82 NATURAL HISTORY. 



and divers others ; all which to refer to heat, and 

 cold, and moisture, and drought, is a compendious 

 and inutile speculation. But of these see princi 

 pally our Abecedarian Naturae ; and otherwise 

 sparsim in this our Sylva Sylvarum: nevertheless, 

 in some good part, we shall handle divers of them 

 now presently. 



Experiment solitary touching bodies liquefiable, and not 

 liquefiable. 



840. Liquefiable, and not liquefiable, proceed from 

 these causes : liquefaction is ever caused by the deten 

 tion of the spirits, which play within the body and 

 open it. Therefore such bodies as are more turgid of 

 spirit, or that have their spirits more straitly impris 

 oned, or again that hold them better pleased and con 

 tent, are liquefiable : for these three dispositions of 

 bodies do arrest the emission of the spirits. An ex 

 ample of the first two properties is in metals ; and of 

 the last in grease, pitch, sulphur, butter, wax, &c. 

 The disposition not to liquefy proceedeth from the 

 easy emission of the spirits, whereby the grosser parts 

 contract ; and therefore bodies jejune of spirits, or 

 which part with their spirits more willingly, are not 

 liquefiable ; as wood, clay, free-stone, &c. But yet 

 even many of those bodies that will not melt, or will 

 hardly melt, will notwithstanding soften : as iron in 

 the forge ; and a stick bathed in hot ashes, which 

 thereby becometh more flexible. Moreover there are 

 gome bodies which do liquefy or dissolve by fire ; as 

 metals, wax, &c. ; and other bodies which dissolve in 

 water; as salt, sugar, &c. The cause of the former 



