CENTURY IX. 473 



person ; and the like ; do delight and exhilarate the 

 spirits much. The reason why it holdeth not in the 

 offence is, for that the sight is the most spiritual 

 of the senses; whereby it hath no object gross 

 enough to offend it. But the cause chiefly is, for 

 that there be no active objects to offend the eye. 

 For harmonical rounds, and discordant sounds, 

 are both active and positive : so are sweet smells 

 and stinks : so are bitter and sweet in tastes : so 

 are over-hot and over-cold in touch : but blackness 

 and darkness are indeed but privatives ; and there 

 fore have little or no activity. Somewhat they do 

 contristate, but very little. 



Experiment solitary touching the colour of the sea 



or other water. 



874. Water of the sea, or otherwise, looketh 

 blacker when it is moved, and whiter when it resteth. 

 The cause is, for that by means of the motion, the 

 beams of light pass not straight, and therefore must 

 be darkened : whereas, when it resteth, the beams 

 do pass straight. Besides, splendour hath a degree 

 of whiteness ; especially if there be a little repercus 

 sion : for a looking-glass with the steel behind, 

 looketh whiter than glass simple. This experiment 

 deserveth to be driven farther, in trying by what 

 means motion may hinder sight. 



Experiment solitary touching shell-fish. 

 875. Shell-fish have been, by some of the ancients, 

 compared and sorted with the insecta ; but I see no 



