158 HISTORY OF 



particles of any fluid, and fasten them to a solid 

 body, or keep them asunder, they will be fluid 

 no longer. To produce fluidity, a considerable 

 number of such particles are required ; but here 

 they are close, and destitute of their natural pro- 

 perties. Thus, according to him, the world is 

 growing every day harder and harder, and the 

 earth firmer and firmer ; and there may come a 

 time when every object around us may be stif- 

 fened in universal frigidity! However, we have 

 causes enough of anxiety in this world already, not 

 to add this preposterous concern to the number. 



That air also contributes to divide the parts of 

 water, we can have no manner of doubt ; some 

 have even disputed whether water be not capable 

 of being turned into air. However, though this 

 cannot be allowed, it must be granted, that it 

 may be turned into a substance which greatly 

 resembles air, (as we have seen in the experi- 

 ment of the aeolipile), with all its properties; 

 except that, by cold, this new-made air may be 

 condensed again into water. 



But of all the substances which tend to divide 

 the parts of water, fire is the most powerful. 

 Water, when heated into steam, acquires such 

 force, and the parts of it tend to fly off from each 

 other with such violence, that no earthly sub- 

 stance we know of is strong enough to confine 

 them. A single drop of water converted into 

 steam, has been found capable of raising a weight 

 of twenty tons ; and would have raised twenty 

 thousand, were the vessel confining it sufficiently 

 strong, and the fire below increased in propor- 

 tion. 



