Chap. 1 7. A Treatife of B O D I E S. 18^ 



water^ifyce be throughout full ofaire(as of neceflity it muft be) 

 we believe impoflible. And therefore it may be lighter in the 

 bulk then water, by reafbn of the great pores caufcd in it, 

 through the fhr inking up of the parts of water together (which 

 pores muft then neceflarily be filled with aire) & yet every part 

 by it felf (in which no aire is) be heavier then fo much water. 



And by this it appeareth that his laft argument ( grounded 

 upon the fwimming of yce in water) hath no more force then if 

 he would prove that an yron or an earthen dKh, were lighter, 

 & confequently more rare then water, beciiife it fwimmeth upon 

 it; which is an effect of the aires being contained in the belly of ic 

 (as it is in yce ) not a figneofthe metalls being moie rare then- 

 water. 



Whereas on the contrary fide, the proof is pofitive and clear 

 for us; for it cannot be denied, but that the mingling of the wa- 

 ter with other bodies more denfe then it, muft of neceflity make 

 the compound and alfo the water it felf become moie denfe then 

 it was alone. And accordingly we lee, that yce half thawedf for 

 then much of the aire is driven out, and the water beginneth to 

 fill the pores wherein the aire rc/ided before) finkcth to the bot- 

 tom: as an iron difli with holes in it (whereby the water might 

 get into it^would do. And bcfides we fee that water is moie 

 diaphanous then yce,and yce more confident then watcr.Therc- 

 fore I hope we fliall be excuied, ifin this particular we be of a- 

 contrary opinion to this great perfbnage. 



But to return unto the thrid of our difcourfe. The fame that ~ 

 paffeth here before us, pafleth alfo in the sky with fnow, hatl, HowwinJ, 

 rain, and wind. Which that we may the better undcrftand, let aicm^t *"l 

 us confidcr how winds are maderfor they have a main influence win< l ! > ra:n 

 into ail the reft. When the funne by fbme particular occurrcnc 3 ' 

 raifeth great multitudes ofatomesfrom Ibme one placCjand they 

 cither by the attraction of the lun, or by iome other occaiion,do 

 take theircourfea certain way; this motion of thole atomes we 

 call a wind: which according to the continuance of the matter , 



from whence thele atomes rile, endurech a longer or a fhortcr 

 time, and goeth a farther or a fliorter way; like a river, or ra- 

 ther like thofe eruptions of waters, which in the Northern parts 

 of England they call (jjyfies: the which do break out at uncer- 

 tain times, and upon uncertain caufes, and flow likevvife wiih 



am 



