450 NATURAL HISTORY. 



divers others ; all which to refer to heat, and cold, 

 and moisture, and drought, is a compendious and 

 inutile speculation. But of these see principally our 

 if Abecedarium naturae ;&quot; and otherwise &quot; sparsim&quot; 

 in this our &quot; Sylva Sylvarum :&quot; nevertheless, in some 

 good part, we shall handle divers of them now pre 

 sently. 



Experiment solitary touching bodies liyucfiable, and 



not liquefiable. 



840. Liquefiable, and not liquefiable, proceed 

 from these causes ; liquefaction is ever caused by 

 the detention of the spirits, which play within the 

 body and open it. Therefore such bodies as are 

 more turgid of spirit ; or that have their spirits more 

 straitly imprisoned; or, again, that hold them better 

 pleased and content, are liquefiable : for these three 

 dispositions of bodies do arrest the emission of the 

 spirits. An example of the first two properties is in 

 metals ; and of the last in grease, pitch, sulphur, 

 butter, wax, &c. The disposition not to liquefy 

 proceedeth from the easy emission of the spirits* 

 whereby the grosser parts contract ; and therefore 

 bodies jejune of spirits, or which part with their 

 spirits more willingly, are not liquefiable ; as wood, 

 clay, free-stone, &c. But yet even many of those 

 bodies that will not melt, or will hardly melt, will 

 notwithstanding soften : as iron in the forge ; and 

 a stick bathed in hot ashes, which thereby becometh 

 more flexible. Moreover there are some bodies 

 which do liquefy or dissolve by fire : as metals, wax, 



