* The
hereby
that the
doth not all
ſiſt of magnetick
matter, but that
the whiter ſpecks
being weak, thoſe
other parts of the
Loadſtone of a
more dark &
ſtant colour,
tain all that vertue
wherewith bodies
are attracted.
hereby
that the
doth not all
ſiſt of magnetick
matter, but that
the whiter ſpecks
being weak, thoſe
other parts of the
Loadſtone of a
more dark &
ſtant colour,
tain all that vertue
wherewith bodies
are attracted.
SAGR. Your whole diſcourſe hath been in my judgment very
concluding, and this experiment of the Needle hath made me
think it little inferiour to a Mathematical Demonſtration; and
I ingenuouſly confeſſe, that in all the Magnetick Philoſophy, I
never heard or read any thing, that with ſuch ſtrong reaſons
gave account of its ſo many admirable accidents, of which, if the
cauſes were with the ſame perſpicuity laid open, I know not
what ſweeter food our Intellects could deſire.
concluding, and this experiment of the Needle hath made me
think it little inferiour to a Mathematical Demonſtration; and
I ingenuouſly confeſſe, that in all the Magnetick Philoſophy, I
never heard or read any thing, that with ſuch ſtrong reaſons
gave account of its ſo many admirable accidents, of which, if the
cauſes were with the ſame perſpicuity laid open, I know not
what ſweeter food our Intellects could deſire.
SALV. In ſeeking the reaſons of concluſions unknown unto
us, it is requiſite to have the good fortune to direct the
courſe from the very beginning towards the way of truth; in
which if any one walk, it will eaſily happen, that one ſhall meet
with ſeveral other Propoſitions known to be true, either by
putes or experiments, from the certainty of which the truth of
ours acquireth ſtrength and evidence; as it did in every reſpect
happen to me in the preſent Probleme, for being deſirous to
ſure my ſelf, by ſome other accident, whether the reaſon of the
Propoſition, by me found, were true; namely, whether the
ſtance of the Magnet were really much leſſe continuate than that
of Iron or of Steel, I made the Artiſts that work in the Gallery
of my Lord the Grand Duke, to ſmooth one ſide of that piece
of Magnet, which formerly was yours, and then to poliſh and
burniſh it; upon which to my ſatisfaction I found what I deſired.
For I diſcovered many ſpecks of colour different from the reſt,
but as ſplendid and bright, as any of the harder ſort of ſtones;
the reſt of the Magnet was polite, but to the tact onely, not
being in the leaſt ſplendid; but rather as if it were ſmeered over
with ſoot; and this was the ſubſtance of the Load ſtone, and
the ſhining part was the fragments of other ſtones intermixt
therewith, as was ſenſibly made known by preſenting the face
thereof to filings of Iron, the which in great number leapt to
the Load-ſtone, but not ſo much as one grain did ſtick to the
ſaid ſpots, which were many, ſome as big as the fourth part of
the nail of a mans finger, others ſomewhat leſſer, the leaſt of
all very many, and thoſe that were ſcarce viſible almoſt
merable. So that I did aſſure my ſelf, that my conjecture was
true, when I firſt thought that the ſubſtance of the Magnet
was not cloſe and compact, but porous, or to ſay better,
gy; but with this difference, that whereas the ſponge in its
cavities and little cels conteineth Air or Water, the Magnet hath
its pores full of hard and heavy ſtone, as appears by the
ſite luſtre which thoſe ſpecks receive. Whereupon, as I have ſaid
from the beginning, applying the ſurface of the Iron to the
perficies of the Magnet the minute particles of the Iron, though
perhaps more continuate than theſe of any other body (as its
us, it is requiſite to have the good fortune to direct the
courſe from the very beginning towards the way of truth; in
which if any one walk, it will eaſily happen, that one ſhall meet
with ſeveral other Propoſitions known to be true, either by
putes or experiments, from the certainty of which the truth of
ours acquireth ſtrength and evidence; as it did in every reſpect
happen to me in the preſent Probleme, for being deſirous to
ſure my ſelf, by ſome other accident, whether the reaſon of the
Propoſition, by me found, were true; namely, whether the
ſtance of the Magnet were really much leſſe continuate than that
of Iron or of Steel, I made the Artiſts that work in the Gallery
of my Lord the Grand Duke, to ſmooth one ſide of that piece
of Magnet, which formerly was yours, and then to poliſh and
burniſh it; upon which to my ſatisfaction I found what I deſired.
For I diſcovered many ſpecks of colour different from the reſt,
but as ſplendid and bright, as any of the harder ſort of ſtones;
the reſt of the Magnet was polite, but to the tact onely, not
being in the leaſt ſplendid; but rather as if it were ſmeered over
with ſoot; and this was the ſubſtance of the Load ſtone, and
the ſhining part was the fragments of other ſtones intermixt
therewith, as was ſenſibly made known by preſenting the face
thereof to filings of Iron, the which in great number leapt to
the Load-ſtone, but not ſo much as one grain did ſtick to the
ſaid ſpots, which were many, ſome as big as the fourth part of
the nail of a mans finger, others ſomewhat leſſer, the leaſt of
all very many, and thoſe that were ſcarce viſible almoſt
merable. So that I did aſſure my ſelf, that my conjecture was
true, when I firſt thought that the ſubſtance of the Magnet
was not cloſe and compact, but porous, or to ſay better,
gy; but with this difference, that whereas the ſponge in its
cavities and little cels conteineth Air or Water, the Magnet hath
its pores full of hard and heavy ſtone, as appears by the
ſite luſtre which thoſe ſpecks receive. Whereupon, as I have ſaid
from the beginning, applying the ſurface of the Iron to the
perficies of the Magnet the minute particles of the Iron, though
perhaps more continuate than theſe of any other body (as its