CENTURY IX. 85 



Experiment solitary touching hard and soft bodies. 



844. Of bodies, some (we see) are hard, and some 

 soft : the hardness is caused (chiefly) by the jejune- 

 ness of the spirits, and their imparity with the tangible 

 parts : both which, if they be in a greater degree, 

 maketh them not orrly hard, but fragile, and less en 

 during of pressure ; as steel, stone, glass, dry wood, 

 &c. Softness cometh (contrariwise) by the greater 

 quantity of spirits, (which ever helpeth to induce yield 

 ing and cession,) and by the more equal spreading of 

 the -tangible parts, which thereby are more sliding and 

 following : as in gold, lead, wax, &c. But note that 

 soft bodies (as we use the word) are of two kinds ; the 

 one, that easily giveth place to another body, but alter- 

 eth not bulk, by rising in other places : and therefore 

 we see that wax, if you put any thing into it, doth not 

 rise in bulk, but only giveth place ; for you may not 

 think, that in printing of wax, the wax riseth up at 

 all ; but only the depressed part giveth place, and the 

 other remaineth as it was. The other, that altereth 

 bulk in the cession ; as water, or other liquors, if you 

 put a stone or any thing into them, they give place 

 indeed easily, but then they rise all over ; which is a 

 false cession; for it. is in place, and not in body. 



Experiment solitary touching bodies ductile and tensile. 



845. All bodies ductile and tensile (as metals, that 

 will be drawn into wires ; wool and tow, that will be 

 drawn into yarn or thread,) have in them the appetite 

 of not, discontinuing, strong ; which maketh them fol 

 low the force that pulleth them out ; and yet so as not 

 to discontinue or forsake their own body. Viscous 



