CENTURY X. 495 



pound, it is so prodigious ; but that it is so constantly 

 avouched by many : and we have set it down as a law 

 to ourselves, to examine things to the bottom ; and 

 not to receive upon credit, or reject upon improba 

 bilities, until there hath passed a due examination. 

 This is the sympathy of individuals ; for as there is 

 a sympathy of species, so it may be there is a sympa 

 thy of individuals : that is, that in things, or the parts 

 of things that have been once contiguous or entire, 

 there should remain a transmission of virtue from the 

 one to the other : as between the weapon and the 

 wound. Whereupon is blazed abroad the operation 

 of unguentem teli : and so of a piece of lard, or stick 

 of elder, &c. that if part of it be consumed or putre 

 fied, it will work upon the other part severed. Now 

 we will pursue the instances themselves. 



Experiments in consort touching emission of spirits in 

 vapour or exhalation, odour-like. 



912. The plague is many times taken without 

 manifest sense, as hath been said. And they report, 

 that where it is found, it hath a scent of the smell of 

 a mellow apple ; and, as some say, of May-flowers : 

 and it is also received, that smells of flowers that are 

 mellow and luscious, are ill for the plague, as white 

 lilies, cowslips, and hyacinths. 



913. The plague is not easily received by such as 

 continually are about them that have the plague ; as 

 keepers of the sick, and physicians : nor again by 

 such as take antidotes, either inward, as mithridate, 

 juniper-berries, rue, leaf and seed, &c. or outward, 

 as angelica, zedoary, and the like, in the mouth ; tar, 



