A Tvuitfe o/B O D I E S. Chap. 21. 



taftly, as for loadftones fpending of themfelves by ftill vent- 

 ing their emanations; odoriferous bodies furnifh us with a full 

 anfwcr to that obje&iont for they do continue many years pal- 

 pably fpending of themfelves, and yet keep their odour in vi- 

 gour; whereas a loadftone, if it be laid in a wrong pofition will 

 not continue half fo long. The reafon of the duration of both 

 which, maketh the matter manifeft and takcth away all diffi- 

 culty: which is, that as in a root of a vegetable, there is a power 

 to change the advenient juyce into its nature; fo is there in fuch 

 like things as thefe a power to change the ambient airc into 

 their own fubflance: as evident experience fheweth in the Hec- 

 metikc fait;, fas fome modern writers call it ) which is found to 

 be repaired, and cncreafcd in its weight by lying in the aire; and 

 the like happeneth to faltpetcr. And in our prefcnt fubjeir. ex- 

 perience informed) u$, that a loadftone will grow ftronger by 

 lying in due pofition either to the earth, or to a ftronger load- 

 ftone, whereby it may be better impregnated,and as it were feed 

 it felfwith the emanations ifluing out of them into it. 

 5. Our next portion is, that this virtue cometh to a magnetick 



The loadftone body, from another body; as the nature of bodies is, to require 



is imbued with ,< .. j i i 



his virtue from a being moved, that they may move. And this is evident in i- 

 anoiher body. ron> wn j c h by the touch or by ftanding in due pofition near the 

 loadftone, gaincth the power of the loadftone. Again, if a fmith 

 in beating his iron into a rodjdo obferve to lay it north & fbuth; 

 it gcttcth a direction to the north by the very beating ofit.Like- 

 VV'ile if an iron rod be made red hot in the fire,and be kept there 

 a good while together, and when it is taken out be laid to cool 

 juft north and fouth, it will acquire the fame direction towards 

 the north. And this is true not onely of iron, but alfbof all o- 

 ther forts of bodies whatfbever that endure fuch ignition: parti- 

 cularly of pot-earths, which if they be moulded in a long form, 

 and when they are taken out of the kiln belaid ( as we laid of 

 the iron) to cool north and fouth, will have the fame effe-fV 

 wrought in them. And iron, though it hath not been heated; 

 but onely hath continued long unmoved in the famefituation of 

 north and fouth in a building-yet it will have the fame effect. So 

 as it cannot be denied, but that this virtue cometh unto iron from 

 other bodies : whereof one muft be a iecret influence from the 

 ftoich, And this is confirmcd,by a loadftoncs lofing its virtue(as 



we 



