PHENOMENA OF THE UNIVERSE. 133 



more compact than woods and leaves ; for we must correct 

 that proneness which the human mind entertains toward 

 conjecturing that bodies are hard and consistent, in pro 

 portion to their compactness and solidity, but that fluids 

 are naturally less contracted. For a collection of matter 

 is not less in fluids than in solids, but rather more. 

 Gold, by a certain softness which it possesses, verges to a 

 fluid state, and, when liquefied, is not extended, but is con 

 tained within its former place. And quicksilver flows of 

 itself, and lead easily flows, iron with difficulty, of which 

 the one is a very heavy, the other a very light body. But 

 this is especially to be noted, that metals which are frangi 

 ble (fluids to wit), far exceed stones in weight. 



It is very remarkable of gold and quicksilver, which are 

 so much heavier than other metals, that they are found 

 sometimes in grains and small particles, as if perfect by 

 nature and commonly pure, which happens to no other 

 metals, which must unite and be purified by fire, whereas 

 these two, the conjunction of which is by far the greatest 

 and the strictest, is natural and without the aid of fire. 



In the investigation of the nature of metals and stones, 

 some inquiry should be made respecting those metals which 

 are found lower than others and are deeper in the earth, as 

 to whether there is any certain rule and standing experi 

 ment on this head. But here we must take into the con 

 sideration the region in which the mines or quarries are 

 found, whether it be higher ground or whether lower. And 

 in the same manner as to stones and diamonds that are 

 chrystals, whether the stony nature penetrate the earth so 

 deeply as the metallic, or rather attaches only to the sur 

 face, which appears the more probable supposition. 



Sulphur, commonly deemed the father of metals, though 

 generally not so by the learned, or sulphur transferred to a 

 kind of natural and not common sulphur, has a collection 

 of matter inferior to every kind of metal and even to stones 

 and the stronger earths, by two pennyweights and two 

 grains ; and yet (if other circumstances concur) if mixed 

 up with mercury, on account of the admirable gravity of 

 this latter, it could give the weights of all metals according 

 to the ratio of the temperament, except the weight of gold. 



The efficient of conjunction in bodies is not always con 

 sidered in respect to their accumulation. For glass, which 

 joins by means of a fierce and powerful fire, outweighs 

 chrystal, which is its original nature, and is extracted with 

 out fire or apparent heat ; for as to ice being a solid, that is 

 a popular error, and chrystal itself is much heavier than 



