T A Treattfe of B O D I E S. 



Chap. 7; 



r-e Vigours 



with inconru 

 p.ible lights. 



dent and modern writers have reported to have b?en found in 

 fonibcs and urns, long time before clofcd up from mens repair 

 m;n"iaps unto them to fupply them with new fcwcll : and therefore they 

 r tcn-ieci to believe fuch fires to feed upon nothing; and consequently, to 

 be inconfumptible and perpetuall. Which if they be, then our 



do&iinc tnat X vill have light to be nothing but the body of fire 



i\ a - c n j 



perpetually Mowing from its center, and perpetually dying; can- 



not be found: for in time ftich fires would neceflfarily (pend 

 thernfelvcs in light: although light be fo fubtile a fubftance that 

 an exceeding little quantity of fetvcll may be dilated into a 

 vaft quantity of light. Yet ftill there would be fomc con- 

 fumption, which how imperceptible (bever in a fhorttime, yec 

 after a multitude of revolutions of years, it muft needs difcover 

 it fclf. 



To this I anfwcr: Thit for the moft partj the witnefTcs who 

 tcftifie originally the ftories of thcfc lights, are fuch as a ratio- 

 nail man cannot expect from them that exa&nefle or nicetic 

 of observation, which is requifite for our purpofe ; for they arc 

 ufually grofle labouring people, who as they dig the ground for 

 other intentions, do ftumble upon thefe lamps by chance be- 

 fore they are aware : and for the moft part, they break them in 

 the finding; and they imagine they fee a glimpfe oflight,which 

 vaniflieth before they can in a manner take notice of it; and is 

 perad venture but the glittering of the broken glafle or glazed 

 pot, which reflefteth the outward light, aflbon af by 

 rummaging in the ground and difcovering the glafle, the light 

 ftrikcth upon it; ( in fuch manner as foraetimes a diamond by 

 a certain cneountring of light in a dusky place, may in the 

 firft twickling of the motion, feem to fparkle like fire : ) and 

 afterwards when they ftiew their broken lamp , and tell their 

 talc to fbme man of a pitch of wit above them, who is curious 

 to inform himfelf of allthecircumftanccs that may concern 

 fuch lights ; they ftrain their memory to anfwer him fatisfa&o- 

 rily unto all his demands : and thus for his fake they per- 

 f wade themfelres to remember what they never faw : and he 

 again on his fide, is willing to help out the ftory a little. And 

 fo after a while , a very fbrmall and particular relation is 

 made of it. As happeneth in like fort in reporting of all 

 ftrangc and iwufuall things ; which even thofc that in their 



nature 



