502 KOVUH ORGANUH. [HOOK It 



tire, by which the grapes ripen a whole month sooner than in 

 Hie air; BO that fruit upon the tree can be ripened by fire, 

 although this appear the peculiar effect of the sun. From this 

 beginning, therefore, the understanding rejects all essential dif 

 ference, and easily ascends to the investigation of the real dif 

 ferences between the heat of the sun and that of fire, by which 

 their operation is rendered dissimilar, although they partake of 

 a common nature. 



These differences will be found to be four in number. 1. The 

 heat of the sun is much milder and gentler in degree than that of 

 fire. 2. It is much more moist in quality, especially as it is 

 transmitted to us through the air. 3. Which is the chief point, 

 it is very unequal, advancing and increased at one time, retiring 

 and diminished at another, which mainly contributes to the 

 generation of bodies. For Aristotle rightly asserted, that the 

 principal cause of generation and corruption on the surface of 

 the earth, was the oblique path of the sun in the zodiac, whence 

 its heat becomes very unequal, partly from the alternation of 

 night and day, partly from the succession of summer and winter. 

 Yet must he immediately corrupt and pervert his discovery, by 

 dictating to nature according to his habit, and dogmatically 

 assigning the cause of generation to the approach of the sun, and 

 that of corruption to its retreat; whilst, in fact, each circum 

 stance indifferently and not respectively contributes both to 

 generation and corruption ; for unequal heat tends to generate 

 and corrupt, as equable heat does to preserve. 4. The fourth 

 difference between the heat of the sun and lire is of great conse 

 quence ; namely, that the sun, gradually, and for a length of 

 time, insinuates its effects, whilst those of fire (urged by the 

 impatience of man) are brought to a termination in a shorter 

 space of time. But if any one were to pay attention to the 

 tempering of fire, and rcdvicing it to a more moderate and gentle 

 degree (which may be done in various ways), and then were to 

 sprinkle and mix a degree of humidity with it; and, above all, 

 were to imitate the sun in its inequality; and lastly, were patiently 

 to suffer some delay (not such, however, as is proportioned to 

 the effects of the sun, but more than men usually admit of in 

 those of fire), he would soon banish the notion of any difference, 

 and would attempt, or equal, or perhaps sometimes surpass the 

 effect of the sun, by the heat of fire. A like instance of alliance 

 is that of reviving butterflies, benumbed and nearly dead from 

 cold, by the gentle warmth of fire ; so that fire is no less able to 

 revive animals than to ripen vegetables. We may also mention 

 the celebrated invention of Fracastorius, of applying a pan con 

 siderably heated to the head in desperate cases of apoplexy, 

 which clearly expands the animal spirits, when compressed and 

 almost extinguished by the humours and obstructions of the 



