J44 ATreAtifcof BO DIES. Chap. 14. 



\vich fubtile (harp needles as clofe as they could be thruft in by 

 one another. The Chymicall oylcs and fpirirs which Monfieur 

 DCS Cartes lpeakethof,are likely to be of the famecompofition; 

 fince that fuch ulc to be extracted by violent fires : for a violent 

 fire is made by che conjunction of many rayes togecher;andchat 

 muft needs caufe great pores in the body ic worketh upon ; and 

 the flicking nature ofchefe fpirics,is capable ofcpnferving them 

 Oi;t of all chcle obfei vations, it followeth, that the bodies in 

 which greatcft refractions do happen, are compounded (as we 

 have faidj of great parts, and great pores. And therefore,by one- 

 ly taking light to be fucli a body a* we have defcribed it to be, 

 where we treated of the nature of it; ic is evident, that the efFedt 

 'A^vvehaveexprettjmuflnecefTarily follow by way of reflexion, 

 and that refraction is nothing elfe but a certain kind of reflexion 

 Which laft aflmion, is likewife convinced outofthis ; that 

 the fame effects proceed from reflexion as from refraction : for 

 by reflection a thing may be feen greater then it is; in a different 

 place fio;n the true one where it isrcolours may be made by re- 

 flexion. as alfb gloating light; and fire likewife andperadven- 

 ture all other effects which arecaufed by refradtion.may as well 

 as thefe^ be performed by reflexion. And therefore it is evident, 

 they muft be of the fame nature ; feeing chat children are the re- 

 femblances of their parents. 



CHAP. XIV. 

 Of the cotnpofitioH, qua/it its, and general ten of mixed bodies. 



HAving now declared the virtues by which fire and earth 

 .vork upon one another : and upon the refl ofthe elements; 

 of this cha-cer which is, by light, and by the motions we havcdifcourtedof. 

 and the A*-' Our task fliall be in this chapter firfl to obfcrvc what will rcfulc 

 rhors mtenc in out o f fuch action of ti eirs : and next, to fearch into the wayes 

 and manner of comparing and performing it. Which latter we 

 fhall the more eafily attain \into, when we firft know the end 

 that their operation levcllcth at. In this purfuit we fhal find that 

 the cfifeil of the clement, combinations, by means ofthe moti- 

 ons that happen among them ; is a long pedigree ofo:npound- 

 cd qualities and bodies: wherein the nrft combinations (like 

 marriages) are the breeders of the next more compofed fub- 

 ftanccs : and they again are the paren:$ of others in greater 



variety: 



