Chap. 14. ^ TreAtife of BODIES. 157 



confirmeth that aire aboundcth in them; for it is the nature of 

 aire to flick fb clofe where once it is kneaded in, as it cannot be 

 fcparated without extreme difficulty. And to this purpofe the 

 vifcuous holding together of the parts of glafle when it is melted, 

 flieweth evidently that aire aboundcth in vitrified bodies. 



Thelaft mixture we are to meddle with, is of fire with earth, |p f 

 in an overruling proportion over aire and water. And th.is I of t Wc boTes 

 conceive produceth thofe fubftances, which we may term coa- 



gulated juyces, and which the Latines do callyWc/ concreti: fire is the prc- 

 whofe firff origine feemeth to have been liquours, that have 

 been afterwards dried by the force either of heat or of cold. Of 

 this nature are all kind offalts, niters, fulfurs,and divers forts of 

 bitumens. All which eafily bewray therclicks and effects of fire 

 left in them, fome more Ibme lefTc according to their degrees. 



And thus we have in generall deduced from their caufes the 2 o. 

 complexions of thofe bodies, whereof the bulk of the world A11 r tfl . c fccond 

 fubjedred to our u(e, confiftethj and which fervc for the produ- ^'bodies, a*- 1 

 clionand nourishment of living creatures, both animal and ve- "'": from lf evc : 



i i XT r rLi s*r C rr N r -ii t rallcomhinan- 



gctable. Not lo exactly ( I confefk) nor lo particularly, as the O n<ofch c firft 

 matter in it felf, or as a Treatiic confined to that fubjeci, would J",^'^ 

 require: yet fufficiently for our intent. In the performance foivcd into fevc. 

 whereof, if more accurate fearchers of nature (hall find that we "rity C aa"jea- 

 have peradvcnture been miftaken in the minute delivwing of Gfy- 

 ibme particular bodies complexionjtheir very corre6tion(I dare 

 boldly fay) will juilifie our principall Icope: which is, to fhe^v 

 that all the great variety we fee among bodies arifeth out of the 

 commixtion of the firft qualities and of the Elements : for they 

 \vill not be able to corrci^ us upon any other grounds then 

 tho(c we have laid. 



As may eafily be perceived, if we caft a fummary view upon 

 thequalities of compofed bodies. All which we fhall find to 

 fpring out of rarity and denfity, and to favour of their origine: 

 for the mofl manifeft qualities ot bodies may be reduced to cer- 

 tain pairs oppofitc to one another. As namely fome are liquid 

 and flowing, ochers are confident; ibme arc foft, others hard, 

 fome are fatty, vifcuous , and finooch, others lean, gruny, and 

 rough; forrc grolic, others fubtile ; fotrse toisg'i , other, l/riccle: 

 and the like. Of which, the liquid, thefoft, the fat., anJ ihc vi- 

 fcuous, arc fo manifeiily derived from rarity, that 



take 



