468 NATURAL HISTORY. 



Experiment solitary touching the orrice root. 

 863. The nature of the orrice root is almost 

 singular ; for there be few odoriferous roots ; and in 

 those that are in any degree sweet, it is but the 

 same sweetness with the wood or leaf : but the orrice 

 is not sweet in the leaf; neither is the flower any 

 thing so sweet as the root. The root seemeth to 

 have a tender dainty heat ; which when it cometh 

 above ground to the sun and the air, vanisheth : 

 for it is a great mollifier ; and hath a smell like a 

 violet. 



Experiment solitary touching the compression of 



liquors. 



864. It hath been observed by the ancients, that 

 a great vessel full, drawn into bottles, and then the 

 liquor put again into the vessel, will not fill the 

 vessel again so full as it was, but that it may take in 

 more liquor : and that this holdeth more in wine 

 than in water. The cause may be trivial ; namely, 

 by the expence of the liquor, in regard some may 

 stick to the sides of the bottles : but there may be a 

 cause more subtile ; which is, that the liquor in the 

 vessel is not so much compressed as in the bottle ; 

 because in the vessel the liquor meeteth with liquor 

 chiefly ; but in the bottles a small quantity of 

 liquor meeteth with the sides of the bottles, which 

 compress it so that it doth not open again. 



