solvable in scorching territories, and the negro land of Congo.

And, therefore, I fears we commonly consider subterraneities not in contemplations sufficiently respective unto the creation. For, though Moses have left no mention of minerals, nor made any other description than suits unto the apparent and visible creation, yet is there, unquestionably, a very large class of creatures in the earth, far above the condition of elementarity. And, although not in a distinct and indisputable way of vivency, or answering in all points the properties or affections of plants, yet in inferior and descending constitutions they do, like these, contain specifical distinctions, and are determined by seminalities, that is, created and defined seeds committed unto the earth from the beginning. Wherein, although they attain not the indubitable requisites of animation, yet have they a near affinity thereto. And, though we want a proper name and expressive appellation, yet are they not to be closed up in the general name of concretions, or lightly passed over, as only elementary and subterraneous

mixtions.

The principal and most gemmary affection is its tralucency: as for irradiancy or sparkling, which is found in many gems, it is not discoverable in this, for it cometh short of their compactness and durity; and, therefore, requireth not the emery, as the saphire, granite, and topaz, but will receive impression from steel, in a manner like the turquoise. As for its diaphanity or perspicuity, it enjoyeth that most eminently; and the reason thereof is its continuity, as having its earthy and salinous parts so exactly resolved, that its body is left imporous, and not discreted by atomical terminations. For that continuity of parts is the cause of perspicuity,' is made perspicuous by two ways of

And, therefore, I fear.] This paragraph gives an excellent and very accurate view of the nature of the beings composing the mineral kingdom,-if by "seeds" we understand formative principles.--Br.

9 tralucency.] For "translucency." Johnson gives tralucent, citing Davies and B. Jonson-but not tralucency.

1 continuity of parts is the cause of perspicuity.] The explanation of the cause of transparency in this paragraph is quite accurate, so far as it goes; but to make it satisfactory, it must be added, that continuity of parts is necessary to transparency, because, in that case, the refrac

experiment. That is, either in effecting transparency in those bodies which were not so before, or at least far short of the additional degree: so snow becomes transparent upon liquation; so horns and bodies resolvable into continued parts or jelly; the like is observable in oiled paper, wherein, the interstitial divisions being continuated by the accession of oil, it becometh more transparent, and admits the visible rays with less umbrosity. Or else the same is effected by rendering those bodies opacous which were before pellucid and perspicuous: so glass, which was before diaphanous, being by powder reduced into multiplicity of superficies, becomes an opacous body, and will not transmit the light: so it is in crystal powdered, and so it is also before, for if it be made hot in a crucible, and presently projected upon water, it will grow dim, and abate its diaphanity: for the water, entering the body, begets a division of parts, and a termination of atoms united before unto continuity.2

The ground of this opinion might be, first, the conclusions of some men from experience; for as much as crystal is found sometimes in rocks, and in some places not much unlike the stirious or stillicidious dependencies of ice. Which,

tive effect upon the rays of light is uniform throughout the body, so that the rays (however those which do not fall upon the surface in a direction perpendicular to it may be diverted from their original course,) come unbroken to the eye; whereas, when the continuity is broken, as in the case of powdered glass, the interstices of which are filled with air, which has a different refractive power from the particles of glass, the rays are again and again broken, and turned from their course, so that they cannot reach the eye through the substance, so as to present images of the bodies on the other side.-Br.

2

for if it be made hot, &c.] This statement also is generally true, but the cause of the opacity produced is not the entering of the water into the crystal, but its being filled with cracks arising from the sudden cooling, and these, whether filled with water or with air, having a different refractive power from the crystal itself, an effect takes place corresponding to that explained above.

It may be observed, upon the whole, that there is much excellent reasoning and much real science in this chapter, but mingled, of course, with occasional fallacies, and with some now antiquated prejudices. -Br.

3 The ground of this opinion.] Namely, "that crystal is ice congealed beyond liquation."

the stirious or stillicidious, &c.] Stirious, like icicles: stillicidious, falling in drops.

notwithstanding, may happen, either in places which have been forsaken or left bare by the earth, or may be petrifications, or mineral indurations, like other gems, proceeding from percolations of the earth disposed unto such concretions.

e;

The second and most common ground is from the name crystallus, whereby in Greek both ice and crystal are expressed; which many not duly considering, have, from their community of name, conceived a community of nature, and what was ascribed unto the one, not unfitly appliable unto the other. But this is a fallacy of equivocation, from a society in name inferring an identity in nature. By this fallacy was he deceived that drank aqua fortis for strong water: by this are they deluded who conceive spermaceti, which is found about the head, to be the spawn of the whale or take sanguis draconis, which is the gum of a tree, to be the blood of a dragon. By the same logic we may infer the crystalline humour of the eye, or rather the crystalline heaven above, to be of the substance of crystal here below; or that God sendeth down crystal, because it is delivered in the vulgate translation, Ps. 47: mittit crystallum suum sicut buccellas. Which translation, although it literally express the septuagint, yet is there no more meant thereby than what our translation in plain English expresseth, that is, "he casteth forth his ice like morsels;" or what Tremellius and Junius as clearly deliver, dejicit gelu suum sicut frusta, coram frigore ejus quis consistet? which proper and Latin expressions, had they been observed in ancient translations, elder expositors had not been misguided by the synonymy: nor had they afforded occasion unto Austin, the Gloss, Lyranus, and many others, to have taken up the common conceit, and spoken of this text conformably unto the opinion rejected.

5 aqua fortis, &c.] An Englishman gave occasion to this error; who, translating that tract (of the French Ld. ****) of Salt and Fire, renders it so, out of a gross pernicious ignorance, which I wisht might be corrected. Wr.

the Gloss.] Referring probably to the annotations of Walafridus Strabo, who flourished in the ninth century. They were called glossa ordinaria, and for many years were received as the only authorized interpretation of the Bible. The best edition of the Gloss of Strabo, as well of the Postilla, or expositions of Nicolas de Lyra, or Lyranus, was published in folio, at Antwerp, in 1684.

CHAPTER II.

Concerning the Loadstone: of things particularly spoken thereof,
evidently or probably true.

AND first, we conceive the earth to be a magnetical body? A magnetical body, we term, not only that which hath a power attractive, but that which, seated in a convenient medium, naturally disposeth itself to one invariable and fixed

And first, we conceive the earth, &c.] The chapter which begins with this opinion, though containing many errors, is yet characterized by the sagacity and acuteness so often displayed by the author in treating of a complex and difficult subject of science, and also by those philosophic views in which he occasionally anticipated the most profound results attained in the modern investigations of the powers of nature. The remark now immediately before us partakes, in all respects, of the character of the chapter itself. That the earth is “a magnetical body," in the senses in which we apply that term to the magnet itself, and to the metals, iron, nickel, and some others, is a notion for which there is no foundation whatever; nor have we any reason for supposing that the "polary position" of the earth, or the direction of its axis in space, is produced by magnetism. And further, there is a deep error in philosophy in the fundamental notion of the author, that a magnetical body, as he defines it, naturally "disposeth itself" to one invariable and fixed situation; the fact being, as all the phenomena of magnetism conspire to evince, that magnetized bodies which apparently possess that property are in reality disposed to it, by the influence of a subtle agent permeating them, and the action of which is in some unknown manner connected with an arrangement in space, having a particular relation to the figure and position, and probably to some of the material constituents also of the earth. Supposing it to be true (which at present, however, we have no reason to suppose) that if the whole earth could be violently removed, it would "returu unto its polary position again," that effect would not result from an inherent virtue in the planet itself, but from its being so constituted as to receive and obey the action of the vortical or other motions of the subtle ethereal fluid, in which (from the recent investigations of Encke and others) we now know it to be placed, and by which also we know it to be pervaded: this would cause it to return to its position, much in the same way as a ball held by strings in a particular position returns to that position after displacement, by their action upon it; or, which is a closer representation of the circumstances, as a magnetic needle, after disturbance, returns to its original direction, to the magnetic north and south, by the force of terrestrial magnetism acting upon it.-Br.

situation. And such a magnetical virtue we conceive to be in the globe of the earth, whereby, as unto its natural points and proper terms, it disposeth itself unto the poles; being so framed, constituted, and ordered unto these points, that those parts which are now at the poles, would not naturally abide unto the equator, nor Greenland remain in the place of Magellanica. And if the whole earth were violently removed, yet would it not forego its primitive points, nor pitch in the east or west, but return unto its polary position again. For, though by compactness or gravity it may acquire the lowest place, and become the centre of the universe, yet, that it makes good that point, not varying at all by the accession of bodies upon, or secession thereof from its surface, perturbing the equilibration of either hemisphere (whereby the altitude of the stars might vary), or that it strictly maintains the north and southern points, that neither upon the motions of the heavens, air, and winds without, large eruptions and divisions of parts within its polary parts, should never incline or veer unto the equator (whereby the latitude of places should also vary), it cannot so well be salved from gravity, as a magnetical verticity. This is, probably, that foundation the wisdom of the Creator hath laid unto the earth; in this sense we may more nearly apprehend, and sensibly make out the expressions of holy scripture, as, Firmavit orbem terræ qui non commovebitur, he hath made the round world so sure, that it cannot be moved;" ""* as when it is said by Job, extendit aquilonem super vacuo, &c., "he stretcheth forth the north upon the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing." this is the most probable answer unto that great question, Whereupon are the foundations of the earth fastened, or who laid the corner-stone thereof?" Had they been acquainted with this principle, Anaxagoras, Socrates, and Democritus, had better made out the ground of this stability; Xenophanes had not been fain to say, the earth

66

And

and become the centre of the universe.] It must be borne in mind that the author was not a convert to the Copernican system of astronomy. His opposite opinions on this science will be observed to pervade all his reasonings, and to tinge all his feelings.