Chap. 7. -A Trutije <?/ B O D I E S. 



verted into fteam ; that ratified water which then filleth the 

 whole ftove, is no more then what the bafin contained before : 

 and consequently, th power of raoiftening which is in a foots 

 extenfion (for example) of the ftove wherein that fteam is, 

 muft be in proportion to the virtue of wetting in the foots ex- 

 tenfion of water ; as the quantity of that great room which 

 the fteam filleth, is to the quantity of the water contained in 

 the bafin : for although the rarificd water be not in every leaft 

 part of that great place it fecmcth to take up; by reafon that 

 there is aire in which it muft fwim ; yet the power of wetting 

 that was in the bafin of water, is dilated through the whole 

 room.by the conjunction of the myft or dew to all the {enfiblc 

 parts of the airc that is in the room;and confequently the pow- 

 er of wetting which is in any foot of that room, is in a manner 

 as much leftc then the power of wetting which was in the foot 

 of water, as if the water were rarified to the quantity of the 

 Trthole room, and no airc were left with it. 



And in the fame manner it farcth with dilated fire , as ic 

 doth with dilated water : with onely this difference pcradven- 

 ture, that fire groweth purer and more towards its own na- 

 ture by dilatation ; whereas water becomcth more mixed 

 and is carried from its nature by fuflfering the like effetSh 

 Yet dilated water will in proportion moyften more then dila- 

 ted fire will burn; for the rarefaftion of water bringcth ic 

 nearer to the nature of aire (whole chief propriety is moi- 

 fture , ) and the fire that accompanied! it when it raifeth it in- 

 to (team, giveth it more powerful! ingreflion into what body 

 it meeteth withall : whereas fire when it is veiy pure, and 

 at entire liberty to ftrtch and fpread it iclf as wide as the na- 

 ture of it will carry it, gettcth no advantage of burning by 

 its mixture with airc : and although it gaincth force by its pu- 

 rity, yet by reafon of its extreme rarc&dion it muft needs be 

 extremely faint. But if by the help of glafles you will gather 

 into Icfle room that which is diffufed into a great one ; and fo 

 condenfe it as much as it is (for example^} in the flame of a can- 

 dle ; then that fire or compa6lcd light will burn much more 

 forcibly then fo much flame : for there is as much of it in quan- 

 tity (excepting what is loft in the carriage of it; ) and it is 

 held in together in as little room ; and ic hath this advantage 



bcfidcs, 



