134 NATURAL HISTORY. 



markable, as that whereupon many smaller differ 

 ences do depend : namely, that visibles, except lights, 

 are carried in right lines, and audibles in arcuate 

 lines. Hence it cometh to pass, that visibles do not 

 intermingle and confound one another, as hath been 

 said before, but sounds do. Hence it cometh, that 

 the solidity of bodies doth not much hinder the sight, 

 so that the bodies be clear, and the pores in a right 

 line, as in glass, crystal, diamonds, water, Sic. but a 

 thin scarf or handkerchief, though they be bodies 

 nothing so solid, hinder the sight : whereas, con 

 trariwise, these porous bodies do not much hinder 

 the hearing, but solid bodies do almost stop it, or at 

 the least attenuate it. Hence also it cometh, that 

 to the reflexion of visibles small glasses suffice ; but 

 to the reverberation of audibles are required greater 

 spaces, as hath likewise been said before. 



271. Visibles are seen further off than sounds 

 are heard, allowing nevertheless the rate of their 

 bigness, for otherwise a great sound will be heard 

 further off than a small body seen. 



272. Visibles require, generally, some distance 

 between the object and the eye, to be better seen ; 

 whereas in audibles, the nearer the approach of the 

 sound is to the sense, the better. But in this there 

 may be a double error. The one because to seeing 

 there is required light ; and any thing that toucheth 

 the pupil of the eye all over excludeth the light. 

 For I have heard of a person very credible, who 

 himself was cured of a cataract in one of his eyes, 

 that while the silver needle did work upon the sight 



