tifi 0/BODIES. Chap. i?. 



& o-.hcrs tons;h outward violence. We will begin with examining how this laft 

 ft r anKtward is done:to which end we may confidcr,that the tiniry of any bo- 

 vn!ence,thc "dy confining in the connexion oPits parts; it is evident that the 



fitft ir.ftrnmrnt r j r / U r j i n c rr 



to diffo'.vemi- force of motion if it be cxercifed upon them, mult ofnecelmy 

 xcd bodies, fcpa rate them as we fee in breaking, cutting .filing, drawing a- 

 fundcr, and the like. 



All thefe motions, bccaufe they arc done by groiTe bodies, do 

 require great parts to work upon, and are eafily difcerned how 

 they work rib that it is not difficult to find the reaibn why fome 

 hard bodies break eafily,and others with much ado. The fir ft of 

 which are called brittle, the others tough. For if you mark it>all 

 breaking requirerh that bending fliould precede ; which on the 

 one fide comprefTeth the parts of the bended body,& condenfeth 

 them into a leffer room then they poflefled before ; and on the 

 other fide ftrercheth them out, and maketh them take up more 

 place. This rcquireth /bme fluid or moveable fubltance to be 

 within the body^lfe it could not be done; for without fuch help 

 the parts could not remove. Therefore fuch hard bodies as have 

 moft fluid parts in them, are moft flexible, that is, are tougheft. 

 And thofe which have fewe(t,though they become thereby hard- 

 eft to have impreflion made upon tbem,yet if the force be able to 

 do it,they rather yield to break then to bendj& thence are called 

 brittle. 



Out of this we may infer,that fome bodies may be Ib fudden- 

 ly bent as that thereby they break afunder; whereas if they were 

 leifurcly and gently dealt withall^they would take what ply one 

 defircth. And likewiic that there is no body(be it never (b brit- 

 tle and hard)but that it will bend a littlefand indeed more then 

 one would expc&)if it be wrought upon with time & dexterity; 

 for there is none butcontaineth in it fome liquid parts more or 

 leife; even glade and brick. Upon which occafion I remember, 

 how once in a great ftorme of wind,! faw the high (lender brkk 

 chimneys of the Kings houfe at S. James Tone winter when the 

 Court lay there)bend from the wind like boughs, nnd fhake ex- 

 ceedingly and totter. And at other times I have ieen fome very 

 high and pointy (pire fteeples do the like. And I have been afTii- 

 red the like of the whole pile ofa high caftle, ftanding in a gul- 

 let in the courfeof the wind (namely theca(rIcofWardour)by 

 thofe who have often fcen it fluke notably in a fierce wind. 



The 



