Chap. 25.] THIi MAGNET. 355 



grounds for hoping that it will never be at a loss for a supply 

 of materials for its gratification. 



CHAP. 25. (16.) THE magnet: THEEE KEilEDIES 



Upon quitting the marbles to pass on to the other more 

 remarkable stones, who can for a moment doubt that the 

 magnet^^ will be the first to suggest itself ? Tor what, in fact, 

 is there endowed with more marvellous properties than this ? 

 or in which of her departments has Nature displayed a greater 

 degree of waywardness ? She had given a voice to rocks, as 

 already ^^ mentioned, and had enabled them to answer man, or 

 rather, I should say, to throw back his own words in his teeth. 

 What is there in existence more inert than a piece of rigid 

 stone ? And yet, behold ! Nature has here endowed stone with 

 both sense and hands. What is there more stubborn than 

 hard iron ? Nature has, in this instance, bestowed upon it both 

 feet and intelligence. It allows itself, in fact, to be attracted 

 by the magnet, and, itself a metal which subdues all other ele- 

 ments, it precipitates itself towards the source of an infl.uence 

 at once mysterious and unseen. The moment the metal comes 

 near it, it springs towards the magnet, and, as it clasps it, 

 is held fast in the magnet's embraces. Hence it is that this 

 stone is sometimes known by the name of " sideritis ;"'^ another 

 name given to it being '^ heraclion."-*' It received its name 

 " magnes," Nicander informs us, from the person who was the 

 first to discover it, upon Ida.-^ It is found, too, in various 

 other countries, as in Spain, for example. Magnes, it is said, 

 made this discovery, when, upon taking his herds to pasture, 

 lie found that the nails of his shoes and the iron ferrel of his 

 staff adhered to the ground. 



Sotacus-'^ describes five*^ different kinds of magnet ; the 

 Ethiopian magnet ; that of Magnesia, a country which borders 



17 "Magnes." is i^ Chapter 23 of this Book. 



1^ " Iron earth ;" from (xicrjpog, " iron." The magnet, or loadstone 

 itself, is an oxide of iron, known as Oxidulated iron, or Ferroso-ferric 

 oxide ; sometimes in combination with quartz or alumine. 



^^ From Heraclea, in Lydia, or in Thessaly, according to some ac- 

 counts. It is not improbable, however, that it was so called after " He- 

 racles," or Hercules, on account of its powerful influence upon iron ores. 



21 Isidorus says, "India," in B. 16 of the "Origines." 



22 See the list of authors at the end of this Book. 



23 Varieties, no doubt, of oxide of iron. 



