A LATE DISCOURSE Made in a solemn Assembly of Nobles and Learned Men at Montpellier in France; By Sr. Kenelme Digby, Knight, &c.  
Touching the Cure of WOUNDS by the Powder of Sympathy; With Instructions how to make the said Powder; whereby many other Secrets of Nature are unfolded.  Foelix qui potuit Rerum cognoscere causas. 
Rendered faithfully out of French into English  
By R. White. Gent.  
London, Printed for R. Lownes, and T Davies, and are to be sold at their shops in St. Paul's Church yard, at the sign of the White Lion, and at the Bible over against the little North Door of St. Paul's Church. 1658.   

TO THE Most Noble, and heroic Gentleman, John DIGBYE. Esq. at Gothhurst.  SIR, 
By making this Dedicatory address unto you, I may truly say 'tis done to the Renowned author Himself; for, besides the ordinary relation of Father and Son betwixt you, there was never, I dare boldly say, such a perfect exact similitude twixt any two since the World began. For you resemble him, not only in the outward Symmetry, in that goodly proportion, and comportments of your body. You are like him, not only in Physiognomy of face, having the same spacious front, the same perspicacious eyes, with other visible parts so marvalously alike, but the tone of your voice, the accent of your words, your very breath, and articulate sounds are the same with his; insomuch, that it being well observed, this admirable similitude, or rather Identity, may be called one of the greatest wonders of these times.  
Now, Sir; this Resemblance being so exact, through all the outward parts Capapee; It may be well presumed, that you are also like him in the ideas of your soul, and the intern motions of your mind, and consequently in his sublime speculations. Therefore, I hope, that neither the World will accuse me of Impertinence, or yourself of presumption that I make this Dedication, and thereby style myself.  
Highly Honoured Sir, Your most humble and ready servant R. WHITE.   

An Extract of the royal privilege in France for printing the said discourse.  
BY the Grace, and privilege of the King, given in Paris the one and twentieth of December one thousand six hundred fifty seven, It is permitted to John Ancelin to cause to be printed, sold, and uttered by what Bookseller he shall think fit, a Book entitled A discourse made in a famous Assembly by Cavalier Digby, chancellor to the Queen of Great Britain touching the cure of wounds by the Powder of Sympathy, &c. And this during the time, and space of ten years, with prohibition to all Booksellers, and Printers to counterfeit, sell or utter the said Book without the consent and permission of the said Ancelin, or of those who shall derive a right from him, under the penalty of one thousand five hundred livres, and of all expenses, damages, and interests, as it is more amply contained within the Letters of the said privilege.  
The said Ancelin hath transmitted the right of the said privilege to Augustine Courb, and Peter Moet merchants of books in Paris, according to the Agreement betwixt them.  
His majesty's Library is furnished with two Exemplars accordingly.   

An Information to the Knowing Reader.  
THis Exquisite philosophical Discourse was made lately by that Renowned Knight, Sir Kenelme Digby, in one of the most famous Academies of France. It contains a variety of many recondit, and high mysteries of Nature, which are all here unmasked. And as all that great Scientifical Assembly, composed of the choicest wits under that Clime, stood then astonished at the profound speculations of the Author, (which were delivered by way of Oration, and taken in short writing upon the place as 'twas uttered) so I believe it will work the same effect in any judicious Soul, when he hath seriously perused it.  
R. WHITE.   

A DISCOURSE Touching the cure of WouNDS, by the Powder of Sympathy.  
My Lords,  
I Believe that you will remain all in one mind with me, that to penetrate, and know a Subject, it is necessary in the first place, to show whether the thing be such as it is supposed or imagined to be: For would not one unprofitably lose both his time, and labour, to busy himself in the research of the causes of that which peradventure is but a chimaera, without any foundation of truth?  
I remember to have read in a place in Plutarch, where he proposeth this question, Wherefore those Horses, who, while they are Colts, have been pursued by the Wolf, and saved themselves by force of running, are more fleet than other Horses? Whereunto he answers, That it may be that the searing, and affrightment, which the Wolf gives unto the young beast, makes him try his utmost strength, to deliver himself from the danger that follows him at the heels, therefore the said fright doth as it were unknit his joints, and stretch his sinews, and makes the ligaments, and other parts of his body, the more supple to run; insomuch, that he resents it all his life afterwards, and becomes a good courser: Or it may be, says he, that those Colts which are naturally swift, save themselves by flying away; whereas others, who are not so, are overtaken by the Wolf, and so become his prey: and so it is not because they have escaped the Wolf, that they are the more fleet, but it is their natural swiftness which saves them. He affords also other reasons, and at last concludes, That it may be the thing is not true; I find it not so fit (my Lords) to reply hereunto at a Table Discourse, where the chief design of conversation is to pass away the time gently and pleasantly, without meddling with the severity of high fetched reasons to wind up the spirits, and make them more attentive. But in so renowned an Assembly as this, where there are such judicious Persons, and so profoundly learned, and who upon this rancounter, expect from me, that I pay them in solid reasons; I should be very sorry, that having done my utter most, to make it clear, how the Powder, which they commonly call the Powder of Sympathy, doth naturally, and without any magic, cure wounds without touching them, yea, without seeing of the Patient; I say, I should be very sorry that it should be doubred, Whether such a cure may effectually be performed or no.  
In matter of fact, the determination of existence, and truth of a thing, depends upon the report which our senses make us. This business is of that nature, for they who have seen the effects, and had experience thereof, and have been careful to examine all necessary circumstances, and satisfied themselves afterwards, that there is no imposture in the thing, do nothing doubt but that it is real, and true. But they who have not seen such experiences, aught to refer themselves to the Narrations, and authority of such, who have seen such things; I could produce divers, whereof I was an ocular witness, nay, Quorum pars magna fui: But as a certain, and an accounted example in the affirmative, is convincing to determine the possibility, and truth of a matter which is doubtful: I shall content myself, because I would not trespass too much upon your patience at this time, to make instance in one only; but it shall be one of the clearest, the most perspicuous, and the most averred that can be, not only for the remarkable circumstances thereof, but also for the hands, which were above the Vulgar, through which the whole business passed. For the cure of a very sore hurt was perfected by this Power of Sympathy, upon a person that is illustrious, as well for his many perfections, as for his several employments. All the circumstances were examined, and sounded to the bottom, by one of the greatest, and most knowing Kings of his time, viz. King James, of England, who had a particular talon, and marvelous sagacity, to discuss natural things, and penetrate them to the very marrow; As also by his son, the late King Charles, and the Duke of Buckingham, their prime Minister. And in fine, all was registered among the observations of great chancellor Bacon, to add by way of Appendix, unto his Natural History. And I believe, Sirs, when you shall have understood this History, you will not accuse me of vanity, if I attribute unto myself the Introducer unto this Quarter of the World this way of curing.  
Mr. James Howel, (well known in France, for his public works, and particularly, for his Dendrologia, translated into French, by Monsieur Baudovin) coming by chance as two of his best friends were fighting in duel, he did his endeavour to part them, and putting himself between them, seized with his left hand upon the hilt of the sword, of one of the Combatants, while with his right hand he laid hold of the blade of the other: they being transported with fury one against the other, struggled to rid themselves of the hindrance their friend made, that they should not kill one another: and one of them roughly drawing the blade of his sword, cuts to the very bone the nerves, and mussles of Mr. Howels hand; and than the other disengaged his hilts, and gave a cross blow on his adversary's head, which glanced towards his friend, who heaving up his sore hand to save the blow, he was wounded on the back of his hand, as he had been before within. It seems some strange constellation reigned then against him, that he should lose so much blood by parting two such dear friends, who had they been themselves, would have hazarded both their lives to have preserved his: but this unvoluntary effusion of blood by them, prevented that which they should have drawn one from the other. For they seeing Mr. Howels face besmeared with blood, by heaving up his wounded band, they both run to embrace; and having searched his hurts, they bound up his hand with one of his garters, to close the veins which were cut, and bled abundantly. They brought him home, and sent for a Surgeon. But this being heard at Court, the King sent one of his own Surgeons, for his Majesty much affected the said Mr. Howel.  
It was my chance to be lodged hard by him: and four or five days after, as I was making myself ready, he came to my House, and prayed me to view his wounds, for I understand, said he, that you have extraordinary remedies upon such occasions, and my Surgeons apprehend some fear, that it may grow to a Gangrene, and so the hand must be cut of. In effect, his countenance discovered that he was in much pain, which he said was unsupportable, in regard of the extreme inflammation: I told him that I would willingly serve him, but if haply he knew the manner how I would cure him, without touching or seeing him: it may be he would not expose himself to my manner of curing, because he would think it peradventure either ineffectual, or superstitious: he replied, That the wonderful things which many have related unto me, of your way of medecinement, makes me nothing doubt at all of its efficacy; and all that I have to say unto you, is comprehended in the Spanish Proverb, Hagase el milagro, y bagalo Mahoma, Let the miracle be done, though Mahomet do it,  
I asked him then for any thing that had the blood upon it, so he presently sent for his garter, wherewith his hand was first bound: and as I called for a basin of water, as if I would wash my hands; I took a handful of Powder of Vitrol, which I had in my study, and presently dissolved it. As soon as the bloody garter was brought me, I put it within the basin, observing in the interim what Mr. Howel did, who stood talking with a Gentleman in a corner of my Chamber, not regarding at all what I was doing: but he started suddenly, as if he had found some strange alteration in himself; I asked him what he ailed? I know not what ails me, but I find that I feel no more pain, methinks that a pleasing kind of freshness, as it were a wet cold napkin did spread over my hand, which hath taken away the inflammation that tormented me before; I replied since then that you feel already so good an effect of my medicament, I advise you to cast away all your plasters, only keep the wound clean, and in a moderate temper, twixt heat and cold. This was presently reported to the Duke of Buckingham, and a little after to the King, who were both very curious to know the circumstance of the business, which was, that after dinner I took the garter out of the water, and put it to dry before a great fire; it was scarce dry, but Mr. Howels servant came running, that his Master felt as much burning as ever he had done, if not more, for the heat was such, as if his hand were twixt coals of fire: I answered, that although that had happened at present, yet he should find ease in a short time; for I knew the reason of this new accident, and I would provide accordingly, for his Master should be free from that inflammation, it may be, before he could possibly return unto him: but in case he found no ease, I wished him to come presently back again, if not, he might forbear coming. Thereupon he went, and at the instant I did put again the garter into the water, thereupon he found his Master without any pain at all. To be brief, there was no sense of pain afterward; but within five or six days the wounds were cicatrized, and entirely healed. King James required a punctual information of what had passed, touching this cure: and after it was done, and perfected, his Majesty would needs know of me how it was done, having drolled with me first (which he could do with a very good grace) about a magician and a Sorcerer, I answered, That I should be always ready to perform what his Majesty should command; but I most humbly defired him, before I should pass further, to tell him what the author, of whom I had the secret, said to the great Duke of Toscany, upon the like occasion. It was a religious Carmelite, that came from the Indies, and Persia to Florence, he had also been at China, who having done many marvelous cures with his Powder, after his arrival to Toscany, the Duke said he would be very glad to learn it of him: It was the father of the Great Duke, who governs now. The Carmelite answered him, That it was a secret which he had learned in the oriental parts, and he thought there was not any who knew it in Europe but himself, and that it deserved not to be divulged, which could not be done, if his Highness would meddle with the practice of it, because he was not likely to do it with his own hands, but must trust a Surgeon, or some other servant, so that in a short time divers other would come to know it as well as himself. But a few months after I had opportunity to do an important courtesy to the said friar, which induced him to discover unto me his secret, and the same year he returned to Persia; insomuch, that now there is no other knows this secret in Europe but myself: The King replied, That he needed not apprehend any fear that he would discover, for he would not trust anybody in the World to make experience of this secret, but he would do it with his own hands, therefore he would have some of the Powder; which I delivered, instructing him in all the circumstances. Whereupon his Majesty made sundry proofs, whence he received singular satisfaction.  
In the interim, Doctor Mayerne, his first physician watched to discover what was done by this secret, and at last he came to know that the King made use of Vitriol. Afterwards he accosted me, saying, he durst not demand of me my secret, because I made some difficulty to discover it to the King himself. But having learned with what matter it was to be done, he hoped that I would communicate unto him all the circumstances how it is to be used; I answered him, That if he had asked me before, I would have frankly told him all, for in his hands there was no fear that such a secret should be prostituted, and so I told him all. A little after the Doctor went to France, to see some fair Territories that he had purchased near Geneva, which was the Barony of Aubonne. In this voyage he went to see the Duke of Mayerne, who had been a long time his friend, and protector, and he taught him this secret, whereof the Duke made many experiments, which if any other but a Prince had done, it may be they had passed for effects of magic and enchantments.  
After the Duke's death, who was killed at the siege of Montauban, his Surgeon who waited upon him in doing cures, sold this secret to divers persons of quality, who gave him considerable sums for it, so that he became very rich thereby. The thing being fallen thus into many hands, remained not long in terms of a secret, but by degrees it came to be so divulged, that now there is scarce any Country Barber but knows it.  
Behold now, Sirs, the genealogy of the Powder of Sympathy in this part of the World, with a notable History of a cure performed by it. It is time now to come to the discussion, which is, to know how it is made. It must be avowed that it is a marvelous thing, that the hurt of a wounded' person, should be cured by the application of a remedy put to a rag of cloth, or a weapon at a great distance. And it is not to be doubted, if after a long and profound speculation, of all the economy and concatenation of natural causes, which may be adjudged capable to produce such effects, one may fall at last upon the true causes, which must have subtle resorts and means to act. Hitherto they have been wrapped up in darkness, and adjudged so inaccessible, that they who have undertaken to speak or write of them, (at least those whom I saw) have been contented to speak of some ingenious gentleness, without diving into the bottom, endeavouring rather to show the vivacity of their spirit, and the force of their eloquence, than to satisfy their Readers, and Auditors, how the thing is really to be done. They would have us take for ready money, some terms which we understand not, nor know what they signify. They would pay us with conveniences, with resemblances, with Sympathies, with Magnetical virtues, and such terms, without explicating what these terms mean. They think they have done enough, if they feebly persuade anybody that the business may be performed by a natural way, without having any recourse to the intervention of demons, and spirits: but they pretend not in any sort to have found out the convincing reasons, to demonstrate how the thing is done.  
Sirs, if I did not hope to gain otherwise upon your spirits; I say, that if I did not believe, that I should be able to persuade you otherwise than by words, I would not have undertaken this enterprise: I know too well 
— Quid valeant humeri, quid ferre recusent,  such a design requires a great fire, & vivacity of conceptions volubility of tongue, aptness of expressions to insinuate as it were by surprisal, that which one cannot carry away by a firm foot, and by cold reasons, though solid. A Discourse of this nature ought not to attend a stranger, who finds himself obliged to display his sense in a language, wherein he can hardly express his ordinary conceptions. Nevertheless, these considerations shall not deter me from engaging myself in an enterprise, which may seem to some much more difficult than that which I am now to perform, viz. to make good convincing proofs, that this Sympathetical cure may be done naturally, and to show before your eyes, and make you touch with your finger how it may be done. You know that persuasions are made by ingenious arguments, which being expressed with a good grace, do rather tickle the imagination, than satisfy the understanding: But Demonstrations are built upon certain, and approved principles, and though they be but roughly pronounced, yet they convince and draw after them necessary conclusions. They proceed as a strong engine fastened to a gate to batter it down, or as a plate of metal to imprint the mark of the money, at every turn that truth makes, she approaches but little, and as it were insensibly, and makes not much noise, and there is no such great force required to turn her; but her strength, though it be slow, is invincible, that at the end, she breaks down the gate, and makes a deep impression on the piece of gold or silver: whereas the stroke of hammers, and bars, (whereunto witty discourses, and the flourished conceptions of subtle spirits) require the arm of a Giant, makes a great noise, and at the end of the account, produces little effect.  
To enter then into the matter, I will, according to the method of Geometrical Demonstrations, lay six or seven Principles, as foundation-stones, whereon I will erect my structure. But I will lay them so well, and so firmly, that there will be no great difficulty to grant them. These Principles shall be like the wheels of Archimedes, by the advantage whereof a child might be capable to hale a shore the bigest Carack of King Hieron, which a hundred pair of Oxen, with all the Ropes and Cables of his Arsenal, were not able to stir: so by the strength of these Principles, I hope to waft my conclusions to a safe Port.  
The first Principle shall be, That the whole Orb, or Sphere of the Air is filled with light. If it were needful to prove in this point, that the Light is a material, and corporal substance, and not an imaginary, and incomprehensible quality, as many Schoolmen aver, I could do it evidently enough, but I have done this in another Treatife, which hath been published not long since. And it is no new opinion, for many of the most esteemed Philosophers among the Ancients have advanced it, yea, the Great St. Augustin, in his Third Epistle to Volusion, doth allege, that it is his sentiment. But touching our present business, whether the light be the one or the other, it matters not, 'tis enough to explicate her course, and the journeys she makes, whereunto our senses bear witness. 'tis cl●ar, that issuing continually out of her source, which is the Sun, and lancing herself by a marvelous celerity on all fides by straight lines, there where she rencounters any obstacles in her way, by the opposition of some hard, or opaque body, she reflects, and leaping thence to equal angles, she takes again her course by a straight line, until she bandies some other side upon another solid body, and so she continueth to make new boundings here and there; until at the end, being chased on all sides, by the bodies which oppose her in her passage, she is tired, and so extinguisheth. In the like manner we see a Ball in tennis Court, being struck by a strong arm against the walls, leaps to the opposite side, that sometimes she makes the circuit of the whole Court, and finisheth her motion near the place where she was first struck. Our very eyes are witnesses of this progress of the light, when by way of reflection, she illuminates some obscure place, whither she cannot directly arrive; Or when issuing immediately from the Sun, and beating upon the Moon, or some other of the Planets, the rays which cannot find entrance there, bound upon our earth, otherwise we should not see them, and there she is reflected, broken and bruised by so many bodies, as she meets in her diversity of reflections.  
The second Principle shall be, that the light glancing so upon some body, the rays which enter no further, and which rebound upon the superficies of the body, loosen themselves, and carry with them some small particles or atoms; just as the ball, whereof we have spoken, would carry with it some of the moisture of the wall, against which she is banded, if the plaster thereof were also moist: and as in effect, she carried away some tincture of the black, wherewith the walls are coloured. The reason whereof is, that the light, that subtle, and rarified fire, coming with such an imperceptible haste, for her darts are within our eyes, as soon as her head is above our horizon, making so many million of miles in an inimaginable space of time, I say, the light beating upon the body, which opposeth her she cannot choose but make there some small incisions proportionable to her rarity, and subtlety. And these small atoms being cut, and loosened from their trunk, being composed of the four Elements, (as all bodies are) the heat of the light doth stick, and incorporate itself with the most humid, viscuous, and gluing parts of the said Atoms, and brings them along with her. Experience shows us this as well as Reason; for when one puts some humid cloth to dry before the fire, the fiery rays beating thereon, those which find no entrance, but reflect thence, carry away with them some small moist bodies, which make a kind of mist betwixt the cloth and the fire. In like manner the Sun at his risig enlightening the earth, which is humified either by rain, or the dew of the night, his beams raise a mist, which by little and little ascends to the tops of the hills: and this mist doth arifie according, as the Sun hath more force to draw it upwards, until at last we lose the sight thereof, and that it becomes part of the air, which in regard of its tenuity, is invisible unto us. These Atoms than are like Cavaliers, mounted on winged coursers; who go very far, until that the Sun setting, takes from them their Pegasus and leaves them unmounted: and then they precipitate themselves in crowds to the earth, whence they sprung, the greatest part of them, and the most heavy fall upon the first retreating of the Sun, and that we call the Serain, which though it be so thin that we cannot see it, yet we feel it as so many small hammers, which strike upon our heads and bodies, principally the elder sort of them; for the younger sort, in regard of the boiling of their blood, and the heat of their complexion, thrust out of them abundance of spirits, which being stronger than those that fell from the Serain, they repulse them, and hinder them to operate upon the bodies, whence these spirits came forth, as they do upon those that being grown cold by age, are not warranted by so strong an emanation of the spirits, which come out of them. The wind which blows, and is tossed to and fro, is no other than a great River of the like atoms, drawn out of some solid bodies, which are upon the earth, and so are banded here and there, according as they find cause for that effect.  
I remember to have once sensibly seen how the wind is engendered: I passed over Mount Cenis, to go for Italy, towards the beginning of Summer, and I was advanced to half the hill, as the Sun did rise clear, and luminous, but before I could see his body, because the Mountains interposed: I observed his rays, which did guild the top of the Mountain Viso, which is the Pyramid of a Rock, a good deal higher than Mount Cenis, and all the neighbouring Mountains. Many are of opinion, that it is the highest Mountain in the World, after the Pic of Tenariff, in the gran Canary, and this Mount Viso is always covered with snow, I observed then, that about that place, which was illuminated by the Solar rays, there was a fog which at first was of no greater extent than an ordinary bowl, but by degrees it grew greater, that at last, not only the top of that Mountain, but all the neighbouring hills, were canopied all over with a cloud. I was now come to the top of Mount Cenis, and finding myself in the straight line, which passeth from the Sun to Mount Viso, I stayed awhile to behold it, while my people were coming up the hill behind, for having more men to carry my chair than they had, I was there sooner. It was not long that I might perceive the said fog descend gently to the place where I was, and I began to feel a freshness that came over my face, when I turned it that way. When all my Troup was come about me, we went descending the other side of Mount Cenis, towards Suze, and the lower we went, we sensibly found it that the wind began to blow hard behind our backs, for our way obliged us to go towards the side, where the Sun was. We met with passengers that were going up, and we down, they told us that the wind was very impetuous below, and did much incommodate them, by blowing in their faces and eyes, but the higher they came, it was lesser and lesser: and, touching ourselves, when we had come to the place where they said the wind blew so hard, we found a kind of storm, and it increased still the lower we went, until the Sun being well advanced, drew no more by that line, but caused a wind in some other place. The people of that Country assured me, that it was there always so, if some extraordinary and violent accident did not intervene, and divert his ordinary course, which is, that upon a certain hour of the day, the wind doth raise itself to such a rumb, or point, & when the Sun is come to avother point, another wind riseth, and so from hand to hand it changes the point till the Sun set, which always brings with it a calm, if the weather be fair, and that always comes from the Mount Viso, opposite to the Sun. They told us also, that the daily wind is commonly stronger towards the bottom of the Mountain, than towards the top, whereof the reason is evident, for the natural movement of everybody natural doth increase always in swiftness, according as it moves forward to its centre, and that in an unequal number, (as Galileo hath ingeniously demonstrated, I did it also in another Treatise) that is to say, that if at the first moment it advanceth an ell, in the second it advanceth three, in the third five, in the fourth seven, and so it continueth to augment in the same manner, which proceeds from the density, and figure, of the descending body acting upon the cellibility of the medium. And these small bodies which cause a wind from Mount Viso are thick, and terrestrial; for the snow being composed of aquatical parts, and of earthly united by the cold, when the heat of the Solar beams doth disunite and separate them, the viscous parts fly with them, while the terrestrial, being too heavy to fly upward, fall presently downward. This makes me remember a very remarkable thing, which befell me when I was with my Fleet in the Port of Scanderon, or Alexandrette, towards the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea: there they use to disimbark, when they go to Aleppo, or Babylon. I had done already what I had intended to do in those seas, and happily compassed my design, so it imported me much to return to England as soon as possibly I could, and the rather because my Ships were battered by a great fight, which I had had a little before, against a formidable power; which, although I had obtained the better, yet in so furious a dispute, my Fleet was in some disorder, and my Ships full of wounded men. To advise therefore of the most expedient road to come to some harbour, where I might repair my Ships, and be in surety: I assembled all my Captains, Pilots, and Mariners, the most experienced of my Fleet; and having propounded unto them my design, they were all of an unaminous opinion, that the surest course was towards the South, and to coast upon Syria, Judea, Egypt, and Africa, and render ourselves at the straight of Gibraltar, and sailing so near the body of the earth, we should have every night some small briezes of wind, whereby we should in a short time make our voyage. And besides, we should not be in any great danger to meet either with Spanish or French Fleets, for England was at that time in open war with both those Kings, and we had advise that they had great Fleets abroad, to vindicate some things we had done in prejudice of them, both those sixteen months that we remained Master of those seas, therefore it concerned us to make towards some safe Port, where we might both refresh our men, and repair our battered Vessels.  
My opinion was clean contrary to theirs, for I believed our best course were to steer our course Westward, and to sail along the coasts of Cilicia, Pamphylia, Lydia, Anatolia, or Asia the less, and to traverse the mouth of the Archipelago, leave the Adriatic on the right hand, and pass by Sicily, Italy, Sardinia, Corsica, the Golps of Lion, and so coast all Spain, telling them that it would be a great dishonour unto us to forsake our best road, for fear of the enemy, for our chief business thither was to find them out, and the protection which it pleased God to afford us all along in so many combats in going, was cause to make us hope that the same providence would vouchsafe to guide us as we should be returning. That there was no doubt but the road which I proposed unto them, considered simply in itself, was, not without comparison, the better, and the more expedit to sail out of the Mediterranean sea, and gain the Ocean, because said I, that although we have the briezes from off the earth as long as we were upon the coasts of Syria, and Egypt, we shall not have them at all while we sail upon the coasts of Lybia, where there are those fearful sands which they call the Syrtes, which are of a great extent, the said coast having no humidity, for there is neither tree nor herb grows there, for there is nought else but moving sands which covered and interred heretofore at one glut the puissant Army of King Cambyses. Now where there is no humidity, the Sun cannot attract to make a wind, so that we shall never find there, specially in summer time, any other wind but that Regular wind which blows from East to West, according to the course of the Sun, who is the father of winds, unless some extraordinary happen, either from the coast of Italy, which lies Northward, or from the bottom of Ethiopia, where the Mountains of the Moon are, and the source of the Cataracts of Nile: therefore if we were near the Syrtes, the winds of Italy would be most dangerous unto us, and expose us to shipwreck. I reasoned so, according to natural causes, while they of my council of war kept themselves firm to their experience; which was the cause that I would do nothing against the unanimous sense of all, for although the disposing, and resolution of all things depended absolutely upon myself, yet I thought I might be justly accused of rashness or wilfulness, if I should prefer my own advice before that of all the rest: so we took that course, and went happily as far as the Syrtes of Lybia: but there our land briezes failed us, and for seven and thirty days we had no other but a few gentle Zephirs, which came from the West, whither we were steering our course. We were constrained to keep at anchor all that time, with a great deal of apprehensions of fear, that the wind might come from the North, accompanied with a tempest, for if that had happened, we had been all lost, because our anchors had not been able to hold among those moving sands, for under water they are of the same nature as they are upon dry land, and so we might be in danger to be shipwrackt upon that coast. But God Almighty, who hath been pleased I should have the honour to wait upon you this day, did deliver me from that danger. And at the end of seven and thirty days, we observed the course of the clouds very high, which came from southeast, at first but slowly, but by degrees faster and faster, insomuch, that in the compass of two days, the wind which was forming itself a great way off in Ethiopia, came in a tempest to the place where we rid at anchor, and lead us to the place whither we intended to go; but the force of it was broken before, coming so long a distance.  
Out of this Discourse we may infer, and conclude, that everywhere wheresoever there is any wind, there be also some small bodies, or atoms, which are drawn from the bodiess, which lie in the bodies, whence they come, by the virtue of the Sun, and of Light, and that in effect this wind is nothing else but the said atoms agitated, and thrust on by a kind of impettiosity; and so the winds do partake of the qualities whence they come, as if they come from the South, they are hot, if from the North they are cold, if from the Earth alone they are dry; if from the Marine, or seaside, they are humid and moist; if from places which produce aromatical substances, they are odcriferous, wholesome and pleasing: As they say who come from Arabia Faelix, which produceth Spices, Perfumes, and goms, of sweet savour, or that which comes from Fontenay, and vaugirard at Paris, in the season of Roses, which is all perfumed: as on the contrary, those winds that come from stinking places, as from the sulphureous soil of Pozzuolo, do smell ill: as also those that come from infected places, bring the contagion along with them.  
My third Principle shall be, that the Air is full throughout with small bodies or atoms, or rather that which we call our air, is no other than a mixture, or confusion of such atoms, wherein the aerial parts do predominate.  
It is well known, that in nature there cannot be actually found any pure element, without being blended with others, for the outward fire, and the light acting one way, and the internal fire of everybody pushing on another way, causeth this marvelous mixture of all things in all things. Within that huge extent, where we place the air, there is sufficient space, and liberty enough to make such a mixture, which Experience, as well as Reason, doth confirm. I have seen little Vipers, as soon as they came from the eggs, where they were engendered, being not yet an inch long; which, having conserved them in a large gourd, covered with paper tied round about, that they might not get out, but little holes being made with pins, that the air might enter, they increased in substance, and bigness so prodigiously in six, eight, or ten months, that it is incredible, and more sensibly, during the season of the equinoxes, then, when the air is fuller of those aethereal, and balsamical atoms, which gave them their balsamic virtue, which they drew for their nouriture.  
Hence it came that the Cosmopelites had reason to say, Est in aere occultus vitae cibus. There is a hidden food of life in the air. These small Vipers had but the air only for their sustenance, nevertheless by this thin viand, they came in less than a year to a foot long, and proportionably big and heavy, Vitriol, saltpetre, and some other substances, do augment in the same manner, only by attraction of air.  
I remember, that upon some occasion, seventeen or eighteen years ago, I had occasion to use a pound of oil of tartar; it was at Paris, where I had then no Operatory. Then I desired Monsieur Ferrier, a man universally known by all such that are curious, to make me some, for he had none then ready made, but did it expressly for me, and for the calcination of tartar, twenty pound may be as easily made as two, without increase of charge, therefore he took occasion hereby to make a quantity for his own use. When he brought it me, the oil did smell so strong of the Rose, that I complained that he should mingle it with that water, in regard I had desired him to do it purely, by exposing it to the humid air, for I verily thought that he had dissolved the salt of tartar in Rose-water; he swore unto me that he had not mingled it with any liquour, but that he had left the tartar calcind within his Cellar, to dissolve of itself. It was then in the season of Roses, therefore it seems that the air being then full of the atoms, which come from the Roses; and being changed into water by the powerful attraction of the salt of tartar, their smell became very sensible in the place where they were gathered; as the beams of the Sun do burn, being crowded together in a burning glass.  
There happened also another marvelous thing, touching this oil of tartar, which may serve to prove a proposition which we have not yet touched, but not to interrupt the course of the story; I will tell it you by way of advance. It was, that as the season of Roses was passed, the smell of the Rose did vanish away from the said oil of tartar, so that in three or four months it was quite gone. But we were much surprised, when the next year the said odour of Roses returned as strong as ever it did, and so went away again towards winter, which course it still observes. Which made Monsieur Ferrier to keep it as a singular rarity, and the last Summer I found the effect in his house.  
We have in London an unlucky, and troublesome confirmation of this doctrine, for the air useth to be full of such atoms. The material then whereof they make fire in that great City, is commonly of pit coal, which is brought from Newcastle, or Scotland. This coal hath in it a great quantity of volatile salt very sharp, which being carried on by the smoke useth to dissipate itself, and fill the air, wherewith it doth so incorporate, that although we do not see it, yet we find the effects, for it spoils beds, tapestries, and other household stuffs, that are of any beautiful fair colour, for the fuliginous air doth tarnish it by degrees: and although one should lock up his Chamber, and come not thither a good while, and keep it never so clean, yet at his return, he will find a black kind of thin soot cover all his householdstuff, as we see in Mills, there is a white dust, as also in baker's shops, which useth to whiten the walls, and sometimes gets into cubboards and chests. The said coal-soot also gets abroad, and fouls clothes upon hedges, as they are a drying, as also in the Spring time, the very leaves of trees are besooted therewith. Now, in regard that it is this air which the lungs draw for respiration among the inhabitans, therefore the phlegm and spital which comes from them, is commonly blackish and fuliginous. Moreover the acrimony of this soot produceth another funestous effect, for it makes the people subject to inflammations, and by degrees to ulcerations in the lungs. It is so corrosive, and biting, that if one put gammons of bacon, or beef, or or any other flesh within the chimney, it so dries it up, that it spoils it. Wherefore they who have weak lungs, quickly feel it, whence it comes to pass, that almost the one half of them who die in London, die of ptisical, and pulmonicall distempers, spitting commonly blood from their ulcerated lungs. But at the beginng of this malady, the remedy is very easy; It is but to send them to a place where the air is good: many do usually come to Paris, who have means to pay the charge of such a journey, and they commonly use to recover their healths in perfection. The same inconveniences are also, though the operations be not so strong in the City of Liege, where the common people burn no other than pit coals, which they call h● ville. Paris herself also, although the circumambient be passing good, yet is the subject to incommodities of that nature. The excessively stinking dirt and channels of that vast City, mingleth a great deal of ill allay with the purity of the air, stuffing it everywhere with corrupted atoms, which yet are not so pernicious as those of London. We find that the most neat and polished silver plate, exposed to the air, becomes in a short time livid, and foul, which proceeds from no other cause, then from those black atoms, the true colour of putrefaction which stick unto them. I know a person of quality, (and a singular friend of mine) who is lodged in a place, where on the one side a great many poor people do inhabit, where few Carts use to pass, and fewer Coaches: his neighbours behind his house empty their filth and ordures in the middle of the street, which useth hereby to be full of mounts of filth, which is used to be carried away by Tombrells; when they remove these ordures, you cannot imagine what a stench, and a kind of infectious air is smelled thereabout everywhere. The servants of my said friend, when this happens, use to cover their plate, and andirons of polished brass, with other of their fairest householdstuff, with cotton, or course bays, otherwise they would be all tarnished; yet nothing hereof is seen within the air: yet these experiences do manifestly convince, that the air is stuffed with such atoms. I cannot omit to add hereunto another experiment, which is, that we find by the effects, how the rays of the Moon are cold and moist. It is without controversy, that the luminous parts of those rays come from the Sun, the Moon having no light at all within her, as her eclipses bear witness, which happen when the earth is opposite twixt her and the Sun, which interposition hinders her to have light from his rays. The beams than which come from the Moon, are those of the Sun, who glancing upon her, reflect upon us, and so bring with them the atoms of that cold and humid star, who participate of the source whence they come: therefore if one should expose a hollow basin, or glass, to assemble them, one shall find, that whereas those of the Sun do burn by such a conjuncture, these clean contrary do refresh and moisten in a notable manner, leaving an aquatic, and viscuous glutining kind of sweat upon the glass. One would think it were a folly that one should offer to wash his hands in a well polished silver basin, wherein there is not a drop of water, yet this may be done by the reflection of the Moon beams, only, which will afford a competent humidity to do it, but they woe have tried this have found their hands, after they are wiped, to be much moister than usually: but this is an infallible way to take away warts from the bands, if it be often used.  
Let us then conclude out of these premises, and experiments, that the air is full of atoms, which are drawn from bodies, by means of the light which reflects thereon, or which sally out by the interior natural heat of those bodies, which drive them forth. It may haply seem impossible that there can be an emanation of so many small bodies, that should be spread up and down the air, and be so carried up and down, and so far by a continual flux, (if I may say so) and yet the body whence they come receives no diminution that is perceptible, though sometimes 'tis visible enough, as by the evaporations of the spirits of wine, musk, and other such volatile substances. But this objection will be null, and the two precedent principles will render themselves more credible, when we shall settle another, viz. That everybody, be it never so little, is divisible ad infinitum, not that it hath infinite parts, for the contrary thereof may be demonstrated, but it is capable to be divided and subdivided into new parts, without ever coming to the end of the division. And it is in this sense that our Masters teach us that quantity is infinitely divisible. This is evident to him who shall consider with a profound imagination the essence, and the formal reason of quantity, which is nothing else but divisibility. But in regard that this speculation, is very subtle, and metaphysical, I will serve myself with some geometrical demonstrations to prove this truth, for they accommodate best with the imagination. Euclid doth teach us in the tenth Proposition of his sixth book, that if one take a short line, and another long one, and that the long be divided to divers equal parts twixt themselves; The little one may be divided also into as many equal parts among themselves, and every one of those parts also in others, and these last into so many more, and so consecutively, without being able ever to come to that which is not divisible.  
But let's suppose (although it be impossible) that one might divide, and subdivide a line, so that at last we should come to an indivisible, and let's see what will come of it. I say then, that since the line doth resolve itself into indivisibles, she ought to be composed of them; let's see whether that may be verified. To which purpose I take three indivisibles, and to distinguish them, let them be A. B. C. for if three millions of indivisibles make a long line, three indivisibles will make a short one. I put them then in a rank. First, I put A, then B, so near, that they touch one another: I say that B must necessarily possess the same place as A, or that it doth not possess it; if it doth possess the same place, they both together make no extension, and by the same reason, neither 3 nor 3000 will do it, but all the indivisibles will unite together, and the result of all shall be but only one indivisible. It must be then that being not both in the same place, yet touching one another, one part of B must touch one part of A, and the other part toucheth it not. Then I add the indivisible C, whereof one part shall touch a part of B, which touches not A, and by this means B is copulant, lying between A and C. to make the extension. To do this, you see that we must admit that B hath parts as the other two, which by your supposition are all indivisible, which being absurd, the supposition is impossible. But to render the matter yet more perspicuous, let's suppose that these three indivisibles, make one extension, and compose one line, the proposition already cited from Euclid, demonstrates that this line may be divided into thirty equal parts, or into as many as you please: insomuch that it must be granted that every one of these three indivisibles may be divided to three parts, which is point blank against the nature and definition of an indivisible. But without dividing into so many parts, Euclid shows by his tenth proposition of his first Element, that every line may be parted into two equal parts: but this being composed of indivisibles of unequal number, it must necessarily follow, that being parted into two, there must be an indivisible more on the one side than on the other, or that that of the middle be parted into two halfs: insomuch, that he who denies that quantity may not be divided, ad infinitum, doth entangle himself in absurdities, and incomprehensible impossibilities. And on the contrary, he who assents unto it, will find it no impossibility, or inconvenient, that the atoms of all bodies, which are in the air, may be divided, stretched and carried to a marvelous distance. Our very senses make faith hereof in some sort: there is nobody in the World, which we know of, so compact, so solid, and weighty as gold, yet nevertheless, to what a strange extent and division may it be brought unto, let's take an ounce of this massy metal, it shall be but a button as big as my finger's end. A beater of gold will make a thousand leaves or more of this ounce, one half of these leaves shall suffice to guild the whole surface of a lingot of silver, of three or four ounces: let's give this guilded lingot of silver to them, who prepare gold and silver thread to make lace, and let them draw it to the greatest length and subtlety they can, let them draw it to the thinness of a hair, and so this thread may be a quarter of a league long in extent, if not more: and in all this length there will not be the space of an atom which is not covered with gold. Behold a strange and marvelous dilatation of this half leaf: let us do the like to all the rest of the beaten gold, it will appear that by this means this small button of gold may be so extended, that it may reach from this City of Montpellier to Paris, and far beyond it: into how many million millions of atoms might not this guilded line be cut with small scissors.  
Now, 'tis easy to comprehend that this extension, and divisibility made by such gross instruments as hammers and scissors, is not comparable to that which is made by the light and rays of the Sun. For it is certain, that if this gold may be drawn into such a great length by spindles, or wheels of iron, some of these parts may easily be carried away by those winged coursers we spoke of before, I mean, by the rays that fly in a moment from the Sun to the earth.  
If I did not fear it would prove tedious unto you by my prolixity, I would entertain you with the strange subtlety of little bodies, which issue forth from living bodies, by means whereof our dogs in England will pursue the sent of a man's steps, or of a beasts, many miles: and not only so, but they will find in a great heap of stones that which a man hath touched with his hand: Therefore it must needs be, that upon the earth, or upon the stone, some material parts of the touched body remain, yet the body doth not sensibly diminish, no more than ambergrise, and the Spanish skins, which will send out of them an odour during a hundred years, without any diminution of skin or smell. In our Country they use to sow a whole field with one sort of grain, to wit, one year with barley, the next with wheat, the third with beans, and the fourth year they let it rest, and stercorize it, that it may recover its vigour by attraction of the vital spirit it receives from the air, and so plow it up again after the same degrees. Now, the year that the field is covered with beans, the passengersbies do use to smell at a good distance off, if the wind blow accordingly, the smell of the beans, if they be in flower: it is a smell that hath a suavity with it, but fading, and afterwards unpleasant, and heady. But the smell of Rosemary which comes from the coasts of Spain, goes far further. I have sailed by sea along those coasts divers times, and I have observed always, that the Mariners know when they are within thirty or forty leagues of the Continent, (I do not exactly remember the distance) and they have this knowledge from the smell of the Rosemary, which so abowds in the fields of Spain; I have smelled it as sensibly, as if I had had a branch of Rosemary in my hand, and this was a day or two before we could discover land, 'tis true, the wind was in our faces, and came from the shore. Some Naturalists write that Vultures have come two or three hundred leagues off, by the smell of carrens, and dead bodies left in the field, after some bloody battle; and it was known that these birds came from a far off, because there is none useth to breed there: they have a quick smelling, and it must be that the rotten atoms of those dead carcases were transported by the air so far: and those birds having once caught the sent, they pursue it to the very source, and the nearer they come to that, the stronger it is.  
We will conclude here that which we had to say touching the great extent of those little bodies, which by the mediation of the Sun beams, and of the light, use to issue forth out of all bodies that are composed of Elements, who throng the air, and are carried a marvelous distance from the place, and bodies where they have their origin, and source, the proof, and explication of which things hath been the aim of my discourse hitherunto.  
Now, my Lords, I must, if you please, make you see how these small bodies that so fill, and compose the air, are oftentimes drawn to a road altogether differing from that which their universal causes should make them hold; and it shall be our fifth principle.  
One may remark within the course, and aeconomy of nature, sundry sorts of attractions: as that of suction, or sucching, whereby I have seen a ball of lead at the bottom of a long steel exactly wrought, follow the air, which one sucked out of the mouth of a Canon, with that impetuosity, and strength, that it broke his teeth. The attraction of water or wine that is done by the instrument Scyphon is like to this, for by means of that, one liquour is made to pass from one vessel into another, without changing any way the colour, or rising of the lees. There is another sort of attraction which is called magnetical, whereby the loadstone draws the iron. Another electrick, when the jet-stone draws unto it straws. There is another of the Flame, when the smoke of a candle put out, draws the flame of that which burns hard by, and makes it descend to light that which is out. There is another of Filtration, when one humid body mounts upon a dry body, or when the contrary is done. Lastly, when the fire, or some hot body draws the air, and that which is mixed therewith.  
We will treat here of the two first species of attraction, I have sufficiently spoken of the rest in another place. Filtration may seem to him who hath not attentively considered it, nor examined by what circumstances so hidden a secret of nature comes to pass, and to a person of a mean and limited understanding, to be done by some occult virtue, or property, and will persuade himself, that within the Filtre, or straining instrument, there is some secret Sympathy, which makes water to mount up contrary. to its natural motion.  
But he who will examine the business, as it ought to be, observing all that is done, without omitting any circumstance, he will find there is nothing more natural, and that it is impossible it should be otherwise. And we must make the same judgement of all the profound mysteries, and hiddenest mysteries of nature: if one would take the pains to discover them, and search into them with judgement.  
Behold then how Filtration is made, they use to put a long tongue of cloth, or cotton, or spongy matter, within an earthen pot of water or other liquour, and let hanging upon the brim of the pot a good part of the cloth, and one shall see the water presently mount up, and pass above the brink of the vessel, and drop at the lower end of the piece of cloth, upon the ground, or within some vessel: and the gardeners make use of this method to water their plants and flowers in Summer by soft degrees. As also the Apothecaries, and chemists, to separate their liquours, from their dregs, and residences.  
To comprehend the reason why the water ascends in that manner, let us nearly observe all that is done. That part of the cloth which is within the water, becomes wetted, to wit, it receives and imbibes the water through its spongy, and dry parts at first. This cloth swells in receiving the water, so two bodies joined together, require more room than one of them would by itself. Let us consider this swelling, and augmented extension in the last thread of them which touch the water, viz. that on the superficies, which to be distinguished from the rest, let it be marked at the two ends, (as by a line) as with A. B. and the thread which immediately follows, and is above it, let it be C. D. and the following E. F. then with G. H. and so to the end of the tongue: I say then that the thread A. B. dilating itself, and swelling by means of the water which enters twixt it fibres, or strings, approacheth by little and little to C. D. which is yet dry, because it toucheth not the water; but when A. B. is grown so gross, and swelling, by reason of the water which enters, that it fills all the vacuity, and all the distance which lies twixt it, and C. D. as also that it presseth against C. D. by reason of its extension, which is greater than the space was betwixt them both, than it wets C. D. because the thread A. B. being compressed, the exterior part of the water which was in it, coming to be pushed on upon C. D. seeks there a place, and entreth within the threads, and wets them, in the same manner as at first the exterior, and highest part, became wet. C. D. being so wetted, it shall dilate itself as A. B. did, and consequently pressing against E. F. it cannot choose but work the same effect in it, which before it had received by the swelling and dilatation of A. B. and so by gentle degrees every thread wets its neighbour, until the very last thread of cloth tongue. And it is not to be feared, that the continuity of the water will break, ascending this scale of chords, or that it will recoil backwards, for those little ladders so easy to be mounted render the ascent the more easy, and the woolly fibres of every thread, seem to reach their hands to help them up at every pace: and so the facility of getting up contremont, joined with the fluidness of the water, and the nature of quantity, which tends always to the uniting of substances, and of bodies which it clothes, when there occurs no other predominant cause to break, and divide it, causeth that the water keeps itself in one piece, and passeth above the brink of the pot. After that its voyage is made more easy, for it goes after its natural panching, always downwards. And if the end of the cloth hangs lower without the pot, than the surface of the water within the pot, the water spills on the earth, or some vessel placed beneath, as we see that a heavier chord being hung upon a pulley the longest, and heaviest falls upon the ground, and carrieth away the shortest, and lightest, making it pass above the pulley. But if the outward end of the cloth which is without the pot were horizontal, with the surface of the water, and did hang no lower than it, the water would be immovable: as the two sides of a balance, when there's equal weight in both the scales. And if one would pour out the water that is in the pot, in such sort that the superficies did grow lower than the end of the cloth: In that case the ascending water becoming more heavy than the descendant on the other side, without the pot, it would call back that which was gone out before, and was ready to fall, and would make it thrust on, and return to its former pace, and enter again into the pot, to mingle again with the water which lies therein.  
You see then this mystery, which at first was surprising, displayed, and made as familiar and natural, as to see a stone fall down from the air. 'tis true, that to make a demonstration thereof, by an exact, and complete rigor, we must add other circumstances, which we have done in another Discourse, wherein I expressly treated of this subject. But that which I now say is sufficient to give a tincture how this so notable an attraction is made.  
The other attraction which comes by fire, which draws unto it the ambient air, with the small bodies therein, is made thus;  
The Fire acting according to its own nature, which to push on a continual river, or exhalation of its parts, from the centre to the circumference, and out of its source, carrieth away with it the air which adjoined, and sticking to it on all sides, as the water of a river trains along with it the earth of Thaes channel or bed, through which it glides. For the air being humid, and the fire dry, they cannot do less than embrace, and hug one another. But there must a new air come from the places circumjacent, to fill the room of that which is carried away by the fire, otherwise there would a vacuity happen, which nature abhors. This new air remains not long in the place which it comes to fill, but the fire, who is in a continual career, and emanation of his parts, carries it presently with him, and draws the new air, and so there is a perpetual, and constant current of the air, as long as the action of fire continues. We daily see the experience hereof, for if one makes a good fire in ones Chamber, it draws the air from the door, and windows, which chough one would shut, yet there be crevices and holes for the air to enter, and coming near them, one shall hear a kind of whistling noise, which the air makes in pressing to enter, and 'tis the same cause that produceth the sound of the Organ and flute; and he who would stand between the crevices, and the fire, he should find such an impetuosity of that artificial wind, that he would be ready to freeze, while he is ready to burn the t'other side next the fire. And a candle of wax being held in this current of the wind, would melt by her flame blown against the wax, and waste away in a very short time: whereas if that candle stood in a calm place, that her flame might burn upward, it would last much longer. But if there be no passage whereby the air may enter into the Chamber, the one part then of the vapour of the wood which should have converted to flame, and so mounted up the funnel of the chimney descends downward against its nature, for to supply the defect of air within the said Chamber, and fills it with smoke, but at last the fire chokes, and extinguisheth for want of air. Whence it come to pass that the chemists have reason to say, that the air is the life of the fire, as well as other animals. But if one puts a basin, or vessel of water before the fire upon the hearth, there will be no smoke in the Chamber, although it be so close shut, that the air cannot enter, for the fire attracts parts of the water, which is a liquid substance, and easy to move out of its place, which aquatic parts rarify themselves into air, and thereby perform the functions of the air. This is more evidently seen if the Chamber be little, for then the air which is there penned in, is sooner raised up, and carried away. And by reason of this attraction, they use to make great fires, where there are household-stuff, of men that died of the Pestilence to disinfect them. For by this inondation of air which is drawn, the fire doth as it were sweep the walls, the planks, with other places of the Chamber, and takes away those little putrified, sharp, corrosive, and venomous bodies, which were the infections that adhered unto it, drawing them into the fire, where they are partly burnt, and partly sent up into the chimney, accompanied with the atoms of the fire, and the smoke. It is for this reason that the great Hippocrates, which groped so far into the secrets of Nature, disinfected, and freed from the plague a whole Province, or entire Region, by causing them to make great fires everywhere.  
Now, this manner of attraction is made, not only by a simple fire, but by that which partakes of it, viz. by the heated substances: and that which is the reason and cause of the one, is also the cause of the other. For the spirits, or ignited parts evaporating from such a substance, or hot body, carry away with them the adjacent air, which ought necessarily to be nourished by some other air, or by some matter which keeps the place of the air, as we have spoken of the basin, and tub of water put before the fire to hinder smoke. It is upon this foundation that physicians do ordain the hot application of Pigeons, or young dogs, or some other hot animals, to the soles of the feet, or the handwrists, or the stomachs, or navills of their patients, to extract out of their bodies the wind, or ill vapours which infect them; and in time of contagion, or universal infection of the air, pigeons, cats, dogs, with other hot animals, use to be killed, which make continually a great transpiration of evaporation of spirits, because the air by those attractions it makes, taking the room of the spirits, which issue forth of evaporation, the pestiferous atoms which are scattered in the air, and accompany it; use to stick to their feathers, skins, or furs.  
And for the same reason we see that bread coming hot from the Oven, draws unto it the must of the cask, which spoils the wine, if they put it hot upon the bung. And that onions, & such hot bodies which perpetually exhale unto them the fiery parts, which appears by the strength of their smell, are quickly taken with infectious airs, if they be exposed unto them, which is one of the signs to know whether the whole mass of the air be universally infected.  
And one might reduce to this head the great attraction of air, which is made by calcind bodies and particularly by tartar, all ignited by the violent action of the fire upon it, which is heaped together, and bodified among his salt: for I have observed that it attracts unto it nine times more air than it weighs itself. For if one should expose to the air a pound of salt of tartar well calcind, and burnt, it will afford you ten pound, of good oil of tartar, drawing unto it, and so bodifying the circumjacent air, and that wherewith 'tis mingled; as it befell that oil of tartar which Monsieur Ferrier made me, whereof I spoke before, But methinks that all this is but little compared to the attraction of air, which was made by the body of a certain nun at Rome, whereof Petrus Servius, Urban the Eighth's physician makes mention in a book which he hath published, touching the marvelous accidents which he observed in his time. Had I not such a vouchy, I durst not produce this History, although the nun herself did cnnfirm it unto me, and that a good number of Doctors, of the faculty of physic at Rome, did assure me of the truth thereof: There was a nun, that by excess of fasting, of watchings, and mental orisons, was so heated in her body, that she seemed to be all on fire, and her bones dried up, and calcind: This heat then, this internal fire drawing the air so powerfully: this air did incorporate within her body, as it useth to do in salt of Tartar, and the passages being all open, it got to those parts, where there is most serosity, which is the bladder, and thence she rendered it in water among her urine, and that in an incredible quantity, for she voided during some weeks more, than two hundred pounds of water every four and twenty hours. With this notable example I will put an end to the experiments, I have urged to prove and explicate the attraction which is made of air, by hot and ignited bodies, which are of the nature of fire.  
My sixth Principle shall be, that when fire, or some hot body attracts the air, and that which is within the air, if it happens that within that air there be found some dispersed atoms of the same nature, with the body which draws them, the attraction of such atoms is made more powerfully, then if they were bodies of a different nature, and these atoms do stay, stick, and mingle with more willingesse with the body which draws them. The reason hereof is the resemblance, and Sympathy they have one with the other. If I should not explicate wherein this resemblance consisted, I should expose myself to the same censure and blame, as that which I taxed at the beginning of my Discourse, touching those who speak but lightly and vulgarly of the Powder of Sympathy, and such marvails of nature. But when I shall have cleared that which I contend for by such a resemblance and conveniency, I hope than you will rest satisfied. I could make you see that there are many sorts of resemblances which cause an union between bodies, but I will content myself to speak here only three signal ones.  
The first resemblance shall be touching weight, whereby bodies of the same degree of heaviness do assemble together, the reason whereof is evident, for if one body were more light, it would ocupy a higher situation than the heavier body, as on the contrary, if a body were more weighty, it would descend lower than that which is less heavy, but both having the same degree of heaviness, they keep company together in equilibrio, as one may see by experience in this gentile example, which some curious spirits use to produce, for to make us understand how the four elements are situated one above the other, according to their weight, and heaviness. They use to put in a vial the spirit of wine tincturd with red, to represent the fire, the spirit of turpentine tinctured with blue for the air, the spirit of water tinctured with green, to represent the element of water; And to represent the earth, the Powder of some solid metal enamelld; you see them one upon the other without mixing, and if you shake them together by a violent agitation, you shall see a Chaos, such a confusion, that it will seem there's no particular atoms that belong to any of those bodies, they are so huddled pell-mell altogether. But cease this agitation, and you shall see presently every one of these four substances go to its natural place, calling again, and labouring to unite all their atoms in one distinct mass, that you shall see no mixture at all.  
The second resemblance of bodies which draw one another, and unite, is among them, which are of the same degree of rarity and density. The nature and effect of Quantity is to reduce to unity all things which it finds, if there interpose not some other stronger power, (as the differing substantial form, which doth multiply it) do not hinder. And the reason of that is evident, for the essence of Quantity is a divisibility, or capacity to be divided, which is as much to say, as to make it Many, whence it may be inferred that Quantity itself is not many, therefore she is of herself, and in her own nature, a continued extension: seeing then that the nature of Quantity in general tends to unity, and continuity, the first differences of Quantity, which are rarity, and density, must produce the same effect of unity, and continuity in those bodies which convene in the same degree with them. For proof whereof, we find that water doth unite, and incorporate itself, strongly, and easily with water, oil with oil, the spirit of wine with spirit of wine, but water and oil can hardly unite, nor mercury with the spirit of wine, and other bodies of differing density, and tenuity.  
The third resemblance of bodies which unites and keeps them strongly together, is that of Figure: I will not serve myself here with the ingenious conceit of a great personage, who holds that the continuity of bodies results from some small hookings or claspings, which keeps them together, and are differing in bodies of a differing nature. But not to extend myself two diffusively in every particularity, I will say in gross, as an apparent thing, that every kind of body affects a particular figure. We see it plainly in the several sorts of salt, peel, and stamp them separately, dissolve, coagulate, and change them as long as you please, they come again always to their own natural figure, after every dissolution, and coagulation. The ordinary salt doth form itself always in cubes of foursquare faces, salt-petre in forms of six faces: Armoniac salt in Hexagons of six points, as the snow doth, which is sexangulary. Whereunto Mr. Davison attributes the pentagonary figure of every one of those stones which were found in the bladder of Monsieur Peletier, to the number of fourscore; for the same immediate efficient cause, which is the bladder, had imprinted its action both within the stones, and the salt of the urine. The Distillators observe, that if they pour upon the dead head of some distillation, the water which was distilled it imbibes it, and reunites incontinently, whereas if one would pour any other water of an heterogeneous body, it swims on the top, and incorporates with much difficulty. The reason is, that the distilled water which seems to be an homogeneous body, yet 'tis composed of small bodies of discrepant figures, as the chemists do plainly demonstrate, and these atoms being chased by the action of fire, out of their own Chambers, or as from the beds, which appropriated unto them by an exact justness, when they come back to their ancient habitations, viz. to the pores which are left in the dead heads, they accommodate themselves, and amiably rejoin and comensurate together. The same happens when it rains after a long drought; for the earth immediately drinks up the water, which had been drawn up by the Sun, whereas any other strange liquour would enter with some difficulty. Now, that there are differing pores in bodies which seem to be homogeneous, Monsieur Gassendi affirms it, and undertakes to prove it by the dissolution of salts of differing natures in common water, when says he to this effect, that when you have dissolved common salt, as much as it can bear, if you put only a scruple more, it will leave it entire in the bottom, as if it were sand, or plaster, nevertheless, it will dissolve a good quantity of salt-petre, and though it toucheth not this salt, it will dissolve as much of Armoniacall salt, and so others of different figures. In so much as I have observed elsewhere, we see plainly by the aeconomy, of Nature, that bodies of the same figure use to mingle more strongly, and unite themselves with more facility, which is the reason why those that make a strong glue to glue together broken pots of porcelain, or crystal, or such stuff, do always mingle with the glue the powder of that body, which they endeavour to raccomodate. And the Goldsmiths themselves, when they go about to sodder together pieces of gold, or of silver, they mingle those bodies always in their own dust.  
Having hitherto run through the reasons and causes why bodies of the same nature, draw one to another with greater facility and force than others, and why they unite with more promptitude, let's now see according to our method, how experience confirms this discourse, for in natural things we must have recourse, on dernier resort, to experience. And all reasoning that is not supported so, aught to be repudiated, or at least suspected to be illegitimate.  
'tis an ordinary thing, when one finds himself burnt as in the hand, he holds it a good while as near the fire as he can, and by this means the ignited atoms of the fire, and of the hand mingling together, and drawing one another, and the stronger of the two, which are those of the fire, having the mastery, the hand finds itself much eased of the inflammation which it suffered. 'tis an ordinary remedy, though a nasty one, that they who have ill breaths, hold their mouths open at the mouth of a privy, as long as they can, and by the reiteration of this remedy, they find themselves cured at last, the greater stink of the privy drawing unto it, and carrying away the less, which is that of the mouth. They who have been pricked, or bit by a Viper, or Scorpion, hold over the bitten, or pricked place, the head of a Viper or Scorpion bruised, and by this means the poison, by a kind of filtration way, went on to gain the heart of the party, returns back to its principles, and so leaves the party well recovered. In time of common contagion, they use to carry about them the powder of a toad, and sometimes a living toad or spider shut up in a box; or else they carry arsenic, or some other venomous substance, which draws unto it the contagious air, which otherwise would infect the party: and the same powder of toad draws unto it the poison of a pestilential coal. The scurf or farcy is a venomous, and contagious humour within the body of a horse, hand a toad about the neck of the horse, in a little bag, and he will be cured infallibly; the toad, which is the stronger poison, drawing to it the venom which was within the horse. Make water to evaporate out of a stove, or other room, close shut, if there be nothing that draws this vapour, it will stick to the walls of the stove, and as it cools, it recondenseth there into water: but if you put a basin or bucquet full of water into any part of the stove, it will attract all the vapour which filled the chamber, and so doing, no part of the wall will be wetted. If you dissolve Mercury, which resolving into smoke, doth pass into the recipient, put into the head of the limbeck a little thereof, and all the mercury in the limbeck will gather there, and nothing will pass into the recipient. If you distil the spirit of salt, or of vitriol, or the balm of sulphur, and leaving the passage free betwixt the spirit, and the dead head, whence it issued forth, the spirits will return to the dead head, which being fixed, and not able to mount up, draws them unto it.  
In our Country, and I think 'tis so used here, they use to make provision for all the year of Venison Pasties, at the season that their flesh is best, and most savoury, which is in July, and August, they bake it in earthen pots, or Ryecrust, after they have well seasoned it with salt and spices, and being cold, they cover it 6 fingers deep with freshbutter, thatthe air may not enter. Nevertheless 'tis observed after all the diligence that one can make, that when the living beasts, which are of the same nature, and kind, are in Rut, the flesh which is in the pot smells very rank, and very much changed, having a stronger taste, because of the spirits which come at this season from the living beasts, which spirits are attracted naturally by the dead flesh: and than one hath much to do to preserve it from being quite spoiled: but the said season being passed, there is no danger, or difficulty to keep it gustful all the year long.  
The wine merchants observe in this Country, and everywhere elsewhere there is wine, that during the season that the Vines are in flower, the wine which is in the Cellar, makes a kind of fermentation, and pusheth forth a little white lee, (which I think they call the mother of the wine) upon the surface of the wine, which continueth in a kind of disorder, until the flowers of the Vines be fallen, and then this agitation or fermentation being ceased, all the wine returns to the same state it was in before.  
Nor is it now that this observation hath been made, but besides divers others, who speak hereof, St. Ephrem the Syrian, in his last Will and Testament, some 1300 years ago, reports this very same circumstance of wine, which sensibly suffers an agitation & fermentation within the vessel the same time, that the Vines seem to exhaletheir spirits in the Vineyards. He makes use of the same example in dry onions, which bud in the house, when those in the garden begin to come out of the earth, and to embalm the air with their spirits; showing thereby by these known examples of nature, the communication between living persons, and the souls of the dead. Now, those winy spirits that issue from the buds and flowers, filling the air, (as the spirits of Rosemary use to do in Spain) they are drawn into the vessels by the connatural, & attractive virtue of the wine within: and these new volatile spirits entering, do excite the most fixed spirits of the wine, and so cause a fermentation, as if one should pour therein new or sweet wine; for in all fermentations, there is a separation made of the terrestrial parts from the oily, which come out of the essential parts, and so the lightest mount up to the superficies, the heaviest become tartar lees, which fall into the bottom. But in this season, if one be not very careful to keep the wine in a proper, and temperate place, and keep the cask full, and well bungd, and use other endeavours, which are ordinary with Wine Coupers, one runs a hazard to have his wine impaird, or quite spoiled, because that the volatile spirits coming to evaporate themselves, they carry away with them the spirits of the wine that is barrelled by exciting them, and mingling with them. As in like manner the oil of tartar, which Monsieur Ferrier made, attracting to itself the volatile spirits of Roses, diffused in the air in their season, suffered such a fermentation, and made every year new attractions of the like spirits, in regard of the affinity which this oil had contracted with those spirits at its first birth, whereof it was deprived as the season passed. And 'tis for the very same reason that a table cloth, or napkin, spotted with mulberries, or red wine, is easily whitened again at the season that the plants do flower; whereas at any other time these spots can hardly be washed away. But 'tis not only in France and other places, where Vines are near cellars of wine that this fermentation happens: in England, where we have not Vines enough to make wine, the same thing is observed, yea, and some particularities beyond. Although they make no wine in our Country to any considerable proportion, yet we have wine there in great abundance, which is brought over by the Merchants: It useth to come principally from three places, viz. from the Canaries, from Spain, from Gascony. Now, these Regions being under different degrees and climates in point of latitude, and consequently one Country is hotter or colder than the other; or that the same vegetals grow to maturity sooner, it comes to pass that the foresaid fermentation of our differing wines advanceth itself more or less, according as the vines whence they proceed, do bud and flower in the region where they grow: it being consentaneous to reason, that every sort of wine attracts more willingly the spirits of those Vines whence they come, than of any other.  
I cannot forbear but I must make some digrestion here, to unfold some other effects of nature, which we see often, and are not less curious than the most principal which we treat of, and will seem to be derived from more obscure causes, notwithstanding in many circumstances they depend on the same principles, and in many much differing, It is touching moles or marks which happen to infants when their mothers during the time of their pregnancy, have longed after some particular things. To proceed after my accustomed manner. I will fall to exemplify. A Lady of high condition, which many of this Assembly know, at least by reputation, hath upon her neck the figure of a Mulberry, as exactly as any Painter, or Sculptor can possibly represent one, for it bears not only the colour, but the just proportion of a Mulberry, and is as it were embossed upon her flesh. The Mother of this Lady being with child, she had a great mind to eat some Mulberries, and her imagination being satisfied, one of them casually fell upon her neck, the sanguine juice whereof was soon wiped off, and she felt nothing at that time. The child being born, the perfect figure of a Mulberry was seen upon her neck, in the same place where it fell upon the mothers, and every year, in Mulbery-season, this impression, or rather excrescence of flesh did swell, grow big, and itch.  
Another Maid which had the like mark of a Strawberry, was more inconumodated therewith, for it inflamed and itched in Strawberry season, but it broke like an Impostume, whence issued forth a shanp corrosive humour. But a skilful Surgeon took all away to the very roots, by cauterising; so that since that time she never felt any pain or change in that place which did incommodate her so much, it being become a simple fear.  
Now then, let's endeavour to penetrate if we can the causes, and reasons, of these marvelous effects. But to go the more handsomely to work, that within the actions of all our senses, there is a material and corporal participation, viz. that some atoms of the body operate upon the senses, enter into their organs, which serve them as funnels, to conduct and carry them to the brain, and to the imagination. This appears evidently in vapours and savours. And concerning the hearing, the exterior air being agitated, doth cause a movement within the membrane, or tympane of the ear, which gives the like shaking to the hammer which is tied thereunto, who beating upon his anvil, caused a reciprocal motion in the air, which is shut within the crannies of the ear, and this is that which we usually call found.  
Touching the sight, 'tis evident that the Light reflecting upon the body, it sees enters into the eyes, and cannot avoid, but it must bring with it some emanations of the body whereon it reflects, as we have established in the second Principle.  
It remains now to show that the like is made within the grossest of our senses, which is the Touch or Feeling: For if it be true, as we have shown, that everybody sends forth a continual emanation of atoms out of itself, it makes much for the assertion of this truth. But to render this truth yet more manifest, and take away all possibility of doubt, I will demonstrate evidently to the eye, whereof every one may make an experience in a quarter of an hour, if he be so curious, yea, in a less compass of time.  
I believe you know the notable a affinity which is betwixt gold and quicksilver; if the gold toucheth mercury, it sticks close unto it, and whitens it in such sort, that it scarce appeareth gold, but silver only; if you cast this blanched gold into the fire, the heat chaseth, and drives away the mercury, and the gold returns to its former colour, but if you repeat this often, the gold calcines, and then you may pound, and reduce it to powder.  
Now there is no dissolvant in the World that can well calcine, and burn the body of gold, but quicksilver. I speak of that which is already formed by nature, without engaging myself to speak of that which is spoken of among the secrets of philosophy. Take then a spoonful of mercury in some porcelan, or other dish, and finger it with one hand if you have a ring of gold on the other, it will become white, and covered with mercury, though it doth not any way touch it. Moreover, if you put a leaf of gold, or a crown of gold in your mouth, and if you put but one of your toes in a thing where mercury is, the gold which is in your mouth, though you shut up your lips never so close, shall turn white, and laden with mercury: then if you put this gold in the fire to make all the mercury evaporate, and that you reiterate the same thing, your gold will be calcind, as if you had by amalgation joined mercury therewith corporally. And all this will yet be done more spee dily, and effectually, if in lieu of common mercury, you make use of mercury of antimony, which is much hotter, and more penetrating, and though you drive it away by force of fire, it will carry away with it a good quantity of the substance of the gold: in such sort, that reiterating often, this operations, there will no more gold remain for you to continue your experiments. If then that cold mercury doth so penetrate the whole body, we ought not to think it strange, that subtle atoms of fruit composed of many ignited parts will pass with more facility and quickness. I will further make you see how such spirits and emanations, do suddenly also penetrate steel, though it be a substance so compacted, cold, and hard, that the said atoms may keep their residence there many months and years. Within a living body, such as is man's, the intern spirits do aid, and contribute much facility to the spirits that are without, such as those of fruits are, to make their journey the more East to the brain. The great Architect of nature in the fabric of human body, the masterpiece of corporal nature, hath placed there some intern spirits, to serve as sentinels, to bring their discoveries to their General, viz. to the imagination, who is as it were the Mistress of the whole family, whereby a man might know, and understand what is done without the Kingdom, within the great World; and that it might shun what is noxious, and seek after that which is profitable. For these sentinels, or intern spirits, with all the inhabitants of the sensitive organs are not able to judge alone: insomuch, that if the imagination or thought be distracted strongly to some object, these intern spirits do not know whether a man hath drunk the wine which he hath swallowed, if perchance seeing a person who comes to salute him, he fixeth his eye upon him all the while, or if he listens attentively to the air of some melodious song, or musical instrument, for the inward spirits bring all their acquisitions to the imagination; and if she be not more strongly bent upon another object, she falls a forming certain ideas and Images, because that the atoms from without being conveyed by these intern spirits, to our imagination erect there the like edifice, or else a model in short resembling the great body whence they come forth. And if our imagination hath no more use of those significative atoms for the present, she rangeth them in some proper place, within her magazine, which is the memory; where she can repeal, and rebuke them when she pleaseth. And if there be any object which causeth some emotions in the imagination, and toucheth her more near than common objects use to do, she sends back her sentinels, the internal spirits, upon the confines, to bring her more particular news. And thence it proceeds that a man being surprised by some particular man, or other object, who hath already some eminent place in his imagination, be it of desire, or aversion, than that man sudendly changeth colour, and becomes red, then pale, then red again at diverse times, according as the Ministers, which are those intern spirits, do go quick or slow towards their object, than they return with their reports to their Mistress, which is the imagination. But besides these passages we speak of, which go from the brain to the external parts of the body, by the ministry of the nerves; there is also a great road from the brain to the heart, by which the vital spirits do ascend from the heart to the brain, to be animated, and hereby the imagination sends unto the heart, those atoms which she hath received from some exterternal object, and there they make an ebullition betwixt the vital spirits, which according to the intervening atoms, either cause a dilatation of the heart, and so gladden it, or they do contract it, so sadden it, and these two differing, and contrary actions are the first general effects, whence proceed afterwards the particular passions, which require not that I pursue them too far in this place, having done it more particularly else where, and more expressly.  
Besides these passages, which are common to all men and women, there is another that's peculiar only to females, which is, from the brain to the matrix, whereby it often falls out that such violent vapours mount up to the brain, and those in so great a number, that they often hinder the operation of the brain, and of the imagination, causing convulsions and follies, with other strange accidents, and by the same channel the spirits or atoms pass with a greater liberty, and swiftness to the womb or matrix when the case requires.  
Now let's consider how the strong imagination of one man doth marvailously act upon another man, who hath it more feeble and passive. We see daily, that if a person gape, those who see him gaping, are excited to do the same. If one come perchance to converse with persons that are subject to excess of laughter, one can hardly forbear laughing, although one doth not know the cause why they laugh. If one should enter into a house, where all the World is sad, he becomes melancholy, for as one said, Si vis me flere dolendum est primum ipsi tibi, Women and Children being very moist and passive, are most susceptible of this unpleasing contagion of the imagination. I have known a very melancholy woman, which was subject to the disease called the Mother, and while she continued in that mood, she thought herself possessed, and did strange things, which among those that knew not the cause, passed for supernatural effects, and of one possessed by the ill spirit: she was a person of quality, and all this happened, because of the deep resentment she had for the death of her Husband: She had attending her four or five young Gentlewomen, whereof some were her Kinswomen, and others served her as Chambermaids. All these came to be possessed as she was, and did prodigious actions. These young Maids were separated from her sight, and communication, and as they had not yet contracted such profound roots of the evil, they came to be all cured by their absence; and this Lady was also cured afterwards by a physician, which purged the atrabilious humours, and restored her matrix to its former estate, there was neither imposture, or dissimulation in this.  
I could make a notable recital of such passions that happened to the nuns at Lodnn; but having done it in a particular Discourse at my return from that Country, where I as exactly as I could discussed the point, I will forbear speaking thereof at this time, otherwise then to pray you to remember, that when two Lutes, or two Harps, near one another, both set to the same tune, if you touch the strings of the one, the other consonant harp will sound at the same time, though nobody touch it, whereof Galileo hath ingeniously rendered the reason.  
Now, to make application to our purpose of all that hath been produced to this effect, I say that since it is impossible that two several persons should be so near one another, as the mother and the infant when he lies in the womb, one may thence conclude, That all the effects of a strong and vehement imagination working upon another more feeble, passive, and tender, aught to be more efficacious in the Mother acting upon her son, than when the imaginations of other persons act upon them who are nothing to them. And as it is impossible for a Master of music, let him be never so expert, and exact, can tune so perfectly any two Harps, as the great Master of the Universe, doth the two bodies of the Mother and the Infant, so it follows by consequence, that the concussion of the principal string of the Mothers, which is the imagination, aught to produce a greater shaking of the consonant string in the Infant, to wit, his imagination, than the string of a Lute being touched, upon the consonant strings of another: and when the mother sends spirits to some parts of her body, the like must be sent to some part of the child's body.  
Now, let's call to memory how the imagination of the mother is full of corporal atoms, which come from the Mulberry, or Strawberry, which fell upon the neck, and breast, and her imagination being then surprised with an emotion, by the suddenness of the accident, it follows necessarily that the must send some of these atoms also to the brain of the Infant, and so to the same part of the body, where she took the stain first, twixt which and the brain, there pass such frequent and speedy messengers, as we have formerly set forth. The Infant also on his part, who hath his parts also tuned in an harmonious consonance with the mothers, cannot fail to observe the same movement of spirits twixt his imagination, and his neck, and his breast, as the mother did twixt hers: and these spirits being accompanied with atoms of the Mulberry, which the mother conveyed to his imagination, they make a profound impression, and lasting mark, upon his delicate skin, whereas that of the mothers was more hard. As if one should let fly a Pistol charged with powder, only against a marble, the powder doth nothing but sully it a little, which may quickly be rubbed off; but if one should discharge such a Pistol at a man's face, the grains of the powder would pierce the skin, & so stick and dwell there all his life time, and make themselves known by their black-blewish colour, which they always conserve.  
In like manner the small grains or atoms of the fruit which passed from the mother's neck to the imagination of the Infant, and thence to the same place upon his skin, do lodge, and continually dwell there for the future, and serve as a source to draw the atoms of the like fruit dispersed in the air, according to their season, (as the wine in the ton draws unto it the volatile spirits of the Vines) and in drawing them the part of the skin, where they reside ferments, swells, eats, and inflames, and sometimes breaks. But to render yet more considerable, these marvalous marks of longing, (since we are upon this subject) I cannot forbear to touch also another circumstance, which might seem at first to be a miracle of nature, beyond the causes which I have alleged: but having well eventilated it, we shall absolutely find that it depends upon the same principles. It is, that oftentimes it falls out, that the impression of the thing desired, or longed for, by the mother, falls upon the child, although she touch it not, or that it falls upon her body. 'tis sufficient that some other thing do fall, or inexpectedly beat upon some part of the woman with child, while such a longing doth predominate in her imagination, and the figure of the thing so long desired after, will be found at last imprinted upon the same part of the body of the Infant, as it was upon the mother who received the blow. The reason hereof is that the atoms of the thing longed for, being raised up by the light, go to the brain of the big mother, through the channel of the eyes, as well as other more material atoms, proceeding from the corporal touch, would go thither by the guidance of the nerves. And of these petty bodies, the mother forms in her imagination a complete model of that, whence they flow forth by way of emanation. But if the women be not attarchd but inwardly, these atoms which are in her imagination, make no other voyage than to her heart, and thence to the imagination, and to the heart of the Infant, and so cause a reinforcement of the passion in them both, which may be moved to such a violent impetuosity, that if the mother doth not enjoy her longed-for object, this passion may cause the destruction both of the one and the other, at least prejudice her notably in their health, and so make a great change in the body. In the mean time, if some unlooked for blow surprise the mother in any part of her body, the spirits which reside in the brain are immediately sent thither by her imagination, as it happens often in this case of longing. But in all other such sudden surprisals either among women or men, these spirits are transported with the more impetuosity, the more the passion is violent. As when one loves another passionately, he runs suddenly to the door when any knocks, or that— Hylax in limine latrat, hoping always 'tis the party which entirely occupies his thoughts, (for qui amant ipsi sibi somnia fingunt) who comes to give him a visit: And these spirits being moved by this sudden assault, being then mingled with the petty bodies or atoms of the longed-for thing which possesseth so powerfully the fantasy they lead them along with themselves to the part of the body which is struck, as also to the same part of the body of the Infant, as well as to his imagination. And after that all which happened is but the same in order to the mother, and the child when the Mulberry or Strawberry fell upon the neck or breast of the Ladies, with whom I have entertained you.  
Permit me, my Lords, to enlarge my digression a little further in one word, to raccount unto you a marvelous accident, known all over the Court of England, in confirmation of the activity and impression which the imagination of the mother makes upon the body of the Infant, whereof the was big. A Lady that was my Kinswoman, (she was the niece of Fortescu, the Daughter of Count Arundel) came to give me visits sometimes in London; she was fair, and of a good feature, and she knew it well, taking great complacency, & not only to keep herself so, but to add that which she could further: thereupon she was persuaded that the patches and flies which she put upon her face, gave her a great deal of ornament, therefore she was careful to wear the most curious fort: but as it is very hard to keep a moderation in things which depend more upon Opinion than Nature, she wore them in excess, and patched most of her face with them; although that did not much add to her beauty, and that I took the liberty to tell her so accordingly, yet I thought it no opportunity then to do any thing that should give her the least distaste, since with so much civility and sweetness she came to visit me. Nevertheless, one day I thought good, in a kind of drolling way, (so that she might not apprehend any discontentment) and Ridentem dicere verum quis vitat? to tell her of it; so I let fall my discourse upon her big belly, advising her to have a care of her health, where of she was some what negligent, according to the custom of young vigorous women, which know not yet what it is to be subject to indispositions; she gently thanked me for my care herein, saying, That she could do no more for the preservation of her health than she did, though she was in that case: you should at least, I replied, have a care of your child, O for that, said she, there is nothing that can be contributed more. Yet, I told her, see how many patches you wear upon your face, are you not afraid that the Infant in your womb may haply be born with such marks on his face? But said she, What danger is there that my child should bear such marks, though I put them on artificially? Then you have not heard, I replied again, the marvelous effects that the imaginations of mother's work upon the bodies of their children, while they are yet big with them, therefore I will raccount unto you some of them; so I related unto her sundry stories upon this subject, as that of the Queen of Ethiopia, who was delivered of a white boy, which was attributed to a Picture of the Blessed Virgin, which she had near the taster of her bed, whereunto she bore great devotion. I urged another of a woman who was brought to bed of a child all hairy, because of a portrait of Saint John Baptist in the wilderness, when he wore a coat of Camels hair. I raccounted unto her also the strange antipathy which the late King James had to a naked sword, whereof the cause was ascribed, in regard some Schotch Lords had entered once violently into the bedchamber of the Queen his mother, while she was with child of him, where her Secretary, an Italian, was dispatching some letters for her, whom they hacked, and killed with naked swords before her face, and threw him at her feet, and they grew so barbarous, that there wanted but little but that they had hurt the Queen herself, who endeavoured to save her Secretary, by interposing herself, at least her skin was rased in divers places. Bucanan makes mention of this Tragedy. Hence it came that her son King James had such an aversion all his life time to a naked sword, that he could not see one without a great emotion of the spirits, although otherwise courageous enough, yet he could not overmaster his passions in this particular. I remember when he dubbed me Knight, in the ceremony of putting the point of a naked sword upon my shoulder, he could not endure to look upon it, but turned his face another way, insomuch, that in lieu of touching my shoulder, he had almost thrust the point into my eyes, had not the Duke of Buckingham guided his hand aright.  
I alleged her divers such stories to make her apprehend that a strong imagination of the mother might cause some notable impression upon the body of her child to his prejudice. Moreover, I pray consider how attentive you are to your patches, and that you have them continually in your imagination; for, I observed, that you have looked upon them ten times since you came to this room, in the lookingglass. Have you therefore no apprehension that your child may be born with half moons upon his face; or rarather that all the black which you bear up and down in small portions, may assemble in one, and appear in the middle of his forehead, the most apparent and remarkable part of the visage, and may be as broad as a Jacobus, and than what a grace would it be to the child, Oimee, said she, rather than that should happen, I will wear no more patches while I am with child: Thereupon at that instant she pulled them all off, and hurled them away. When her friends saw her afterwards without patches, they demanded how it came to pass, that the who was esteemed to be one of the most curious beauties of the Court, in point of patches, should so suddenly give over the wearing of them: she answered, that her Uncle, in whom she had a great deal of belief, assured her, that if she wore them, during the time she was with child, the Infant would have a large black patch in the midst of his forehead. Now, this conceit was so lively engraven in her imagination, that she could not be delivered of it: And so this poor Lady, who was so fearful that her child might not bear some black mark in his face, yet she could not prevent, but it came so into the World, but that he had a spot as large as a crown of gold in the midst of his forehead, according as she had figured before in her imagination: it was a daughter that she brought forth, very beautiful throughout, this excepted. And 'tis but few months ago, that I saw her bearing the said mole or spot which proceeded from the force of the imagination of her mother.  
I need not tell you of your neighbour of Carcassona, who lately was brought to bed of a prodigious Monster, exactly resembling an Ape, which she took pleasure to look upon, during the time she was with child, for I conceive you know the story better than I. Nor that of the woman of St. Maixent, who could not forbear going to see an infortunate child of a poor passenger woman, who was born without arms; and she herself was delivered afterwards of such a Monster; who nevertheless had some small excrescences of flesh upon, the shoulders, about the place whence the arms should have come forth. As also of her who was desirous to see the execution of a Criminal, who had his neck broken according to the laws of France, whereof the took such an affrightment, that made so deep a print upon her imagination, that presently she fell in labour of her child, and before they could carry her to her lodging, but she was brought to bed before her time, of a child who had his head severed from his body, both the parts yet shedding fresh blood., besides that which was abundantly shed in the womb, as if the headsman had done an execution also upon the tender young body within the matrix of the mother. These three Examples, and many others truly alleged, which I could produce, although they mainifestly prove the strength of the imagination, would engage me too far, if I should undertake to clear the causes, and unwrap the difficulties which would be found greater than in any of those instances wherewith I have entertained you, because that those spirits had the power to cause such essential changes, and fearful effects, upon bodies that were already brought to their shapes of perfection, and it may be well believed, that in some of them there was a transmutation of one species to another, & the introduction of a new informing form in the subject-matter, totally differing from that which had been introduced at first, at least if that which most Naturalists tell us, at the animation of the Embryo in the womb be true: but this digression hath been already too long.  

Est modus in Rebus, sunt certi denique fines,  
Quos ultra citraque nequit consistere Rectum.   
To return then to the great channel, and thread of our Discourse, the examples, and experiments, which I have already insisted upon in confirmation of the reasons which I have alleged, do clearly demonstrate that the bodies which draw the atoms dispersed in the air, attract unto themselves with a greater power and energy, such as are of their own nature than other heterogeneous, and strange atoms; As wine doth the vinal spirits, The oil of tartar fermented by the levain of Roses draws the volatile spirits of the rose; The flesh of deer, or vemson buried in crust attracts the spirits of those beasts, and so all the other whereof I have spoken.  
The History of the Tarantula in the kingdom of Naples is very famous; you know how the venom of this animal ascending by the hurt that the party hath received, being pricked therewith towards the head, and the heart doth excite in their Imagination an impetuous desire to hear some melodious airs, and most commonly they are delighted with differing airs; Therefore when they listen to an air that pleaseth them, they begin to dance incessantly, and thereby they fall a-sweating in abundance, in such sort that this sweat makes a great part of the venom to evaporate, besides the sound of the music doth raise a movement, and causeth an agitation among the aerean and vaporous spirits which are in the brain, and about the heart, and diffused up and down through the whole body proportionably according to the nature, and cadence of such music, as when Timotheus transported Alexander the Great with such a vehemency to such and such passions as he pleased; In the like manner also when it happens that one Lute doth sound it makes the strings of the other to shake by the motions and tremblings which it causeth in the air, though it be not touched otherwise at all: We find also oftentimes that the sounds which are no other thing than the motions of the air, cause the like movement in the water; as the sharp sound which is caused by rubbing hard with one's finger the brim of a glass full of water, doth excite a noise, a turning, and boundings in the water of certain drops, as if the water did dance according to the cadence of the sound: The harmonious sounds also of bells in those Countries where they use to be rung to particular tunes doth make the like impressions upon the superficies of the rivers that are nigh the steeple, specially in the night time when there is no other movement, which stops, or chokes the other supervenient one; For the air being contiguous, or rather continuous with the water, and the water being susceptible of movement, there's the like motion caused in the fluid parts of the water as began in the air, and the same contact which is betwixt the agitated air, and the water which is by this means also moved; happens also to be betwixt the agitated air, and the vaprous spirits which are in those bodies who have been bit by the Tarantula, which spirits by consequence are moved by the agitated air, that is to say by the sound; and that the more efficaciously, that this agitation or sound is proportioned to the nature and temperature of the party hurt: And this intern agitation of the spirits and vapours helps them to discharge the vapourous venom of the Tarantula which is mixed among all their humours; In the like manner that standing puddle waters, and corrupted airs being putrified by long repose, and the mixture of other noisome substances are refined and purified by motion; but winter approaching which devours these bealts, people are freed from this malady, but at the return of that season when they used to be pricked, the mischief comes again, and they must dance again as they did the year before: The reason is that the heat of summer doth stir, and raise up the venom of the beast, whereby it becomes as malignant, and furious as it was before; And the poison being heated, and evaporating itself, and dispersing in the air the levain of the same poison, which remains in the bodies of them who have been hurt, draws it unto itself, whereby such a fermentation is wrought, which infects the other humours, whence a kind of smoke issuing, and mounting to the brains of these poor sick bodies, doth use to produce such strange effects.  
It is also well known that where there are great dogs, or mastiffs, as in England, if any be bitten perchance by any of these dogs, they commonly use to kill them though they be not mad for fear that the levain of the canine choler which remains within the body of the party bit, draw unto it the malignant spirits of the same dog, which might come to distemper the spirits of the party: And this is not only practised in England where there are such dangerous dogs, but also in France, according to the report of father Cheron provincial of the Carmelites in this country, in his examen de la Theologie mystique newly imprinted, and which, I have lately read. I will say nothing of artificial noses that are made of the flesh of other men, for to remedy the deformity of those who by an extreme excess of cold have lost their own, which new noses do putrify as soon as those persons out of whose substance they were taken come to die, as if that small parcel of flesh engrafted upon the face did live by the spirits it drew from its first root, and source; For although this be constantly avouched by considerable authors, yet I will not insist more upon it, and desire you to think that I offer nothing unto you which is not verified by solid tradition, such, that it were a weakness to doubt of it.  
But it is high time tha● 〈◊〉 should come now to my seventh, and last principle; it is the last turn of the engine, and as I hope will batter down quite the gate which hindered us an entrance to the knowledge of this so marvelous a mystery, and which will imprint such a lawful mark upon the doctrine which I hold forth, that it will pass for current money. This principle is, that the source of those spirits or of the bodies which attract them to itself, draw likewise after them that which accompanies them, as also that which sticks, and is glued, and united unto them. This conclusion needs not much proof, being evident enough of itself, if there be nails, pins or ribbons tied to the end of a loug chord, or chain, and if there be a knurle either of wax, gum, or glue, and that I take this chord or chain by one end, and draw it after me, until the other last end come to my hands, it cannot be otherwise but that I take into my hands at the same time the nail, the pins, the ribbons the knurle, and all that is applied thereunto: I go therefore to relate unto you only some experiments that have been made in consequence of this principle, who will most strongly confirm the others produced before.  
The great fertility, and riches of England, consists chiefly in pasturage for the nourishment of beasts, we have the fairest in the world, with abundance of other animals, and principally of beef and kine. there's not the meanest Cottager but hath a Cow to furnish his family with milk, 'tis the principal sustenance of the poorer sort of people, as 'tis also in Switzerland, which makes them very careful of the good keeping, and health of their cows; Now, if it happen that if in boiling the milk it swells so high that it sheds over the brim of the pan, and so comes to fall into the fire, the good woman or maid, doth presently give over whatsoever she is adoing, and runs to the pan which she draws off the fire and at the same time she takes a handful of salt, which useth to be commonly in the corner of the chimney to keep it dry, and throws it upon the cinders where the milk was shed; Ask her wherefore she doth so, and she will tell you that it is to prevent that the Cow which gave this milk may not have some hurt upon her udder, for without this remedy, it would come to be hard, and ulcerated, she would come to piss blood, and so be in danger to die; Not that this extremity should befall her the very first time, but she would grow ill disposed, and if this should happen often, the Cow would in a short time miscarry: It might seem that some superstition or folly might lie herein, but the infallibility of the effect doth warrant from the last, and for the first many believe that the malady of the Cow is supernatural, or an effect of sorcery, and consequently that the remedy which I have alleged is superstitious, but it is easy to disabuse any man of this persuasion, by declaring how the business goes according to the foundations which I have laid; The milk falling upon the candent coals is converted to vapour which disperseth, and filtreth itself through the circumambient air, where itrancounters the light, and the solar rays which transport it further; augmenting and extending still farther the sphere of its activity: This vapour of the milk is not alone or single, but 'tis composed of fiery atoms which accompany the smoke, and vapour of the milk which gave the milk mingling, and uniting themselves therewith; now, the sphere of the said vapour extending itself unto the place where the cow is, her udder, which is the source whence the milk proceeded, attracts unto it the said malignant vapour, staying, and sticki●● itself there together with the fiery atoms that accompanied it. The udder is in part glandulous, and very tender, and so consequently very subject to inflammations, this fire than doth heat, inflames, and makes it swell, and in fine makes it hard and ulcerated; The inflamed, and ulcerated udder is near the bladder, which comes likewise to be inflamed making the anastomosis, and communication which is twixt the veins, and the arteries to open, and to cast forth blood, and to regorge into the bladder, whence ordinarily the urine useth to come forth, and empty itself: But whence comes it, you will say that the salt remedies all this? It is because he is of a nature clean contrary to the fire, the one being hot, and volatile, the other, cold and fixed; Insomuch that where they use to rancounter, the salt as it were, knocks down the fire; by precipitating and destroying its action, as it may be observed in a very ordinary accident; The chimneys which are full of soot use to take fire very easily, now, the usual remedy for that is to discharge a musket into the funnel o the chimney which loosneth, and brings down with it the fired soot, and then the disorder ceaseth, but if there be no musket or pistol, or other instrument to draw down the soot, they use to cast a great quantity of salt on the fire below, and that chokes, and hindereth the atoms of fire, which otherwise would incessantly mount up, and join with them above, which by this means wanting nouriture consume themselves, and come to nothing; The same thing befalls the atoms which are in a train to accompany the vapour of the milk, the salt doth precipicate and kill it upon the very place, and if any do chance to scape, and save themselves by the great strugglings they make, and go along with the said vapour, they are nevertheless accompanied with the atoms and spirit of the salt which stick unto them, which like good wrestlers never leave their hold until they have got the better of their adversary: And you shall observe by the by, that there is not a more excellent balm for a burning, than the spirit of salt in a moderate quantity: It is then apparent, that'tis impossible to employ any means more efficacious to hinder the ill effects of the fire upon the udder of the cow, but to east upon her milk being shed over upon the cinders a sufficient quantity of salt: This effect touching the conservation of the cow's udder in order to the burning of her milk makes me call to mind that which divers have told me to have seen both in France and in England; viz. when the Physicians do examine the milk of a nurse for the child of a person of quality, they use to make proofs sundry ways before they come to judge definitively of the goodness thereof, as by the taste, by the smell, by the colour, and consistence thereof; And sometimes they cause it to be boiled until it come to an evaporation, and see its residence; with other accidents, and circumstances which may be learned, and discerned by these means: But those of whose milk this last experiment hath been made, felt themselves tormented in their paps, and dugs, while their milk was a boiling; therefore having once endured this pain, they would never consent that their milk should be carried away out of their sight, and presence; although they willingly submitted to any other proof than that by fire: Now, to confirm this experiment of the attraction which the cow's udder makes of the fire, and vapour of the burned milk, I am going to racount unto you another of the same nature, whereof I myself have seen the truth more than once, and whereof any one may easily make try all. Take the excrements of a dog, and hurl it into the fire more than once, at the beginning you shall find him heated, and moved, but in a short time you shall see him as if he were burned all over panting, and stretching out his tongue, as if he had run a long course: Now, this alteration befalls him because his entrails drawing unto them the vapour of the burned excrement, and with that vapour the atoms of fire which did accompany it, they are so changed, and inflamed that the dog having always a fever upon him, and not being able to take any nourishment his flanks do lock up, which causeth his death at last. It were not proper to divulge this experience among such persons as are subject to make use of any thing for doing of mischief, for the same effects which happen to beasts, would fall upon men's bodies, if one should try such a conclusion upon their excrements: There happened a remarkable thing to this purpose to a neighbour of mine in England the last time, I sojournied there: He had a very pretty and delicate child, and because he would have his eyes always upon him, he entertained the nurse at his house, I saw him often, for he was a pragmatical man, and of good addresses, and I had occasion to use such a man; One day I found him very sad, and his wife a-weeping, whereof demanding the reason, they told me that their little child was very ill, and that he had a burning fever, which inflamed all his body over, which appeared by the redness of his face, that he forced himself to go to stool, but he could do little, and that little which he did was covered with blood, and that he refused also to suck; And that which troubled them most, was that they could not conjecture any cause how this indisposition should befall him, for his nurse was very well, her milk was as good as could be wished; and in all other things there was as much care had of him as could be; I told them that the last time I was with them, I observed one particularity whereof I thought fit to give them notice, but something or other still diverted me, It was, that their child making a sign that he was desirous to be set on his feet, he let fall his excrements on the ground, and his nurse presently took the fire-shovel, and covered it with embers, and then threw all into the fire, the mother began to make her excuses, that they were not so careful to correct this ill habit of the child, saying that as he advanced in years, he should be corrected for it, I replied, that 'twas not for this consideration that I held this discourse with her, but I was curious to know the reason of her child's distemper, and consequently to find some remedy, And thereupon I related unto them the like accident which had happened two or three years before to a child of one of the most illustrious Magistrates of the Parliament of Paris, who was bred up in the house of a Doctor of physic of great reputation in the same town, I told them also what I have now related unto you touching the excrements of dogs; and I made reflections unto them upon that which they had often heard, and what is often practised in our country, which is that within the villages which are always dirty in the winter, if it happens that there be a Farmer which is more proper than others, and who keeps more neatly the approaches to his house than his neighbours do, the boys use to come thither in the night time, or when it begins to be dark, to discharge their bellies there, because that in such villages there is not much commodity of easements, besides that in such places so fitly accommodated these gallants, the boys are out of danger to sink into the dirt, which otherwise might rise up higher than their shoes, but the good housewives in the morning when they open their doors, use to find such an ill favoured smell that transports them with choler. But they who are acquainted with this trick go presently and fire red hot a broach or fire-shovel, and then they thrust it into the excrements all hot, and when the fire lessens, they heat it again oftentimes to the same purpose; In the mean time the boy which made the ordure feels a kind of pain, and colic in his bowels, with an inflammation in his fundament and a continual desire to go to stool, and he is hardly quit of it till he suffer a kind of fever all that day, which is the cause that he returns thither no more; And these women to be freed from such affronts do pass among the Ignorant for sorceresses, and to have made a compact with the devil, since they torment people in that fashion without seeing or touching them. This Gentleman did not disallow those things which I have already told you but was confirmed farther when I told him that he should look farther into the fundament of his child, for without doubt he should find it red, and inflamed; and that visiting him, he should find that it was full of pimples, and excoriated; It was not long after that this poor child fell into a languishment, and with much pain and pitiful cries he voided some small matter which in lieu of casting it into the fire, or to be covered with embers, I caused to be put into a basin of cold water which was put in a fresh place, which was continued to be done every time that the child gave occasion, and he began to amend the very same hour, and within four or five days he became perfectly well recovered, But fearing to trespass too much upon your patience; I will hold you no longer but with one experiment only very familiar in our country; and afterwards I will make a summary of all that hath been said, to make you see the force, and value of this whole Discourse.  
We have in England as I touched before excellent pasturage for the nourishment and fatting of cattle, so abundantly that it falls out often, that the Oxen come to acquire so excessive store of fat, that it doth extend itself in a great quantity to their legs, as also to their feet, and hooves, which oftentimes causeth impostumes in the bottom of their feet, which comes to swell, and cast out a great deal of core, and putrified matter, which hindereth the beast to go; The proprietorss when they observe that, though the beefbe never the worse for the shambles, yet are they damnified, thereby, in regard that not being able to bring them to London, where the grand market is for fat beeves through all England, as Paris is for Awergne, for Normandy, and other provinces of France, I say the Graziers not being able to bring them to London, they are constrained to kill them upon the place where their flesh is not worth half the price, that they might have got in London; Now there is a remedy for this inconvenience which is, that one must observe where the ox, Cow, or Heifer, doth plant upon the Earth his sick foot, the first time that he riseth up in the morning, and at that very place one must cut out a green turf of that Earth where the beast had trod with that foot, and put this turf upon a tree, or upon a hedge lying open to the North wind, And if that wind come to blow upon the turf of Earth, the beef will be cured within three or four days very perfectly, but if one should put that turf towards the South wind, or South west (which in Tholouze is called d'Autant here in Montpellier le Marin, and in Italy le Scirocco) the distemper in the ox will increase; These circumstances will not seem superstitious unto you when you will have considered how that by the repose of the night the corrupt matter, or core doth use to gather in a great quantity under the foot of the sick ox, and coming in the morning to set his foot upon the ground, he presseth forth the impostume, the matter whereof sticks to that part of the Earth, and makes impressions upon it; Now, this turf of Earth being put, and exposed in some proper place to receive the dry cold blasts of the Northern winds, the dry cold blasts of that wind doth intermingle with the said corrupted impostumated matter which strerching its spirits all along the air the ulcerated foot of the animal, which is the source of all draws them unto it and with them it attracts also the cold dry atoms which cause the cure, the malady requiring no other help than to be well dried, and refreshed. But if one should expose this turf to a moist hottish wind, it would produce contrary effects.  
Behold, my Lords, all my wheelsformed, I confess they are ill filled, and polished, but let us try whether being put together, and mounted they will make the engine go, but if these wheels being well joined, and placed do draw the conclusion, or this unshaken carraque to a good port, you will, I presume, have the goodness to pardon the grossness, and rude expressions of my language, and passing by the words you will content yourselves with the naked truth of things, let us therefore apply that which hath been spoken to that which is practised when a hurt person is cured. Let us consider Mounsieur Howell wounded upon his hand, & a great inflammation happened upon his hurt, his garter is taken covered with the blood that issued from the wound, it is steeped in a basin of water where Vitriol was dissolved, one keeps the basin in a closet, at the moderate heat of the Sun, and at night in the chimney corner, in such sort that the blood which is upon the garter be always in a good natural temperament neither colder, or hotter than the degree required in a healthful body; what ought then to result, (according to the doctrine that we endeavour to stablish,) from all this! In the first place the Sun, and the light will attract a great extent, and distance off, the spirits of the blood which are upon the garter, and the moderate heat of the hearth, which acts gently upon the composition (which comes to the same thing, as if one should carry it dry in his pocket to make it feel the temperate heat of the body) I say the moderate heat of the hearth doth push out the said atoms, as the water which gathers itself round in the filtration or strainings use to drive on that which mounts up to make it go faster, and more easily, making it also to dilate itself, and distil, and so march of themselves a good way in the air, to help thereby the attraction of the Sun, and of the light.  
Secondly, the spirit, of the Vitriol being incorporated with the blood cannot choose but make the same voyage together with the atoms of the blood; Thirdly, the wounded hand expires, and exhales in the mean time continually abundance of hot fiery spirits which gush forth as a river out of the inflamed hurt, which cannot be but that the wound must consequently draw unto it the air which is next it; Fourthly, this air draws unto it the other air which is next it, and that the next to it also, and so there is a kind of current of air drawn round about the wound. Fiftly, with this air come to incorporate at last the atoms, and spirits of the blood, and the vitriol which were diffused, and shed a good way off in the air by the attractions of the light, and the Sun. Besides, it may well be that from the beginning the orb, and sphere of these atoms, and spirits did extend itself in so great a distance without having need of the attractions of the air, or of the light to make them come thither. Sixthly, the atoms of blood finding the proper source, and original root whence they came do stay, and stick there, and so reenter into their natural beds, and primitive receptacles, whereas the other air is but a passenger, and evapourates away as soon as it comes, as when it is carried away through the funnel of the chimney, as soon as it is drawn into the chamber by the door. Seventhly, the atoms of blood being inseparably with the spirits of the vitriol, both the one, and the other, do jointly imbibe together within all the corners, fibres, and orifices of the veins which lie open about the wound of the party hurt, which hereby are comforted, and in fine imperceptibly cured.  
Now to know wherefore such an effect, and cure is so happily performed, we must examine the nature of vitriol, which is composed of two parts, the one fixed, the other volatill. The fixed which is the salt is sharp, and biting, and caustique in some degree. The volatill is smooth, soft, balsamical, and astringing, and 'tis for that reason that vitriol is made use of as a sovereign remedy in the collyres for the inflammations of the eyes, and when they are corroded, and scorched by some sharp and burning humour or defluxion. As also in injections where excoriations and scaldings use to happen, as also in the best plasters to staunch the blood, and incarnate the hurt. But they who well know, how to draw the sweet oil of vitriol which is the pure volatile part thereof, know also that in the whole closet of nature, there is no balm like this oil. For this balm or sweet oil doth heal in a very short time all kind of hurts which are not mortal, it cures, and consolidates the broken veins of the breast, as far as the ulcers of the lungs which is an incurable malady without this balm. Now, 'tis the volatile part of the Vitriol, which is transported by the Sun (the great Distiller of nature) and which by that means doth dilate itself in the air, and that the wound, or part which received the laesion, draws, and incorporates with the blood, together with its humours, and spirits. And that being true, we cannot expect a greater effect of the volatile vitriol, but that it should shut the veins, staunch the blood, and so in a short compass of time, heal the wound.  
The method, and primitive manner how to make use of this sympathetic remedy was to take only some vitriol, and that of the common sort, as it came from ehe Druggists, without any preparation or addition at all, and to make it dissolve in fountain water, or rather in rain water, in such a proportion that putting therein a knife, or some polished iron it should come out changed into the colour of copper: And within this water they used to put in a clout or rag of cloth embrued with the blood of the party hurt the rag being dry, but if it was yet fresh, and moist with the reaking blood, there was no need but to powder it with the small powder of the same vitriol, in such sort that the powder might incorporate itself, & imbibe the blood remaining yet humid, & keep both the one & the other in a temperate heat, & place, viz. the powder in one's pocket, & the water (which admits not of this commodity) within a chamber where the heat should be temperate. & everytime that one should put new water of vitriol with fresh powder & new cloth, or other bloodied stuff, the patient should feel new easement as if the wound had been then dreft with some sovereign medicament. And for this reason they use to reiterate this manner of dressing both evening and morning.  
But now, the most part of those who serve themselves with the Powder of Sympathy, do endeavour to have Vitriol of Rome, or of cypress, than they calcine it at the whiteness of the Sun: And besides, some use to add the gum of Tragagantha, it being easy to add unto things already invented.  
Touching myself, I have seen such great and admirable effects of Vitriol itself of eighteen pence the pound, as of that Powder which is used to be prepared now at a greater price: yet notwithstanding I do not blame the present practice, on the contrary I commend it, for it is founded upon reason.  
First, it seems that the purest and best sort of Vitriol doth produce the best operation.  
Secondly, it seems also that the moderate calcining thereof at the rays of the Sun doth take away the superfluous humidity of the Vitriol; and this calcination doth not touch any part but that which is good: as if one should boil broth so clear that it would come to be jelly, which certainly would render it more nourishing.  
Thirdly, it seems that the exposing which is made of the Vitriol to the Sun to receive calcination, renders its spirits more fitly disposed to be transported through the air by the Sun when need requires.  
For it ought not to doubted be but that some part of the aetherean fire of the Solar rays doth incorporate with the Vitriol, as 'tis plainly discovered by calcining Antimony by a burning glass, for it much augments the weight of it almost half in half; now some particles of the Solar beams mingling with the Vitriol, in this case the luminous part of that substance is also calcind together, and so is made apt, and disposed to be carried in the air by a semblable light, and Solar rays. As we see that to make the tongue of a pump to draw the water the easier from the bottom of a well, one doth use to cast a little water from above upon it. Now, the light carrying with it so easily the substance that is so connatural to it, it carries also with it the same time, with the same facility, that which goes incorporated with it.  
Fourthly, these Solar rays being embodied with the Vitriol, are in a posture to communicate unto it a more excellent virtue than it hath of itself, as we find that Antimony calcind in the Sun, becomes, whereas it was rank poison before, a most sovereign, and balsamical medicament, and a most excellent corroborative of nature.  
Fifthly, the gum of Tragagantha having a glutinous faculty, and being for the rest very innocent, may contribute something towards the consolidation of the wound.  
My Lords, I could add unto what is spoken many most important considerations touching the form and essence of Vitriol, whereof the substance is so noble, and the origin so admirable, that one may avouch with good reason, that it is one of the most excellent bodies which nature hath produced.  
The chemists do assure us that it is no other than a corporification of the universal spirit which animates and perfects all that hath existence in this sublunary World, which is drawn in that abundance by a Lover so appropriated, by means whereof I myself have in a short time, by exposing it only unto the open air, made an attraction of a celestial Vitriol ten times more in weight, which was of a marvelous pureness and virtue, a privilege which hath not been given but to it, and to pure virgin salt-petre.  
But to anatomize as we ought the nature of this transcendent undividual, which nevertheless in some fashion may be said to be universal, and fundamental to all bodies, it would require a Discourse far more ample than I have yet made. But as I perceive I have already entertained you so long a time, it would prove a very great indiscretion to trench further upon your goodness, who have hitherto listened unto me with so much attention, and patience, if I should go about to enter into any new matter, and embark myself for a further voyage. Wherefore remitting divers matters to some other time, when you shall please to morder me, coming now again to the general consideration of this sympathetic cure, I will put a Period to this Discourse, after that I shall have told you two or three words, which will not be of small importance, for the confirmation of all which hath been alleged by me hitherunto.  
I have deduced unto you the admirable causes of the operations, and strange effects of the Powder of Sympathy from their first root. These fundamental causes are so enchained one within the other, that it seems there can be no default, stop, or interruption, in their proceedings. But we shall be the better fortified in the belief of their virtue and esticacy, and how they come to produce the effects of so many fair cures, if we consider that then when some is practised in one of these causes, or in all of them together, we see and perceive immediately an effect altogether differing from the former. If I had not formerly seen a watch or clock, I should be justly surprised, and should remain astonished to see a hand, or a needle, so regularly, mark the journal hours, and motion of the Sun, upon the flat of a quadrant; and that it should turn, and make its round every four and twenty hours, there being nothing seen that should push on the said needle: But if I look on the other side. I see wheels, ressorts, and counterpoises, which are in perpetual movement; which having well, and soberly considered, I presently suspect that those wheels are the cause of the movement, and turnings of the said needle, although I cannot presently discern or know how those moving wheels do cause a motion, in the needle of the quadrant, because of the plate that lieth interposed betwixt them. Therefore I reason thus within myself; That every effect whatsoever must have of pure necessity some cause, and therefore that the body moved there, ought necessarily to receive its movement from some other body, which is contiguous to it. Now I see no other body which makes the needle of the quadrant to move and turn then the said wheels, therefore I must of force be persuaded to attribute the movement unto them. But afterwards, when I shall have stopped the motion of those wheels: and taken away the counterpoise, and observed that suddenly the needle ceased to move, and that applying again the counterpoise, and giving liberty for the wheel to turn, the needle returns to her ordinary train, or by making one wheel to go faster by putting my finger unto it, or by adding more weight to the counterpoise, the needle doth hasten, and advance its motions proportionably. Then I grow to be convinced and entirely satisfied, and so I absolutely conclude that these wheels and counterpoises are the true cause of the motion of the needle.  
In the same manner, if interrupting the action of any of those causes which I have established for the true foundation of the Sympathetical Powder, I alter, retard or hinder the cure of the wound; I may boldly conclude, that the foresaid causes are the legitimate, and genuine true causes of the cure, and that we need not amuse ourselves to make indagations for any other.  
Let us then examine our business by that bias. I have affirmed that the Light transporting the atoms of the Vitriol, and of the blood, and dilating them to a great extent in the air, the wound or place hurt, doth attract them, and thereby is immediately solaced, and eased, and consequently comes to be healed by the spirits of the Vitriol, which is of a balsamical virtue. But if you put the basin, or Powder with the cloth embrued with blood, within an armoury, or into a corner of some cold rooms, or into a cave, where the light never comes, nor fresh air, which makes the place corrupted, and to have ill smells, in that case the wound can receive no amendment, nor any good effect from the said Powder. And it will fall out in the same manner, if having put the basin, or Powder in some By-corner, and that you cover them with some thick cloth, stuffing and spongy, which might imbibe the atoms that use to come forth, and which retain the the light and rays which enter there, where they are thereby stopped and quite lost. Moreover, if you suffer the water of Vitriol, to congeal into ice, or the cloth wherein 'tis dipped, the party hurt shall be sensible at the beginning of a very great cold in his wound; but when it is iced all over, he shall feel neither heat nor cold, in regard that congealed cold doth constipate the pores of the water, which nevertheless doth not cease to transpire, and send forth spirits. If one should wash the cloth, spotted with blood, in vinegar, or lie (which by their penetrating acrimony, transports all the spirits of the blood) before the Vitriol be applied, it will produce no effect, yet if it be washed but with pure simple water, it may nevertheless do something, for that water carries not away so much, but the effect will not be so great, as if the bloudspotted piece had not been washed at all, for than it is full of the spirits of the blood. The same cure is performed by applying the remedy to the blade of a sword which wounds a body, if it come not to pass that the sword be too much heated by the fire, for than it would make all the spirits of the blood to evaporate, and in that case the sword would serve but little to perform the cure. Now, the reason why the sword may be dressed in order to the cure, is because the subtle spirits of blood do penetrate the substance of the blade, as far as the extent, which the sword made within the body of the the wounded party, where they use to make their residence, there being nothing to chase them away, unless it be the fire as I said before. For experiment whereof hold it over a chafing-dish of moderate fire, and you shall discern on the side opposite to the fire a little humidity which resembleth the spots that one's breath makes upon looking-glasses, or upon the burnished blade of a sword. If you look upon it athwart, some glass which makes the object seem bigger, you shall find that this soft dew of the spirits consists in little bubbles, or blown bladders: and when once they are entirely evaporated, you shall discern no more upon the weapon, unless it were thrust a new into the body of a living person. Nor from the beginning shall you discover any such thing, but precisely upon the part of the blade, which had entered the wound.  
This subtle penetration of the spirits into the hard steel, may confirm the belief of the entrance of such spirits into the skin of a woman big with child, as I remind to have proposed unto you in my sixth Principle remarkable in its own place. Now then, while the spirits lodge in the sword, they may serve as great helps for the cure of the Patient, but when the fire hath driven them all away, the remedy applied to the sword, will not avail any thing at all. Furthermone, if any violent heat accompanies these atoms it inflames the wound, but common salt may remedy that, the humidity of water humectates the hurt, and the cold causeth a chillness in the party wounded.  
To confirm all these particulars, I could add to those I have already raccounted many notable examples more, but, I fear me, I have already too much exercised your patience, therefore I will industriously pretermit the mentioning of them at this time, but I offer to entertain any of this Honourable Assembly therewith, if they have the curiosity to be informed of them accordingly.  
I conclude then, Messieurs, by representing unto you that all this mystery is guided, and governed all along by true natural ways and circumstances, although by the agency and resorts of very subtle spirits.  
I am persuaded my Discourse hath convincingly showed you, that in this Sympathetical cure, there is no need to admit of an action distant from the Patient. I have traced unto you a real Communication twixt the one and the other, viz. of a Balsamical substance, which corporally mingleth with the wound.  
Now it is a poor kind of pusillanimity, and faintness of heart, or rather a gross ignorance of the Understanding, to pretend any effects of charm or magic herein, or to confine all the actions of Natre, to the grossness of our senses, when we have not sufficiently considered, nor examined the true causes and principles whereon 'tis fitting we should ground our judgement: we need not have recourse to a daemon or Angel in such difficulties.  

Mec Deus intersit, nisi dignus vindice nodus  
Insiderit.—   
ΤΕΛΟΣ.   

Books printed for, and to be sold by, Thomas Davis.  
MAster Paul Bains his Practical Commentary on the Ephesians, lately reprinted with Additions. Fol.  
Speedells' Geometrical Extractions, newly reprinted with Additions. Quarto.  
Oughtredi Trigonometria the figure.