CENTURY IV. 173 



grew. 12. Part of the wood that shined was 

 steeped in oil, and retained the shining a fortnight. 

 13. The like succeeded in some steeped in water, 

 and much better. 14. How long the shining will 

 continue, if the wood be laid abroad every night, and 

 taken in and sprinkled with water in the day, is not 

 yet tried. 15. Trial was made of laying it abroad 

 in frosty weather, which hurt it not. 16. There 

 was a great piece of a root which did shine, and the 

 shining part was cut off till no more shined ; yet 

 after two nights, though it were kept in a dry room, 

 it got a shining. 



Experiment solitary touching the acceleration of 

 birth. 



353. The bringing forth of living creatures may 

 be accelerated in two respects : the one, if the em 

 bryo ripeneth and perfecteth sooner : the other, if 

 there be some cause from the mother s body, of 

 expulsion or putting it down : whereof tho former is 

 good, and argtieth strength ; the latter is ill, and 

 cometh by accident or disease. And therefore the 

 ancient observation is true, that the child born in the 

 seventh month doth commonly well ; but born in 

 the eighth month, doth for the most part die. But 

 the cause assigned is fabulous ; which is, that in the 

 eighth month should be the return of the reign of 

 the planet Saturn, which as they say, is a planet 

 malign ; whereas in the seventh is the reign of the 

 moon, which is a planet propitious. But the true 

 cause is, for that where there is so great a proven- 



