PHENOMENA OF THE UNIVERSE. 147 



vapour, whilst it is collected, will on the application of fire 

 produce fire, at a good distance from the mouth of the glass,, 

 not so bright (but at least as compact) as oil, but thin and 

 scant of a blue colour and almost transparent. But being- 

 inflamed it is borne to the mouth of the glass, where is a 

 supply of more copious fuel, as it is also with oil. But if 

 the vapour is inflamed in the part verging a little obliquely 

 from the mouth of the phial, the inflammation becomes 

 pensile in the air, undulating or winding after the appear 

 ance of vapour, and would doubtless attend it longer if the 

 vapour remained together and did not confound itself with 

 the air. And the body itself of spirit of wine, if no remark 

 able vapour goes before, the fire being applied to it and 

 kept to it a little while is changed into the flame, and it 

 expands with so much the greater ease and swiftness, as 

 the spirit is more widely diffused and occupies a less alti 

 tude. But if the spirit of wine is put in the hollow of the 

 palm of the hand, and a lighted candle between the fingers 

 is placed near the palm of the hand (as boys are wont to 

 play with powder of resin), and the spirit is gently moved 

 forward, and straight forward, not upward ; the body itself 

 burns in the air, and when burning sometimes descends in 

 a right direction, sometimes unfolds a little cloud flying in 

 the air, which nevertheless verges itself to descent; some 

 times when set on fire it cleaves burning, to the roof or 

 sides, or floor of the room, and gradually becomes extinct. 



Vinegar, verjuice, wine, milk, and other simple liquors 

 (I speak of vegetable and animal substances, for of minerals 

 I will treat by themselves), have their modes of expansion, 

 and some remarkable differences attending them, which it 

 would be out of place here to enumerate: but they are in 

 those natures which we have remarked in the processes of 

 water, oil, and spirit of wine ; namely, in the degree of heat ; 

 and mode of expansion, which is threefold, either in the 

 whole body or in froth, or in rather large bubbles ; for fat 

 bodies, of unripe juice, as generally ascend in greater bub 

 bles, of dried sap, as vinegar, in less. A collection of spirit 

 moreover differs in its site. For in the boiling of wine, the 

 bubbles begin to collect themselves about the middle, in 

 vinegar about the sides: and it is the same in ripe and 

 strong wine, and again in vapid or stale, when they are 

 infused. But all liquors, even oil itself, before they begin 

 to boil cast up a few and thin half bubbles about the sides 

 of the vessel. And all liquors boil and are consumed 

 quicker in a small than in a great quantity. 



