Chap, 22. 4 Trcatife ^/BODIES. 



in the parts of another Joadftone, unleffc it be ciac"tly fituated 

 in a right pofition. Befides, iron feemcth to be compared to a 

 loadftone,like as a more humid body to a dryer of the fame na- 

 ture; and the difference of male and female fexcs in animals do 

 manifeftly fhew the great appetence of conjunction betwer i 

 moiftureand drynefTe., when they belong to bodies of the fame 

 fpecies. 



Another queftion is that great one ; why a loadftone capped *. 

 with ftcel,takes up more iron the it would do if it were without Gilberts reafbn. 

 that capping ? Another conclufion like unto this, is that if by a [^"tapjcd" 

 loadftone you take up an iron, and by that iron a fecond iron, ijdftone, th 

 and then you pull away the fecond iron; the full iron (in fomc [*<> 'then one" 

 position ) will leave the loadftone to ftick unto the fecond iron, l ca pf ej ; 

 as long as the fecond iron is within the fphcre of the loadftones impregnated 

 activity; but if you remove the fecond out of that fphere, then etfc-'dwJSh 

 the firft iron remaining within it, though the other be out of it> more ftrorgiy 

 will leave the fecond, and leap back to the loadftone. To the f^ e ft 

 fame purpofe, is this other conclufion; that the greater the iron 

 is, which is entirely within the compafle of the loadftones vir- 

 tue, the moreftrongly the loadftonc will be moved unto it; and 

 the more forcibly it will ftick to it. 



The reafbns of all thefe three, we muft give at once; for they 

 hang all upon one ftring. And in my conceit neither Gilbert 

 nor Galileo hare hit upon the right. As for Gilbert; hethink- 

 eth that in iron there is originally the virtue of the loadftone; 

 but that it is as it were aflcep untill by the touch of the load- 

 ftone it be awaked and fet on work : and therefore the virtue of 

 both joyned together, is greater then the virtue of the loadftonc 

 alone. 



* But if this were the reafbn, the virtue of the iron would be 

 greater in every regard, and not ouely in fticking or in taking 

 up: whereas hirnfelf confrflcth, that a capped ftone draweth no 

 farther then a naked ftone. nor hardly fo farre. Be(ides,it would 

 continue ics virtue ouc of the fphere of activity of the loadftone, 

 which it doth not. Again, feeing that if you compare them fe- 

 verally, the virtue of the ioadftone is greater, then the virtue of 

 the iron; why fhould not the middle iron ftick clofer to the ftone 

 then to the further iron which muft of neceflity havelelfe virtue? 



Galileo yieldeth the caule of this effect , that when an iron 6. 



a touchech 



