424 NATURAL HISTORY. 



extreme comminution of spirits : of which three, the 

 two first may be joined with a nature liquefiable, the 

 last not. 



Experiment solitary touching the restless nature of 

 things in themselves, and their desire to change. 

 800. It is a profound contemplation in nature, to 

 consider of the emptiness, as we may call it, or insa- 

 tisfaction of several bodies, and of their appetite to 

 take in others. Air taketh in lights, and sounds, and 

 smells, and vapours ; and it is most manifest, that it 

 doth it with a kind of thirst, as not satisfied with its 

 own former consistence ; for else it would never re 

 ceive them in so suddenly and easily. Water, and all 

 liquors do hastily receive dry and more terrestrial bo 

 dies, proportionable : and dry bodies, on the other 

 side, drink in waters and liquors : so that, as it was 

 well said by one of the ancients, of earthy and watery 

 substances, one is a glue to another. Parchment, 

 skins, cloth, &c. drink in liquors, though themselves 

 be entire bodies, and not comminuted, as sand and 

 ashes, nor apparently porous : metals themselves do 

 receive in readily strong waters ; and strong waters 

 likewise do readily pierce into metals and stones : 

 and that strong water will touch upon gold, that 

 will not touch upon silver, and e converse. And 

 gold, which seemeth by the weight to be the closest 

 and most solid body, doth greedily drink in quick 

 silver. And it seemeth, that this reception of other 

 bodies is not violent : for it is many times reciprocal 



