134 PHENOMENA OF THE UNIVERSE. 



ice, which is plainly kept together by cold, and yet it floats 

 upon the water. 



The mixture of liquors does not depend upon or arise 

 from the ratios of their weights only, since the spirit of 

 wine is not mixed with distilled oil of almonds, but (what 

 would not appear probable) floats upon oil as oil upon 

 water; and yet (as maybe seen from the table) is only 

 lighter by a grain and a half. But at the same time spirit 

 of wine is by far more easily mixed with the spirit of water, 

 though heavier; and as water itself is more easily mixed 

 with oil of vitriol than with oil of olives ; and yet oil of 

 vitriol is heavier than water by eighteen grains, but oil of 

 olives lighter by four. But this is not to be received with 

 out a particular consideration of the weight in bodies pro 

 portioned according to the mixture. For we see that wine 

 floats upon water, if the agitation is represt or there is a per 

 turbation of the descent or first state ; as when into a vessel 

 in which water is contained you pour wine, but with a piece 

 of bread or cloth intervening, which would break the power 

 itself of the first condition. And the same takes place in 

 water poured upon oil of vitriol with this design. And 

 what is more ; although wine be first poured in and after 

 ward water (upon the bread or cloth as aforesaid), it finds 

 its own place, and passes through the wine and settles 

 itself. 



CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE CONJUNCTION 

 AND EXPANSION OF MATTER IN THE SAME BODY. 



I deem that our investigation into the ratios of powders 

 will be attended with greater utility if we compare them 

 with the bodies themselves, in their complete state, and do 

 not consider them simply by themselves. For by this 

 means a judgment may be formed respecting the difference 

 of the bodies and concerning those connexions and chains 

 of their perfect nature which are the closest. But in the 

 ratios of powders, we understand powders as comprest as 

 possible. For this conduces to their evenness, and does not 

 suffer accident. Mercury in the lump has in that experi 

 mental measure on which the table proceeds, 19 dwt. and 

 9 gr., but sublimated in powder, 3 dwt. and 22 gr. 



Lead in the lump, 12 dwt. li gr. but in white lead, in 

 powder, 4 dwt. 8| gr. 



Steel in the lump 8 dwt. 10 gr., but in prepared powder 

 (such as is used in medicines), 2 dwt. 9 gr. 



