Cfaap. ir. Treatlfe o/BODIES. 107 



ing upon a body in their way, do caufc its morion Jikewifc 

 downwards .-for you may ren:emberhow \vc have /hewed them 

 to be the fubtilefl and the minuted dwfions that light y the fub- 

 tileft and fharpeft divider in" nature, can make. It is then cafie 

 to conceive that thefe extreme fcbtile bodies do penetrate all 

 others, as light doth glafle ; and do run through them, as fand 

 doth through a frnalJ fkve. or as water through a fpunge; To that 

 they ftrike, not onely upon the fiiperficies, but as well in every 

 moft interiour part of the whole body ; running quite through 

 it all, by the pores of it. And then, it muft needs follow that the 

 fbiider it is; and chemore parts it hath within (as well 3$ with- 

 out) to be ftrucken upon the fatter it muft go, and the greater 

 effec} it muftwork in what it falleth upon .-whereas if three quar- 

 ters oftbc diameter of it within, fhould be filled with nothing but 

 with aire; the atomes would fly without any confiderable etfeft 

 through all that fpace,by reafon ofthe rarity and ceflibility ofir. 



And that thefe atomes are thus fubtilc ; is manifeft by fcverall 

 eftedls which we fee in nature. Divers Autliours that write of 

 Egypt do ailureus, that though their houfes be built of ftrong 

 ftone; neverthelefle, a clod of earth laid in the inmoft rooms, 

 aftdfhfit up from all appearing communication with aire, will 

 encrtafe its weight fo notably, as thereby they can judge the 

 change of weather, which will fliortly cnfue. Which can pro- 

 ceed fiom no other oau(e,but from a multitude of little atomes of 

 faltpeter ; which floating in the aire, do penetrate through the 

 ftrongeft walls, and all the maflie defences in their way, and do 

 fettle in the clod f earth as fbon as they meet with it ; becaufe 

 it is of a temper fit to entertain, and to conferve, and to enbody 

 them. Delights have fhewed us the way, how to make the fpi- 

 rits or atomes of fnow & faltpcter pafie through a glafTe veflellj 

 . Alchhtiifts hold to be the moft impenetrable of all they 

 can find to work with. In our own bodies; the aches which 

 feeble parts do feel before change of weather, and the hearincfie 

 of our heads and fhoulders, if we remain in the open airepre- 

 fcnrly after funfec ; do abundantly tcttifie, that even thegrof- 

 fer of thefe atonies (which are the firft that fidljcio vehemently 

 penetrate our bodies : fo as, fcnfc will make us believe, what 

 reafon peradventure could not. 



But betides all this,there is yet a more convincing rcafon,why 



the 



