in form of a cube, and let it have good thick and | we aim at the making of Paracelsus's pygmies, strong sides. Put into it a cube of wood, that or any such prodigious follies; but that we know may fill it as close as may be, and let it have a the effects of heat will be such, as will scarce fall cover of iron, as strong at least as the sides, and under the conceit of man, if the force of it be allet it be well luted, after the manner of the chy-together kept in. mists. Then place the vessel within burning coals, annihilation. kept quick kindled for some few hours' space. Experiment solitary touching the impossibility of Then take the vessel from the fire, and take off the cover, and see what is become of the wood. I conceive, that since all inflammation and evaporation are utterly prohibited, and the body still turned upon itself, that one of these two effects will follow either that the body of the wood will be turned into a kind of "amalgama," as the chymists call it, or that the finer part will be turned into air, and the grosser stick as it were baked, and incrustate upon the sides of the vessel, being become of a denser matter than the wood itself crude. And for another trial, take also water, and put it in the like vessel, stopped as before, but use a gentler heat, and remove the vessel sometimes from the fire; and again, after some small time, when it is cold, renew the heating of it; and repeat this alteration some few times: and if you can once bring to pass, that the water, which is one of the simplest of bodies, be changed in colour, odour, or taste, after the manner of compound bodies, you may be sure that there is a great work wrought in nature, and a notable entrance made into strange changes of bodies and productions; and also a way made to do that by fire, in small time, which the sun and age do in long time. But of the admirable effects of this distillation in close, (for so we call it,) which is like the wombs and matrices of living creatures, where nothing expireth nor separateth, we will speak fully, in the due place; not that 100. There is nothing more certain in nature than that it is impossible for any body to be utterly annihilated; but that as it was the work of the omnipotency of God to make somewhat of nothing, so it requireth the like omnipotency to turn somewhat into nothing. And therefore it is well said by an obscure writer of the sect of the chymists, that there is no such way to effect the strange transmutations of bodies, as to endeavour and urge by all means the reducing of them to nothing. And herein is contained also a great secret of preservation of bodies from change; for if you can prohibit, that they neither turn into air, because no air cometh to them, nor go into the bodies adjacent, because they are utterly heterogeneal; nor make a round and circulation within themselves; they will never change though they be in their nature never so perishable or mutable. We see how flies, and spiders, and the like, get a sepulchre in amber, more durable than the monument and embalming of the body of any king. And I conceive the like will be of bodies put into quicksilver. But then they must be but thin, as a leaf, or a piece of paper or parchment; for if they have a greater crassitude, they will alter in their own body, though they spend not. But of this we shall speak more when we handle the title of conservation of bodies. CENTURY II. Experiments in consort touching music. Music, in the practice hath been well pursued, and in good variety; but in the theory, and especially in the yielding of the causes of the practice, very weakly; being reduced into certain mystical subtilties of no use and not much truth. We shall, therefore, after our manner, join the contemplative and active part together. 101. All sounds are either musical sounds, which we call tones; whereunto there may be a harmony; which sounds are ever equal; as singing, the sounds of stringed and wind instruments, the ringing of bells, &c.; or immusical sounds, which are ever unequal; such as are the voice in speaking, all whisperings, all voices of beasts and birds, except they be singing-birds, all percussions of stones, wood, parchment, skins, as in drums, and infinite others. 102. The sounds that produce tones are ever from such bodies as are in their parts and pores equal; as well as the sounds themselves are equal; and such are the percussions of metal, as in bells; of glass, as in the filliping of a drinking glass; of air, as in men's voices whilst they sing, in pipes, whistles, organs, stringed instruments, &c.; and of water, as in the nightingale pipes of regals, or organs, and other hydraulics; which the ancients had, and Nero did so much esteem, but are now lost. And if any man think, that the string of the bow and the string of the viol are neither of them equal bodies, and yet produce tones, he is in an error. For the sound is not created between the bow or "plectrum" and the string; but between the string and the air; no more than it is between the finger or quill, and the string in other instruments. So there are, in effect, but three percussions that create tones; | sound returneth after six or after twelve; so that percussions of metals, comprehending glass and the seventh or the thirteenth is not the matter, the like, percussions of air, and percussions of but the six or the twelfth; and the seventh and the thirteenth are but the limits and boundaries of the return. water. 103. The diapason or eighth in music is the sweetest concord, insomuch as it is in effect a unison; as we see in lutes that are strung in the base strings with two strings, one an eighth above another; which make but as one sound. And every eighth note in ascent, as from eight to fifteen, from fifteen to twenty-two, and so in "infinitum," are but scales of diapason. The cause is dark, and hath not been rendered by any; and therefore would be better contemplated. It seemeth that air, which is the subject of sounds, in sounds that are not tones, which are all unequal, as hath been said, admitteth much variety; as we see in the voices of living creatures, and likewise in the voices of several men, for we are capable to discern several men, by their voices, and in the conjugation of letters, whence articulate sounds proceed; which of all others are most various. But in the sounds which we call tones, that are ever equal, the air is not able to cast itself into any such variety; but is forced to recur into one and the same posture or figure, only differing in greatness and smallness. So we see figures may be made of lines, crooked and straight, in infinite variety, where there is inequality; but circles, or squares, or triangles equilateral, which are all figures of equal lines, can differ but in greater or lesser. 104. It is to be noted, the rather least any man should think that there is any thing in this number of eight, to create the diapason, that this computation of eight is a thing rather received, than any true computation. For a true computation ought ever to be by distribution into equal portions. Now there be intervenient in the rise of eight, in tones, two beemolls, or half notes: so as if you divide the tones equally, the eight is but seven whole and equal notes; and if you subdivide that into half notes, as it is in the stops of a lute, it maketh the number of thirteen. 107. The concords in music which are perfect or semiperfect, between the unison and the diapason, are the fifth, which is the most perfect; the third next: and the sixth, which is more harsh: and, as the ancients esteemed, and so do myself and some other yet, the fourth, which they call diatessaron. As for the tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, and so in "infinitum," they be but recurrences of the former, viz. of the third, the fifth, and the sixth; being an eighth respectively from them. 108. For discords, the second and the seventh are of all others the most odious in harmony, to the sense; whereof the one is next above the unison, the other next under the diapason: which may show that harmony requireth a competent distance of notes. 109. In harmony, if there be not a discord to the base, it doth not disturb the harmony, though there be a discord to the higher parts: so the discord be not of the two that are odious; and therefore the ordinary consent of four parts consisteth of an eighth, a fifth, and a third to the base; but that fifth is a fourth to the treble, and the third is a sixth. And the cause is, for that the base striking more air, doth overcome and drown the treble, unless the discord be very odious; and so hideth a small imperfection. we see, that in one of the lower strings of a lute, there soundeth not the sound of the treble, nor any mixed sound, but only the sound of the base. For 110. We have no music of quarter-notes; and it may be they are not capable of harmony; for we see the half-notes themselves do but interpose sometimes. Nevertheless we have some slides or relishes of the voice or strings, as it were continued without notes, from one tone to another, rising or falling, which are delightful. 111. The causes of that which is pleasing or ingrate to the hearing, may receive light by that 105. Yet this is true, that in the ordinary rises which is pleasing or ingrate to the sight. There and falls of the voice of man, not measuring the be two things pleasing to the sight, leaving tone by whole notes, and half-notes, which is pictures and shapes aside, which are but secondthe equal measure, there fall out to be two bee-ary objects; and please or displease but in memomolls, as hath been said, between the unison and ry; these two are colours and orders. The the diapason: and this varying is natural. For if a man would endeavour to raise or fall his voice, still by half-notes, like the stops of a lute; or by whole notes alone without halves, as far as an eighth; he will not be able to frame his voice unto it. Which showeth, that after every three whole notes, nature requireth, for all harmonical use, one half-note to be interposed. 106. It is to be considered, that whatsoever virtue is in numbers, for conducing to consent of notes, is rather to be ascribed to the ante-number, than to the entire number; as namely, that the VOL. II.-4 pleasing of colour symbolizeth with the pleasing of any single tone to the ear; but the pleasing of order doth symbolize with harmony. And therefore we see in garden-knots, and the frets of houses, and all equal and well answering figures, as globes, pyramids, cones, cylinders, &c. how they please; whereas unequal figures are but deformities. And both these pleasures, that of the eye, and that of the ear, are but the effects of equality, good proportion, or correspondence: so that, out of question, equality and correspondence are the causes of harmony. But to find the C proportion of that correspondence is more abstruse; whereof notwithstanding we shall speak somewhat, when we handle tones, in the general inquiry of sounds. other. in themselves. But yet it hath been noted, that though this variety of tunes doth dispose the spirits to variety of passions, conform unto them, yet generally music feedeth that disposition of the spirits, which it findeth. We see also, that several airs and tunes do please several nations and persons, according to the sympathy they have with their spirits. Experiments in consort touching sounds; and first touching the nullity and entity of sounds. Perspective hath been with some diligence inquired; and so hath the nature of sounds, in some sort, as far as concerneth music: but the nature of sounds in general hath been superficially observed. It is one of the subtilest pieces of nature. And besides, I practise, as I do advise; which is, after long inquiry of things immersed in matter, to interpose some subject which is immateriate, or less materiate; such as this of sounds; to the end, that the intellect may be rectified, and become not partial. 115. It is first to be considered, what great motions there are in nature, which pass without sound or noise. The heavens turn about in a most rapid motion, without noise to us perceived; though in some dreams they have been said to make an excellent music. So the motions of the comets, and fiery meteors, as "stella cadens,” &c., yield no noise. And if it be thought that it is the greatness of distance from us, whereby the sound cannot be heard; we see that lightnings and coruscations, which are near at hand, yield no sound neither: and yet in all these there is a percussion and division of the air. The winds in the upper region, which move the clouds above, which we call the rack, and are not perceived below, pass without noise. The lower winds, in a plain, except they be strong, make no 112. Tones are not so apt altogether to procure sleep as some other sounds; as the wind, the purling of water, humming of bees, a sweet voice of one that readeth, &c. The cause whereof is, for that tones, because they are equal and slide not, do more strike and erect the sense than the And overmuch attention hindereth sleep. 113. There be in music certain figures or tropes, almost agreeing with the figures of rhetoric, and with the affections of the mind, and other senses. First, the division and quavering, which please so much in music, have an agreement with the glittering of light; as the moon-beams playing upon a wave. Again, the falling from a discord to a concord, which maketh great sweetness in music, hath an agreement with the affections, which are reintegrated to the better, after some dislikes; it agreeth also with the taste, which is soon glutted with that which is sweet alone. The sliding from the close or cadence hath an agreement with the figure in rhetoric, which they call "præter expectatum;" for there is a pleasure even in being deceived. The reports, and fuges, have an agreement with the figures in rhetoric of repetition and traduction. The triplas, and changing of times, have an agreement with the changes of motions; as when galliard time, and measure time, are in the medley of one dance. 114. It hath been anciently held and observed, that the sense of hearing, and the kinds of music, have most operation upon manners; as, to encourage men, and make them warlike; to make them soft and effeminate; to make them grave; to make them light; to make them gentle and inclined to pity, &c. The cause is, for that the sense of hearing striketh the spirits more immedi-noise; but amongst trees, the noise of such ately than the other senses; and more incorporeally than the smelling; for the sight, taste, and feeling, have their organs not of so present and immediate access to the spirits as the hearing hath. And as for the smelling, which indeed worketh also immediately upon the spirits, and is forcible while the object remaineth, it is with a communication of the breath or vapour of the object odorate; but harmony entering easily, and mingling not at all, and coming with a manifest motion, doth by custom of often affecting the spirits, and putting them into one kind of posture, alter not a little the nature of the spirits, even when the object is removed. And therefore we see, that tunes and airs, even in their own nature, have in themselves some affinity with the affections; as there be merry tunes, doleful tunes, solemn tunes; tunes inclining men's minds to pity; warlike tunes, &c. So as it is no marvel if they alter the spirits, considering that tunes have a predisposition to the motion of the spirits winds will be perceived. And the winds, generally, when they make a noise, do ever make it unequally, rising and falling, and sometimes, when they are vehement, trembling at the height of their blast. Rain or hail falling, though vehemently, yieldeth no noise in passing through the air, till it fall upon the ground, water, houses, or the like. Water in a river, though a swift stream, is not heard in the channel, but runneth in silence, if it be of any depth; but the very stream upon shallows, of gravel or pebble, will be heard. And waters, when they beat upon the shore, or are straitened, as in the falls of bridges, or are dashed against themselves, by winds, give a roaring noise. Any piece of timber, or hard body, being thrust forwards by another body contiguous, without knocking, giveth no noise. And so bodies in weighing one upon another, though the upper body press the lower body down, make no noise. So the motion in the minute parts of any solid body, which is the principal cause of violent motion, though unobserved, passeth without sound; for that sound that is heard sometimes is produced only by the breaking of the air, and not by the impulsion of the parts. So it is manifest, that where the anterior body giveth way, as fast as the posterior cometh on, it maketh no noise, be the motion never so great or swift. 116. Air open, and at large maketh no noise, except it be sharply percussed; as in the sound of a string, where air is percussed by a hard and stiff body, and with a sharp loose: for if the string be not strained, it maketh no noise. But where the air is pent and straitened, there breath or other blowing, which carry but a gentle percussion, suffice to create sound; as in pipes and wind-instruments. But then you must note, that in recorders, which go with a gentle breath, the concave of the pipe, were it not for the fipple that straiteneth the air, much more than the simple concave, would yield no sound. For as for other wind-instruments, they require a forcible breath; as trumpets, cornets, hunters' horns, &c., which appeareth by the blown cheeks of him that windeth them. Organs also are blown with a strong wind by the bellows. And note again, that some kind of wind-instruments are blown at a small hole in the side, which straiteneth the breath at the first entrance; the rather, in respect of the traverse and stop above the hole, which performeth the fipple's part; as it is seen in flutes and fifes, which will not give sound by a blast at the end, as recorders, &c., do. Likewise in all whistling, you contract the mouth; and to make it more sharp, men sometimes use their finger. But in open air, if you throw a stone or a dart, they give no sound; no more do bullets, except they happen to be a little hollowed in the casting; which hollowness penneth the air: nor yet arrows, except they be rufled in their feathers, which likewise penneth the air. As for small whistles or shepherds' oaten pipes, they give a sound because of their extreme slenderness, whereby the air is more pent than in a wider pipe. Again, the voices of men and living creatures pass through the throat, which penneth the breath. As for the Jews-harp, it is a sharp percussion; and besides, hath the advantage of penning the air in the mouth. 117. Solid bodies, if they be very softly percussed, give no sound; as when a man treadeth very softly upon boards. So chests or doors in fair weather, when they open easily, give no sound. And cart-wheels squeak not when they are liquored. 118. The flame of tapers or candles, though it be a swift motion and breaketh the air, yet passeth without sound. Air in ovens, though, no doubt, it doth, as it were, boil and dilate itself, and is repercussed; yet it is without noise. 119. Flame percussed by air giveth a noise; as in blowing of the fire by bellows; greater than if the bellows should blow upon the air itself. And so likewise flame percussing the air strongly, as when flame suddenly taketh and openeth, giveth a noise; so great flames, while the one impelleth the other, give a bellowing sound. 120. There is a conceit runneth abroad, that there should be a white powder, which will discharge a piece without noise; which is a dangerous experiment if it should be true: for it may cause secret murders. But it seemeth to me impossible; for if the air pent be driven forth, and strike the air open, it will certainly make a noise. As for the white powder, if any such thing be, that may extinguish or dead the noise, it is like to be a mixture of petre and sulphur, without coal. For petre alone will not take fire. And if any man think that the sound may be extinguished or deaded by discharging the pent air, before it cometh to the mouth of the piece and to the open air, that is not probable; for it will make more divided sounds: as if you should make a crossbarrel hollow through the barrel of a piece, it may be it would give several sounds, both at the nose, and at the sides. But I conceive, that if it were possible to bring to pass, that there should be no air pent at the mouth of the piece, the bullet might fly with small or no noise. For first, it is certain, there is no noise in the percussion of the flame upon the bullet. Next, the bullet, in piercing through the air, maketh no noise as hath been said. And then, if there be no pent air that striketh upon open air, there is no cause of noise; and yet the flying of the bullet will not be stayed. For that motion, as hath been oft said, is in the parts of the bullet, and not in the air. So as trial must be made by taking some small concave of metal, no more than you mean to fill with powder, and laying the bullet in the mouth of it, half out into the open air. 121. I heard it affirmed by a man that was a great dealer in secrets, he was but vain, that there was a conspiracy, which himself hindered, to have killed Queen Mary, sister to Queen Elizabeth, by a burning-glass, when she walked in St. James's park, from the leads of the house. But thus much, no doubt, is true; that if burningglasses could be brought to a great strength, as they talk generally of burning-glasses that are able to burn a navy, the percussion of the air alone, by such a burning-glass, would make no noise; no more than is found in coruscations and lightnings without thunders. 122. I suppose, that impression of the air with sounds asketh a time to be conveyed to the sense, as well as the impressing of species visible; or else they will not be heard. And therefore, as the bullet moveth so swift that it is invisible; so the same swiftness of motion maketh it inaudible: for we see, that the apprehension of the eye is which pass through the air, or other bodies, withquicker than that of the ear. 123. All eruptions of air, though small and slight, give an entity of sound, which we call crackling, puffing, spitting, &c. as in bay-salt, and bay-leaves, cast into the fire; so in chestnuts, when they leap forth of the ashes; so in green wood laid upon the fire, especially root; so in candles, that spit flame if they be wet; so in rasping, sneezing, &c. so in a rose leaf gathered together into the fashion of a purse, and broken upon the forehead, or back of the hand, as child ren use. Experiments in consort touching production, conservation, and delation of sounds; and the office of the air therein. out any local motion of the air; either at the first, or after. But you must attentively distinguish between the local motion of the air, which is but vehiculum causæ," a carrier of the sounds, and the sounds themselves, conveyed in the air. For as to the former, we see manifestly that no sound is produced, no not by air itself against other air, as in organs, &c. but with a perceptible blast of the air; and with some resistance of the air strucken. For even all speech, which is one of the gentlest motions of the air, is with expulsion of a little breath. And all pipes have a blast, as well as a sound. We see also manifestly, that sounds are carried with wind: and therefore sounds will be heard further with the wind, than against the wind; and likewise do rise and fall with the in124. The cause given of sound, that it should tension or remission of the wind. But for the be an elision of the air, whereby if they mean impression of the sound, it is quite another thing, any thing, they mean a cutting or dividing, or else and is utterly without any local motion of the air, an attenuating of the air, is but a term of igno- perceptible; and in that resembleth the species rance; and the notion is but a catch of the wit visible: for after a man hath lured, or a bell is upon a few instances; as the manner is in the rung, we cannot discern any perceptible motion philosophy received. And it is common with at all in the air along as the sound goeth; but men, that if they have gotten a pretty expression only at the first. Neither doth the wind, as far by a word of art, that expression goeth current; as it carrieth a voice, with the motion thereof, conthough it be empty of matter. This conceit of found any of the delicate and articulate figurations elision appeareth most manifestly to be false, in of the air, in variety of words. And if a man that the sound of a bell, string, or the like, con- speak a good loudness against the flame of a tinueth melting some time after the percussion; candle, it will not make it tremble much; though but ceaseth straightways, if the bell, or string, be most when those letters are pronounced which touched and stayed: whereas, if it were the eli- contract the mouth; as F. S. V. and some others. sion of the air that made the sound, it could not But gentle breathing, or blowing without speakbe that the touch of the bell or string should ex-ing, will move the candle far more. And it is tinguish so suddenly that motion caused by the the more probable, that sound is without any local elision of the air. This appeareth yet more mani-motion of the air, because as it differeth from the festly by chiming with a hammer upon the out- sight, in that it needeth a local motion of the air side of a bell: for the sound will be according to at first; so it paralleleth in so many other things the inward concave of the bell; whereas the eli- with the sight, and radiation of things visible; sion or attenuation of the air cannot be but only which without all question induce no local mobetween the hammer and the outside of the bell. tion in the air, as hath been said. So again, if it were an elision, a broad hammer, and a bodkin, struck upon metal, would give a diverse tone, as well as a diverse loudness: but they do not so; for though the sound of the one be louder, and of the other softer, yet the tone is the same. Besides, in echoes, whereof some are as loud as the original voice, there is no new elision, but a repercussion only. But that which convinceth it most of all is, that sounds are generated where there is no air at all. But these and the like conceits, when men have cleared their understanding by the light of experience, will scatter and break up like a mist. 125. It is certain, that sound is not produced at the first, but with some local motion of the air, or flame, or some other medium; nor yet without some resistance, either in the air or the body percussed. For if there be a mere yielding or cession, it produceth no sound; as hath been said. And therein sounds differ from light and colours, 126. Nevertheless it is true, that upon the noise of thunder, and great ordnance, glass windows will shake; and fishes are thought to be frayed with the motion caused by noise upon the water. But these effects are from the local motion of the air, which is a concomitant of the sound, as hath been said, and not from the sound. 127. It hath been anciently reported, and is still received, that extreme applauses and shouting of people assembled in great multitudes, have so rarified and broken the air that birds flying over have fallen down, the air being not able to support them. And it is believed by some, that great ringing of bells in populous cities hath chased away thunder; and also dissipated pestilent air: all which may be also from the concus sion of the air, and not from the sound. 128. A very great sound, near hand, hath strucken many deaf; and at the instant they have found, as it were, the breaking of a skin or parch |
