Bacon, Francis, Sylva sylvarum : or, a natural history in ten centuries

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            <s xml:id="echoid-s8334" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="199" file="0231" n="231" rhead="Century X."/>
            believe the Confeſſion of Witches, nor yet the evidence againſt them: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8335" xml:space="preserve">For
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            the Witches themſelves are Imaginative, and believe oſ
              <unsure/>
            t-times they do that
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            which they do not; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8336" xml:space="preserve">and people are credulous in that point, and ready to
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            impute Accidents and Natural operations to Witchcraft. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8337" xml:space="preserve">It is worthy the
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            obſerving, that both in ancient and late times, (as in the Theſſalian Witches,
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            and the meetings of Witches that have been recorded by ſo many late Con-
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            feſſions) the great wonders which they tell of carrying in the Air, trans-
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            forming them ſelves into other Bodies, &</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8338" xml:space="preserve">c. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8339" xml:space="preserve">are ſtill reported to be wrought,
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            not by Incantation or Ceremonies, but by Ointments and Anointing them-
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            ſelves all over. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8340" xml:space="preserve">This may juſtly move a Man to think, that theſe Fables are
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            the effects of Imagination; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8341" xml:space="preserve">for it is certain, that Ointments do all (if they be
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            laid on any thing thick) by ſtopping of the Pores, ſhut in the Vapor, and
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            ſend them to the head extreamly. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8342" xml:space="preserve">And for the particular Ingredients of
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            thoſe Magical Ointments, it is like they are opiate and ſoporiferous. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8343" xml:space="preserve">For
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            Anointing of the Forehead, Neck, Feet, Back-bone, we know is uſed for
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            procuring dead ſleeps. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8344" xml:space="preserve">And if any Man ſay, that this effect would be bet-
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            ter done by in ward potions; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8345" xml:space="preserve">anſwer may be made, that the Medicines which
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            go to the Ointments are ſo ſtrong, that if they were uſed in wards, they would
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            kill thoſe that uſe them; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8346" xml:space="preserve">and therefore they work potently, though out-
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            wards.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8347" xml:space="preserve"/>
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            <s xml:id="echoid-s8348" xml:space="preserve">We will divide the ſeveral kindes of the operations by tranſmiſſion of
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            Spirits and Imagination, which will give no ſmall light to the Experiments
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            that follow. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8349" xml:space="preserve">All operations by tranſmiſſion of Spirits and Imagination have
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            this, that they work at diſtance, and not at touch; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8350" xml:space="preserve">and they are theſe being
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            diſtinguiſhed.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8351" xml:space="preserve"/>
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            <s xml:id="echoid-s8352" xml:space="preserve">The firſt is, The Tranſmiſſion or Emiſſion of the thinner and more
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              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0231-01" xlink:href="note-0231-01a" xml:space="preserve">904.</note>
            airy parts of Bodies, as in Odors and Infections; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8353" xml:space="preserve">and this is, of all the
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            teſt, the moſt corporeal. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8354" xml:space="preserve">But you muſt remember withal, that there
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            be a number of thoſe Emiſſions, both unwholeſome and wholeſome, that
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            give no ſmell at all: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8355" xml:space="preserve">For the Plague many times when it is taken giveth
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            no ſent at all, and there be many good and healthful Airs, as they appear
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            by Habitation, and other proofs, that differ not in Smell from other Airs.
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            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8356" xml:space="preserve">And under this head you may place all Imbibitions of Air, where the ſub-
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            ſtance is material, odor-like, whereof ſome nevertheleſs are ſtrange, and
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            very ſuddenly diffuſed; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8357" xml:space="preserve">as the alteration which the Air receiveth in Egypt al-
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            moſt immediately upon the riſing of the River of Nilus, whereof we have
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            ſpoken.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8358" xml:space="preserve"/>
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            <s xml:id="echoid-s8359" xml:space="preserve">The ſecond is, the Tranſmiſſion or Emiſſion of thoſe things that we call
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              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0231-02" xlink:href="note-0231-02a" xml:space="preserve">905.</note>
            Spiritual Species, as Vi
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            ſibles and Sounds; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8360" xml:space="preserve">the one whereof we have hand-
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            led, and the other we ſhall handle in due place. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8361" xml:space="preserve">Theſe move ſwiftly and at
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            great diſtance, but then they require a Medium well diſpoſed, and their Tranſ-
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            miſſion is eaſily ſtopped.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8362" xml:space="preserve"/>
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            <s xml:id="echoid-s8363" xml:space="preserve">The third is, the Emiſſions which cauſe Attraction of certain Bodies at
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              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0231-03" xlink:href="note-0231-03a" xml:space="preserve">906.</note>
            diſtance; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8364" xml:space="preserve">wherein though the Loadſtone be commonly placed in the firſt
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            rank yet we think good to except it, and refer it to another Head: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8365" xml:space="preserve">But
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            the drawing of Amber, and Fet, and other Electrick Bodies, and the At-
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            traction in Gold of the Spirit of Quick-ſilver at diſtance, and the Attraction
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            of Heat at diſtance, and that of fire to Naphtha, and that of ſome Herbs
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            to Water, though at diſtance, and divers others, we ſhall handle; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8366" xml:space="preserve">but
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            yet not under this preſent title, but under the title of Attraction in
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            general.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s8367" xml:space="preserve"/>
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