PREFACE. XXV11 



serpine in the Wisdom of the Ancients*, and which 

 is thus stated in his Sylva Sylvarum : 



&quot; The knowledge of man, hitherto, hath been 

 61 determined by the view, or sight ; so that whatso- 

 &quot; ever is invisible, either in respect of the fineness of 

 &quot; the body itself; or the smallness of the parts ; or 

 &quot; of the subtilty of the motion, is little inquired. 

 &quot; And yet these be the things that govern nature 

 &quot; principally ; and without which, you cannot make 

 &quot; any true analysis and indication of the proceedings 

 &quot; of nature. The spirits or pneumaticals, that are in 

 &quot; all tangible bodies, are scarce known. Sometimes 

 * c they take them for vacuum ; whereas they are 

 &quot; the most active of bodies. Sometimes they take 

 &quot; them for air ; from which they differ exceedingly, 

 &quot; as much as wine from water ; and as wood from 

 &quot; earth. Sometimes they will have them to be 

 &quot; natural heat, or a portion of the element of fire ; 

 (t whereas some of them are crude, and cold. And 

 &quot; sometimes they will have them to be the virtues 

 &quot; and qualities of the tangible parts, which they see ; 

 &quot; whereas they are things by themselves. And then, 

 &quot; when they come to plants, and living creatures, 

 &quot; they call them souls. And such superficial specu- 

 &quot; lations they have ; like prospectives, that shew 

 &quot; things inward, when they are but paintings. 

 &quot; Neither is this a question of words, but infinitely 

 &quot; material in nature. For spirits are nothing else 



* Page 90 of this volume. See note A at the end of this 

 volume. 



