Chap. 8- A Trtatiff of B O D I E S. 75 



when they are brought back into the dark, greater or leficr 

 (untill they come to their utmott period ) according as they 

 have been longer or a lefler while in the iunnc. And our eyes 

 the longer they remain in the light, the more dazeled they are 

 ifthey be fuddenly parted into the dark. And a curious experi- 

 enccr did affirm, that the likencfle of any objei^ ( but particu- 

 larly he had often obferved it of an iron grate ) if it be ftrong- 

 ly inlightned will appear to another, in the eye of him that 

 lookech (trongly and fteadily upon it till he be dazeled by it; 

 even after he Hiall have turned his eyes from it. And the wheel 

 of fire could never be made appear unto our eye by the whirl- 

 ing of the fireftick we even now fpoke of;unle(lc the impreflion 

 made by the fire from one place, did remain in the eye a while 

 afcer the fire was gone from the place whence it fent that ray. 

 Whence it is evident, that light, and the pictures of objets,do 

 require time to fettle and to unfettlc in a fubjeft. Ifthen light 

 ma keth a greater imprcilion with time, why fliould we doubt 

 but the firft cometh alfb in time ; were our fenfe fo nimble as 

 to perceive it ? 



But then it may be obje$ed, that the funne would never j. 

 be truly in that place in which unto our eyes it appeareth to be.- ^ O h t eplan "j are 

 becaufc that, it being feen by means of the light which iflucth eyrr in that 

 from it; if that light required time to move in,thc funne (whole 

 motion is fo fwift _) would be removed from the place where be. 

 the light left it, before it could be with us to give tidings of 

 him. To this I anfwer, allowing that peradvcntureit may be 

 fb. Who knoweth the contrary? Or, what inconvenience would 

 follow, if it be admitted ? Indeed, how can it be otherwife ? In 

 refraction, we are fureit isfo: and therefore at no time but 

 when the funne is perpendicularly over our heads, we 

 can be certain of the contrary although it fhould fend 

 its iJght to us In an inftant. Unlefle happely the truth of 

 the cale fhould be, that the funne doth not move about us; but 

 We turn to his light : and then, the objection alfo lofeth its 

 aim. 6. 



But the more we preffe the quieknefTe of light ; the more we 

 ingageour felves in the difficulty why light doth not fhatter the 

 aire in pieces, as likewife all folid bodies whatfoevcr: for the 

 matters of naturaJl Philofophy do tell us, that a foftcr thing other bodies 



. P into nieces. 

 With 



