CENTURY IV. 193 



a concurrence of the second cause, which is the 

 impulsion of the air that bringeth the scent faster 

 upon us. 



389. The daintiest smells of flowers are out of 

 those plants whose leaves smell not ; as violets, roses, 

 wall -flowers, gilly-flowers, pinks, woodbines, vine- 

 flowers, apple-blooms, limetree-blooms, bean-blooms? 

 &c. The cause is, for that where there is heat and 

 and strength enough in the plant to make the leaves 

 odorate, there the smell of the flower is rather evanid 

 and weaker than that of the leaves ; as it is in rose 

 mary flowers, lavender flowers, and sweet-briar 

 roses. But where there is less heat, there the spirit 

 of the plant is digested and refined, and severed 

 from the grosser juice, in the efflorescence, and not 

 before. 



390. Most odours smell best broken or crushed, 

 as hath been said : but flowers pressed or beaten do 

 lose the freshness and sweetness of their odour. 

 The cause is, for that when they are crushed, the 

 grosser and more earthy spirit cometh out with 

 the finer, and troubleth it ; whereas in stronger 

 odours there are no such degrees of the issue of the 

 smell. 



Experiments in consort touching the goodness and choice 



of -water. 



391. It is a thing of very good use to discover 

 the goodness of waters. The taste, to those that 

 drink water only, doth somewhat : but other expe 

 riments are more sure. First, try waters by weight, 

 VOL. iv. o 



