184 NOVUM ORGANUM. 



be out of the water or wine, and at some height above it, 

 will yet gradually absorb them. 



Hence an excellent rule is derived for the opening and 

 dissolution of bodies. For (not to mention corrosive and 

 strong waters which force their way), if a body can be 

 found which is more adapted, suited, and friendly, to a 

 given solid, than that with which it is by some necessity 

 united, the given solid immediately opens and dissolves it 

 self to receive the former, and excludes or removes the lat 

 ter.* Nor is the effect or power of this motion confined 

 to contact, for the electric energy (of which Gilbert and 

 others after him have told so many fables) is only the 

 energy excited in a body by gentle friction, and which does 

 not endure the air, but prefers some tangible substance if 

 there be any at hand. 



Let the seventh be that which we term the motion 

 of greater congregation, by which bodies are borne to 

 wards masses of a similar nature, for instance, heavy 

 bodies towards the earth, light to the sphere of heaven. 

 The schools termed this natural motion, by a superficial 

 consideration of it, because produced by no external visible 

 agent, which made them consider it innate in the sub 

 stances; or, perhaps, because it does not cease, which is 

 little to be wondered at, since heaven and earth are always 

 present, whilst the causes and sources of many other mo 

 tions are sometimes absent and sometimes present. They 

 therefore called this perpetual and proper, because it is 

 never interrupted, but instantly takes place when the others 

 are interrupted, and they called the others adscititious. The 

 former, however, is in reality weak and slow, since it yields, 

 and is inferior to the others as long as they act, unless 

 the mass of the body be great ; and although this motion 

 have so filled men s minds, as almost to have obscured all 

 others, yet they know but little about it, and commit many 

 errors in its estimate. 



Let the eighth be that which we term the motion of lesser 

 congregation, by which the homogeneous parts in any body 

 separate themselves from the heterogeneous and unite to 

 gether, and whole bodies of a similar substance coalesce 

 and tend towards each other, and are sometimes congregated, 

 attracted, and meet, from some distance; thus, in milk the 

 cream rises after a certain time, and in wine the dregs and 



* This is one of the most useful practical methods in chymistry at the present 

 day. 



