coral, save that it closeth at the top. This being set in water within a house, spreadeth and displayeth strangely; and the people thereabout have a superstitious belief, that in the labour of women it helpeth to the easy deliverance.

Experiment solitary touching the materials of glass. 770. The crystalline Venice glass is reported to be a mixture in equal portions of stones brought from Pavia by the river Ticinum, and the ashes of a weed, called by the Arabs kal, which is gathered in a desert between Alexandria and Rosetta; and is by the Egyptians used first for fuel; and then they crush the ashes into lumps like a stone, and so sell them to the Venetians for their glass-works.

issue forth. I remember Livy doth relate, that there were found at a time two coffins of lead in a tomb; whereof the one contained the body of King Numa, it being some four hundred years after his death: and the other, his books of sacred rites and ceremonies, and the discipline of the pontiffs; and that in the coffin that had the body, there was nothing at all to be seen, but a little light einders about the sides, but in the coffin that had the books, they were found as fresh as if they had been but newly written, being written on parchment, and covered over with watchcandles of wax three or four fold. By this it seemeth that the Romans in Numa's time were not so good embalmers as the Egyptians were; which was the cause that the body was utterly consumed. But I find in Plutarch and others, that when Augustus Cæsar visited the sepulchre of Alexander the Great in Alexandria, he found the body to keep its dimension; but withal, that notwithstanding all the embalming, which no doubt was the best, the body was so tender, as Cæsar, touching but the nose of it, defaced it. Which maketh me find it very strange, that the Egyptian mummies should be reported to be as hard as stone-pitch; for I find no difference but one, which indeed may be very material, namely that the ancient Egyptian mummies were shrouded in a number of folds of linen, besmeared with gums, in manner of cerecloth, which it doth not appear was practised upon the body of Alexander.

Experiment solitary touching the abundance of

nitre in certain sea-shores.

772. Near the castle of Caty, and by the wells of Assan, in the land of Idumea, a great part of the way you would think the sea were near at hand, though it be a good distance off: and it is nothing but the shining of the nitre upon the sea sands, such abundance of nitre the shores there do put forth.

Experiment solitary touching prohibition of putrefaction, and the long conservation of bodies. 771. It is strange, and well to be noted, how long carcasses have continued uncorrupt, and in their former dimensions, as appeareth in the mummies of Egypt; having lasted, as is conceived, some of them, three thousand years. It is true, they find means to draw forth the brains, and to take forth the entrails, which are the parts aptest to corrupt. But that is nothing to the wonder: for we see what a soft and corruptible substance the flesh of all the other parts of the body is. But it should seem, that, according to our observation and axiom in our hundredth experiment, putrefaction, which we conceive to be so natural a period of bodies, is but an accident; and that matter maketh not that haste to corruption that is conceived. And therefore bodies in shining amber, in quicksilver, in balms, whereof we now speak, in wax, in honey, in gums, and, it may be, in conservatories of snow, &c., are preserved very long. It need not go for repetition, if we resume again that which we said in the aforesaid experiment concerning annihilation; namely, that if you provide against three causes of putrefaction, bodies will not corrupt: the first is, that the air be excluded, for that undermineth the body, and conspireth with the spirit of the body to dissolve it. The second is, that the body adjacent and ambient be not commaterial, but merely heterogeneal towards the body that is to be preserved; for if nothing can be received by the one; nothing can issue from the other; such are quick-water is but an over-weight of the body put silver and white amber, to herbs, and flies, and such bodies. The third is, that the body to be preserved be not of that gross that it may corrupt within itself, although no part of it issue into the body adjacent and therefore it must be rather thin and small, than of bulk. There is a fourth remedy also, which is, that if the body to be preserved be of bulk, as a corpse is, then the body that incloseth it must have a virtue to draw forth, and dry the moisture of the inward body; for else 774. It is reported, that at the foot of a hill near the putrefaction will play within, though nothing the Mare Mortuum there is a black stone, where

Experiment solitary touching bodies that are borne up by water.

773. The Dead Sea, which vomiteth up bitumen, is of that crassitude, as living bodies bound hand and foot cast into it have been borne up, and not sunk; which showeth, that all sinking into

into the water in respect of the water; so that you may make water so strong and heavy, of quicksilver, perhaps, or the like, as may bear up iron: of which I see no use, but imposture. We see also, that all metals, except gold, for the same reason, swim upon quicksilver.

Experiment solitary touching fuel that consumeth little or nothing.

And I am

sooner corrupt in some airs than in others. They be noble experiments that can make this discovery; for they serve for a natural divination of seasons, better than the astronomers can by their figures: and again, they teach men where to choose their dwelling for their better health.

Experiment solitary touching increasing of milk in

milch beasts.

of pilgrims make fires, which burneth like a coal, | gather mould more than in others. and diminisheth not, but only waxeth brighter persuaded that a piece of raw flesh or fish will and whiter. That it should do so is not strange for we see iron red-hot burneth, and consumeth not; but the strangeness is, that it should continue any time so: for iron, as soon as it is out of the fire, deadeth straightways. Certainly it were a thing of great use and profit, if you could find out fuel that would burn hot, and yet last long: neither am I altogether incredulous but there may be such candles as they say are made of salamander's wool; being a kind of mineral, which whiteneth also in the burning, and consumeth not. The question is this; flame must be made of somewhat, and commonly it is made of some tangible body which hath weight: but it is not impossible perhaps that it should be made of spirit, or vapour, in a body, which spirit or vapour hath no weight, such as is the matter of ignis fatuus. But then you will say, that that vapour also can last but a short time to that it may be answered, that by | Experiment solitary touching sand of the nature of the help of oil, and wax, and other candle-stuff, the flame may continue, and the wick not burn.

Experiment solitary economical touching cheap fuel.

775. Sea-coal lasts longer than charcoal; and charcoal of roots, being coaled into great pieces, lasts longer than ordinary charcoal. Turf and peat, and cow-sheards, are cheap fuels, and last long. Small-coal, or brier-coal, poured upon charcoal, make them last longer. Sedge is a cheap fuel to brew or bake with: the rather because it is good for nothing else. Trial would be made of some mixture of sea-coal with earth or chalk : for if that mixture be, as the sea-coal men use it, privily, to make the bulk of the coal greater, it is deceit; but if it be used purposely, and be made known, it is saving.

Experiment solitary touching the gathering of wind for freshness.

778. There is a kind of stone about Bethlehem, which they grind to powder, and put into water, whereof cattle drink, which maketh them give more milk. Surely there would be some better trials made of mixtures of water in ponds for cattle, to make them more milch, or to fatten them, or to keep them from murrain. It may be chalk and nitre are of the best.

glass.

779. It is reported, that in the valley near the mountain Carmel in Judea there is a sand, which of all other hath most affinity with glass: insomuch as other minerals laid in it turn to a glassy substance without the fire; and again, glass put into it turneth into the mother sand. The thing is very strange, if it be true: and it is likeliest to be caused by some natural furnace or heat in the earth; and yet they do not speak of any eruption of flames. It were good to try in glass-works, whether the crude materials of glass, mingled with glass already made, and remolten, do not facilitate the making of glass with less heat.

Experiment solitary touching the growth of coral.

780. In the sea, upon the south-west of Sicily, much coral is found. It is a submarine plant. It hath no leaves; it brancheth only when it is under water; it is soft, and green of colour; but being brought into the air, it becometh hard and shining red, as we see. It is said also to have a white but we find it not brought over with the Belike it is cast away as nothing worth: inquire better of it, for the discovery of the nature of the plant.

776. It is at this day in use in Gaza, to couch potsherds or vessels of earth in their walls, to ga-berry ther the wind from the top, and to pass it down coral. in spouts into rooms. It is a device for freshness in great heats: and it is said, there are some rooms in Italy and Spain for freshness, and gathering the winds and air in the heats of summer; but they be but pennings of the winds, and enlarging them again, and making them reverberate, and go round in circles, rather than this device of spouts in the wall.

Experiment solitary touching the trials of airs. 777. There would be used much diligence in the choice of some bodies and places, as it were, for the tasting of air; to discover the wholesomeness or unwholesomeness, as well of seasons, as of the seats of dwellings. It is certain, that there be some houses wherein confitures and pies will VOL. II.-14

Experiment solitary touching the gathering of

manna.

781. The manna of Calabria is the best, and in most plenty. They gather it from the leaf of the mulberry-tree; but not of such mulberry-trees as grow in the valleys. And manna falleth upon the leaves by night, as other dews do. It should seem, that before those dews come upon trees in the valleys, they dissipate and cannot hold out. It should seem, also, the mulberry-leaf itself hath some coagulating virtue, which inspissateth the dew, for that it is not found upon other trees: and we see by the silk-worm, which feedeth upon

that leaf, what a dainty smooth juice it hath; and | require desiccation, which by the defluxion of the leaves also, especially of the black mulberry, humours of the lower parts is hindered: whereas are somewhat bristly, which may help to preserve hurts and ulcers in the head require it not; but the dew. Certainly it were not amiss to observe contrariwise dryness maketh them more apt to a little better the dews that fall upon trees, or consolidate. And in modern observation, the like herbs growing on mountains; for it may be many difference hath been found between Frenchmen dews fall, that spend before they come to the and Englishmen; whereof the one's constitution valleys. And I suppose, that he that would ga- is more dry, and the other's more moist. And ther the best May-dew for medicine, should gather therefore a hurt of the head is harder to cure in a it from the hills. Frenchman, and of the leg in an Englishman.

Experiment solitary touching the correcting of Experiment solitary touching the healthfulness or

wine.

782. It is said they have a manner to prepare their Greek wines, to keep them from fuming and inebriating, by adding some sulphur or alum; whereof the one is unctuous, and the other is astringent. And certain it is, that those two natures do best repress fumes. This experiment would be transferred unto other wine and strong beer, by putting in some like substances while they work; which may make them both to fume less, and to inflame less.

Experiment solitary touching the materials of wildfire.

unhealthfulness of the southern wind.

786. It hath been noted by the ancients, that southern winds, blowing much, without rain, do cause a feverous disposition of the year; but with rain, not. The cause is, for that southern winds do of themselves qualify the air, to be apt to cause fevers; but when showers are joined, they do refrigerate in part, and check the sultry heat of the southern wind. Therefore this holdeth not in the sea coasts, because the vapour of the sea, without showers, doth refresh.

Experiment solitary touching wounds. 787. It hath been noted by the ancients, that wounds which are made with brass heal more easily than wounds made with iron. The cause is, for that brass hath in itself a sanative virtue; and so in the very instant helpeth somewhat: but iron is corrosive and not sanative. And therefore it were good, that the instruments which are used by chirurgeons about wounds, were rather of brass than iron.

783. It is conceived by some, not improbably, that the reason why wild fires, whereof the principal ingredient is bitumen, do not quench with water, is, for that the first concretion of bitumen is a mixture of a fiery and watery substance; so is not sulphur. This appeareth, for that in the place near Puteoli, which they call the court of Vulcan, you shall hear under the earth a horrible thundering of fire and water conflicting together; and there break forth also spouts of boiling water. Now that place yieldeth great quantities of bitumen; whereas Etna and Vesuvius, and the like, which consist upon sulphur, shoot forth smoke, and ashes, and pumice, but no water. It is re-sently. The cause is, for that the few spirits ported also, that bitumen mingled with lime, and put under water, will make as it were an artificial rock; the substance becometh so hard.

Experiment solitary touching mortification by cold.

788. In the cold countries, when men's noses and ears are mortified, and, as it were, gangrened with cold, if they come to a fire they rot off pre

that remain in those parts, are suddenly drawn forth, and so putrefaction is made complete. But snow put upon them helpeth: for that it preserveth those spirits that remain, till they can re

Experiment solitary touching plaster growing as vive; and besides, snow hath in it a secret

hard as marble.

784. There is a cement, compounded of flour, whites of eggs, and stone powdered, that becometh hard as marble: wherewith Piscina Mirabilis, near Cuma, is said to have the walls plastered. And it is certain and tried, that the powder of loadstone and flint, by the addition of whites of eggs, and gum-dragon, made into paste, will in a few days harden to the hardness of a stone.

warmth as the monk proved out of the text; “qui dat nivem sicut lanam, gelu sicut cineres spargit." Whereby he did infer, that snow did warm like wool, and frost did fret like ashes. Warm water also doth good; because by little and little it openeth the pores, without any sudden working upon the spirits. This experiment may be transferred to the cure of gangrenes, either coming of themselves, or induced by too much applying of opiates; wherein you must beware of

Experiment solitary touching judgment of the cure dry heat, and resort to things that are refrigerant,

in some ulcers and hurts.

785. It hath been noted by the ancients, that in full or impure bodies, ulcers or hurts in the legs are hard to cure, and in the head more easy. The cause is, for that ulcers or hurts in the legs

with an inward warinth, and virtue of cherishing.

Experiment solitary touching weight. 789. Weigh iron and aqua fortis severally; then dissolve the iron in the aqua fortis, and

Experiment solitary touching the super-natation of cend. bodies.

790. Take of aqua fortis two ounces, of quicksilver two drams, for that charge the aqua fortis will bear, the dissolution will not bear a flint as big as a nutmeg; yet, no doubt, the increasing of the weight of water will increase its power of bearing; as we see brine, when it is salt enough, will bear an egg. And I remember well a physician, that used to give some mineral baths for the gout, &c.; and the body, when it was put into the bath, could not get down so easily as in ordinary water. But it seemeth the weight of the quicksilver more than the weight of a stone, doth not compense the weight of a stone more than the weight of the aqua fortis.

Experiment solitary touching the flying of unequal rion, especially of a dead horse, maketh them fly

Experiment solitary touching the force of imagination, imitating that of the sense. 795. Those effects which are wrought by the percussion of the sense, and by things in fact, are produced likewise in some degree by the imagination. Therefore if a man see another eat sour Experiment solitary touching water, that it may be or acid things, which set the teeth on edge, this object tainteth the imagination. So that he that 792. It is certain, as it hath been formerly in seeth the thing done by another, hath his own