of 15 u L*itt>. 



sffi-ire us, ihat earth fwayeth in their composition, wirh the leaft 

 allay that rmy be. Nor doth their lightnefTe(in refpeft ofibme 

 other earthy, compositions ) impeach this resolution; for that 

 proccedcth from the grcatneSTeand multiplicity ofpores.where- 

 xvith their drineflc cauSeth them to abound; and hindereth not, 

 but that their reall foiid parts may be very hcavie. 

 j. Now if we mingle a considerable proportion of water with 



ie bodies earth, fo as to exceed the fire and aire, but Still inferiour to the 

 thebafis,&' W a- earth; we Shall produce metalh; whofe great weight with their 

 ter t fie prcJo. ductility and malleability, plainly telleth us, that the Smaileft 



minant element _ ' r LI LLIJLI 



overtheothcr of waters groilc parts are the glcvv that holdcth the earthy 

 two * iien!e ones together: fuch weight belonging to earth, and thac 



C? O ry O 



eafic changing of parts, being moft proper to water. Quick- 

 filvcrfthac is thegenerall matter whereofall themetalls arc im- 

 mediately compoiedj giveth us evidence hereof; for fire worketh 

 upon it with the fame effect as upon water. And the calcinati- 

 on of moft of the metalls, provcth that fire can eaf;Iy part and 

 confume theglew by which they were clofed and held together: 

 which therefore muft be rather of a watry then ofan aiery fub- 

 ftancc. Likewife the glibne(Ta of Mercury, and of melted me^ 

 tails, without catching or flicking to other fubftances, giveth us 

 to underfiand that this great temper of a moift clement with 

 earth is water,and not airejandthat the watry parts arecompri- 

 fed, and as it were fhut up within the earthy ones:for aire catch- 

 eth and fticketh notably to all things it toucheth , and will not 

 be imprifoned ; the divisibility of it being exceeding great* 

 though in never fo fliort parts. 



18. Now if aire mingleth it (elf with carth,and be predominant 



of thofc bodies over water and fire; it maketh fuch an oily and fat (oil, as hus- 



bcing the bad* bandmcn account their bcft mould ; which receiving a better- 



dominaat prC mcnt ^ rom c ^ c ^" nnne an ^ temperate heat, aflureth us of the con. 



courfe of the aire: for whcrcfocver fuch heat is, aire cannot fail 



of accompanying it, or of being effected by it; and the richcft 



offuch earth (as pot-earth and marl) will with much fire grow 



more compn&ed, and ftick clofer together then it did; as we fee 



in baking them into pots or fine bricks. Whereas if water were 



theglew between the dcnfc parts, fire would confume it and 



crumble them afundcr, as it doth in thole bodies it calcineth. 



And exccfle of fiie will bring them to vitrification; which Hill 



con- 



