466 NATURAL HISTORY. 



nesses and consumptions, men have been sustained 

 with woman s milk ; and Facinus, fondly, as I con 

 ceive, adviseth, for the prolongation of life, that a 

 vein be opened in the arm of some wholesome young 

 man, and the blood to be sucked. It is said that 

 witches do greedily eat man s flesh ; which if it be 

 true, besides a devilish appetite in them, it is likely 

 to proceed, for that man s flesh may send up high 

 and pleasing vapours, which may stir the imagina 

 tion ; and witches felicity is chiefly in imagination, 

 as hath been said. 



Experiment solitary touching the salamander. 



860. There is an ancient received tradition of the 

 salamander, that it liveth in the fire, and hath force 

 also to extinguish the fire. It must have two things, 

 if it be true, to this operation : the one a very close 

 skin, whereby flame, which in the midst is not so hot, 

 cannot enter ; for we see that if the palm of the 

 hand be anointed thick with white of egg, and then 

 aqua vitae be poured upon it, and inflamed, yet one 

 may endure the flame a pretty while. The other is 

 some extreme cold and quenching virtue in the body 

 of that creature, which choketh the fire. We see 

 that milk quencheth wild-fire better than water, 

 because it entereth better. 



Experiment solitary touching the contrary operations 

 of time upon fruits and liquors. 



861. Time doth change fruit, as apples, pears, 

 pomegranates, &c. from more sour to more sweet: but 



