5 4 Trctifi of BODIES. Chap. 6. 



tinuall driving it into a thinner fubftance, a it ftreameth in a 

 perpetuairflond from the flame; feemto play upon the paper? 

 And then judge whether it be likely to be a body or no> when 

 our difcourfe fuggefteth unto us, that if it be a body, thoft very 

 appearances m uft follow, which our eyes give us evidence are 

 fb in eflFeft. If gold beaten into fo aiery a thinneflc as we fee 

 guilders ufe, doth remain ftill gold notwithftanding the won- 

 derfull cxpanfion of ic : why fhall we not allow, that fire dila- 

 ted to his utmoft period,fhall ftill remain fire; though extreme- 

 ly Tariffed beyond what it was ? 



g. We know that fire is the rareft and the fubtilcft fubfttnce 



The fourth' that nature hath made among bodies ; and we know likewife, 

 !feWaMr f that it is ingcndered by the dcftroying and feeding upon fome 

 ih: generation ot hcr more grofTc body . let us then calculate, when the ovl, 



and corruption , r 11 L. L. 11 r r i MI 



rf ;ihr, which or tallow or wax of a candle, or the bulk of a faggot or billet, 

 ^rccth.wiih j s dii atc( i an d ra rified to the degree of fire ; how vaft a place 

 muft it take up ? 



To this let uj adde what Ariftotle teacheth us ; that fire if 

 not like a ftanding pool, which coatinueth full with the fame 

 water ; and as it hath no waft, fo hath it no fupply : but it i$ 

 a fluent and brooklike current. Which alfo we may learn, out 

 of the perpetuall nutriment It requireth : for a new part of few- 

 ell, being converted into a new part of fire ( as we may ob 

 ferve, in the little atomes of oyl, or melted wax, that continu- 

 ally afccnd apace up the week of a burning candle or lamp ) of 

 ncccffity the former muft be gone to make room for the latter j 

 and fo, a new part of the river is continually flowing. 



Now then, this perpetuall flux of fire, being made ofa grofit 

 body that fb rarified will take up fuch a vaft room ; if it die not 

 at the inftantof its birth, but have fbme time to fubfift ( be it 

 never fo (hort, ) ic muft needs runne Come diftance from the 

 fountain whence ir (pringcth. Which if it do ; you need not 

 wonder, that there rfiould be fo great an extent of fire as is 

 rcquifite to fill all that fpace which light rcplcniflieth; aor that 

 it (liould be ftill fupplycd with new, as faft as the cold of 

 the airc killeth it . for confidcring that flame is a much 

 grofler fi;bftance then pure fire, (by reafon of the mixture 

 with it, of that vifcous oyly matter, which being drawn 

 cut of the wood and candle, fcrvedi for fcwcll to the fire, and 



is 



