132 PHENOMENA OF THE UNIVERSE. 



twenty-one parts or thereabout. The collection of matter 

 is found most compact in gold, and most expanded in spirits 

 of wine (we speak of bodies which are whole, and not 

 porous). For spirit of wine occupies a space twenty 

 times, and that repeated, of the space which gold does, ac 

 cording to the ratios of one ounce to twenty-two grains. 

 For of those twenty-one parts, of which some are more 

 compact than others ; metals occupy thirteen parts, for tin, 

 the lightest of metals, is almost eight pennyweights, thir 

 teen, that is to say, below that of gold. For all this kind 

 of variety, leaving metals, is confined within those eight 

 remaining parts, and again, that remarkable variety which, 

 by beginning inclusively from stones, is extended to those 

 other subjects, is confined within three parts only, or but 

 little more. For the touchstone, the heaviest of stones 

 (excepting the loadstone), preponderates by little more than 

 three pennyweights. But spirit of wine, the limit of levity 

 in compact bodies, is lighter by little less than one penny 

 weight. A great gap presents itself from gold and quick 

 silver to lead, namely, from twenty pennyweights and a 

 little under, to less than twelve. And although great me 

 tallic bodies abound in variety, I am not inclined to suppose 

 that there are any intermediate bodies, excepting, perhaps, 

 the elements of quicksilver. From lead there is a gradual 

 ascent to iron and tin. Again, there appears a great hiatus 

 between metals and stones, namely, from eight to three 

 pennyweights : for such, or about such, is the distance from 

 tin to the touchstone. Only between these comes the 

 loadstone, and almost on a par, and this is a metallic stone; 

 and probably other fossils may be found of imperfect mix 

 ture, and of a nature compounded between stone and metal. 

 From stones, indeed, to the other bodies there is a gradual 

 variation. 



But we little doubt that, as to vegetables and also in the 

 parts of animals, they show themselves more than other 

 bodies, although of sufficiently equal texture, which surpass 

 spirit of wine in lightness. For even the wood of the oak, 

 which is firm and solid, is lighter than spirit of wine, and 

 the wood of the fir much more. And very many flowers 

 and leaves, and membranes and fibres, as the skins of ser 

 pents, the wings of insects, and the like, would doubtless 

 approach the lesser ratios of weights (if they were capable 

 of cubic dimension), and much more artificial substances, 

 as tinder, the leaves of roses after distillation, and the like. 

 We generally find as to the parts of animals some bodies 

 more compact than in plants. For bones and skins are 



