CENTURY VII. 365 



so spirits may exhale with heat, which were preserved 

 in cold. It is affirmed both by the ancient and mo 

 dern observation, that in furnaces of copper and brass 

 where chalcites, which is vitriol, is often cast in to 

 mend the working, there riseth suddenly a fly, which 

 sometimes moveth as if it took hold on the walls of. 

 the furnace : sometimes is seen moving in the fire be 

 low ; and dieth presently as soon as it is out of the 

 furnace : which is a noble instance, and worthy to be 

 weighed ; for it sheweth, that as well violent heat of 

 fire, as the gentle heat of living creatures, will vivify, 

 if it have matter proportionable. Now the great 

 axiom of vivification is, that there must be heat to di 

 late the spirit of the body ; an active spirit to be di 

 lated ; matter viscous or tenacious to hold in the 

 spirit ; and that matter to be put forth and figured. 

 Now a spirit dilated by so ardent a fire as that of 

 the furnace, as soon as ever it cooleth never so little, 

 congealeth presently. And, no doubt, this action is 

 furthered by the chalcites, which hath a spirit that 

 will put forth and germinate, as we see in chymical 

 trials. Briefly, most things putrified bring forth in- 

 secta of several names ; but we will not take upon 

 us now to enumerate them all, 



697. The insecta have been noted by the ancients 

 to feed little : but this hath not been diligently ob 

 served ; for grasshoppers eat up the green of whole 

 countries ; and silk-worms devour leaves swiftly ; and 

 ants make great provision. It is true, that creatures 

 that sleep and rest much, eat little ; as dormice and 

 bats, &c. They are all without blood : which may 



