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

Page concordance

< >
Scan Original
61 27
62 28
63 29
64 30
65 31
66 32
67 33
68 34
69 35
70 36
71 37
72 38
73 39
74 40
75 41
76 42
77 43
78 44
79 45
80 46
81 47
82
83 49
84 50
85 51
86 52
87 53
88 54
89 55
90 56
< >
page |< < (27) of 389 > >|
    <echo version="1.0RC">
      <text xml:lang="en" type="free">
        <div xml:id="echoid-div30" type="section" level="1" n="20">
          <pb o="27" file="0061" n="61" rhead="Century I."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1509" xml:space="preserve">IT is certain, that of all Powers in Nature, Heat is the chief; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1510" xml:space="preserve">both in the
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0061-01" xlink:href="note-0061-01a" xml:space="preserve">99.</note>
            Frame of Nature, and in the Works of Art. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1511" xml:space="preserve">Certain it is likewiſe, that
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0061-02" xlink:href="note-0061-02a" xml:space="preserve">Experiment
                <lb/>
              Solitary,
                <lb/>
              touching the
                <lb/>
              Powe
                <unsure/>
              r of Heat.</note>
            the effects of Heat, are moſt advanced, when it worketh upon a Body with-
              <lb/>
            out loſs or diſſipation of the matter, for that ever betrayed the account.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1512" xml:space="preserve">And therefore it is true, that the power of Heat is beſt perceived in Diſtil-
              <lb/>
            lations, which are performed in cloſe Veſſels and Receptacles. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1513" xml:space="preserve">But yet
              <lb/>
            there is a higher degree; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1514" xml:space="preserve">For howſoever Diſtillations do keep the Body in
              <lb/>
            Cells and Cloyſters, without going abroad, yetthey give ſpace unto Bodies
              <lb/>
            to turn into Vapor, to return into Liquor, and to ſeparate one part from
              <lb/>
            another. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1515" xml:space="preserve">So as Nature doth expatiate, although it hath not full liberty; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1516" xml:space="preserve">
              <lb/>
            whereby the true and ultime operations of Heat, are not attained: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1517" xml:space="preserve">But
              <lb/>
            if Bodies may be altered by Heat, and yet no ſuch Reciprocation of Rare-
              <lb/>
            faction, and of Condenſation, and of Separation, admitted; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1518" xml:space="preserve">then it is like
              <lb/>
            that this Proteus of Matter, being held by the Sleeves, will turn and change
              <lb/>
            into many Metamorphoſes. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1519" xml:space="preserve">Take therefore a ſquare Veſſel of Iron, in form
              <lb/>
            of a Cube, and let it have good thick and ſtrong ſides; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1520" xml:space="preserve">put it into a Cube of
              <lb/>
            Wood, that may fill it as cloſe as may be, and let it have a cover of Iron as
              <lb/>
            ſtrong (at leaſt) as the ſides, and let it be well Luted, after the manner of
              <lb/>
            the Chymiſts; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1521" xml:space="preserve">then place the Veſſel within burning Coals kept quick kindled,
              <lb/>
            for ſome few hoursſpace; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1522" xml:space="preserve">then take the Veſſel from the Fire, and take off
              <lb/>
            the Cover, and ſee what is become of the Wood, I conceive, that ſince all
              <lb/>
            Inflamation and Evaporation are utterly prohibited, and the Body ſtill turn-
              <lb/>
            ed upon it ſelf, that one of theſe two Effects will follow, Either that the
              <lb/>
            Body of the Wood will be turned into a kinde of Amalagma, (as the Chy-
              <lb/>
            miſts call it,) or, that the finer part will be turned into Air, and the groſſer
              <lb/>
            ſtick as it were baked, and incruſtate upon the ſides of the Veſſel, being
              <lb/>
            become of a denſer matter, than the Wood it ſelf, crude. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1523" xml:space="preserve">And for another
              <lb/>
            tryal, take alſo Water, and put it in the like Veſſel, ſtopped as before; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1524" xml:space="preserve">but
              <lb/>
            uſe a gentler Heat, and remove the Veſſel ſometimes from the fire; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1525" xml:space="preserve">and
              <lb/>
            again, after ſome ſmall time, when it is cold, renew the heating of it, and
              <lb/>
            repeat this alteration ſome few times; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1526" xml:space="preserve">and if you can once bring to paſs,
              <lb/>
            that the Water which is one of the ſimpleſt of Bodies, be changed in Co-
              <lb/>
            lour, Odor, or Taſte, after the manner of Compound Bodies, you may
              <lb/>
            be ſure that there is a great work wrought in Nature, and anotable entrance
              <lb/>
            made in ſtrange changes of Bodies, and productions; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1527" xml:space="preserve">and alſo a way
              <lb/>
            made to do that by Fire, in ſmall time, which the Sun and Age do in
              <lb/>
            long time. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1528" xml:space="preserve">But if the admirable effects of this Diſtillation in cloſe, (for
              <lb/>
            ſo we call it) which is like the Wombs and Matrices of Living Creatures,
              <lb/>
            where nothing expireth nor ſeparateth: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1529" xml:space="preserve">We will ſpeak fully, in the due
              <lb/>
            place. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1530" xml:space="preserve">Not that we aim at the making of Peracelſus Pigmeys, or any ſuch
              <lb/>
            prodigious follies; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1531" xml:space="preserve">but that we know the effects of Heat will be ſuch, as
              <lb/>
            will ſcarce fall under the conceit of Man, if the force of it be altogether
              <lb/>
            kept in.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1532" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1533" xml:space="preserve">THere is nothing more certain in Nature, than that it is impoſſible for
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0061-03" xlink:href="note-0061-03a" xml:space="preserve">100.</note>
            any Body to be utterly annihilated; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1534" xml:space="preserve">but that as it was the work of the
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0061-04" xlink:href="note-0061-04a" xml:space="preserve">Experiment
                <lb/>
              Solitary,
                <lb/>
              touching the
                <lb/>
              Impoßibility
                <lb/>
              of Annihile-
                <lb/>
              sion.</note>
            Omnipotency of God, to make Somewhat of Nothing: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1535" xml:space="preserve">So it requireth the
              <lb/>
            like omnipotency, to turn Somewhat into Nothing. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1536" xml:space="preserve">And therefore it is well
              <lb/>
            ſaid by an obſcure Writer of the Sect of the Chymiſts, That there is no ſuch
              <lb/>
            way to effect the ſtrange Tranſmutations of Bodies, as to endeavor and urge
              <lb/>
            by all means, the reducing of them to Nothing. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1537" xml:space="preserve">And herein is contained </s>
          </p>
        </div>
      </text>
    </echo>
Impressum