1nature apt to deſcend to the Bottom, being placed lightly on the water
ſubmerge not, unleſs they be firſt thorowly bathed; and have found,
that one of theſe Bodies having deſcended to the Bottom, by
ing to it (without touching it in the leaſt) a little Air, which conjoyneth
with the top of the ſame; it becometh ſufficient, not only, as before to
ſuſtain it, but alſo to raiſe it, and to carry it back to the top, where it
ſtays and abideth in the ſame manner, till ſuch time, as the aſſiſtance
of the conjoyned Air is taken away. And to this effect, I have taken a
Ball of Wax, and made it with a little Lead, ſo grave, that it leaſurely
deſcends to the Bottom, making with all its Superficies very ſmooth and
pollite: and this being put gently into the water, almoſt wholly
mergeth, there remaining viſſible only a little of the very top, the which
solong as it is conjoyned with the Air, ſhall retain the Ball a-top, but
the Contiguity of the Air taken away by wetting it, it ſhall deſcend to
the Bottom and there remain. Now to make it by vertue of the Air, that
before ſuſtained it to return again to the top, and ſtay there, thruſt into
the water a Glaſs reverſed with the mouth downwards, the which ſhall
carry with it the Air it contains, and move this towards the Ball, abaſing
it till ſuch time that you ſee, by the tranſparency of the Glaſs, that the
contained Air do arrive to the ſummity of the Ball: then gently
draw the Glaſs upwards, and you ſhall ſee the Ball to riſe, and afterwards
stay on the top of the water, if you carefully part the Glaſs and the water
without overmuch commoving and diſturbing it. There is, therefore, a
certain affinity between the Air and other Bodies, which holds them
ed, ſo, that they ſeperate not without a kind of violence. The ſame
likewiſe is ſeen in the water; for if we ſhall wholly ſubmerge ſome Body
in it, ſo that it be thorowly bathed, in the drawing of it afterwards
ly out again, we ſhall ſee the water follow it, and riſe notably above its
Surface, before it ſeperates from it. Solid Bodies, alſo, if they be equall
and alike in Superficies, ſo, that they make an exact Contact without
the interpoſition of the leaſt Air, that may part them in the ſeperation
and yield untill that the ambient Medium ſucceeds to repleniſh the place,
do hold very firmly conjoyned, and are not to be ſeperated without great
force but, becauſe, the Air, Water, and other Liquids, very
tiouſly ſhape themſelves to contact with any Solid Bodies, ſo that their
Superficies do exquiſitely adopt themſelves to that of the Solids, without
any thing remaining between them, therefore, the effect of this
junction and Adherence is more manifeſtly and frequently obſerved in
them, than in hard and inflexible Bodies, whoſe Superficies do very
ly conjoyn with exactneſs of Contact. This is therefore that
tick vertue, which with firm Connection conjoyneth all Bodies, that do
touch without the interpoſition of flexible fluids; and, who knows, but
that that a Contact, when it is very exact, may be a ſufficient Cauſe of
the Union and Continuity of the parts of a naturall Body?
ſubmerge not, unleſs they be firſt thorowly bathed; and have found,
that one of theſe Bodies having deſcended to the Bottom, by
ing to it (without touching it in the leaſt) a little Air, which conjoyneth
with the top of the ſame; it becometh ſufficient, not only, as before to
ſuſtain it, but alſo to raiſe it, and to carry it back to the top, where it
ſtays and abideth in the ſame manner, till ſuch time, as the aſſiſtance
of the conjoyned Air is taken away. And to this effect, I have taken a
Ball of Wax, and made it with a little Lead, ſo grave, that it leaſurely
deſcends to the Bottom, making with all its Superficies very ſmooth and
pollite: and this being put gently into the water, almoſt wholly
mergeth, there remaining viſſible only a little of the very top, the which
solong as it is conjoyned with the Air, ſhall retain the Ball a-top, but
the Contiguity of the Air taken away by wetting it, it ſhall deſcend to
the Bottom and there remain. Now to make it by vertue of the Air, that
before ſuſtained it to return again to the top, and ſtay there, thruſt into
the water a Glaſs reverſed with the mouth downwards, the which ſhall
carry with it the Air it contains, and move this towards the Ball, abaſing
it till ſuch time that you ſee, by the tranſparency of the Glaſs, that the
contained Air do arrive to the ſummity of the Ball: then gently
draw the Glaſs upwards, and you ſhall ſee the Ball to riſe, and afterwards
stay on the top of the water, if you carefully part the Glaſs and the water
without overmuch commoving and diſturbing it. There is, therefore, a
certain affinity between the Air and other Bodies, which holds them
ed, ſo, that they ſeperate not without a kind of violence. The ſame
likewiſe is ſeen in the water; for if we ſhall wholly ſubmerge ſome Body
in it, ſo that it be thorowly bathed, in the drawing of it afterwards
ly out again, we ſhall ſee the water follow it, and riſe notably above its
Surface, before it ſeperates from it. Solid Bodies, alſo, if they be equall
and alike in Superficies, ſo, that they make an exact Contact without
the interpoſition of the leaſt Air, that may part them in the ſeperation
and yield untill that the ambient Medium ſucceeds to repleniſh the place,
do hold very firmly conjoyned, and are not to be ſeperated without great
force but, becauſe, the Air, Water, and other Liquids, very
tiouſly ſhape themſelves to contact with any Solid Bodies, ſo that their
Superficies do exquiſitely adopt themſelves to that of the Solids, without
any thing remaining between them, therefore, the effect of this
junction and Adherence is more manifeſtly and frequently obſerved in
them, than in hard and inflexible Bodies, whoſe Superficies do very
ly conjoyn with exactneſs of Contact. This is therefore that
tick vertue, which with firm Connection conjoyneth all Bodies, that do
touch without the interpoſition of flexible fluids; and, who knows, but
that that a Contact, when it is very exact, may be a ſufficient Cauſe of
the Union and Continuity of the parts of a naturall Body?