110 NATURAL. HISTORY. 



worms, which they kill with wine, (as is reported,) 

 when they begin to quicken : with this dust they 

 dye scarlet. 1 



Experiment solitary touching maleficiating. 



888. In Zant it is very ordinary to make men impo 

 tent to accompany with their wives. . The like is prac 

 tised in Gascony ; where it is called nouer Veguillette. 

 It is practised always upon the wedding-day. And in 

 Zant the mothers themselves do it, by way of preven 

 tion ; because thereby they hinder other charms, and 

 can undo their own. 2 It is a thing the civil law taketh 

 knowledge of; and therefore is of no light regard. 



Experiment solitary touching the rise of water by means 

 of flame. 



889. It is a common experiment, but the cause is 

 mistaken. Take a pot, (or better a glass, because 

 therein you may see the motion,) and set a candle 

 lighted in the bottom of a bason of water ; and turn 

 the mouth of the pot or glass over the candle ; and it 

 will make the water rise. They ascribe it to the draw 

 ing of heat ; which is not true : for it appeareth plainly 

 to be but a motion of neze, which they call ne detur 

 vacuum ; and it proceedeth thus. The flame of the 

 candle, as soon as it is covered, being suffocated by the 

 close air, lesseneth by little and little : during which 

 time there is some little ascent of water, but not much : 

 for the flame occupying less and less room, as it lessen 

 eth, the water succeedeth. But upon the instant of 

 the candle s going out, there is a sudden rise of a great 

 deal of water: for that the body of the flame filleth no 



1 Sandys, ubi supra. 2 Id. p. 6. 



