HISTORY OF THE ATOMIC THEORY. 1 1 5 



than one kind of water, one of which he considers a fifth 

 element. This, however, has to do with the history of the 

 idea of liquid and fluid, which must not be entered on here. 

 In saying this, Palissy was reasoning from the state of metals 

 in solution, for he believes they grew, and were found in 

 common water. As he says ; 



" 11 (le createur) a commande ^ nature de trauailler, produire 

 et engcndrer, consommer et diasiper ; comme tu vols que le feu 

 consomme plusieurs choses, aussi il nuurrit et soustient plusieurs 

 chosesi les eaux debordees dissipent et gastent plusieurs choses, 

 et toutefois sans elles nulle chose ne pourroit dire ie suis. £t 

 tout ainsi que I'eau et le feu dissipent d'vne part, Us engendrent et 

 pro(^ulsent d' autre. Suyuant quoy ie ne puis dire autre chose des 

 metaux, sinon que la matiere d' iceux est vn sel dissoult et liquifie 

 parmy les eaux communes, lequel sel est inconneu aux hommes; 

 d'autant qu' iceluy estant entremesle parmi les eaux, estant de la 

 mesme couleur que les eaux liquides et diafanes on transparentes, U 

 est indistinguible et inconnu a tous ; n' ayant aucun signe apparent, 

 par lequel les hommes le puissent dislinguer d' auec les eaux 

 communes.*** 



Matter then appeared to the alchemists as it has done to 

 the greater part of early thinkers, and to most of those who 

 do not think, as a power subtle and changeable, capable of 

 every transformation, and dependent on laws by some held 

 eternal and immutable, by others dependent on the spiritual 

 condition of man. We have no distinct clue in such opinions 

 to any definite ideas about composition. 



* Same, p. 104. Id his objection to alchemy, Palissy has not shone so much 

 at in his pottery, and even in his other scientific inquiries. Botticher, also a 

 potter, a less honourable and less able man, has beun, by his discoveries in 

 Dresden porcelain, the occasion of a saying suitable to the times, and shewing 

 the true value of the alchemists, viz ; their accidental discoveries iu the arts. 

 When his gold making failed, and he made porcelain, it was said — 



O Gott Du ftroaser Fchoepfer, 



Ana einem goldmaober wird ein Toepfer. 



Ye heavens, alchemy has win my votes, 

 A goldmaker's changed to a maker of pots. 



p. 303. Hist. Crit. Untersuchung der Alchemie. By Wiegleb, 1701. 



