CENTURY IX. 83 



proceedeth from the dilatation of the spirits by heat : 

 the cause of the latter proceedeth from the opening of 

 the tangible parts, which desire to receive the liquor. 

 Again, there are some bodies that dissolve with both ; 

 as gum, &c. And those be such bodies, as on the one 

 side have good store of spirit ; and on the other side, 

 have the tangible parts indigent of moisture ; for the 

 former helpeth to the dilating of the spirits by the fire ; 

 and the latter stimulateth the parts to receive the liquor. 



Experiment solitary touching bodies fragile and tough. 



841. Of bodies, some are fragile ; and some are 

 tough, and not fragile : and in the breaking, some 

 fragile bodies break but where the force is ; some 

 shatter and fly in many pieces. Of fragility, the 

 cause is an impotency to be extended ; and therefore 

 stone is more fragile than metal ; and so fictile earth 

 is more fragile than crude earth ; and dry wood than 

 green. And the cause of this unaptness to extension 

 is the small quantity of spirits, (for it is the spirit that 

 furthereth the extension or dilatation of bodies,) and it 

 is ever concomitant with porosity, and with dryness in 

 the tangible parts : contrariwise, tough bodies have 

 more spirit, and fewer pores, and moister tangible 

 parts : therefore we see that parchment or leather 

 will stretch, paper will not ; woollen cloth will ten 

 ter, linen scarcely. 



Experiment solitary touching the two kinds of pneumat- 

 icals in bodies. 



842. All solid bodies consist of parts of two several 

 natures ; pneumatical and tangible ; and it is well to 

 be noted, that the pneumatical substance is in some 



