The sceptical chymist, or Chymico-physical doubts & paradoxes, touching the experiments whereby vulgar spagirists are wont to endeavour to evince their salt, sulphur and mercury, to be the true principles of things / [by Robert Boyle]

Texto completo

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(7) T H E. S. c c p. t i e a l C. I i y m. i i l l. .Q K CHYMlCO-PHYSICAL. Doubts & Paradoxes, Touching the. EXPERIMENTS WHEREBY VU L G A R. S P A G IR. 1 S T S. Are wonr to Endeavour to Evince their. SALT, m e r. su l ph u r c u r T o. y. :. ;. BE. The T ru e Principles o f Things. To which in this Edition are fubjoyn’d divers Experiment? arid Notes, about the Froduet^ tknefs o f ChymiCalTrincifUs. O X F O R D , Printed by H J E N K T H A L L io v R ic.D ^ * »») and B. Took, at the Ship in St. Tauh Church-Yard..

(8) iUHaìt 30. 1Ä 77.. Imprimatur. H E N : C L E R K E Vm^CAncßxm*.

(9) A P R E F A C E. I NTRODVCTORY T o the fol!o'n>itijf T r e a tife . Ôîvethe Reader fi?3account^ t/}? fo&ojping Treatife is fu ffe r d to pafs ahfoad fo m a im d and im f t r f e i i ’t Im u H inform him that his novo long fince, th a t to g ra tify an ingtnims G m iU m m \ I f f t down fame o f th^ B.eafons th at h f t m sfrom fu& y ^cquiffcing eir tber in the P eripatftical, ot in ti e Chymical BoHrimy of the M aterial Txiud}tUs o f m ix t Bodies. T his V ifc m rfe fome year$ after fa c in g into the hands o f fome learned w n ^ had thg good luck to he fo fa vm ra h ly receiv'd ’ and ad~ vantagimfly fpokfn o f hy them-, that having had more 'than §rdfffary Invitatipns given m? m k t i t f u h l k K y I thought fit to review it^ th a t 1 might retrench fo m t things that f u m 'd notfy p t to ie /hewn to every Reader , ^ d f u b ^ i t u t f fomt o f th o ft Other tffiJ^gs th a t sccHrf.§ to m f o j ' ' A 2 0.

(10) th e tvycUs and ohfervations I h a d f i m t made: W h a t became 0/ m yf> apcrsÎe!few here mention in a V reface where I complain o f i t : B u t ftnce I w r i t T h a t, J fo u n d many fJjeets th a t belong'd to th e fr/bjeB s I am m w about to difcourfe o f W herefore f i l i n g tha t 1 hadtheni in my herids as m u c h o f th e f ir f i D ialogue as was reûifite to iia te the C a fi , and fe r v e fo r an Introdnftion as w ell to the cofjference b e tw ix t C ^ in - a d ts and Eleutherius, as to fom e other D ialogues ^ which f o r certain reajons are m t herew ith fu b lifh ^d ^ I refolv*d to fufply-, as w ell as 1 could^ th e Contents o f a T a p er belonging io th e fe io n d ofthefo&ow* in g D ifc o u r fe s , w htch J could not poffibly re» tr iv e , though it were the c h ie f o f them aS. A i d h a v in g once more try*d the Opinion o f Friends^ b u t not th e fam e^ about th i^ im perfeH wOrk.^ 1 fo u n d it fu c h 1 th a t I w as content in complyance w ith t h t i r D e fjr e i^ b a t not only it floould he pub» liJJ)*d-, h u t th a t i t Jhould he publifh*d as foon as conveniently m ig h t be. I h a d indeed a ll along the D ia k g m s jp o k ^ n o fm y f e l f ^ as o f a th ir d Terfo n \ F or they containing D ifc o u r /h w hich were among th i f i r ^ Treatip^s th a t I v e n tu r dlong ago to rprite o f m a tte r s P hilosophical, 1 h a d reafon to d e (tr e ,w ith th i? a in te r ^ to \d .x tx t p o n e tabulara, andhear w h a t men w ould fa y o f them^hefore J o w t i d m y f e l f t o b e th e ir A uthor. Butbejtdes t h a t m w I f i n d j .t i s n^l unknown toniany who it «. that.

(11) A Preface Introdu^ oi y. tkAt writ them, I dm made to believe that mt inexpedient» they Jhauld be kjim n to come from e Terfnn altogether a firanger to Chymical Afairs And I made the lefs fcrufU i» let them come abroad uncomfItated^'partly-ibecaufe my af" fairs And Fre-ingagements to puBliJI) divers other Treatifes aUow^dme fmall hopes of being able in a great while to Comfleat thofe Dialogues. And partly becaufe la m not unapt to think,^ that they may come abroad feafonably enough^ though not for the Authors reputation ) yet for otherpurpofes. For Jobferve, that o f late Chy~ miftry begins^ as indeed it deferves^ to be culti^ vattd by Learned Mm who before defpis^d i t ; and to be pretended to by many who never cultiva ted it^that they may be thought not to be ignorant o f it : Whfnce i t « come tcpajfe^ that divers C h y tnical Notions ahout Matters Fhilofophioatl are taken for granted and employ’d^ and fo adopted by very eminent Writers bath NaturaliBs and Fhyfjtians. Now thi^ I fear may prove fome~ what prejudicial to the Advancement o f folid Fhilofophy: For though la m a great Lover o f Chymical Experiments ^ and though 1 have no mean eiieem o f dwers Chymical Remedies , yet Idijiinguifhthefe f omtheir )Aotions about the caufes o f things andtheir manner o f Generation. Andfor ought 1 can hitherto difcern ^ there-are a tkoufamj. Phaenoinena in Nature, befides a A 3 Mul'.

(12) A Preface InrroduiïorÿM d tiM e ofAccidents relating t6 tht humane Bo dy tVphich wilt fcarcely he cUarly and faiis/<7^(i' rily made out by them tho-t cof/fim thèmjehes to deduce things from Salt^ Sulphr4r and Mercury^ üîidthe other Émotions peculiar to the Chyrni^s-i without t ’akjn'gwUch more Notice than thej are ipponl todoy o f the Motions and Figurest o f the fmutl parti o f Matter afjd the other more Ca* tholicKand Fruitfulaff'eüions o f Bodies, Whereforé it will hot perhaps be now unfeafonabie to let 0nr Qârrit^dt%warne Men., not tofubftribi to the grand Vo^rine o f tht Chymifii touching their three Hypoâtical Principles, till they havt A little examin’d it> and confiderd^ haw they can clear it from hii objeBions^ divers of w hich'tis like they ma^ never have though‘-on\ ftncéa Chymiü fcarce would, and none hut a Chymiflcoi4ldpropofe them. Î hope aljo it will not bt ttnacceptable to fever at Ingenious Perfons, who mire uHwilling to determine o f ahy important Con* troverfie, without a previous considération of what may be fa id on both fidts^ and yet have greater deftres to undirfiand Chm ical Matters^ than Qppcrtunities (if learning \hem-, to find here together^ bepdes fever al Fxperimentsofmy own purpofety made to lilufitate the VoBrine o f the Flemenîs y divers^ others fcarce to he met with^ ttherwife then Scat te}*d among many Chy~ ijiicat Book^: And td Find theje À ficiated.

(13) dated Experiments f i Delivered as that an Ordinary Keadevj i f he be hut acquainted with the ufual Chymical Termes, ea^ fily enough undtrfiand them', and even a, wary One may fa fd y rely m Them» Thejk Things I add^ btcaufe a perfin any Thing vers'd in the W ritings o f Chymifli cannot hut Difcern by their obfcure^ ambiguous almoft M nigm atkal Way o f expreffmg what they pretend to Teach, that they have «« Mind to be mderfiood at aB^ hut by the Sons o f A rt ( ai they call them ) nor to he:, Vnderfiond even by thefe without Difficulty and HiiZardous Tryalls. Injomttch that fomt o f 1 hem Scarce ever fpeak^ fo candidly^ as when they make ufe o f that kpown ChymUal Sentence % Ubi palam locuti ibmus, ib i nihii diximus. And o6 the ohfcurity o f what fomt Writers deliver makes it very difficult to be un^ derftood‘, fo the Vnfaithfulnefs o f too many o^ thers makes it unfit to be t e lid on. For though unwillingly^ Tet Jmuft for the truth fakfy and the Readers^ warne him not to be forward to believe Chymical Experiments when they are fe t down only by way n f Frefcriptions^ and not o f Relations', that iSûnUfs he that delivers them, mentions hii doing it upon his own particular kjiowledgeôr upon the Relation o f fome credible perfon^ avowing it upon hii own experience. For 1 A ^ am.

(14) A Preface Introûftory. m tnuhUdi I muB complain^^ that evtn £mU hent Writers^ both Thjjlt'wns and Thihfophrs^ whom 1 cm eiifilj nme^ if it be requit'd^ have eflate fufer*d themfelves to he Jo fa r imposed upon^ as to ' Fublijh and Build upon Chymkal Experiments^ vphich que%imle)s they never trfd'y for i f they had-, they weuldt as yêHas / , hîve foundthemuDt io be true. iAndindeed itnpereto he wifh'd-Xhat noiv that thofe begin to quote Chy~ mical Experiments that are not them/elves Ac quainted with Zhymical Operations^ men would Leave off that Indefinite Way o f Vouching the Chyrhifts fay this ^ or the Chymi^s affirme thaty ¡and would rather for each Experiment they alledge name the Author or Authors ^ upon whofe credit they relate i t ; F^r^ by this means they would feiure ihemfelves from the fu^ ition offalfi-ood( to which the other Fraîce E xpofes them ) and they would lea^^ the Reader to fudge o f what h fitfor him to Bd.eve o f what is Delivered, whilSi they employ not their own greatnamesto Countenance, doubtfu ll Relations', and they will alia do Juîce to the Inventors or ûht/hers o f the true Experiments â$%ell asup^ on theOhtruders o f falje onest Whereas by that general Way .of quoting the Chymifls, the Candid Writer is Defrauded o f the particular Pra/fe, and the impoSior efcapes the Ferfonal Difgrace that fs dneto him* th t.

(15) The remaining Tart o f thii Treface mufi he imploy^d in faying fimethirtg for C arn ead es, and fomzthing for my Seife» And f i r Carneades hopes that he m il he thoKght to hdve difputed civilly and Modciily emugh f i r one that was to play the Antagonifl and the Sceptick^ And i f he any where feem ■ to flight h k Adverfaries Tenents aud Argu* ments, he willing to have \t looKd upon as what he woe indue d to , not fo much by hi^ Opinion o f them^ as the Examples q/’ T h ca iiftius ¿wc/ Phiieponusj and the cufiom o f fm h kjnd of Difputes-. Next î In cafe that fome o f his Arguments ßyall'm t he thought o f the mofi Cogent fort that may he^ hehofes it will he confider d that it ought not to be ExpeÜed^that they ß o u ld be So. For^ his fa rt being chiefly^ hut to propoji Doubts and Seruples, he does enough^ i f he ßjews that his Adverfaries Arguments are not Wrongly Concluding, though his own be not fo neither^ And i f there ß o u ld appear any difagreemtnthe^ twixt the things he delivers in divers paßages , he hopes it will be conftderedy that it is m t neceßary that all ths things a Sceptick. Propofes , ß o u ld be confinant'y fmce it being his work to Suggefi doubts againÜ theOpinion he gueBions^ it is allowablefor him topropofe two or more fe» veral Hypothcfes about the fame thing'. And to fay.

(16) fay thdt it may Be accounttdfar th h wayix fr that »ay^ or the ether Way ..though theft jaayes bfperm hâps inconfiftent among themjelves. Becaufe it U enough for him^ i f either o f the Hypotheies he but asproiahle as that he çaîls in iûefiion. And i f he prof oft many that are Each of them probable^ he do's the wore ratify his doubts, by making it appear the more difficult to befure^ that that way vphich they all differ from is the true. And oe/rCarneades by holding theNega^ iiz/e, ho6this advantage, that i f among all the Inânces he brings to invalidate the lûlgar DoBrine nfthofe he Vijputes with., anj onebeirrefragiible., that alone h fufficient toovertbrofp aDoBrinevphichVniverfalljajfertsvfihat he op» fofes* F orAt camot be true^that all Bodies what* foever that are reckoned among the TerfeBlf mixt Onesâre compounded o f Juch a Determi* nate Number offuchor fuch Ingredients, in cafe any one fuch Bodj can he produc*d.^ that is m t fo compounded ; and hi hopes too , that Ac» curatenafs will be the lefs expeBed from hinty becaufe his undertaking obliges him to maintain Juch Opinions in Ch^miflrf ^ and thdt chieflibf Chymitall Arguments,, as are Contrary to the very Principles o f the Chymifis , From whofe writings it is not Therefire like he fhould re-' ceive an) intentional Ajiiiance^ except from fome Faffages o f the B$ld and Ingenious Hel-. menr,.

(17) tnont, with whom he yet difagrtts in manj things C^hich reduce him to explicate Divers Chymicd Phaenoniena, according to other No tions I ) And of whofe Ratiocinations., m t nrjly fome fern vitjExtravagant^ hut even the Re^ are not wont to he asconßd^rdbleas hi6 Expert^ ments- And though it h True indeed^that fome Ariftotelians have occaßonaily written againfl the Chemical Xio^rine he Oppugnes^ yet fm e they havi done it according to their Princi’. pies., And ftnce our Carneades muß as w elhpfo fe their Hypochefis as that ofthe'Spagyrifl^he 7vo£ fnin to fight his Adverfaries withhisoTpn Weapons, Thoje o f theVeripctetick^ being Im proper i f not hurtfuU for a FerfonofhisT enent&; hefides that thofe A riftotelian s, ( at Leañ thofe he mef w ith , ) that have written againfi the Chymßs , fiem to have had fo little Experimental Knowledge in Chymical tjiiatters, that by their frequent M iñ a o s and unskiifull way (^fOppugning ^they have too of ten exposed themfelves totheD erifionoftheir adverfarifs j for writing fo Confidently againfl what they afpeare fo little to underñand. And L ä ftlj, Carneades hofet , he ß ja ll do the Ingenious this Piece o f fe r v ic e , that by having Thué drawn the Chymifis DoBrineoutof their Dark, and Smokje Lahoratories^nndboth brought it into the open lightândfljewn the weak.~ nefs.

(18) fêfs o f their Proofs, th a t have hitherto been wofttto be broH^ht fo r i t , either Jndicious M en fia ll henceforth ve allowed calm ly and a fter due infor^ mation to disbelieve i t , or thofe abler Chymifls, that are zealous fo r the reputation o f i t , m i l be obliged to fpeak, plainer than hitherto has' been . done, and maintain i t by better Experiments and Argum ents than thofe Carneades hath ex a m in d : fo T h a t he hopes the fu r io u s Vfill one Way or other D e r iv e either fatisfaU ion or, infiruîon from his endeavours, A rid as he is ready to make good the profejfion he makes in the ■clofe o f h ii D ifconrfe , of being ready to be better informed , fo he e x p e ls either to be indeed informed , or to be le t alone. F o r though, i f any TrHly knowing C hym ifis f ia ll Thinks fit in a c iv ill and rationall way to fiiew him any trnth touching the matter in D ifpute T h a t he yet difcernes not , Carneades voiU not refufe either to a d m it, or to own a €onvithion \ yet i f any imper^ tinent Ferjori jh a ll , either to g e t H im felfe a N a m e , or fo r what other end fo ev e r , wilfully or carelefly m ifiaks the S fa te o f the controverfie , or the fence o f his Argum ents , or Jhall ra il inBead. o f arguing , as hath been G , and F . and H . and e t h e r s , in th eir b oo k s a g a in ft on e a noth er.. divers. E a te in P rin t by Chym ifis ; or lafily, w rite a g a in B them in a. canting way\ I mean f ja ll eX’ prefs him felfe in ambigiiom or obfcure term es, or argue from Experim ents not intelligibly enough D elivered , Carneades p rofejfes, T h a t he values his.

(19) A P reface Intróduflory. his tirñt fo Tnuch^ a& mot 19 ihink^tht iinfvpering fuch Trifles worth the lofs o f it. Andnovp having fa id thus much fo r Carneades, Jh^fethe Reader will givé me leave tr fay fomethingfor my f e l f Jn dfrft 5 i f fome morofe Readers fhail find fault with my having madé the Interlocutors upon occafion Complement with ene another^ and ’ that I have almoñ all along written thèfé D ia logues in añile more Fajhionahle thanThat o f meer Scholars ¿4 wont to he., I hope IJhallê excus*dhy themthatfljdlconfider.,ihat to keep a ¿///e decorum in the Difcourfes^ it was fit that in a hooKtvritten by a Gentleman, and wherein mlyGentlemenare introduc'd as/peakers^theLanm guage Jììould hi moré fmooth and the Expreffions more Civil than is ufual in the more Scho» íañick vpAy o f writing. And in d e e d I am not firry to have this Opportunity o f giving an ex" ample how to manage even D ilu te s with Civility\wheme perhaps Jome Readers will he o f ¡íñedto difcerna Difference betwixt Bluntnefi cfêech and Strength o f reafon, and find that' a man Way be a Champion f^!ffruthy without be^ ingan^nemy to CiviJityX and may confute an 0 pinion without railjp^ at Thern that hold it ; 7 ® whom he that difnesto convince and not to pr«» voke them, muñ make ¡Qme amends by his Cl’ijility.

(20) v itity tò their Perfons ^ f o r his fev e rity td their Mif. takes'., and m uß fay as little elje as he cariy to dijjfle^t thentf nhcnhe fa iesth a t they a rein aneVror, B ut perhaps ether Readers w ill he Ipfs apt tt find fault with the C iv ility o f my Diß>utants^ thaif the ChymiJis w ill be., ttpon the readi>i£ o f fome Fiji ¡ “tiês v f the following D ialogue ■ , to acc^fe Carneades o f Asperity. B ut i f I have Ÿnade my Sceptic{^ fùmetimes fpeakjleightingly o f the Opinivns he cppofesÎhoft i t ft w ill m t hefonndthat Jhave done any more^than htcame the Part he was to a il o f an Opponent :eß>ßcially^fwhat ih a v em a d e himfay becompar^d w ith w h a tth e Princeof the koniane Orators him felf makes both g r e a t êrfons aftd frien d s fay o f one anothers Opitîons, in his excelltnf D ialogues, De Natura Deorum : A i d I f i a l i fcarce be ftifpeSied o f P artiality ^ in fh e cafe ^ by t h e^ that N o tice that there is f u ll Of much ( i f not f a r m ore) liheYtf offieighting their Adverfaries 'tenents to be met wit} in the ï)ijcoHrfes o f thofe vpith whom Carneades dijpHtes, N o r need I make the Interlocutors fpeakjotherw ifi than freely in a DialogHe,wherein i t vpas f n ^ ie n t ly intima^ pedythatI meant ndt to declare my own Òpiìiiott o f the Arguments propos'd, m n chleffeof the whole C ontrovert itfelfe,otherwtje than as it may by an a tten tive Reader ft guefs^d at byfome P afag es o f Carneades: ( J fa y , forni. •Thè Diilogues hae ineanr arc * bècmffi / mak^ ihoft about Heat, Fire, Hapie not all that he j a f i f , cfpe* &c. ( fcen by two Scc<etarics of cially in the heat o f D ijfii' thcR6y3l5ociety)rhattheAu- t M i , n , m i m , ) f a n ly ilt thor lometwnere complaineslo i - rJ-r r ^ i i have beenmining with o.her D ijc b iir ß , and partly things othis pi,efcii:lyafter the fome othçr ^ Dialogues hafty removal of his ¡Goods fav hetwixp the farne i f cake's Night inthe great fireof ¿owiw. ( they treat not immediately. of. the. B le m m s ). w hich. ha ve long layn.

(21) lâ^n thefe d eed elu d e ance. by m 9 a ud e x y e ii the E n te n a in m e n t th a t prefent D ifco u rfet w ill meet w ith . Æ 4 in they w ill m uch miji-ake tne , th a t jh a ll con* fro m w hat I now p u b lifh , th a t I am a t V e fy w ith C hym iftry , or w ould m ake my Readers fi. hofe the Specimina / have la tely publfjh^d o f an attempt to fhew th e nfefnlnefs o f Chym ical B x ferim ents to Contem plative F h ilo fo p h ers , w ill g iv e thofe th a t read them other thou ghts o f m e , and J had a defign ( but wanted opportunity ) to publiât w ith th eft Papers an E ffay J h a v e lying by me y th e g rea ter part p f w hich is jip o lo g etica l f o r one fo r t o f C hym iiis, j h d a t lea fh , as f o r thofe th a t knoysf HiCy I hope the pain / h a v e 'ta k s n in th e f r e w ill both so m in c e them , th a t } am f a r fr o m being an E n em f to the Chym ifts J i r t , ( thou gh I am no f r ie n d to many th a t difgrace i t by p rofeftn g i t , J and perfw ade them ip believe me when / declare th a t I d iSiinguifh b etw ixt thofe C hym ifis th a t are either C heats ^ or but L a h o ra n ts , and th e prue Adepti ; ^ y whome cotdd I ^ jo y there converfation, I would both w illingly a ^ 4 th a n k fu lly be inf^ruÜed j efpetia lly concerning the ^ a f u r e and Generation of M e ta ls : A i d p.offibly^ thofe th a t know how lit t le /. 1. have rem itted o f my fo r m e r addiElednefs to makÿ Chym ical ^ xp erim en tf ^ w ill eafily believe^ th a t one o f the c h i e f I>efi^nes o f this Sceptical D ifco u rfe T»Of J m f o muçfi to diffred ip Chym ijiry^ as to g iv e an occafiffn and ft kin d o f necejfity to th e more knowing ^ t i f i s po lay afide a lit t le o f th eir overg rea t Refervfanefs t, and either exp lica te or prove the 03 y m ica ll ^Theory better than ordinary C hym ifis ha'ijtr done J or by enrkînj^ w ith fom e o f th tir nobler fe^ frets.

(22) Crets to ^ in c e that 'Their, art is- able td > amends e'ên f o r the de^ciencies e f their Theory :'' A n d thiu much I (hall make hold' to a d d y that We Piall much mder.value Chymi^ry^ - i f We ima-' ¿ i n e , .that it cam ot . teach us th in g i.fa r r more ufe^ f d , m t only' to Phyfick^ but to Philofofhy ■ ) than thofe that are hitherto known to 'Vidgar Chym ifis. Andyet as f o r inferior Spagiri(is themfclves , ^they^ have by their labours dejerv a, fo w e ll'o f the cormMon Wealth o f L ea rn in g , that methinks ^tis Pity^ they pônld ever ptijfe the T ru th w hich they have' fo indujlrioufly foHght. A nd: though I be no A d mirer o f the Theorical P a r t o f their A r t , y et m y. conjeUures w ill much deceive.-, m e , i f the P raU ical P a r t he m t hereafter much more cklti^vated than hitherto it has been , and do not both em fhy Phi* lofothy and Philojophers , and hvfe td mak£ M en fu ch . N o r would 1 , that, have been d iv e r te d by other Studies as well as ■affairs. , be thought to pre tend being a profound Sfagyrifi , by. finding fa ffiany fa u lts in the D oB rine t h e r e i n the genera? lity o f Chymifis fcm ples not to A cquifee : f o r ■ befides that *tis m oB commonly fa r eafier to fram e ObjeBtons againfl: any proposed Hypothefis > than to propofe an Hypothefis not lyablc to Ob* jeBions ( befides this / fay ) ^tis m fu c h great matter , i f whereas Beginners in Chymif^ry are commonly at once imbu d witJj the. Theory afid Operations o f their profejjion , / who had thC' good fortune to L earn the Operations fro m iU literate Perfons , upon whofe cre d it I was m i, Tempted to take up finy opinion _about them ^ fijoufd' ¿onpder things w ith hffe prejudice- y and con* feûently.

(23) fejuently with other F:yes ihun the Generality o f hârnerSy And be move difios'd to accotnmodate the Phænoiîîena thàt occurr*d to tne to other No//o«i than to thofe o f the Sfagirifts. And having at f i r ñ entertained a fu^ fpition That the Vulgar Vrinciples tPere lefje General andcomprehenfive^ or leffe confiderattly Deducd from Chymical Operations, than was beleivdy it was m t uneafie for me both to Take notice o f divers Phaenomena , o v ef looked by prepoffeft Ferfons, that Jeenid not to fuite fo well with iê'HeriDejical DoBrine^ and to devife fome Experiniebts likely to furriifh me with Objeñions againfi it, not \nown to many^ that having prañis*d Chymiflry longer perchance thati I have yet liv d , may have fa r more^xperience^Than o f particular procefies* To conclude , whether the "Motions 1 have propos'd-, and the Experiments 1 have communicatei^ be cmfiderable^ or «oí, I willingly leave others to Judge', and this only I ffyaU fay for my S e lf , That I have endeavour d to deliver matters o f F aH, fo faithfuUy, that I may as weH ajfift the Itfèe skilful Readers to examine the Chymical Hyporbefísí the Spagirkal Fhilojophers to iliniîrate it : which i f they do , and that either the Chymical opinion, or the Teripatetick.^ or any other Theory o f the I. lements â differing.

(24) flifermg from that / am mofl inclined to \fhaW be intelligibly explicated^ and duly prov d tome] what 1 have hitherto difcours*d will not hinder it from making a Tvnfel^te o f a Perfou that Loves rluBuation o f Judgment little enough to he willing to he eas*d o f it by any thing hut ^rror.. E R R A T p. A to the Appendix.. A g . 2 . 1 .3 . rend.conirtved. p. : 1 .1 .6 . a fter Vrinouf-^S a l t s . 9 0 .I . t.p o r te x t.t.fn ifim. p .ii S « ! * 4 .r .C V « « jè iir .p .i5 8 .l. 2o.r.tibi^.p. 1 6 7 .I . J -r. f o lt i- 'f . i y i . \ , ‘i 9 d .b e in i.p .\ 8 0 .!. 9 .x.prof M . p . j S i . M after M ercu ry, r. into that red pow aer v ih ich Chyittifif calfprecipitate per fe ,a n d I have fo u n d by tryaU purpojeif madey an d clje w here relate.d, that tb it pow der w ithoiit any further addttam ent way he red u ced into running M c r c u r y .p . z x o ’ 1 . 1^ .p ro in t .f r .o m .'p ,z i i. ) . n . after v ta fi r.not. p . ¿3 0 .I.6 . rifoV . p. 2 ^ 3 .!. iy .t.tm p o ß b ility , ^ ,z n y \ .i.a fte r p ^ r jo n s .t.m t. l . i i . r .th e jè m tef, p . i é o . l . u ltp ro probabler.proportion, p . z 6 8 .1 . i 2 . r . to dcHroy,.

(25) E 3 *1 ic Contents o f the Sceptica ll C h y m tfl , ■'and o f a Trait annexed to it. O f the Troduciblenefs o f C hym ical Principles, H yftological Conftderations touching the Experim ents wont to be employed to E~ vince either the Peripatetici^ Elem ents ^ or the J I L Chym icall Principles o f m ixt Bodies, pag. I.. P. The I. Part. p. 35. The II. Part. p. 103. The III. Part. p. 165. The IV. Part. p. 203. The V. Part, p, 287. The VI. Part y O r a P a r a d o x ic a l A p * yertdixto th efo reg o in g T rea tife, p. 3^1. The Conclufton. p. 451. Thi. JntrodnBion to. p. 441.. th e. fo llo w in g. notes,. O f the Prodttcihlenefs o f Chym ical Princkles». The I. part. O f the Produciblenefs o f S a lt.. The I. S E C T I O N .. p. i.. O f tht P roduB ion o f A c i d Salts*. p. 11.. The II. S E C T I O N . O f the ProduU ion o f V o la tile S a lts , "p,. The III. S E C T I O N , O f the ProduU ion o f A lc a li s or Salts, p. 20.. l ix iv ia t e. The IV. S E C T I O N , p. 46. Tlie II. Part. O f the Prodnciblenefs o f S p irits,. Thel. S E < : T I 0 N.. 15..

(26) The IN D E X . O f the PrVduBfon o f îmns S p rits, p. T he a. S E G T I O N .. ■. O f thè ProdfiBim o f Vrinou's Spirits, p . ^5;. T h e III- S E C T I O N .. O f the Produfiivn o f A c id Spirits, p. 644. T h e IV. S E C T I O N .. .j. '. i. ObferVations About the Adiaphorous Spi- I r its o f Woods and diVifs other Bodies.^,^']» i The. III. Part.. ^. About the Produciblenefs o f Sulphurs.'^. 104. T h e I. S E C T I O N .. O f the P ro d u ctim o f Oyles.' p . The. 108.. II. S E C T I O N .. O f the ProduUion 6f ihfldmmahie Spirits, p.. 1 1< 5; T h e IIL S E C T I O N . :. O f the ProdaSiion r^f Confifiim Sulphurs, p.. i i 7* ■ The IV:, Part. i ) f the ProduSlion o f Mercury, p.. 159* Whether Mercury may hé obtained from Mé» tàls and Minerals : Ó r ( to ^ tà kè Chy~ mcally^ J. -. An deritur Merinirii' Corportifn ? p. 143.. Doiihts about yh'e. Preexi^'èfite' o f KmrAi^ 1 Mercury in p'. fÓ4 .' J Ratia Extrahendi ex Òmnibùs Metallis Mc n ;. curium Paracelfica'. p. 190. i Extradio -Mei'oirii à Corpore Perfedo; ; p.. I 9 p.. .. ■. O f the pijfm ilitTide S f Rnfifiih^.MerCHyy^s • p* :. 205.. T h e V.. P a r t . ' p . 229'.. ' The VI. I^ t.p ; 24. ‘ ‘.

(27) f i i i f i f f i f f f 5f :. f. P H Y S I O L O G I C A L ] C O N S I D E R A. T I. O N ^. Touching T h i ixperimenti wont to he employed to evìnce either the Teripatetick^ Elements, or the 111 Chymical Frinciples o f M ixt Bodies.. Part o f the Firft ttal'ogiie. Perceive that divers o f tny Friends have thought it very ftrange to hear me fpeak fo irrefoWedA ly 5 as I have beefl Wont to d o , concerning thofe ihings which fome take to be the Elements ^ and others to be the Principles o f all miift Bodies. But I bhiih not to ac knowledge that I much lefs fc-rupleto confcfs that I Doubt,w'hen I do fo, than ' B t&.

(28) co. to profefs that I Know what I do not : And I ihould have much ftrongcr E x- I peftations than I dare yet entertain, to ' fee philofophy folidIyefì:abliÌh*[,ifmèfl would more carefully diftinguiih thofe things that they kno\V, from thofe that : they ignore or do but th in k , and then ' explicate clearly the things they con ceive they underftandjacknowledge in- ^ ênuoufly what it ii they ignore, and i profefsfo candidly their Doubts -, that thè indùftry o f intelligent perfons : might be fee .on work to make further ; enquiries, & ihe eafinefs o f lefs difcer- ] nirtg Men might not be impos’d on. i But becaufe a more particular accompc ^ will probably be expected o f my unfa-' tisfyednefs not only with ihe Peripatetick,.but with the Chyipical Dotì:rine o fth e PrimitiveIngrcdienisof Bodies: ' I t may poifibly ferve to fatisfy others ^ f The excufabltnefs o f my difatisfaÓiit ; on,to perule the enfuing Relation of; wiiSf paiicd a while fìnce at a meeting ' pf.p^ribns o f feveral opin ion s, in »! pkce ihat need not here be namedjj where the fìibjeéì, whereof we have been fpeaking, was amply and vaxiou&; ^ ly d ilio u rs’dof. m k.

(29) ' î t was on one o f the faireil dayes o f this Summer that theinquiiitive^/e^îMirim came to invite i?ie to make a vific with him to his friend Carneadts.l readi ly confentcd to this m otioii, telling him that i f he would but permit me to go firft and make an excufe at a place not fa rro fF , where I had at that hour appointed CÔ meet, b u t not about a buiinefs either o f moment, o r that could not well admit o f a delay, i would prefently wait on him , becaufe o f my knowing Ctfr«ftfi/i.?tobefoconverfanc with nature and with Furnaces, and fo unconfiiVd to vulgar Opinions, that he would proba bly by fome ingenious Paradox or other,give our mindes at leail a pleafing E xercife, and perhaps enrich them with fome folid ïxxŸCïU&xoxiiEleutheriué then firft g o ing with me to the place where my A p ology was to be made, 1 accompanied him to the lodging o f Ciïrnftfi/fi, w here when We Were com e, we were told b y the Servants, that he was retired with a Couple o f Friends ( whofe names th ey alio told us ) to one o f the Arbours in his Garden, to enjoy under its coole lhades a delightful protet5iion from the y e t irou* bkiom e heat o f the Su n; B X.

(30) ( 4) Ûatherim being perfeGly acquainted ^ with that Garden immediately led me to the Arbour, and relying on the inti mate familiarity that had been longcheriHi’d betwixt him 2.nd Carneades; in fpight o f niy RelutSancy to what m ight: look like an intrufion upon his privacy,; drawing me by the h an d , he abruptly entered the A rbour, where we found CarmadeS^Philoponmy zndTi>t'miftii4Sy fit ting cloie about a little round T able > on which,befides paper, p en , and inkc, there lay two or three open B o o k s ; Carneades appeared not. ar. all troubled at this furprife, butriiingfrom the. Ta ble, received his Friend with open looks and arme's, and welcoming me alfo with his wonted freedom and civiiiiy, invi ted us to reilour ielves. by him, which,as foon as we had exchanged with , bistwo Friends C who \yere ours alfo) the civilitie? accuftomed on fuch occafions,. we did.. And he prefently after we had leated dur -felves, ihutting the Books tliatlayopen, and turning touS with a fmiling countenance, fecmed ready-to begin fome fuch unconcer.ning difcourfe as is Wont to pafs, or rather wail the time ia piomifcuous companies». B ut.

(31) 1 But EU utherm guefiing at w m t he I meant to d o, prevented him b y telling J him, I perceive Carneades by the books i that you have been now iliu ttin g, and ) much more by the pofture v/herein I ) found Perfons fo qualiii’d to difcourfe I o f ferjous matters, and fo accuftom’d to I do i t , that you three were, before our i coming, engag’d in fome Philofophical j conference, which I hope you w ill ei, ther profecute, and allow us to be parI takers of, in reconiper.ee o f the frec, dome we have us’d in prcfuming to fur* I prife you, orelfe give us leave to repair 1the injury we ihould otherwife do you, Iby leaving you to the freedom w e jhave interrupted, and puniihing our ¡felves for ourboldnefs by depriving our felves o f the happinefs o f your comipany. W ith thefe iaft words, he and II rofeu p , as i f we meant to be gone : ,Buc fuddenly laying hold on .his arme, and flopping him by i t , fniile.ingly told him yW e are not fo forward ,to lofe good company as you feem to ■imagine; efpeciallyiince you are pleas’d to deiire to be prefenc at what we fhall fa y , about fuch a Subject as that Y ou found us confidering. F p r th a t, being B 3 the.

(32) C<s) ihe number of the Elements, Priircip lts , or Materiail Ingredients of Bodie?, is an enquiry whofe truth is of that Importance , and qf that Difficulty, that it may a§ well deferve, as require, to be learched into by fijch skiifull Indagators o f Nature, .as ypur felves. And therefore we fent to in vifeth eb old and acute Leucippus to leodl us fome lighi by h\h Atomical Paradox, npon which we piiptded fuch pregnant hints, that *twas riot withoiu a great deal o f trouble that we had lately word brought us that he w^s not ro be found, & we had likewife begg*d the Affiftance o f your prcfencc a^d thoughts, had nof the meifenger we employ’d to Lmippus inform'd us th it . s he was going, he faw you both pafs by io\yards another part o f the To\yn; And this fruiftrated expeitation p f Leucippus^ his company, who told me but lait night tliat he woiild bp ready to give rpe a meeting where I pleas’d to d ly 5 haying vety long fufpendcd our fonkrence about the fieihly njention*d Subjed ij it \yas fp. newly begun when you came in , that we fliall fcarce need fy iepeat, any thing to acquaint you with whachad pais*d betwixt us before.

(33) your arrival, fo that I cannot but look: upon it as a fortunate Accident that you iiiould come fo feafonably , to be not hearers alone, but w e hope Interlocu tors at our conference. For w eilia ll not only allow o f youi' prefence at i t , but dcfire your Aíljílance in i t ; w hich I add botii for other reafons, and b e caufe though thefe learned Gentlem en (faies he,tu rning to his tw o frie n d s) need not fear to difcourfe before an/ A uditory 5 provided U be intelligent enough to underftand them, y e t fo r my part C continues he w ith a new fm ile ,) Iñ ia lln p c d a r e to vent m yunprem edi» tated thoughts b efo re tw o fuch C r iticks, unlefs by p roniifingto take yo u r turnes o f fp e a k in g , Y o u w ill allow me mine o f quarrelling^with what has been iaid. He and his friends added divers things ro convince us that they w ere bothdeiiroUs that w eflioal 4 hear them, and refolved againft o u rd o in g fo , unlefs 'tve allowed them fometimes to hear us. after having a w hile fru itlefly endeavoured to o b ta in leave to be fileiit, prom is'd he would not b e f o a l wayes, provided that he w ere perm it te d agcprdmg to the freedom o f his ’ B ^ eeni»5.

(34) iS ) Genius and Principles to iid ew ith on ? p f them in the nânaging o f one Argum enr,and,ifhefaw caufe, with his Antagonift, in the Profecution o f ano ther, without being confin’d to ftick to any one party or op in ion , which was after fome debate accorded him. J u t Ijconfcious to my pwn Difability’s, told thetn refolutely th^t Iwas as much m orew illin gjasm orefit,robe a hearpr than a fpeaker, among fuch knowing Perfons, and on fo abftrufc a Subjefl. And that therefore I befeeched theni without neceiTitating me to proclaim my weaRneiTes ^ to allow me to leiTen them bybeingafiient Auditor o f their pifcpurfes: to fuiler me to be at which I could prefent them no m o tiv e , fave that iheirinftrud ions W Q u l d make them in me a more intelligent Adm irer. I added, that I defir*d not to be idle yh ilft they vvere im ploy'd, but would i f they pleasViby writing down in ihort hand what -fhould be d elivered , preferve Pifcourfes that I knew would merit to be l.afting. At firft Carneades and his two friends utterly rejeded >his mpiionj andall that my Refoluteiiefs to make ufe o f my e a rs, nor tongue.

(35) tongue at theic debates, could do ^ Was to make them acquiefce in the Propofition o f Eleutkerim ^ who thinking him felfconcern'd, becaufe be brought me thither , to afford me fome faint afliilance , was content, that I ihould regifter their Arguments, th,;t I m ight be the better able after the conclufioti o f their conference to give them my fence upon the Subjeil o f it , ( T h e number o f Elements or Principles ) which he promis’d I fhould do at the end o f the prefent D ebates, i f time ôuld perm it, or elfe at ouir nexc meeting. And this being by him un dertaken in my nam e, though without m y confent, the company would by no means receive my Proteftation againft it, bufcafting, all at once, their eyes on Carmadesy they did by that and their unanimous fileHce, invite him to begin; which (after a fliort paufe, during which he turn’d himfelf to EU uthm uszxi 6. me) he did in this manner. Notwithilanding the fubtile reafonings I have met \yith in the books o f the Peripateticks, and the pretty experiments that have been ifiew’d me in the Labofatories o f C h y m ifts, I am o f Ip diffident.

(36) C ro ) diffident, or dull a N a tu riî as to think that i f neither o f them can bring more cogent arguments to evince the truth of their aifertion than ate wont to be brought; a Man may rationally enough retain fome doubts concerning the very number of thofe materiall Ingredients o f mixt bodies, which fome vtôuld have us call Elements, and others Principles. Indeed whçn I confidered, that the Tenents concerning the Elements, are as confíderable araongft the Doôrines of natural Philofophy, as the Elements themfelves are among the bodies o f the Univerfe, I expefted to find thofe 0 pinionsfolidlyeflabliih’d , upon which ib many others are fuperftruded. But when I took the pains impartially, to çx* amine the bodies themfelves that are faid to refult from the blended Ele ments, and lb torture them into a con* fefiion o f their conftituent Principles, I was quickly induc’d to think that the number of the Elements has been coHf^ tended about by Philofophers with more earneftnefsj than fuccefs. T his un» fatisfiedners of mine has been much wonder’d a t , by thefe two Gentlemen ,( ac which words he pointçd |t X h m 'MU.

(37) (n J and Philofonus') w ho though th ey differ almoft as inuch, betwixt ihemfelves about the queftion we are to eonfider, a s id o from either o f them , yec they both agree very well in th is , thac there is a determ riite number o f fu ch ingredients as I was juft pow fpeaking of, and that >yhat that number i s , I fay not, may be ( fpr what rpay not fuch as they perfwade? ) but is wont to be clearly enough denionftrated both by Reafon atid E xperience. T his ha$ occafion’d our prefenc Conference. For Dur Difcourfe this afternoon, having, fallen from one fubjeft to another, and ac length fetl’d on th is , they proffer’d to demonftrace to m e , each o f them the truth o f his opinion, out o f both th eT o p ick s th a tl have'freihly nam’d But pn the former(that o f Reafon ftriélly fo taken ) we declin’d infixing at the prefent, left we ihould not have time cnpugh before fupper to go through the Reafons and Experiments too. T h e latter o f which we unanimoufly thought: the moft reqnifite to be leribufly ej?amin’d. I muft defire you then to take notice Gentlemen C continued Carmfid ts j that my prefent bufinefs doth noc olí-.

(38) oblige me fo to declare my own opini on on the Subjeft in queftiorij as to affe rto rd e n y the truth either o f the Peripatetick, o r the Chyn:iical, Doflrine concerning the number o f the Elements, but only to lliew you that neither of thefe Doftrin^shath been ifatisfailorily proved by the arguments commonly alledged on its behalfe. So that if \ really difcern ( as perhaps 1 think I do) that there may be a more rational ac count than ordinary , given o f one of thefe opinions , I am left free to de clare my felf o f i t , notwithftandingmy prefent engagement, it being obvious to all your obfervation, that a folid truth may be generally maintained by no ocher, than incompetent Arguments. And to this Declaration I hope it w ill be needlefs to add, that my task obliges me not to a n fw er the Arguments that maybe drawn either f o r o r PhtlofQwi/i'sOpinian from the T o p ic k o f reafon, as oppofed to experim ents; iince ’’tis thefe only that I am to examine, and not all thefe neither, but fuch o f them alouejas either o f them ihall think fit to infift on, and as have hitherto been wotit to be brought either to prove that *tis. the.

(39) ■ Ci ?) the fou r P crip atetick Eletnen'rs,or that ’ lis the three Chym ical Principles tha^ all compounded bodies confift of.T hefe things C adds C&rneades) I thought m y fe lf obliged to premife , partly left you iliould do thefe Gentlemen ( pointing at ‘ïhemifiîuszwd Philofonm.,znà fm iling on them) the injury o f meafuring th eir parts by the arguments they are ready to propofe, thelaw es o f our Conference confining them to make ufe o f thofe th a t the vulgar o f Philofophers ( for even o f them there is a vulgar) has drawn up to their handstand p artly, that you, ihould not'comdemn m eofprefum ption for difputing againft'perfons over whom I can hope for,noiadvantage, that I muft not dérive from the nature, o r rules o f our cpotroverfy, wherein I have but a nega tive to defend j and wherein too I am like on feveral occafions to have the AiTift.ance o fo n e o f my dtfagreeing adverfaries againft the other. Fhilofonus ^xidXhemftuis foon return ed thiscomplement w ith civilities o f the like n atu re, iii which Elmtherius per ceiving them engaged, to prevent the further lofs o f that time o f which they were not like to have very uiuch to fparcv he.

(40) Ch } ■ he minded them that their prefent bufi- ^ iiefs was not to exchange complements, i but Arguments: and then addreffiing his fpceeh to Carneades^ lelïeem it no fmall happinefs (faies be ) that I am come here fo luckily this Evening. For I have been long difquieted with Doubts coniearning this very fubjeâ which you are now ready to debatéi A n d fince a Queftion o f this importance is to be now difcuffed by perfons that maintain fuch variety ofopinions concerning it, & a re , both ib able to enquire after truth) and fo ready to embracc it by whomfoever ' and on what occafion foever it is preien-' , ted them; I cannot but promife my fe lf that I ihailjbefore we part,either lofe my Doubts or the hopes o f ever finding them refolved ^Sleutherius paufbd nót* here; but to prevent their anfwerjaddedf’ almoft in the fame breath; arid Ï am nota little pleafed to find that you are refolved on this occailon to infift rathe^ on Experiments than Syliogifmes. For I, and no doubt Y o u , have long obferved , that thofe Dialcâical fubtleties, that the Schoolmen too often employ about Phyfiological Myfteries, are wont ifiuch more to declare the wit o f him thaï.

(41) that ufes them, than increafe the know* ledge o r remove the doubts o f fober lo vers o f truth.A nd fuch captious fu b tle - . ties do indeed often p u zzle& fometinies iilence men , but ra rely fa tisfy them. Being lik e the tricks o f jugglers,w here by men doubt not but they are chea ted, though oftentim es they cannot de clare by what flights they are im pofed on. And therefore I think you have done very w ifely to make it yo u r buiinefs to conCder the Vhammma relating to the prefent Q peftion, which have been af forded by experim ents, efpecially iince it might feem injurious to our fenfes by whofe mediation we acquire fo much o f the knowledge we have o f things cor poral,to have recourfe to far-fetched & abftraded Ratiocinations,to know what ar« the feniible ingredients o f thofe fenCble things that we daily fee and han dle,and are fuppofed to have the lib erty to untwift ( i f I may fo fpeak ) into the prim itive bodies they coniift of. He an nexed that he wiihed therefore they would no loDger d elay his expected fatis fa iiio n ,ifth e y h a d n o t, as he feared they hai;:!, forgotten foniething prepara tory their ; and thiit was to lay.

(42) (r¿). l a y down what ihould be all along uri| derfto'ocl by the word Principle o r Ele ment. Carneades thank*d him for bis ad monition , but told him that they had not been unmindful o f fo requifite a thing.But that being Gentlemen & very far from the litigious huniourof loving to wrangle about words,or terraSjor no tions as empty;ihey had before his co ming in, readily agreedpromifcudufly to ufe whea they pleafed,Elements and Principles as terms equivalent: and to underftand both by the one and the other,thofe primitive and fimple Bodies o f which the mixt ones are faid to bfif compofed, and into which they aré ul ri* iiiately Tefolved.And upon the fame ac-' count (he added)we agreed to difcourfe o f the opinions to bie debated, as we have foiihd them maintained by the Getíerality o f the affertors o f the four EÍeí^ ments <jf the one party,and o f thofe-that receive the three Principles on the other,' withouttyingourfclve^to enquire fcrupiiloufly what notion eitlier Ariftotle or Paracdfmy or this or that Interl^reterj or follower o f either o f thófe great per fons, framed o f Elements or Principles; ourdefign being to examine j not what thef§.

(43) ( iy? tlief6 o r tiiofe w riters thought dr ' taught, b at what we find to be the ob vious & nioft general opinion o f thofe^ who are w illing to be accounted Favo rers o f the P e rip a ie iick o r Chym ical D ortrine, concerning this fubje>ii. I fee nor (faies Ekuth^r'm') w hy you tiiight not im niediately begin to argue, i f you were bijt agreed which o f your tw o friend ly Adverfaries fliall be firffc heard. And it being quickly refolv’d on that Themi%ius lliould firft p ro p o fe the Proofs for his O p in ion , becaufe ic was the antienrer, and the more ge-n era l, he made not the company ex•*ped long before he thus addreifed himfe lf to E k u th e r m , as to the Perfon 'leaft incereifed in the difpute. I f you have taken fuiiicient notice o f the late ConfeiTion which was made b y ’ Carneades, and which C though his C iv i'liiy dreifed it up in complementall E x'preifionsO was exacted o f him by his -J u ftic e ,! fuppofe You w ill be eafily made fenfiblcjihat I engage in this C on troverfie w ith great and peculiar Eiifadvanrages, -befides thofe^which his P a n s and my P erfonal Difabilicies ■would bring 10 any othei; caufe to be C » ain *.

(44) fli) maintained by me againft him. F or he juftly apprehending the force o f truth, though fpeaking by no better, a tongue than mine, has made it the chief con. dition o f our Duell, that I iliould lay afide the beil Weapons I h a v e , and thofe I can beft handle-, Whereas if I were allowed the freedom, -in pleading for the four Elements, to employ the Arguments fuggefted to me by Reafon to dcmonftrate them , I ihould almoft as little doubt of making Y ou a Profelyre to thofe unfever’d Teachers, Truth and Jriftoth^ as I do o f your Candour & your Judgment. A nd I hope you will however confider, that that great Favorite and Interpreter ofNa» ture,^riiioi/f,who Vfas (as his Orgamjn witneiTes ) thegreateft M after o f Logick that ever liv’d , difclaim’d the courfe taken by other petty Philofophers ( Antient and Modern ) who not attending the Coherence aijd Confequences o f their O pinions, are more folliciious to make each particular 0pinion plaufible independently upon £hi the reft, than to frame them a llfo , as not only to be coniiftent to g eth er, bm to fupport each other. F or that greai. Man.

(45) Man in liis vaft and comprehen/ive téileâ) fo fram ’d each o f his Notions^ that being curiouiJy adapted into one Syftem e, they need not each o f them any other defence than that which their mutuali Coherence gives them ; As *ris in an Arch , where eaCh fìnglè flo n e , which if fever’d from the reft w ould be perhaps d efencelefs, is fufficiently fecur’d b y the fblidity and entirenefs o f the whole Fabrick o f which it is a parti H o w ju ftly this iiiay be.apply’d tothepi-efentcafe, I^could êafiiÿ £he\r Y o u , i f I were permitted to declare to Y ou, ho^hornionious Ariüotles Doâ rin é o f the Elements is with his other Principles o f Philofophy; aad how pationally he has deduc’d their number from that o f the coriïbiaations o f the four firft Qualities from the kinds o f fioiple Motion belonging to Ample b o dies ^ and from I know not how many other Ifripciples and FhanmeHA o f N ature, which fo confpire w itb his Do(5trine o f the E lem ents, chat they mutually ftrengthen and fupport èacht Other. But fiace 'cis forbidden nié to infift oB R efle^ icns o f this kind, Î muft proceed to tell Y o u , that though the 6 2 A i».

(46) AiTertors o f the four Elements value Reafon fo highly, and are furniih’d with A r g u m e n t s enough drawn from thencey to be faiisfiM that there muft be four Elements, though no man had ever yet made any fer,iible tryal to difcover their Number, yet they are notdeftiTute o f Experience to fatisfie others that are wont to be more fway’d by their fenfes than their Reafon. And I ftall proceed to confider the teftiiriony o f Experience, when I i3]all have firft advertis’d Y ou , thac i f Men w e r e asp-^rfeilly rational, as ’ tis to be wifh'd they were, this fenfible way of Probation would b€ as needlefs as 'tis went to be imperfeit. For it is much more high a n d Phiiofophical to difco ver things a priore, than a foBeriore.And therefore the Peripateticks have n o t been v e r y follicitous to gather Ex p e r i m e n t s to prove their Dodlrines , c o n t e n t i n g c h e m C e l v e s with a few only, TO fatisfie tbofe that are noc capable o f a Nobler Cohvidlion. And indeed they e m p l o y - E x p e r i m e n t s rather toilluftrate than to demonftrate their Do* ¿trin 's , a s Aflrononiers ufe Sphaeres o f paftboardvtodefcend to the capacilies.

(47) fies o f fu ch as niuil be taught by th eir TenfeS, for wapr o f being a rriv ’d to a ijlear appreheiifion o f p u rely Mathejnatical Notions and Truths. I fpeak thus Ekulh^rim C adds Tiem iflius.') on ly to do right to Reafon, and not out o f Diffidence o f the Experim ental p ro o f I am to aUedge. For though I lhall name but one, y e t it: is fuch a one as will make ali other appear as needie f s as ic fe lf w ill be found Satisfaôry. ,For i f you b u tcon iid era piece o f ¡green -Wood burning in. a C him ney, Y ou -will rea.dily dircerii in the d ifb an d td parts o f icvthe foyi- Elem ents, o f which we teach jr and-'other nnxt bodies ro be compos’d. The fire difcovers it fe lf in the flame by ..its own lights the fmoake .by afceiiding to the top o f the chimney, and there ^readily vaniihifig into air,like a R iver loiing ic fe lf in the .Sea fufficicntly inanifefts to what Ejeipent ic belongs and gladly returnes. . T h e w a ter -iniits own form boyling and hilling at the ends .of the burning W o o d betrayes it felf. to more tha-n one o f .our ic n fe s ; and ihe, aihes by their weight;, their fiiînefs,- & their drynefsjput it paft doubt that tHey.belông to the; E iep e n t C 3 of.

(48) p f Earth. I f I (con tin u es TktmiTuus^ ro lefs knowing Perfons, I would perhaps make fome Excufe for tuildingupon fuch an pbyjous and eafie Analyfiu^'^^ ’twQu^d be,Ifear,injuripus, not to think fuch an Apology peedlefs to Youjwho are top judicious eirher to think it neceifary thac Experiments to prove obvious truths fhould be farr fetch^jQF to wonderthatamong fo mar ny niixt Bodies that are cpmppunded p f the four Elements, fome o f them ihould uppn a flight Jâlyfis manifeft. \y exhibire the Ingredients they conijft ' p f Efpecially fince it is very agreeable to the Gpodnefs o f NatUrejto difclpfe, even in fome o f the moft obvious Expe* riments that men m ake, a Truth fp important and fo requifite tp be taken notice of by them. Befides that our.^ naly/is by hpw much the more pbvipus we make ir, by fo much the more fuitabie it v\îll be tp the N ature pffthat Dodrine which ’tis alledged to prove, which being as clear and intelligible to the Onderftanding as obvious to the fenfe, tis no marvel the learned part o f Mankind Ihotìld fo long and fo ge nerally imbrace it. ForthisDodlrinc. is.

(49) d o is very difFerent from the whimfeys o f Chymifts and other Modern InTiovatorsj o f whofe Hypothefes we may o b fe rve, as Natliraiifts do o f lefs p e r fe it Ani mals, that as they are hafrily form ’d , fo ' they are com m only iliort liv ’d. F o r fo ti>efe, as they are often fram'd in one w e e k , are perhaps thought fit to be laughed at the n e x t ; and being b u ilf perchance bur upon two o r three E x periments are deftroyed by a third o r fou rth , whereas the d od rin e o f the four Elements was fram'd by ArrôtU after he had leafurely confidered thofe Theories o f former Philofoph-ers which are now with great applaufe revived as difcovered by thefe latter ages ; And had fo judiciouily detected and fupplyed the Errors and d efed s o f form er Hyfothf'fes concerning the Elem ents,thathis , Doftrine o f them has been ever fince I defervedly embraced by th e letter'd ; part o f Mankind: All the Philofophers Ithat preceded him having in their feve-^ I ral ages contributed to the corapleatInefs o f this D odrine , as thofe o f fuc; ceding times have acquiefc’d in it. Nor j has znHyfothefis^ôdtYihtmdy and ma-» ! tu rd y eftabliihedjbeen called in QueftiM. ^4. on.

(50) en till in the laft Century Pm-aCelfus^nd fome few orberfocty Empincks, rather than C as they are fain to call themfe|ves)Philorophers, having their eyes darken’d , and their Braines trou bl’d with the fmoak o f their own Furnaces, began to rail at the Peripatetick Doftrine, which they were too illiterate to «nderfland , and to tell the credulous V/orld,that they conld fee but three In gredients in miKtBodies; which to gain themfelves the repute o f Inventors,they endeavoured to cjifguife by calling them, jnfread of Earth, and Fire, and Vapour, SaU,S[!lphur,andMercury;to which they 'gave the canting title o f Hypoftatical Principles, but whin they came to def^ cribe them, they ihewed how little they underftood what they meant by them , by difagreeing as much from one ano ther,as from the truth cliey agreed in op* pofing ; For they deliver then HypotSef is as darkly as their ProceiTeS; and'cis alnioil: as impofiible for any fober Man to find their meaning, as 'tis for them to find their Elixir. And indeed no thing has fpread their P hilofophy, but their great Erags and undertakingsjnotiviKirfanding all which, {Sm^ThrnifiU m.

(51) u$ fm ilin g ) I fcarce know any thing they have perform ed w orth wondering a t , fave that they have been able to dx'à\^ Fhihponits to Xhtiv P a rty , and to engage him to the Defence o f an unin telligible Hypothefis-yfiio know esfo w ell as he does, that Principles ought t-o be like Diamonds 3 as w ell very c le a r , as perfeftly folid. Themiiiius having a fter thefe la it words declared by his iilence, that hehad finiihed his D i f c o u r f e , a d drelTing himfelf, as his A dverfary had done 3 to jE/ewiêr/»i,returned this Anfw er to it. 1 hop’d fo r a Denionftration, bcft-I perctw^ThemiViius to put ilie o ff with an Harangue , w herein he cannot have given me a greater O pinion ofhiSrparts,th,an he hasgivenm eD iftruft for his HypQÙefisfixìCQÌQxìt evena Man o f fuch Learning can bring no better Arguments. T h e R hetorical p a r t o f his p ifcou rfe, though itm a k e n o tth e le a fb part o f it, I ihall fay nothing to, defigning ro examine o n ly thè Argum entative p a rt, and leaving it to PhilopQms to anfwer thofe paÌTageS w herein either FiZracelfus oxChymÌÌiszrt concern'd;! fliall obferve to Y ou , that in what he has fai 4 befides.

(52) befides, he makes it his Bufinefs to ¿a thefe two things. The one to propofe and make out an Experiment to deinonftrate the common Opinion about the four Elements; And the oth er, to infinuate divers things which he thinks may repair the weaknefs o f his Argu ment,from Experiencci and upon other Accounts bring fome credit to the otherwife defencelefs D odrine he main tains. T o begin then with his Experiment o f the burning Wood, itfeem sto m eto b t obnoxious to not a few confiderable Exceptions. And firft, if 1 would now deal rigidly îth my Adverfary, I might here make i great Queftion o f the very way o f Probation which he and others employ, without the leaft fcruple,tp evince, that the Bodies commonly call’d m ijtt, are made up o f Earth, Air, W ater * and Fire 5 which they are pleas’d alfo to call Elements 5 namely that upon thé fup» pos’d AnMyfis made by the fire , o f the former fort o f ConcreUSt there are wont fo emerge Bodies refenibling thofe which they take for the Elements. Tor pot to Anticipiite here what I forefee I Ihall.

(53) (^ 7 ) fliali have cccafion to infift on , when I conic to difcou J e w ith PMoponus concerniiig the ri£ht that iire has tp pafs fo r the proper and U nivetfal Inftrliroen to fA n alyzin g in ixt Bodies 5 not to Anticipate thac, I f a y , i f i w ere d ifpoS*d to w rangle, I might alled ge, that hy T hm ift'm his Experim ent it w ould ■appear rather ihat thofe hp calls E lem en tS jarem ad eo fth p fe he calls m ixt Bodies, than jnix'd Bodies o f the E le ments. For in T h em i^ m z A n a lyz’d W ood , and in other Bodies diilipatccl and alter’d by the fire, ic a p p ea rs, and he confeifes, that w hich he takes for E lementary Fire and W a te r , are made out o f the C oncrete;bu t i t appears n ot |hat the Concrete was snade up o f Fire and W ater. Nor has either H e , o r any Mat», for ought I kn ow , o f his perfwaiipn, yet prov'd that nothing can be ob tained from a Body by the fire that was? not Fre-exiênt in ir. A t this unejqsedted objeftionjnot only T&emiSiiue,hut the reft o f the com pany appear’d not a little iurprizM ; but after a while P^/7o/ow«i conceiving his opinipn>as w ell as that o f Avi^QtU^ concern’cl that Qbjeftion , Y ou ^ânnot fure (fa ie s.

(54) C faies he to Carneetdss') propofe this P ifficu lty, nottocall'it C a v ill, other•vffife than as an Exercife o f wit, and noc as laying any weight upon it. For how can that be feparated from a thing thac was not exiftenc in it. W h e n , for in* ftance, a Refiner mingles G old and Lead, and expoixng this Mixture upon a Cuppell to the violence o f the fire, thereby feparates it into pure and reful gent Gojd and Lead (w h ich driven off together with the Drofs.of the Gold is thence-pll*d Lythargyrium Auri') can any man doubt that fees thefe two fo dif]* fering fubftances feparated from the Mafs, that th e y were exiftent in it be fore it was commitced to the fire. I ihoaldCreplies Carneades)z\\ov{ your Argument ;o. prove fomething,if,as Men fee the. Refiners commonly take before hand both L e ^ and Gold to make the Mafs you fpeak of, fo we did fee Nature pull down a parcel! o f the Element of Firesth^tis fancy'd to be plac’d 1 know not how'.niany thoufand'Leagues off> cpntiguous^to theQrbof theM oonj and to blend it witha quar)ticy .of eachofthe three other Elements,to compofe every n iixti9d y^ upon wjiofe Refolutiori thg Fire.

(55) Fire prefents us with Fire , an d F a rth ; and the re ft.’And let me add , Philopom s -i that to make your Reafoaing co gent, it muft be firft prov'd, that the fire d o’s only take the Elementary Ingredi ents aftinder, w ithout otherwife alter ing them. For elfe *tis obvious, that Bo dies may afford fubftances which were not pre-exiftent in them ; a sF Ieflito o long kept produces M ago ts, and old C h eefe Mites, which I fuppofe you w ill not affirm to be Ingredients o f thofe Bo dies. N ow that fire do’s not alwayes barely fepara’te the Elementary p a rts, butfom edm esatleaft alter alfo the In gredients o f Bodies 3 if I did not expedl ere long a better occafionto prove it , I might make probable out o f your very Inftance, wherein there is nothing E le mentary feparated by the great violence o f ihe Refiners fire: the G old and Lead which are the two Ingredients ieparated upon the Andyfis being confelTedly yet perfectly mixt B odies, and the L i tharge being Lead indeed 5 but fuch Lead as is differing in confiftence and other Qiialities from what it Was before. T o which 1 mufl: add that I have iometimes feen,and fo queftion.lefs have you ' m uch'.

(56) ■f3o ) much oftDCr, fome parcelis o f GlaiTc adhering to the Teft or Cuppel, aad this G la fs though Emergent as weli as' thfi Gold or Litharge upon your Anaiyfis, you will notl hope allowtb have beena third Ingredient of the Mafs out of which the fire produc’d it. Both Thilofoms and Thm ijlius were abont to reply, when EUuthtrius appre hending that the Profecution o f this Difpute would take up tim e , which might be better employ’d , thought fis to prevent them by faying to Carmades: You inadeatleaft half a ProniifcT when you firft propos’d this O b je d io n , that you would not ( now at leafi:') oa it, nor indeed does it feem to be o f abfolute neceffity to your caiafe, that you ihould. For though you iliould grant that there are Elements, it would not follow that there muft beprecifely four. And therefore 1 hope you w ill proceed to acqnaint us with your other and more confiderable Objeftions againft Thf^ Opinion, efpecially fmce therC is fo great a Difproportion in Bulke be twixt the EaDthjWaterand A ir,o n ih e one part, and ihofe little parcells o f refcmbiing fuhftances, that the fite feparates.

(57) c? 0 fates from Cowfrí/fí on the other part, that I can fcarce think that you arc ferious, when £o lofe no advantage againft your Adverfary, you feem to deny it to be ration il, to conclude thefe great fimple Bodies to be the Elements , and not the Products o f compounded ones. W hat you alledge ( replies Carnt^ ades) o f the Vaftnefs o f the Earth and W ater, has long fince made me w illing to allow them to be the greateft and ch ief MaiTes o f M atter to be met w ith here b e lo w ; But I think I coald íhew You, ifY o u would give me le a v e , that this w ill prove only that the Elem ents, as You call them , are the ch ief Bodies that make up the neighbouring parr o f the W orld, but not that they are fuch Ingredients as every m ixt Body muft confift of. But fince You challenge me offom ething o fa Proraife, though it be n o ta n en tircon e, Y e t i flia llw illin g ly performe it. A n d indeed I intended not, when I firft mention’ d this O bjeftio n , to infift on it at prefent againft Thm iftius., ( as I plainly intimated in my w ay o f propofing it ) be ing onlydefirous t o le t t you f e e , that though I djfgern’d my Advantages, y e t. I.

(58) . C3 0 I was willing to forego fonie o f them rather than appear a rigid Adverfary of a Caufe fo weak, that ic may w ith fafety be favourably dealt with. But I muft here profcfs, and defire You ro take N o ticeo f it , that though I pafs on to another Argument, it is not be caufe I think this firft invalid. F or You will find in the Progrcfs o f our Dif* puce, that 1 had fome reafon toqueftionthe very way o f Probation imploy’d both by Peripateticks and Chym ifts, to evince the being and number o f the Elements. For thac there are foch, and thac they are vront to be feparated by> the Analyfis made by Fircj is indeed ta* ken for granted by both Parties, but h*s not (fo ro u g h t I k 'n o w ) been fo much as plaufibly attempted to be proved by either. Hoping then that when we come to that part o f our De bate , wherein Confiderations relating to this Matter are to be treated of, you will remember what I have now faid, and that I do rather fo r a while fuppofe, than abfolutely granc th e tru c h o f what ■ 1 have queftion’d , 1 will proceed to a- ; nother Objection. i And hereupon Eleuthe’rim having pro-.

(59) C 33 ) ' promis’d him not xo be unm indfull, wheh time fhould ferve,o f what he had declar’d. I confider then ( faies Carneades ) irï the next p la c e , that there are divers Bodies out ofw h ich T)ée?K/lî/Vi5wiIl noc prove in hafte, that there can be fo raany Elemests as four extra<5ted by the Fire. And I iliould perchance trouble him if 1 ihould ask him what P eripatetick can fhew u s ,( I fa yn o t, all the four Elements , for that w ould be too rigid aQueiVion jb u t ) anyone o f them e x çraélfed o u t o f G old by any degree o f Fire fy'hatfoever. N or is G old the on ly Bodiein N atu re that w ould puzzle an^r/ôie/itf«,Cthat is no m ore) to ana lyze by the Fire into Elementary Bo dies, fia c e , for ought I hâve yet obferv’d both Silver and calcin’d Venetian T d c k , and fome" other Concretes , noc iteceflary here to be nam’d, are fo f i x e , that to reduôe any o f them into four Hcierogeneous Subftances has hitherto' p ro v ’d a Task much too hard, not only for the Difciples o f AriBotle, but thofe at leaft,w hiiit the latter have em ploy'd only F ire to make the JnaiyD. Xhfe.

(60) T h e next Argument ( continues Car^ ntadesj that I iliall urge againft ThtOpinionihall be th is. That as there are divers Bodies whofe Analyfis by Fire cannot rednce them into fo ma ny Heterogeneous Subftances or Ingre dients as four, fo there are others whiclj may be reduc’d into m ore, as the Blood ( and divers other parts) o f Men and otlwr Animals, which yield when analyz’d five diftinil Subftances Phlegme, Spirit, Oyle, Salt and E a rth , as Experience has Ihcwn us in diftilling Mans Blood, Harts-Horns, and divers other Bodies that belonging to the Aniraal-Kingdotn abound with not unealiiy fequeftrable Salt.. The.

(61) TH E. S C E P T IC A L C H Y M IS T. Tht F iv^ Fart,. I. Am (faioi CartHadeC) fo unwilling to deny Elm herists any thing, rha't though, before the reft o f the* Com pany I am rerolv'dto makegood the part I have underraken p f a Seep tic k ; y e t i readily 5 iince you w ill have it fo , layafide for a while the Perfon o f an' Adverraryco the Peripareticks andC hymifts; and b e fo re l acquaint you wirh my O bjedioas againft their O pinions, acknowledge to yon what may be (w h e ther truly o r n o t) tolerably enough added, in favour o fa certain number o f Principles6fraixc Bodies, to that grand and known Argument from xht: Andiyfis, D 2 of.

(62) 36 TH E S C B V t l C A h ofcompoundBodies, w h ich i may poffiMy hereafier be able to confute. And that you may the more eafily Examine, and the better judge o f what I have to fay, 1 ihall caft it inro a pret ty number ofdiftiniS Propofitions, to . which I iliall not premifeany thing; bccaufe I take it for granted, tharyou need not be advertis'd, that much of what I am to deliver, whetJier for or Rgainft-a determinate number o f Ingre dients of mixt Bodies , may be indif ferently apply’d to the four Periparetick Elements, and the three Chymical Principles, though divers o f my Objedi* ons will more peculiarly belong to thefe laft nam'd, becaufe the Chymical HypihefiskQm\r\g to be much more counte nanc’d by Experience than the other, it will be expedient to infift chiefly upon ihed ifp rovin gof thar; efpecially fince moft o f the Arguments that are imploy’d againft it, may, by a little varia tion, be made to conclude, at leaft as ftrongly againft the lefs plaufible, AriJioieliGn'DoCtnwQ. T o proceed then to tny Propofiti ons I iliall begin wiih tliis. That It.

(63) Jt ferns m t dhfurd to conceive that at the propof.l. fîrîï Troduhion o f m ixt "Bodies, the Vniverfal Matter whereof they among other Tarts o f the Vniver/e cmfifted^ 7906 aHually divided into little Particles o f feveral fiz.es a?id fl)apes varioufly movd.. T h is Cfaies Carneades') Î fu p fo fe you w ill eafiiy enough allow. Foi;,be. fides that which happens in the Gene’ î-ation. C o rru p tio n , N utrition , and : w a ftin g o f Bodies, that which we d ifco: Ver'parrly by onv MicrofcopesQÎ the tream Uulenefs o fe v e n the fcarce fen'iib le p a ris o f C o n crètes; and p a rtly : by the. Chym ical R efolutions o f m ixt ’ Bodies, and by divers other Operations ' o f Spagyrical Fires upon th e m , feenis ^Sufficiently to manifeft their confining 'o f p an s very minute-and o f differing 'Figures. And that there does -alfo inter‘vene a various local M otiôn o f fuch Ttnall B odies, w ill fcarce be denied ; whether we ehufe to grant the Origins i)f Concretions aiTign’d b y Efiçuru^, o r that related by F or the firft , as ôu Well k n o w , fuppofes not only all E) 3 ' m ixl.

(64) miKt Bodies, bur all others to bcpror ducM by the various and cafual occurfi« ons o f Atom es, moving themfelves to and fro by an internal Principle in the ImniCiiie or rather Infinite Vacuum. And as for the infpir’d H iftorian, He, infornîing us that the great and Wife Author o f Things did not immediately create Plants, Beafts,BirdSj&c. but pro duc’d them out of thofe portions o f the pre:exilî’e n t, though created , Matter, that he calls Water and Earth , allows lis to conceive,that theconftituent Par ticles whereof thefe new Concretes Wörcto confift, were varioufly moved in order to their being ccnneöed into the Bodies they were, by their various Coalitions and Textures, to coropofe. Bur (continues Ci7r»Wej>prefuniing that the fijft Propoiition nreds not be longer infiiled on , I will país on tp the fécond, and tell you that ' N either k it fojfihle th â t o f th e fe mi; 'nu.te Tarticles divers o f t h i f m d l e ñ an¿i neighbouring m es were h<re o n d th m /jßociated into minute.-M a ß e s or Clu» flers^ and d id their Coalitions cmßi■ g r fa tß o r e o f fu c h little primary. Concretions.

(65) C H T M IST, 39 Concretions or Maßes oi were nof eafily dißfable into fuch VarticUs as compBsdthem» T o what may be deduc’d, in favour o f this Affertion from the Nature o f the Thing it felf, I w ill acid fomething out o f E xperience, which though I have not known it u fed to fuch a pu rp o fe , feems to me more fairly to make out that there ma-y be Elementary Bodies, than the more queftionable Experiments o f Peripateticks and Chyniiils prove that there are fuch. I confider then thac Gold w ill mix and be collrquated noc only w ith Sliver,Copper, T in and Lead, but with Antimony, Regulus Martin znd many other Minerals, with which it w ill coißisöfe Bodies very differing both from iGold^ afld the other Ingredients o f the refultingCoucretes. A nd the fame G old w ill aifo by common AquaRegisând ( I fpeak it k n o w in g ly ) b y divers other ¿M enßruum sht rcduc’dinto afeem ing Liquor, in fo much that the Corpufcles o f Gold w ill, with thofe o f the Me«j9 r»-, i/7w,pafs through C ap-Paper,and w ith them alfo coagulate into a Chryftalline Salt. A n d I have further tr y ’ d 3 that r 4 with.

(66) 40. t h e. SCETTICAL. w hhafm all quantity o f a certain Saline Subftance I preparM,! can eafiiy enough iublime Gold into the form o f red Chryftalls of a confiderable length; and many other'wayes may Gold be difguis’d, and help to conftitiite Bodies o f very differ ing Natures both from It and from one another, and neverthelefs be afterward, reduc’d to the felf-farae N um erical, Yellow , Fixt, Ponderous and MalWabk Gold it was before its Conmiixture. Nor is it only the fixedft p f Metals, but the mofi: fagitive, that 1 may employ in fa-, vour of our Propoiltion : for (îckfilvei: • will with divers M etak compofe an A -’ malgafn-^mth divers Men^ruum it feems to be turnM into a Liquor, with Aûa. farth it willbe brought into either a red. o r white Powder or precipitate, with O yl of Vitriol into a pale Yellow one.,with Sulphur it will compofe a bloodred and volatile Cifiaber, wit‘h fome Sa line Bodies it will afcend in form o f a Salt which will be diiTolublein water; vf\t\iRegtilus o f Antimony and Silver I have fecn it fublim’d into ^ kinde of Cryil: .>Is,wiih another Mixture I reduc’d it into a malleable B o d y, into a hard and brittle Subftance by anoiher: Aiid fome.

(67) CfTTMISt. . fome thgre are who affirm, that by p ro p e r Addicaments they can reduce Quickfilver into O yl, nay into Glafs, to mentjoA no more. A ild yît our o f all thefe exoiick Con^pourjcS, we may recover the very fame running M ercury that' was the main Ingiedient o f th em , and was fo difguis’d in them. K o w th e R e a -fpn C proceeds that I have reprefented thefe things concerning Gold and Quiekiilver,is, That it may r o c appear abfurd to conceive^that fuch litr tic primary Maffes cr Clufters 5 as our Propofition m entions, may remain undiiTi]pated,nptwiihil:andiDg their entring. into the compafition o f various C o n cre-, tions, fmce the C orp u fd e o f G old and. M ercury, though they be not pjrimary*/ Concretions o f the moft niiriute Parti cles o f m atter, but confeiTedly mix^C: B odies, are able to concarre plentifully to the compofiiion o ffev era l very dif* fering Bodies, w ithout lofmg their own N atu reorT extu re,or having their cohefion violated by the divorce o f their aflbciated parts or Ingredients. G iv e me leave to add ( faies EUutherim) on this oGcafion, to what you now ob fcrv'd , that as confidently as fome. Chymift^.