bold to addjhat we jhall much undervalue Chymifiry, if roe ima- gine^ that it cannot teach w things fan more ufe- fulynot only to Phyjick but to Philofophyjhan thofe that are hitherto known to vulgar Chymifts. And 'yet as for inferiour Spagyrifis themf elves, they have by their labours defeyvdfo well of the Com- mon-wealth of Learnings thatmethinkshis Pity they fhould ever mifje the Truth which they have foindufirioufly fought. And though J be\m Ad- mirer of the TheoricalPart of their Art, yet my conjectures will much deceive me, if the Practi- cal Part be not much more cultivated than hi- therto it has been, and do not both employ Phi- lofophy and Philofophers, and help to make men fuch. Nor would I that have been diverted by other Studies as we Has affairs fjte thought to pre- tend being a profound SpavyriH,by finding fo many faults in the Dotlrtne wherein the Genera- lity of Chpnifls fcruples pot to Acquiefce : For befidesthat His mofi commonly far eafier toftame Objections againtf any proposed 'Hypothecs, than to propcfean Hypothefis not lyable to Ob- jections ( be fides this I fay ) 'tis no fuch great matter, if whereas Beginners in Chymiftry are commonly at once imbud with the Theory and Operations of their frofejfwn , I [who had the

good

A Preface Xntroclu&oiy.

good Fortune to 'Learn the Operations from il- literate P erf cm) upon whofe credit I was not Itempted ' to' take up any opinion aboutthem$ould confider things with lejje prejudice, and con- fetjuently with other Eyes than the Generality of Learners j And fhould be More difpos'd t& accommodate the Phenomena that occur d to me to other Notions than to thofe efthe Spagi- rip. And having at firH entertained a fa- ffition That the Vulgar Principles were lefje General and comprehenfive, or lejje confider ate- ly Deduced from Chymical Operations 3 than wabelievd ; it was not nne a fie for me both to Take notice of divers Ph3enomcna3 over- looked by prepofjeft Perfons, thatfeemd not to fuite fo well with the Hermetical Do8rine$ and to devife fame Experiments likely t& furnish me with ObjeBions again ft it, not known to many j that having praBis^d Chymifiry longer perchance then I have yet linfd , may havs far more Experience, Than I, of particular pre* ceffes.

To conclude , whether the Notions I have

proposd^ and the Experiments I have commimi-

I cated, be confider able, or not, I willingly leave

' others to Judge ; and This only I foaltfay for

my Self That I have endeavour d to deliver

. matters of FaB, fa faithfully, that I may as well

ajfifthe leffe skilful Readers to examine the

Chy-

A Preface Introdu&ory. Chymical Hypothecs, as provoke the Spagyrical Philofophers to illufirate it : which if they do , Mid that either the Chymical opinion, or the pe- ripatetick, or any other Theory of the Elements differing from that / am mo(t inclined to^jhaU be intelligibly explicated^ and duly proved to me 5 what J have hitherto difcoursd will not hinder it from making a Profelyte of a Perfon that Loves FhBuation of Judgment little enough t$ , he willing to be e&fd of it by any thing but Er«

■ _w_ . 1 — ^— — *

. . .

(O

PHYSIOLOGICAL

CONSIDERATIONS

Touching The experiments wont to be em- ployed to evince either the IV Peripatetic}^ Elements ■> or the III Chymical Principles of Mixt Bodies,

Part of the Firft Dialogue.

Perceive that divers of my Friends have thought it very Grange to hear me fpeak (o lrrefoIve41y3 as I have been wont to do, concerning thofe things which fome take to be the Ele- ments, and others to be the Principles of all mixt Bodies. But 1 blufh not to ac- knowledge that I much leffe fcruple to confefs chat I Doubt, when I do fo3 then B to

to profefs that I Know what I do not : And I fhould have much ftronger Expe- ctations then I dare yet entertain, to fee Philofophy folidly eftablifh't , if men would more carefully diftinguifh thofe things that they know, from thofe that they ignore or do but think, and then explicate clearly the things they conceive they understand , acknowledge ingenu- oufly what it is they ignore, and profefs m (o candidly their Doubts, that the in- " duftry of intelligent perfons might be fet on work to make further enquiries, and the eafinefs of lefs difcerning Men might not be impos'd on. But bccaufe a more particular accompt will probably be expected of my unfatisfyednefs not only with the Peripatetick, but with the ChymicalDo&rineofthe Primitive In- gredients of Bodies : It may poflibly ferve to fatisfy others of the excufablenefs of my difatisfadlion to perufe the enfu- ing Relation of what pafled a while fince at a meeting of perfons offeveral opinions, in a place that need not here be named 5 where the fubjeft whereof we have been fpcaking, was amply and varioufly difcours'd of.

It'

(J)

It was on one of the faireft dayes of this Summer that theinquiiitive Eletitbe- rim came to invite me to make a vifit with him to his friend Caweades. 1 readi- ly contented to this motion, telling him that if he would but permit me to go flrft and make an excufe at a place not far off, where I had at that hour ap- pointed to meet, but not about a bufi- nefs either of moment, or that could not well admit of a delay, I would prefently wait on him, becaufe of my knowing Camcades toi>e fo converfant with nature and with Furnaces, and founconfin'd to vulgar Opinions, that he would proba- bly by fome ingenious Paradox ©r other, give our mindes at leaft a pleafing Exer- cife, and perhaps enrich them with fome folid inftru&ion. Eleutberius then firft go- ing with me to the place where my A- pology was to be made, I accompanied him to the lodging of Carneades> where when we were come,we were told by the Servants, that he was retired with a cou- ple of Friends (whofe names they alfo told us) to one of the Arbours in his Garden, to enjoyunder its coole fhades a delightful protection from the yet troublefome heat of the Sun,

B a Elentbe*

(4)

Eleutherius being perfe&ly acquaintedi with that Garden immediately led me to the Arbour, and relying on the in^-f timate familiarity that had been long cherifh'd betwixt him and Carneades 5 in fpight of my Relu&ancy to what might! look like an intruiion upon his privacy, drawing me by the hand, he abruptly entered the Arbour, where we found j Carneades , PhihponuSy and Tkemiflms, fit- 1 ting clofe about a little round Table, on f which beficfes paper, pen, and inke,; there lay two or three open Books 5 1 Carneades appeared not at all trou-p bled at this furprife, but rifing fromsr the Table j received his Friend withp open looks and armes3 and welcom-: ing me alfo with his wonted freedom f and civility, invited us to reft our lelves % by him, which, as foon as we had ex- 1 changed with his two Friends ( who i were ours alfo ) the civilities accuftom- fi ed on fuch occafions , we did. And I he prefently after we had feated ourB felves, fhutting the Books that lay open. |j and turning to us with a fmiling coume- 1 nance feemed ready to begin fome fuch | Unconcerning difcourfe as is wont ro pafsl or rather wafte the time in promsfcuous J companies. ^UC||

(5)

But Eleutherius guefling at what be meant to do, prevented him by telling him, I perceive Cameades by the books that you have been now (hutting, and much more by the pofture wherein I found Perfons qualifi'd to difcourfe of ferious matters, and fo accuftom'd to do it, that you three were before our coming, engag'din fome Philofophical conference, which I hope you will ei- ther profecute, and allow us to be par- ' takers of, in recompence of the free- dome we have us'd in prefuming to fur- prifeyou, or elfe give us leave to repair the injury wefhould othcrwife do you, by leaving you to the freedom we have interrupted , and punifhing our felves for our boldnefs by depriving our felves of the happinefs of your con*- pany. With thefe laft words he and Irofe up, as if we meant to be gone, But Cameades fuddenly laying hold on his arme, and flopping him by ky fmile- ingly told him, We are not fo forward tolofe good company as you feem to imagine 5 especially fmce you are pleas'd to defire to be prefenc at what we fhall fay, about fuch a Subject as that You found us confidering. For that, being B3 the -

the number of the Elements, Princi- ples, or Materiall Ingredients of Bo- dies, is an enquiry whole truth is of that Importance, and of that Difficulty, thar it may as well deferve as require to befearched into by fuch skilful 1 Lidaga- tors of Nature as your felves. And therefore we Cent to invite the bold and acute Leucippus to lend us fome light by his Atomical Paradox, upon which we expected fuch pregnant hints, that 'twas not without a great deal of trouble that we had lately word brought us that he was not to be foundjand we had likewife begg'd the Affiftance of your prefence and thoughts, had not the meiTenger we employ'd to Leucippus inform'd us, that as he was going , he faw you both pafs by towards another part of the Town , And this fruftrated expectation of Leucippus his company, who told me but laft night that he would be ready to give me a meeting where I pleas'd to day, having very lone fufpended our conference about the frefhly mention'd Subject , it was fo newly begun when you came in, that we (hall fcarce need to repeat any thing to acquaint you with what has pafs'd betwixt us before

your

(7)

your arrival, f© that 1 cannot but look upon it as a fortunate Accident that you mould come To feafonably, to be not hearers alone, but we hope Interlocu- tors at our conference. For we (hall not only allow of your prefence at it, but defire your Afliftancc in it , which I adde both for other reafons , and be- caufe though thefe learned Gentlemen ( fayes he, turning to his two friends ) need not fear to difcourfe before any . Auditory, provided it be intelligent e- nough to underftand them, yet for my part ( continues he with a new fmile, ) I (hall not dare to vent my unpremedita- ted thoughts before two fuch Criticks, unlefs by promifing to take your turnes of 1 peaking, You will allow me mine of quarrelling, with what has been faid. He and his friends added divers things to convince us that they were both de* firous that we ihould hear them , and refolved againft our doing fo, unlefs we allowed them fometimes to hear us. Ehtberws after having a while fruit- lefly endeavoured to obtain leave to be filent promised he would not te foal- Wayes, provided that he were permit* ted according to the freedom of his B 4 Genious

(8)

Genious and Principles to fide with one i of rhem in the managing of one Ar- gument and, if he faw caufe,with his Antagonift, in the Profecution of ano- ther , without being confin'd to (lick i to any one party or Opinion , which i was after fome debate accorded him. But I confeious to my own Difability's i told them refolutely that / was as much I more willing as more fit to be a hear- er then a fpeaker, among fuch knowing ' Perfons , and on (o abftrufe a Subject. ; And that therefore 1 befeeched them j without necessitating me to proclaim i my weakncfTes, to allow me to leffen [ them by being ahlent Auditor of their ] Difcouries : to furfer me to be at which ; I could prefent them no motive, fave that their infractions would make them in me a more intelligent Admirer. I added, that I defir'd not to be idle j whilli they were imploy'd, but would | it they pleas'd, by writing down in lhort | hand what fhould be delivered , pre- ( ferve Difcourfes that I knew would I merit to be lafting. At firft Carne&det \ and his two friends utterly rejected \ this motion 5 and all that my Rcfolute- -I nefs to make ufe of my ears , not I

tongue

(9) tongue, at their debates, could do, was to make them acquiefce in the Pro- portion of EkuiheriuSi who thinking himfelf concern'd , becaufe he brought me thither, to afford me feme faint afMance, was content that 3 fhould regifter their Arguments, that I might be the better able after the conclusion of their conference to give them my fence upon the Sub)c£ of it, (The number of Elements or Principles : ) which he promis'd I fhould do at the end of the prefent Debates, if time would permit^ or elie at our next meeting. And this being by him un- dertaken in my name., though without my confent, the company would by no means receive my Proteftar'on againft it, but calling, all at once, their eyes on Carneades, they did by that and their u- nanimous filence, invite him to begin; which ( after a fhort paufe,during which he turnM himfelf to Eleutherim and me) he did in this manner.

Notwithstanding the fubtile reafo- nings I have met with in the books of the Peripateticks, and the pretty expe- riments that have been ftiew'd me in the Laboratories of Chymiih, 1 am of fo

diffident

Cio) diffident, or dull a Nature, as "to think i that if neither of them can bring more i: cogent arguments to evince the truth of j their ahertion then are wont to be; brought 5 a Man may rationally enough I retain fome doubts concerning the very number of thofe materiall Ingredients of mixt bodies, which fome would have I us call Elements, and others principles. Indeed when I confidered that the Te- nents concerning the Elements are as \ confiderable amongft the Doctrines oil natural Philofophy as the Elements! themfelves are among the bodies of the j UntVerfe, I expected to find thofe O- pinions folidly eftabliiVd , upon which f fo many others are fuperftru&ed. But! when I took the pains impartially to ex- 1 amine the bodies themfelves that are I faid to refult from the blended Ele- R ments, and to torture them into a con-l fefiion of their conftituent Principles, \. I was quickly indued to think that the I number of the Elements has been con-f tended about by Philofophers with; more earneftnefs then fuccefs. This un- : fatisfiednt fs of mine has been much1 wonder'd at, by thefe two Gentlemen j ( at whichjwords he pointed at Themifti- j

us and Phibponus ) who though they differ almoft as much betwixt them- lelves about the queftion we are to con- sider, as I do from either of them, yet they both agree very well in this, that there is a determinate number of fuch ingredients as I was juft now fpeaking of, and that what that number is, I fay not, may be ( for what may not fuch as they pcrfwade ? ) but is wont to be clearly enough demonitrated both by - Reafonand Experience. This has oc- cafion'd our prefent Conference. For our Difcourfe this afternoon, having fallen from one lubjecl: to another, and at length fetl'd on this , they proffer'd to demonftrate to me, each of them the truth of his opinion, out of both the Topicks that 1 have frefhly nam'd. But on the formerf thatof Reafon ftric~tly fo taken ) we decliivd infilling at the prefent, left we (hculd not have time enough before fupper to go thorough the Reafons and Experiments too. The latter of which we unanimously thought the molt requifite to be ferioufly ex- amined. I muft defire you then to take notice Gentlemen ( continued Carne- ades ) that my prefent buftnefs doth not

cb-

(12)

oblige me fo to declare my own opini- on on the Subject in queftion , as to af- fert or deny the truth either of the Pe- ripatetick, or the Chymical Doctrine concerning che number of the Elements, but only to (hew you that neither of thefe Do&rines hath been fatisfa&orily proved by the arguments commonly alledged on its behalfe. So that i^ i really difcern (as perhaps I think I do ) • that there may be a more rational ac- count then ordinary, given of one of thefe opinions , I ' am left free to declare my felf of it, notwithstanding my prefent engagement, it being obvious to all yourobfervation,that alolid truth may be generally maintained by no other, then incompetent Arguments. And to this Declaration I hope it will be need- lefs toadd,that my task obliges me not to anfwer the Arguments that may be drawn either for" Tbemiflius or Philovo- su$*s Opinion from the Topick of reafon, as oppofed to experiments ; fince'tis thefe only that lam to examine and not ail thefe neither, but fuch of them alone as either of them fliall think fit to inftft on, and as have hitherto been wont to be brought either to prove that 'tis

the

(13)

the four Pcripatetick Elements, or that 'tis the three Chymical Principles thac all compounded bodies confift of. Thefe things ( adds Carneades ) I thought my felf obliged to premife, partly left you fhould do thefe Gentlemen ( pointing at ibemiRhs and Pbilopoms ,and fmiling on them ) the injury of meafuring their parts by the arguments they are ready to propofe, the lawes of our Conference confining them to make u(e of thofe that the vulgar of Philofophers ( for even of them there is a vulgar) has drawn up to their hands 5 and partly, that you fhould not condemn me of preemption for dis- puting againft perfons over whom I can hope for no advantage, that / muft not derive from the nature, or rules of our controverfy, wherein I have but a nega- tive to dcfend,and wherein too I am like on feveral occafions to have the Af- fiftance of one of my difagreeing advec- faries againft the other.

Philopomis and Themiftks foon return- ed this complement with civilities of the like nature, in which Eleutherius perceiv- ing them engaged, to prevent the fur- ther lofs of that time of which they were sot like to have very much to fpare, he

minded

(i4)

minded them that their prefent bufineue i was not to exchange complements, but Arguments : and then addrefling his fpeech to Carneades, I efteem it no fmall happinefle ( faies he ) that I am come here fo luckily this Evening. For I have been long disquieted with Doubts con- cerning this very fubjecT: which you are now ready to debate. And fince a Qieftion of this importance is to be now diicuffed by perfons that maintain fuch variety of opinions concerning it, and are both fo able to enquire after truth, and fo ready to embrace it by whomfoever and on what occafion foever it is prefent- ed them ; I cannot but promife my felf that I fhall before we part either lofe my Doubts or the hopes of ever finding them refolvcd ; Eleutberius paufed not here; but to prevent their anfwer, added almoft in the fame breath 5 and I am not a little pleafed to find that you are refolved on this occafion to infift rather on Experiments then Syllogifmes. For I, and no doubt You, have long obfer- ved3 that thofe Dialectical fubtleties, that the Schoolmen too often employ a- boutPhyfiological Myfteries, are wont much more to declare the wit of him

that

(15)

that ufes them, then increafe the know* ledge or remove the doubts of fober lo- vers of truth. And fuch captious fub- tleties do indeed often puzzle and fome- times fiience men,but rarely fatisfy them. Being like the tricks of Jugglers, where- by men doubt not but they are cheated, Jthough oftentimes they cannot declare jby what flights they are impofed on. And therefore I think you have done very wifely to make it your bufinelTe to confider the Phenomena relating to the prefent Qieftion, which have been af- forded by experiments, efpecially fmce it might feem injurious to our fenfes, by whofe mediation we acquire fo much of the knowledge we have of things corpo- Jral, to have recourfe to far-fetched and jabftra&ed Ratiocination, to know what J are the fenfible ingredients of thofe fen- jfible things that we daily fee and han-

Idle, and are fuppofed to have the liberty tountwift ( if I may fo fpeak ) into the f primitive bodies they confift of. He an- nexed that he wifhed therefore they would no longer delay his expeded fa- tisfa&ion,if they had not, as he feared they had, forgotten fomething prepara- tory to their debate 5 and that was to

lay

lay down what fhould be ail along un- derftood by che word Principle or Ele- ment. C&rneades thank'd him for his ad- monition, but told him that they had not been unmindful of fo requifite a thing. But that being Gentlemen and very far from the litigious humour of loving to wrangle - bout words or terms or notions as empty ; they had before his coming in, readily agreed promifcuoufly to ufc when they pieafed,Elements and Princi- ples as terms equivalent : and to under- hand both by the one and the other, thofe primitive and fimple Bodies of which the mixt ones are faid to be com-. pofed,and into which they are ultimate- ly refolved. And upon the fame ac- count (he added) we agreed to difcourfe of the opinions to be debated, as we have found them maintained by the Ge- nerality of theaflertorsofthe four Ele- ments of the one party, and of thofe that receive the three Principles on the other, without tying our felves to enquire fcru- puloufly what notion either Ariffothot Paraceifiitjyt this or that Interpreter, or follower of either of thofe great perfons.; framed of Elements or Principles ; ou defign being to examine, not what thefc I

o;

(>7)

or thofe writers thought or taught, but what we find to be the obvious and moil general opinion of thofe, who arc willing to be accounted Favourers of the PeripatetickorChymical Doctrine, con- cerning this fubjeft.

I fee not ( faies Eleutherius ) why you might not immediately begin to argue, if you were but agreed which of your two friendly Adverfaries (hall be firft heard. And it being quickly refolv'd on that ThemiFi'm thou Id firft propofe the Proofs for his Opinion ? becaufe it was the antienter, and the more ge- neral , he made not the company ex- pect long before he thus addrefled him- (df to Bleutheriw , as to the Perfon leaft interelTed in the difpute.

If you have taken fumcient notice of the late Confeffion which was made by Carneades^ and which ( though his Civi- lity dreffed it up in complementall Ex- preffions ) was exacted of him by his Juftice, I fuppofe You will be eafily made fenfible, that I engage in this Con- troverfie with great and peculiar Dif- advantages, beudes thofe which his Parts and my Perfonal Difabilities would bring to any other caufe to be C main-

OS) maintained by me againft him. For he juftly apprehending the force of truth, though fpcaking by no better a tongue then' mine, has made it the chief con- dition of our Duell, that Iftiould lay a- fide the heft "Weapons I have , and thofe I can beft handle ; Whereas if I were allowed the freedom, in pleading for the four Elements, to employ the Arguments fuggefted to me by Reafon to demonftrate them, I fhculd almoft as little doubt of making You a Pro- fel yte to thofe unfever'd Teachers, Truth and Ariflotk, as I do of your 'Candour and your Judgment. And 1 hope you will ho we ver confider,that that great Favorite and Interpreter of Nature 3 Aristotle^ who was ( as his Qrg&mm witneifes ) the greateft Matter of Lo- gick that ever liv'd , difclaim'd the courfe taken by other petty Philofo- phers ( Antientand Modern) who not attending the Coherence and Confe- quences of their Opinions, are more follicitous to make each particular O- pinion plaufible independently upon the the reif, then to frame them allfo, as not only to be confident together, but to fupport each other. For that grea t

Man

(19)

Man in his vaftand comprchcnfive In* tclle^, fo fram'd each of lis Notions* that being curioufly adapted into one Syfteme, they need not each of them any other defence then that which their mutuall Coherence gives them : As 'tis in an Arch, where each finglc ftone, which if fever'd from the reit would be perhaps defencelefs, is fumciently fecur'd by the folidity and entirenefs of the whole Fabrick of which it is a part. How juftly this may beapply'd to the prefent cafe, I could eafily iliew You, if I were permitted to declare to You, how harmonious Ariftotles Do- ftrine of the Elements is with his o- thcr Principles of Philofophy jandhoW rationally he has dedue'd their number from that of the combinations of the four firft Qualities from the kinds of fenple Motion belonging to fimple bo- dies, and from I know not how many other Principles and Phenomena of Hature, which fo confpire with his Doftrine of the Elements, that they mutually ftrengthen and fupport each other. But fince 'tis forbidden me to infift on Refle&ions of this kind, I rauft proceed to tell You, that though the Ci Af-

(20)

Affcrtors of the four Elements value Rcafon fo highly, and are furnilh'd with Arguments enough drawn from thence, to be fatisfi'd that there mult be four Elements, though no Man had ever yet made any fcniible tryal to difcover their Number , yet they are not desti- tute of Experience to fatisfie others that are wont to be more fway'd by their fenfes then their Reafon. And I fhall proceed to conlider the tefti- mony of Experience , when I fhall have firft advertis'd You, that 'd Men were as perfectly rational as 'tis to be wifh'd they were, this ienfible way of Probation would be as necdlcfs as 'tis wont to be imperfect. For it is much more high and Philosophical to difco* ver things a priore^ then a pfiericre. And therefore the Peripatcticks have not been very follicitous to gather Ex- periments to prove their Doctrines, contenting themfelves with a few only, to fatisfie thofe that are not capable of a Nobler Conviction. And indeed they employ Experiments rather to il- luftrate then to demonftrate their Do* clrines, as Aftronomers ufe Spheres of paftboard, to defcend to the capaci- ties

.(»0

ties of fucb as muft be taught by their fenfes, for want of being arriv'd to a clear apprehenfion of purely Mathe- matical Notions and Truths. Ifpeak thus Eleutherius ( adds TbemLffius ) on- ly to do right to Reafon, and not out of Diffidence of the Experimental proof 1 am to alledge. For though I {hall name but one, yet it is fuch a one as will make all other appear as need- lefs as it felf will be found Satisfa&ory. For if You but confider a piece of green - Wood burning m a Chimney, You will readily difcern in the disbanded parts of it the four Elements, of which we teach It and other mixt bodies to be compos'd. The fire difcovers it felf in the flame by its own light $ the fmoke by afcending to the top of the chimney, and there readily vanifhing into air, like- aRiverlofmg it felf in the Sea, fuffici- ently manifelts to what Element it belongs and gladly renames. The \va- ter in its own form boyling and biffing at the ends or the burning Wood bc- . trayes it felf to more then one oi our fenfes; and the afhes by their weight, their firinefs,and their drynefs,put itpaft doubt that thev belong to the Element C3 of

(22)

of Earth. If I {poke (continues The- miflius ) to lefs knowing Perfons, I would perhaps make fome Excufe for building upon fuchan obvious and eafie Maiyfis ? but 'twould be,I fear, injurious, not to think fuchan Apology needlcfs to You, who are too judicious' either to think it neceffary that Experiments to prove obvious truths fhould be farr fetch'd,or to wonder that amoag i'o ma- ny mixt Bodies that are compounded of the four Elements, fome of them fhould upon a flight Malyjis manifest- ly exhibite the Ingredients they confift of, Efpecially fince it is very agreeable to the Goodnefs of Nature, to diklok , even in fome of the moft obvious Expe- riments that Men make , a Truth i'o important, and fo recp.ifite to be taken notice of by them. Befides that our A- mlyfis by how much the more obvious we make it, by fo much the more fuit- tableit will be to the Nature of that Doctrine which 'tis alledged to prove , which being as clear and intelligible to the Understanding as obvious to the fenfe, tis no marvail the learned part of Mankind fhould {o long and fo ge- nerally imbrace ir, For this Do&nne

(*3)

; is very different from the whimfeys of Cbjmijts and other Modern Innovators., of whofe Hjpotbefes we may obferve, as Naturalifts do of lefs perfect Ani- mals, that as they are haftily form'd, fo they are commonly fhort liv'd. For fo thefe, as they are often fram'd in one week, are perhaps thought fit to be laughed at the next 5 and being bulk .perchance but upon two cr three Expe- riments are deilroyed by a third or fourth , whereas the doctrine of the four Elements was, fram'd by ArjFtotle after he had leafurely considered thofe Theories of former Philofophers, which are now with great applaufe revived, as difcovered by thefe latter ages 5 And had fojudicioufly detected and fuppjyed rthe Errors and defecls of former ' Hyfo- thefis concerning the Elements, that his .Dodrine of them has been ever fince defervediy embraced by the letter'd part of Mankind; All the Philofophers rthat . preceded him having in their feve- ral ages contributed to the compleatncfs , of this DocVme, as thofe of fucceed- ing times have acquiefe'd in ir. Nor has an Hypothecs fo deliberately and ma- . turely eftablifhed been called in Quefti- C4 ' on

04) On till in the M CcntmyParaeelfaand fame, few other footy Ernpiricks, rather' then ( as they are fain to call them- felves ) Philofophers, having their eyes darken'd , and their Brains troubl'd with the fmoke of their own Furnaces, began to rail at the Peripatetick Do- drine, which they were too illiterate to underitand, and to tell the credulous World, that they could fee but three In- . gredicnts in mixt Bodies 5 which to gain themfelves the repute of Inventors, they endeavoured to difguife by calling them', mftead of Earth, and Fire, and Vapour, Salt,Sulphur,and Mercury; to which they gave the canting title of Hypoftatical Principles : but when they came to de{- cribe them, they ihewed how little they underftood what they meant by them, bydifagreeing as much from one ano- ther's from the truth they agreed in op- poflng .- For they deliver their Hypotbe- fes as darkly as their Precedes ; and 'tis almoft as impofiible for any fober Man to find their meaning, as 'tis for them to find their Elixir. And indeed no* thing has fpread their Philofopby, but their great Brags and undertakings 5 not- withstanding all which3(fayes Tfamip-

us milling) I fcarce know any thing they have performed worth wondering at, lave that they have been able to draw Pbihpontts to their Party, and to engage him to the Defence ot an unin- telligible Hypotkefis, who knowes fo well as he does , that Principles ought to be like Diamonds,as well very clear, as per- fectly folid.

Themiftms having after thefe laft words declared by his {ilence,that he had finifhed bis Difcourfe, Carneades addref- fing himfelf, as his Advcrfary had done, to E leather ius , returned this Anfwer to ir. Ihop'd for Demonftration , but I perceive TbemiHius hopes to put mc oft with a Harangue,wherein he cannot have given mc a greater Opinion of his Parts, then he has given me Diftruft for his Hy- potkejiS) lince for it even a Man of fuch Learning can bring no better Argu- ments. The Rhetorical part of his Dif- courfe, though it make not the leaft part of ir, I {hall fay nothing to, defin- ing to examine only the Argumentative part, and leaving it to Philopotms to an- fwer thofe paffages wherein either Pa- racelfis or Ckymiffs a.rc concenfd : I fhall obfetvc to You, that in what he has faid

befidcs

(26)

be (ides, he makes it his Bufinefs to do thefe two things. The one to propofe and make out an Experiment to de- monftrate the common Opinion about the four Elements -y And the other, to iniinuate divers things which he thinks may repair the weaknefs of his Argu- ment, from Experience, and upon other Accounts bring fome credit to the o- therwife defencelefs Doclrine he main- tains.

To begin then with his Experiment of the burning Wood , it 1 eems to me to be obnoxious to not a few conftderabie Exceptions.

And firft, t£ I would now deal rigidly with my Adverfary, I might here make a great Qjeftion of the' very way' of Probation which he and others employ, -without the leaft fcruple, to evince, that the Bodies commonly cali'd mixt, are made up of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire, which they are pleas'd alfo to call Elements $ namely that upon the fup- pos'd Andy fit made by the fire, of the former fort of Concretes, there are wont ■to emerge Bodies refembling thofe which they take for the Elements. For not to Anticipate here what I forefee I

(hall

0~7)

fhallhave occafionto infift on, when I come to difcourfe with Pbiloponus con- cerning the right that fire has to pals for the proper and Univerfal Instru- ment of Analyfing mixt Bodies, not to Anticipate that, I fay, if I were dif- pos'd to wrangle, I might alledge, that by Tbemiflim his Experiment it would appear rather that thofc he callsEIe- ments,are made of thofe he calls mixt Bodies, then mix'd Bodies of the Ele- ments. For in TbemiBiuss Analyz'd Wood, and in other Bodies difTipated and alter'd by the fire, it appears, and he confeifes, that which he takes for E- lementary Fire and Water, are made out of the Concrete ;but it appears not that the Concrete was made up of Fire and Water. Nor has either He, or any Man, for ought I know, of his perfwafi- on, -yet prov'd that nothing can be ob- tained1 from a Body by the fire that was not Pre-exifient in it.

At this unexpected objection, not only Tbemiflitit, but the reft of the company appear 'd not a little furpriz'd ; but after a while Pbiloponm conceiving his opini- on, as well as that of Arijlotle, concern'd in that Objection , You cannot fure

(fayes

(28)

( fayes he to Carneades ) propofe this Difficulty, not to call it Cavill, other- wife then as an Exercife of wit, and not as laying any weight upon k. For bow can that be feparated from a thing that was not exiftent in it. When, for in- stance, a Refiner mingles Gold and Lead, and expofing this Mixture upon a Cuppell to the violence of the fire, there- by fcparates it into pure and refulgent Gold and Lead ( which driven off toge- ther with the Drofs of the Gold is thence call'd Litktrgyrium Ami ) can any man doubt that fees thefe two fo differing fub- ftances feparated from the Mafs, that they were exiftent in k before it was committed to the fire. .

Ifhould (replies Came a fallow your Argument to prove fomethmg,if,as Men fee the Refiners commonly take before hand both Lead and Gold to make the Mafs vou fpeak of, fo. we did fee Nature pull down a parcel! of the Element of Fire, that is fancy 'd to be plac'dlknow Hot how many rhoufand Leagues ofi^con* siguous to the Orb of the Moon, and to blend ft with a quantity of each of the three other Elements, to compofe every mkt Body, upon whofe Reioktion the.

Fire

(29)

Fire prefents us with Fire, and Earthy and the reft. And let me add, philopo* nw^ that to make ycur Reafoning co- gent,*it muft be firft prov'd, that the fire do's only take the Elementary Ingredi- ents afunder, without otherwife altera ingthem. For elfe 'tis obvious, that Bo- dies may afford fubftances which were not pre-exiftent in them ; as Flefh tod Jong kept produces Magots, and old Cheefe Mites, which 1 fuppofe you will not affirm to be Ingredients of thofe Bo- dies. Now that fire do s not alwayes barely fcparate the Elementary parts, but fome times at lcaft alter alfo the In- gredients of Bodies, if I did not expecT: ere long a better occafion to prove it, I might make probable out of your very Inftance, wherein there is nothing Ele- mentary feparated by the great violence of the Refiners fire : the Gold and Lead which are the two Ingredients fepara- ted upon the Jjtalyfis being confeffedly yet perfectly mfxt'Bodies, and the Li- tharge being Lead indeed 5 but fuch Lead as is differing in confidence and other Qualities from what h was before. To which I muft add that I have fome- times feen, and fo qucftionleffc h*v££*

muchoftcner, feme parcclls of Glaffe, adhering to the Teft or Cuppel, and this GJafs though Emergent as well as the Gold or Litharge upon your Analyfis, you will not I hope allow to have been a third Ingredient of the Mafs out of which the fire produe'd ir.

Both Philopowttnd Tbemiftius were a- bout to reply 3 when Eleutherius appre- ' bending that the Profecution of this Difpute would take up time, which might be better employ d 3 thought fit to prevent them by faying to Cameades \ You made at leaft half a Promife, when you firft propos'd this Objection, that you would not ( now at leaft ) infift on it, nor indeed does k fcem to be of ab folute necefficy to your caufc , that you fhould. For though you fhould grant that there are Elements, it would not follow that there mult be precifely four. And therefore I hope you will proceed to acquaint us with your other and more confiderable Objections againft The- miftiuss Opinion, efpccially "fince there is fo great a Difproportion in Bulke be- twixt the Earth, Water and Air, on the one part, and thofe little parcells of re- fembling fubftances, that the fire fepa-

rates

(30

rates from Cexcyetes on the other part, that 1 can fcarce think that you are feri- i Otis, when to lofe no advantage againft your Adverfary, youfcem to deny it to be rational, to conclude thefe great Am- ple Bodies to be the Elements, and not the Products of compounded ones.

What you alledge ( replies Carne- , odes ) of the Vaftnefs of the Earth and [ Water, has long fince made me will- j ing to allow them to be the greateft and j chief Maffes of Matter to be met with ■ here below : But I think I could {hew 5 You, if You would give me leave , that l this will prove only that the Elements,as , You call them,are the chief Bodies that , make up the neighbouring part of the ;1 World, but not that they are fuch In- , gredientsas every mixtBodymuftcon- 5 lift of. ^ Bur fince You challenge me of i fomething of a Promife, though it be ;J not an entire one, Yet 1 fball willingly K perform it. And indeed I intended (, not when I firft mention d this Objc&i- K on, to infift on it at prefem againft fhemiftius i ( as I plainly intimated my way of propofing it ; ) bc-

m

e, ing only dc flrous to let you fee , that j, though I difcern'dmy Advantages, yet it *

I was willing to forego fome of them, rather then appear a rigid Adverfary of a Caufe fo weak, that it may with fafe- ty be favourably dealt with. But I muft here profefs3 and defire You to take Notice of it., that though 1 pafs on to another Argument, it is not be- caufe I think this firft invalid. For You will find in the Progrefs of our Dis- pute, that I had fome reafonto quefti- on the very way of Probation imploy'd both by Peripateticks and Chymifts, to evince the being and number of the Elements. For that there are fuch, and that they are wont to be fcparated by the Analyfis made by Fire, is indeed ta- ken for granted by both Parties , but has not ( for ought I know ) been fo much as plaufibly attempted to be proved by cither. Moping then that when wecome to that part of our De- bate, wherein Coiifiderations relating to this Matter are to be treated of* you will remember what I have now faid, and that I do rather for a while fuppofe, then abfolutcly grant the truth of what I have queftion'd, 1 will proceed toa- nother Objection.

And hereupon Elmtberm having

pro-

(33)

rnis'd him not to be unmindful!, when time fhould ferve, of what he had de- elar'd.

I confider then (fayes C 'ay neades) in the next place, that there are divers Bodies out of which ihemiflius will not , prove in hafte, that there can be fa ma- ny Elements as four extracted by the i; Hre. And I fhould perchance trouble j him if I fhould ask him what Peripate- ■ tick can (hew us, ( I fay not, all the four | Elements, for that would be too rigid ( a Qjeftion, but ) any one of them ex- j tracted out of Gold by any degree of Fire whatfoevet. Nor is Gold the on- , ly Bodie in Nature that would puzzle I an Ariftotelian^ that is no more to ana- lyze by the Fire into Elementary Bodies, face, for ought I have yet obferv'd, 1 both Silver and calcin'd Venetian Talck, j and fome other Concretes, not neceflary i here to be nam'd, are fo fixt, that to , reduce any of them into four Heteroge- f neous Subftanccs has hitherto prov'd a | "Task much too hard, not only for che d Maples of Ariflotle, butthofe of/^Z- ,i flw3 at leaft, whilft the latter have em- ploy d only Fire to make the jinaljfis. I The next Argument ( continues Car* l(1 D neades )

(34) tteades ) that .1 dial! urge againft Tb& mifiitti-'s Opinion (hall be ifbis, That as there are divers Bodies whofe Analyfis by Fire cannot reduce them into fo ma- ny Heterogeneous Subftances or Ingre- gredients as four , fo there are others which may be reduc'd into more, as the Blood (and divers other parts) of Men and other Animals , which yield when anafyz'd five diftin& Subftances, Phlegme, Spirit, Oyle, Salt and Earth, as Experience has (hewn us in diftilling Mans Blood, Harts-Horns, and divers other Bodies that belonging to the Ani- mal-Kingdom abound with not uneafily fecjueftrable Salr.

The

THE

SCEPTICAL CHYMIST:

OR CHYMICO-PHYSICAL

Doubts & Paradoxes,1

Touching the

EXPERIMENTS

WHEREBY

VULGAR SPAGYRISTS

Arc wont to Endeavour to Evince their "

lAiT, SULPHUR

AND

T O B E

The True Principles of Things,

Utimm jm tenerentur omnia, & inoferU ac confejfa ' Veritas e$et\ Nihil ex Decreth mutaremm. Nunc VenUUm cum eis pi decent, qutrimw. Sen.

L O N D O M9

Printed for J.Cmhe, and are to be fold at the

Ship m St.fauls Church- Yard. i66u

<3$)

THE SCEPTICAL CHYMIST.

the FirB Part.

I Am ( fayes Carnesdes ) fa unwilling to deny Eletttherm any thing, that though, before the reft of the Company I am refolv'd to make good the part I have undertaken of a Sceptick 5 yet I fhall readily, fince you will have it fy lay afide for a while the Perfon of an Adverfary to thePeripatetieks and Chy- miftsj and before I acquaint you with my Obje&ibns againft their Opinions* acknowledge to you what may be (whe- ther truly or not > tollerably enough added, in favour of a certain number ot Principles of mixt Bodies, to that grand and known Argument from the A»*m

of

of compound Bodies, which I may pof- fibly hereafter be able to confute.

And that you may the more eafily Examine, and the better Judge of what 1 have to fay, I fhall caft it into a pret- ty number of diftincl Proportions, to which I fhall not premife any thing ; becaufe I take it for granted, that you need not be advertis'd , thar much of what I am to deliver, whether for or againft a determinate number 'of Ingre- dients of mix'd Bodies, may be indif- ferently apply'd to the four Peripatctick Elements, and the three Chymical Prin- ciples, though divers of my Objections I will more peculiarlfbelong gbthefe laft I nam'd, becaufe the Chemical Hypothecs \ feeming to be much more countenanced by Experience then the other, it will, be expedient to infift chiefly upon the disproving of that 5 efpecially fmce moft of the Arguments that are im- ploy'd againft it, may, by a little varia- tion, be made to conclude, at leaft as ftf ongly againft the lefs plaufvble, Ari- flotetian Doctrine.

To proceed thentomyPrppoiuions, I fhall begin with this. That

It

(37)

It feemS not abfurd to conceive that at the propof, jirff ProduBion of mixt Bodies, the *• Universal Matter whereof they among other Parts of the Umverfe confifled, was aftn ally divided into little Particles of feveral fiz.es and fhapes varioufly mov'd.

This ( fayes Carneades ) I fuppofe you will eafily enough allow. For be- sides that which happens in the Gene- ration, ■ Corruption Nutrition, and wafting of Bodies, that which we difco- ver partly by our Microfcopes of the cx- tream littlenelfe of even the fcarce fen- fible parts of Concretes ; and partly by the Chymical Refolutions o£ mixt Bodies, anci by divers other Operations of Spagyrical Fires upon them, feems fufficiently to manifeit their confifting ! of parts very minute and of differing Pigures. And that there does alfo inter- vene a various local Motion of (uch fmall Bodies , will fcarce be denied ; whether we chufe to grant the Ongme ,of Concretions affigrTd by 2pfag% or 'that related by Mofes. For the farit, as you well know, fuopofes not only an 1* jp 5 mixt

(3S) mixt Bodies, but all others to be pro- duct by the various and cafual occurffe ons of Atomes, moving themfelves to and fro by an internal Principle in the Imgienfe or rather Infinite Vacuum. And as for the infpird Hiftorian, He, informing us that the great and Wile Author of Things did not immediately create Plants, Beafts,Birds,&c. but pro? duc'd them out of thofe portions of the J pre-exiftent, though created. Matter, that he calls Water and Earth, allows us to conceive, that the conftituent Par- ticles whereof thefe new Concretes were to confiit, were varioufly moved in order to their being connected into the Bodies they were, by their various Coalitions and Textures, to compofe. ^ But (continues Cameades) prefuming that the firft Proportion needs not be longer infiftedon, I will pafs on to the lecond, and tell you that

^f Neither is & Willie that of tbefi mi- mte Particles divers of the fmatteft and neighbouring ones were here and then ajjociated into minute MaJJes or ChflerU. and did by their Coalitions conjlitute peat If ore of fuch little primary Concre- tion

(19)

tions or Majfes as were not eafily difii- l>dle into fuch Particles as- compos'd

them.

To what maybe deduc'd, in favour of this After tion, from the Nature of the Thing it felf, Twill add fomething out of Experience , which though I have not known it ufed to fuch a purpofc, feems to me more fairly to make out that there May be Elementary Bodies, then the more queitionable Experiments of Peripate ticks and Chymifts prove that there Are fuch. I confidcr then that Gold will mix and be colliquated not only with Silver, Copper, Tin and Lead, but with Antimony, Reg'tlm Martis and many other Minerals, with which it will compofe Bodies very differing both from Gold, and the other Ingredients of the refulting Concretes. And the fame Gold will alfo by common AfoA Regis, and ( I fpeak it knowinglv ) by divers other Menftrmms be re -ucd into a leeming Liquor, in fo much that the Corpufcles of Gold will, with thofeof the Mm$n» umy pafs through Cap-Paper and with

them alfo coagulate into a (M^ Salt. And. I have further try d, that V 4

(4°) with a fraall quantity of a certain Saline Subftance I prepar'd, I can eafily enough fublime Gold into the form of reel Cry- ftalls of a confiderable length; and many other waves may Gold be difguis'd, and help to constitute Bodies of very differ- ing Natures both from It and from one another, and nevertheleffe be afterward redue'd to the felf-fame Numerical, Yellow, Fixt, Ponderous and Malleable Gold it was before its commixture. Nor is it only the fixedft of Metals, but the moft fugitive, that I may employ in fa- vour of our Propofition :'for QTfekrilver will with divers Metals compofe an A- mafcam, with divers Menftruums it feems to be turn d into a Liquor, with <4p* fonts it will be brought into either a red or white Powder or precipitate, with Oyl of Vitriol into a pale Yellow one, with Sulphur it will compofe a blood- red and volatile Cinaber, with f ome Sa- line Bodies it will afcend in form of a Salt which will be diiToluble in water s with Reguhs. of Antimony and Silver I have feen it fublim'd into a kinde of Cryftals, with another Mixture I redue'd it into a malleable Body, into a hard and brittle Subftance by another : And

fome

fome there are who affirm, that by pro- per Additaments they can reduce Quick- fllver into Oyl, nay into Glafs, to men- tion no more. And yet out of all thefe exotick Compounds, we may recover the very fame running Mercury that was the main Ingredient of them, and was fo difguis'd in them. NowtheRea- fon ( proceeds Cameades ) that I have reprefented thefe things concerning Gold and Quickfilver, is. That it may not ap- pear abfurd to conceive, that fuch little primary MafTes or Clutters, as our Pro- portion mentions, may remain undifli- pated, notwithstanding their entring in- to the compofition of various Concreti- ons, fince the Corpufcle of Gold and Mercury, though they be not primary Concretions of the moft minute Parti- cles of matter , but confeiTedly mixt Bodies, are able to concurre plentifully to the compoiltion of feveral very dif- fering Bodies, without lofing their own Nature or Texture, or having their coh#- ilon violated by the divorce of their af- fociated parts or Ingredients.

Give me leave to add ( byes Elertfe- rm) on this occafion, to what you now obferv'd, that as confidently ^ ^

(40 Chymifts, and other modern Innovators ib Philofophy are wont to object againft the Peripateticks3That from the mixture of their four Elements there could arife but an inconfiderable variety of com- pound Bodies '> yet if the Aristotelians were but half as well yers'd in the works of Nature as they are in the Writings of their Mafter, the propos'd Objection would not fo calmly triumph, as for want of Experiments they are fain to differ it to do. For if we afligne to the Corpufcles, whereof each Element con- fifts, a peculiar flze and fhape, it may eaiily enough be manifefted, That fuch diffcringly figur'd Corpufcles may be mingled in fuch various Proportions, and may be connected fo many feveral wayes, that, an almoft incredible number of va- rioufly qualified Concretes may be com* pos'd of them. Efpedally iince the Cor- pufcles of one Element may barely, by being affociated among themfelvcs, make up little Mattes of differing fize and figure from their conftituent parts : and fince alfo to the ftridt union of fuch minute Bodies there feems oftentimes nothing requifitc, befides the bare Con^ tad of a great part cf their Surfaces.

And

(43)

And how great a variety of ¥h<tnomen& the fame matter, without the addition of any other ,and only feveral ways difpos^d or contexed,is able to exhibit,may partly appear by the multitude of differing En- gins which by the contrivances of skilful Mechanilians, and the dexterity of ex- pert Workmen, may be made of Iron alone. But in our prefent cafe being al- io w'd to deduce compound Bodies from four very differently qualified forts of matter, he who (hall but confider whac you frefhly took notice of concerning the new Concretes refulting from the mixture of incorporated Minerals, will fearce doubt but that the four Elements mannag'd by Natures Skill may afford a multitude of differing Compounds.

I am thus far of your minde ( fayes Carneades ) that the AriHotelUns might with probability deduce a much greater number of compound Bodies from the mixture of their four Elements , than according to their prefent Hypotbefis they can, if inftead of vainly attempting to deduce the variety and properties of all mixt Bodies from the Combinations and Temperaments of the four Element* as, hey are ( among them ) endowd

(44)

with the four firft Qualities, they had endeavoured to do it by the Bulk and Figure of the fmalleit parts of thofe fqppofed Elements. For from thefe more Catholick and Fruitfull Accidents of the Elementary matter may fpring a great variety of Textures, upon whole Account a multitude of compound Bo- dies may very much differ from one an-, other. And what I now obferve touch- ing the four Per ipate tick Elements, may be alfo applyed, mrtatis mutandis ^ ( as they fpeak ) to the Chymical Princi- ples. But ( to take notice of that by the by ) both the one and the other, muft, I fear, call in to their affiftance fomt> thing that is not Elementary, to excite or regulate the motion of the parts of the matter, and difpofe them after the manner requifite to the Conftitution of particular Concretes. For thai other- wife they are like to give us but a very imperfect account of the Origine of very many mtxt Bodies, It would, I think, be no hard matter to perfwade you, if k would not fpend time, and were no Digreflion, to examine, what they are wont to alledge of the Origine of the textures and Qualities of mixt Bodies,

from

(45) from a certain fubftantia) Form., whofe Origination they leave more obfcure than what it is ailum'd to explicate.

But to proceed to a new Propofuion.

/ (ball vot peremptorily deny, that from mofi rropot of fucb mixt Bodies as partake either of 1 l '• Animal or Vegetable Nature r there may by the Help of the Fire, be aBu&Uy ob- tained a determinate number ( whether . Three y Four or Five3 or fewer or more ) of Subftances, worthy of differing De* nominations.

Of the Experiments that induce me to make this Concefiion, I am like to haveoccafion enough to mention feveral in the profecution of my Difcourfe. And therefore, that I may not hereafter be oblig'd to trouble You and my felf with needlefs Repetitions, I fhall now only defire you to take notice of fuch Ex- periments, when they fhall be menti- on d, and in your thoughts referre them

To thefe three ConcefTions I have but this Fourth to add, That

IV.

<4<0

propof. It may likewise be granted, that thofe di~ ftinft Subftances, which Concretes gene- rally either afford or are made up of, may without very much Inconvenience be calTdthe Elements or Principles oft hem,

When I faid, without very much Incon- venience^ I had in my Thoughts that fo- ber Admonition of Galen, Cum dere con- fiat, de verbis non efl Litigandum* And therefore alfo I fcruple not to fay Ele- ments or Principles , partly becaufe the Chymifts are wont to call the Ingredi- ents of mixt Bodies, Principles, as the Ari&otelians name them Elements', I would here exclude neither. And, part- ly, becaufe it feems doubtfull whether the fame Ingredients may not be call'd Principles 2 as not being compounded of anymore primary Bodies : andElements, in regard that all mix'd Bodies arc com- pounded of them. But I thought it re- quire to limit my Concetfion by prc- mifing the words, very much, to the word Inconvenience, becaufe that though the Inconvenience of calling the diftinft Sub- ftances, mentiond in the Proportion Elements or Principlessbe not very great,

yet

(47) yet that it is an Impropriety of Speech, and confequently in a matter ot this moment not to be altogether overlook'd, You will perhaps think, as well as I, by that time you (hall have heard the fol- lowing part of my Difcourfe, by which you will beft difcern what Conftru&ion to put upon the former Proportions, and how far they may be look'd upon, as things that I concede as true, and how far as things I only reprefent as fpecious enough to be fit to be confider 'd.

And now Ehittheriw ( continues Ctr- neades ) I muft refume the pcrfon of a Sceptick, and as fuch, propofe fome part of what may be either diflik't, or at lcaft doubted of in the common Hypothecs of theChymifts: which if I examine with a little the more freedom, I hope I need not defire you < a Perfon to whom I have the Happinefle of being fo well known ) to look upon it as fomething more fuitable to the Employment where- to the Company has, for this Meeting, doom'dme; then either to my Humour

or my Cuftom.

Now though I might prefent vou ma- ny things againft the Vulgar Chyrmcal Opinion of the three Principles, and^te

(48) Experiments wont to be alledg'd as De- monftrations of it> yet thofe I ihall at prefent offer you may be conveniently enough comprehended in fpur Capital •Considerations 5 touching all which I {hall only premife this in general, That fmcQ it is not my prefent Task fo much to afTert an Hypothecs of my own, as to give an Account wherefore I fu- fpe& the Truth of that of the Chymifts, it ought not to be expected that all my Objections ihou Id be of the mod cogent fort, fince it is reafon enough to Doubt of a propos'd Opinion, that there ap- pears no cogent Reafon for it;

To come then to the Objections them- felves ; I confider in the firft place. That notwithstanding what common Chy- mifts have prov'd or taught, it may rea-. fonably enough be Doubted, how far, and in what fence* Fire ought to be efteem'd the genuine and univerfal In- ftrument of analyzing mixt Bodies.

This Doubt, you may remember, was formerly mention'd, but fo tranfiently difcours d of, that it will now be fit to infift upon it 5 And manifeft that it was not fo inconfiderately propos'd as our Adverfaries then imagin d.

But,

(49) But, before I enter any farther into this Difquifition, I cannot but here take notice, that it were to be wiih'd, our Chymifts had clearly inform'd us what kinde of Divifion of Bodies by Fire muft determine the number of the Elements .• For it is nothing near fo eafy as many feem to think, to determine diftin&ly the Effects of Heat, as I could eafily ma- nifeft, i( I had leafure to fhew you how much the Operations of Fire may be diverflfy'd by Circumftances. But not wholly to pafs by a matter of this Im- portance, I will firft take notice to you, that Guajaciim ( for Inttance ) burnt with an open Fire in a Chimney, is fequeftred into Afnes and Soot, whereas the fame Wood diftill'd in a Retort does yield far other Heterogeneities, ( to ufe the Helmontian exprellion ) and is re(olvd into Oyl, Spirit, Vinager, Water and Charcoal ; the Jaft of which to be re- duc'd into Afhes, requires the being far-- I ther calcm d then it can be in a clo(e VeiTel : Befides having kindled Amber, and held a clean Silver Spoon, or fome other Concave and fmooth VeiTel over the Smoak of its Flame, Iobfervd the 'soot into which that Fume condcnsd.

a w

(5o) to be very differing from any thing that I nad oblcrv d to proceed from the ileam of Amber purpofcly ( for that is not ufual ) diitilled per fe in clofe Vcf- fels. Thus having, for Tryals fake, kin- dled Camphire, and catcht the Smoak that copioufly afcended out of the Flame, it condcns'd into a Black and un&uous Soot , which would not have been guefs d by the Smell or other Pro- perties to have proceeded from Cam- phire : whereas having ( as I (hall other- where more fully declare) cxpos'd a quantity of that Fugitive Concrete to a gentle heat in a clofe Glafs-VcfTel, h fublim'd up without feeming to have loft any thing of its whitenefs, or its Nature, both which it retain^, though after- wards I (o encreafed the Fire as to bring it to Fufiom And, befidcs Camphire, there are divers other Bodies ( that I elfewhere name ) in which the heat in clofe Yeflels is not wont to make any feparation of Heterogeneities, but only a comminution of Parts, thofe that rife firft being Homogeneal with the others, though fubdivided into fmaller Particles ■ whence Sublimations have been Ailed, The Pefiles of the Chymijls. But not here

to

to mention what I el fe where take notice of, concerning common Brimftone once or twice fublim'd, that expos'd to a mo- derate Fire in Subliming-Pots, it rifes all into dry, and almoft taftlefs, Flow- ers 5 Whereas being expos'd to a naked Fire it affords itore of a Saline and Fretting Liquor .* Not to mention this, I fay, 1 will further obferve to you, that as ic is confiderable in the ^//aljjis of mixt Bodies, whether the Fire act on them when they arc expos'd to the open Air, or fhut up in clofe VcfTels, To is the degree of Fire by which the Jlm'jfis is attempted of no fmall moment. For a milde Balneum will fever unfermented Blood (forlnftance) butintoPhiegme and Caput wtortwm^ the later whereof ( which I have fometimes had ) hard, brittle, and of divers Colours, ( tranfpa- rent almoft like Tor toife- (hell ) prefs'd by a ^ood Fire in a Retort yields a Spirit, an Oyl or two, and a volatile Salt, bc- fides a Caput mortmm. It may be alfo pertinent to our prefentDefigne, to take notice of what happens in the making and diftilling of Sope; for by one de- gree of Fire the Salt, the Water and the Ovl or Greafe, whereof that fadmous

1 P a Cofl-

(sO

Concrete is made up, being boyl'd up together are eafily brought to mingle and incorporate into one Mafs , bat by another and further degree of Heat the fame Mafs may be again divided into an oleagenous, an aqueous, a Saline, and an Earthy part. And fo we may obferve that impure Silver and Lead being ex- pos'd together to a moderate Fire, will thereby be colliquated into one Mafs, and mingle per minima^ as they fpeak, whereas a much vehementer Fire will drive or carry off the bafer Metals (I mean the Lead, and the Copper or other Alloy) from the Silver, though not, for ought appears, feparate them from one another. Belides, when a Ve- getable abounding in fixt Salt is analy z'd by a naked Fire, as one degree of Heat will reduce it into Afties, ( as the Chy- mifts themfelves teach us) fo, bvonly a further degree of Fire, rhofe Afhes may be vitrified and turn'd into Glaf?. I will not ftay to examine how far a meere Chymift might on this occafion demand, If it be lawful for an AriBo- telian to make Afhes, (which he miltakes for meere Earth) pafs for an Element, becaufc by one degree of Fire it may he

pre-

(55) produc'd, why a Chymift may not upon the like Principle argue, that Glafs is one of the Elements of many Bodies, becaufe that alfo may be obtain'd from them, barely by the Fire ? I will not, I fay, lofe time to examine this, but ob- ferve, that by a Method of applying the Fire, fuch fimilar Bodies may be obtain'd from a Concrete, as Chymirls have not been able to feparate 5 either by barely burning it in an open Fire, or by barely dialling it in clofe Veflfels. For to me it feems very considerable, and I wonder that men have taken fo little notice of it, that I have not by any of the com- mon wayes of Diftillation in clofe Vef- fels, feen any feparation made of fuch a volatile Salt as is afforded us by Wood, when that is firft by an open Fire divided into A(hes and Soot, and that Soot is at- terwards plac'd in a ftrong Retort, and compell'd by an urgent Fire to part with its Spirit, Oyl and Salt; for though I dare not peremptorily deny, that in the Liquors of GHAJscm and other Woods mm in Retorts after the common manner, there may be Saline parts, which by reafon of the Anally ^ pretend to the name of fomckinde of

E 3

(54) volatile Salts ; yet quefticnlefs there is a great difparity betwixt fiich Salts and that which we have fpmetimes ohtaind upon chefirft*Diftillation of Soot (though for the moil; part it has not been fepa- rated from the firitor fecond Rectifica- tion, and fometimesnot till the third) For we could never yet fee feparated from Woods analyz'd only the vulgar way in clofe veilels any volatile Salt in a dry and Saline form, as that of Soot, which we have often had very Cryftal- Jine and Geometrically flgur'd. And then,wherea§ the Saline parts of the Spi- rits o{Guajacum,Uc. appear upon diftil- iation fluggifh enough, the Salt of Soot feems to be one of the moft volatile Bodies in all Nature ; and if it be well made will readily afcend with the milde heat of a Furnace, warrnd only by the fingle Wieckof a Lamp, to the top of thehigheft Glafs VeiTels that are com- monly made ufe of for Diftillation : and befides all this, the tafte and fmell of the Salt of Soot are exceeding differ- ing from thofe of theSririts of Guaj*- am&c. and the former not onlvfmells and taftes much lefs like a vegetable Salt, than like that of Ham- horn, and other

Ani-

(55)

Animal Concretes ; but in divers other Properties feems more of Kinnc to the Family of Animals,than to that of vege* j table Salts,as I may elfewhcre (God per- mitting ) have an occafion more particu- 1 lady to declare. I might likewife by fome ; other Examples manifeit,That the Chy- miftspto have dealt clearly,cugbt to have 1 more explicitly and particularly declar'd by what Degree of Fire, and in what ! manner of Application of it, they would [ have us Judge a Divifion made by the ' Fire to be a true Analjfis into their 1 Principles, and the Produdions of it to ' deferve the name of E'ementary Bodies. But it h time that I proceed to mention the particular tteafons that incline me J to Doubt, whether the Fire be the true and univerfal Analyzer of mixt Bodies ; of which Reafons what has been already objeaed may pafs for one.

In the next place I obferve, That rtere are fome mixt Bodies from which it has not been vet made appear, thai any decree of Fire can feparate either Salt or Sulpha* or Mercury, much lei, all he Three. The molt <***& I^"f fofi.'d.andwhe^reintheElemncary E 4 l c

(sO

Ingredients (if it have any) arc fo firmly united to each other, that we fmde not hi the operations wherein Gold is ex- pos'd to the Fire, how violent fcevcr, that it does difcernably fo much as lofe of its fixedneffe or weight, fo far is if from being diffipated into thofc Prin- ciples., whereof one at leaft is acknow- ledged to be Fugitive enough 5 and fo juftly did the Spagyricall Poet fome- wherc exclaim,

CunHd adeo miris illk compagibtu bdrent.

And I muft not omit on this occafion

to mention to you, Eleuther'm^ the me-

^ morable Experiment that 1 remember I

clAvm met with in * G4° CUvtm* who,though

Apoiog. a Lawyer by ProfcfTion, feems to have

^5o&had no fmall Curiofityand Experience

pera. in Chymical affairs : He relates then,

that having put into one fmall Earthen

VerTel an Ounce of the moft pure Gold,

and into another the like weight of pure

Silver, he plac'd them both in that part

of a Glafs-boufe Furnace wherein the

Workmen keep their Metal, (as our

EngJifti Artificers call their Liquid

Glafs) continually melted , and that

having there kept both the Gold and

the

(57) the Silver in conftant Fufien for two Moneths together, he afterwards took them out or rhe Furnace and the VefTcls, and weighing both of them again, found that the Silver had not loft above a 12th part of its weight, but the Gold had not of his loft any thing at all. And though our Author endeavours to give us of this a Scholaftick Reafon, which 1 fuppofe you would be as little fatisfled with, as I was when I read it 5 yet for the mat- ter of Fad, which will ferve our prefent turne, he alTures us, that though it be Grange, yet Experience it felf taught it him to be molt true.

And though there be not perhapsany other Body to be found fo perfectly fix d as Gold, vet there are divers others fo fixcl or compos'd, at leaft of fo M&h united parts, that I have not yet obferv d the Fire to feparate from them any one of the Chvmifts Principles. I need not tell vou what Complaints the more Candid and Judicious of the Chymifts themfelvcs are wont to make or thole Boaflers that confidently pretend, that thev have extraaed the Salt or Sulphur of Ouickfilvcr, when they have dilguis d it by Adduaments , Wherewith ltre- 1 fembles

C58>

femblcs the Concretes whofe Names are given it ; whereas by a skilfull and rigid Exameny it may be eaiily enough ftript of its Difguifes, and made to appear again in the priftineformof running Mercury, The pretended Saltsand Sulphurs being fo far from being Elementary parts ex- tracted out of the Bodie of Mercurie, that they are rather ( to borrow a terme of the Grammarians) De- compound Bo- dies, made up of the whole Metal and the Menftruuni) or other Additairents imploy'd to difguife k. And as for Sil- ver, I never could fee any degree of Fire make it part with any of its three Prin- ciples. And though the Experiment lately mentioned from Cltvem may be- get a Sufpition that Silver may be difli- pated by Fire, provided ft be extreamly violent and very lafting ; yet it will not oeceflfarily follow, that becaufe the Fire was able at length to make the Silver lofe a little of its weight, it was there- fore able to diffipate it into its Principles. For firft I might alledge that I have ob- ferv'd little Grains of Silver to lie hid in the fmall Cavities ( perhaps glas'd over by a vitrirying heat) in Cm dble«, where- in Silver has been long kept in Fufion,

whence

(59)

whence fome Goldfmiths of my Ac- quaintance make a Benefit by grinding inch Crucibles to powder, to recover out of them the latent panicles of Silver. And hence I might argue, that perhaps Clavemwas mtitaken, and imagin'd that Silver to have been driven away by the Fire, that indeed lay in minute parts hid in his Crucible, in whofe pores fo fmall a quantity as he mift of fo ponderous a Bodie might very well lie con- ceal'd.

But Secondly, admitting that fomc i parts of the Silver were driven away by ! the violence of the Fire, what proof is i there that it was either the Salt, the Sul- •• phur, or the Mercury of the Metal, and i not rather a part of it homogeneous to !i what remain'd ?For befides,tha t thcSil vcr I that was left feeirfd not fenfibly alter d, * which probably would have appear d, it had fo much of any one oi its Princi- K pies been fcparated from it :We hnde m jj other Mineral Bodies of a lefs perma- | nent nature than Silver, that the Fire 1 may divide them into fuch minute parts, as to be able to carry them away with its felf, without at all deftroywg their Nature. Thus we fee that in the re-

fining

(6o) fining of Silver, the Lead chat is mix'd with it ( to carry away the Copper or other ignoble Mineral that embafes the Silver ) will, if it be let alone, in time evaporate away upon the Teft 5 but if ( as is moft ufual amongft thofethat re- fine great quantities of Metals together) the Lead be blown off from the Silver by Beilowes, that which would elfc have gone away in the Form of unheed- ed fleams, will in great part be colledted not far from the Silver, in the Form of a darkffh Powder or Calx, which, be- eaufe it is blown off from Silver, they Agrkoia callLicharge of Silver. And thus Agri- nFoffii/"^ *n divers places informs us, when Lib. 9. Copper, or the Oare of it is colliquatcd Cap. 11- by the violence of the Fire with Cadmia, the Sparks that in great multitudes do ffy upwards do, fome of them, (tick to the vaulted Roofs oi' the Furnaces, in the form of little and (for the moft part) White Bubbles, which therefore the Greeks, and, in Imitation of them, our Drugftcrs call Pompbolix : and others more heavy partly adhere to the fides of the Furnace,and partly (efpecially if the Covers be not kept upon the Pots)fall to the Ground, and by reafon of their Afhy

Colour

Colour as well as Weight were called by the fame Greeks **&> which, 1 need not tell you, in their Language fignifies Afhes.I might add,thatl have not found that from Venetian Talck ( I fay Vene- tian, becaufe I have found other kinds of that Mineral more open ) from the Lapis OfftfraguS} ( which the Shops call Oftie- colla ) from Mufcovia Glafs, from pure and Fufible Sand, to mention now no other Concretes 5 thofe of my Acquaint- ance that have try'd have been able by the Fire to feparate any one of the Hy- poftatical Principles, which you will the lefs fcruple to believe, if you confider that Glafs may be made by the bare Colliquation or the Salt and Earth re- maining in the Afhcs of a burnt Plant, and that yet common Glafs, once made, does fo far refift the violence of the Fire, that moft Chymifts think it a Body more undeftroyable then Gold it felt. For if the Artificer can fo firmly unite fuch comparative groft Particles as thofe of EarthandSalt that make up common A(hes,intoaBodyindiffolablcbyFire5 why may not Nature arTouate in divers Bodies the more minute &f*#*7 Corpufcles fbe has at hand too firmly to

[62)

let them be feparable by the Fire ? And on this Occalion, EleuthertWy give me leave to mention to you two or three fleight Experiments, which will, I hope, be found more pertinent to our prefent Difcourfe, than at fiilt perhaps they will appear. The firft is, that, having ( for Tryals lake) put a quantity of that Fu- gitive Concrete, Camphire, into a Glafs Veffel, and plac'd it in a gentle Hear, I found it ( not leaving bchinde, according to my Eftimate , not (o much as one Grain ) to fublime to the Top of the VelTel into Flowers : which in White* nefs, Smell, &c fcem'd not to differ from the Camphire it felf. Another Experiment is that at Belmont , who in feveral places affirms. That a Coal kept in a Glafs exactly clos'd will never be calcnfd to Afhes, though kept never fo long in a ftrong Fire. To countenance which I fhall tell you this Tryal of my own, That having fometimes diftilled fome Woods, as particularly Box, whilft our Caput mortuum remained in the Retort, it continued black like Cnarcoal, though the Retort were Earthen, and kept red- hot in a vehement Fire $ but as foon as ever it was brought out of the candent

Veffel

VefFel into the open Air , the burning Coals did haftily degenerate or fall a- funder, without the Affiftance of any new Calcination, into pure white Afties. And to thefe two I (ball add but this ob- vious and known Observation, that com- mon Sulphur (if it be pure and freed from its Vinager ) being leafurely fublim'd in clofe VefTels , riles into dry Flowers, which may be prefently melted into a Bodie of the fame Nature with that which afforded them. Though if Brim- ftone be burnt in the open Air it gives, you know, a penetrating Fume, which being caught in a Giafs"-Bell condenfes into°hat acid Liquor called Oyl of Sul- phur yer Cmpavam.lhc ufc I would make of thefe Experiments collated with what ttatciy told you but of AgricoU is this. That even among the Bodies that are not fixe,., there are divers of fuch a Texture, that it will be hard to make it appear, how the Fire, as Chymiftsare wont to imployit,canrefoVethem into Elemen- tary Subftances. For fome Bodies being of fuch a Texture that the Fire can drive them into the cooler and Ids hot pare of the VelTels wherein they are included, and if need be,remove them from place

(64)

to place to fly the greateft heat, more

eafily than it can divorce their Elements

(efpecialiy without the Afliftance of the

Air) we Ice that our Ghymifts cannot

Analyze them in clofe Veflels, and of

other compound Bodies the open Fire

can as little feparate the Elements. For

what can a naked Fire do to Analyze a

' mixt Bodie, if its component Principles

be fo minute, and fo ftri&Iy united, that

the Corpufcles of it need lefs heat to

carry them up, than is requifite to divide

them into their Principles. So that of

fome Bodies the Fire cannot in clofe

Veflels make any Andyfis at all , and

others will in the open Air fly away in

the Forms of Flowers or Liquors, before

the Heat can prove able to divide them

into their Principles. And this may hold,

whether the various iimilar parts of a

Concrete becombin'dby Nature cur by

Art ; For in factitious Sd Asmomaek we

finde the common and the Urinous Salts

fowell mingled, that both in the open

Fire, and in fubliming Veflels they rife

together as one Salt, which feems in fuch

Veflels irrcfoluble by Fire alone. For I

can (hew you Sd Amoniack which after

the ninth Sublimation does (till retain its

com-

(*5)

compounded Nature. And indeed I fcarce know any one Mineral, from which by Fire alone Chymifts are wonc to fever any Subftance fimple enough to defcrve the name of an Element or Prin- dple. For though out of native Cinnaber they diftill Qaickfilver, and though from many of thole Stones that the Ancients called Pyrites they fublime Brimftonc, yet both that Quickfilver and this Sul- phur being very olten the fame with the common Minerals that are fold in the Shops under thofe names , ate them- felves too much compounded Bodies to pafs for the Elements of fuch. And thus much> Eleutberm, for the Second Argu- ment that belongs to my Firft Confidc- rarion 5 the others 1 {halt the leile infill on, becaufe I have dwelt fo long upon this. f .

Proceed we then in the next place to confider, That there are divers Separa- tions to be made by other means, which either cannot at ail, or elfe cannot :fo well be made by the Fire alone. When Gold and Silver are melted into one Mafs, it would lay a great Obligation upon Refiners and Goldfmiths to teach them the Art of feparaung them r Di

(66)

bv the Fire, without the trouble and charge , they are fain to be at to fevcf them. Whereas they may be very eafi^ ly parted by the Aftufion of Spirit of Nitre or Aquafortis ( which the French therefore call Em de Depart'- ) fo like- wife the , Metalline part of Vitriol will not be fo cafily and conveniently feparated from the Saline part even by a violent Fire, as by the Affufion of cer- tain Alkalizate Salts in a liquid Form upon the Solution of Vitriol made in common water. For thereby the- acid Salt of the Vitriol, leaving the Copper it had corroded to joyn with the added Salts, the Metalline part will be preci- pitated to the bottom almoft like Mud; And that I may not givclnftances only' in De-compeund Bodies, I will add a not lifelefs one of another kinde. Not only Chy mills have not been able ( for ought j is vulgarly known ) by Fire alone to fe^ parate true Sulphur from Antimony; but though you may findein their Books ma- ny plaufible Precedes of Extracting ir, vec he that (hall make as many fruitleile j Tryals as I have done to obtain it by J nioif of them will, I fuppofe, be cafilv perfwaded, that the Productions of fuel

Proceffes

(67) Procelfes arc Antimonial Sulphurs ra- ther in Name than Nature. Buc though Antimony fublim'd by its fclf is redue'd but to a volatile Powder, or Antimonial Rowers, of a compounded Nature like the Mineral that affords them : yet I re- member that fome years ago I lublim'd out of Antimony a Sulphur, and that in greater plenty then ever I faw obtain'd from that Mineral, by a Method which I ihall therefore acquaint you. with, be- caufe Chymifts fecm not to have taken notice of what Importance fuch Experi- ments may be in the Indagation of the Nature, and especially of the Number of the Elements. Having then purpofc- ly for Tryals Hike digefted eight Ounces of good and well powder'd Antimony with twelve Ounces of Oyl of Vitriol in a well ftopt Glas-Vcltel for about fix or feven Weeks 3 and having caus'd the Mafs (grown hard and brittle) to be diftiU'd in a Retort plac'd in Sand, with a ftrono; Fire , we found the Antimony to be fo opened, or alter M by the Men*- ftruum wherewith it had been diveftcd. That whereas crude Antimony, fore'd up by the Fire, arifes only in Flowers, our Antimony thus handled afforded ns F 2 partly

partly in the Receiver, and partly in the Neck and at the Top of the Retort, about an Ounce" of Sulphur, yellow and brittle like common Brimftone, and of (o Sulphureous a fmell, that upon the unluting the VelTels it infected the Room with a fcarce fupportable ftink. And this Sulphur , befides the Colour and Smell, had the perfecT: Inflamability of common Brimftone, and would imme- diately kindle (at the Flame of a Can- dle ) and burn blew like it. . And though it feem'd that the long digeftion where- in our Antimony and Menftrmm were detain'd, did conduce to the better un- locking of the Mineral,yet if you have not the leafure to make (o long a Digeftion, you may by incorporating with pow* der'd Antimony a convenient Quantity of Oyl of Vitriol, and committino-. them immediately to Diftillation, obtain a little Sulphur like unto the common one, and more combuftible than perhaps you will at firft take notice of. For I have obferv'd, that though ( after its being firft kindled ) the Flame would fome- ttmes go out too foon of its felf, if the fame Lump of Sulphur were held again to the Flame of a Candle, it would be

re-

(&9) rekindled and burn a pretty while, not only after the fecond, but after the third or fourth accenfion.You,to whom i think I (hewed my way of difcovering fome- thing of Sulphureous in Oyl of VitrioJ, may perchance fufpeit, Elentberias, ei- ther that this Subftance was feme Ve- nereal Sulphur that lay hid in that Li- quor, and was by this operation only re- duced into a manifeft Body 3 or clfe that it was a compound of the unctuous parts of the Antimony, and the Saline ones ^ of the Vitriol, in regard that ( as dm- 0\^cv'_ tber informs us ) divers learned men var. cap. would have Sulphur to be nothing but a 6' mixture made in the Bowels of the Earth of Vitriolate Spirits and a certain corabuftible Subftance. But the Quantity of Sulphur we obtain'd by Digeftion was much too great to have been latent in the Oyl of Vitriol. And that Vitrio- late Spirits are not neceiTary to theCon- ftitution of fuch a Sulphur as ours, I could eafily manifeft, if I would ac- quaint you with the feveral wayes by which I'haveobtain'd, though not m iuch plenty, a Sulphur of Antimony, colour d and corabuftible like common Brun- ftone. And though I am not now minded

(7o) to difcovcr them, yet I fhall tell you, that to fatisfic fome Ingenious Men,that diitill'd Vitriolate Spirits are not necef- fary to the obtaining of fuch a Sulphur as we have been confidcring,! did by th6 bare diitillation of only Spirit of Nitre, from its weight of crude Antimony fc- parate, in a ihort time> a yellow and very inflamable Sulphur, which, for ought I know, deferves as much the name of an Element, as any thing that Chymifts are wont ro fcparate from anv Mineral by the Fire. I could perhaps tell you of other Operations upon Anti- mony, whereby That may be extrafted from ity which cannot be fore'd out of it by the Fire 5 but I {hall rcferve them for a fitter Opportunity, and only annex at prefent this Height, but not imperti- nent Experiment. That whereas 1 lately obferved to ycu, that the Urinous and common Salts whereof Sal Armonhck confifts,remain'd unfever'd by the Fire in friany fucceffive Sublimations, they may be cafily feparated, and partly witbeur any Fire at all , by pouring upon the Con- crete finely powder'd, a So'ntbn of Salt of Tartar, or of the Salt of Wood- Aflies j for upon your diligently mixing

of

(71.) of thefe you will finck your Nofe in- vaded with a very foong imell of Urine, andperhaps too your Eyes forcd opwa- ter,by the fame fubtle and piercing Body that produces the ftink h both thefe ef- fefts proceeding from hence ,'that by the Alcali'zate Salt,the Sea Salt that enter' d the compofition of the Sal Armoniack is mortify'd and made more fixt,and there- by a divorce is made between it and the volatile Urinous Salt , which being at once fct at liberty, and put into motion, begins prefently to fly away, and to oU fend the Nqftrils and Eyes it meets with by the way. And if the operation of thefe Salts be in convenient Glafles pro- moted by warmth, though but by that of a Bath, the amending Steams may eafily be caught and redue'd into a pc-ne- trant Spint,ab3unding with a Salt,which I have fometimes found to be fc parable in a Cryftalline Form. I might add to thefe Inftances, that whereas Snbbrmte, coniiffing,asyou know,of Saits SQ»» filver combed and carried up togcr, bvHeat,maybeSublim'd3Iknowiot

how often, by a like decree o*^h£ withoutfuffcringanydivorceottec^-

ponent Bodies, the Mercury may feK*

. .(70

fily fevei 'd from the adhering Salts, if the Sublimate be diftill'd from Salt of Tartar , Quick Lime, or fuch Alcaltzatc Bodies. But I will rather obferve to you, EleutberiWy what divers ingenious men have thought fomewhat ftrange; that by fuch an Additament rhap feemsbut only to promote the Separation, there may be ea.fily obtained from a Concrete that by the Fire alone is eafily divifible into all the Elements that Vegetables arc fuppos'd to confift of, fuch a fimilac Subftance as differs in many refpefts from them all, and confequently has by many of the moft Intelligent Chymifts been denied to be contain'd in the mixt Body. For I know a way, and have praftis'd it, whereby common Tartar, without the addition of any thing that is not perfectly a Mineral except Salt- petre , may by one Diftillation in an Earthen Retort be made to afford good ftore of real Salt, readily difloluble in water, which I found to be neither acid, nor of the frhell of Tartar, and to be almoft as vokrile as Spirit of Wine it (elf, and to be indeed of fo differing a Nature from all that is wont to be fepa- rated by Fire from Tartar, that divers

Learned

(73) Learned Men, with whom I difcours'd of it, could hardly be brought to be- Jeevc, that fo fugitive a Salt could be afforded by Tartar, till I affor'd it them upon my own Knowledge, And if I did not think you apt to fufpect me to be rather too backward than too forward to credit or affirm unlikely things,! could convince you by what I have yet lying by me of that anomalous Salt.

The Fourth thing that I (hall alledge to countenance my fir ft Consideration is, That the Fire even when it divides a Body into Subftances of divers Confi- dences/does not moft commonly ana- lyze it into Hypoftatical Principles, but only difpofes its parts into new Textures, and thereby produces Concretes of a new indeed, but yet of a compound Nature. This Argument it will bercquifite forme to profecute fo fully hereafter,that 1 hope you will then confefs that 'tis not for want of Pood Proofs that I defirc leave to fufpend my Proofs till the Series ok my -Difcourfe {hall make h more proper andfcafonabletopropofcthcm.

It may be further alledg'd on the be- half of my Firft Confideration , That feme fuch diftir.a Subftances may be ob-

tain'd

(74> takfd from fome Concretes without Fire, as deferve no lefs the name of Elementary, than many that Chymifts extort by the Violence of the Fire.

We fee that the Mamable Spirit, or as the Chymifts efteem ir,tbe Sulphur of Wine, may not only be feparatcd from it by the gentle heat of a Bath, but maybediftili'd either by the help of the Sun-Beams, or even of a Dunghill, being indeed of fo Fugitive a Nature, that it is not eafy to keep it from flying away, even without the Application of external beat. I have likewife obferv'o! thataVevTcl full of Urine being plac'd in a Dunghill, the Putrefaction is wont after fome weeks fo to open the Body, that the parts disbanding the Saline Spi- rit, will within no very long time, if the Ycffcl be not ftopt, fty away of k felf 5 Infomuch that from fuch Urine I have been able to diCtill little or nothing elfe . than a naufcous Phlegme, inftead of the aaiveand piercing Sale and Spirit that it would have afforded, when firft ex- pos'd to the Fire, if the Vtffel had been carefully ftopt.

_, And this leads me to eonfider in the Fiirh place, That it will be very hard to

prove,

(75) prove, that there can no other Body or way be given which will as well as the Fire divide Concretes into feveral ho- mogeneous SubitancCs, which may con- fequcntly be call'd their Elements or Principles, as well as thofe feparated or produe'd by the Fire. For fince wc have lately icen, that Nature can fuccetfefully employ other Inftruments than the Fire to feparate diftincl; Subftances from mixt Bodies, how know we, but that Nature has made, or Art may make, fome fuch Subftancc as may be a fit Ir.ftrumcnt to Analyze mixt Bodies , or that fome fuch Method may be found by Humane Induftry or Luck, by whofc means com- pound Bodies may be refolv'd into other Subftances, than fuch as they are wont to be divided into by the Fire. And why the Produces of fuch an ^mI)/is may not as juftjybe call'd the component Prin- ciples of the Bodies that afford them, it will not be eafy to fhew, efpccially ftnee I (hall hereafter make it evident, that the Subftances which Chymifts are wont to call the Salts, and Sulphurs, and Mercuries of Bodies, are not fopure and Elementary as thev pre fume, and as their Hypothecs requires. And this may . ' there-

(70

therefore be the more freely prefs'd up- on the Chymifts, becaufe neither the Paracelfims, nor the Helmontians can re- ject it without apparent Injury to their refpe&ive Mafters.For Helmont do's more than once Inform his Readers., that both Paracelfus and Himfelf were Poflfeffors of the famous Liquor, AlkaheB^ which for its great power in rcfolving Bodies irrefoluble by Vulgar Fires, he fome- wherefeems to call Ignis Gehenna. To this Liquor he afcribes, (and that in great part upon his own Experience ) luch wonders, that if we fuppofe them all true, I am (o much the more a Friend to Knowledge than to Wealth, that I fhould think the Alkahest a nobler and more defireable Secret than thePhilo- fophers Stone itfclf. Of thisllniverfal Diffolvent he relates , That having di- gested with it for a competent time a piece of Oaken Charcoal, k was there- by redue'd into a couple of new and di- itincl: Liquors, difcrtminated from each other by their Colour and Situation, and that the whole body of the Coal was redue'd intothofe Liquors,both of them feparable from his Immortal Menftruumy which remain'd as fit for fuch Operati- ons

(77 ) ons as before. And he moreover tells us in divers places of his Writings, that by this powerful, and unwearied Agent, he could dulblve Metals, Marchaiites, Stones, Vegetable and Animal Bodies of what kinde foever, and even Glafs it felf ( firft redue'd to powder,) and in a Word, all kinds of mixt Bodies in the World into their fevcral fimilar Sub- ftances, without any Refidence or Caput mortmm. And laftly, we may gather this further from his Informations^ That tha homogeneous Subftances obtainable from compound Bodies by his piercing Liquor, were oftentimes different enough both as to Number and as to Nature, from thofe into which the fame Bodies are wont to be divided by common Fire. Of which I fhall need in this place to mention no other proof,thcn that where- as we know that in our common Andtfis of a mixt Body,there remains a terretirt- al and very fixt Subilance, oftentimes af- fociated with a Salt as fixt 5 Our Author tells us, that by his way he could Diftill over all Concretes without any Caput mortwim^ and confequently could make thofe parts of the Concrete volatile, which in the Vulgar Jnalyps would have

been

(78) been fixr. So tbdc i£ our Cbymifts will not reject thefolcmn and repeated Te- itimony of a Perfon, who cannot but be acknowledged' for one of the greatet'l Spagyrifts that they can boaft of, they muff not deny that there is to be found in Nature another Agent able to Analyze compound Bodies Jefs violently, and both more genuinely and more univer- fally than the Fire. And for my own parr, though I cannot but fay on this Oc- caiiori what ( you know ) our Friend Mr. Boyle is wont to fay, when he is askt his Opinion of any ftrange Experiment ; That He that hath feen it hath more Retfon to beleeve it, than He that hath not , yet I have found Helmontto faithful a Writer, even in divers of his improbable Experi- ments (I al waves except thatExtravagant IteaxifcDe Magnetic a Valnemm Curatione, which fomc of his Friends affirm to have been firifc publifh'd by his Enemies ) that I think it fomewhat harfh to give him the Lye, cfpecially to what he de- livers upon his own proper Tryal. And I have heard from very credible Eye- witnefTes fome things, and fcen fome others my felf, which argue fo ftrongly, that a circulated Salt, or a Mensinmn

(fuch

(79) ( fuch as it may be ) may by being ab- ftiaded from compound Bodies, whe- ther Mineral , Animal , or Vegetable, leave them more unlockt than a wary Nararalilt would eafily beleeve, chat I dare not confidently meafure the Power of Nature and Art by that of the Men- ffr;wns> and other Inftruments that emi- nent Chymifts themfelves are as yet wont to Empoly about the Analy- zing of Bodies ; nor Deny that a Men- ftruum may at leaft from this or that particular Concrete obtain fomc appa- rently fimilar Subltance3 differing from any obtainable from the fame Body by any degree or manner of Application of the Fire. And I am the more backward to deny peremptorily, that there may be fuch Openers of compound Bodies, becaufe among the Experiments that make me fpeak thus warily, there want- ed not fome in which it appcar'd not, that one of the Subftances not feparable by common Fires and M'enftruums could retain any thing of the Salt by which the feparation was made.

And here, EleutherW, ( %es Carnea- des ). I fhould conclude as much of my Difcourfc as belongs to the firft Con-,

{id era-

CSo)

fideration I propos'd, but that I forefeet that what I have delivered will appear liable to two fuch fpecious Objections, that I cannot fafely proceed any further till I have exarnin'd them.

And firft, one fort of Oppofers will be forward to tell me. That they do not pretend by Fire alone to feparate out 61 all compound Bodies their Hypotfatkal Principles $ it being fufficient that the Fire divides them into fuch, though af- terwards they employ other Bodies to colled the fimilar parts of the Com- pound 5 as 'tis known, that though they make ufe of water to collcel: the Saline parts of Aibes from the Terreftrial wherewith they are blended, yet it is the Fire only that Incinerates Bodies , and reduces the hYd part of them into the Salt and Earth, whereof Afbes are made up. This Objection is not, Iconfefs, m> considerable, and I might in great part allow of it, without granting it to make againft me, if I would content myfelf to anfwer, that it is not againft thofc that make it that I have been difputing, but againft thofe Vulgar Cbymifts, who themfelves believe, and would fain make others do fo, That the Fire is not only

an

(80

anuniverfal, but an adequate and fuffi- eienc Inftrument to analyze mixt Bodies with. For as to their Pra&ice of Extract- ing the fix'd Salt out of Afhes by the Affufion of Water, 'tis obvious to al- leadge, that the Water does only af~ ' fembie together the Salt the Fire had before divided from the Earth .• as a Sieve does not further break the Corn, but only bring together into two diftin<5i heaps the Flour and the Bran, whofc Corpufcles before lay promifcuoufly blended together in the Meal. This I fay I might alkadge, and thereby exempt my felf from the need of taking any farther notice of the propos'd Objc-ai- on. But nottolofe the Rife it may af- ford me of Illuftrating the matter under Confideration, I am content briefly to confider it, as far forth as my prefent Difquifition may be concern d in it.

Not to repeat then what has been al- ready anfwer'd,I fay farther,that though lam fo civil an Adverfary, that I will allow the Chvmifts, after the Fire has done all its work, the life of fair Water to make their Extractions with, in fuch cafes wherein the Water does not ce** operate with the Fire to make the Am- Y G bfis

(82)

Ijfis^&t fince I Grant this bur. upon Sup- pofition that the Water does only waih off the Saline Particles, which the Fire Alone has Before Extricated in the Analyz'd Body, it will not be Reafon- able, that this ConcelTion fhould Extend to other Liquors that may Add to what they DhTolve, nor fo much as to other Cafes than thole Newly Mentioned ; Which Limitation I Delirc You would be Pleas'd to Bear in Mind till I (hall Anon have Occafion to make life of ir. And This being thus Premised, 1 {hall Proceed to Obferve, i

Firil, That Many of the Inftances I Propos'd in the Preceding Difcourfe are Such, that the Objection we are Con- fidcring will not at all Reach Them. For Fire can no more with the Afliftancc of Water than without it Separate any of the Three Principles , either from Gold, Silver, Mercury, or fome Others of the Concretes named Above.

Hence We may Inferre, That Fire is not an Univerfal Analyzer of all Mixt Bodies, fince of Metals and Minerals, wherein Chymifts have moft Exercis'd Themfelves, there Appear fcarce Any which they are able to Aanlvze by Fire,

Hay,

(83)

Nay, from which they can Uriqueftion- ably Separate fo much as any One of their Hypoftatical Principles ; Which may well Appear no fmall Difparage- ment as well to their H)fotheps as to their Pretentions. -

It will alfo remain True, notwith- ftanding the Objection , That there may be 'Other Wayes than the wonted Ana- lysis by Fire, to Separate from a Com- pound Body Subftances as Homogcnc- neous as thofe that Chymifts Scruple not to Reckon among their Tria Prima ( as fome of them, for Brevity Sake.* call their Three Principles.)

And it Appears, That by Convenient Additaments fuch Subftances may be Separated by the Help of the Fire, as could not be fo by the Fire alone : Wit- nefs the Sulphur of Antimony.

And Laftly, I muft Reprefent, That fince it appears too that the Fire is but One of the Inftruments that muft be Employ'd in the Resolution of Bodies, We may Reafonably Challenge the Li- berty 01 doing Two Things. For when ever any MeriBrmm or other Addita- ment is Employ'd, together with the Fire to Obtain a Sulphur or a Salt from G 2 a

(84) a Body, We may well take the Free- dom to Examine, whether or no That Menfintum do barely Help to Separate the Principle Obtained by It, or whether there Intervene not a Coalition of the Parts of the Body Wrought upon with Thofe of the Menpuum^ whereby the Produc'd Concrete may be judg'd to Refult from the Union of Both. And it will be farther Allowable for Us to Confider, how far any Subftancc, Sepa- rated by the Help of fuch Additaments, Ought to pafs for one of the Tria Pritm fince by One Way of Handling the fame MixtBody it may according to the Na- ture of the Additaments,and the Method of Working upon it, be made to Afford differing Subftances from thofe Obtain- able from it bv other Addiraments, and another Method, nav and ( as may ap- pear by what I Formerly told You about Tartar) Differing from any of the Sub- itances into which a Concrete isDivill- ble by the Fire without Additaments, though perhaps thofe Additaments do not, as Ingredients, enter the Compofi- turn of the Obtained Body , but only Diverfify the Operation of the Fire upon the Concrete ; and though that

Con-

(85)

Concrete by the Fire alone may be Di- vided into a Number of Differing Sub- ftances, as Great as any ot the Chymifts that 1 have met with teach us that of the Elements to be. And having faid thus much ( fayes Cameades ) to the Ob- jection likely to be Propos'd by fame Chymifts, I am now to Examine that which I Forefee will be Confidently prefs'd by Divers Peripatcticks , who, to Prove Fire to be the true Analy zcr of Bodies., will Plead, That it is the very Definition of Heat given by Ari$otle> and Generally Received, Congregare Ho- mogenea^ & H eterogene a Segregate , to Af- femble Things of a Refembling, and Disjoyn tbofe of a Differing Nature. To this I anfwer, That this EfTed is far from being {o Effential to Hear, as 'tis Generally Imagin'd ; for it rather Seems, that the True and Genuine Property of Heat is, to (ct a Moving, and thereby to Diffociate the parts of Bodies, and Sub- divide them into Minute Particles, with- out regard to cheir being Homogeneous or Heterogeneous, as is apparent in the Boyling of Water, the DilUDatien of Quekfilver, or the Expofing of Bodies to the a&ion of the Fire, whofe Parts G 3 either

(86) cither Are not ( at lcaft in that Degree of Heat Appear not ) Diffimilar, where all that the Fire can do, is to Divide the Bodv into very Minute Parts which are of the fame Nature with one another, and with their Totum, as their Reduction by Condcnfation Evinces. And even when the Fire feems molt fo Congregate Homogenea, & Segregare Heteroqenea> it Produces that Eflfeft but by Accident j For the Fire does but Diflolve the Ce- ment, or rather Shatter the Frame, or £tru&ure that kept the Heterogeneous Parts of Bodies together , under one Common Form ; upon which DifTo- lution the Component Particles of the Mixt, being Freed and fet at Liberty, do Naturaliy, and oftentimes without any Operation of the Fire, Aflocidte themfelves each with its Like, or rather do take thofe places which their Seve- ral Degrees of Gravity and Levity, Fixednefs or Volatility ( cither Natural, or Adventitious from the Impreffion of the Fire ) Afligne them. Thus in the Diftillation ( for Inftance ) of Man's Blood, the Fire do's Fir ft begin ro Dif- folve the Nexw or Cement ofthe Body; and then the Water , bein°- the moft

a Vo-

(37) Volatile, and Eafy to be Extracted , is either by the Igneous Atomes , or the Agitation they are put into by the Fire, firit carried up, till Forfaken by what carried it up, its Weight finks it down into the Receiver : but all this while the other Principles of the Concrete Remain Unfever'd, and Require a ftrongcr De- gree of Heat to make a Separation of its more Fixt Elements 5 and therefore the Fire muft be Increas'd which Carries over the Volatile Salt and the Spirit, they being, though Beleev'd to be Differ- ing "Principles 5 and though Really of Different Confiftency, yet' of an almoft Equal Volatility. After them, as Icfs Fugitive, comes over the Oyl, and leaves behinde the Earth and the Ale alt > which being of an Equal Fixedncffe, the Fire Severs them not, for all the Definition of "the Schools. And if into a Red-hot Earthen or Iron Retort you caft the Matter to be Diftill'd, You may Ob- ferve, as I have often done , that the Predominant Fire willGury up all the Volatile Elements Confufcdly in one Fume, which will afterwards take their Places in the Receiver, either according to the Degree of their Gravity, or ac- & G 4 eoKtag

(88) cording to the Exigency pf their re? fpe&ive Textures ; the Salt Adhering, for the moll: part, to the Sides and Top, and the Phlegme Fattening it felf there too in great Drops, the Oyle and Spirit placing themfelves Under,or Above one another, according as their Pondercuf- nefs makes them Swim or Sink. For 'tis Obfervable, that though Oyi or Li^ quid Sulphur be one of the Elements Se- parated by this Fiery Malyfa, yet the Heat which Accidentally Unites the Particles of the other Volatile Princi- ples, has not alwayns the fame Opera- tion on this, there being divers Bodies which Yield Two Oyls, whereof the One finks to the Bottom of that Spirit on which the other Swims 5 as I can few You in fome Oyls of the fame Deers Blood, which are yet by Me : Nay I can fhew you Two Oyls carefully made of the fame Parcel of Humane B.ood which not only Differ extreamly m Colour but Swim upon one another without Mixture, and if by Agitation Confounded will of themfelves Divorce

again.

And that the Fire doth oftentimesdi- vide Bodies, upon the account thatfome

of

(8?)

of their Parts are more Fixt, and Tome more Volatile, how far foever either of thefe Two may be from a pure Elemen- tary Nature is Obvious enough, if Men would but heed it in the Burning of Wood, which the Fire Diflipates into Smoake and Allies ; For not only the latter of thefe is ConfefTedly made up of two fuch Differing Bodies as Earth and Salt 5 bur the Former being con- dens'd into that Soot which adheres to our Chimneys, Difcovers it fclf to Con- tain both Salt andOyl, and Spirit and Earth, ( and fomc Portion of Pblegme too ) which being, all almoft, Equally Volatile to that Degree of Fire which Forces them up , ( the more Volatile Parts Helping perhaps, as well as the Urgency of the Fire, to carry up the more Fixt ones, as I have often Try'd in Dulcify'd Cokotbar> Sublim'd by Sal Armani ack Blended with it ) are car- ried Up together , but may afterwards be Separated by other Degrees of Fire, whofe orderly Gradation allowcs the Pifparitv of their Volatilencfs to Dif- cover it felf. Befides, if Differing Bodies United into one Mafs be both fufficiently Fixt, the Fire finding no Parts Volatile

enough

(9o) enough to be Expell'd or carried up, makes no Separation at all s as may ap- pear by a Mixture of Colliquated Silver and Gold 3 whofe Component Metals may be eafily Sever'd by Aqua Fortis, or Aqua Regis (according to the Predo- minancy of the Silver &r the Gold ) but in the Fire alone, though vehement, the Metals remain anfever'd, the Fire only dividing the Body into fmaller Par- ticles ( whofe LittlenefTe may be argu'd from their Fluidity) in which either the little nimble Atoms of Fire, Or its brisk and numberlefs ftrokes upon the Veftels, hinder Reft and Continuity, without any Sequeftration of Elemen- tary Principles. Moreover, the Fire fome- times does not Separate , (o much as Unite, Bodies of a differing Nature -y provided they be of an almoft refcmbling Fixednefs , and have in the Figure of cheir Parts an Aptnefsro Coalition, as we fee in the making of many Plaifters, Oyntrnents, &c. And in fuch Metalline Mixtures as that made by- Melting to- gether two parts of clean Brafs with one of pure Copper, of which fomc In- genious Trades-men caft fuch curious Patterns ( for Gold and Silver Works )

as

as I have fometimes taken great Plea- lure to Look upon. Sometimes the Bo- dies mingled by the Fire are Differing enough as to Fixidity and Volatility^ and yet are (o comhin'd by the firft Ope- ration of the Fire, that it ielf doesfcarce afterwards Separate them, but only .Pulverize them 5 whereof an Inftanccis afforded us by the Common Preparati- on of Menurm Dulcis, where the Sa- line Particles of the Vitriol, Sea Salt, and fometimes Nitre, Employ'd to make the Sublimate, do fo unite them- felves with the Mercurial Particles made ufe of, firft to Make Sublimate, and then to Dulcihe it, that the Saline and Metalline Parts arife together in many fucceffive Sublimations , as [^ they all made but one Body. And fometimes too the Fire does not only not Sever the Differing Elements of a Body, but Com- bine them fo firmly , that Nature her fc\^- does vcrv feldom, if ever, make Unions lefs DifToluble. For the Fire meeting with iome Bodies exceedingly and almeft equally Fixt, inftead of making a Separation, makes an Union foftria, thatitfelf, alone, is unable to Diffolve it 5 As we fee, when an Alca-

lizate

lizatc Salt and the Terreftrial Refidue of the Afhes are Incorporated with pure Sand, and by Vitrification made one permanent Body, ( I mean the courfe or greenijfh fort of Glafs ) that mocks the greateft Violence of the Fire, which though able to Marry the Ingredients of u, yet is not able to Divorce them. I can (hew you fome pieces of Glafs which I faw flow down from an Earthen Cru- cible purpofely Expos'd for a good while, with Silver in it, to a very vehe- ment Fire. And fome that deal much in the Fufion of Metals Informe me, that the melting of a great part of a Crucible into Glafs is no great Wonder in their Furnaces. I remember, I have Obferv'd too in the Melting of great Quantities of Iron out ot the Oar, by the Help of (lore of Charcoal ( for they Affirm that Sea-Coal will not yield a Flame ft rong enough ) that by the pro- digious Vehemence of the Fire, Excited by vaft Bellows ( made to play by great Wheels turn'd about by Water ) part of the Materials Expos'd to ir was, in- ftead of being Analyzed, Golliquatcd, and turned into a Dark, Solid and very Ponderous Ghkx and that in fuch Quan- tity

(93)

tity , that in fome places I have Teen the very High- waves, neerfuch Iron-works, mended with Heaps of fuch Lumps of Gla{fe, inftead of Stones and Gravel. And I have alfo Obferv'd, that fome kind of Firc-ftone it Self, having been employ 'd in Furnaces wherein it wasex- pos'd to very ftrong and iafting Fires, has had all its Fixt Parts fo Wrought on by the Fire, as to be Perfe&ly Vitrifi'd, which I have try'd by Forcing from it Pretty large Pieces of Perfea and Tranf- parent Glafs. And left Ycu might think, ElentheriuS) that the Queftion'd Definition of Heat may be Demonftra- ted, by the Definition which is wont to be given and Acquiefc'd in , of its contrary Quality, Co/d, whofe proper- ty is taught to be tarn Homogenea, quam Heterogenea congregate 5 Give me leave to reprefent to You, that neither is this Definition unquestionable 3 for not to Mention the Exceptions , which a Logi- cimy as fuch, may Take at it, I Con- fider that the Union of Heterogeneous Bodies which is Suppos'cf to be the Ge- nuine Production of Cold, is not Per- forrn'd by every Degree of Cold. For we fee for Inftance that in the Urine of

Healthy

(94)

Healthy Men, when the Liquor has been Suffer'd a while to ftand, the Cold makes a Separation of the Thin- ner Part from the Groner, which Sub- fides to the Bottom., and Growes O- pacous there 5 wnereas if the Urinal be Warme, thefe Parts readily Mingle again, and the whole Liquor becomes Tranfparent as before. And when, by Glaciation, Wood, Straw, Duft, Wa- ter, &c. are Suppos'd to be United into one Lump of Ice, the Cold does not Caufe any Real Union or Adunation, ( ^ I may fo Speak ) of thefe Bodies, but only Hardening the Aqueous Parts of the Liquor into Ice, the other Bo- dies being Accidentally Prefent in that Liquor are frozen up in iz, but not Really United. And accordingly if we Expofc a Heap of Mony Confining of Gold, Silver and Copper Coynes, or any other Bodies of Differing Natures, which are Deftitute of Aqueous Moiiture, Capable of Congelation, to never fo intenfe a Cold, we find not that thefe Differing Bodies are at all thereby fo much as Compacted, much lefs United together 5 and even in Li- quors Themfelves we find Phenomena

which ,

which Induce us to Queftion the Defi- nition which we are examining. If Paracelfus his Authority were to be look't upon as a Suiricient Proof in mat- ters of this Nature, I might here infift on that Procefs of his, whereby he Teaches that the Effence of Wine may be Sever 'd from the Phlegme aad Ig- noble Part by the Affiftance of Con- gelation : and becaufe much Weight has been laid upon this Procefs, not on- ly by Paracelfians , but other Writers, fome of whom feem not to have per- ns d it thcmfelves, I (hall give You the entire Paffage in the Authors own Words, as I lately found them in the (ixth Book of his Archidoxis , an Extrael: whereof I have yet about me ; and it founds thus. Be Vino fciendum e f y f a- tern phlegmaque ejus ejj'e Mineram^ & Vi- nt fibffantiam ej]e corpus in quo confer- vatiir Ejjentia, prout auri in aura latetEf- fntia, Juxta quod PraBicam nobis ad Memoriam pommm, ut non oblivifcamur, ad hunc nudum: Recipe Vimm nje- tuftifiimum & optimum quod habere po- teriS) colore faporeque ad placitum^ hoc in vas isitreum inhndas ut tertiam ejus par- tem impleaty & figillo Hemetis occhfmi

in

in equina ventre menfibus quatuor^ & in continuato calore teneatur qui non deficiat. Quo perdtlo, Hyeme cum frigus & gelu, maxime feviunti his per menfem expona- tur ut congeleturi Ad hum modam fri- gitf Vini fpiritum una cum ejus fubtfantia frotrudit in vini centrum^ ac feparat a phlegmate : Gongelatum abjice, quod vera congehtum non eBfa id Spiritum cum fub- ftantia ejje judicato. Hunc in Pelicanum pofitum in arena digeHione mn adeo cali- da per aliquod tempm manere fenito ; Po$- modum eximito vini Magi^erium^ de quo hctiti fumuS.

But I dare not Eku. lay much Weight upon thisProcefs3bccaufcIhave found that if it were True, it would be but fcU dom Practicable in this Country upon the bed: Wine : for Though this pre- fent Winter hath been Extraordinary Cold., yet in very Keen Frofts accom- panied with lading Snowcs, I have not been able in any Meafure to Freeze a thin Vial full of Sack 5 and even with Snow and Salt I could Freeze little more then the Surface of it ; and I fuppofe Eleu. that tis not every Degree of Cold that is Capable of Congealing Liquors, which is able to make fuch an Anakfts

it

(91)

(if I may (o call it) of them by Separa* ting their Aqueous and Spirituous Part?; for I have fometimcs, though not often, frozen feverally, Red-wine, Urine and Milk, but could not Obfcrve the expect- ed Separation. And the Dutch- Men that were fore'd to Winter in that Icie Region ncer the Artick Circle, caird Nova Zembla, although they relate, as we (hall fee below , "that there was a Separation of Parts made in their fro- zen Beer about the middle of November, yet of the Freezing of their Baek m Der cember following they give but this Ac- count: Tea and ourS^ck, which is fo hot, was Frozen verj hard, fo that when we were every Man to have his part, we were fared to melt it in the Fire', which we fyar'd eieryfecond tiay, about half a Phte for a Man, wherewith we were fared to fi'sUin ourfelves.Tn which words they imply nor, that their Back was divided by the Froft into differing Subftanccs3after fuch man- ner as their Beer had been. All which notwithstanding, Eleu. fuppofe that h may be made to appear, that even Cold fometimcs may Congregate Bomogenea, er Heterogenea Segregare:arA to Manifeft this I may tell you, 'that I did orce, p *r- H poiclvj

(5>3) pofely caufc to be Decoded in fair Water a Plant abounding with Sulphu- reous and Spirituous Parts, and having expos'd the Decoction to a keen North- Wind in a very Froity Night,I obferv 'd, j that the more Aqueous Parts of it were turn'd by the next Morning into Ice, towards the innermoit part of which, the more Agile and Spirituous parts,as I then conjeetur'd, having Retreated, to fhun as much as might be their Environ- ing Enemy, they had there preferv'd themfelves unfrozen in the Form of a high colour'd Liquor, the Aqueous and Spirituous parts having been lb fleightly ( Blended rather than ) United in the Deco&ion, that they were eafily Sepa- rable by fuch a Degree of Cold as would not have been able~to have Divonrd the Parts of Urine or Wine, which by Fer- mentation or Daemon are wont, as Tryalhas inform 'd me, to be more inti- mately affociated each with other .But I have already intimated, Eleutheriw, that I (hall not Infift on th;s Experiment, not only becaufe, having made iz but onceJ maypofTibly have been miftakeninir; butalfo ( and that principally ) becaufe of that much more full and eminent

Expert

(99) Experiment of the Separative Virtue of cxtrcam Cold, that was made, againft their Wills, by the forcmention'd Dutch men that Winter'd in Nova Zembla i the Relation of whofe Voyage being a very fcarce Book, it will not be amifs to give you that Memorable part of it which concerns our prefent Theme, as I caus'd the Paffage to be cxtra&ed oue of theEngli&ed Voyage it felf.

" Gerard de Veer^ John Corneljfon and ;c Others, fent out of Amsterdam , cc Anno Dom. 1596. being forc'd by un- cc feafonable Weather to Winter in No- r. va Zembla, neer Ice-Haven 5 on the Ct thirteenth of Oftober, Three of us u (fa yes the Relation ) went aboard the <c Ship , and laded a Sled with Beer; <c but when we had laden it, thinking c to go to our Houfe with it, fuddenly " there arof e fuch a Winde , and fo cc great a Storm and Cold, that we cc were forc'd to go into the Ship again3 <c becaufe we were not able to ftay with- out ; and we could not get the Beer cc into the Ship again, but were fore d " to let it (land without upon the Sled : cc the Fourteenth , as we came out of " the Ship, we found the Barrel of Beer H 2 ftaiid*

(100)^

C£ ingupon the Sled, but it was faft fro* cc zm at the Heads 5 yet by reafoii of Cc the great Cold, the Beer that purg'd Cc out frcze as hard upon the Side of <c the Barrel , as if it had been glu'd cc thereon .; and in that fort we drew <c it to cur Houfe, and fet the Barrel an Cc end , and drank it up ; but firil we were Cc forc'd to melt the Beer, for there was Cc fcarce any unfrozen Betr in the barrel; ccbur m that thick '■ Yieft that was un- cc fk Z;jn lay the Strength of the Beer, tc fo that it was too ftrong to drink alone, c: aad that which was frozen tailed like <c Water ; and being melted we Mix's c: one with the other, and fo drank ccit; but it had neither Strength nor "Tafte.

And on this Occafion I remember, that having the laft very Sharp Winrer purpofely try'd to Freeze, among other Liquors, fome Beer moderately ftrong, in Giafs VciTels, with Snow and Salt, I obferv'd, that there came out of the Neck a certain thick Subftance, which, ir feems, was much better able then the r eft of the Liquor ( that I found turn'd into Ice ) to refill a Froft, and which j by its Colour and confidence feem'd ma-

fcfth

Cioi) feftly enough to be Yieft, whereat, I contefs , I fomewhat marvail'd , be- caufe I did not either difcerne* by tic Taftc, or find by Enquiry, that the Beer was at all too New to be very fit to be Drank. I might confirm the Dutchmens Relation,by what happened a while unce to a necre Friend of mine, who com* plained to me, that having Brevv'd fome Beer or Ale for his own drinking in Holland ( where he then dwelt ) the Kcennefs of the late bitter Winter froze the L'rink fo as to reduce it into fee 3 and a fmall Proportion of a very Strong and Spirituous Liquor. But I muft not entertain you any longer con- cerning Cold , not onely becaufe you may think I have but loft my way into a Theme which does not direct- ly belong to myprefent Undertaking ,■ but becaufe I have already cnlarg'd my fclf too much upon the firft Confide- ration I propos'd , though it appears fo much a Paradox, that it fcemd to Require that I fhould fay much to keep it from being thought a meere Extravagance ^ yet fince I Undertook but to make the common Affumption H 3 of

(xo>) of bur Gbymifts and AriHotelUns ap- pear Qaeltionable , I hope I have ftf Perform'd that Task, that I may now Proceed to my Following Confides lions, and Infift letfe on them than I have done on the Firft.

THE

( i«8 )

THE SCEPTICAL CHYMIST.

The Second Part.

THe Second Confideration I De- fire to have Notice Taken of, is jjfbis, That it is not fo Sure, as Both Chymiftsand Aristotelians are wont to Think it, that every Seemingly Similar pr DiftincT: Subftance that is Separated ifrom a Body by the Help of the Fire, [was Pre exiftent in it as a Principle or IjElement of it.

That I may not make this Paradox a [Greater then I needsmuft,! will Firft iJBriefly Explain what the Proportion ijmeans, before I proceed to Argue lifor it.

And I fuppofe You will eaiily Believe H 4 That

That I do not mean that any thin°- is feparabje from a Body by Fire, that was not Materially pre-exiftent in its tor it Far Exceeds the power ofMeer-i iy Naturall Agencs, and Confequently of the Fire 3 "to produce anew, {o Much as one Atomect Matter, which they can but Modifie and Alter, not Create; which is fo Obvious a Truth, that aimott all Seels of Philofophers have Deny'd the Power of producing Matter to Second Caufes 5 and the jt- ficurem and fome Others have Done the Like , in Reference to their Gods thcmfelves.

Nor docs the Propofition perempto- rily Deny but that fome Things Ob- tain'd by the Fire from a Mixt°Body, may have been more then barelv Mate- rially pre-exiftent in it, face there are Concretes, which before tky be Ex- pos'd to the Fire afford us fevcrai Do- cuments of their abounding, feme with Salt, and Others with Sulphur. For it will ferve the prefentTurn, if it ap- pear that diverfe things Obtain'd from a Mixt Body expos'd to the Fire, were not its Ingredients Before : for if this be made to appear it, will be Rationall e-

nouzh

(ios) mough to fufpect that Chymifts may De- :icve themfelves, and Others, in con- piKiing Refolutely and Univerfally,thofe Subftanccs to be the Elementary Ingre- dients o£ Bodies barely feparated by the Fire, of which it yet may be Doubted 'Whether there befuchorNo 5 at leaft 1 till fome other Argument then that idrawn from the Andyfis be Brought to kefolve the Doubt.

That then which I Mean by the Pro- portion I am Explaining, is. That it may withouc Abfurdity be Doubted whether or no the Differing Subftanccs Obtainable from a Concrete Diflipated py the Fire were (o Exfiftent in it in [that Forme (at leaft as to their minute Parts ) wherein we find them when [the Andyfis is over, that the Fire did only Dis-joyne and Extricate tie Cor- [pufcles of one Principle from thofe of the other wherewith before they were Blended.

Having thus Explain'd my Propofiti-

[on, I fhall endeavour to do two things,

Ito prove it ; The firft of which is to {hew

Ithat fuch Subftanccs as Chymifts call

Principles May be produe'd Be novo

( as they fpeak. ) And the other is to

make

(io6)

make it probable that by the Fire we i may Actually obtain from fome Mixt : Bodies fuch Subftances as were not in the Newly Expounded fence,pre-exiftent in them.

To begin then with the Firft of thefe, I Confider that if it be as true as 'tis , probable, that Compounded Bodies Differ from One Another but in the Various Textures Refulting from the Bignefs, Shape, Motion , and contri- vance of their fmal parts* It will not be Irrational! to conceive that one and the fame parcel of the Univerfal Matter- may by Various Alterations and Con- textures be brought to D.ferve the Name, fomtimcs of a Sulphureous, and fometimes of a Terrene,or Aqueous Bo- dy. And this I could more largely Ex- plicate, but that our Friend Mr. Byle has promis'd us fomething about Qua- lities,wherein the Theme I now willing- ly Re%n him , Will I Qieftion not be Studioufly Enquired into. Where- fore what I lhall now advance in fa- vour of what I have lately Deliver'd fhall be Deduced from Experiments made Divers Years fince . The firft * of which would have been much more

coa-

(io7) fiderable,but that by fome intervening Accidents I was Neceflitated to lofe the belt time of the year , for a trial of the Nature of that I defign'd j it being about he middle of May before I was able to begin an Experiment which fliould have then been two moneths old 5 but fuchasit was, it will not per- haps be impertinent to Give You this Narrative of it. At the time newly Mention'd, I caus'd My Gardiner (be- ing by Urgent Occafiohs Hinder'dfrom being prefent my felf ) to dig out a con- venient quantity of good Earth, and dry it well in an Oven, to weigh it, to put ic in an Earthen pot almoft level with the Surface of the ground, and to fet in it a felected feed he had before re- ceived from me, for that purpofe, of Squadi, which is an Indian kind of Pom- pion , that Growes apace ; this feed I Ordered Him to Water only with Rain or Spring Water. I did not ( whenmyOccafions permitted me to vifit it ) without delight behold how faftit Grew, though unfeafonably fown 5 but the Haftning Winter Hinder'd it from attaining any thing neer its due and Wonted magnitude •> ( for I found

the

(io8)

the fame .Autumn 3 in my Garden^ fome of thofe planes, by Meafure, as big about as my Middle ) and made me order the having it taken Up ; Which about the Middle oS. OBober was care- fully Done by the fame Gardiner, who a while after Tent me this account of it ; I have Weighed the Pompion with the Stalk and Leaves \ all which weighed three found wanting a quartern Then I took tie Earthy baked it at formerly, and found it juB as much as I did atFrrft, which made me think I had mt dry d it Sufficiently : tbe% I put it into the Oven twice More, after the Bread was Drawn, and' Weighed it the Second time, but found it Shrink little or. nothing.

But to deal Candidly with You, E- leuthenAS , I mult not conceal from You the Event of another Experiment of this Kind made this prefent Summer , wherein the Earth feems to have been much more Wafted -, as may appear by the following account, Lately fent me by the fame Gardiner, in thefe Words. To give You an Account of your Cucumbers , J have Gain d two Indiffe- rent Fair Ones, the Weight of them is ten Pound and a Halfe , the Branches with the

Roots

Roots Weighed four Pounds wanting two Ounces 'j and when I had weighed them I took the Earth s and b olid it in fever alf mall Earthen Dijlxs in an Oven 5 and when 1 had fo done , / found the Earth wanted a Pound and a halfe of what it was former' lyi yet I was not fatispcl 3 doubting the Earth was not dry : I put it into an Oven the Second Time^ ( after the Bread was drawn) and after I had taken it oat and weighed it^ I found it to be the Same Weioht : So I Suppofe there was no Moiflure left in the Earth. Neither do F think that the Found and Halfe that was watting was Drawn a- way by the Cucumber but a great part of it in t'r.e Ordering was in Duft ( and the like ) wafted: (the Cucumbers are kept by them- f elves , left Tou fhould fend for them. ) But yet in this Tryal, Eleutherim^ it ap- pears that though (ome of the Earth, or rather the diffolub-e Salt harbourd in ir3 were waited, the main Body of the Plant confifted of Tranfmuted Water. And I might add, that a year after I eaus'd the formerly mentioned Ex- periment touching large Pompions,to be reitcrated,with fo|;ood fucccfs,that if my memory does not much mif-inform me3 it did not only much furpafs any

that

(Ho) that I made before^ but fcem'd ftrange- ly to conclude what I am pleading for A though ( by reafon I have unhappily loft] the particular Account my Gardiner writ] me up of the Circumftances ) I dare not] infift upon them. The like Experiment I may be as conveniently try'd with the I feeds of any Plant, whofe growth is hafty, 1 and its fize Bulky. If Tobacco will ] in Thefe Cold Oimates Grow well in Earth undung'd , it would not be a- mifs to make a Tryal with it , for 'tis an i annual Plant, that arifes where it prof- pers, fometimes as high as a Tali Man ; and I have had leaves of it in my Garden neer a Foot and a Halfe broad* But the next time I Try this Experiment, it fhall be with fevcral feeds of the fame fort, in the fame pot of Earth, that fo the e- vent may be the more Confpicuous. But becaufe every Body has not Con- veniency of time and place for this Experiment neither, I made in my Chamber, fome fhorter and more Expeditions Tryals. I took a Top of Spearmint , about an Inch Long , and put k into a good Vial full of Spring water, fo as the upper part of the Mint was above the neck of the Glafs, and

the

(Ill)

■the lower part Immers'd in the Water 5 [within a few Dayes this Mint began to ■(hoot forth Roots into the Water, and ■to difplay its Leaves , and afpire up- wards 5 and 111 a fhort time it had nu- merous Roots and Leaves, and thefe very ftrong and fragrant of the Odour of the Mint .* but the Heat of my Cham- ber, as I fuppofe, kill'd the Plant when it was grown to have a pretty thick Stalk , which with the various and ra- mified Roots, which it fhot into the Water as if it had been Earth, pre- fented in its Tranfparent Flower-pot a Spe&acle not unpkafant to behold. The like I try'd with fwect Marjoram , and I found the Experiment fucceed al- fo, though fomewhat more flowly,with Balme and Peniroyal, to name now no other Plants. And oneofthcfe Vege- tables, cheriilrd only by Water, having jobrain'd a competent Growth, I dicf, jfor Tryals fake, caufe to be DillilFd in la fmall Retort , and thereby obtain'd Jfome Phlegme, a little Empyreumati- Jcall Spirit, a fmall Quantity of aduft lOyl, and a Caput 'mortuum $ which ap- pearing to be a Coal concluded it I to confift of Salt and Earth: but

the

(H2)

the Quantity of it was fo (mall that I forbore to Calcine it. The Water I iis'd to nourish this Plant was not (tuft- ed nor renewed -, and I chofe Spring-, water rather than Rain-water, becaufe' the latter is more difccrnably a kinde or «*»fci«) which, though it be granted to. be freed from grofrer Mixtures, feems yet to Contain in it, befides the Steams of feveral Bodies wandering in the Air, which may be fuppoVd to im- pregnate it , a -certain Spirituous Sub* I ftancc, which may be Extracted out of I it, and is by fome miftaken for the Sp rit J of the World Corporify'd, upon what j Grounds, and with what Probability, I J may elfewhcre perchance, butmuftnot J now, Difcourfe to you.

But perhaps I might have fav'd at great part of my Labour. For I finde that HelmsM ( an Author more consi- derable for his Experiments than many Learned men are pleased to think him ) having had an Opportunity to profe- cute an Experiment much of the fame nature with thofe I have been now fpeakins of, for five Years together, obtain a at the end of that time fo no- table a Quantity of Tranfmured Water J,

that1

thatl ihould fcarce Think k fie to havS his Experimented Mine Mention 'd to- gether, were it not that the Length of Time Recjuifue to this may deterr the Ciiriofity of fome,and exceed the leafure of Qthers$and partly, that (o Paradoxical a Truth as tha,c which thefe Experiments Teem to hold forth, needs to be Con- firm'd by more Witneffes then orie$ efpecially finee the Extravagancies and Untruths to be met within Hrtmontl Treatife of the Magnettck Cure q£ Wounds* have made his Teftimohies fufpe&ed in his other Writings, though as to fome of the Unlikely matters of facl: he delivers in them, Imightfafely undertake to be his Compurgator. But that Experiment of his which I Was mentioning to YoU * he faVes* was this* He took 200 pound of Earth dry'd in art ' Oven, and, having put it into an Eat chert Veffel and moUten*d it withRaine wa- ter he planted in it the Trunk of a VVil^ low tree of five pound Weight s1 this be VVater'd , as need required* with Rain or with DiftuTd Water ; and to keep the Neighbouring Earth frOrri : getting into the VelTc-11, he emplo/d I a plate of Iron tina*d over and pef- l forated

,(H4) footed with many boles.. Five years be- ing: efflux'd, he took out the Tree and weighed* it, and ( with computing the leaves that fell during four Autumnes) he found it to weigh \6^t pound, and abotu three Ounces. And Having a.-* gain Dry'd the Earth it grew in, he found it want of its Former Weight of 200 Pound, about a couple only of Ounces ; fo that 164 pound of the Roots, VVood, and Bark> which Con- ftuuted the Tree, fcemtohave Sprung from the.VVaten And though it ap- pears not .tike Helmonthad the Curio^ fity to make any Andjfis of this Plant, yet what I lately told You I did to- Qnc of the Vegetables I nourifh'd with Water pnh, will 1 fuppofe keeo You, from Doubting that if he had Diftilfd this Tree* it would have afforded him the like DiftincT Subftances as another Vegetable of -the fame kind. I need fiot- Subjoyne that I had it alfo in my thoughts. to try how Experiments to the fame purpofe with thofe I related to : You would fucceed in other Bodies then Vegetables, .tecaiife importunate Avo-< nations having hitherto hinder^ me^ ftoffl pumiij tay . Oefigri id Praaifc, t

can

(II5)

'can yet {peak but Confedurally of the Succefs ; but the beft is, that the Expe- riments already made and • mention d to you need not the AffiLtance of new Ones, to Veririe as much as my pre- fent task makes it concern me to prove by Experiments of this Nature.

One would fufpctf: ( fayes Ekathen- us after his long filence) by what You have been difcourfing, that You are noc far from Helmonts Opinion about the O- ngination of Compound Bodies , and perhaps coo diilike not the Arguments which he imployes to prove it. , What Helmont'tan Opinion , and what Arguments do you mean (a^kes Cdrneades.)

What You have been Newly Dif- courfing ( replies Eleutberim ) tells us j that You cannot but know that this bold and Acute Spa^yriit fcruples not to Af- fert that all mi'xt Bodies fpring from one Element; and that Vegetables, Ani- mals, Marchafites, Stones3 Metalls,&c* are Materially but fmple Water M- guis'd into thefe Various Formes, by the plaftiek or Formative Virtue of "their feeds. And as for his Reafons you may find divers of them fcatter'd' up and I a dovvrj

down bis writings ; the confiderabl'ft of which feem to be thefe three 5 The Ultimate Reduction of mixt Bodies in- to Infipid Water, the VicifTitude of the fuppofed Elements, and the pro- du&ijn of perfectly mixt Bodies out of fimr)le Water. And firft he affirmes that the Salcircuhtus Paracelfi, or his Li- quor Alkdhejl, does adequately refolve Plants, Animals, and Mineralls into one Liquor or more, according to their feve- fal inrernali Difparities of Parts ( witl> out Caput Mortuum, or the Dcttruftion of their feminal Virtues ; ) and that the flkabefl being abftra&ed from thefe Liquors in the fame weight and Virtue wherewith it Diflolv'd them, the Li- quors may by frequentCohobations from chaJce or fome other idoneous matter, be Totally deprivd of their feminal En- dowments , and return at laft to their tirit matter, Infipid Waters fome o- herwayes he ptopofes here and there, o diveft fome particular Bodies of their borrow d (hapes and make them re. migrate totheir firft Simplicity. The fecond Topick whence mmont drawes ^Arguments, to prove Water to be the Material caufeof Mixt Bodies,! told

Yon

("7)

You was this, "that the other fuppos'd Elements may be tranfmuced into one another. But the Experiments by him here and there produe'd on this Occa- fion, arefouneahe to be made and to be judg'dof, that I (liall not infift on them; not to mention, that if they were granted to be true , his Inference from them is fomewhat difputab!c;and there* fore I (hall pafs on to tell You, That as, in his Firit Argument, our Paradox- ical Author endeavours to prove Wa- ter the Sole Element of Mixt Bodies, by their Ultimate Refolution, when by his Mkahefti or fome other conquering , Agent, the Seeds have been Deftroy'd, which Difguis'd them, or when by time thofe feeds are Wean d or Exantlated or unable to Ad their Parts upon the Stage of the Univerfe any Longer: So in his Third Argument he Endeavours to 2v'mce the fame ConcIufIon,by the confti- '.mion of Bodies which he aliens to be ; tattling but Water Subdu'd by Seminal /irtues. Of this he gives here and ti ere ft his Writings Several Inftances, as to 'lants and Animals ^ bu t divers of them /eing Difficult either to be try'd or to be Inderftood , and others of them being 1 3 not

(us)

not altogether Unobnoxious to Except^ oris, T think you have ' fingl'd out the: Principal and lefs . Queftionable Experi- ment when you lately mentioned that of the Willow Tree. And having thus, Continues Ekiitherius , to Anfwer your, Qaeftion, given you a Summary Ac- count of what I am Confident You know better then I do, I dial 1 be very glad to receive Your Scnce of it, if the giving it me will not too much Divert You from the Profecution of your Dif- courfe.

That //(replies Cameades) was not needleflyannex'd.-for thorowiy to ex- amine fucb an Hypothecs and fuch Ar- guments would require lo many Con- iterations, and Confequcntly (o much time, that Ifhould not now 'have the Liefure to pcrf, ft fuch a Digremon, and much lefs to finifti my Principle Dif- courfe .Yet thus much I (hall tell You at preuent, that you need not fear my Reding this Opinion for its Novelty; fee, however the Helmontimvn^, ^ment^ their Mafte, preterit ^^CVV^ov^5^tthough"the

(up) tigenes Laertlus and divers other Authors fpeak of 1 batons the firft among theGV*- cUns that made difquifitions upon nature. And of this Thde^l Remember,?^ in- * De Na- formes us, that he taught all things were tura De- ar firft made of Water. And it feems 0i um* by Plutarch and JuBin Martyr , that the Opinion was Ancienter then he : For they tell us that he us'd to defend his Tene tby the Teftimony of Hemer. And a Greek Author, (the Scholiast of Apollo^ nius ) upon thefe Words

'EgiXt* sCx*V«m yPm Jut*. -^I'gO-

The Earth of Slime wM made ,

Affirms ( out of Zeno ) that the Cbaosy whereof all things were made, was, ac-; cording to Hefiod^ Water; which, fet- tling firft, became Slime, and then con- dens'd into folid Earth. And the fame Opinion about the Generation of Slime feems to have beeft enter tain d by Or- fhem^ out of whom one of the1 Antients Athena- cites this Teftimony, goias,

1

• I

'Ex n vJkttt <\w JtpnVs

-

Of W&epSUme was made,

I 4 It

(I2P)

~Univer-fr feems alfoby what is delivered in Sttfjk farumre- bo out of another Author jconcerning the

Sf* Thac thcy i&wifii held that ail' divei ia things had differing Beginnings, but thac *

dewii 6l which the World was made, was) aucem Warer. And the like Opinion has been i

Sun by fome of &e £°m* #Vd to the J

aquam. Pwnician^ from whom Thales himfelf

&> Jf unTV^ t0 haVC borrOW'd k * as m g fj Wy he Greeks did much of their The- '

d2rae"i?$Vri& as l m aPc to think> of tk*

• Philofophy too; fince the Deviftng of the Atomical Bypotkefis commonly afcrib'd toLucippw and his Difciple Democritus^ is by Learned Men attributed to one Mofchus * Phoenician. And pofliblythe Opinion is yet antientcr than fo ; For tis known that the Phmkim borrow'd molt of their Learning from the Be* *rw. And among thofe that acknow- ledge the Books tifMofa, many have been inchn'd to think Water to have been the Primitive and Univerfal Mat- W bl »*£ ng the Beginning of Gene- fa where the Waters feem to be men- fc uor id I as the Material Caufe, not only of Sublunary Compounded Bodies, but ofaythofethatmakeuptheUniverfei whofe Component Parts did .orderly, as

(121)

it were, emerge our of that vaft Aby ffe»> by the Opcracion of the Spirit of God, who is faid to have been moving Him- felf as hatching Females do (as the Ori- ginal r\$~oc i Meracephet is faid to Im- Deute^ port, and as it feems to fignifie in one52,11' of the two other places,wherein alone I jcr€m. have met with it in the Hebrew Bible ) «3- *• ' upon the Face of the Waters; which being, as may be fuppos'd, Divinely Im- pregnated with the feeds of all things, v were by that productive Incubation qua- lify'd to produce them. But you, 1 prc- fumc, Expcft that I fhould Difcourfeor" this Matter like a Naturalift, not a Phi- lologer. Wherefore I {hall add, to Countenance HelmonVs Opinion , That whereas he gives not, that I remember, any Inftance of any Mineral Body, nor fcarce of any Animal 3generatcd of Wa- fer, a French Chy milt, Monfieur de Ro- <te, has prefented his Readers an Expe- riment, which if it were pundually fuch as he has delivcr'd ir, is very Notable. He then, Difcourflng of the Generation of things according to certain Chymical and Metaphorical Notions (which I confefcare not to me Intelligible) fets down, among divers Speculations not

per-

( 122)

pertinent to our Subject, the following Narrative, which I fhall repeat to you the fence of in Englifh, with as little variation from the Literal fence of the French words, as my memory will en- able me. Having ( fayes he ) d/fcerrfd . fstcb great Wonders by the Natural Opera- tion of watery J would know what may be done with it by Art Imitating Nature, wherefore I took water which l well knew not to be compounded, nor to be mix 'd with my other thing than that Spirit of Life ( whereof he had fpoken before g and mth a Heal ■Artificial, Continual and Pro- pwtionate, I prepaid and difpofdit by the. &bove mention d Graduations of Coagulate *n> Congelation, and Fixation, untillitwM ■ tttrnd mto Earth , which. Earth produc d Animals, regelates and Minerals. I tell not vim Animals, Vegetables and Mine- rods, for that is referv'd for another Occa- Jm : but the- Animals did Move of them* [elves, Eat, &c. — and by the true Ana- tome. I made of them, I found that they: wre corned ofmuh Sulphur, little Mer- ely, and kfs Salt. - The Minerals be- £4* to grow andencreafe by converting-, into their own Nature one. part of the Earth tfcrewo difpofd ; they were folid and: ■

heavy.

(123)

heavy. And by this truly Demonstrative Science, namely ChymiHry, I found that they were composed of much Salt, little Sul- phur, and lefs Mercury.

But (fayes Cameades) I have fome Sufpitions concerning this ftrange Rela- tion, which make me unwilling to De- clare an Opinion of it, unlets I were fatisfied concerning divers Material Cir- cumstances that our Author has lef tun- mentioned % though as lor the Genera- tion of Living Creatures,both Vegetable and Senfitive, it needs not feem Incre- dible, flnce we finde that our common water (which indeed is often Impreg- nated with Variety of Seminal Princi- ples and Rudiments ) being long kept in a quiet place will pu trifle and ftink, and then perhaps too produce Mofs and little Worms, or other Irifefts, according to he nature of the Seeds that were krk- ng in it. I mud likewife defire you to take Notice, that as Helmont gives us no. Inftance of the Production of Minerals out of Water, fo the main Argument that he employ's to prove that they and other Bodies may be refolv'd into wa- ter, is drawn from the Operations of his Alkahell, and confequently cannot

be

%

( i»4>

be fatisfa&orily Examin'd by You and Me,

Yet certainly ( fayes Eleutlxritu ) You cannot but have fomewhat wonder'd as . well as I, to obferve how great a fhare of Water goes to the making up of Di- vers Bodies 3 whofe Difguifes promife nothing neere fo much. The Diftilla- tron of Ecles , though it yielded me fome Oyle, and Spirit, and Volatile Salt, befides the C#g»t mortoum, yet were all thefe fo difproportionate to the Phlegm chat came from them ( and m which" at firft theyboyl'd as in a Pot of Water) that they feem'd to have bin nothing but coagulated Phlegm, which does like wife firangely abound in Vipers, though they are eiteenfd very hot in Operation, and will in a Convenient Aire furvive fome dayes the fo(s of their Heads and Hearts, fo vigorous is their Vivacity. Mans Bloud ft fclf as Spirituous, and as Elaborate a Liquor as 'tis reputed, does fo abound m Phlegm, that, the other Day, Diftiiling fome of it on purpofe to trv the Expe- riment ( as I had formerly done in Deers Bloud ) out of about feven Ounces and a half of pure Bloud we drewneere fix Ounces of Phlegm, before any of the

more

more operative Principles began to arifes and Invite us to change the Receiver* And to fatisfie my felt" that fome of thefe Animall Phlegms were void e- hough of Spirit to deferve that Name, I would not content my felf to tafte them only, but fruitlefly pourd on them acid Liquors, to try if they contain'd any Volatile Salt or Spirit, which (had there been any there ) would probably have difcover'd it felf by making an Ebullition with the arfufed Liquor, And now I mention Corrofive Spirits, I am minded to Inforrtte you , That though they feem to be nothing elfe but Fluid Salts, yet they abound m Water, as you may Obferve,if either you Entangle, and fo Fix their Saline Part, by making them Corrode fome idoneous Body, ot elfe i[ you mortifie it with a contrary Salt ; as I have very mamfeftly Ob- fervM in the making a Mcdecine fome- what like Helmonfs Balfanm Sdmech, with Diftill'd Vinager inftead of Spirit of Wine, wherewith he prepares it: For you would fcarce Belecve ( what I have lately Obferv'd ) that of that acid Spirit^ the Salt of Tartar, from which it is Diftiird, will by mortifying and rc-

•~ saining

(126)

taining the acid Salt turn into worthlefs . Phlegm neere twenty times its weight, before k be fo fully Impregnated as to rob no more Diftill'd Villager of its Salt. And though Spirit of Wine Exquifitely teaifyd teem of all Liquors to be the moft free from Water, it being fo Igne- ous that it will Flame all away with- out leaving the leaft Drop behinde it, yet even this Fiery L;quor is by Helmont not improbably affirm'd , in cafe what he relates be True, to be Ma- terially Water, under a Sulphureous Difguife" : For, according to him, in the making that excellent Medecine, .Para- celfa UsBalfamm Saniech, ( which is no- thing but Sal Tartan dulcifv'd by Diftil- iingfromit Spirit of Wine tillthe Sale be fufficiently glutted with its Sulphur, and furfcr the Liquor to be drawn off, as ftrong as it was pour'd on ) when the Salt : of Tartar from which it is DiflilLd hath retained, or deprived it of the Sul- phureous parts of the Spirit of Wine3 the reft, which is incomparably the greater part ot the Liquor, will remi- grate into Phlegm. I added that Claufe [ In cafe what he Relates he True ] becaufe I have not as yet fufficiently try'd it my

Mi

(127)

felf. But not only fomething of Expe^ iiment keeps me from thinking it, as many Chymifts do, abfurd, ( though i have, as well as they, in vain try'd it with ordinary Salt of Tartar: ) but befides that Belmont often Relates it, and draws Confequences from it ; A Perfon noted for his SobernciTe and Skill in Spagyrical Preparations, having been askt by me, VVhcthcr the Experiment might not be made to fuceeed, if the Salt and Spirit were prepar'd according to a way (bit- able to my Principles, he affirm'd to me* that he had that way I propos'd made' Belmont's Experiment fuceeed very well* without adding any thing to the Salt and Spirit. But our way is neither fhort nor Eafiei

b I have indeed ( fayes CarneAclesJ fome*- times wonder'd to fee how much Phlegme may be obtained from Bodies by the tire .But concerning that Phlegme 1 may anon have Occaffon to note fome- thing<jwhich I therefore (hall notnow an- ticipate.; But to return to the Opinion of ThaJes, and of Behnont.l confidcry that fuppofmg the AJkahek could re- duce all Bodies into water, yet whether that water, becaufe infipid, mult be Ele- mentary

<«8)

mentary, may not grotindlefly be doubt- ed i Fori remember the Candid and Eloquent Petm Laxyemforgius in his Notes upon Salas Aphorifmes affirmes* that he faw art inlipid Men$ruum thar ■ was a powerfull Diffolvenr , and (if my Memory do not much mif-informe me ) could diflblve Gold. And the water which may be Drawn from Quickfilvcr without Addition, though it be almoft Taftlcfs, You will I believe think of a differing Nature from fimple Watery cfpecially if you Digeft in it Appropri-* •ated Mineralls. To which I {hall add but this , that this Consideration may be further extended* For I fee no Ne- cerTity to conceive that the Water men^ tion'd in the Beginning of Gene/is , as the Univerfal Matter, was fimple and Elementary Water s fince though we {h^uld Suppofe it to have been an A- gitatcd Congeries or Heap confiding of a great Variety of Seminal Princi- ples and Rudiments, and of other Cor^ pufcles fit to be fubdu'd andvFafbion'd by them., it might yet be a Body Fluid like Water, in cafe the Corpufcles ic was made up of, were by their Creator made fmall enough, and put into fuch an

acluall

■aftuall Motion as might make them Glide along one another. And as we no\V fay, the Sea eonfifts of Water, not- withftanding the Saline, Terreftrial, and other Bodies mingl'd with it, ) fuch a Liquor may well enough be called Wal- ter, becaufc that was the greateft of the known Bodies whereunto it was like 5 Though, that a Body may be Fluid e~ nough to appear a Liquor, and yet con* tain Corpufcles of a very differing Na- ture, You will eafily believe, if You but expofe a good Quantity of Vitriol in a itron^ Veftel to a Competent Fire* For although it contains both Aqueous* Earthy, Saline, Sulphureous, and Metal- line Corpufcles , yet the whole Mafs will at firft be Fluid like water5 and boylelike afeething pot,

I might eafily ( Continues Carmades ) enlarge my felf on fuch Confederations* 'd I were Now Oblig'd to give You my Judgment of the Thdeftan , and Hel* rnontian^ Hypotheft. But Whether or no we conclude that all things were at firft Generated of Water, I may Deduce from what I have try'd Concerning the Growth of Vegetables, nourifli'd with water3all that I now propos'd to my Self

IC or

(130)

or need at prefent to prove, "namely that Salt, Spirit, Earth, and ev'n Oyl ( though that be thought of all Bodies the moffe oppofite to Water) may be produc'd out of Water , andconfequently that a Chy- mical Principle as well as a Peripatetick Element, may ( infome cafes ) be Gene- rated anew,or obtain'd from fuch a parcel of Matter as was not endow'd with the form of fuch aprinciple orElement before. And having thus, Bleittherim^ Evinc'd that 'tis poffible that fuch Subftances as thofe that Chymifts are wont to call their Tria Prim* , may be Generated, anew : I muft next Endeavour to make it Probable, that the Operation of the Fire does Actually ( fometimes) not on- ly divide Compounded Bodies into fmal Parts, but Compound thofe Parts after a new Manner; whence Confequent- ly, for ought we Know, there may E- merge as well Saline and Sulphureous Subftances, as Bodies of other Textures. And perhaps it will aflift us in our En- quiry after the Effeas of the Operations of the Eire upon other Bodies, to Con- fider a little, what it does to thofe Mix- tures which being Produaions of the Art of Man, We beft know the Corn-

pofitktfi

Oil)

pofition of. Yoii may then be pleas'd to take Notice that though Sope is made up by the Sope^Boylers of Oyle or Greafc, and Salt, and Water Di- ligently Incorporate! together, yet if You expofe the Mafs they Conltnute to. a Graduall Fire in a Retort , You £hall then indeed make a Separation* but not of the fame Subftances that were United into Sope, but of others of a Diftant and yet not an Elemcnta* ry Nature, and efpeci'ally of an Oyle very lharp and Faetd s and of a very Differing Quality from that which was Employ'd to make the Sope : (q if you Mingle in a due Proportion , Sal Ar- momac} with Quick- Lime , and Diftill them by Degrees of Fire, You iliall not Divide the Sal Armoniack from the Qiick-Lime, though the one be a Vola- tile, and the other a Fix d Subftance 3 but that which will afcend will be a Spi- rit much more Fugitive, Penetrant* and ftinking, then Sal Armoniack h and there will remain with the Quick-Lime all or very near all the Sea Salt that concurred to make up the Sal Armoniack 5 con- cerning which Sea Salt I (hall, to fatisfie ou how well it was United to the, & % Lime

d3*>

Lime, informe You, that I have by ma- king the Fire at length very Vehement caus'd both the Ingredients to melt in the Retort it felf into one Mafs and fuch Manes arc apt to Relent in the Moift Air. If it be here Objected, that thefe Inftances are taken from factiti- ous Concretes which are more Com- pounded thenthofe which Nature pro- ducesjl (hall reply 3that befides that I have Mention'd therri as much to Illuftrate what I propos'd, as to prove it, it will be Difficult to Evince that Nature her felf does not make Decompound Bodies, I mean mingle together fuch mixt Bodies as arc already Compounded of Ele- mentary, or rather of more fimple ones. For Vitriol ( for Inftance ) though I have fometimes taken it out of Minerall Earths, where Nature had without any afliftancc of Art prepared it to my Hand, is really , though Chymtfts are pleas'd to reckon it among Salts, a De-com- pounded Body Confiding ( as I (hall have occafion to declare anon ) of a Terreftriall Subftancc, of a Metal, and alfo of at Ieaft one Saline Body, of aPc,cakarand n°t Elementary Nature. And we fee alfo in Animals , that their

blood

(i33;

blood may be compos'd of Divers very Differing Mixt Bodies, fince we find it obferv'd that divers Sea-Fowle taft rank of the Full on which they ordina- rily feed 5 and Hipocrates himfelf Ob«» ferves, that a Child may be purg'd by the Milke of the Nurfe, if (he have ta- ken Elatermm 5 which argues that the purging Corpufcles of the Medicament Concurr to make up the Milke of the Nurfe ; and that white Liquor is gene- rally by Phyfitians fuppos'd to be but blanch'dand alter'd Blood. And I re- member I have obferv'd, not farr from the j£Ij>s, that at a certain time of the Year the Butter of that Country was very Offenfive toftrangers,by rcaion ot the rank taft of a certain Herb, whereon the Cows were then wont plentifully to feed. But ( proceeds Cartseades ) to give you Inftances of another kind, to fhew that things may be obtain'd by the Fire from a Mixt Body that were not Pre-exiftent in it, let Me Remind You, that from many Vegetables there may without any Addition be Obtain'd Glafs, a Body, which I prefume You will not fay was Pre-exiftent in ky but product by the Fire. To which I (hall K2 add

d34)

add but this one Example more, namely that by a certain Artificial way of hand- ling Quicktilver, You may without Addition feparate from it at ieaft a 5th. or 4th.part of a clear Liquor,which with an Ordinary Peripatetick would pafs for Water, and which a Vulgar Chy- mift would not fcruple to call Pnlegme, and which, for ought 1 have yet feen or heard, is not reducible into Mercury a- gain , and Confcquently is more then a JXguife of it. NoWbciidcs that divers Cbymiits will not allow Mercury to have any or at leaft any Confiderable Quantity of either of the Ignoble In- gredients, Earth and Water 5 Befides this, I fay, the great Ponderoufnefs of Qdckfilver makes it very unlikely that it can have fo much Water in it as may be thus obtain'dfrom it3fince Mercury weighs 12 or 14 times as much as wa- ter of the fame Bulk. Nav for a fur- ther Confirmation of this' Argument, I will add this Strange Relation, that two Friends of mine, the one a Phy- fitian , and the other a Mathematician, and both of them Perfonsof unfufpetfed Credit, have Solemnly affured me , that ^ttermanyTryals they made, to reduce

Mercury

Mercury into Water, in Order to a Phi- lofophicall Work, upon Gold ( which yet, by.the way, I know prov'd Unfuc- cesfull ) they did once by divers Coho- bations reduce a pound of Quckfilver into almoila pound of Water, and this without the Addition of any other Sub- ftance , but only by prening the Mer- cury by a Skillfully Manag'd Fire in pur- pofely contriv'd Veffels. But of thefe Experiments our Friend (fayes Came- ades, pointing at the Regifter of this Dialogue) will perhaps give You a more Particular Account then it is ne- ceuary for me to do ; Since what I have now faid may fufficiently tw'mcey that the Fire may fometimes as well alter Bodies as divide them , and by it we may obtain from a Mixt Body what was not Pre-exiftent in it. And how are we fure that in no other Body what we call Phlegme is barely fe- parated, not Produce! by the A&ion of the Fire ; Since fo many other Mixt Bodies are of a much lefs Conftant, ;and more alterable Nature, then Mer- cury 3 by many Tricks it is wont to put upon Chymifts , and by the Experi- ments I told You of, about an hour K 4 flncc,

(ISO fincc, Appears to be. But becaufe I (hall ere long have Occafion to refume into Consideration the Power of the fire to produce new Concretes, I Ml Tjo longer infift on this Argument at prefent ; only I muft mind You, that' if You will not dis-bdieve Helmonts Rela- tions, You muft confefs that the Trti Ixima are neither ingenerable nor incor- ruptible Subftances 5 finceby his Jlka- Mfomeof them may be produe'd of Bodies that were before of another De* nominations and by the fame powerful! MenHrum all of themmayberedue'd into infipid Water.

Here Cwneades was about to pafs on to his Third Consideration, when Eleii- themts being defirous to hear what he could fay ro clear his iecond General Confideratioh from being repugnant to what he fcem'd to think the true Theory of Miftion , prevented him by telling kv* fomewhat wonder, Carxeades, that You, who are info many Points un- laushed with the Peripatetick Opinion touching the Elements and Mixt Bodies, inould alfo feemaverfe to that Notion touching the manner of Miftion, where- ffl the Chymifts ( though perhaps with- out

(137)

out knowing that they do fo ) agree with moft of the Ancient Philosophers that preceded Ariftotle, and that for Reafons fo conliderable, that divers Modern Na- turalifts and Phyfitians, in other things unfavourable enough to the Spagyrifts, do in this cafe fide with them againft the common Opinion of the Schools. If you ihould ask me ( continues Ehutherm ) what Reafons I mean ? I fhould partly by the Writings of Semertm and other learned Men, and partly by my own Thoughts, be fupply'd with more, then 'twere at prefent proper for me to In- fill largely on. And therefore I fhall mention only, and that brielv, three or four.Of thefe , I {hall take the Firft from the ftate of the Controverfie it felf, and the genuine Notion of Million, which though much intricated by the School- men, I take in fhort to be this. Ariftotle, atleaft as many of his Interpreters ex- pound him, and as indeed he Teaches in fome places, where he profelTedly Dif- fents from the Anticnts, declares Milli- on to be fuch a mutual Penetration, and perfect Union of the mingl'd Elements, that there is no Portion of the mixt Bo- dy, how Minute foever, which does not

contain

( 14°) contain All, and Every of the Four Ele- ments, or in which, if you pleafe, all the Elements are not. And I remember, chat he reprehends the Miftion taught : by the Ancients, as too Height or grofs, for this Reafon, that Bodies mixt ac- cording to their Hypothe(isy though they appear jfo to humane Eyes, would not j appear ftich to the acute Eyes of a Lynxy whofe perfe&er Sight would difcerne the Elements, if they were no otherwife mingled, than as his PredecefTors would have it, to be but Blended, not United ; whereas the Antients, though they did not all Agree about what kind of Bodies were Mixt, yet they did almoftunani- moufly hold, that in a compounded Bo- die, though the MifcibilUy whether Ele- ments, Principles, or whatever they pleas'd to call them, were aflociated in fuch fmall Parts, and with fo much Ex- a&nefs, that there was no fenfible Part \ of the Mafs but feem'd to be of the fame i Nature with the reft , and with the whole ; Yet as to the Atomes, or other \ Infenfible Parcels of Matter, whereof each of the Mi 'fcih ilia confifted, they re- tained each of them its own Nature,being i but by Apportion or Jkxrta-Pofition uni- i

ted

(HO

ted with the reft into one Bodie. So that although by virtue of this compofitioa the mixt Body did perhaps obtain Di- vers new Qualities, yetftill the Ingre- dients that Compounded it, retaining their own Nature, were by the De- ftru&ion of the Compptum feparable from each other, the minute Parts di(- ingag^d from thofe of a differing Na- ture, and affociatcd with thofe of their own fort returning to be again, Fire, Earth, or Water, as they were before they cbanc d to be Ingredients o£ that Compofitum. This may be explain'd ( Continues Eletitkevks, ) by a piece of Cloathmade of white and black threds interwoven, wherein though the whole piece appear neither white nor black* but of a refulting Colour, that is gray 9 yet each of the white and black threds that compofc it, remains what it was before, as would appear if the threds were pull'd afunder,and forted each Co- lour by it fdf. This ( purfues Eleutherm) being, as I underftand it, the State of the Controverlle, and the AriHotelians after their Matter Commonly Defi- ning, that Mtftion is Mtfcibilium alter ala- rum ttr,ioy that feems to comport much

better

(14°)

better with the Opinion of the Chy- mifts, then with that of their Adverfa- ries, fince according to that as the new- ly mentioned Example declares, there is but a Juxta-po&tion of feparable Cor- pufcles, retaining each its own Nature, whereas according to the Ari^otelianSy when what they are pleas'd to call a mixt Body refults from the Concourfe of the Elements , the Mifcibili* can* not foproperlybefaidtobe Altcr'd, as Deftroy'd, fmce there is no Part in the mixt Body, how fmall foever, that can be calfd either Fir, or Air, or Water, or Earth.

Nor indeed can I well underftand,how Bodies can be jningl'd other wayes then j as I have declar'd, or at leaft how they j can be mingfd, as our Peripatetieks ; would have k. For whereas Arifietle \ tells us, that i^ a Drop of Wine be j put into ten thoufand Meafures of Wa- ; ter, the Wine being Overpower'd by j fo Vaft a Quantity of Water will be j turn'd into it, he (peaks to my Appre<- henfion, very improbably ■> For though \ One fhould add to that Quantity of Water as many Drops of Wine as would a Thoufand times exceed it all;,

jet

( 141 )

yet by his Rule the whole Liquor (honld not be a Crama, a Mixture of Wine and Water, wherein the Wine would be Predominant, but Water only ; Since the Wine being added but by a Drop at a time would ftill Fall into nothing but Water, and Confequently would be tum'd into it. And if this would hold in Metals too, 'twere a rare fe- cretfor Goldfmiths, and Refiners ;Por by melting a Mafs of Gold, or Silver* and by but calling into it Leader An- timony, Grain after Grain, they might at pleafure,within a reafonable Compafs of time, turn what Quantity they de- fire , of the ignoble into the Noble Me- talls. And indeed fince a Pint of wine, and a pint of water, amount to about a Quart of Liquor, it feems manifeft to fenfe, that thefe Bodies doe not Totally Penetrate one another, as one would have it ; but that each retains its own Dimenflons; and Confequently, that they are by being Mingl'd only di- vided into minute Bodies, that do but touch one another with their Surfaces, as do the Grains, of Wheat, R^e, Bar- ley, &c. in aheap of feverall iorts of Corn t And unlefs we fay , that as

when

(x44)

when one meafure of wheat , for In* ftance, is Blended with a hundred mea* fures of Barley, there happens only a Jitxta-po&tion and Superficial Contact betwixt the Grains of wheats and as many or thereabouts of the Grains of Barley. So when a Drop of wine is mingrd with a great deal of water, there is but an Apportion of fo many Vinous Corpufcles to a Correfpondent Number of Aqueous ones, Unlefs I fay this be faid , I fee not how that Ab- furdity will be avoyded, whercunto the Stokdl Notion of million ( namely by •"»#»»', or Confufion ) was Liable, ac- cording to which the leaft Body may be co -extended with the greateft : Since in a mixt Body wherein before the Ele- ments were Mingl'd there was, for In- ftance, but one pound of water to ten thoufand of Earth , yet according to them there muft not be the leaft part of that Compound , that Confided not as well of Earth, as water. But I in- fift. Perhaps, too long ( fayes Eleathe- rim ) upon the proofs afforded me by the Nature of Miftion : Wherefore I will but name Two or Three other Ar- guments 5 whereof the firft (hall be,

that

(M5)

that according to Ariftotle himfelf,the motion of a mixt Body followes the Nature of the Predominant Ele- ment, as thofe wherein the Earth pre* vails , tend towards the Centre of heavy Bodies. And fincemany things make it Evident, that in divers Mixt Bodies the Elementary Qualities are as well A&ive, though not altogether fo much fo as in the Elements themfelves , it feems not reafonable to deny the adtual Exigence of the Elements in thofe Bo- dies wherein they Operate.

To which I fhall add this Convin- cing Argument, that Experience mani- fefts, and Ariftotle ConfelTes it, that the Mlfcibilia may be again feparated from a mixt Body, as is Obvious in the Chy- mical Refolutions of Plants and Ani- malls, which could not be unlefs they did actually retain their formes in it .- For fmce, according to Ariffotie, and I think according to truth, there is but one common Mafs of all things, which he has been pleas d to call Materia Pri- ma ; And fince 'tis not therefore the Mat- ter but the Forme that Conftituces land Difcriminates Things, to fay that ' the Elements remain not in a Mixt Bo- dy,

(i44>

dy , according to their Formes, but ao cording to their Matter* is not to fay that they remain there at all ; Since although thole Portions of Matter were Earth and water,SccJbefore theyconcurr'dj yet the refulting Body being once Conftituted, may as well be faid to be fimple as any of the Elements, the Matter being con- fefledly of the fame Nature in all Bo- dies, and the Elementary Formes being according to this Hwothefis periffrd and aboltfh'd.

And laftly, and if we will Confute Chymical Experiments, we (hall find the Advantages of the Chymical Do- ctrine above the Peripatetick Title little lefs then Palpable.For in that Operation that Refiners call Quattation, which they employ to purine Gold, although three parts of Silver be fo exquifitely mingl'd by Fufion with a fourth Part of Gold ( whence the Operation is De- nominated ) that the refulting Mafs ac- quires fevcrall new Qualities, by virtue of the Compofltion , and that there is fcarce any fenfible part of it that is notCompos'd of both the mctalls; Yet if You caft this mixture into Aqua For- th s the Silver will be diffolvd in the

Mm*

(»45>

Menflrum, and the Gold like a dark ot black Powder will fall to the Bottom of it , and either Body may be again reduc'd intofuch a Metal as it was be- fore,which ftiews; that it retain'd its Na* ture, notwithstanding its being mixt per Minima with the other : We likewife fee, that though one part of pure Silver be mingled with eight or ten Parts* ot more, of Lead, yet the Fire will upon the Cuppel eafily and perfectly feparate them again. And that which I would have you peculiarly Confidcr on this Oc- cafion is , that not only in Chymicall Anatomies there is a Separation made of the Elementary Ingredients, but that fome Mixt Bodies afford a very much greater Quantity of this or that Ele- ment or Principle than of another ; as we fee, that Turpentine and Amber yield much more Oyl and Sulphur than they do Water, whereas Wine, which is confefs'd to be a perfectly mixt Bodie, yields but a little Inflamable Spirit, or Sulphur, and not much more Earth 5 but affords a vaft proportion of Phlegm ot water : which could not be, if as the ,1?eripateticks fuppofe* every, even of lfJ he minuteft Particles, were of the fame L Na-

I

nature with the whole,and confequently did contain both Earth and Water, and Aire, and Fire s Wherefore as to what uirifiotle principally 3 and almoft only Objects, that unlefs his Opinion be ad- mitted, there would be no true and per- fect Miftion, but onely Aggregates or Heaps ofcontiguousCorpufcles, which5 though the Eye of Man cannot difccrne, yet the Eye of a Lynx might perceive not to be of the fame Nature with one another and with their Totum, as the Nature of Million requires , if: he do not beg the Queftion,and make Miftion toconfift in what other Naturalifts deny to be requifite to it, yet He at leaft ob- jects That as a great Inconvenience which I cannot take for fuch, till he have brought as Confiderable Argu- ments as I have propos'd to prove the contrary, to evince that Nature makes other Millions than fuch as I have al- lowed, wherein the MifcibiUa are re- duc'd into minute Parts, and United as farrasfenfe can difcerne : which if You will not grant to be fufficicnt for a true Miftion, he muft have the fame Qiarrel with Nature her felf, as with his

Where*

C 147)

Wherefore ( Continues Ehutherlm ) I cannot but fomewhat marvail that Car* nt&des fhould oppofe the Doctrine of the Cbymift in a Particular, wherein they do as well agree with his old Mt- ftrefs, Nature, as difTent from his old Adverfary, Ariftotle.

I muft not ( replies Ctrneades ) engage myfelf at prefenc to examine thorowly the Controveriies concerning Million : And if there were no third thing , but that I were reduc'd to embrace abfo- lutely and unrefervedly either the Opini- on of Aristotle , or that of the Philofo- phers that went before him, I fhould look upon the latter, which the Chy- miftshavc adopted, as the more defen- fible Opinion: But becaufe differing in the Opinions about the Elements from both Parties, I think I can take a middle Courfe, and Difcourfe to you of Million after a way that does neither perfectly agree, nor perfectly difagrec with ei- ther, as I will not peremptorily define, whether there be not Cafes wherein fome Tb^nomem of Million feem to fa- vour the Opinion that the ChymiuVPa- tronsborrow'dof the Antients, I (hall only endeavour to fhew You that there L % are

(148) arc fotne cafes which may keep the Doubt, which makes up my fecond Ge- neral Consideration from being unrea- fonablc.

I (hall then freely acknowledge to You ( fayes Carneades ) that 1 am not o- ver-well fatisfi'd with the Doctrine that is afcribed to Ariftotle> concerning Mi- llion , efpccially fince it teaches that the four Elements may again be fepara- ted from the mixt Body ; whereas if they continued not in it, it would not be fo much a Separation as a Producti- on. And I think the Ancient Philofo- phers that Preceded JtriHotle^nd Chy- rnifts who have fince receiv'd the fame Opinion , do fpeak of this matter more intelligibly, if not more probably, then the Peripateticks ; but though they fpeak Congruoufly enough, to their be- lieving, that there are a certain Number of Primogeneal Bodies, by whofe Con- courfe all thofe we call Mixts are Ge- nerated, and which in the Definition of mixt Bodies do barely part company, and recede from one another, juft fuch as they were when they came together, yet I, who meet with very few Opini- ons that lean entirely Acquiefce in 3

muft

(i45>>> muftconfefs to You that I am inclin'd to dififer not only from the Aristotelians, but from the old Philofophers and the Chymifts, about the Nature of Miftion: And if You will give me leave, I (hall Briefly propofe to you my prefent No- tion of it, provided you will look up- on it, not fo much as an Aflertion as an Hypotbefis 5 in talking of which I do not now pretend to propofe and debate the whole Doctrine of Miftion, but to fhew that 'tis not Improbable, that fometimes mingl'd fubftancesmay be fo ttricHyu- nited, that it doth not by the ufuall O- perattons of the Fire, by which Chy- mifts are wont to fuppofe themfelves to have made the Analjfes of mixt Bo- dies, Efficiently appear , that in fuch Bodies the Mifcibilia that concurr'd to make them up do each of them re- tain its own peculiar Nature ; and by the Spagyrifls Fires may be more eafily extricated and Recover'd, than A1-. ter'd, either by a Change of Texture in the Parts of the fame Ingredient, or by an Aftbciation with fome parts of ano- ther Ingredient more ftri& than was that of the parts of this or that Mifcibilc a-* mong themfelves. At tbefe words Ele». h I having

( 15°) having prefs'd him to do what he pro- posd,and promis'd to. do what he defir'd; I confider then ( refumes Carneades ) that , not to mention thofe improper Kinds of million, wherein Homogene- ous Bodies are joyn'd, as when Water is mLigi'd with water ,or two Veffels full of the lame kind of Wine with one ano- ther, the million I am now to Difcpurfe of feems. Generally fpeaking, to be but an Union per Minima of any two or more Bodies of differing Denominati- ons ; as when Afhes and Sand afe Colli- quated into Glafsor Antimony, and Iron into Reguhs MartiSyQi Wine and Water are mingl'd, and Sugar is diiTolv'd in the Mixture. Now in this general notion of Million it does not appear clearly com- prehended,that the Mifeihilia or Ingre- dients do in their fmall Parts fo retain their Nature and remain diftincl: in the Compound, that they may thence by the Fire be again taken afunder : For though I deny not that in fome Mi- llions of certain permanent Bodies this Recovery of the fame Ingredients may be made, yet I am not convine'd that it will hold in all or even in mofr,or that it is neceffarily deducible from Chy-

rnicall

micall Experiments, and the true No- tion of Miftion. To explain this a little, I affume, that Bodies may be mingl'd, and that very durably , that are not E- lementary or refolv'd into Elements or Principles that they may be mingl'd 5 as is evident in the Regains of Colli- quated Antimony, and Iron newly mention'd ; and in Gold Coyne, which Ms fo many ages;wherein generally the Gold is alloy'd by the mixture of a quan- tity, greater or leffer,(in our Mints they ufe about a 12th. part ) of either filver, or Copper, or both. Ncxt,l confider, that there being but one Univerfal mat- ter ^ of things, as 'tis known that the Arifioteliam themfelves acknowledge, who call it Materia Prima ( about which neverthelefs I like not ail their Opinions , ) the Portions of this matter feem to differ from One Another, but ifl certain Qualities or Accidents, fewer or more; upon whofe Account the Corporeal Subftance they belong to receives its Denomination , and is re- ferr'd to this or that particular fort of Bodies 5 fo that if it come to lofc,orbe deprtv'd of thofe Qualities, though ic ceafes not to be a Body , yet it ceafes L4 from

(I$2)

from being that kind of Body as a Plant, qr Animal, or Red, Green , Sweet , Sowre , or the like. I contukr that it very often happens that the fmali parts of Bodies cohere together but by immediate ContacT: and Reft ; and that however, there are few Bodies whofe minute Parts ttickfoclofe together, to what eaufe foever their Combination be afcrib'd, but that it is poflible to meet with fome other Body , whofe fmali Parts may get between them , and fo dis- joyn them 5 or may be fitted to co* here more ftrongly with fome of them, then thofefomedo with the reft; or at leaft may be combin'd fo clckly with them , as that neither the Fire , nor the other ufual Inftruments of Chymi- cal Anatomies will feparate them. Thefe things being premise, I will not peremptorily deny, but that there may be fome Clufters of Particles, wherein the Particles are fo minute , and the Coherence fo ftri&,orborh, that when Bodies of Differing Denominations, and confifting of fuch durable Clufters, happen to be mingpd , though the Compound Body made up of them fmy be very Differing from either of

the

(*53)

the Ingredients, yet each of the little Maffes or Clufters may fo retain its own Nature, as j^be again feparable, fuch as it was before. As when Gold and Silver being melted Together in a Due Proportion ( for in every Proportion , the Refiners will tell Ycu that the Ex- periment will not (ueceed ) Aqua Fortis will diffolve the Silver, and leave the Gold untouch^ by which means, as you lately noted, both the Me tails may be recover'd from the mixed Mafs. But ( Continues Carneades ) there are other Clufters wherein the Particles flick not fo clofe together , but that they may meet with Corpufcles of another De- nomination , which are difpos'd to be more clofely United with fome of them, then they were among themfelves.And in fuch cafe,two thus combining Corpufcles lofing that Shape, or Size, or Motion, or other Accident , upon whofe Account they were endownd with fuch a Deter- minate Quality or Nature, each of them really ceafes to be a C^orpufcle of the | fame Denomination it was before ; and

ifrom the Coalition of thefe there may emerge a new Body, as really one, as cither of the Corpufcles was before

they

(154)

they were mingl'd, or, if you pleafe. Confounded .- Since this Concretion is really endow'd with its own Diftinft qua- lities, and can no more by the Fire, or any other known way of Analjfis^ be di- vided again into the Corpufcles that at firft concurr'd to make it, than either of them could by the fame means be fub- divided into other Particles. But ( fayes Eleutherm ) to make this more intelligi- ble by particular examples jlf you diifolve Copper in Aqua Foytis , or Spirit of Nitre, ( for I remember not which I us'd, nor do I think it much Material) i You may by Cryftalizing the Solution J Obtain a goodly Vitriol; which though | by Virtue of the Compofuion it have ;manifeftly diverfe Qualities, not to be met with in either of the Ingredients, yet k feems that the Nitrous Spi- rits, or at leaft many of them, may in this Compounded Mais retain their for- mer Nature; for having for tryal fake DifthTd this Vitrioll Spirit, there came over ftore of Red Fumes, which by that Colour, by their peculiar ftiake, and by their Sournefs, manifefted them- felves to be, Nitrous Spirits ; and that the remaining Calx continu'd Copper,

(155)

I fuppofe you'l eafily belccve. But if you dilfolve Minium^ which is but Lead Powder d by the Fire , in good Spirit of Vinager,and Cryftalize the Solution, you fball not only have a Saccharine Salt exceedingly differing from both its Ingredients 5 but the Union of fome Parts of the Menhrtmm with fome of thofe of the Metal is fo itri6t, that the Spirit of Vinager feems tobe,as fucb, deftroy'd , fince the Saline Corpufcles have quite loft that acidity , upon whofe Account the Liquor was call'd Spirit of Vinager $ nor can anyfuch Acid Parts as were put to the Minium be Sepa- rated by any known way from the Sae- tPArum Saturm refulting from them both 5 for not only there is no Sowr- nefs at all, but an admirable Sweetnefs to, be tafted in the Concretion 3 and not only I found, not that Spirit of Wine,! which otherwife will immediately hifsj when mingl'd with ftrong Spirit of Vi-j nager, would hifs being pour'd upon Saccharum Saturm, wherein yet the A- cid Salt of Vinager, did it Survive, may feem to be concentrated 5 but upon the Diftillarion of Suchamm Saturni by its Self I found indeed a Liquor very Pe- netrant

(15*)

netrant,butnotat all Acid, and differ- ing as well in fmell and other Qualities, as in taft,from the Spirit of Vinager, which likewife feem'd to have left Tome 1 of its Parts very firmly united to the Caput Mortmimy which though of a Lea- den Nature was in fmell, Colour, Sec. differing from Minium 5 which brings into my mind, that though two Pow- ders, the one Blew , and the other Yellow, may appear a Green mixture, without either of them lofing its own Colour, as a good Microfcope has fome- times informed me ;yet having mingPd Minium and Sal Armoniack in a requi- re Proportion, and expos'd them in a Glafs Veffel to the Fire, the whole. Mafs became White, and the Red Cor- pufcles were deftroy'd ; for though the Calcined Lead was feparable from the Salt, yet you'l eafily beleeve it did not part from it in the Forme of a Red Powder, fuch as was the Minium , when it was put to the Sal Armoniack. Heave it alfo to be confider'd, whether in Blood, and divers other Bodies, it be probable, that each of the Corpufcles that concurr to make a Compound Body doch, though fome of them in

fame

(157)

fome Cafes may, retain its own Nature in it, fo that Chymfts may Extricate each fort of them from ail the "others , wherewith it concurr'd to make a Body ef one Denomination.

I know there may be a Diftinclion be- twixt Matter Immanent^ when the ma- terial Parts remain and retain their own Nature in the <