TRAVELLING INSTANCES. CCXci 



immediately the finished work, but covet to be present 

 whilst the artist prosecutes his labour, and exercises his 

 skill. And the like course should be taken in the works 

 of nature. 



Travelling Instances. In inquiring into any nature, Travelling, 

 observe its progress in approaching to or receding from 

 existence. Let the inquiry be into the nature of whiteness. 

 Take a piece of clear glass and a vessel of clear water, 

 pound the glass into fine dust and agitate the water, the 

 pulverised glass and the surface of the water will appear 

 white; and this whiteness will have travelled from non- 

 existence into existence. Again, take a vessel full of any 

 liquor with froth at the top, or take snow, let the froth 

 subside and the snow melt; the whiteness will disappear, 

 and will have travelled from existence to non-existence. 



Journeying Instances. In inquiring into any nature, Journeying 

 observe its motions gradually continued or contracted. 

 An inquirer into the vegetation of plants should have 

 an eye from the first sowing of the seed, and examine 

 it almost every day, by taking or plucking up a seed 

 after it had remained for one, two, or three days in the 

 ground; to observe with diligence when, and in what 

 manner the seed begins to swell, grow plump, and be filled, 

 or become turgid, as it were, with spirit; next, how it 

 bursts the skin, and strikes its fibres with some tendency 

 upwards, unless the earth be very stubborn ; how it shoots 

 its fibres, in part, to constitute roots downwards ; in part, 

 to form stems upwards, and sometimes creeping sideways, 

 if it there find the earth more open, pervious, and yielding, 

 with many particulars of the same kind. And the like 

 should be done as to eggs during their hatching, where 

 the whole process of vivification and organization might be 

 easily viewed ; and what becomes of the yolk, what of the 

 white, 8cc. The same is also to be attempted in inanimate 



