ENTRANCES 



TO THE HISTORIES DESTINED FOR THE 

 NEXT FIVE MONTHS. 



THE HISTORY OF DENSITY AND RARITY. 



THE ENTRANCE. 



IT is no marvel if nature be indebted to philosophy and 

 the sciences, seeing it was ne\ser yet called upon to give an 

 account, for there never was any diligent and dispensatory 

 inquisition made of the quantity of the matter, and how 

 that had been distributed into bodies (in some copiously, in 

 others sparingly) according to the true, or at least truest 

 accounts that hath been truly received and approved of, 

 that nothing is taken away and lost, or added unto the 

 universal sum. Likewise that place hath been treated upon 

 by some, namely, how it can be loosened or contracted 

 without intermixion or vacuity, according to more or less : 

 but the natures of density and rarity some have referred to 

 the abundance or scarcity of the matter; another hath 

 laughed at the same; the greatest part, following their 

 author, do discuss and compose the whole matter by that 

 cold and weak distinction of act and power. Those also 

 who attribute them to the reasons of matter (which is the 

 true opinion) do neither quite deprive the materia prima, or 

 primary matter of its quantum, or quantity, though for other 

 forms they will have it equal, but here do terminate and 

 end the matter, and seek no further, nor do not perceive 

 what followeth thereby; and either do not touch at all, or 

 at least do not urge home that which hath a regard to infi 

 nites, and is as it were the basis and ground of natural 



First, therefore, that which is rightly set down must not 

 be moved nor altered; namely, that there is no transaction 

 made in any transmutation of bodies, either from nothing, 

 or to nothing ; but that they are works of the same omni 

 potence, to create out of nothing, and to reduce unto no- 



