CENTURY IX. 75 



Experiment solitary touching sweet smells. 



833. To sweet smells heat is requisite, to concoct 

 the matter ; and some moisture, to spread the breath 

 of them. For heat, we see that woods and spices are 

 more odorate in the hot countries than in the cold : for 

 moisture, we see that things too much dried lose their 

 sweetness : and flowers growing, smell better in a 

 mornincr or evening than at noon. Some sweet smells 



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are destroyed by approach to the fire ; as violets, wall 

 flowers, gilly-flowers, pinks ; and generally all flowers 

 that have cool and delicate spirits. Some continue 

 both on the fire, and from the fire ; as rose-water, &c. 

 Some do scarce come forth, or at least not so pleas 

 antly, as by means of the fire ; as juniper, sweet gums, 

 &c., and all smells that are enclosed in a fast body: 

 but (generally) those smells are the most grateful, 

 where the deoree of heat is small ; or where the 



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strength of the smell is allayed ; for these things do 

 rather woo the sense, than satiate it. And therefore 

 the smell of violets and roses exceedeth in sweetness 

 that of spices and gums; and the strongest sort of 

 smells are best in a weft afar off. 



Experiment solitary touching the corporeal substance of 

 smells. 



834. It is certain that no smell issueth but with 

 emission of some corporeal substance ; not as it is in 

 light and colours, and in sounds. For we see plainly 

 that smell doth spread nothing that distance that the 

 other do. It is true that some woods of oranges, and 

 heaths of rosemary, will smell a great way into the sea, 

 perhaps twenty miles ; but what is that, since a peal 



