420 NATURAL HISTORY. 



Experiment solitary touching the super-reflexion 

 of echos. 



794. There is in the city of Ticinum in Italy, a 

 church which hath windows only from above : it is in 

 length an hundred feet, in breadth twenty feet, and 

 in height near fifty ; having a door in the midst. It 

 reporteth the voice twelve or thirteen times, if you 

 stand by the close end wall over-against the door. 

 The echo fadeth, and dieth by little and little, as the 

 echo at Pont-Charenton doth. And the voice sound- 

 eth as if it came from above the door. And if you 

 stand at the lower end, or on either side of the door, 

 the echo holdeth ; but if you stand in the door, or in 

 the midst just over-against the door, not. Note, 

 that all echos sound better against old walls than 

 new ; because they are more dry and hollow. 



Experiment solitary touching the force of imagination, 

 imitating that of the sense. 



795. Those effects which are wrought by the 

 percussion of the sense, and by things in fact, are 

 produced likewise in some degree by the imagina 

 tion. Therefore if a man see another eat sour or 

 acid things, which set the teeth on edge, this object 

 tainteth the imagination. So that he that seeth the 

 thing done by another, hath his own teeth also set 

 on edge. So if a man see another turn swiftly and 

 long, or if he look upon wheels that turn, himself 

 waxeth turn-sick. So if a man be upon an high 

 place without rails or good hold, except he be used 



