56 NATURAL HISTORY. 



stone between them, as hard as the pehbles them 

 selves ; and it were good to make a trial of purpose, 

 by taking clay, and putting in it divers pebble stones, 

 thick set, to see whether in continuance of time, it 

 will not be harder than other clay of the same lump, 

 in which no pebbles are set. We see also in ruins of 

 old walls, especially towards the bottom, the mortar 

 will become as hard as the brick : we see also, that 

 the wood on the sides of vessels of wine, gathereth a 

 crust of tartar, harder than the wood itself; and 

 scales likewise grow to the teeth, harder than the 

 teeth themselves. 



90. Most of all, induration by assimilation ap- 

 peareth in the bodies of trees and living creatures : 

 for no nourishment that the tree receiveth, or that 

 the living creature receiveth, is so hard as wood, 

 bone, or horn, &e. but is indurated after by assimi 

 lation. 



Experiment solitary touching the version of water 

 into air. 



91. The eye of the understanding is like the eye 

 of the sense : for as you may see great objects 

 through small crannies, or levels ; so you may see 

 great axioms of nature through small and contempti 

 ble instances. The speedy depredation of air upon 

 watery moisture, and version of the same into air, 

 appeareth in nothing more visible, than in the sudden 

 discharge or vanishing of a little cloud of breath or 

 vapour from glass, or the blade of a sword, or any 

 such polished body, such as doth not at all detain 



